3.27.2012

The Simple Things

Today I wanted to share a few simple things that make me happy.

My morning coffee...with whipped cream :)


Finnley in the Bluebonnets!


The fact that dinner is making itself today...thanks to Pinterest & freezer meals!


And finally...These ladies will be on tonight...I just can't help myself...


Happy Tuesday!




3.26.2012

Ultimate Wedding Week ~ The Ceremony



Welcome to Day 4 of The Ultimate Wedding Week!  I am so excited to share our Ceremony pictures with you guys today!  It has been so fun reliving my wedding with you all. Feel free to catch up here, here, & here!  Our ceremony was so personal and special to us.  My childhood Pastor married us, and so many of our friends and family were present on our wedding day.  I can't describe how much love we felt that day, and I hope you enjoy taking a peak into our special day!

These are the famous chandeliers that served as the underlying theme of our wedding design...they are amazing!


I love this picture of my Dad and me.  One cool thing about our venue, was that there was a TV in the bridal suite that was showing the wedding live.  I loved watching people arrive and being able to watch our wedding before I walked down the aisle.


Watching the wedding with my sisters before it was our turn to walk down the aisle.


My husband and his Mommy.


My wonderful parents!


 Our Mom's lit the Unity Candle together at the beginning of the Ceremony.  I loved that they held hands :)


My Mom wrote a special poem that little Sterling recited.  It was such a sweet and personal way to begin the Ceremony.  She memorized the whole thing and did such a good job!


 The Groomsmen & Bridesmaids walked in to "Pachelbel Canon in D"...this was my Father of the Bride moment :)



I've known our flower girls since they were born.  Reilly & Ryan are sisters, and I am so glad they were a part of our day.  Aren't they precious!?


Love this picture of me and my Dad :)






Our Ceremony was officiated by my childhood Pastor, and he did such an amazing job.  It was so personal and sweet, and we had lots of laughs.



Lauren and I decided to write our own vows, and I am so glad we did.  It was so personal and intimate to share our vows with all of our closest friends and family all around us.  (See the TLC camera guy in the background...he was a little too close!)


So happy!




Another special part of our Ceremony was a time of blessing and prayer over us by some important mentors in our lives.  I will always remember this time.



You may kiss your bride!!!


We did it!  Woohoo!  Our recessional was to the song "You Make My Dreams" by Hall & Oats!  We wanted something fun to get everyone ready to celebrate!



Our photographer caught this sweet moment right after the Ceremony...our first few moments as husband and wife.


Ready to Celebrate!



We quickly began some family photos, while our guests were enjoying a cocktail hour.  It was nice because we had everything at the same venue.  I would totally recommend this!  We just walked outside when we were done, and our guests did not have to wait that long for the reception to begin!

This is both of our families together!


Lauren's great family!


My wonderful family!


Three generations :)


I love this picture of Lauren with all of his siblings.


These next two pictures are very special to me.  Last year, two of my grandfathers passed away unexpectedly in May.  I cherish these photos and the fact that they were able to be present on our wedding Day.  We love you so much Ken & Pop, and we know you are in heaven watching over us.

Us with RoRo & Ken


Us with GB & Pop


My immediate family...we are kinda silly!


AND here is a sneak peak into our Reception, that I will be sharing on Wednesday!  



Be sure to head over to Schue Love today and Link Up your Ceremony pictures!!!

  I will be sharing about all of the fun DETAILS this FRIDAY that made our wedding unique...So get your posts ready and be sure to link up!


3.25.2012

Weekend Love ~ Blue Hydrangeas

Good morning friends!  I love Sunday mornings when I wake up early and have some "me" time.  I love being able to drink my coffee, play on Pinterest, and have my sweet puppy sit next to me on the couch.  We just got back from a run at the lake with Finnley, and that is one of my favorite things to do together.  It is so pretty and peaceful out there and a great way to start our Sunday.  In a little bit, we'll head to church and enjoy the rest of the day.  I plan to do some grocery shopping and prepare a few of these amazing meals...why am I just now learning about this?!?

I also wanted to show ya'll what I brought home last night!  My mom is the founder of Spark Ministry, and last night they had a big fundraiser.  Spark is an organization that plans mission trips for women just like you and me to travel to women's shelters and give the ladies in the program a weekend retreat.  The weekends are filled with pampering, worship, great food, and lots of love!  It was a great night last night and they raised alot of money for the upcoming year.  These were the centerpieces...aren't they so pretty!


I plan to re-plant them in our yard after we move, so they will hopefully look like this someday!


Happy Sunday!




3.23.2012

Ultimate Wedding Week ~ Before the Ceremony

Welcome to Day 3 of The Ultimate Wedding Week!  I am SO excited to finally start sharing pictures of our wedding with you!  Wedding planning was really fun for me.  My older sister, Dora, is the owner of Viva Bella Events in Cincinnati, OH.  So, she was a huge help throughout the whole process.  She helped me create a theme, choose colors, design the layout, find awesome vendors...just about everything I needed!  I wanted an evening wedding that was glamorous, yet still had personal touches.  After a meeting with our stationary designer, Amy Owens, of Amo-Ink, we decided that the theme should revolve around the chandeliers in the chapel of our venue.  Lot's of "bling", crystals, candles, and romance was what we were going for to give you an idea :)

**FUN FACT ~ We found out 6 weeks before my wedding that we were cast in TLC's Four Weddings!  Needless to say, it was a whirlwind of fun! (More on that later!)**






Getting into the dress...I hope it fits! :)





I love this picture with my grandmother, RoRo.




Handsome Hubby!












I love this picture of me with my sisters :)




So, I am the absolute definition of a "Daddy's Girl"...Yes, I totally burst into tears when he saw me in my wedding gown for the first time....so glad we have this memory captured :)  I laugh every time I see this!


Lauren and I decided to have a "First Look" before the ceremony, and I am so glad we did.  I will always remember this special moment.



The whole gang!  Did I mention it was 100 degrees outside!  July in Texas is H-O-T!






  We'll be continuing our Ultimate Wedding Week on Monday with The Ceremony!  Be sure to link up with Valerie at Along the Way with V & J today!  We would love to see your Before The Ceremony pictures!  Happy Wedding Season!

Featured wedding on Style Me Pretty & TLC's Four Weddings

Wedding Concept and Design
Viva Bella Events, Dora Manuel (My Sister!)

Venue for Wedding, Reception & Catering

Flowers & Table Linens

Wedding Stationary

Photography

Reception Entertainment

Lighting

Wedding Favors

Bridal Gown

Wedding Shoes

Hair & Makeup

Bridesmaid Dresses