Hello, my name is Allie and I'm addicted to Project Wedding....

My little one holding my rings in her hand...

Trying them out together- I love my set.  It is really sparkly, has tons of diamonds, but still dainty enough for my tiny hands! :)  He did a great job on the E-ring and the band!

We just bought Drew's ring today at Jared (we went to Jared! hardy-har!) for... wait for it... $198!!  We looked at White Gold, Palladium, and Platinum, but being the manly man that he is, he wanted something less "shiny".  We found this Tungsten Carbide ring and he LOVES it! It is more of a pewter color than this picture, but it is really nice.

My vision for my wedding is bright, fun, fresh, and whimsical with a touch of modern elegance...

   Appletini                       Coral                                   Clementine                         Fuschia

Inspiration boards I've created:

Floral Inspiration Board:

This entire wedding is my inspiration- I absolutely LOVE it!!

This is my inspiration for our Sweetheart Table... I love it!!

http://www.hostessblog.com/2010/03/a-bright-cheery-summer-wedding/

We are using fuchsia bengaline linens for our reception tables and using a light pink crush shimmer linen for our sweetheart table. We will use light pink satin napkins for the big tables and fuchsia satin napkins for our table. The cake table will also have light pink crush shimmer linen. I can't wait to see the mock-up!

Just another one of my little inspiration boards I am addicted to making- aren't these gorgeous?!?

Our custom Gobo- I designed it, but they may not be able to use the green...

Bridal Bouquet Inspiration:

Bridesmaid Bouquet Inspiration:

Centerpiece Inspiration:

Centerpiece Mock-up:

When we started, there were some yellow tulips that I wasn't too keen on...

We took the yellow tulips out and we're going to add a 3 inch wide orange ribbon at the base of the flowers/top of the vase so there isn't any empty space above the apples.  We are also taking the mossy stuff out... I think they need a little more fullness, but I love the overall feel and the colors after we took out the yellow tulips.

We asked her to add in some fullness and she sent me some pictures... I like this so much better!  Minus the yellow, of course. :)

Ceremony Florals:

I really want a petal-lined aisle kinda like this...

And how adorable is this heart shaped petal formation?? 

Credit: PW-er JessAlva

Update: Ordered our petals from fiftyflowers.com- I got them in coral, salmon pink, and hot pink.

With pomanders:

GM Boutonierres:

Groom Boutonierre:

Our Save the Date:

OUR INVITATIONS- The finished product!

Ceremony Program Fans we are going to have the 2 outer petals be colored and the inner petals be white with the wording.  We will have some with green petals, some with pink, and some with orange. 

Our vow cards:

I wanted to do something different, so I decided to put "You're My Best Friend" on the back which played off of how our vows started.  I love how they came out!

Signature Cocktails sign:

An ADORABLE monogram made by the sweet miss Butterly. :)

Inspiration:

Actual:

Card Box: I was hunting for something totally unrelated and ended up finding this set of 3 little suitcases in orange and pink!  I think they would work perfectly for cards and they are so cute and different, plus they were only $24.95 with shipping!!  So we'll see what I think when they get here!

I just found these letters at Michael's- I was going to DIY, but they were such a great deal that I thought "what the heck" and bought them.  I think they are pretty cute for our cake/cupcake table.  Glittery, yes... but super fun!  We are not really going for anything super elegant or serious, so I think they will work wonderfully! :)

Our "guest book"- we had a frame custom made with several of our engagement photos.  We'll have our guests sign the matte around the photo with their well-wishes.

Guest Book Sign:

We came up with this idea for Kylie (my daughter/flower girl) to carry a cute little sign during the recessional.

So I posted a while back that our original "Hooray" and "Mr" and "Mrs" banners got thrown away  in our move(naughty FH!)... I had them remade... what do you think?

They are different from the first batch because the paper used the first time around was out of stock!  I'm sad, because I really like the first set.  But nothing I can do now... so what do you think?

My thought is, take away the red flowers on the table numbers (3, 11, and 15)...Do you like the touches of yellow in the flowers and on the ribbons from the table numbers?  It isn't one of my colors, but I think it is kinda cute.  I am also going to experiment with other ribbon colors instead of green- maybe fuchsia, orange (like before) or light pink.

Table numbers with holders:

LOVING this sign:

Update:  Here she is...

 Place Card ideas:

Update: 

I wanted to put my own little twist on something that has been done before, so I am using paisley shapes in lieu of leaves for our escort cards...  We have a paisley thing going with our invites and cupcake stand, so it's just another way to tie it all in.  We are going with half pink and half orange... I LOVE it!

We are getting a photobooth with props and, as of press time, this will be our guest favor.  I decided to make our guests tickets for the photobooth which also reminds them to upload photos to an online album after the wedding!

Here was my inspiration:

Source: http://ecovintageweddings.com/2010/04/showcase-wednesday-our-photobooth-tickets/

And here was my creation:

Our photobooth print-out design...

After much thought, we decided to go with cupcakes in lieu of a wedding cake.

Drew and I built a cupcake stand together, it was a labor of love. :)  I got the battle wounds to prove it!!

Inspiration:

Here it is before painting...

I found this paisley fabric online for us to add to the foam board between the tiers.

I also decided to go with plain cupcakes from Sam's club, and found these adorable wrappers and toppers on Etsy to jazz them up.  We ordered the toppers to say a few cute "love" sayings on them.

Here is my virtual mockup of our cupcake stand with the wrappers and toppers.

Update: Here she is after my first fitting!!

Getting ready outfit!

Update: Melissa (plumcrush01) ended up sending me her VS Sexy Little Bride Hoodie as a "Thank You" for throwing her a Bachelorette Party re-take... I didn't expect anything for doing that for her.  It was so much fun and I would do it again in a heartbeat just because I know we showed her a wonderful time.  I know if it had been me or any other PW girl, the wonderful people on here would have done the same. :)

Update: I bought this garter from GarterLady on Etsy... I have to keep it locked up because my cat thinks it is his new toy!! ha ha ha 

Hair Flowers:

Jewelry:

I just bought these beauties... I saw them on SavannahBride and HAD to have them.  They are gorgeous!!  Purchased them from here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350326605418

They are even prettier in-person than they are in the pics!!  My sister was like "are those real?"  IN MY DREAMS! :)

My bracelet:

After fretting over being skinny-wristed, I decided to order this bracelet when fellow PW-er jenndover told me she shares the same dilemma and it fit her skinny wrists. :)

I bought myself this clutch:

Update- I just bought the first pair- and they're here!! 

 I'll be wearing these bad boys to the reception...

Makeup looks:

Hair styles:

PW Bride Clightner:

I adore this look for my pretty little angel, Kylie:

I love this style for my BM's:

Bridesmaids:

I bought all of my BM's this clutch:

With a hoodie like this:

BM Jewelry:

This for my MOH...

And this for my bridesmaids...

Hair Flowers:

Flower Girl:

We got her this awesome Barbie wedding set with Ken (Groom), Barbie (Bride), Skipper (Bridesmaid), and Stacy (flower girl)... I was so excited when we found this!!  And before we realized we could get this set, we already purchased a dress and white tux online and were planning on getting dolls to put them in.  So Ken has a white tux too, and Barbie now has 2 dresses (just like mommy!!) ha ha ha

This tank top...

Groomsmen:

We got the guys each a personalized silver-plated koozie...

We are getting them each a 6 pack of their favorite beer to go with the koozie! :)

And these socks to wear on the wedding day which I'm sure they will all just LOVE... ha ha ha

Ringbearers:

Ace is 7, so we got him some awesome Transformers!

I also bought him his Chucks to wear...

And Cassius and Enzo, 18 month old twins, get a fun Mega Blocks truck and boat to share (or fight over!!)...

I also bought them their shoes...

Let me tell you- I am a girl on a mission when it comes to having the PERFECT color for my Bridesmaids... and am I glad I didn't settle for a color I really didn't want because I found it!  Apple Green has been a pain in my a$$ to say the least, but I finally found the right shade and I LOVE it!  I have 3 bridesmaids and I am going to let them each pick one of these dresses.  These are Alfred Sung by Dessy in Appletini! 

Take that, Granny Smith!

All of the ladies wanted the same dress- but I picked a strapless one for each of them and let my MOH have the one they all wanted.  I didn't want things to be matchy-matchy.  They look adorable together!

Update:  The dresses have arrived- they are so pretty!!  They are big, that is my only beef.   I ordered them online from Victoria's Bridal Couture and went off of my girls measurements and the size chart from Dessy Alfred Sung.  I tried on my sister's and FH's sister's, because they are pretty close in size to me and they were huge on me.  But they are gorgeous- the perfect shade of Apple Green! :)

With these shoes:

I found these at Target for $18.39- they are darker in person than in the pics, which is what I was hoping for. :)

I love this hair flower for the girls: 

Update: The flowers above came a week before the wedding and they were purple... I was freaking out!
A fellow PW bride, nikolaiweddings, made these flowers for my girls and shipped them to me priority, all for free.  I love PW women, they are just amazing!!

My sister came over and tried everything on together:

My wonderful mom made Kylie's FG dress!! :)  We were going to buy it, but they were all soooo expensive.  We found the white taffetta on the 50% off clearance at Joann, the liner and organza for the bow was pretty cheap, the pattern was $2.99.  I think it turned out ADORABLE, we just need a petty-coat or something underneath. :)

With these flats:

And I found these pink, glittery Chucks for Ky for the reception.  How adorable are they!??!?

Here is her little Flowergirl Basket:

Mother of the Bride and Groom:

My mom ordered this in coral...                             My FMIL ordered this in all gold...

We just booked the Tuxes- woo hoo!  Another item checked off my list! :)

Groom:

Groomsmen:

Ushers will be wearing this:

And my dad will be in this:

They are all gonna look so effin' slick! :P

And for my little men...

Ace is 7, Enzo and Cassius will be 18 months, they'll be in black. :)

GM Inspiration:

My little ladybug :)

Drew and I will be married at the beautiful Pines at Genesee in Golden, CO... we are blessed to live in such a beautiful state!

All items come from a smoke-free, clean home.

The dress is beautiful, it is perfect for a girl who wants something between an A-line and Ballgown style.  You cannot find this dress in stores as it was a Style Preview dress. If you want a fuller skirt, all you would need to buy is a crinoline and it would be PERFECT!

The gown is a size 4 and I am a street size 4, so it rings pretty true to size.  My waist is 27" - it would probably be ok with anyone with a 28.5" or less waist, and my bust is 33" (I'm a 34 B) and there is plenty of room in the bust area for a larger-chested girl!

The dress has not been altered at all, I am 5'4 and even with 5 inch heels on it is a little too long.  It is extremely light-weight for a wedding dress, too.

Size 4, David's Bridal Style Preview dress- New With Tags- in white with silver beading. The dress is made of tulle, and has a sweetheart neckline and ruching on the bodice.  It does not have a train, so no worrying about getting a bustle!  Brand New- Only been worn to try on.  Retails for $699.  Asking $350. 

I have a pair of Size 8 shoes (I wear a 7.5 to 8, depending on the make) by Michaelangelo- Gail- from David's Bridal.  They are white satin with beautiful silver beading and rhinestones on the straps.  I believe they are a 2.5 inch heel.  Brand New- Only been worn to try on.  Retails for $59.  Asking $30.

Please send me a message if you are interested in any of these items- Paypal accepted.  If you live in Colorado and are interested, I would meet you somewhere in the Denver Metro area.  No refunds or returns will be accepted- items are described above and sold as is.  Buyer would be responsible for any shipping and insurance costs.

A.K.A. Vendors

Wedding Planner/DOC: Ashley Summers/Table 6 Productions http://table6productions.com/

Venue/Caterer: The Pines at Genesee/The Pines Catering http://www.thepinesatgenesee.com/content/pines-genesee

Photographer: Dawn Sparks http://www.dawnsparks.com/

Videographer: Lupher Arts http://www.lupherarts.com/weddinghome.html

Flowers: Plum Sage Flowers http://plumsageflowers.com/

Photobooth: Booth 66 http://booth66.com/

Hair/Makeup: Kori Schell/K Schell Designs http://kschelldesigns.blogspot.com/

Invitations/Paper Products:  Marvinna Simpson/Platinum Invitations and Stationary http://platinvites.wordpress.com/wedding-invitations/pocket-fold-invitations/

DJ: A Music Plus http://www.amusicplus.com/

Ceremony Guitar: Steve Glotzer http://steveglotzer.com/

VOWS:

You are my best friend for life.
I pledge to honor, encourage, and support you through our walk together.
When our way becomes difficult, I promise to stand by you and uplift you,
so that through our union we can accomplish more than we could alone.
I promise to work at our love and always make you a priority in my life.
With every beat of my heart, I will love you. This is my solemn vow.

Source (as well as an awesome resource for other vows!): http://www.myweddingvows.com/non-traditional-wedding-vows/you-are-my-best-friend-for-life

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RING EXCHANGE:

"___, with this ring I give to you my promise, that from this day forward, you shall not walk alone.  May my heart be your shelter and my arms be your home."

Note: I heard this on Bethenny Getting Married- I DVR-ed it and rewinded it several times because I liked it so much!

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 READINGS:

Love Sonnet XVII
by Pablo Neruda

I don't love you as if you were the salt-rose, topaz
or arrow of carnations that propagate fire:
I love you as certain dark things are loved,
secretly, between the shadow and the soul.
I love you as the plant that doesn't bloom and carries
hidden within itself the light of those flowers,
and thanks to your love, darkly in my body
lives the dense fragrance that rises from the earth.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where,
I love you simply, without problems or pride:
I love you in this way because I don't know any other way of loving

but this, in which there is no I or you,
so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand,
so intimate that when I fall asleep it is your eyes that close.

THE ART OF MARRIAGE Author Wilfred A. Peterson
Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens.                                                           
A good marriage must be created. In the Art of Marriage:
The little things are the big things.
It is never being too old to hold hands.
It is remembering to say "I love you" at least once a day.

It is never going to sleep angry.
It is at no time taking the other for granted;
the courtship should not end with the honeymoon,
it should continue through all the years.

It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.
It is standing together facing the world.
It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family.
It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice,
but in the spirit of joy.

It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating
gratitude in thoughtful ways.
It is not expecting the husband to wear a halo or the wife to have wings of an angel.
It is not looking for perfection in each other.

It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding,and a sense of humor.
It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.
It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow.

It is finding room for the things of the spirit.
It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.
It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal, dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal.
It is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner.

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UNITY CEREMONY:

We are doing a twist on the typical Rose Ceremony- Kylie (my daughter), Drew (FH) and I will place a rose in a vase on the ceremony table, we are then asking each of our Bridesmaids, Groomsmen, Parents, and siblings to then place a rose in the vase.  It symbolizes Kylie, Drew, and I becoming a family, and the support of this union by our closest friends and family.

Rose Ceremony:

In the Rose Ceremony, the Bride and Groom give each other a Rose. Two roses are all that is necessary. The Rose Ceremony is placed at the end of the ceremony just before being pronounced husband and wife. In the old language of flowers, a single red rose always meant "I love you". The Rose ceremony gives recognition to the new and most honorable title of "Husband and Wife".

"Your gift to each other for your wedding today has been your wedding rings - which shall always be an outward demonstration of your vows of love and respect; and a public showing of your commitment to each other.

You now have what remains the most honorable title which may exist between a man and a woman - the title of "husband" and "wife." For your first gift as husband and wife, that gift will be a single rose.

In the past, the rose was considered a symbol of love and a single rose always meant only one thing - it meant the words "I love you." So it is appropriate that for your first gift - as husband and wife - that gift would be a single rose.

Please exchange your first gift as husband and wife.   In some ways it seems like you have not done anything at all. Just a moment ago you were holding one small rose - and now you are holding one small rose. In some ways, a marriage ceremony is like this. In some ways, tomorrow is going to seem no different than yesterday. But in fact today, just now, you both have given and received one of the most valuable and precious gifts of life - one I hope you always remember - the gift of true and abiding love within the devotion of marriage.

_________ and _____________, I would ask that where ever you make your home in the future - whether it be a large and elegant home - or a small and graceful one - that you both pick one very special location for roses; so that on each anniversary of this truly wonderful occasion you both may take a rose to that spot both as a recommitment to your marriage - and a recommitment that THIS will be a marriage based upon love.

In every marriage there are times where it is difficult to find the right words. It is easiest to hurt who we most love. It is easiest to be most hurt by who we most love. It might be difficult some time to words to say "I am sorry" or "I forgive you"; "I need you" or "I am hurting". If this should happen, if you simply can not find these words, leave a rose at that spot which both of you have selected - for that rose than says what matters most of all and should overpower all other things and all other words.

That rose says the words: "I still love you." The other should accept this rose for the words which can not be found, and remember the love and hope that you both share today.

__________ and ________, if there is anything you remember of this marriage ceremony, it is that it was love that brought you here today, it is only love which can make it a glorious union, and it is by love which your marriage shall endure." 

We finally picked our menu and I've been meaning to post it!!

Passed Hors D'oeuvres:

Pesto Goat Cheese Canapes- Softened goat cheese is spread on a toasted bruchetta baguette and topped with pesto, sun dried tomato pesto, feathered Romano, and strands of fresh basil.

Crab Cheese Wontons- Traditional Wanton skins are filled with seasoned cream cheese, crab meat, carrots, scallions, water chestnuts, and plum sauce.  Served with a terrific Peking dip.

Beef Wellington Bites Dijon- Tender small pieces of chopped tenderloin are combined with a Dijon mustard demi glace, red peppers, and scallions, baked in a petite pastry shell and served with Dijon mustard for dipping.

Buffet:

Chipotle Lime Beef- Choice shoulder roast beef is rubbed with ancho lime chipotle paste and grilled medium.  served hot and accompanied by Louisiana BBQ sauce and horseradish sauce.

Raspberry Chicken- Boneless chicken breasts are marinated in a raspberry chipotle vinaigrette and grilled to perfection over mesquite, and topped with mandarin oranges, red peppers, and scallions.

Roasted Garden Veggies- A variety of fresh garden vegetables are marinated in Italian herb vinaigrette and grilled to perfection.  Topped with fresh Romano cheese.

Penne in a White Wine Sauce with Garlic and Olive Oil- Penne pasta in a sauce made of white wine, garlic, and olive oil, sprinkled with parmesan.

Spinach Salad with Choice of Dressing- Fresh spinach is tossed with carrot slivers, black olives, spicy croutons, fresh strawberry slices, scallions, and topped with Feta cheese.  Served with your choice of honey Dijon or raspberry vinaigrette dressing.

Brimming Bread Basket- An assortment of homemade dinner rolls, biscuits, and breads, including Green Bread, our signature pistachio bread, is the perfect compliment to your meal.

Seasonal Fruit Dish- Enjoy a bountiful display of the freshest fruits of the season!

Friday- Rehearsal and Rehearsal Dinner:

Our wedding weekend started on Friday- our rehearsal was at 1pm at our wedding venue and my mom and the ring bearers were about 20 minutes late so we had to wait around and it made my nerves go crazy.  I didn't get much sleep at all the night before, so I was a little on edge.  The rehearsal went well, except I felt like everyone was a little confused about how the Rose Ceremony was supposed to work.  I passed along most of our decor items to the planner, so I felt a slight wave of relief appointing someone else to handle those things on the big day.  We headed straight from the rehearsal to the bridal salon to pick up my dress from being pressed and cleaned, the guys also had to pick up their tuxes.  My mom and sister wouldn't let me see Drew try his on.  We drove all the way across town back to my parents house to hang my dress, and then had to rush back downtown for our rehearsal dinner. 

The RD at Lodo's was awesome, I had a laugh when I realized it was the same room we spent most of plumcrush01's Bachelorette Party re-do dancing in!  We had the whole big room and bar to ourselves, which my MIL informed me used to be a brothel (classy!)... my mother was late, yet again, and so were the ring bearers, but it was a fairly relaxed environment and we opened the buffet as soon as the RB's arrived.  I spent most of the evening helping my friend Amanda with her boys- she has a 7 year old and twins who are 18 months and they both wanted to be held by mom, who was STARVING and just wanted to have a moment in peace to eat.  I tried to eat and it was hard. 

My FIL gave an amazing speech.  My mom stood up and gave a speech too, and when she started talking about Drew and Kylie (my daughter from a previous relationship who he is raising with me) she had me and most everyone else in tears.  We were all a little emotional, my MIL told me what an amazing couple we were and how glad she was to have me as a part of the family and it was another tears-of-joy moment.  I gave our FG, RB, and BM's their gifts and everyone was happy. :) 

After the RD, my parents took Kylie back to their house to spend the night so I could go out with my siblings, and some of Drew's friends who were in town.  I was exhausted but I was trying to be a trooper and see everyone who wanted to be seen, I wanted to go home at 9pm, but I stuck it out until 12:30.  I made the mistake of having a Redbull/Vodka towards the end of the night (courtesy of my big brother) because I was on the verge of passing out.  I passed out when we got home from complete exhaustion, but shot up in bed at 5am, my heart pounding, probably thanks to the stupid Redbull.  I tried to fall back asleep but couldn't for the life of me. 

Saturday- Pre-wedding BBQ:

My sister picked me up at 10am on Saturday, and we met my mom and Kylie at the nail salon to have pedi's and get our nails done.  I got the luxury pedicure which was like heaven in a massage chair!  They did a sugar scrub, paraffin wax, and massaged my legs with lotion, then I had my nails done.  We all ate lunch together and my mom took Kylie and I back to my house. 

I turned on a movie for Kylie and tried to take a nap for an hour, I maybe started to sleep for 10 minutes, but was woken up by Kylie who was so excited that Chuy (our kitten) had lost a tooth.  She came barging in on my nap with Chuy's tooth in a box "for the Kitty tooth fairy."  How could I be mad?!  :) I got up from bed and got myself and Kylie ready for our pre-wedding BBQ, which almost all of our out of town guests were attending. 

The BBQ was a blast, even though I was exhausted and could not eat.  I actually lost 6 pounds the week of the wedding due to stress and lack of appetite.  I literally had to force-feed myself- Thank You, stress! >:/ It was so nice to see family we hadn't seen in a long time, and it was nice to meet people I hadn't met before the actual wedding day.  The guys BBQ-ed, and the girls chatted. 

My sister planned a dating game which we played after everyone had eaten.  She had asked Drew and I each several questions about each other, ourselves, and our relationship, in an email a few days prior.  And she asked the questions out loud and we each had a piece of poster board with our answer.  If we got it wrong, we had to put a piece of bubble gum in our mouth.  It was really funny and cute and all of us really enjoyed it. 

After the game, everyone started to head home or back to the hotel. That's when Drew came up to me and told me he was "hammer drunk."  I thought he had seemed a little louder than his usual laid-back self during the dating game, and I knew he had been golfing with the guys all day.  And almost all of his college buddies came to the BBQ too, so apparently that made him feel like he needed to get wasted.  I was a little mad because I DID NOT want to deal with a hungover, hairy-tongued groom on my wedding day.  I told him to please stop drinking and go to Thomas' (one of the GM's) house and go to bed. 

My sister, Kylie, and I left around 8:30 and went back to my house to spend the night.   I was trying to get all of the stuff together that we needed for the next day, and finish up some last minute stuff.  I put Kylie to bed and got to work.  My sister helped me cut out all of the tickets for the photo booth, and I decided to make some signs for our guest book table and for our signature drinks.  I took an Ativan at 9pm, and was in bed at about midnight.  I was so exhausted that I slept better than I had in a VERY long time-  thank you sweet baby Jesus...

Sunday- the BIG DAY!

On the wedding day, I woke up at 8am to take a shower.  I got a phone call just as I was leaving my house from the hair and makeup artist, Kori.  She said she went to what she thought was my house and some guy answered the door, pissed off as hell!!  OMG- I had totally forgotten to give her my parents' address and she had gone to our old condo which now had a new occupant/owner.  Serves him right though, this guy was a total D (and I don't mean dear) when he bought the place.  Thank God my parents house is only 5 minutes down the road, I gave her the correct address. 

We left my place around 9:15 and arrived at my parents' house a few minutes later.  Kori was setting up in the kitchen, which my clean-freak mom was having a mini panic-attack about.  And my MIL and SIL weren't there at 9:30, so Kori had to start on my mom first.  I attempted to eat a piece of zucchini bread, and drank some coffee and juice.  Kori did an awesome job on my mom's hair, it looked FAB on her!  My MIL and SIL had arrived by the time she was done so she started on them.  I thought SIL would stay with us since she was a BM, but she left with MIL when they were done so she could do her makeup and meet us up at the wedding venue to get dressed. 

Just before they left, my sister brought me a box from my groom- I opened it and the most beautiful necklace was inside.  It was white gold with a curved pendant with pave diamonds, and it had 3 blue stones.  Drew knows I love things with 3 stones because I always say it is our little family.  I hadn't planned on wearing a necklace, but I knew I was changing that plan.  My dad helped me put it on and it was gorgeous.  My mom gave me a beautiful hankie which belonged to my Nana (she passed when I was 16), and it was another very special, very emotional moment for me.   

My other BM Jennen arrived around 11, and I was so happy to see her!  She is such a beautiful soul and has a calming affect on anyone she is around, I just love her.  She had her hair done by her little sister and it looked adorable.  Kori started on Kylie's hair and she looked too cute for words.  I swear, Kylie was just an angel that day.  She got a little antsy waiting for everyone, but she was so good, I could not have asked for better behavior from a 7 year old. :)  Kori sat me down to set my hair in pin curls and started on Carolyn (my sister, MOH).  Carolyn's hair looked sooooo gorgeous!  

Then it was my turn!  I had this beautiful, Carrie-Underwood-inspired, side-pony with curls look I was going for and it turned out AMAZING!  We added 18 inch clip-ins to give it some length and fullness, it was perfect.  Kori did my makeup and I also loved how that came out, I looked like a beauty queen!!  My sister's best friend Katie came over to do my mom, Jennen, and Carolyn's makeup (she did it for free) and they also looked amazing.  

Our photogs, Dawn and Noy (husband and wife dream team!!), arrived at my parents' house at 1:45 to take some getting ready photos and photos of my dress hanging.  Dawn wanted to take photos of my shoes, at which point Kylie asked her when she was going to take pictures of her shoes.  It gave us all a good laugh. :)  The photogs left at 2:15 to head up to the Pines and it was crunch time for the rest of us!  We scrambled around the house making sure we didn't forget anything.  Thank God my sister did a walk-through because my groom had left the cupcakes and cake behind (he was supposed to bring them up to the venue because we already had enough to worry about).  I had a little "I'm so mad" Bridezilla moment, but I got over it pretty quickly. 

We arrived at the venue at 3:10, which was 10 minutes behind schedule.  Not too bad, all things considered.  We tried to go in to get me in my dress and ready for the First Look, but my MIL and SIL were using the Brides Room, so we had to wait another 10 minutes or so.  We got in and started to put my dress on and, because of veteran-Bridesmaid Jennen, I was laced up perfectly the first time.  Dawn photographed me putting my jewelry on and when I went to put my shoes on, my little princess was the one who put them on for me.  It was another sweet moment I'll never forget.

Our First Look was so special, we did it at the other outdoor wedding terrace at our venue- as I was walking up to it, my big brother saw me and, with tears in his eyes, told me how beautiful I looked.  Then my little brother saw me and so sweetly told me, "your dress is huge!"  LOL  (They are complete opposites, can you tell?!?!)  As soon as I saw Drew it was like time stopped for a second.  The rest of the world was still moving around us, but there we were in this romantic, perfect moment.  I could not believe how handsome he was in his white tux, and got teary thinking about how lucky I was to have this man to spend my life with.  I had finally found my prince, and we share a beautiful, perfectly-imperfect love, something I didn't think was possible before I met him.  He told me he had a picture in his mind about what I would look like and I had blown that picture away, he could not stop telling me how beautiful I was.  I truly felt like a princess!!  We spent a few moments talking and then it was picture time.

We climbed up a grassy area to take some pics of the two of us and not long after we started I noticed guests were starting to arrive.  It was before 4pm at this point, and I was a little upset that people were seeing me before the ceremony.  We squeezed in a few more photos and then tried to clear a path back inside so I could hide out.  I went into the Brides Room to spend a minute with the moms and my girls.  My sister brought some champagne and the event coordinator poured us each a glass to toast before the ceremony started.  Kylie ran to the restroom with my mom and it was just me and my 3 BM's left in the room.  My sister had us all hold hands and said a prayer.  We all got a little teary, especially my SIL.  It was a beautiful moment.

Kylie came back to hang with me and the girls were off to line up for their walk.  I came out to see my dad as we waited to walk outside.  He told me how pretty I looked and how happy he was for me- which for my dad is A LOT.  He reminded me to stay calm and to drink some water.  After what felt like forever (one of the buses from the hotel was late, so we had to delay the ceremony), it was time to walk down the aisle.  As I approached with my dad on one side and Kylie on the other, I chuckled because one of my little ring bearers had decided to hang on the railing like a monkey instead of walking down with his brothers.  Then my little princess started her descent to the ceremony site. 

My walk down the aisle was amazing, as soon as I could I locked eyes with Drew.  I think I remembered to smile the whole way, and I was surprisingly calm.  My dad gave me a kiss on the cheek as he gave me away, and it was perfect.  He and I don't have a super-huggy or close emotional relationship, so it was nice for him to show affection like that.  Our ceremony began as John (Officiant) asked everyone if they approved of our union, and everyone responded loudly with a "We do!"  Very powerful. :)  He then went on to ask Kylie if she approved and she said her "I do"... it was adorable and she said it with such conviction that I laughed out loud! 

We went on to say our vows to each other, and when Drew was saying his I felt myself tearing up, but somehow I held it together.  Looking into his eyes I felt so calm, it really was like it was so intimate and small up there, just the two if us in that moment.  When I said my vows I started off strong, but I had the almost-crying shaky voice towards the end... I'm pretty sure I had to dab a tear from my eye.  When we exchanged rings, I was overjoyed.  John said some beautiful prayers and readings in-between these moments, I just can't remember when.  We were supposed to use a twist on the typical Rose Ceremony for our Unity Ceremony, but when John started I was kind of confused.  He ended up doing the normal, everyday Rose Ceremony.  And I obviously wasn't going to stop him and tell him he was wrong.  It was still a very special ceremony, and a beautiful moment.  I only felt a tinge of disappointment about this part because the whole point of this part was to unite our family, not just Drew and I.  We can't change it, so there's no use in getting upset.  Next thing I knew, he was pronouncing us man and wife and I got to kiss my HUSBAND!!  Yay!!  Considering how nervous I was about the ceremony, I did so well.  I thought for sure I was going to be that girl with makeup and tears streaming down her ugly cry face, but I wasn't.  It really was a miracle that I got through it so calmly. :) 

After the ceremony, we walked back up and as the guests followed, our parents and siblings were hugging us left and right.  I saw my SIL, Becca, tearing up as she hugged me, and I started to get a little teary.  How silly that I was crying AFTER the ceremony instead of during! :)  We were off to start our family photos, as well as our Bridal Party photos.  Drew decided to include his Ushers in all of them, so I don't think we ended up with ONE picture of just us and the actual Groomsmen.  Oh well.  I should have been more assertive, I guess, but it really was such a whirlwind.  We spent our entire cocktail hour taking photos, and even though the venue brought some up to us, I couldn't chew in the middle of a million photos, so we missed the Hors D'Oeuvres.  We rushed in to get my dress bustled so we could do our grand entrance to the reception, it took all of my BM's and my mom to get it done.  I slipped out of my heels and into my sparkly pink Chucks, changed from my veil into my hair flowers, took a quick second to touch up my makeup and we were off again.

Dinner was amazing, the food was fantastic.  I couldn't eat much, but I tried a little of everything.  I drank one martini with dinner, and had a sip of champagne for our toast, but that was it because I wanted to be sober to remember it all.  The seating was screwed up, our parents were in the very back and some random neighbors an coworkers were next to our table which was weird.  But everyone was sitting already so how could we fix it?!? Our cake cutting was next, and despite my always insisting we not do the cake smash, I TOTALLY instigated and smashed cake in his face first. :)  I had to wipe off quickly so we could do our First Dance.  I'm so glad we chose our song, "Pistol" by Dustin Kensrue, for the dance.  I went back and forth because the song is so blues-y and has harmonicas and it wasn't as "danceable" as some other songs we considered.  But, you know what, this song was "us" to a tee!  It was perfect and I'm so glad we used it!  Then we did our Father/Daughter, Mother/Son combo, I seriously thought this was going to be awkward because my dad and I aren't super close, but it was AWESOME.  I'm so glad my dad and I had that moment!!  He was singing along to the song, we chatted the whole time, and he gave me a big hug at the end.  Drew's best man made his speech and it was kinda long, but so touching.  My sister's speech had us in tears the whole time; anytime we talk about Kylie it gets our whole family.  Drew has stepped up to be the father she never had, and everyone is so grateful for that.  

The rest of the night was great- we waited to do our garter and bouquet toss, so a lot of people missed it.  Oh well.  I ended up doing a fake out throw and running the bouquet straight to my sister.  She will be getting engaged in the near future, I'm sure.  People LOVED the photo booth, and lots of people were dancing so it was a great party despite being on a Sunday night.  Kylie was hilarious, she danced the entire night and I'm sure the photos are priceless!  I didn't give my DJ a must-play list and it worked out really well.  I just had a few "do not plays" and left the rest up to him and our guest requests.  I strongly suggest this!  Our limo picked us up at 9:45, and we headed back to our wedding night hotel room at Hotel Monaco.  They upgraded our room to a HUGE suite because it was our wedding night and they brought a bottle of champagne up for us.  We also ordered a turkey sandwich because we were both starving!  We stayed up talking, finished our champagne, and ended the night the way EVERY just-married couple should.  Hubba, hubba!! ;)

And they lived happily ever after... :)     

http://vimeo.com/15853653

I cannot say enough great things about our videographer.  The day was such a whirlwind, and even though I remember a lot of it, it happened so quickly.  It is amazing to be able to go back and re-live one of the most amazing days of my life.  I didn't really cry during our wedding ceremony, and I only cried during my sister's speech at the reception, but I cried like a baby when I watched our highlight video. :)