Post 3: My Dream Dress
Hi friends!!!
I am beyond excited to share this post with you because it is all about the PERFECT day I had at TLC Bridal Boutique in Downtown Frederick!!!
I said “yes to the dress” last weekend and had a blast doing it!
J.J., the owner of TLC, set up a bridal exclusive for me and my family. As soon as we walked into the shop we were greeted with champagne, waters, chocolate covered strawberries, hot appetizers, and the tastiest desserts ever! The bridal exclusive is something that she does for anyone who wants to have a more private appointment- and trust me, I definitely recommend it! It was so much fun feeling like I had the entire boutique to myself and all the attention on me and my dress.
We started the day with the snacks, of course, and talked for a few minutes about the style, color (there is more than just a white white dress!) and my budget. I showed her a few dresses that I had pictures saved of and then we hit the racks!! J.J sent me back into the fitting room and we started with a gorgeous Casablanca ball gown. That’s the dress I had showed her in the picture and…didn’t end up going with it. It was gorgeous, but I thought it might be too heavy for my summer wedding. So on to the next! We switched styles and tried on a few mermaid gowns, A-line styles and more ball gowns, and we quickly found the styles that I loved the best and that my family also thought looked great on me.
Trying on dresses is definitely not easy, but it makes a HUGE difference and the entire process so much easier when the bridal gown expert (J.J. for me) that is pulling the dresses for you to try on is so good at it! I tried on about 12 gowns and pretty much loved them all. J.J. said she had two more that she thought it would love and I quickly slipped into it and looked into the mirror in the fitting room and fell in love (insert big heart eye emoji face here!) It was tight in all the right places, it had a structure to it that made me look extra slim and the shape of the dress made me look super tall!! It was spot on!
I mean look at it!! (to the left) the back was just gorgeous. Obviously, I’m not that tall…im standing on something, but that dress was very slimming (LOVE THAT!!!) and the front was even more gorgeous. I thought that was the one!! But, little did I know…J.J had something even better in store for me.
She pulled another ball gown, she knew I wanted the princess feel and that would probably get me to say yes. So, after a few minutes of me looking into the mirror and putting on the veil to see if the dress gave me the feels, I decided to try on one more….
But, before we get to that dress… I have to tell you how great it was to be working with someone who knows all there is to know about wedding gowns, styles, designers, and how to keep you within your budget and find you the dress of your dreams. Dress shopping can be stressful, especially if you are like me and have NO clue what kind of dress you are looking for. TLC Bridal Boutique has every dress imaginable and there are sooo many gowns that you can customize to make a one-of-a kind for your wedding. For a few of the dresses I thought about making a change to the style of the top and she offered tips and told me how I could make it look the way I wanted. Not once did I feel pressured for time, like I was being hurried, or like I was a pain for taking off another dress because I didn’t like it. I could have tried on fifty dresses and J.J would have said “okay, lets keep going” She gave me her advice when I asked and listened to what I liked and didn’t like about each dress until we found the perfect one.
My family had a lot of fun, too. They held up signs when I walked out to help me come to my final choice 😉 Yes, that one says “Next!” 
So….the dress……Tim (my fiance), stop reading here!!!
I finally got the “say yes” and “love it” signs from the family when I put on this beauty (below)…and I can’t wait to see it again for
my first fitting!! It was the perfect amount of sparkle and gave me that princess feeling all in one. I LOVE IT!!!!!
I can’t wait for more to come with my wedding and I will continue to work with TLC Bridal for my bridesmaid dresses, help my mom to find her dress, and all of my jewelry and accessory needs!!
<3 Katie
*Photo Cred: Jessica Keator Photography
More photos from TLC Bridal
Gallery: The Montgomery County Agricultural Fair
Photos from Zach Tignall
Free Country Rewind Spotlight Shines On Martina McBride
Martina McBride will perform at the Family Fundraiser Phenomenon on Saturday, August 27th. Sunday she will be the artist in the spotlight on the Free Country Rewind from 8 until noon with Don Brake. You will also hear True Classic Country Showcase songs from Sonny James, Jerry Reed, Webb Pierce and Lefty Frizzell. We will also tip our hat to some of the biggest hits of 1984 and 1979. If you would like to request a song or suggest a future spotlight artist, email Don. Don’t forget about our next Free Country Rewind concert starring Lonestar on November 2nd at the Weinberg Center.
Go to the show with Mo!
It’s time for the WFRE “Go To The Show With Mo” photo scavenger hunt!
Email as many of the following pictures to [email protected] (1 entry per person) Please include your name and contact phone number in with the email. Please put all of the photos in the same email. Only the 1st email sent in per email address will be valid.
The person with the most photos in the scavenger hunt will be the winner… In the event of a tie, all of the people who submitted will go into a random drawing.
Submissions will close at 6pm TODAY (8/17/16) and we’ll announce the winner shortly after.
GOOD LUCK!!!!
Prize: 2 tickets to see Kenny Chesney & Old Dominion at Jiffy Lube Live Thursday 8/18/16
2 seats on the Limo Bus courtesy of On The Town Limousines
2 Box Dinners from Jimmy John’s of Frederick
Sponsors: Century of Mt Airy, On The Town Limousines, Jimmy John’s of Frederick
Scavenger Hunt List
You and something from Kenny Chesney – EX: CD, Photo, etc.
You and something from Old Dominion
You in downtown Frederick
You with the person you would take with you
You with a Maryland flag
You with a USA flag
You with the WFRE logo
You wearing a Frederick Keys hat or jersey
You with Brian Mo
You with Dave Conrad
You with someone famous
Birthday Prize Form
Shockley Honda Pet of the Week – 8/16/16
Dick Van Dyke Sings While at Breakfast!
Dick Van Dyke surprised patrons of a Santa Monica Denny’s when he did an a cappella performance of “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.”
The 90-year-old legend posted a video of the moment on Facebook, writing, “Breakfast at Denny’s, with a side of grits makes me want to sing!!” (Premiere Prep)
Check out the video below on YouTube
Post 2: All about the Men
Hi guys!!! What an exciting “wedding-filled” weekend!!
So, besides the excitement of finding my wedding dress at TLC Bridal Boutique, which I can’t wait to tell you all about, also comes the fun of wondering what my fiance, Tim, will be wearing?!?!! He has to look good, too.
Oh! Did I mention my colors yet? They will be Tiffany blue, light-light pink and white. I think silver accents, too.
I am definitely envisioning a romantic and elegant feeling for our wedding. The rustic, Pinterest-y theme was on my mind for a while, because overall, I love the style in my home. Although, for our wedding I think I want something that will make us feel like we are in a dream. Lots of lights, flowers, and candles everywhere.
I am definitely envisioning a romantic and elegant feeling for our wedding. The rustic, Pinterest-y theme was on my mind for a while, because overall, I love the style in my home. Although, for our wedding I think I want something that will make us feel like we are in a dream. Lots of lights, flowers, and candles everywhere.
That brings me to think about how that can all tie into what the groom and groomsmen should wear. I love the look of black and dark grey, but is that romantic? It’s definitely elegant. It’s a summer wedding, so I wouldn’t want them to be too hot!
So, last week, I gave M. Stein Tuxedos a call and spoke with Ginny, one of the owners. We talked a little about colors and possibly having the guys wearing one color and the groom wearing a slightly different color. Has that worked out for any of you? We went on and on and decided to set up an appointment to have them over to our house (yes,they come to you!!) to talk about our vision. Yes, I promise to give Tim the final call…
How convenient is it that M. Stein Tuxedos will come to you? Where ever you are- at work or home, or maybe a friends house. It doesn’t matter, Ginny and Darryl will meet you to get your measurements so you don’t have to drive out of your way or plan an extra trip to the store…and it’s super quick!
It’s always so difficult finding a time where all of the groomsmen, dads, and ring bearer can meet for a fitting together and decide on a tux. Darryl, Ginny and I said why not make the tux fitting a fun event? That will definitely get the guys attention if we say BBQ at our house and throw in the fitting with M. Stein, too.
I can’t wait to plan something fun for the guys, maybe a cook out at our house or football party. Plus, it’s no problem if they can’t make it to the party. Ginny is always out and about and can make a quick stop wherever they live or work. M. Stein Tuxedos serves the MD, VA and DC areas and have everything you need from head to toe.
I know formals, homecoming and wedding season is here so check them out for yourself at MSteinTuxedos.com
It’s always so difficult finding a time where all of the groomsmen, dads, and ring bearer can meet for a fitting together and decide on a tux. Darryl, Ginny and I said why not make the tux fitting a fun event? That will definitely get the guys attention if we say BBQ at our house and throw in the fitting with M. Stein, too.
I can’t wait to plan something fun for the guys, maybe a cook out at our house or football party. Plus, it’s no problem if they can’t make it to the party. Ginny is always out and about and can make a quick stop wherever they live or work. M. Stein Tuxedos serves the MD, VA and DC areas and have everything you need from head to toe.
I know formals, homecoming and wedding season is here so check them out for yourself at MSteinTuxedos.com
Keep an eye out for pictures from this weekend at TLC Bridal!! I can’t wait to show you what I found 😉
<3 Katie Ryan
US Athletes Get Taxed For Medals
So far so good for the US athletes at the games in Rio. While several athletes like Michael Phelps have cashed in with gold, the IRS is looking to cash in on their success as well. According to an article in Forbes Yes, US athletes have to pay tax, not only on their medals, but also on their bonuses they get for placing first, second or third.