http://www.amandahelfrickphoto.com/

DH and I went to Cleveland, OH to have our after session with Ted & Rachel of Linczak Photography. These two are fabulous and we had a blast.

Photographer: Ben Waddell

The day was perfect. The only thing that mattered to me was him. I had a wonderful time with my new husband, family and friends :)

Found all of these on facebook...

My 3 sisters! (2 new sisters and my younger sister)


My younger sister <3

MOH & BFF!!!

My beautiful FG and niece, AbbieLynn

Most ceremony pics are pretty blurry :(

Mr. & Mrs. Helfrick!!! <3

First Dance

Father/Daughter Dance - I bawled the whole time!

Cake :)

Garter - I had no idea what was going to happen lol

A few randoms <3

Dan & I met while both on the track team at Shippensburg University. We hardly knew each other existed - he was a distance freak, 5k and 10k; I pretty much stuck to the field, long & triple jump. But our paths crossed several times, & we have been together for a couple years now.

TRACK MEETS FIELD..

The proposal was the most random, spontaneous, "I can't wait any longer to give you this ring" thing ever. I had just gotten off work at Red Lobster (I'm a server). I came back, was in the worst mood ever; I was tired; I smelled like seafood and grease. I took my makeup off, threw my hair up into a bun, put on the biggest, ugliest t-shirt ever and threw myself into bed with him. We were just laying there, talking, joking, being dumb as always when out pops the ring! My first response was "are you serious?!". Of course I said yes. It was around 11:00 at night so I couldn't even call anyone to tell them! But I loved it just the same.

We are a random, weird, fun-loving, never serious, sarcastic couple. We love a good time, track & field, and each other. We were made for each other - I'm convinced.

We have two kittens that we are both obsessed with...

This is Zeus (Zeusers, Zeusie, Zeusie Cat)..

& this is Hera (Kitty the Pretty, Ra Ra, Ra Ra Face, Cat Butt)...

Seriously, I'm obsessed.

My MOH - my best friend in the entire world - Amanda (al0626)

My sister - Brenna

Roomate, soon to be sister in law, best friend - Ashleigh (ashfink)

My best friend from high school - Carolynn

Another soon to be sister in law. Love her - Erica

& soon to be cousin in law? (is that how that works?!) - Steph!

& of course my flower girl (soon to be niece!) - AbbieLynn

LOVE THEM!!!

We spent a weekend in VA Beach to get e-pics taken by our photographer. We spent an afternoon ducking in and out of little hideaways in the woods, trying not to get bitten. It was fun :)

Our photographer: Ben Waddell

Location: Washington D.C.
Photographer: Ben Waddell

I just have my e-ring now :)

We are picking out wedding bands in February.

UPDATE: 2.5.10 - We picked out the wedding bands today :) Mine is the exact same band as my e-ring. His is a plain titanium carbide band. (All I have are stock photos for now)
 

Ceremony|John Wesley United Methodist Church

Reception|Cortland Mansion

Caterer|Dimensions Dining and Catering

Photographer|Ben Waddell

Jeweler|Kay Jewlers

Dress Designer|Alita Graham

Dress Shop|J & B Bridals

Veil|Crowning Glory Designs

Bridesmaid Dresses|Bill Levkoff

Cake|Nancy Benchoff

DJ|James Wilson

Florist|Virginia Karcher (family friend)

Inviations|Michael's

Invitation Design|Belletristics

The ceremony will be held at John Wesley United Methodist Church.


The reception will be held at the Cortland Mansion.

It's basically a brand new building with a HUGE room (fireplace, bar, bridal suite and patio out back) that we can do pretty much anything with - except bring kegs. They can damage the floor, haha.

4.12.2010- My caterer just told me that our reception venue just got chiavari chairs! I LOVE these chairs and they are 100 times better than those awful folding ones they had before. Yay! :)
 

8.20.09 - FINALLY I found a dress. I thought I knew what I wanted, but went into a store only cuz my mom wanted to. I wasn't expecting anything. But I found it and fell in love. Pricing and everything worked out. It was meant to be. Alita Graham - all lace, buttons down the back, a little sparkle, all perfection :)

I can't wait till I can get it fitted so it's not so big on my waist & chest :)

UPDATE: 1.5.10 - I picked her up and she's mine! Lots of fittings and alterations, but I'm happy!

I'm so nervous about how my dress is going to turn out! I hope it fits right! But it's looking good so far.

Made the back into a V

Added a huge crinoline skirt

And she started to pin the bustle. Double french baby :) 18 points

Cathdral Veil
 

 Haute Bride baby!

(Sorry for the crappy pictures).

I ordered my garter from seller Peterene on Etsy

I bought this hair flower for some photos and for the reception. WeeGarden from Etsy!
 

My shoes! Love them <3
   

5.22.10 - Invitations are in the mail. Better late than never :)

I've decided to go for purples, greens and ivory, with peacock feathers :) I think it will work the best with my reception venue.

EmeraldLovers wedding is beautiful..

And I am obsessed with KatieRose's wedding. Seriously, it's amazing..

The girls will be wearing Bill Levkoff #380 in plum.
   

The men will be wearing black suits. No tux. FI will wear a white tie w/ a white pocket square. His GM will have hunter green ties with matching pocket squares.
 

& here's our beautiful flower girl! Ivory dress with an ivory sash and DIY purple flower.
 

My beautiful Mommy picked out this fabulous dress by Jasmine is a royal blue color. So elegant. I love it!

 

My FMIL's awesome dress is also by Jasmine. It's fantastic on her!
 

BRIDAL BOUQUET
To be honest, I am obsessed with kristeen's bouquet. I want mine to be huge and white, just like hers :)



I love the fullness of it, the variety of flowers & the feathers. Literally, it's perfect.

REALITY: Eh, it was ok. Not exactly what I was going for..
 

BRIDESMAID'S BOUQUETS
There will be a little variation between each bouquet, but each will contain: (colors in the photos may not be exact)

blueish/purple and white hydrangeas


white and green snowballs

deep purple stock and white freesia

REALITY - Loved them!
 

The first one I made myself in powerpoint. I'll be changing colors around of course.

ShellS made these for me. Love them :)

THE CEREMONY

Entrance

Prelude

Seating of the Mothers

Processional

Greeting

Giving of the Bride

Declaration of Intention

Response of the Families & People

Prayer

Proclamation & Response

Scripture Lesson: Genesis 2:18-24

Remarks

Intercessory Prayer

The Marriage

Exchange of Vows

Exchange of Rings

Special Prayer of the Bride & Groom

Lighting of the Unity Candle

Musical Interlude

Declaration of the Marriage

Blessing of the Marriage

Response: The Lord’s Prayer

Sending Forth

Dismissal with Blessing

Presentation of the Couple

Recessional

SCRIPTURE LESSON - Genesis 2:18-24
The Lord God said: “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a suitable partner for him.” So the Lord God formed out of the ground various wild animals and various birds of the air, and he brought them to the man to see what he would call them; whatever the man called each of them would be its name. The man gave names to all the cattle, all the birds of the air, and all the wild animals; but none proved to be the suitable partner for the man.

So the Lord God cast a deep sleep on the man, and while he was asleep, he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. The Lord God then built up into a woman the rib that he had taken from the man. When he brought her to the man, the man said:

“This one, at last, is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
This one shall be called ‘woman,’
For out of ‘her man’ this one has been taken.”

That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body.

TIMELINE:

5:15 (approx.) – guests will begin to arrive

5:30-6:30 – Cocktail hour

6:15 – Bride, groom, parents and wedding party meet outside to prepare for introductions

6:30 – Introductions of Parents, wedding party, bride and groom

Immediately following introductions – Toasts from MOH, BM, and Coach O

Immediately following toasts – Blessing of the meal

7:00 – Dinner

7:30-7:45 ish (sometime in the middle of dinner) – First dance, father/daughter, mother/son

8:30 – Cake cutting (after dinner is over and plates are cleared)

8: 40 - garter retrieval, bouquet toss, garter toss, garter replacement

After garter/bouquet stuff – Anniversary dance

9:00 – Dance floor is open!!!

We are having food stations for our reception dinner :)

Hors D'oeuvres Station
Antipasto Station:
Assortment of Italian sliced meats, genua salami, ham, olive display, brusscheta, fresh vegetables, assorted fruits, domestic cheese cubes, and Maryland crab dip accompanied by artisan breads, crackers and fresh dipping sauces

Beef, Chicken and Seafood Selections
Petite Filet Mignon wrapped in bacon w/ mushroom portifino sauce
Lemon Herb Chicken
Mahi Mahi w/ grilled pineapple chutney sauce

Pasta Station
Toss-to-order pasta station. Includes three pastas, four-cheese alfredo sauce, rich marinara sauce and creamy garlic sauce. Add-ins include lump crab meat, chicken, meatball, fresh vegetables, and cheeses

Salad Station
Garden salad with choice of Balsamic Vinagrette or Ranch dressings
Caesar salad

Hot Vegetable and Starch Station
Red bliss mashed potatoes
Rice pilaf
Southern style green beans
Steamed broccoli

Drink Selections
Water, lemonade, iced tea
Chardonnay, Cabernet Savignon, Yeungling and Appletinis

4 Layers
Layer 1: (largest bottom layer) Yellow cake with vanilla filling
Layer 2: Chocolate cake with raspberry filling
Layer 3: Lemon cake with lemon filling
Layer 4: Chocolate cake with peanut butter filling - we're saving the top layer for our 1st year anniversary

If it's down, I really like big, loose waves or curls. With a cathedral veil for the ceremony and colored flower for te reception.

Update: I am in love with Avril Lavigne's hair/veil combination. The hair is perfect for me (not blonde of course). & I'm usually not a fan of poofy veils but I may have to try this out!

MAKEUP:
I want a smokey eye with glowing skin and lip gloss. I always wear eyeliner and I'm not a fan of how I look without it.
  <-MrsGG's makeup is PERFECT

Parents’ Introductions: Shine – Collective Soul

Wedding Party Introductions: The Good Life – Three Days Grace

Bride & Groom Introduction: Dragula – Rob Zombie

First Dance: You're the Inspiration - Chicago

Father/Daughter: You Raise Me Up – Josh Groban

Mother/Son:

Garter Retrieval: Undone - Korn

Bouquet Toss: Lollipop – Framing Hanely

Garter Toss: Up All Night - Hinder

Garter Replacement: Pour Some Sugar On Me - Def Leppard

Cake Cutting: Learning to Fly – Pink Floyd

Anniversary Dance: You’re the One – Rev Theory

Cocktail Hour & Dinner Song List
1.       Breath – Breaking Benjamin
2.       Diary of Jane – Breaking Benjamin
3.       Follow Me – Breaking Benjamin
4.       I Will Not Bow – Breaking Benjamin
5.       Give Me A Sign – Breaking Benjamin
6.       Animal I Have Become – Three Days Grace
7.       Break – Three Days Grace
8.       Pain – Three Days Grace
9.       Riot – Three Days Grace
10.   Down With the Sickness – Disturbed
11.   Inside the Fire – Disturbed
12.   The Game – Disturbed
13.   High Enough – Damn Yankees
14.   Dream On - Aerosmith
15.   End of the Innocence – Don Henley
16.   Hungry Eyes – Eric Carmen
17.   Dareh Meyod – O.A.R.
18.   Lay Down – O.A.R.
19.   52-50 – O.A.R.
20.   Walk Away – Five Finger Death Punch
21.   Call Me – Shinedown
22.   45 – Shinedown
23.   Burning Bright – Shinedown
24.   Second Chance – Shinedown
25.   Monster – Skillet
26.   Rebirthing – Skillet
27.   Whispers in the Dark – Skillet
28.   Burn It to the Ground – Nickelback
29.   Something in Your Mouth – Nickelback
30.   Up All Night – Hinder
31.   Separate Ways – Journey
32.   Breathe Into Me – Red
33.   Careless Whisper – Seether
34.   Red Red Wine – UB40

MUST PLAY LIST (for dance time)
Bad Romance - Lady Gaga
Pokerface - Lagy Gaga
Telephone - Lady Gaga
Sexy Back - Justin Timberlake

DO NOT PLAY LIST
Chicken Dance
Macarena
Country music
Anything with Jay-Z

I made these in powerpoint, and ordered postcards from VistaPrint. Blingbride was my inspiration!

I'm sharing this thank you parasol with my MOH al0626 to use for our thank you cards :)

UPDATE: I forgot to use the parasol on wedding day!!! Grrrr, so mad lol. Amanda forgot too. What's with us? lol

Our thank you cards. Made postcards from Vista Print

Trying to keep track of everything left to make!
bold = done

• Moss A and D for church doors
• Monogram aisle runner
• Programs
• Menus
• Reserved signs
• Photosharing cards
• Drink menus
• Table names
• Centerpieces
• Guestbook sign
• New guestbook
• Boudoir photo book
• Cake stand
• Hair flower for MOH
• Flower crown for FG

& the never ending list of items to buy:

• Votive holders and candles
• Tall drinking glasses
• Silk flower petals
• Peacock feathers
• LOTS of cardstock

My WONDERFUL bridesmaids all chipped in and got us these fabulous toasting flutes :) I love them.

My bridal shower was Suday, 6/27/10 & it was so fun. I am so blessed to have to such amazing friends and family. We had a garden party with a wine theme & big hats :)

I loved the decor. The centerpieces were fabulous!

Loved my cake!

SOOO much food :)

Seeing everything for the first time!

Couldn't forget a wine tasting :)

Lots of gifts

& just having a great time with friends & family <3

We are having our rehearsal dinner at Hempen Hill. Great BBQ & sweet potato fries!

Some menu options:

• Crab cakes
• Filet mignon
• Baby back ribs
• Old hickory grilled chicken

I can't wait to eat :)

Honeymoon is finally booked and we are headed to Hawaii Oct. 5th!

3 days on the Big Island at the Hilton Waikoloa Village

Then off to Maui for 5 days at the Maui Westin Resort and Spa :)

Made these on Vista Print as business cards :) Got like 250 and all I had to do was pay for shipping.

We have our license :) Only 9 days left. Wow <3

Inspiration - my MOH of course :) al0626

Our table names are events in Track & Field that either FI or I have competed in :)

• 100 hurdles
• 5,000m
• 4x100
• Long Jump
• Pole Vault
• 400 Hurdles
• 400m
• Triple Jump
• 4x400
• 200m
• 10,000m
• 3,000m
• 1,500m

Hanging out at the Baltimore Inner Harbor for the day <3

MOHs!!! <3

My girls

Big Willie!

We walked into the club, and this is what we saw lol

All credit to my photographer Ben Waddell :)

Hawaii is the most fabulous place we have ever been. It is truly a paradise and we had the time of our lives.

Our first couple days were on the Big Island

Our view from dinner

Monchong = fantastic

Volcano National Park

& then we headed to Maui!

Haleakala sunrise

LOTS more to be added soon.

PM me if you're interested in anything..

Hair Flower - $20+shipping
 

Haute Bride brooch bracelet - SOLD
 

Victoria's Secret Bride Satin Robe - SOLD
 

H Cake Topper - $30+shipping