For those of you who are Catholic and plan to marry in the Catholic church, you've probably heard of Pre-Cana. It's a marriage prep course. And it's required.

Before heading into a full day of this on Sunday, I'd received mixed feedback about Pre-Cana. I'd been told the participating couples are asked to share very personal information. Others remembered the sections on sexuality and family planning being super awkward. And some told me it was a long day, but well worth it in the end. They left feeling good about themselves as couples, having been prompted by strong married couples to think about important issues that will likely arise in their marriages. The leading couples also armed the engaged couples with communication tools and advice.

It sounded alright. But still, BK and I didn't know what we were about to face.

The thing is, you really don't know what it will be like until you go through it. So despite what I'm about to write, you may still worry or complain until your session rolls around. But I'm telling you, it is a positive experience, and there is absolutely nothing to worry about.

I think maybe because it's required, Pre-Cana is often dreaded. But it is, without a doubt, helpful -- and probably in totally different ways for each couple. If anything, the day's activities will tell you that as a couple, you are right on track. If the presenters ask, "Have you discussed finances?" or, "Do you know how you'll handle the holidays when you're married?" and your answers are "yes," then you can pat yourselves on the backs.

I hear the programs vary from parish to parish, but we completed ours through Holy Saviour Parish. And I'm glad we did. The presenters were so open in sharing their own stories and they approached everything with a sense of humor. It made for a relaxing atmosphere -- which is the opposite of what I expected.

When we arrived I found our names and picked up our packet. Inside I saw a pocket full of handouts that instantly took me back to C.C.D. I thought we'd be quizzed and called on to define the sacrament of marriage and so forth. I skimmed over the questions. I didn't know all of the answers!

But they weren't questions we had to sit down and answer with No. 2 pencils. They were asked throughout the day, and we could volunteer an answer or choose to just think about it. I'm sure the topics prompted discussions between couples after they left the church basement that day.

So to my fellow Catholic brides: Pre-Cana, worth your time; Worrying about it, a waste of time.

Check out the Ivory Elegance candleabra I ordered last night to serve as a decorative prop at our reception. It captures the style of our wedding so well. And after that, maybe I'll find a place for it in my future dining room, as it also complements my Marchesa by Lenox Paisley Bloom china (thanks, Mom!) and Lenox Vintage Jewel stemware and flatware.

Things are really starting to come together. The plans have switched into a higher gear, and my vision for our wedding "look" is coming to fruition.

It was a big weekend on the wedding front. BK and I met with a florist; my mom and I narrowed the invitation options down to a few and marveled at my gown, which just arrived at the bridal shop late last week; BK looked into tuxedo options for the first time; and he and I completed pre-cana so that we can be married in the Catholic church. Oh, and I'm pretty certain I've found the right favors for our guests.

Stay tuned for details!

Check out the chic heels my bridesmaids will be wearing! After searching high and low (literally every store that sells evening shoes in the King of Prussia Mall!) I finally settled on these Vince Camuto peep toe platforms in blush. They were the last pair I saw during an exhausting nine-hour shopping extravaganza with my lovely mother.

It was quite an ordeal to secure seven different shoe sizes for seven beautiful girls, but the process of buying a few pairs in the store, ordering some from the warehouse and tracking down the rest at a store in Florida was all worth it in the end.

I was on the prowl for blush or nude colored heels to complement the short (above the knee), strapless pewter dresses I selected for them, and I found just that. I think the pairing of soft leather and delicate chiffon overlay creates the perfect combination of feminine and stylish.

As a shoe gal, it was important for me to find my bridesmaids a special kind of heel. I quickly learned what a challenge it is to "make it work" (Tim Gunn) with shoes other than the dyeables sold at bridal shops. Every pair I found was either extremely high (heel and/or price) or just not the right color or look. The seemingly minor detail of what my maids and matrons would wear on their feet had become a nagging task, one that weighed on my mind for a few months. But now that I've found the right shoe, putting together my sister's and friends' outfits suddenly feels like dressing my very own Barbie dolls. And I'm sure when they're all dolled up from head to toe, these real-life ladies will look even prettier than Barbie herself.

I am familiar with the plight of the polar bear. I can appreciate a good save the polar bear campaign when I see it. I mean, who wouldn't support that? They're a threatened species, and they're cute.

But my save the dates need to be saved from the polar bear.

As I previously blogged, I ordered postcard-style save the date cards from Wedding Paper Divas. And they arrived at my door very quickly. But I have been holding them hostage for a few weeks now due to a minor detail.

I picked the postcard look based on one of my engagement photos. When I saw it, my immediate reaction was, "This looks like a postcard!" So I had a reason. It wasn't a cost-saving measure (28 cents vs. 44 for postage), nor was it an environmentally friendly move on my part (no envelopes required). It was all about aesthetics.

So you can imagine it was a bit off-putting, for me at least, to learn during a trip to the local post office (in search of hearts or something of the sort) that the absolute only design option for a postcard stamp is ... wait for it ... the polar bear.

I rushed home to check USPS.com. I texted my uncle, who works for the postal service, to ask him if this could possibly be true. Turns out there are message boards about this very topic. These Web pages are flooded with comments from brides just like me, who think the polar bear is cute and all, and they really deserve to be saved, but they just don't quite fit the look. Most of these comments were more than a year old, and no new stamp has been introduced since. I looked back on the postcard my parents sent me from Hawaii in December. Polar Bear.

It sounds like an insignificant thing to worry about, I know. But consider the careful thought -- and money -- put into wedding stationary. This is not a winter wedding in the arctic, people. It just doesn't make sense. Polar bears are not my fiancé's favorite animal like one bride actually posted on that message board. And we didn't meet in Alaska as did another couple. There is no connection.

So left with the choice to pay extra on unnecessary postage or suck it up and go with the white fuzzy guy, I'm probably going to do the latter. There are some springy-looking 29 cent herb stamps USPS is releasing April 7. But these save the dates have people to get to, and I'm not sure they can wait another couple of weeks just for a stamp that makes more sense.

And here's why.

Aside from the obvious (it's fun to pick out gifts!), starting a wedding registry has given me an exciting glimpse into the life we are about to embark on as a married couple.

I'll admit that at first I was overwhelmed by all of the options. But once you get started, it is a really fun process.

Selecting that Belgian waffle maker helps me to envision Sunday family brunches. Picking out China -- something that I'd never once thought about but now I'm beaming over my chosen pattern -- is a reminder that someday we'll host the holidays at our house.

The items we've picked out, from the panini maker, to the slow cooker, to the rolling pin, to the cake stand, represent many memories that have yet to be made and years of Friday night get togethers with friends, Sunday night dinners with family, Saturday afternoon baking with kids, and birthday cakes to look forward to.

When I look in my parents' kitchen cabinets and see items they've had for the 29 (30 in August) years they've been married, I look at the list of things I hope to receive as gifts and think, I wonder if my daughter will be looking at these plates in 20-some years and have the same thoughts?

For those who have yet to register: When visiting stores in person, be sure to let your fiancé "man the gun." BK was so looking forward to scanning, and it was everything he dreamed it would be. Brides, you can take charge of editing items online.

Oh, and if you register at multiple places (which is the recommendation), don't forget to link and sync your registries online at GiftRegistery360.com.