...Romance In A Glance...

A Bride That's Never Been to A Wedding

2012-03-01T14:00:00.000-06:00

Yes, you read that right...

yesterday's bridal guest blogger, Emily,

had never been to a wedding before her own.

Yet she managed to pull off a stunning one...

Read about Emily's big day

and leave her your thoughts!

Become a bridal guest blogger...

share your story and gain new friends

email me for more information

Color Me Pretty: Pink Eggs

2012-03-01T11:30:00.000-06:00

Oh spring how I am so ready for you...

Please bring along fresh flowers, chocolate Cadbury Eggs,

the smell of fresh cut grass, sunshine, crawfish and breezy days.

Vintage Cake via Best Friends for Frosting; Bouquet via Brideorama;

Cake via Tumblr; Dress via David's Bridal; Wreath via Lovely Wedding Party;

Place Settings via The Sweetest Occasion

What do you think of this gorgeous

spring time board?

Is it just me or does it make you think of Easter dresses and dying eggs?

Look for more tomorrow on the

My Wedding Extravaganza

Emily's Own Day {Real Wedding}

2012-02-29T14:00:00.000-06:00

Hello, ladies (and maybe a few gents)! I'm Emily from Pursuit of Healthfulness and I am thrilled to share my wedding story on Romance in a Glace!

My husband and I got married while we were both in college. Fortunately, our parents were supportive — emotionally and financially. Nonetheless, we were still on a pretty "tight" budget for the wedding. We dealt with this by figuring out our spending priorities. For example, we were willing to pay a bit more for the photographer, because we knew the pictures would last forever. We saved on other aspects, such as our favors, by making them ourselves. This required a bit more work, but saved us money and made the day feel more unique and personal.

Here are a few of my highlights (and lessons) from July 16, 2011.

Don’t get stressed about little appearance-related details.

Hair and Makeup: I have no talent when it comes to my own makeup, so I knew I would need some help. Fortunately, my husband’s mom does a great job and offered to do mine. She did a great job and it was a meaningful bonding moment. However, I did spend a little bit more on hiring hair stylists for the bridesmaids and myself, but that was definitely worth it!

The Dress: This is undeniably one of the biggest focal points of the day — yet, I purchased mine from the one and only store my mom, sister and I went to. After trying on a few others, I slipped on the one I ended up buying and felt so at peace with it. I knew I could go to more shops and try on more dresses, but I thought that would only be unnecessary stress.

Shoes: Interestingly, considering that I’m not a “shoe girl,” it was important for me to find a fun pair of shoes. I loved the something-blue ones that I went with (even though I changed out of them right after the ceremony)!

Cherish the moments.

The most unforgettable part of the day will always be the moment when the church doors opened and I saw my groom, Dan, for the first time that day. Ask anyone and they would say that I was a pretty composed bride throughout the day. But, I couldn’t stop crying during the ceremony. All of the emotions hit at once — in a really good way! Afterward, we exited the church to a shower of sunflower seeds, which were appropriate to the sunflower-theme of our wedding, hopped into Dan’s ol’ red truck and swung back around to take pictures with the bridal party. It was 116-degrees with the heat index, but we didn't care (too much, at least)!

Make the reception your style.

For us, it was important to have a fun, laid-back reception with good food and plenty of time for dancing. I think that mission was accomplished!

Have fun with the details!

For me, it helped to have one detail — sunflowers — to work my theme around. I had fun tying this into various aspects of the day, such as the homemade “guest book,” where guests got to sign the petals of a large sunflower. It was also meaningful for me to tie peace signs into the day by giving my beautiful bridesmaids dainty necklaces with a peace sign and pearl. Finally, I spent most of my (limited) free time in the week leading up the wedding by making dozens of batches of granola. I also hand-stamped little brown paper bags and selected fun add-ins for the granola, such as chocolate chips and almond slices. At the ceremony, all of the guests got to create their own favor bags of customized granola. (Peace signs and granola — goodness, I must really be a hippy!)

All in all, the day was more than I could have ever hoped for...

Mostly because I was blessed enough to marry my best friend.

If you’re interested in reading more, check out my wedding page!

Make sure to visit Emily's wonderful blog

The Pursuit of Healthfulness as well

as the genius blog she created where you can

see many of my posts, The Young Married Life.

What do you think about Emily's wedding?

I am such a fan of her little details such as the

peace sign necklaces...leave her some love!

Thanks Emily for sharing your beautiful photos and great tips with us!

I'm Loving My Sponsors

2012-02-29T12:00:00.000-06:00

Here are two of February's awesome sponsors...one from my home state

and one redhead writing a great book...make sure to check out their blogs and

leave them some love! Want to sponsor for March?

Want to increase your traffic? Want to guest post?

email me about sponsorship, romanceinaglance@gmail.com

There are plenty of spaces left for the month of March that I would love to fill!

I’m Britt and my blog tells the story of two twenty something year old newlyweds living in a new city with our mischievous pup, Rayne. I am a southern lady who dabbles in cooking, photography, fashion, crafting, and more. I’m inspired to write about where I came from and how it’s made my new life a sensational whirlwind adventure!

FIVE FACTS ABOUT BRITT
1. I am a huge animal lover!
2. I love to travel and spent the summer of 2010 backpacking and studying in Europe.
3.My favotire artist is Frida Kahlo
4. I am addicted to Law & Order SVU and Criminal Minds
5. I am a huge country music fan!

blog // facebook // twitter // pinterest

My name is Laura and I blog over at pens and a camera lens,

but you probably already knew that, right?

FIVE FACTS ABOUT LAURA

1. I'm a writer, and my first book, The Assassin, was read by a HarperCollins editor back in November 2010.

2. I'm currently looking into starting a photography business when I move for college in August.

3. My car's name is Connor.

4. I love, love, love, love country music. Miranda Lambert is my favorite singer.

5. On the subject of romance, I've been in one relationship in my life. It lasted seven weeks

blog // facebook // twitter

Make sure to look for Emily's story today on the blog!

Become a bridal guest blogger-I LOVE featuring your stories!

Emily has a very unique wedding from sunflowers to peace signs

and granola. Interesting right? You don't want to miss it!

HAPPY WEDNESDAY!

What are you loving today?

Link up and let us all know!

Let's Trade Spaces & Show Our Faces

2012-02-29T06:59:00.000-06:00

There are still plenty of spots left for March.

Want to space swap?

Want to see about discounts or guest posts or giveaways?

Email me at romanceinaglance@gmail.com

There's a New Bride Coming By

2012-02-28T14:30:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow you get to meet a lovely little lady that has TWO amazing blogs. You will meet Emily who blogs over at the Pursuit of Healthfulness and is also the creator and genius behind The Young Married Life. If you haven't stopped by The Young Married Life then you really should. Rather than Emily doing the writing herself, she has other awesome bloggers {and then me} who contribute their posts to keep the site going. If you want to be a contributing author/blogger let Emily know or visit YML for more information.

In case you missed it, Chelsea's Serendipity was featured last week. "It wasn't long before he and I would dance for hours, walk for even longer, learn we would share a birthday and so much more. And 8 months later, he would leave everything and everyone he knew...taking a leap of faith into a life with me..." read this and more from Chelsea's beautiful day.

Read about Chelsea HERE

Look for Emily tomorrow

"The most unforgettable part of the day will always be the moment when the church doors

opened and I saw my groom, Dan, for the first time that day.."

Share your story on Romance...

Email me for more information or email me

about sponsorship in March, I have plenty of openings!

If you are a small business, shop or blog I'd be

happy to work with you and have your ad up on my

site. Just shoot me an email for more information!

A Special Weekly Bridal Beauty

2012-02-28T11:30:00.000-06:00

This week's weekly bridal beauty goes along with the "My Wedding Extravaganza" where I am taking the time to recap through my wedding and share some insight with you on how I planned it and some of my favorite tips. And let's not forget the photos...you're getting to see plenty of photos that I have never shown on Romance before! So rather than having me design a weekly bridal beauty from various images and ideas, I will be showcasing my images and the ideas I had. Hope you enjoy it, leave your comments to let me know what you think.

all wedding photographs are copyright to owner and photographer

Mikki Bertrand

Designer: David's Bridal

Style Name: VW9469

Style: Beaded lace trumpet gown with pleated empire bust and empire band

Favorite Feature: The look of antique lace from head to toe was the look

I wanted from the beginning-this dress has all that and more for me.

Favorite Detail: From the slim fit to the pearls and crystals in the embroidery,

this gown had a very delicate look while still hugging the bum to add some flair.

Every detail about this dress was perfect for me from the lace to the pearls. Aside from

the lace look, I knew I wanted a gown that hugged my "curves {ha}" and didn't do

the "pouf" thing too much {although I love pouf too}. I wanted a gown that was

light; that moved with me when I walked; and that was modern with old style.

Added Detail:

By chance I stuck this feather headpiece

into my hair at the store...it was love at first sight.
You may also notice a brooch on the dress...that was
my husband's great grandmother's.

Headpiece via David's Bridal

My Added Details:

I'm a pearl girl and luckily my dress was adorned
with pearls in the embroidery so I accented with more
pearls including a strand my parents gave me.

My Bouquet:

My bouquet was a pink, orange and fuchsia arrangement

of Gerbera daises, tulips, roses and more.

Flowers via the Floral Cottage

Added Feature:

While me and the new husband were escorted in a limo,

our bridal party had a lineup of antique style cars.

The Scene:

I wanted a New Orleans theme wedding
complete with wrought iron gates and a water
fountain. It was similar to sitting in a courtyard.

Our entrance showcased several photos and had a
gate with hanging photos similar to that of Jackson Square.
I drew the layout for the decor and gave it to the decorator.
Very fun to be so hands on!

Love the beautiful displays our caterer made for us.

Make sure to ask how your caterer displays the food

and if they do anything unique.

The Groom:

I sure had a handsome one.

What do you think about this

week's bridal beauty?

Share your wedding on romance! Email me for more info.

email me about sponsorship for March!

Sponsor In March

2012-02-27T14:30:00.000-06:00

Defending the Female Dog

2012-02-27T12:00:00.000-06:00

Guys seem to have a certain code that they must always follow when it comes to one another. They don't rat each other out and they don't steal another man's girl. Of course we know that those things do indeed happen, but according to guy code they are not supposed to.

When it comes to a relationship between a guy and his girl, is there some sort of code that can't be broken either? Is there some code where a man sticks up for his girl no matter what? Does he defend her even when she overreacts in public or causes a scene for no apparent reason?

via

Exhibit A: Guy and girl are together at a nightclub and guy is talking to an old friend. Girl accidentally has someone bump into her (old friend's wife) and she automatically flips a lid over the accidental and harmless run in. Her first response is to yell at the person that bumped into her while her second response is to begin yelling at her guy for not "defending her." This girl wanted her guy to start something over an accidental bump (of course the several beers she had probably caused this reaction). This girl had her panties in a knot and wanted her man to to do all of the work and untangle them.

Exhibit B and C: A drunken man accidentally spills his beer on her or the local Burger King speaker box has a rude and annoying voice behind it that is being completely disrespectful to his girl for no apparent reason. Does the guy have his girl's "back?" We all know that most guy's are quick to have the back of their guy friends; when one is ready to rumble the other one is usually right there taking their shirts off too and getting ready as well (blame it on too much testosterone). So how far should a guy go for his lady?

In my opinion a guy should defend his lady no matter what. Now of course if she's asking him to start a rumble for no apparent reason then that's a different story, but a man should never let the public know that he also thinks his girl is a crazy version of a female dog. He should just let us make that assumption. He should have her back and defend her publicly, or at least try and calm her down and then once they get home he can tell her how he really feels.

They should think of it as relationship code: you always publicly defend your significant other even in times of uncertainty. That girl from Exhibit A was the perfect description of a crazy, female dog (if you had seen her you'd agree too) but her man shouldn't have told the others there that she was indeed a crazy, female dog. That's completely against relationship code...someone needs to send him this link.

How far should a guy go

to defend his girl?

My Surprise Something Blue

2012-02-26T13:49:00.000-06:00

Every week here on Romance you can read about unique ideas and see adorable items to use as your something blue. Whether you're planning a wedding yourself or you know someone getting married, the something blue is something that is always fun to look for and plan ahead. Notice that last part of the previous sentence: plan ahead. In today's My Wedding Extravaganza, you can read how I should have planned ahead for my something blue.

mom and dad helping with my shoes &
lucky six pence

After purchasing my dress, which you can read more about here, I went forward with the dreadful task of looking for shoes. I'm a dancer and unfortunately have dancer's feet, which in non-dancer terms are feet that are now shaped funny and having random bones protruding in a couple of places that only feel okay in comfortable shoes. There were so many shoes that I wanted to wear but unfortunately none of the cute and trendy shoes seemed to fit me comfortably. Luckily, I was able to find a simple ivory pair that were so comfortable and yet managed to still be cute.

Finding my jewelry was easy; I had an old pair of pearls from my parents (which were my something old) and then my mom and I found the bracelet and earrings that completed my look. The headpiece was actually a random decision where my hair happened to be in a wavy, side ponytail and we picked the headpiece up at the store and decided to just see what it looked like. It obviously won me over and I still absolutely love it to this day.

Now for the big something blue. My something blue was originally going to be an ivory and baby blue garter with an airplane on it for my pilot fiance. After waiting too long to order it, it was taken off the website and I was iffy to order it from other unknown websites. So I found an ivory garter at a local store and decided to use a blue rosary for my something blue. The initial idea was to wrap it around the bouquet but once I seen how fragile my grandmother's rosary was, I hated the thought that I could break it. So on the day of my wedding I was upset because I had no something blue. Then to the rescue, my mom took baby blue ribbon and added it to the garter to create something blue for me. It may have been last minute and it may not be as cute as all of the items I now find, but it's original and it's now a funny story.

So...now you know why I stress to look for and find your something blue early on. The last thing a bride needs is to be running around the house in her wedding gown rummaging everywhere for some blue ribbon. Hopefully you have a calm and smart momma like me...momma always comes to the rescue.

Did you plan your something blue

ahead of time? What was yours?

Scoring A Home Run

2012-02-25T14:44:00.000-06:00

Everyone knows that girl that falls too hard for far too many guys. She's the girl who proudly updates her Facebook and Twitter status every few hours to let the world know that her life has dramatically improved since what's his name showed up. Then a couple of months later you see some sad, depressing status reflecting the obvious breakup she is going through. Fast forward to another couple of months and she's "found the one" yet again and of course it's a different "one."

When it comes to dating there are three kinds of women in my book. There are the pros, the rookies and the home run hitter. The pros are obviously the ones that are good at the game while the rookies are still learning all of the ins and outs of love and dating. Then there are the home run hitters. They are the gals who are usually older than the rookies but playing the dating game similar to that of a twelve year old. The home run hitters have likely dated numerous guys, not because they are the "easy" player but simply because they haven't found "the one" yet.

image via

Wearing your heart on your sleeve can be a blessing and can be a disaster. The home run hitters tend to wear their heart on their sleeve with every guy they date; they fall in love too soon and too fast. They announce to the world via social media that they have found yet another prince charming that makes their life complete. As many times as you see this from Facebook from the same person, it makes you wonder how many men do they need to complete their life?

Every woman has a man out there waiting patiently for them. Falling in love too fast and letting yourself become too vulnerable can hinder your ability to notice that this new prince charming isn't actually that guy that's been waiting for you. The idea of being in love sounds great and all, but who says that it takes a bunch of hit and misses to get there? There's no need to keep playing the game if the guy isn't "the one." A woman doesn't need a man to survive and she surely doesn't have to be "in a relationship" according to Facebook in order for her social networking friends to think her life is set.

Perhaps women need to take control of the game. Start calling the outs and the strikes. Notice them before things progress and send him packing. No woman needs to kiss that bunch of frogs to find her prince; she doesn't need a good "batting average;" and she surely doesn't need to have her heart broken over and over again. Let your guy wear his heart on his sleeve for once and see if he's the one. He can walk the walk but can he score a home run?

Do you know a girl that wears her heart on her sleeve

and falls in love too fast and too often?

What's next?

2012-02-24T14:30:00.000-06:00

If you've been reading along this week, you've noticed that there is lots going on! Make sure you read the lovely guest post,Chelsea's Serendipity, where you can read about her gorgeous wedding and all of the serendipitous moments leading up to meeting her husband and then finally marrying him. See Chelsea's story here. Next week you'll get to meet another stunning bridal guest blogger and then the week after...and then the week after. They are rolling in and I LOVE it. I love featuring your stories and your advice. If you want to become a bridal guest blogger it is very simple: just follow my blog or "like" me on Facebook if you do not have a blog. You can email your story or your inquiries to romanceinaglance@gmail.com. I hope to continue sharing your stories!

If you are a fan of my Facebook page, please go and vote on a photo for the "Most Romantic Photo." All you have to do is press "like." The winner receives a donation to their charity of choice, but hurry because it ends at midnight! {You can vote even if you're not a member through Facebook, but I'd love for you to stick around}

Want to sponsor some Romance?

Email me about sponsorship, deals and swaps!

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Over 600 Facebook likes, 240 GFC Followers,

168 Twitter Followers, 13 Pinterest Followers and numerous in Google Reader!
I would love to feature your button on my site!

Enjoy a date night...

give your man a kiss, pour some wine

and pop in a good movie. It's Friday!

My Wedding: Flowerama & Cake Baby

2012-02-24T11:42:00.000-06:00

One of the first things that I began thinking about during the early phase of my wedding was the wedding flowers. I had made my mind up a couple of years before that when I married I would not have a white bouquet; I wanted color and lots of it.

Many brides pick out their main color first, which usually is the color the wedding party will wear. In my case, my preference for flowers helped determine my color choice for dresses. I had a certain flower scheme in mind: fuchsia, orange and purple and had my heart set on green dresses. There are other colors that could have worked well with my flowers, but the green in the dresses matched perfectly with the green in the bouquets, therefore my flowers popped. Green also pleased the husband as it was his color of choice; so in the end it all worked out wonderfully. I did however have one idea with my flowers that worked out extremely well. I wanted each bride to have one color bouquet and then my bouquet would reflect the colors combined. This was something I hadn't seen done before, although I doubt I'm the first to do it.

Next up in the exciting and fun, My Wedding Extravaganza, is my cake; another item that was so much fun to plan! After meeting with the baker she gave me one of my favorite planning tips during the wedding; she told me to go home and draw my own cake. I'm not really a "talented" drawer, but the task sounded like fun especially because I knew what I wanted. There were several cakes that each had something I liked about them, so her advice worked well for me because I was able to draw all of those features together. In the end, I can actually say my cake was designed by me. I chose the order of the patterns on the tiers; I drew the patterns; I chose the font for our initials {apparently because she did them just like my drawing}; and I even drew the placement of the flowers on the cake as well. I was initially supposed to have two lovebirds for my cake topper, but after incorrectly putting in our order information, I never received them. It was a last minute trip to find a cake topper, but in the end I think the one we found suited us well.

The flowers and cakes at my wedding were something that I love to talk about and give advice on because I had such a part in choosing it all. I didn't just pick out a picture {nothing wrong with that} and give it to the baker. I drew it myself and she followed exactly. When I look back at our wedding, my flowers always make me smile. The colors are warm; happy and cheerful just like the day was.

I chose short dresses and had my matron of honor and maid of honor

wear a different style dress. With it being a July wedding, short dresses

worked out well and kept things breezy and cool.

Thanks for reading the

My Wedding Extravaganza!

What do you think so far?

Color Me Pretty: Spring Tangerines

2012-02-23T14:30:00.000-06:00

It's time to indulge in another color board for the week! The spring combos are starting to show up on Romance and I couldn't be more excited. From the bright shades to the gorgeous flowers, spring is definitely a stunning season for a wedding. The bridesmaid dress featured in this board is one of the most stylish and modern dresses available at David's bridal and is perfect for a spring wedding. The added floral touch makes it very feminine and delicate. What's your thoughts on this board? It's definitely going to be loved by the groom-no pink!

Place Settings via Hostess; Dress and Invitations via David's Bridal;

Flowers via theknot.com; Garter via the Garter Girl; Cake via Wedding By Color

Is this spring board too bold for you?

What's your thoughts?

I Said Yes to My Dress

2012-02-23T12:00:00.000-06:00

There are some things in life that we are all certain of such as the name of our first unborn child; our future profession; or perhaps just that our all time favorite candy will always be M&M's. Then there is the girl like me, who may not have always known what she wanted to be and who may still contemplate on the name of her first born, but always knew the dress she'd wear on the day she married.

I was that girl. I was that girl that had envisioned a particular dress for many, many years and walked away from the store wearing that vision (okay, so I didn't walk out of the store wearing the dress but you get the picture). I was the girl who purchased her wedding gown less than 15 days after her engagement. I was the girl that couldn't leave that store without the gown even though there were numerous stores left to visit. I never made it to those stores.

Dress shopping for me was quite simple. I walked into David's Bridal on Labor Day with my mom after a long weekend of family camping with no intentions to buy a dress. I simply wanted to try some on since I was in town with her to do so. There were numerous boutiques and shops we intended to go to over the next several months, but I never made it to those. Going through the many racks at David's didn't take too long, I wanted an antique lace dress; I wanted pearls; and I wanted a slim fitting gown with a moderate train.

Of the many gowns there, I went to the dressing room with ten dresses all to no avail. My mom retrieved two more for me and the sales attendants finally found the dress that I went in looking for. However, that dress was horrid in person. It was lucky number 11 out of 13 gowns that I couldn't take my eyes off of. People say that when you put "the dress" on you will just know. They all claimed I would get that "wow this is it" feeling. And I did. I really did.

I didn't want to take the gown off. I didn't want to leave the store without it. Who cared if I hadn't made it to the fancier shops...this was my gown. The gown that I had always pictured for me. We paired it with a veil and tada...it was me. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect gown. Since my wedding I have seen one or two gowns that I probably would have liked to have tried on, but nothing like mine. It was my dress and it is still my dress. It was very easy to say yes to the dress.

Now, if only choosing my shoes would have been that easy.

How many dresses did you try on

to find "the one?"

Thanks for reading part of the

My Wedding Extravaganza

Don't forget to read about Chelsea's wedding

from yesterday and make sure to leave her some love!

Chelsea's Serendipity {Bridal Guest Blogger}

2012-02-22T14:00:00.000-06:00

I think most of us can agree that you can look back on life, and see certain serendipitous moments very clearly. Good and bad...I wouldn't know how to appreciate the former without the latter. And I also wouldn't be exactly where I am on this day without the million serendipities from the start.

Picture a hotel event room in London, 2005. Full of college students excited for a summer abroad in Florence, Italy. Chatting it up around the room, I found myself back to back with a tall blonde girl...both turning at once, we smiled and would learn we were both Colorado girls, we had a lot to talk about, and still do to this day. This marks the first serendipity in this wedding story.

7-7-2007. A day, and omen for a wedding, which is just where I found myself this evening outside of Dallas, TX. Sitting a table, not knowing a soul. But I had to be there for my dear friend, the bride. We had made a pact years earlier that I would NOT miss this inevitable day. Newly single and lost or not. $600 airfare or not. It's a good thing I took that gamble, because the people sitting at that table would pass the torch onto serendipity number two.

3rd Serendipity is a charm...or something like that. I'm walking along a meandering stream, drinking coffee with an extremely handsome boy that I do not know at 4:30 in the morning. Playing the question game, he plainly states a date that happens to be my birthday. I stop in my tracks, wondering how he knew my birthday. Was this some joke? Nope. It was just his birthday too. We each grinned from ear to ear and continued walking...knowing that when the sun came up, I'd be on a plane back to Denver, he to Houston.

I remember the morning of my bridal shower clearly: I felt calm. My wedding was two weeks out and I was excited. Even better, I was ready. I was in the midst of the shower when I got a phone call from my mom. Through heavy sobs I heard her loud and clear: my grandpa had lost his slow battle with his brain. I don't classify this as a serendipity as much as just one of those instants in your life when you are brought to your knees. And those that help you up? Deserve every effort in your power to be kept around.

David has taken risks and held me together from the start and over every hurdle. I knew he was one to "keep around".

You see, that blonde girl I met and we'd be inseparable from that summer in Italy; would later have a wonderful wedding one night outside Dallas, in Grapevine, Texas. And I would be sat a table full of people who knew each other, but didn't know me. They also happened to be my now-husband's siblings and life-long friends.

It wasn't long before he and I would dance for hours, walk for even longer, learn we would share a birthday and so much more. And 8 months later, he would leave everything and everyone he knew...taking a leap of faith into a life with me in Denver, Colorado. It took all these people and events or "serendipities" to pave the road to this point.

August 14, 2010 was another one of the days FULL of moments imprinted on my brain as clearly as if they had happened yesterday. Without the sometimes bumpy road leading up to our biggest day, I'm sure we still would have had a blast of a wedding. But we did have those struggles. And I can tell you that it reflected in the emotion and depth of my vows, through a trembling voice, an acknowledgement of the weight of that moment. It reflected in my husband's tears of joy as he saw me for the last time before I'd become his wife. It showed in embraces with family from around the country. I could feel the condolence and celebration of my grandfather's life, and the congratulation and celebration of my marriage. All in a hug and a smile of the eyes.

It wasn't perfect by perfection's standards. It was even better than that. The entire weekend was a symbol of all the interesting paths, full of twists and turns, and full of raw emotion. Pure joy. And I can't wait to see what serendipities tomorrow brings :)

A special thanks to Chelsea for sharing her beautiful and touching story.

Aren't her photos STUNNING? This last one looks like it should be in a magazine.

Make sure to read her beautiful blog, A Colorado Cupcake

and follow along on Chelsea's journey!
Make sure to leave Chelsea some love!

Email me to share your story at romanceinaglance@gmail.com

Become bridal guest blogger today!
Make sure to enter the give away too!

My Wedding Extravaganza

2012-02-22T11:27:00.001-06:00

Today is the kick off for the My Wedding Extravaganza as well as the start to a wonderful give away. I am very happy to finally share more than just a couple of photos of my wedding, but to also share details and my thought processes while planning. I regularly try to feature bridal guest bloggers that share their big day and their planning secrets with you, but this next week you finally will learn more about my big day!

The night of our proposal above and
sharing some engagement shots below

After dating for five and a half years, I was much more than antsy to get the ball rolling and start planning our big day. We knew for awhile that we definitely were going to marry one another {I knew after six months of dating}, but with college and a lack of "real jobs" it had to wait. It had been a crazy week of packing and loading my car up to return back to my college apartment and begin the year. I had intentions to leave on the Friday before the new semester, but he insisted that he wanted to take me to dinner that night. In the end I agreed to stay until Saturday so he could take me out {which I did think was somewhat fishy that he was so determined to take me out on a specific night}.

I should have known something was up when he actually arrived early for our date and had reservations. He took me to one of my favorite restaurants and we had a nice romantic booth in the back. We ordered an appetizer and drinks, but I noticed he keep talking and doing anything else but ordering his dinner. I think our waiter approached us three or four times but J* kept saying that he wasn't ready. I thought it was odd that he didn't know what he wanted because we had eaten there so many times. I also noticed that he took his silverware out of the napkin and folded the napkin oddly on the table {I had made a mental note that he was weird for doing this}.

I repeatedly asked if he knew what he wanted but he just kept on talking. Finally, I asked one last time if he knew what he was getting and as I turned to him he flipped open the oddly folded napkin and said, "Married." And in that napkin was the most perfect engagement ring that was picked out by the most perfect man.

All I could do was say "Are you serious?" I kept asking and asking...and thankfully he was {oh and he did actually ask me to marry him}. After the hugs, kisses, sweaty palms and happy tears, we left our booth and walked to a banquet room that he had filled with our parents, siblings, and three of our best friends all to my surprise and excitement. And it was there that we finally ordered and had our dinner surrounded by the people we love. It was more than I could have ever imagined and the most perfect and fitting engagement for us.

And of course, I said yes.

Thanks for joining me for the

My Wedding Extravaganza

look next for the "I Said Yes to the Dress"

Look for a gorgeous and stunning story from this week's guest blogger,
Chelsea at A Colorado Cupcake being featured at 2 pm today!

A Wonderful Day

2012-02-22T07:05:00.002-06:00

This week I am loving everything going on at Romance! Today is the kick off for the My Wedding Extravaganza where you can start reading more about my big day and my thought processes throughout it all. Today's entry starts with the fabulous proposal that took place on one beautiful summer day. At 2pm you get to meet Chelsea from A Colorado Cupcake who will be sharing her stunning story and gorgeous wedding photos. Her story is very unique and heart warming-you don't want to miss it.

And let's not forget the amazing give away that I am currently hosting that really needs some more entries. If you're a fan of the Facebook page for Romance, you can email me your "Most Romantic Photo" as well as the charity of your choice and the photo will be entered in the challenge. You share the link with your friends, they "like" the page for Romance and then "like" your photo and the photo with the most "likes" on March 3 will win a donation to the charity of their choice from me. So....

I'm on a mission to Spread a little Romance

and Share a little Love.

Who's with me?

Don't forget to read the first for the

My Wedding Extravaganza

later on today!

become a bridal guest blogger!

I am also loving that today is me and the husband's

8 Year Anniversary of our first date!

Happy Anniversary to that sweet and amazing person.

What are you loving today?

Share your loves and link up!

Delicately Blush

2012-02-21T12:00:00.000-06:00

This week's gown is another blush beauty. Apparently I have a new found love for this color and can't seem to get enough of the unique look. Compared to previous blush gowns featured on here, this gown has a shade of blush that is much more subtle and more ivory than pink. Therefore, the look is likely to be adored by more traditional brides who shy away from the bold look of blush. This would make a stunning spring wedding!

Designer: Monique Lhuillier

Style Name: Candy

Style: Blushed embroidered, illusion tulle strapless gown with A line train.

Favorite Feature: The modified A line train has a beautiful way of fitting the body

to create a stunning bridal look. I am also a fan of this exact shade of blush.

Favorite Detail: The embroidery that cascades down the gown is simply stunning.

It gives the gown a very delicate and unique appeal.

Lately it seems like I have been featuring a lot of blush colors on Romance; the color

is simply too romantic to pass up. The shade of blush on this gown is particularly perfect

for a wedding gown being that it is a very subtle look. The gown has somewhat of a

vintage appeal due to the delicate embroidery and is beautiful for any season.

My Added Feature:

A subtle blush shoe with delicate detail.

Badgley Mischka

My Added Detail:

Since I was choosing lots of blush shades,

I wanted to showcase one of my favorite

handmade bridal sites.

Emici Bridal

The Girls:

I chose a gown with a similar style

to the bridal gown but contrasting looks.

This bridesmaid gown has no embroidery or beadery.

BHLDN

My Bouquet:

A stunning blush bouquet that will last

a lifetime and still be gorgeous.

See more at Emici Bridal

The Scene:

I would picture this wedding as a small, quaint outdoor ceremony

followed by a reception in a gorgeous place like this.

Perhaps it has beautiful patios to take the guests outside as well.

via

Are you loving this week's look?

HOT OR NOT?

Don't forget to submit your photos for the

Romance In A Glance Give Away

The Battle of the Pancakes

2012-02-20T12:30:00.000-06:00

Do you ever have that moment where you feel defeated by man? That moment where you were supposed to be putting together that new toy for your child or you were supposed to be the one attempting to bake the pancakes for Sunday's breakfast and you failed. There's that moment where he comes in and saves the day because you can barely understand the directions or because your pancakes are coming out looking like panglobs. I'm not always a fan of these moments of defeat by man.

In my attempt to wake up and bake pancakes for the first time {hey I never had a reason before} I was defeated and saved by the husband. My panglobs weren't coming out too fancy, but then stepped in the man of the hour {who also never baked pancakes} and he created chocolate chip masterpieces. How do they always do that?

I'm very thankful that he knew what he was doing because I sure was craving some pancakes, but seriously? It's like I threw up my little white surrender flag and once again said I fail as a kitchen wizard. And as delicious as always, he wins. Men have a way of doing that I suppose. They always seem to come in and save the day on basic things that we should know, but apparently are doing wrong. How about that time I found out I was plunging the toilet wrong? Yep, he showed me that too.

As a woman, particularly a newlywed, I think most of us have this little competitive streak in us where we are competing against ourselves and other newlyweds. We want to prove that we can do these "wifely duties" for our men and for our family, but sometimes we may be defeated; and sometimes it's by the man in our life.

In the end, we need to be thankful that there is someone next to us to pick our mess, or our globs, and turn them into something delicious. They may surprise us every now and then and they may also save the day. Perhaps that's their "husbandly" duties...to turn our messes into chocolate chip masterpieces. We have duties as wife to keep the house clean and scrub the toilets, but it's the men that come in to save us. Perhaps in the end we really are all just a bunch of heroines in distress that need to be saved by the dreamy, muscular man.

At least it creates a good mental image.

What does your man defeat you at?

{Make sure to enter my Spread the Love Give Away Challenge}

Share the Love Give Away

2012-02-20T05:58:00.002-06:00

At Romance In A Glance you'll often hear me say that I'm on a mission to spread a little Romance and share a little love. Well with this Facebook give away, that is exactly what I intend on doing! I am very excited about this give away since it's for a good cause to help spread the romance and most of all share the love!

I'm passionate about giving. I'm passionate about love and romance. I believe that one photo can inspire a world of people to do one random act of kindness or can inspire you to turn to your significant other and kiss them. A romantic and passionate photo full of love and happiness can inspire a lot of things. Which is where your photos come in...

On my Facebook page for Romance In A Glance, I am hosting a "Most Romantic Photo" contest. You can submit any photo whether it's you and your significant other; you and your family; or perhaps a picture of you in front of a stunning sunset. Sometimes something can be romantic without including two people in love. The photos are your choice and are your definition of romance.

The prize? Well, here is where we are spreading the love. I'm passionate about giving and donating to others in need. As often as I can, I try to participate in donations for charities that I support wholeheartedly, even if it's just a couple of dollars! I know that when I donate to charities such as the March of Dimes or St. Jude's, that I'm spreading the love...my love.

So once again, the prize? Well, the photo with the most "likes" will win the contest and name their charity of choice and I will make a personal donation to that charity. Perhaps it's one I've never heard of or perhaps it's one that I love to support. As long as your charity or organization is consistent with my beliefs and morals and as long as there is a website to provide information, I will gladly donate my personal donation to them. So whether it's Breast Cancer Awareness or the Humane Society, you think of something that touches your heart and something that needs the love. We all need to spread the romance and share the love. I look forward to seeing your photos and being a part of something like this with you!

Rules:

To spread the Romance you must first submit your photo with your name/names {you can do just first name} and your charity of choice. If you wish, you can also say how long you have been together as a couple or any caption you'd like. Perhaps you want to say why you chose that charity. In order for people to vote, you will have to share the link to the Facebook page on your page and they must first like the Facebook page for Romance and then they can "like" your photo in the "Most Romantic Photo {Share the Love Challenge}" photo album.

The contest will end on Friday February 25 at midnight.

The photo that wins will be featured on my website if they wish and

can send in their own personal definition of romance for me to feature.

It will be their turn to tell me what romance means to them!

And of course, I will donate to the charity of their choice.

{please email to romanceinaglance@gmail.com}

You may not be walking away with something tangible, but at least

you know that you helped to spread a little romance and most of all,

share a little love. I'm on a mission to make the world a more romantic place...

Who's in?

Vintage Something Blue

2012-02-19T17:10:00.001-06:00

This week's something blue items are beautiful all in their own way; yet each one has a very rustic and vintage appeal that creates a warm and subtle blue feeling. The heart locket is the perfect sentimental touch to wrap around the bouquet or even for some stylish brides to wear. It's also a charming item to pass down to daughters and future family brides. The bouquet is a stunning bouquet that would be great for this spring season and with it's brown bouquet wrap it's the perfect touch for a rustic wedding. Finally there is the classic mason jar centerpieces, but this time the mason jars are blue. Blue mason jars have such an elegant appeal that work well for outdoor or rustic weddings and also work well within the home as end table accents or table centerpieces. Your something blue must fit you, so start searching and choose an item or idea that best suits you, your wedding and your style.

Bouquet from Talia Events; Locket via Etsy Seller MStevenson; Centerpiece via The Ritzy Bee Blog

Are you loving this something blue board?

Or is it too vintage and rustic for you?

My wedding extravaganza is coming this week!

Making Our Own Dance

2012-02-18T15:49:00.000-06:00

Today is one of those days where the rain is falling down, the sofa looks appealing and that bag of chocolate chip cookies looks amazingly appetizing. There is nothing you'd rather do than find your special someone and lay down with them watching chick flicks or men's movies and taking in the occasional tight hug. It's amazing how one piece of furniture, a sofa, can bring two people so close together.

Finding the time can be hard. Finding the patience in our busy schedules can be even harder for some people. We have to find the patience to let the stress go, the chores go and the daily petty issues go. Sure he may have annoyed you last night and perhaps you aggravated him as well, but today is a new day. The rain is falling and you feel inspired to go dance in the rain. But we all know that can be a little messy and a little cold as well. So dance in the living room. Dance in the bed. Dance on the sofa. Make your own music and your own memories. Weekends only come every so often; every seven days to be exact. May as well enjoy them to the fullest and embrace those occasional tight hugs. Because soon you'll be wishing for another Saturday to dance in the rain.

An amazing photo from Knapp Photography

What's your Saturday plans?

Did You Miss My Guest?

2012-02-17T14:00:00.000-06:00

Hope you didn't miss my bridal guest blogger yesterday...

she is gorgeous and her wedding details are beautiful!

Make sure to check out Britt from the Magnolia Pair and leave her some love!

Tell me what your favorite picture from her wedding is.

I love the detail picture of her bouquets, but here is a gorgeous one to share

with you of the lovely bride and groom.

Oh and she's a southern belle like me...so ya gotta leave us Cajuns a hello!

Email me about sharing your wedding!

Relive your day through your own words and photos

and share your advice with other brides.

Our Hidden Stash of Lace

2012-02-17T12:00:00.000-06:00

A couple of days ago everyone was celebrating love with chocolate hearts and red roses. They were likely some teddy bears too and maybe even some couples taking off to go see "The Vow." Everyone was pulling out all of the stops this year to be as romantic and passionate as they could be. But just how much did you do to spice it up an extra notch?

Here's to hoping your man buys some lingerie for you!
via

It makes you wonder, how many women slipped into that special piece of lingerie that they have been having stashed away in their private hiding place for so long? Or how many women purchased a red pair of handcuffs as a fun little gift or purchased something that read, "Tonight." And we know what "Tonight" meant. Stores are always selling beautiful red and pink lingerie sets during the month of February hoping that some of you will have the courage to check it out and then have the courage to put it on.

I recently heard someone say, "I don't ever wear that stuff but my husband wishes that I did." Well my friend...that's not good. If your husband or significant other would love to see you in that stuff, then I suppose you may want to squeeze yourself into one of those silly contraptions. You're not necessarily doing it just because he wants you too, you're doing it because you have the confidence to be sexy and act sexy. You have the confidence to show that person that loves you that you are undeniably confident and sexy and you want to spice it up and give him what he wants. Sometimes we may all feel a little silly prancing around in one of those uncomfortable getups when are tatas are pressed up too far and we can barely breathe; but just think how much they love what they see. And let's be honest with ourselves, are tatas look good like that.

So although many women may have or may not have broke out the red crotch-less panties for Valentine's Day, we need to remember that Valentine's only comes once a year; but your prancing around in red lace shouldn't. Don't save your secret stash of lace and garters for special holidays; use them all year long. Don't just surprise him on one measly ole day a year; surprise throughout the year. Don't leave him stranded and wishing he could occasionally see you in some black lace, give him a taste of your sex appeal like he's never seen before. Maybe if we practice more, starting now, then next Valentine's Day will be a piece of cake. And let's go ahead and make that some red velvet cream cheese cake. That's sexy right there.

Do you ever hear other women say

that they hate doing that sort of thing even though

their significant other loves it?

What's your thoughts?