2 days!!!

Til I get married!?!?!?!?!!!?!?!?! 

Ha. Noooooo :(

BUT IT'S SOMETHING JUST AS GOOD!!!! :D :D :D

All of my beautiful, lovely, stunning bridesmaids from out of state and right here in VA will all be in the SAME PLACE so we can go bridesmaid dress shopping! WWHHOOOOO. I'm not quite sure what I am more excited about: having all my girls here or having all my girls to go shopping with :) I haven't actually introduced my side of the bridal party yet, so here goes:

Joanna aka Cheeks (on right): Maid of Honor, best friend of the bride

Lorraine (left) and Nicole (right): Bridesmaids, cousins of the bride

Christina (left) and Maria (right): Bridesmaids, friends from Maine :)

Aren't they the prettiest gals you have ever seen!?!?!? I think so and I am very, very blessed to have them by my side in love, friendship, and support throughout this engagement. It is going to be a blast having them all here this weekend and I have a feeling there will be lots and lots of ice cream involved :)

ps: My best male friend, Monthe, is also a part of the wedding party. Graym and I decided we wanted to do something a little more ceremonial with the rings so Monthe will be presenting them to us at the altar along with the bible which we will use for readings/say our vows over during the ceremony. It's going to be so beautiful! I can't wait! You can check out his photo below :)

Less than 7 months to go!!

Yesterday, Wednesday, February 8, 2012 marked 7 MONTHS until Graym and I say "I do"!!!!! However, I like today ALOT more because now I get to say that there are LESS than 7 months to go :D

This past month has been an exciting one indeed and the pressure to get everything ready in time is starting to build. We visited hotels to booked rooms for our guests, ordered our wedding bands (mine came in already!), and my wedding dress is currently waiting for me at the bridal boutique. I'll be going with my mom to try it on tomorrow (insert an uber giddy gal who can't sit still in her seat and is squealing with delight here). 

We've also began working on our registries and woah is that tough and surprisingly exhausting! Since Graym and I will not be living together until we're marriage, that also means we won't have an apartment to call our own until then. Without a clue to the size, colors, or design of our apartment, it's tough to determine just how much stuff we can fit in there. Currently we have gone to various store and clicked pretty much everything that we think we'll need, resulting in about 3 different dinnerware sets, 2 bathroom sets, multiple pots and pans, and other random items here and there because I was really excited to use the scanner :) We browsed through the store, stopping at every aisle to look at and ask one another:
"So, do you think we need these?"
"I dunno. Let's just put it on there just in case. We can always take if off later"
"Yeah, true."
"How many do you think we need?"
"I dunno."
"Two? Three?"
"I dunno."
"Well I'm putting three."

So there is currently two or three of everything right now haha. We now have to go through our lists, decide what we want to keep and take off, which ones we like best, and figure out what we still need to add. There is so much thinking involved and both Graym and I have gone home drained after doing the registries. It'll be so nice when it's no longer just a picture on a computer screen but an item to put in our very own apartment :)

With 7 months left to go, there is still so much to be done. My beautiful bridesmaids from up north will be heading this way in a few weeks to join my gorgeous bridesmaids from VA so we can pick out the dress that they will be wearing. I'm still working on my bouquet and florist appointments need to be made for the other flowers. The rehearsal dinner planning is underway, and some of the littler decorative details are falling in to place. Things are really starting to come together, and every day that goes by just brings more and more excitement and anticipation.

I can't wait to be his bride!!

My first wedding nightmare!

Yes, I'll admit it. Last night I had my first real wedding nightmare. I've had dreams before where things might go a little bit awkward during the wedding  or Graym and I couldn't find some "alone time" post-reception, but those I found much more humorous than frightful. Last night, however, left me completely freaked out!

The wedding dress is a huge part of the girls wedding day. When I found my dress, I fell in love and have been so excited to put it back on ever since that day in October. One thing I did do though was order my dress in a different color than I tried on. The dress in the boutique was an off-white/ivory when I wanted the traditional white wedding dress. I'm still a little bit worried that the dress may look different, as does happen sometimes when you try dresses on in different colors, and apparently this has subconsciously left me majorly tweaked out.

In my dream I was heading to the boutique to try on my dress since they had just received the dress in store and I was eager to try it out, see how it fits, and make any alterations if needed. My mom, and for some reason Graym, came along. When I tried on the dress, I almost died. It wasn't my dress! It was a weird variation of my dress that had some crazy brown and tan design on the front and was only as long as about mid-calf. Though I insisted this wasn't the dress I ordered, the woman and man who worked at the boutique claimed that it was, and even my mom said that it didn't look that different. I made them check the paperwork, and lo and behold they had never written down the particular details for my dress and so they just kinda guessed as to what I wanted. I demanded that they order me another dress free of charge, and as I waited for her to call the bridal company in China (because apparently in my mind that's where they make wedding dresses haha) I was left pacing in the boutique. I was fuming! And THEN the woman comes back all cool saying, OK, no problem, we'll have your dress here and ready by November. So I flip out, saying that my wedding is in September and that she needs to figure something out since they made the mistake and I need my dress. Graym this whole time is just sitting in a corner with his eyes closed since he doesn't want to see the dress, which is also driving me crazy because I wanted his support. 

Then I woke up. I'm not sure it that's a good thing because I wanted to know if I ever got my dress on time, but perhaps it also saved me from continuing such a bad dream. I should be getting my dress in (my real dress) sometime this month or next so I have been quite anxious lately.  That topped with a late night that didn't end too great is probably what triggered this catastrophe, but hopefully this doesn't evolve from a dream into real life!

So there you have it. My first, and definitely not my last, wedding nightmare. Just 7 more months til I can kiss those all good-bye :)

Flowers and flowers and flowers, oh my!

Of all the wedding planning, figuring out what flowers to use for the bouquets has been driving me crazy! As a frugal perfectionist with an artistic, crafty edge, picking out the perfect flowers has been quiet a challenge. I want a country, rustic bouquet with southern flare but is more put together than your typical wildflower bouquet. I want my girls bouquets to stand out from mine while containing the same aspects, and the mens boutonnieres need to match as well. I've seen gorgeous flowers on Pintrest and online, but the colors are never what I'm looking for so to try and match it with deep purple has been difficult. And let's not get started with the price! One woman quoted me over $600 for the bouquets, corsages, and boutonnieres and not including the centerpieces. I'm likely to spend over 1k on flowers alone at this rate.

So lucky me that I stumbled upon this beautiful picture on Pintrest:

I'M IN LOVE!!

A single jumbo dahlia, wrapped in burlap/twine and lace.  

Simple. Sweet. Rustic.

Perfect.

The past two days I have been quite obsessed with finding silk versions of these but without luck. I did, however, find a wonderful vendor who overnight ships fresh cut dahlias. Sweet! I'm still hunting for a local garden or florist that may have these but right now I'm just happy I figured this out!

My bouquet will have similar touches as I stated earlier and will be made of silk flowers so I can keep it forever. A round bouquet with medium and mini dahlias in ivory and plum purple, with touches of baby's breath, mauve garden roses, and tan berries or pods. At least that's what I have in mind so far. That is very likely to change in the next couple months but I'm still thrilled at the possibilities!

Thankfully, another item checked off the list! I'll be spending much of today calling hotels and restaurants in order to book rooms for my guests and a place for the rehearsal dinner. Yay! Things are coming together wonderfully :)

Let me know what you think about the flowers! I hope you love them as much as I do (and if you don't, too bad :P)

Wedding updates!

With 4 months down and less than 8 to go, I am in full wedding mode! We've accomplished a lot so far, and yet it seems like there is so much left to do! So here is a quick recap of whats been done, what we're working on now, and what the next 8 months will be filled with:

* Pick a venue...DONE

* Hire a photographer...DONE!

* Hire a DJ...DONE!

* Buy my dress/veil...DONE!! (and it's sooo gorgeous!!!!!!!)

* Select our lovely bridal party...DONE! (and I don't think I've introduced them yet, aahhhh! that 

  will be done soon, promise!)

* Save the Dates...DONE!

* Buy mason jars...DONE! (and lots of em too!)

So all that fun stuff has been taken care of it, and almost all of it has been paid in full! (Once my dress gets in, then the other half will be paid and we'll have no outstanding wedding bills, woot woot!) As of right now, this is what Graym and I are trying to check off the list in the next month or two:

* Flowers for the bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages, and centerpieces. As of right now, I'm 

  looking at silk flower bouquets...they are cheaper and last forever :) I'm currently talking to one 

  woman who makes GORGEOUS silk flower bouquets, so we'll see what happens!

* Finding our cake lady. We went to an open house a couple months ago and LOVED this 

  woman's cake, but she is a little pricier than other vendors so we're gonna do some more 

  tastings before we pick (and honestly, do doesn't love to eat various samples of delicious 

  cake!)

* Bridesmaid dresses! My girls will be coming down the first weekend of March to try on some 

   lovely dresses. Until then, I gotta pick out the ones I like and set up appointments to try then on.

* Wedding reggiisstttrrryyy wwhhhhoooooo!! Picking out stuff for our new apartment is gonna be 

   a blast!

* Gotta book our honeymoon flight to Turks & Caicos!

Phew! So we sure do have a lot to get to over the course of the next couple months, but I know it's gonna be tons of work planning with my husband-to-be. Graym has been such a help and blessing throughout the wedding planning so far, and I know that will continue to hold true as the months pass. Even after these next two month, there is still a lot to be done...decorations, food selection, invitation design, etc...but I know we'll love every step of the way. 

240 days!!!

Time to walk on the water

One of the most wonderful things about being the lover of Grayms heart is the opportunity to rejoice with him through our triumphs and encourage and sustain one another through our trials. It is such a blessing to know that no matter what high or low we are experiencing or enduring, we stand by one another to encourage, support, and love. I don't think many people can say that they enjoy going through the tough times with their loved one, but I was truly blessed by what has enfolded over the weekend.

This past Friday, Graym was let go from his job at Booz Allen Hamilton. After just 5 months of employment, the company simply did not have enough work for all of their employees. Despite Grayms excellent performance and popularity among his coworkers and leads, as one of the newest contractors he was terminated simply due to lack of seniority. It was quite a shock for Graym, who had spent 3 months searching for a job and never expected that at such a young stage in his career he would feel the effects of the current economic and workforce struggles. I knew he was upset about the loss of work and having to start from the beginning, as well as concerned about maintaining himself and our relationship without an income, and after many months of learning how Graym reacts to tough situations, I had mentally prepared myself for when I would be seeing him later that evening.

If you could only have seen my face when I walked through that door to a bounding, joyful, and exuberant man with a huge smile spread across his face as he wrapped his arms around me and squeaked, "Hi baby!" I was shocked and honestly didn't know how to respond! Who is this man in front of me? What happen to who I expected to be a very grumpy Graym? I couldn't help but laugh as I asked, "What happened to you? You're so...happy!" As Graym proceeded to share the events of his day and the change in his demeanor, I was left with such a joy in my heart. God had placed such a comfort and peace over Graym that allowed him, despite the disappointment and hurt in losing his job, to see that God has complete control over this situation and wasn't about to leave him during this trial. I was so blessed by his bold faith, and was also granted another opportunity to learn Graym as he told me, "I appreciate it when you tell me that everything is going to be ok and that I need to trust God, but sometimes I need to figure it out for myself". Wow! What a heart-revealing, honest statement that reminded me once again why I love this man so much. With that in mind, I was able to look at the day in a whole new light, and was even more in awe of how he sought God in sadness and confusion, and was received into the arms of a loving, faithful, and providing God that transformed his heart and helped him to see that He would always be by his side.
 
As I reflected on the weeks end, I was left with a fond reminder of Peter as he boldly stepped out onto the waters to draw close to his Savior (Matthew14:22-33). Jesus calls out to his disciples, "Take heart, it is I. Do not be afraid" and beckons Peter "Come". He steps out faithfully, but as the wind blew and the waves crashed he was struck with fear and began to sink. Jesus "immediately reach out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, 'O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" In this time, how will Graym and I react? Will we step out with faith, or stumble in doubt when the rocky waters hit? It was beautiful to see the trust and faith with which Graym stepped out on Friday, and I pray that holds strong as we have just begun down the job-seeking journey once again. I also know that there will be many rocky moments that we will face throughout the course of our marriage, moments that will test our faith and may cause us to sink into the dark waters, but God is unchanging and just as He reached His hand out to Peter He will also reach out to us. How can we not be comforted knowing that our marriage is in the cup of Gods hands, constantly protected and loved?

Such a wonderful, unexpected way to end a week, huh? :) God is so good. 

And, on a more amusing note, I also told Graym that from now on if he's had a bad day I'm just gonna disappear for a few hours to let him "figure it out" so that I come home to a happy man instead ;) Just kidding!

Starting the New Year with a BANG

First post of the new year! WWHHHOOOOOO!

I know this is quite a few days late due to some super fun wedding stuff Graym and I have been working on, but Happy New Year! 2012 is gonna be one awesome year. I do get married this year after all :) (Yesterday marked 8 months til the big day, and needless to say we are STOKED that time is going by so quickly.)

We were able to start the year off in what we thought was the best way possible: marriage counseling! Since both of us had a long weekend for the holiday, we made our way south to North Carolina where Grayms aunt and uncle welcomed us with open and loving arms. Uncle Coty is our officiant, and he and Aunt Beth take the time before our wedding to partake in 5 marriage counseling sessions. During our four day trip we had two sessions, and boy were they wonderful! Graym and I were truly blessed by the fellowship we shared with his aunt and Uncle. We have been reading a few books by Paul Tripp and John Piper, as well as packets written by Uncle Coty himself, and through our discussions of the chapters read and the insights we gained, we were able to grow as individuals and as a couple. We learned the depths of Gods plans for our marriage, what He desires for our hearts, and how we can love and serve one another so we can proclaim Christ through our relationship. We learned our individual and communal roles as husband and wife, and that we must look upon one another with grace and forgiveness just as God does with us. We know that we will always fall short, but everyday is another day to live for our Lord and proclaim His gospel with our covenant-keeping marriage.

We are very much so looking forward to our next counseling sessions (love and intimacy) and all that we'll learn through our readings and discussions. Graym and I pray and hope that we see everyday as another opportunity to grow, learn, and love. These sessions are surely going to aid in that ambition and until sessions 3 we will be preparing our hearts and minds.

Less than 8 months! Ahhhh!!! ♥♥♥