mrsbear82's biography
I distinctly remember the moment we first met like it was yesterday. I was preparing food for our dinner party in the kitchen and as I turned around there he was, standing 6 feet tall, my future husband. He approached me with such confidence and
charisma, took my hand for a firm shake and looked into my eyes and said "Hi, I'm Lance." Keep in mind I was a very shy nineteen years old girl so I instantly turned red as our hands touched. I tried to cover up my blushing by saying its a bit hot
in the kitchen. Although we were merely acquaintances through my dear friend, Thy, I still had a strong feeling about him that kept lingering around . Briefly after we met in the summer of 2002, I went back to Vietnam for a family vacation, so our
time of getting to know each other was cut short. Soon after I returned in the fall, Thy and I had a small house warming party, and secretly I was hoping Lance would show up.
Lance showed up that night to my surprise, and the rest was history.
Through out the night, we fell into deep conversations so easily as if we've known each other since the beginning of time. We kept talking and laughing about everything and anything. Despite our friends interrupting and pulling us in different
directions we managed to always find our ways back to each other to finish our chat. There was so much chemistry and connection that sparked between us that night and till this day I still experience the same butterflies feeling every time I hear his
footsteps approaching our doorway as he comes home from work.
Lance is my happily ever after, my ultimate best friend, and the love of my life. He has always been there for me through unimaginable trials and tribulations. He loves me
unconditionally, shows me an immeasurable amount of patience, and constantly makes me laugh with his goofiness. I look forward to the day when we grow old, gray and wrinkly together. We will be one of those very old couple holding hands as we push our
little walkers through the park.
It happened on the twenty fifth of July, two-thousand and eight.
Back to the...Beginning
As any good surprise should have, I needed an even better diversion to distract Laura from the actual proposal. During our first year of dating, Laura surprised me with a dinner reservations at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills for my 21st birthday. After all these years, we have finally come full circle. This would be just the right place to pique her curiosity.
Near Catastrophe!
In order to get a good table at the Four Seasons restaurant, I naturally told them that I was proposing to my fiancé later that night. However, because I was not proposing at the restaurant, I stressed that they do not mention anything about a proposal at all - simple enough, right? On the day of the proposal, we were running just a tad late due to LA traffic, so I called in to confirm the reservation over speaker phone. Just before I was ready to hang up, “Oh, by the way, congratulations on your engagement!" Of course, Laura was sitting right next to me in the car and heard this loud and clear...
The next moment was critical. The receptionist has already spilled the beans, but now the fate of my proposal to Laura depends on how she perceives my next reaction. After a few seconds of pause due to the initial shock, I simply turned to Laura with a smile...and gently laughed it off. "Just wanted to get us the best table. That poor girl must be feeling miserable right now thinking that she just ruined a proposal." Well, ironically, she almost did...
The Diversion
After a wonderful meal at the restaurant, and even having a little spare time playing around with cotton candy mustaches, it was still bright outside. I need our home to be sufficiently dark in order to pull off the dazzling surprise. So on to Plan B. I would buy some time by taking Laura to the Hollywood Hills overlooking the LA cityscape. There, we would watch the beautiful sunset before we head home. However, when we got there, Laura had other ideas. "I'm cold! I want to go home," she stomped her feet. Fortunately, on our way back, the darkness began to envelope the city and our home was primed for the finale.
I do!
A few minutes before I entered the garage, I texted Uyen, Laura’s sister, that we were coming home. As we approached our front door, I heard sounds coming from the apartment while I was opening the door. My initial thought was, “Do they know that we’re coming home?” They’re supposed to be hiding, but maybe my text didn’t get through? Ok, the moment of truth...
I slowly opened up the door and went in first to check out the sound. As both of us stepped into the apartment, we were utterly dumbfounded at the amazing site that greeted all of our senses. The sound turned out to be love songs playing in the background. The darkness of the apartment was accented by soft pools of candle light scattered all over. The entrance to the living room was blocked with our coffee table, and on the table was a large, elegant silver plate sparkling with tea light candles and rose petals on the water. More candles and petals also lined the hallway from the front entrance leading to our bedroom. Prompted by the light, my fiancé naturally walked into the bedroom. There she was enveloped by a myriad of flowers, candles, and rose petals spelling out our initials on the bed. The scent, sound, and sight of this unexpected display in front of her grabbed Laura’s attention just enough for me to get on my knees while I was behind her. As Laura turned around, I took her hand, kissed it gently, and popped the ring open, and simply said, “Honey, will you spend the rest of your life with me?” I will never forget Laura’s radiant eyes and her enormous, wholehearted smile when she answered, “Yes!” At this moment, I pulled out the ring and placed it gently on my fiance’s ring finger. The ring, with a sparkling diamond accented by six smaller diamonds, truly glistened on her finger.
This was certainly one special day we will both cherish for a long time to come.
i think these would be so adorable for Bridal showers...i love the delicate flowers in tea cups
I want my BM to hold some type of pink lush bouquets
I really like the white orchids and green cymbidium...so pretty
Our 2nd e-session with the AMAZING Sarah Anderson http://sarahandersonphotography.blogspot.com/. Her work just blew me away. We finished our shoot in just an hour and it was so effortless. We woke up,got dressed and she met us at our hotel (Canterbury Hotel in SF) where we did the photo shoot.
Our first e-session with the new and upcoming wedding photographer Christophe (not Christopher)
http://christophephotography.blogspot.com/
So I've collected a couple of articles on wedding advice. Hopefully this will come useful for the big day
Days Before
You have selected your bridal party, now take a moment and
think about who your most responsible, calm and efficient attendant is. She may even be the person who gave you this kit. Choosing one designated helper is the best way to stay calm and enjoy the moment. Ask if she would agree to help you get ready on
your wedding day. It is always best for your helper to be dressed and ready before you are so that she will be able to focus her attention completely on you.
It is a thrilling moment when your wedding dress finally arrives, but in your enthusiasm you must remember to touch your dress as little as possible. Remember that it is white and that the less you handle it the cleaner it will stay!
As soon as you receive your dress, be sure to remove it from its container. Whether your dress came in a box, a garment bag or a plastic dry cleaner bag, it should be allowed to breathe.
Hang your dress in a place where it will be out of the way; a place where there is little traffic, where small children, curious friends and pets can be kept away. Try a door, the shower rod, or hang your dress from a high piece of furniture. Place a sheet, towel, plastic or paper (without newsprint) on the floor under the dress and arrange any fabric that is on the floor with the fewest number of creases.
Allow your dress to hang this way for several days if possible. This will allow any creases to fall out. Any severe wrinkling can be steamed or ironed on the inside when it is obvious that creases are not going to go away without additional attention.
Pre-check buttons, zippers, and hem. If you have a beaded dress, be sure that all of the beads are secure. Even the most expensive dresses can have a few loose beads. A needle and thread from the sewing kit or a little super glue can quickly do the trick.
Don't forget to hang your veil out too! If creases do not fall out, use your hair dryer on medium or cool setting to remove the wrinkles. Be careful to keep the veil far away from pets. The number of pet related disasters with bridal veils are endless.
Be sure you have selected jewelry that compliments your gown. Jewelry should be kept to a minimum and be real or look real. No watches!
Have your bra, petticoat, stockings and shoes together (extra pairs of these last 2 items can come in very handy).
Practice walking in your shoes before the wedding. Like models do before they walk down the runway, score the soles with a knife, a scissor, or rub the soles with your nail file so that they are not slippery. If you can treat yourself to just one more luxury, buy a second pair of shoes. Simply changing your shoes can instantly help your feet feel better. If you have access to a freezer at your reception, have one of your attendants be responsible for putting your extra pair of shoes in the freezer. When your feet hurt, change to the second pair of cold shoes for an instant lift! Ah!
Have a practice run using your headpiece and veil. Whether you or a hair dresser will be doing your hair, be sure that you have tested the look and placement of your headpiece and veil BEFORE your wedding day. If you have short hair, or very slippery hair and are having trouble keeping your head gear on, use a small clear rubber band to make a tiny pony tail on top of your head, or make a loop of hair and keep it in place with crossed bobby pins. Comb or clip your headpiece in front of the ponytail or loop of hair and your headpiece will stay in place all night. Your veil can easily detach while the headpiece stays in place.
Your makeup is important. Remember that you will be photographed and that your daily makeup might not be enough. Experiment before your wedding day, and seek the advice of a professional or a friend you trust. You want your make up to look natural and at the same time work well in pictures
The Day Before
Have your manicure and pedicure the day before your wedding.
Red nail polish can come off on your dress even when it is completely dry. We recommend avoiding it all together and sticking with natural tones.
Arrange to have soft drinks and simple snacks available while you are getting ready. Brides are famous for eating very little for days before their weddings and feeling faint in the final hours. Be careful not to get dehydrated.
A certain Diva was determined to be extra thin on her wedding day! She hadn't eaten properly for weeks and was too nervous to eat on the day of her wedding. Don't make that mistake. If you're too nervous to eat a meal, have small snacks throughout the day or risk that your first toast will be your last! After planning a wedding for a year, don't spend your special day in the bathroom like our diva friend!
If possible, arrange to have your bridesmaids dress in a separate room, or make sure that they come with their hair and make up already done. They should be dressed and ready at least a half hour before you are.
A certain celebrity bride, arranged for her bridesmaids to have their hair and make up done while she was getting ready. All of her bridesmaids were so thrilled to be getting the star treatment that they forgot that they were really there to support their friend the bride! It's human nature, but it can be avoided if you plan ahead and set the rules in a nice way.
The Day of
Rise and shine, it's your wedding day! Take a few deep breaths
and stretch. Be sure to give yourself plenty of time. Even if you don't ordinarily eat breakfast, try to have more than just coffee.
Shower and put on deodorant, creams and or lotions so they have plenty of time to set. An important word on deodorants: nothing looks worse than a beautiful bride raising her arms to a toast or a dance and seeing cake-y white armpits! Please use the enclosed colorless and stainless roll-on deodorant we have provided to avoid this all too common mistake.
Put your stockings in the freezer. They will last longer, but don't forget to take them out and bring them with you if you are getting dressed some place else.
Dress in clothes that are easy to remove and will not have to go over your head. If you are wearing a low back or strapless dress, try not to wear a bra for several hours before getting ready. The straps and back clasp of your bra make a mark on your skin, which can often take several hours to disappear.
Move your engagement ring to your right hand.
If you are doing your own hair, leave plenty of time. If you are having a friend or hair dresser do it, be sure that you have your headpiece with you. Hair spray ruins real pearls, so be very careful to spray your hair before you put on pearls.
It's important that your headpiece and veil feel secure. A few extra bobby pins or hair pins never hurt. There is nothing more distracting or annoying then an unstable headpiece.
Apply your make-up. Whether you are doing your make-up yourself or have hired a make-up artist, be sure that you have decided on your look beforehand.
Put on your underwear, bra, stockings, petticoat or slip.
Wait until you are completely dresses to put on jewelry that might catch and pull your stockings or dress.
If you are wearing a garter, put it on, above your knee.
With a helper's assistance, step into your dress. If your dress has buttons and loops, do not zip the dress up completely. Start by zipping it up a little and buttoning about 3 buttons at a time. Then zip it up a little more and button 3 more buttons. Continue to do this until you get to the top. This will make it much easier! Plan for this to take at least 15 minutes.
"As my maid of honor began to zip me into my dress... the zipper pull broke away from the zipper. What could we use to get the zipper to pull up? A safety pin or hairpin slipped through in the place where the pull had been did the trick. Once the safety pin or hairpin was removed, no one would be the wiser."
Static cling doesn't care if you're a movie star or the star of your wedding day. Everyone wearing a long gown needs a little static protection. Be sure to pull down the layers of your petticoat if you have a full dress. Spray generously. You'll be happy you did. Use the static guard so that the only thing that clings to you is your husband!
Put on shoes. Let your helper be your princess charming. Don't bend down to do buckles or straps... the make-up monster is sure to get you! And if it does, you have a stain removal kit close at hand.
Now it's time for the finishing touches... jewelry... gloves...etc.
Before you pick up your bouquet, be sure that it is not wet and that any stamens that might have pollen on them have been removed. Pollen can create quite a mess.
After you put on your dress, be sure to hold it gently if you feel you must lift it to walk. Grabbing it makes wrinkles that show! Weddings are about moving forward. Backing up in a long dress can really trip you up!
Hems do come down and sometimes a needle and thread aren't practical or possible. Double sided tape will be helpful and works wonders. Your ushers might even be the ones asking for double sided tape. They are notorious for not paying attention to the hems of their pants.
Your nail breaks, some of the beads on your headpiece begin to break free, a pearl falls from an earring or necklace. Super glue to the rescue. Have someone with a steady hand open the glue for you and help you. Remember, a little goes a long way.
You know the usual places to use rubber bands! Did you know you could save an usher from the embarrassment of sleeves that are to long for his jacket? Simply have him slip the rubber band above the cuff to hold up extra fabric. When he puts on his jacket, no one will suspect his shirt isn't perfect.
Be sure the rings are safely in the hands of a responsible person. If you have a child carrying a ring pillow, we recommend that you attach fake rings to the pillow. This will allow the child and you to relax as they walk down the aisle.
Use large safety pins to assure that your bustle stays in place. We recommend you use these when the bustle is made, so you will be extra secure. Another important place for a safety pin is on a halter style dress. These dresses usually have only a few hooks or buttons to fasten them at the neck. Why not take the precaution of using a safety pin, too?
Don't be afraid of your photographer! Even celebrities, used to wrestling with paparazzi, find it difficult to say NO to their wedding photographer. Establish an understanding of what your expectations are before the day.
If you plan to have pictures taken before your ceremony, remember that a photographer has one thing in mind... the pictures! Make it clear to your photographer that a walk down a muddy hill, to a pretty pond, is not something you will do without the proper help. Or you might not do it at all. Be prepared to have someone assist you while pictures are being taken. Their job can be to just take care of you and your dress.
Keep a sense of humor! Remember that this day is all about love and celebration. We know that brides are perfectionists and a wedding is like putting on a show. Have no fear, with your Wedding Day Essentials Kit you have the knowledge of professionals close
• The Bride should wear a button down shirt while her hair is getting done! • Order a second, less expensive, bouquet for tossing so you may preserve the original! • Eat breakfast before the wedding! You will feel better and you will avoid fainting! • Maintain a sense of humor throughout planning your wedding! Laughter is a great stress reliever!
Number two: Know when to quit. Once you know what you like, stop reading, stop buying magazines, and go
with what you know. Continuing to read and re-read information and ideas will only cloud your judgement and lead to a lot of wasted time, money, and frustration. Your home-made organizer should be your only reading material because by this time you
should have accumulated all the pictures, ideas, business cards, fabric swatches, etc that are necessary to make your wedding what you want it to be.
Knowing when to quit can also mean knowing when to take a break. If you have
been running around planning all week, then it is time to take a day to do absolutely NOTHING wedding related! If you keep going and going and going nonstop, you will burn out and begin to resent your wedding rather than enjoying and looking forward
to it. Monday through Friday planning means a Saturday in the bath or watching TV or whatever you do to have fun, relax, and take you mind off of the work you have done all week.
Follow these two rules and you will be a much
happier bride-to-be. Good luck and God Bless!
I love the feather hair pin so much that I decided to wear it on my wedding day as the second look of the night.
**these will be on sale after the wedding, pm me if you're interested :)
Here are some other gemstone hair pin i created
I just had my H& MU trial with the talented Kelly Zhang...she's amazing. I love how she did my hair.
EDIT: i have to say I'm a bit disappointed with how my hair turned out for my e-session which was taken 4 hours later. My hair curls came undone and looked totally unravel. Maybe I needed more hair spray or something... Hopefully things will turn out better on the actual wedding day.
Chance...fate...serendipity. These words seem to echo all around us - in romantic comedies, poetry, and music. Some of those moments are quite trivial, like the one time Laura handed her debit card to me to pay for gas. I started typing in my own pin number before realizing that I should ask for hers, only to find out that we actually share the exact same pin number.
Other stories are more romantic. Ours took place 6,700 miles away in the island of Taiwan. We were both on winter break visiting family and friends. On that particular day, Laura was staying with her good friend Anne, who just happens to be working abroad in Taiwan at the time. That night I was supposed to pick up Laura at her friend's place. In the daytime, I decided to join my mom to visit a close family friend in Keelung. I spent the day scurrying about in this port city and listening to my mom and her friend reminiscing about stories of me as a baby before we moved to Central America.
Before you know it, the night was fast approaching, and I am supposed to pick up Laura back at Anne’s place in Taipei. I rushed to the train station in a hurry, bought the next available ticket, and as I was pacing back and forth at the platform, it started pouring rain. As I hopped onto the train, I realized that the cell phone I borrowed from my mom was stuck amongst other things in the back of my backpack for the whole day. I also got four missed calls from Laura. She must have been waiting for me for a while now. When I finally got on the phone with her, Laura says to me, "Honey, I've been trying to call you all day. I really miss you! I wish I can see you now."
"Don't worry, I’m coming to pick you up at Anne's place. I won't be long," I reassured her.
"But I'm like an hour and a half away,” Laura answers back, “We're at a train station waiting for the rain to calm down a bit.” Then she turns to Anne, “What’s this train station called again? Honey, it’s something like Kee…loon.”
Upon hearing this, I instantly step off the train, right before it was about to take off. “Wait, say that one more time. Kee…what?” I asked her.
“Keelung or something!” Laura responded.
“Ok, is there like a Starbucks and KFC in the corner of the plaza?” I asked, just to be sure.
“Yes! We are sitting in the Starbucks!” Laura shoots back.
By the time I walked across the plaza into that Starbucks at the Keelung train station, I was pretty soaked because of the rain. But in that shop, one gorgeous girl was nevertheless particularly happy to see me even in that miserable condition. Laura later told me that she wanted me to pick her up early that day but I never picked up the phone since I did not hear it in my backpack. But somehow we both unknowingly ended up taking a day trip to the same city and went to the train station at the same time.
The chance of sharing the same pin number is 1 in 10,000. Finding each other in the same place at the same time abroad when we really wanted to see other may be even more fortuitous. As far as we were concerned though, we were simply glad to find each other at that particular train station in Keelung.