It's good to be able to laugh at yourself! Here are two funny "Kendall Moments" that might make you smile:
1. Dave's parents bought us a CD at a concert they went to. Tonight, I popped it into my computer, downloaded it to iTunes, and couldn't wait to listen to it. So, I'm be-bopping around the apartment with the instrumental music playing in the background, and I keep thinking to myself "Wow, all of these songs sound very similar". Two hours later, I finally check my computer, and notice that I had been listening to the same song on repeat 29 times!! NO WONDER!
2. On Valentine's Day, I finally made that age-old mistake of washing reds with whites. I've never had an issue with my laundry colors bleeding into each other, but I got a good laugh when I pulled out a dish cloth that is now a nice shade of pink. I decided to think of it as my washing machine sending me a Valentine's Day smile :)
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Models for a day :)
Yesterday David and I got to do one of the coolest things ever - we got to re-live our newlywed bliss by being "models" in a wedding and engagement photo shoot! Sherei Jackson, the photographer, was looking to build her portfolio for a bridal expo she will be doing this month, and Dave and I were more than happy to help (I mean let's be honest, who would pass up an awesome chance to dress up again and have professional pictures taken?). Sherei and her husband were so sweet, and invited us out to their family cabin to take pictures in the wheat fields and by their pond. We immediately became friends as we found that we had a lot in common, including our shared faith in the Lord! David and I had a blast chatting with them as we got ready and then posed for pictures.
I had hoped to get my wedding gown sent down, but it was far too expensive, and it would have needed to have all the wrinkles steamed out for it to look presentable. Instead, I brought my short reception dress, and thankfully fit perfectly into Sherei's dress that she was kind enough to let me wear.
Her home is so picturesque! Beautiful fields, an adorable log cabin, a pond, tree lined paths, and a fun hilly driveway that David and I "off-roaded" with the Jeep on our way home. We seriously dream of living in a place like that!
The pictures that she took came out fantastic. I would highly recommend her as a photographer! Here is the link to some of the pictures from yesterday:
David + Kendall | A Prince and his Princess
The title, A Prince and his Princess, is so fitting - I feel like a princess every day I am with David. And look as him, all handsome and regal in his Army Dress Blues! <3 I felt so giddy and happy doing this photo shoot - and I think it shows!
(http://shereijacksonphotography.wordpress.com/)
Thursday, February 14, 2013
First Married Valentine's Day!
Happy Valentine's Day!!
<3 The Valentine's Day party at the senior center was a blast!!
<3 It was my first time singing Karaoke - I serenaded everyone with "I'm gonna love you forever and ever, forever and ever, Amen." Thankfully my crowd was very easy to please!
<3 Watching a 98 year old lady get up and disco with the DJ...three times! She had the biggest smile on her face!
<3 Not exactly a highlight - but all the innuendos sparked by the holiday. The kitchen at the senior center reminded me of a ninth grade health class with all the inappropriate comments going around! Get a room please!!
<3 One of the seniors wore fishnet pants and died her hair pink for the occasion. While she was dancing some of the other seniors put dollar bills in the netting of her pants... something you don't see every day...hahahaha! Oh my...
<3 Getting a Finding Nemo Valentine from one of the seniors :)
<3 The SUN coming OUT and SHINING for the first time in WEEKS! Hallelujah!
<3 Coming home to a dozen roses, chocolates and candy
<3 Eating a delicious teriyaki steak and mashed potatoes dinner with Dave in his brief break between class and flying - and having plenty of leftovers for lunch tomorrow.
<3 Dave giving me Love Spell body lotion - he said it was the best smelling one in the store. I found this incredibly funny because back in high school, Love Spell was the scent of choice for perfume. Every popular girl wore it, and it drove the boys crazy! I never wore it, but always kind of wanted to :) Thanks Baby!
<3 Giving Dave the craft I made him :
I can't believe how blessed I am. Every day with Dave in my life is better than the day before. I feel like I am bursting with love!!
Lent
Happy Lent!
If you don't know, Lent is the forty days before Easter in which many Christian denominations practice fasting in preparation for our observance of Christ's death and resurrection. Growing up, we would identify something that had become almost an "idol" for us, something that would be difficult for us to go without, and then we would fast from it for the 40 days. The point was to lean on God for our strength when we were tempted to give in, and use it to help us get closer to God. Sometimes instead of fasting we would "add something" beneficial, like 20 minutes of prayer time every morning for 40 days, or reading a chapter of the Bible each day.
This year I am doing a little of both. Since I am not working, I have a considerable amount of free time. I find myself checking Facebook on my phone at least once an hour. It's fun to be up to date on what's going on with all my friends, but at the same time, it irritates me how much of a reflex it is to check Facebook and then get sucked into it. I know that I waste a lot of time on the site without meaning to. I am not going to completely fast from Facebook, (so don't be surprised if you see me post something) since I live so far away from friends and family and would like so still see what's going on, but I am going to significantly cut down how long I go on. Right now, I am setting the time for 15 min. each evening - enough time for a quick glance, and to answer any notifications or messages I may have. In a few weeks I will probably go down to every other day. This may sounds like cheating, and you may wonder why I don't just cold turkey turn it off for 40 days, but I am using this as an excuse to practice better self control - something I will carry on after the 40 days are over.
More importantly, Dave and I are ADDING daily devotion/ Bible studies. We have gotten so busy, and mixed up with his ever changing work hours we had fallen behind, so now we are going to get back to where we need to be.
Last night I came across a verse that hit home to me why we do lent. The context of the verse is that Israel was continuing to do evil in the sight of the Lord, even after He had saved them from slavery in Egypt. They had stopped putting their trust in the Lord, and were worshiping false idols.
"They followed worthless idols, and themselves became worthless" 2 Kings 17:15
This made me think about the worthless things that we spend our time chasing and worshiping - money, fame, status, popularity etc... Let's not worship worthless idols, and ourselves become worthless.
If you don't know, Lent is the forty days before Easter in which many Christian denominations practice fasting in preparation for our observance of Christ's death and resurrection. Growing up, we would identify something that had become almost an "idol" for us, something that would be difficult for us to go without, and then we would fast from it for the 40 days. The point was to lean on God for our strength when we were tempted to give in, and use it to help us get closer to God. Sometimes instead of fasting we would "add something" beneficial, like 20 minutes of prayer time every morning for 40 days, or reading a chapter of the Bible each day.
This year I am doing a little of both. Since I am not working, I have a considerable amount of free time. I find myself checking Facebook on my phone at least once an hour. It's fun to be up to date on what's going on with all my friends, but at the same time, it irritates me how much of a reflex it is to check Facebook and then get sucked into it. I know that I waste a lot of time on the site without meaning to. I am not going to completely fast from Facebook, (so don't be surprised if you see me post something) since I live so far away from friends and family and would like so still see what's going on, but I am going to significantly cut down how long I go on. Right now, I am setting the time for 15 min. each evening - enough time for a quick glance, and to answer any notifications or messages I may have. In a few weeks I will probably go down to every other day. This may sounds like cheating, and you may wonder why I don't just cold turkey turn it off for 40 days, but I am using this as an excuse to practice better self control - something I will carry on after the 40 days are over.
More importantly, Dave and I are ADDING daily devotion/ Bible studies. We have gotten so busy, and mixed up with his ever changing work hours we had fallen behind, so now we are going to get back to where we need to be.
Last night I came across a verse that hit home to me why we do lent. The context of the verse is that Israel was continuing to do evil in the sight of the Lord, even after He had saved them from slavery in Egypt. They had stopped putting their trust in the Lord, and were worshiping false idols.
"They followed worthless idols, and themselves became worthless" 2 Kings 17:15
This made me think about the worthless things that we spend our time chasing and worshiping - money, fame, status, popularity etc... Let's not worship worthless idols, and ourselves become worthless.
Friday, February 1, 2013
February!
Happy February 1st!!
Today marks 5 months of being married for David and I, as well as the first day of my favorite months!!
Why is this month so wonderful? Well for one, almost 23 years ago I was born!
February 1st: Our Wedding Monthaversary! yay!
February 14th- Valentine's Day <3 (my first married one) I have always loved Valentine's Day. This year I will be helping out with the Valentine's Day party at the senior center. I can't wait to decorate and enjoy a fun afternoon of fellowship, music and maybe some dancing if Dave can come with me! I also want to carry on a tradition my friend Laura started in college of making a heart shaped cake for her friends to share. Thanks Laura! I am stealing your idea this year and making one too!
February 21st- my 23rd birthday! I honestly couldn't remember the other day how old I was going to be. I thought to myself "is it 23? wait no...that sounds too old...have I been 22 yet?". I am hoping to bring ice cream over to the senior center that day, as is the custom when it is somebody's birthday. :) I've been receiving happy birthday coupons from all my favorite stores which is fun, even though I don't plan on doing a shopping spree. For some reason it just feels special when your birthday is recognized, even if it is in an effort to make you buy something...
Also, for reasons I cannot yet reveal, I am very excited about this weekend! More on that in a few days!!!
When I think of February, I feel all giddy and smiley. Something about the Pink and purple heart decorations and the thought of celebrating love is just too much fun! I really think I should be some kind of activities coordinator at a nursing home or something because I just love to decorate and celebrate!
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Work out #2
Ya know, I was not expecting the second workout to be easier, but it was!! I felt like I was quicker to get into the "groove" with the video, and didn't feel so awkward with my movements. It actually made my sore muscles feel better to get moving again, which, according to Dave, is because it breaks down the lactic acid that builds up. I did the same core workouts and ab videos (and didn't skip out on as many of the ab exercises as I did the first time).
In case you are interested, here are the YouTube links for my workouts. I will continue with these while Dave is on his "Nights" schedule. And please, don't laugh when you picture me doing these!! Who knows, maybe I will be able to hit up the clubs when I perfect my booty shakes!
Core Rhythms : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lT09bryb0C4
Abs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acVU6HGmyVk
Oooh I just found this one while searching for the links above. I think I will add this 10 minute butt exercise to my routine tonight! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2c8xSyaLpk
In case you are interested, here are the YouTube links for my workouts. I will continue with these while Dave is on his "Nights" schedule. And please, don't laugh when you picture me doing these!! Who knows, maybe I will be able to hit up the clubs when I perfect my booty shakes!
Core Rhythms : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lT09bryb0C4
Abs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acVU6HGmyVk
Oooh I just found this one while searching for the links above. I think I will add this 10 minute butt exercise to my routine tonight! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2c8xSyaLpk
Friday, January 25, 2013
My Advice After Planning My Own Wedding
There are few tasks more difficult, stressful, time consuming and emotional than planning your own wedding. I used to want to go into the wedding planning business, but after realizing that I am not good with plans, decisions or deadlines, I soon gave up that idea. There is a good reason why people pay big bucks for wedding planners- it makes the process so much easier! It has been almost five months since Dave and I got married, and I am finally feeling as though I have calmed myself down from the roller coaster ride of planning our wedding. Now I am sure there are brides out there that would disagree and say that planning their special day was stress free and pure joy, and good for them, but I am truly happy that I survived the planning and made it to my wedding alive!
No matter how good your budget is, there will always be expenses you weren't expecting. Stamps, for example. I kept the postal service in business with all the stamps I bought. Save the Dates, Invitations, return envelopes for RSVPs, Bridal Shower invites and Thank You cards = $600+!!! The average American wedding is more than $25,000, which is absolutely insane, but I saw how easily we could have spent that much.
Dave and I thought we had found the perfect place for our wedding - a fancy barn, affiliated with a fancy restaurant near my hometown. How much could a barn rental cost anyways? We were looking over the brochure and nearly had a heart attack when we read: "The space may only be rented to customers who are buying at least $20,000 on food". !?!?!??!? Needless to say we did not take that route...
Vendors jack up the price of anything that is for a wedding. As soon as they hear "I'm planning my wedding" they triple the prices...it's true!!
I saved some money on flowers and a DJ by having a gardener friend make the arrangements, and two close guy friends be our MCs. For my bouquets, I saved money buy using flowers that were in season, and not considered "fancy". My sunflowers and babies breath were lovely, "fancy" or not!
I almost signed a contract to rent an absolutely gorgeous historical building for our reception. However, it could only seat 115 people, so I would have had to be holding my breath all summer hoping that not all the people we sent invites to would be able to come. I didn't want to have to stress about turning people away or having to find a new location last minute. Not to mention, the contract had so many clauses about not being allowed to hang things from the ceiling, and big fines for any kinds of damages to the building. While it would have been beautiful, I am glad I didn't do that to myself!
I was awful at this point. I don't know why I did so many things by myself when I had friends ready and willing to help. I guess I was just afraid to ask someone to put aside an afternoon for mundane tasks like addressing envelopes. My issue was thinking that even though people offered to help, they might not actually want to. In the end, I think I offended more people by not asking for help...
Thankfully a few months before the wedding, my friend's cousin offered to help us with the decorations. She was a God-send. We would not have made it with out her help and her amazing vision. I had so many ideas floating around at once, but she helped us make them a reality. We also were so glad to have her oversee the decorating the week of the wedding while we were doing other things.
On the same subject - one awesome way to cut down on work for yourself is to use printing labels and return address labels. This saved a ton of work, and I had it all on my computer to use for Thank You cards later on.
We had this grand idea in the beginning that my parents/family would cook the rehearsal dinner, sides for the reception, and put together a "Berry Bar" of angel food cake and berries for our dessert. Thank GOODNESS we were talked out of this. The week of the wedding is a very high-strung/ stressful time. It is also when you want to be able to enjoy out of town friends and relatives instead of having to worry about pulling of a great meal and stuff. We gave some family recipes to our caterer and paid him to make them - it was worth it. We also decided to just buy a wedding cake. Though the Berry bar would have been a clever and sweet way to incorporate my new last name, it would have been stressful, time consuming, and ultimately more expensive. Plus I ended up loving my cake. Try to delegate everything you can to people outside your immediate families.
We bought a small, two tiered, cake for cutting into and pictures. Then we bought a sheet cake of exactly the same thing to be cut and served to guests. A regular huge cake can cost $3.00 per serving or so. Our sheet cake was only $1.5 per serving. Some people have said they paid $600+ on a cake, total for mine was $240. Still expensive, but not that bad!
We went through our recycling bin for jars that could be used for flower vases. I also got carafes and other vases at the Salvation Army for cheap. Having a "country-rustic" themed reception made it okay to use quirky items and furniture.
Dave and I have so many friends and family that is was really hard, and very stressful to make our guest list. After all of the family and closest friends plus significant others are invited, the task of choosing who will have those last few invites is the worst!!! If you invited this person, then that whole group will wonder why they weren't invited... whose friend is more likely to come..... what about all the people from church? I really and truly hope that nobody was offended that was not invited to our wedding. I tried to get a few last minute invites in as people informed me that they could not make it, but there were certainly people I would have liked to include. :(
I held my breath as we invited 250 people to our event, hoping that our estimation of 150 people attending would be correct. Our number ended up being 115. There were actually quite a few people who said they were coming but then didn't show up at all. Please people - if you are invited to a wedding be HONEST about whether you can go! The bride and her family pay for every seat and meal, even if they are not used. Don't feel like you have to say yes just to not hurt someones feelings, hoping they wont notice the day of that you aren't there...
Dave flies helicopters for the Army. The coolest thing we did at our wedding was ride a helicopter to our reception, and have my dad play bagpipes as we walked up to greet the crowd. It actually wasn't an expensive ride at all - it was the cheapest personal touch we had, but it made a dream come true for Dave, and was something that definitely will be remembered. We also had a blueberry bush painting as our guest book, and had everyone make a green leaf thumbprint and sign their name. Get it? Blue berries....for the Berry couple :) Yeah...I'm cheesy like that
I decided to forgo the typical "head table" seating, for an intimate "sweetheart" table. I wanted our wedding party to enjoy themselves, so I sat everyone with their friends, spread out around the room. It was nice having our own little table, and sharing our first meal as a married couple alone, but facing our friends and family.
It doesn't matter if you find the most amazing way of organizing your seating chart....you still have to actually decide who is going to sit with who. There will always be an odd number of people who want to sit together and some people who you have no idea where to put. At the end of the day though, people will get over who they sat with.
This is one of my only regrets. All summer we reiterated over and over that there would be plenty of snacks to keep me happy on the day of, since I get low blood sugar very quickly and feel sick. Unfortunately with the nerves and a million other things on my mind, I didn't eat or drink enough. But the time we started taking pictures I was a grouch and having a hard time keeping myself together. Imagine! Feeling cranky on your own wedding day! To be fair, I had an awful cold and hadn't been sleeping or eating well that week. We didn't get all of the pictures I wanted because I was only interested in getting the pictures over with so I could get some dinner. Now I am super bummed that I don't have certain pictures that I had planned on getting, all because an empty stomach was making me feel sick
Also - make sure the bride doesn't over-do it while planning. The WORST mistake I made was setting up 3 dress shopping appointments in one afternoon. I was a mess at the end of that day. It's overwhelming and very exhausting trying on dresses. Only make one or two appointments for any given day so you don't stress yourself out, and so that you stay sweet :)
Thank goodness I had a cute, lightweight dress to change into after the formal dances at the reception. My huge princess dress was too heavy and hot for me to wear all night. I could barely breathe with the corset waist, not because it was tired too tight, but because us 21st century women aren't used to restrictive clothing. We usually wear thin and airy fabrics. I felt like a whole new person with my new dress on, and had a lot more fun dancing after that!
Try as I might, I did not get to visit with everyone at my wedding. I guess I will have to wait till it is someone else's wedding!
Thank goodness for two of my friends who stayed later at my house to get ready. We called them a million times on the ride to the church, remembering things we left behind (most importantly - the checkbook to pay our caterer and photographer!) My mom even decided last minute that she wanted to wear a different dress - so it was good to have them there. Especially since it is an hour drive between home and church.
Everyone will have their own opinion about your wedding, colors, food, service etc. even yourself! It can be really hard not try to please everyone else. This is your wedding! You and your future husband (and whoever is helping pay) should be the only ones making the important decisions. End of story.
When you go to buy your dress - buy the one you want!!I tried on my dress and immediately started crying. I knew it was my dress at once, but everyone else liked a different dress better. I am so glad that I chose the one that felt right to me!
There will be details that are forgotten in the midst of everything. That's okay!
The absolute most important detail of the wedding is the union of two people, who make a vow before God and their guest to love and honor each other all the days of their lives. It doesn't matter if everything goes wrong, as long as the bride and groom are right for each other. It's also important to know that the wedding is one day, but the rest of your life is what is important. So make sure to enjoy the enormity of being united to (hopefully) your best friend. Also - no amount of wedding plans matter - so if you feel you aren't ready to be married, even of the day of, don't do it! Marriage is HUGE! It really should not be taken lightly. I am so thankful for a wonderful, loving man that I call my husband, and I hope all my readers find their perfect match!
Click the following link if you want to read about our wedding day:
http://kendallmeetsworld.blogspot.com/2012/10/wedding-memories.html
Here are some things I learned along the way:
1. Your wedding WILL cost you more than you planned for it to cost.
No matter how good your budget is, there will always be expenses you weren't expecting. Stamps, for example. I kept the postal service in business with all the stamps I bought. Save the Dates, Invitations, return envelopes for RSVPs, Bridal Shower invites and Thank You cards = $600+!!! The average American wedding is more than $25,000, which is absolutely insane, but I saw how easily we could have spent that much.
Dave and I thought we had found the perfect place for our wedding - a fancy barn, affiliated with a fancy restaurant near my hometown. How much could a barn rental cost anyways? We were looking over the brochure and nearly had a heart attack when we read: "The space may only be rented to customers who are buying at least $20,000 on food". !?!?!??!? Needless to say we did not take that route...
Vendors jack up the price of anything that is for a wedding. As soon as they hear "I'm planning my wedding" they triple the prices...it's true!!
I saved some money on flowers and a DJ by having a gardener friend make the arrangements, and two close guy friends be our MCs. For my bouquets, I saved money buy using flowers that were in season, and not considered "fancy". My sunflowers and babies breath were lovely, "fancy" or not!
2. Do not make decisions that will add to your stress levels.
I almost signed a contract to rent an absolutely gorgeous historical building for our reception. However, it could only seat 115 people, so I would have had to be holding my breath all summer hoping that not all the people we sent invites to would be able to come. I didn't want to have to stress about turning people away or having to find a new location last minute. Not to mention, the contract had so many clauses about not being allowed to hang things from the ceiling, and big fines for any kinds of damages to the building. While it would have been beautiful, I am glad I didn't do that to myself!
3. Don't try to do everything yourself!
I was awful at this point. I don't know why I did so many things by myself when I had friends ready and willing to help. I guess I was just afraid to ask someone to put aside an afternoon for mundane tasks like addressing envelopes. My issue was thinking that even though people offered to help, they might not actually want to. In the end, I think I offended more people by not asking for help...
Thankfully a few months before the wedding, my friend's cousin offered to help us with the decorations. She was a God-send. We would not have made it with out her help and her amazing vision. I had so many ideas floating around at once, but she helped us make them a reality. We also were so glad to have her oversee the decorating the week of the wedding while we were doing other things.
On the same subject - one awesome way to cut down on work for yourself is to use printing labels and return address labels. This saved a ton of work, and I had it all on my computer to use for Thank You cards later on.
4. Don't plan on cooking for your wedding.
We had this grand idea in the beginning that my parents/family would cook the rehearsal dinner, sides for the reception, and put together a "Berry Bar" of angel food cake and berries for our dessert. Thank GOODNESS we were talked out of this. The week of the wedding is a very high-strung/ stressful time. It is also when you want to be able to enjoy out of town friends and relatives instead of having to worry about pulling of a great meal and stuff. We gave some family recipes to our caterer and paid him to make them - it was worth it. We also decided to just buy a wedding cake. Though the Berry bar would have been a clever and sweet way to incorporate my new last name, it would have been stressful, time consuming, and ultimately more expensive. Plus I ended up loving my cake. Try to delegate everything you can to people outside your immediate families.
5. Your wedding cake doesn't have to be expensive!
We bought a small, two tiered, cake for cutting into and pictures. Then we bought a sheet cake of exactly the same thing to be cut and served to guests. A regular huge cake can cost $3.00 per serving or so. Our sheet cake was only $1.5 per serving. Some people have said they paid $600+ on a cake, total for mine was $240. Still expensive, but not that bad!
6. Recycling is a good thing!
We went through our recycling bin for jars that could be used for flower vases. I also got carafes and other vases at the Salvation Army for cheap. Having a "country-rustic" themed reception made it okay to use quirky items and furniture.
7. A hard one - you can't invite everyone
Dave and I have so many friends and family that is was really hard, and very stressful to make our guest list. After all of the family and closest friends plus significant others are invited, the task of choosing who will have those last few invites is the worst!!! If you invited this person, then that whole group will wonder why they weren't invited... whose friend is more likely to come..... what about all the people from church? I really and truly hope that nobody was offended that was not invited to our wedding. I tried to get a few last minute invites in as people informed me that they could not make it, but there were certainly people I would have liked to include. :(
8. Not everyone you invite will come!
I held my breath as we invited 250 people to our event, hoping that our estimation of 150 people attending would be correct. Our number ended up being 115. There were actually quite a few people who said they were coming but then didn't show up at all. Please people - if you are invited to a wedding be HONEST about whether you can go! The bride and her family pay for every seat and meal, even if they are not used. Don't feel like you have to say yes just to not hurt someones feelings, hoping they wont notice the day of that you aren't there...
9. Make your wedding special and unique
Dave flies helicopters for the Army. The coolest thing we did at our wedding was ride a helicopter to our reception, and have my dad play bagpipes as we walked up to greet the crowd. It actually wasn't an expensive ride at all - it was the cheapest personal touch we had, but it made a dream come true for Dave, and was something that definitely will be remembered. We also had a blueberry bush painting as our guest book, and had everyone make a green leaf thumbprint and sign their name. Get it? Blue berries....for the Berry couple :) Yeah...I'm cheesy like that
10. You don't have to stick with traditional seating.
I decided to forgo the typical "head table" seating, for an intimate "sweetheart" table. I wanted our wedding party to enjoy themselves, so I sat everyone with their friends, spread out around the room. It was nice having our own little table, and sharing our first meal as a married couple alone, but facing our friends and family.
11. Seating is a pain in the butt
It doesn't matter if you find the most amazing way of organizing your seating chart....you still have to actually decide who is going to sit with who. There will always be an odd number of people who want to sit together and some people who you have no idea where to put. At the end of the day though, people will get over who they sat with.
12. MAKE SURE THE BRIDE EATS
This is one of my only regrets. All summer we reiterated over and over that there would be plenty of snacks to keep me happy on the day of, since I get low blood sugar very quickly and feel sick. Unfortunately with the nerves and a million other things on my mind, I didn't eat or drink enough. But the time we started taking pictures I was a grouch and having a hard time keeping myself together. Imagine! Feeling cranky on your own wedding day! To be fair, I had an awful cold and hadn't been sleeping or eating well that week. We didn't get all of the pictures I wanted because I was only interested in getting the pictures over with so I could get some dinner. Now I am super bummed that I don't have certain pictures that I had planned on getting, all because an empty stomach was making me feel sick
Also - make sure the bride doesn't over-do it while planning. The WORST mistake I made was setting up 3 dress shopping appointments in one afternoon. I was a mess at the end of that day. It's overwhelming and very exhausting trying on dresses. Only make one or two appointments for any given day so you don't stress yourself out, and so that you stay sweet :)
13. Having a dress to change into is a good idea
Thank goodness I had a cute, lightweight dress to change into after the formal dances at the reception. My huge princess dress was too heavy and hot for me to wear all night. I could barely breathe with the corset waist, not because it was tired too tight, but because us 21st century women aren't used to restrictive clothing. We usually wear thin and airy fabrics. I felt like a whole new person with my new dress on, and had a lot more fun dancing after that!
14. Don't expect to see everyone
Try as I might, I did not get to visit with everyone at my wedding. I guess I will have to wait till it is someone else's wedding!
15. Have someone stay at your house after you leave for an hour or so to make sure you haven't forgotten something.
Thank goodness for two of my friends who stayed later at my house to get ready. We called them a million times on the ride to the church, remembering things we left behind (most importantly - the checkbook to pay our caterer and photographer!) My mom even decided last minute that she wanted to wear a different dress - so it was good to have them there. Especially since it is an hour drive between home and church.
16. Listen to your heart, not everyone else.
Everyone will have their own opinion about your wedding, colors, food, service etc. even yourself! It can be really hard not try to please everyone else. This is your wedding! You and your future husband (and whoever is helping pay) should be the only ones making the important decisions. End of story.
When you go to buy your dress - buy the one you want!!I tried on my dress and immediately started crying. I knew it was my dress at once, but everyone else liked a different dress better. I am so glad that I chose the one that felt right to me!
17. Things will go wrong!
There will be details that are forgotten in the midst of everything. That's okay!
Remember - It's not about the wedding, it's about the marriage!
The absolute most important detail of the wedding is the union of two people, who make a vow before God and their guest to love and honor each other all the days of their lives. It doesn't matter if everything goes wrong, as long as the bride and groom are right for each other. It's also important to know that the wedding is one day, but the rest of your life is what is important. So make sure to enjoy the enormity of being united to (hopefully) your best friend. Also - no amount of wedding plans matter - so if you feel you aren't ready to be married, even of the day of, don't do it! Marriage is HUGE! It really should not be taken lightly. I am so thankful for a wonderful, loving man that I call my husband, and I hope all my readers find their perfect match!
http://kendallmeetsworld.blogspot.com/2012/10/wedding-memories.html
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