1 year ago today...

 

I cannot believe that one year ago today, Luke and I became husband and wife. It was the most perfect June day. Looking through all of our wedding photos brought back a rush of emotion. I still remember the way I felt waking up that morning, knowing I would become his Mrs; it felt so right. I remember how beautifully sunny it was, but also how God cooled down the evening just enough to make it perfect outdoor wedding weather. I can still remember the sound of our 300+ guests filling the reception, laughing, hugging, dancing. There is something so magical about having every one of your favorite people in the same place at the same time. June 25, 2011 is a day I will never forget.

If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing. This first year of marriage has been such a blessing. God has taught Luke and I so much about each other and the commitment it takes to be in a Godly marriage. The sacrifice can be difficult and it is daily, but the blessings exceed the sacrifice. Luke and I are not perfect and our marriage will never be perfect, but we are learning daily to seek God's face knowing that He will guide us. I couldn't have asked for a better 1st year of marriage.

Tonight, we will eat year-old wedding cake and re-watch our wedding DVD. I may I will definitely cry and Luke will try to be tough, but I know it gets to him too. We've already exchanged gifts, but don't you worry. There will be an entire post focused on our traditional/modern gift-giving and cake eating a little later this week. :)

Happy Anniversary Luke. I love you more than life itself. There is nothing I love more than sharing the crazy life with you. 1 year down, 99 to go!

What I'm Loving Wednesday: Wedding Edition

Today, I'm loving...

{...this blingy shot of my practice bouquet for Friday. Can't wait to use it!! Aubs did a great job creating it}

{...50% off pictures frames at Hobby Lobby. My bridal portraits are officially framed and ready to be put out at the wedding!}

 

 {...pictures of the beautiful venue where Luke and I will become husband and wife}

{...the fact that the wedding is 3 days away!!!}

Wedding Update: 6.5 weeks and counting!

{This is what my parents' kitchen table looked like a few days back. Invitations, I will not miss piecing you together! And yes Cat--that is salsa and a bag of chips in the bottom right-hand side of this picture. What do these items and an open laptop remind you of?}

Holy moly, where getting SO CLOSE! I call Luke about once a day to remind him what number we're on in the countdown (44 days!!). So much is going on right now with finalizing wedding details. I can honestly admit that I didn't have any idea how quickly these decisions would be upon us and now I'm swamped! But in a good way. I can't wait to marry my best friend and officially begin our married life together. :)

Here's an update:

1) Wedding invitations go out tomorrow (praise the Lord!!!).

2) The bridesmaids shoes have been ordered.

3) I'm going for my final wedding dress fitting today with my momma.

4) I'm also headed out to The Ranch with my mom and wedding decorator this evening to finalize room layout, decor, wedding day schedule/time line, etc.

5. I've scheduled my hair/make-up consultation for bridal portraits and the wedding day.

5). Bridal portraits are on May 22nd!!!

6. The rehearsal dinner is organized/planned and is going to be an awesome party!

7. Wedding music is picked out.

8. A few more pre-marital counseling sessions are in the process of being scheduled.
9. Groomsmen and bridesmaids gifts. Hmmm...:)
10. And thank you notes are STILL being written (and I'm seriously grateful for all of the gifts we've recieved, but whoever came up with the idea that thank you notes are the most proper way to say thank you needs to be hit upside the head. Just sayin'... ).

There are actually about 1,000,000 20 other items on my immediate wedding to-do list that didn't make the cut on this particular blog post. These listed items are just the first 10 that come to mind. But I'm making progress and before we know it, this wedding will be behind us, Luke and I will be husband and wife, 3 more of my awesome friends will be married this summer, and the world will continue to spin madly on. However, I don't want to be there just yet. God's timing is perfect down to the very second and I plan on enjoying every one of these seconds (even the most stressful!) of this precious time.

Wedding planning update!

Just a quick reflection: Have I told you all lately how glad I am that Luke and I didn't get married back in August? Believe me, I'd love to be married to that man right now, but God's timing is perfect and I couldn't be happier with the way things have turned out! I love that we're both graduated from college and fully employed. This definitely makes planning our lives together much easier! But most of all, I've been so thankful for the past 6 months of life after college without being married. Everyone is different and some girls don't need that time, but God knows my heart better than anyone and knew I needed that time to grow. Since May, I have moved back to Texas from New York, graduated from college, rented my first apartment completely on my own, took my first full-time job, lost my first full-time job, job hunted and worked part-time, found (and LOVE!) my second full-time job I'm at now, lived in the same city as my fiance for the first time in our relationship, and Luke graduated from college. 2010 turned out a lot different than I expected, but I know that this year was a year of big life lessons. It was a year of holding on to God as he molded me and taught me lessons I needed to learn so that I could be a better woman and wife. For this, I am thankful. End reflection. :)

I'm so proud of myself because over the last couple of days I've really buckled down on wedding planning. With tax season around the corner, I know that wedding planning time with my momma is slim, so I've had to get busy! I feel very blessed to have Aubrey in my life, because she's the wedding coordinator at another venue in town. Her expertise has helped me a TON! A couple of days ago, she went with me out to The Ranch at San Patricio to give my wedding coordinator the contract and deposit. Seeing the venue again got me SO excited! We were out there for over an hour and a half just planning and talking. Want to see a list of everything I've been working on? Of course you do!

1) Met with florists to get quotes and compare.
2) Met with a videographer.
3) Booked the ladies that will be doing hair and possibly make-up for the wedding.
4) Discussed ideas with a college friend that will be creating a couple of the details for the wedding.
5) I'm about 2 seconds away from booking the DJ and a _____ _____
(I can't give away all the secrets!).
6) Talked briefly with our photographer, Jade, about wedding photography.
7) Emailed the groomsmen. Gotta love those boys!
8) Researched fun shoes and jewelry for the bridesmaids.
9) Talked with and got quotes from Corpus Christi Liquor Catering.
10) I'm also about 2 seconds away from reserving hotels rooms for the guests.

This is so fun! Although I had planned quite a bit of my wedding prior to moving back to Texas, the planning then had been more talking and researching than actual meeting and decision making. Now, planning is in full swing! Since I don't have work tomorrow, I imagine that even more planning will be taking place. In addition to my list, Luke and I started pre-marital counseling a couple of weeks ago. We met with our pastor, Allen Frans, out at Camp Zephyr and it was really fun! I think Luke was a little nervous because he isn't really one for talking about himself or "feelings," but afterward he told me that he actually liked it. But who doesn't love hanging out with Allen?! We got to tell our versions of the story of how we met (they are EXTREMELY different, ha!), talk about why we want to get married, and what we want our wedding to look/be like. This meeting was simple, just the first few steps. It will get more in-depth as we get going. I'm so excited about this!!!

This about wraps up my wedding updates. I'm looking forward to updating you all as the many details fall into place. But now it is time for this bride-to-be to go to bed.

Happy last day of 2010!!!