1.03.2007
The Wedding
It has been almost a month since my wedding and I am still having trouble deciding on what I love the most about it...but here is a list in no particular order
- Seeing Ryan before the wedding: I have never been that excited to see him and at that moment all my dress drama and stress went right out the window. He was so handsome and so cute when he saw me!
- Spending the night before the wedding with my girls: Each one was selected to be with me becuase they have been the most loyal bunch of ladies in the world and I know I would not be who I am without them. So sitting in the hotel sharing pints of Hagen Daaz and telling stories was fantastic!
- Getting ready to walk down the aisle: I saved the veil for Em and it was really sweet to have her help with my final piece. On the way into the church we had a sign and candles dedicated to all our family members who could not be with us...that was really neat to look at on the way in and remember my mom was with me.
- Holding onto my Dad's arm and staring deeply at Ryan: It is pretty cool to have 2 men in my life that I know would go around the world twice if I needed them.
- The VOWS: wow...I was not prepared for how much it would mean to me to say those things to ryan and have him say them to me. powerful!
- releasing the church rows and hugging everyone after the ceremony...that was really fun and we were able to see some of the people who couldn't stay for the reception, I recommend doing this.
- Driving to the reception with Ryan...we were the last ones in the parking lot and it was fun thinking about everyone getting there and starting the party
- Stopping for a minute to look around...it made me so happy to see all of our friends and family sitting together to have a meal...I love going out to dinner so it was like having one huge restaurant filled with people I love!
- the cake...oh yum! I did not get much but what I did get was SUPER yummy
- the toasts...Josh was funny as expected and emily was also...and she made me a little teary...what are sisters for. (by the way em, I read a book that reffered to a diamond as the size of a small dog...so there! )
- DANCING...with my husband, with my dad with all our crazy friends! At one point I looked around and the floor was packed with people singing and dancing to "pour some sugar on me." At that moment I was completely satisfied with the entire day!
- Sonic...after the reception I walked to Sonic with Lesli and Manny and got an awesome chocolate shake! and then I fell down. oh what else do you expect?
- The after party...walking into my dad's hotel room looking for Ryan and finding about 15 of our friends drinking wine straight from the bottle with my Dad and Tam.
All in all it was perfect...I loved all of it and all of the people who came and made it my favorite day! I will put it in my pocket and keep it forever!
12.27.2006
The rest of the honeymoon
So the rest of the honeymoon was great! I did not feel much better but we certianly made the best of it!
The Renaisance hotel was GORGEOUS and right down town!
They left us Champagne and Chocolate covered strawberries!
That day we went on a long walk around Charleston and it was so sunny and warm!
The last full day we went to John's Island and got to walk on the beach...again sunny and warm!
It was such a great trip...we would not have changed a thing!
12.14.2006
The honeymoon!
We are at this moment in our hotel suite watching little house on the prairie...ah, this is what i was waiting for...
- I have the typical honeymoon cold...but such a sweet husband, he brought me breakfast in bed.
- The weather is AMAZING...75 and sunny!
- The people here are so nice! They have recommended the best restaurants and places to see...the magnolia plantation is incredible and the beers are great!
- Tomorrow we head to the beach and the even fancier hotel...i will be sure to post those pictures soon!
12.12.2006
It's Official!
I have no idea where to begin to write about our amazing wedding weekend! I am sure it will come to me soon...but until then here are some pictures!
12.05.2006
THE DRESS
So I waited a little while to update you all on the dress saga...because it really continued!
The dress did not arrive when we had hoped...which was aweful all on its own...but added to it was that the owner of the shop ordered the wrong size...one size SMALLER. Smaller I tell you, who in there right mind orders a wedding gown in a size smaller than the bride requested? So before the dress was even in the store I knew it was not going to fit and we only had 3 weeks to fix the problem. I am not sure how one should react in this situation but I was a very angry combination of rage and sadness...the owner was unavailable so I unleashed this combination on the poor sales girl who happened to be at the counter. I know she had no control or responsibility for the problem but I held her accountable. I did not say or do anything any self obssessed bride 3 weeks from her wedding would do...I cried! Big crocodile tears...and then I got mad, demanded my money, then demanded the dress, then cried. She made the horrifying mistake of asking me to calm down to which I retorted with a rant asking if she was married, which she is not, and that she could tell me to calm down when this happened to her.
In the end I left the store with no dress, no solution and no plan...except to call my attorney! Now this may sound odd, most girls would call a mom or bridesmaid, I did that but not until I had dear wonderful Bev Anderson on the case. She quickly determined I was in the right and they were wrong and they had to get me what i ordered or else. We are now in the or else...I went and tried the dress on and let them see what I already knew, it did not fit. They said lots of very vague things about getting new lace and fixing it but at that point the dress was tainted...I did not love it or anything about it anymore. the whole situation had become sad and icky.
So with two weeks to go em, tam and alisa and I went out searching for another dress...now as most of you know I am taller than the average bride so off the rack is not really something i can ussually do...but much to my surprise we found a gorgeous dress in my size off the rack...that was 2 inches too long. I bought it that day and within a week they had it completely altered to me and in my closet. It is not the dress I fell in love with or imagined I would walk down the aisle in but as em said the only dress that is really your wedding dress is the one you wear on that day...so I am working to let go of the other one and love and embrace the new one.
I never imagined this would be part of our story...and I am sure it will continue on after the wedding to get the whole mess corrected...but I guess it could be worse, and some day I will figure out what that could be.
The dress did not arrive when we had hoped...which was aweful all on its own...but added to it was that the owner of the shop ordered the wrong size...one size SMALLER. Smaller I tell you, who in there right mind orders a wedding gown in a size smaller than the bride requested? So before the dress was even in the store I knew it was not going to fit and we only had 3 weeks to fix the problem. I am not sure how one should react in this situation but I was a very angry combination of rage and sadness...the owner was unavailable so I unleashed this combination on the poor sales girl who happened to be at the counter. I know she had no control or responsibility for the problem but I held her accountable. I did not say or do anything any self obssessed bride 3 weeks from her wedding would do...I cried! Big crocodile tears...and then I got mad, demanded my money, then demanded the dress, then cried. She made the horrifying mistake of asking me to calm down to which I retorted with a rant asking if she was married, which she is not, and that she could tell me to calm down when this happened to her.
In the end I left the store with no dress, no solution and no plan...except to call my attorney! Now this may sound odd, most girls would call a mom or bridesmaid, I did that but not until I had dear wonderful Bev Anderson on the case. She quickly determined I was in the right and they were wrong and they had to get me what i ordered or else. We are now in the or else...I went and tried the dress on and let them see what I already knew, it did not fit. They said lots of very vague things about getting new lace and fixing it but at that point the dress was tainted...I did not love it or anything about it anymore. the whole situation had become sad and icky.
So with two weeks to go em, tam and alisa and I went out searching for another dress...now as most of you know I am taller than the average bride so off the rack is not really something i can ussually do...but much to my surprise we found a gorgeous dress in my size off the rack...that was 2 inches too long. I bought it that day and within a week they had it completely altered to me and in my closet. It is not the dress I fell in love with or imagined I would walk down the aisle in but as em said the only dress that is really your wedding dress is the one you wear on that day...so I am working to let go of the other one and love and embrace the new one.
I never imagined this would be part of our story...and I am sure it will continue on after the wedding to get the whole mess corrected...but I guess it could be worse, and some day I will figure out what that could be.
11.15.2006
Less than one month
Seriously....less than one month until I will be MARRIED!!! I am excited and totally overwhelmed. All the little details are starting to add up...oh and did I mention
MY DRESS IS STILL NOT HERE!
They said they shipped it yesterday...and maybe I will have it by friday. That about made me cry...not the sad feel bad for me make it happen faster kind of cry but the oh my gosh this is not happening to me and I really cannot handle one more thing...not one more kind of cry. I mean really how hard is it to get a dang dress, put it in a box and have it arrive here at the time you said it would. This was just the cherry on top of an already strange wedding details week filled with flowers and table linens and decorations and honestly I am about over the whole thing. I want to tell someone else to take over and just make it happen and I promise I will not complain about a thing, just get Ryan and I there with the license and I will be thrilled but if you ask me one more time what color the napkins should be and how many tables and what type of salad dressing I might just explode. Someone please remind me why I did not hire the coordinator? I know she would have cost about 1/3 of the budget but right now I wish she was here sitting next to me with a big grin and a cup of hot chocolate saying "everything is done and your dress is in your closet" oh...wouldn't that be lovely. Instead I am here making appt's for nails and praying as hard as I can that my dress arrives in one piece, that it fits and that I only have to have the bussle done. It may sound shallow and I can hear my pastor saying "don't you think God has better things to worry about" and to him I say NO...because right now this is the heaviest thing on my heart and I think that makes it improtant to God...and then I would stick out my tongue and him and turn and run! I may become the worst bride out there and to all of my family and friends I appologize now for anything I may do or say in the next 4 weeks that will sound completely irrational or spoiled or ossessive...I am pretty sure I will not be able to stop myself. And Ryan thank you for loving me enought to go through this with me...on that note " have you gotten the engagement pictures selected yet?".
Here I go...HELP!!!!!!!!
MY DRESS IS STILL NOT HERE!
They said they shipped it yesterday...and maybe I will have it by friday. That about made me cry...not the sad feel bad for me make it happen faster kind of cry but the oh my gosh this is not happening to me and I really cannot handle one more thing...not one more kind of cry. I mean really how hard is it to get a dang dress, put it in a box and have it arrive here at the time you said it would. This was just the cherry on top of an already strange wedding details week filled with flowers and table linens and decorations and honestly I am about over the whole thing. I want to tell someone else to take over and just make it happen and I promise I will not complain about a thing, just get Ryan and I there with the license and I will be thrilled but if you ask me one more time what color the napkins should be and how many tables and what type of salad dressing I might just explode. Someone please remind me why I did not hire the coordinator? I know she would have cost about 1/3 of the budget but right now I wish she was here sitting next to me with a big grin and a cup of hot chocolate saying "everything is done and your dress is in your closet" oh...wouldn't that be lovely. Instead I am here making appt's for nails and praying as hard as I can that my dress arrives in one piece, that it fits and that I only have to have the bussle done. It may sound shallow and I can hear my pastor saying "don't you think God has better things to worry about" and to him I say NO...because right now this is the heaviest thing on my heart and I think that makes it improtant to God...and then I would stick out my tongue and him and turn and run! I may become the worst bride out there and to all of my family and friends I appologize now for anything I may do or say in the next 4 weeks that will sound completely irrational or spoiled or ossessive...I am pretty sure I will not be able to stop myself. And Ryan thank you for loving me enought to go through this with me...on that note " have you gotten the engagement pictures selected yet?".
Here I go...HELP!!!!!!!!
10.18.2006
An addiction
Ok...I admit it I have an addiction. I can't seem to stop it is just to much fun! I confess I have been checking our registries online almost everyday. I know it is terrible but honestly I cannot seem to stop myself. Everytime I see the glorious "fulfilled" next to an item I get giddy. I am going to stop...maybe tomorrow!
