Both handsome and I come from divorced families. We don't harbor ill feelings towards our family members, because in both cases it was the best thing, but we want to work hard at not repeating that. We realize how hard it is on the kids. We are marrying for life.
The planning began immediately after I was engaged. We had talked about marriage before because we "just knew" we were meant for each other. When the two of you finish one another's sentences, have the same ideas and one person says or acts on them you just have a special bond. It's the first time I've ever had this.
I had wanted to get married on my great granny's wedding anniversary June 18th. Don't ask me for a detailed explanation, I don't have one. I just feel it and feel a connection to it. Maybe she wants it from heaven... I have always loved looking at the one framed picture from her wedding. I checked to see if that date was available at my church and ran with it. I figured if it happened to be randomly open, then it was meant to be.
The next step was to figure where the reception would be and what was available with only 4 months till the date. I called around just to have options, ha, only one was open on that date and it was the one that I wanted! What luck and blessing!!!
The next step was to get a wedding dress. We went the next Saturday after the engagement date. After a choir rehearsal at the college and a lunch date with the grandparents and mum we went to Bridal Lane, which then I was adamantly informed that no one calls it that, it is M'Kaysha's. I started to just pull dresses that caught my eye and budget. Of course I kept going for the 1k+ dresses and that was not reasonable to me. I pulled ones from $400-oops a 1200 one. The first two fit wonderfully and were in the top group, then a no, then I tried on THE DRESS and found it. I felt like a cake topper, but in a good way. It was ivory taffeta that gathers all around with several layers, strapless with a beaded bodice and then random beaded designs here and there, and beading around the train ends. It fit me almost to a T. The lady said that it only needed a little taking in at the bust and then some alteration to the bustle. I thought I bet this is the $900 one....well we'll make it work. I asked the lady how much is this one and she checked, here it was on sale for $300!!!! What a deal. It had originally been $980. That day they had a special for the weekend where you saved 10%. $270! SOLD! By then I was so tired and excited I went home.
The store gave me some catalogs and websites to pick out my bridesmaids dresses and the flowergirl's dresses. That was the next step. I picked 2 of my bridesmaids and was having trouble picking the third because my maid of honor would have been my cousin Bethany, she passed away April 2, 2004 when a drunk driver killed her. She was 19 and like a sister. I am an only child, so this was huge to me.
My Bethany a few weeks before her passing. She asked her mum to have a photo session with her. Some of the most precious and cherished photos that we have of her.
I fell in love with these cute bridesmaids dresses that look like fun cocktail dresses. They have a ruffle around the collar/bust and then flair out. They will be in Apple and Azalea because my colors are pink and green. I think the perfect colors for a Summer wedding! Think Lilly Pulitzer. 
The bridesmaids dresses in Apple and Azalea.
The flowergirls' dress. In the bridesmaids' colors.
The bridesmaids are all friends of mine and the flowergirls are Karl's first cousin's two little girls. They are 5 & 6 years old. When I asked them to be in it they said oh we've done that before. lol so they are old hats at weddings.Handsome has his best friend, brother, and a good friend as his attendants. The ring bearer is Karl's first cousin's oldest son. He is 12 and just seemed like a good choice.
Even though we basically knew the reception would be where I wanted it, we had a meeting with the banquet manager, who was actually a great guy that I worked with when I worked at The Tavern back in my waitressing hay day. He had told me when I worked there, when you get married I'll give you a deal on your wedding if you book it with us. Well, lo and behold I actually did that. When he had said that I was around 21/22 and thought no thanks, I'll have it at xyz. XYZ went under and things change :) The location is an old barn. When I say barn you will conjure up the wrong idea. Think shabby/rustic/chic. It's gorgeous inside. The wooden beams, the old style doors, just the feeling of a fascinating story that once happened there is so mesmerizing. It has great energy.
This is the interior of Millcreek. You can see the beams going down and then if you look carefully the upper part of the barn.
I have the musicians lined up. I will have the church organist play and my cousin play trumpet at the ceremony. For the reception our friends from church own a DJ business so they will be keeping it going with music.
The cake will be done by the lady that did my grandparents 50th wedding anniversary. I'm thinking Vanilla and Lemon. Something light for that Summer feel.
I will be looking into flowers, accessories (my veil which I want a Mantilla one, shoes, and anything else), photography, etc.
No comments:
Post a Comment