3Ps's biography
We have had a whirlwind 2 weeks!! First we spent 5 days in Lake Tahoe, for the wedding, then we were off to Maui for 8 days of honeymoonin' and relaxing! Here are some pics of our day. It was even better than I had ever imagined or dreamed!
A little overwhelmed at our first look!
Walking to the yacht to begin the wedding cruise around Lake Tahoe!
An eager, and a little anxious bride!
My sisters looked gorgeous and loved their dresses (they picked them out, and picked the color, so what's not to love, right?)!
We did a Greek wedding blessing as well as the Jewish custom of breaking the glass.
We asked, and received permission from the Lake Tahoe lake preservation board to toss a bouquet of roses into the lake. There was a white rose for each family member we had lost. It was a very moving moment for everyone.
Just married!!
Sealing it with a kiss!
I have had some brides ask about my pomanders, votives, sheer table runners, and rose petals. I thought I'd upload a few pics that I could find of what the tables looked like. I was thrilled with how everything turned out! I especially loved our life ring that we used as our guest book. It's hanging on the wall of our family room and we love to read what our family and friends wrote!
I am bummed that so far no one seems to have a great shot of the beautiful pomander balls that our very own super talented and sweet Lizziethelittlebit made for me!! They were so perfect, and looked great on top of vases filled with sparkle shreds and submersible LED lights. Once the sun set on the lake, the room totally lit up! Of course, I can't find a pic of that! ugh! We also had tables set up outside which became a big hit once the sun set, and the music started--the outside lawn became our dance floor.
We had a small wedding, so we had a small sweetheart table. It was a cute little thing, and I don't think we sat there for very long, but we did for our roasts/toasts, and used our gorgeous Waterford toasting flutes (a gift from my sister and BIL.)
I just thought I'd add this one...he grabbed my rear-end when we were dancing and my uncle caught my reaction. I love that DH said he had wanted to do that from the moment he saw me in my dress, and just couldn't wait any longer!!
I met my wonderful FI online. Yep, I'm one of "those" people...lol...we met on Yahoo personals back in late April of 2006. We chatted, flirted, and finally decided to meet up on May 19th. It was 2 days after my birthday and a week before his...little did I know that he was going to be the best belated birthday present ever!!
The first date went well but for some reason we couldn't get it together to go out again, and I think we both kind of moved on....until I got an email in late July from him. He wrote that he couldn't stop thinking about how great our first date had been and wondered why we never went on a 2nd date. I had been wondering the exact same thing! Needless to say, I finally got my second date, and we've never looked back!
I love what my dear FI wrote on our website about how we met, got engaged, etc, so I am putting his version here...
Groom's Story
For me, it all started with our first date at the Texas Station and Casino's Martini Bar back
in May 2006. Before that, we contacted each other online, and I found Paula interesting and
attractive, with these big expressive blue eyes and smile to match.
When I met her I discovered that she was all of those things and more. With a big smile and a big heart to match, we found we could talk about anything...from our experiences
and thoughts about Las Vegas, our past lives in Guam and Hawaii, our family and past experiences, my poker dealing at the Aladdin (now Planet Hollywood), her teaching at an elementary school (at middle school now), to anything and everything under
the sun. The fact of the matter was, the chemistry was there, and our conversation was smooth. We were attracted to each other, and all was right with the world.
It was the first date someone should always want to have.
With our relationship growing and maturing through two years together since that first date, I made a decision that this woman was the one for me. She was somebody special, something precious.
So, having the ring in my pocket, on the way to
our second trip to Lake Tahoe, July 2008, at the Mad Greek Restaurant in Baker, California, I decided I was going to ask the infamous question, "Will you marry me?"
It wasn't as easy as I thought though. I waited and waited
wondering if it was the right time, or should I wait until we are in Lake Tahoe? However, I don't think I could have survived the pressure of the right time and what I should say, or the right moment. The words just came out of my mouth, off the top
of my head, "So, Paula, how does it feel to eat your last meal as a single person?"
A look of disbelief was on her face...but out came the ring-box from my pocket, and with trembling hands asked, "Will you marry me?" She said something I
thought was yes, and I just remember her eyes lighting up like the North Star when she realized what was happening. Confirming the yes a few moments later, she smiled and looked like the happiest woman in the world.
With Paula
doing the "happy dance" in the hot Mad Greek parking lot, we shed tears, hugs, and kisses.
We decided to become one, together forever.
And that's just the beginning...
My Ring!
My wonderful FI picked out my ring all by himself...and I love it! It wasn't what I would have picked out for myself, but once I put it on it seemed like he had done even better than I would have chosen! He gave it to me with the enhancer because he liked the pink sapphires and how they looked. So, I actually wear both the solitaire and the enhancer as my e-ring. We have already picked out another band of diamonds that will wrap around the other side of the solitaire for my wedding band. I will actually flip the enhancer so it will become the top of the set and the new wedding band will go on the bottom.
Here's a pic of my wedding band, but it is white gold, not yellow. I guess the jeweler no longer has the band in white gold...I can't wait to wear them together, I love all the sparkle and the pink together!
I can't wait to change my name after I get married!! My first and middle name both start with the letter P...I'm named after my grandfather Paul, and my Yia-Yia (greek grandmother) Pearl. My FI's first name starts with a D, but his middle and last name both start with the letter P.
So, once I am married, and officially change my name, my initals will be PPP--3Ps!! (I am considering keeping my last name and adding it to my middle name. I think it's totally worth everything I would need to do...I love my unique greek last name!)
We live in Las Vegas, and many people think we are crazy for not getting married here. We have had so many friends come to town to get married, it seems like a great place for a wedding. I'm sure it is...if you don't already live here and work here and spend all your time here already!!! There are such beautiful venues, cake makers, florists, and caterers in town...but we decided that we wanted to be married in the place that is most meaningful to us--so Lake Tahoe it is!!
Our ceremony is going to be held during a 2 hr lake tour of Lake Tahoe, aboard the Tahoe Bleu Wave yacht. It was FI's idea!! We had been on the boat the year before, except we did the Sunset Booze Cruise. We loved it! After he asked me to marry him on the way to our Tahoe getaway he told me that he thought we should get married on the Bleu Wave. I thought he was joking...he was sooo serious! We had it booked and the deposit paid before we even left Lake Tahoe to return home. Because the yacht is "only" 72 ft long, we can only invite 46 people, plus the 2 of us, and our photographer to be a part of our happy day. This actually is a good thing as it is helping us keep costs down...a little! We chartered the Bleu Wave for a 2-hr afternoon cruise, where we will do a tour of the south end of the lake, drop anchor and have our ceremony in our fav spot--Emerald Bay, and then party it up on our way back to the eastern shore.
We ate at the Chart House on our last night there, last August. By the time the meal was over we were talking to the manager and looking over their banquet/reception area downstairs. It has a bar area, a 2 level dining/dancing area, and the best part....a big outdoor patio and lawn area. The Chart House is on the side of a mountain, overlooking the lake. We should get to see a good sunset and then enjoy the cool, night mountain air for our reception. We booked it the day after we got home from our trip.
My 2 Matrons of Honor are my sisters. We are very close, even though we don't live close to each other. When FI and I decided we were going to get married on a yacht we made the decision to limit our attendants. It was a no brainer that I would only have my 2 sisters stand with me. (I did have 2 very close friends that I had to smooth things over with, because of this decision, but I think/hope that they understand!) We, along with Mom, spent the day after Thanksgiving looking at bridal stores all over Denver (we were at "baby" sister's house for the holiday) , and they choose this dress, and the color, at David's Bridal. I was shocked they picked watermelon, but they loved the dress and thought the color was perfect for a summer wedding on a lake. I couldn't be happier with their choice! They are going to pick out silver shoes to wear with the dress.
Based on what my sisters chose as the MOH dresses, we are going with watermelon/fuschia, navy, and dk. brown. Who would have thought that they would look good together?? The navy and watermelon are being used as complimentary accents at the reception, and the guys are wearing dk. brown suits. I really wanted an all blue wedding, but the beautiful lake is going to provide amazing shades of blue as a backdrop during the ceremony and the reception.
