Starry-Eyed Barefoot Bride

Prayers Please

noreply@blogger.com (*Michelle) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:30:00 +0000

I am touched by how many of you sent emails of concern for my husband.... and that any of you are still here since its been AGES since I posted anything.

My husband is fine but a part of the search and rescue team. As of yet, there is no good news to report, meaning there are 9 families who are facing potential loss of a member. For lack of a better phrase, this did hit awfully close to home. And your thoughts and prayers were very welcome.

I will be back soon to finish wedding recaps and begin blogging about life as a newlywed military wife. In the mean time, go hug your significant other and make sure they know exactly how much you love them because you really never know.

[Note: I did not make this video, as far as I can tell my husband is not in it, I just found it on Youtube and thought it a nice tribute to the most underfunded and overextended of our armed forces.]

Eternal Father, Lord of hosts,

Watch o'er the men who guard our coasts.

Protect them from the raging seas

And give them light and life and peace.

Grant them from thy great throne above

The shield and shelter of thy love.

— (1955) CWO George H. Jenks, Jr., USCG

I'll be back soon with happier news and more cheerful topics.

Our dancin' song!

noreply@blogger.com (*Michelle) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 07:24:00 +0000

Remember when I asked you what you might dance down the aisle to?

I couldn't remember the name or artist for this song at the time but THIS is the song that, a few months ago, we would have been dancing down the aisle to. (My mother is yet again saying thanks that I hadn't seen this video before the wedding.) It just came on and I quickly jotted down the info to share! (Michael Franti/Spearhead singing "Say Hey (I Love you)"

:)

What would your song be if you would have danced down the aisle?

I was a BLUSHing bride

noreply@blogger.com (*Michelle) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:45:00 +0000

I've received lots of inquiries as to my dress and the color, so I thought I'd fill everyone in.

First of all, just in case you have missed it the zillion and four times I've said it before, these are my opinions and my experiences. I am a unique individual (just like everyone else) and things that work great for me my be a disaster to someone else. That being said....

I am not a fan of the stark white wedding dress. I think there are very few people that it really looks good on, and I think details of the dress can get lost in the blinding white.

[Side note: This is especially true if you have a photog who tends towards "blown out" photos. There is one photog whos work I love to see, but I wouldn't have wanted for my photos because while the images are magazine beauty edgy, so many details get lost. I can't count how many of the blog posts that I ooh and ahhh over the photos, and then realize not a single one showed the grooms face or details on the dress. (This photo is from a Flickr discussion group, NOT the photog I was talking about. Just an example of a detail-free dress.)

And didn't most of us put waaaay too much time effort (and dare I say money?) into choosing our dresses!? Anyway, thats just a thought for any of you who are still choosing a photog - don't just think the photos are cool and beautiful, make sure they capture the images and feelings you want from your wedding.] ..... {stepping off soapbox now}

Anyway... what was I talking about? Ahh... my being anti-pink and how I ended up in a blush dress.

So I am not a big fan of stark white in general, and none of the white dresses I tried on did anything for me. Most of which (like the one below) ended up in the "ewww and unflattering" dress post.

That being said, everyone's skin type and coloring are different so even if after reading this you think "no way am I wearing white!" I still recommend you try a few on just in case.

So I was in the hunt for an off-white dress. But for me, this was like being armed with a credit card and hunting with a blindfold on. I would say that I didn't want white and they would stick me in a white dress saying it came in ivory too. Great - can I see it in ivory? uhhh - no, just imagine! Ha. Some of the ivories and champagnes were beautiful and soft and really brought to life the details of the dress. But some looked dingy and made the lace look like it was from your great grandmothers coffee table doilies! So, I was not up for imagining.

When I tried on what would become my dress, the sales woman told me it came in white, ivory, and blush. Blush?! Do I look like a PINK girl to you!??! I don't think so!!! I'll take this amazing ivory I am wearing thank you very much!! .....store girl looks a bit sheepish as she explains to me that I am wearing the blush.... Wow, glad I wore my mint flavored shoes today!

My dress was a beautiful glowing ivory. It looked radiant and light without so much as a hint of pink.

Who would have thought that come April 4th, I was literally a blushing bride.

Why Walk When You Can Dance?

noreply@blogger.com (*Michelle) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 02:11:00 +0000

I am sure most of you have seen this already as is has been extremely prolific on facebook, but just in case you haven't... take two minutes to watch and laugh..

...and then tell me what you think!

For those already married, would you have done this?
For those still planning, are you considering it or just think its a fun video?
For everyone, IF you were to do this, what song would you use!?

For my answers, IF I had seen this first, IN A HEARTBEAT!! (This is all under the assumption I could convince Adam to go for it.)

Funny story: I sent this to my mother... who may or may not read this blog...hmm... if so, Hi Mom! Her response was "I'm glad you didn't see this before the wedding!" Our priest, however, reposted this on his facebook page thinking it was a great idea and that he might have the choir and acolytes process into Sunday service like this! (Note, my mother is in the choir. :) ).

As for the song, I'm not sure. My first thought was some Jimmy Buffet, but that isn't quite "dancy". Redneck Yatch Club is fitting of our crew, but itsn't "lovely" at all. My best idea thus far would be Wynnona's Burning Love from Lilo and Stitch. Of course (as you'll hear about later in recaps), if we did "Mustang Sally" we could have had our priest singing!

Ok - And you???

Capricious Creativity: Barefoot Sandals - DIY "How to"

noreply@blogger.com (*Michelle) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:57:00 +0000

Remember when I decided to make the "shoes" for myself and my bridesmaids? Well, I made the demo set's and then mailed them all around the country to my girls so they could figure out which ones they wanted for their fabulous feet.

UPDATE: I actually wrote this ages ago (like October!) and for some reason, never posted it! Whoopsidaisies!

A few months later... I've got everyone's choice... and only 1 set of measurements. I had a couple of girls tell me "my foot's a size 9". ummm... Great. I can go BUY them shoes, but I can't make them!!! Click HERE to be reminded of how surprising it is that I have figured out how to make these in the first place.

Well, I have to start somewhere, so one set of measurements it is! Thus began my Saturday... and now begins my first attempt at how to DIY!!

Note: This makes the grand total of TWO pairs of these I have made. There may be better ways to do this, and I know there are better ways to photograph and explain this... but you aren't on Martha's blog, you're on mine... so bear with me! If you have any questions for clarification - just ask! (All photos courtesy of me!)

Start with a fixed end, a la use a crimping bead. See how it looks like I'm using fishing wire? Its actually not, I used "stretch magic" because I wanted these to have a little give to 'em.

Continue adding beads in whatever pattern you like until you have a large loop that is twice the circumference of the ankle this is being fitted for. Add a clasp to the other end and you've essentially made a big ol necklace. Its the next step that makes it a shoe!
(Contrary to the picture, this doesn't have to be done need an apple keyboard. Though in my house, you are never that far from an apple keyboard. ) :)

Next up, you are beading a single line with a toe loop at the end. I always started with the toe loop because its just easier that way.
Notice JUST below the big dark blue bead is a crimping bead. When I had enough tiny white beads for the toe loop, I crimped it off so that it was done and I didn't have to worry about it anymore. Plus, then I can put it on my foot and figure out how long the top part is/needs to be. Hint: Always use little bitty beads for the toe loop - much higher comfort quotient!
Continue beading the straight line that will run up the top of your foot until you have the desired length. (I think this length is the most crucial to get right.) Just because I thought it looked nice, somewhere in the middle of each top line, I added a much larger bead to stand out. End this line wiht a crimping bead - DON'T CRIMP IT YET - just string it on.

So now you have a big 'ol loop, and a small loop at the end of the straight line of beads. Put the loop on your ankle with the clasp towards the back. Find the beads that will be at the front of your ankle. This is where the top line will intersect and be hooked to the loop. Lightly stretch the beads apart so you have space take the tail end of the straight line, loop it around, and back through the crimping bead.
Now crimp that bead and everything should be connected!

And this is what the finished product will look like.

Ta-da!

Ok - so my instructions sound confusing when typed! Just take it step by step and it really is pretty simple.

UPDATE: So as it turns out, its a zillion times easier to make one with the foot actually there with you. This ended up being the only pair I made by measurements. The remaining four I made within a month of the wedding, and the last pair being finished after the rehearsal dinner. While I had originally given them several options of style choices, I realized that I needed the foot in front of me, and this was the simplest style. So while each one was unique in beading etc, they were all this style. Rae captured such a cute shot of them all and it was even featured on Weddingbee.com's Gallery Photo of the Day!

Anyone else find that the actual DIY is much more simple than explaining it?!

Why Everyone Should Have a Photobooth

noreply@blogger.com (*Michelle) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:08:00 +0000

Almost every wedding blog has one thing in common.. they've all talked about or posted photos from a photobooth. Seriously. For all you brides-to-be stalking other planning blogs, find ONE that hasn't done a post with one. I dare ya!

I know its a trend, but with everyone doing photobooths, or faux-tobooths, we were hooked. There was such a wide variety of types, some whimsical, some vintage, but they were all fun, and the pictures are priceless.

(Unless otherwise noted, all photos were clipped from Weddingbee. Click on the photo for its blog-post-link.)

All you really need is a camera, a tripod, and maybe a sheet with a fun print.
Oh, and props, cause everyone loves funny hats and mustaches.

Below, Mrs Cookie went with a traditional rented photobooth, and even provided colorful paper to attach the photo strips to!

Mrs Avacado even thought to bring in a dry erase board for people to include messages!

We knew our reception was going to be a party. We knew that people tend to be silly when happy (and drinking) and we REALLY wanted to encourage this and capture it on film. I've shown you before what can happen with our family friends at weddings. So, true to form, our friends, and our families friends were all drinking and laughing and having a great time... and we caught it all on "film".

(And by "we" I mean our uber wonderful photogs.
Rae and Wes set up the background, provided the props, and snapped the shots! )

I think some of these may end up being among our favorite photos. And as you can tell, it was a hit with the entire crowd, not just us "kids".

They captured the feel of the party and the wide variety of personalities regardless of the ages. It was worth every penny, and in the near future I'll do a full post on our photobooth photos.

A few weeks ago, my husband came across these and we think they would be a great addition to anyone's photobooth props!

And one last idea that I found on weddinbee by way of Martha Stewart,

How fun is that? Use the chalkboard for messages and backdrop!

So, there you have it. Photobooths are just plain fun and you end up with pictures to look at and laugh with for years to come. I highly recommend it!
Anyone else planning the booth route?

Wedding Day Drinking

noreply@blogger.com (*Michelle) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 01:08:00 +0000

So its been such a long time I'm almost hesitant to post! I've got lots of fun stories of being a military wife and newlywed, mini-moon and hikes and rafting and camping, and arguing over curtains. But since this is my wedding blog, I'll stick to that for now.

I don't have the digital files from my photog yet, (We have to choose the ones for our album first....hmmm..... I think I'll start post-it noting the ones I like best right now!.... No, wait... I am blogging FINALLY. I will not be distracted..... oooh... shiny thing!) :)

I thought I'd bring up a topic that I never read about and put ZERO thought into before the wedding. We planned the meal, we choose wine and champagne that fit the feel (and budget!), and special ordered beer. We had thought it all through.... with one small snafu... I hadn't given a moment's worth of thought to what I would be drinking.

When we arrived at the party and finished the sword arch, one of my parent's friends came over, gave me a great big hug, and asked me what I wanted to drink because she was going to get it for me. Gotta love the South. ;-) I was caught off guard (not expecting this question quite so early... and for some reason I envisioned going to the bar myself - HA!), and asked for a glass of the red wine. I thought some version of this would be me:She LAUGHED (loudly) and said absolutely not with my pretty white dress. Huh. Not the reaction I expected (I guess even at your wedding when asking for an alcoholic drink I am still "John and Mary's kid" and my requests will get laughed at as such). She brought me a glass of white wine, which I am really not a fan of.

I sipped on it just as long as she was talking to me. All the while thinking "OK - I'm not aloud to have red wine... and she does a have point, I am my father's daughter thus, I will end up wearing it. I don't fancy white wine. I will be a diabetic before the night is over if I drink champagne all night. People are obviously going to keep my hand full of whatever I am drinking so mixed drinks are OUT OF THE QUESTION. So what the hell am I going to drink?!" At which point my oh-so-wonderful-brand-new-husband walked up with one of our specialty beers! (Kona Brew Company) PERFECT! I quickly snagged it from him and said thanks! And then I was pulled into another "Congrats - It was beautiful!" conversation, and someone quickly got him a new beer. :) All was right with the reception world.

Like the propped up pinky? I figured it was a dressy event and here I was drinking beer, so I'd fancy it up a bit. =)

Of course, later on, when everyone had been drinking a bit, the eel came out and became the limbo stick. So, beer in hand....

Everyone thought it was funny that the bride was drinking beer all night (except for the toasts), but that was just fine by me. I had a good time, wasn't stressing about each sip, and wasn't getting wasted. Just good friends, fun music, a fabulous new husband, and a night to remember.

Has anyone else put any thought into it? What will you be drinking?

Not so nervous

noreply@blogger.com (*Michelle) — Wed, 27 May 2009 18:30:00 +0000

I suppose its a very common thing to be nervous before a wedding. After all, you are saying "I do until death do us part." (Well, those weren't our words as we "wrote/plagiarize/personalized" our own vows.... but I'll get into that later.) And there are plenty of examples where that doesn't hold true or you don't know the other person as well as you thought. And of course, there is also the fact that its going to be all eyes on you for most of the afternoon / night. Leading many to outwardly or inwardly feel like this:

But for me, I am pretty comfortable in my own skin. Would I like for that skin to be a bit more toned or tan? Sure. But, overall, I'm a pretty happy camper with myself. And all my friends and family and family-friends know me pretty well. So we've got the "center of attention" fear covered.

As far as the nervousness due to details and things going wrong, I had a wedding coordinator that I trusted. I had done all my planning and decisions, it was her job to pull it all off. I am sure some things went wrong, its just bound to happen. I only knew of one snafu and when someone came to me with it, I tossed up my hands and said "not my problem go find the wedding coordinator". Part of that level of comfort and relaxation was because I trusted her so, and part of it was that I knew the wedding would still happen if the programs got lost, or if the centerpieces were goofed or whatever else. As much effort went into those details, there were still that, details. Small details that many would overlook anyway, and while beautiful and full of heart, wouldn't affect the outcome of the day.

I am by NO means a perfectionist. (If you click forward to 3:48 you'll see Charlotte's freakout about a perfect wedding.)

Long shot, reach for the stars and don't stop 'til you get there drive and stubbornness - sure, thats me. As long as it isn't work related, close enough is fine by me. Its a shade or two off? Who'll notice? We are 10 programs short? No one here bites (besides me), they can share! The words weren't perfect? Am I getting graded on this? When small things go off plan my first response tends to be something along the lines of "So?" or "Oh well" or "there was a strict plan?" My mother actually sat me down for a serious talk a few days before the wedding. Her "we need to talk" mode freaked me out more than anything. She very calmly let me know that while she didn't yet know specifics, things would indeed go wrong. Falling short of perfection shouldn't ruin my day. It just might rain and there is nothing we can do about it, etc. At this point I felt like I was in the twilight zone. I kept looking behind me wondering if she was really talking to me. I suppose my mom was afraid of me having a freakout like Charlotte did in the above video, but that is soo not me. I sat there wondering if the speech was for me or for her. I reminded her that we chose the venue in a good part because of the really good rain back up plan and the stress-free manner in which it could be implemented if need be. At one point she said she had looked at the weather report and was sorry, but it might rain. My reaction was, "Why, is it your fault? Cause if it is - THEN I'd be pissed!" To say that I am flexible is an understatement... you'd think that would make wedding planning easier. Oh, the irony! Anyway... back to my nerves, or lack thereof.

And then there is the kicker cause for truly being nervous, saying "I do." [Again, not our actual words... but for another post.] Was I nervous for it? Honestly, no. I was lucky enough not to loose sight of the marriage for the wedding. This wasn't a decision that I was nervous about. I couldn't even begin to count how many people asked if I was nervous. When I said "nope" it never failed that I got that look that said "Yeah, right. Every bride is nervous." It actually really began to annoy me. I kept wanting to respond with a "You obviously don't know me, or us, and you should feel free to keep your cynical face to yourself. "

This is my WEDDING! I was excited for it. This was the moment when before God, beloved friends, and all kinds of family, we would officially start our lives together. And then after, there was going to be one hell of a party! What could be better?

This is me, dancing to some wonderfully cheesy sing-a-long, a la "Heaven on Earth" or "Livin on a Prayer". Nervous, notsomuch. If anything I kept having to be scolded and reminded to be serious. We were having a damn good time and this was just the beginning.

Almost Dress Regret

noreply@blogger.com (*Michelle) — Thu, 14 May 2009 02:17:00 +0000

Remember how I said I had almost dress regret? I thought I'd elaborate a little.

So this was the strapless version of my dress. It was young and fun and funky and sparkly but not too heavy or traditional. But... it was strapless. And for me, that's a deal breaker. I am not a fan of the way it tends to make me look like a line backer or the fact that I like to dance and jump and I would be the one to come popping out of my dress. Of all the dresses I tried on I always felt "bridal" in any dress with an of the shoulder neckline. And Casablanca being the great company that it is, I could change the neckline!! woohoo! perfect! Ordered and done. Unfortunately, I have never tried one of their off the shoulder neckline dresses so until my dress arrived, I had no idea that my arms would be somewhat restricted in their movement.

Yup, that's about as high as my arms could go.

And all of a sudden I went from feeling bridal and beautiful to restricted and maybe too traditional for my tastes. After all, we were getting married on the beach and traditional is rarely a word that joins my name in a sentence. Next thing I knew I was very jealous of the swishy cool look to Maggie Sottero's Mary (though the skirt was waaay too much for me).

And I was loving the modern uber sparkle of Mrs Green Tea's "Zelda"

And more than anything, I kept thinking the beautiful neckline of Mrs Cherry Pie's dress would have been much more dance friendly.

Oh, and the "why didn't I think of making the back a V style?!"

I had started looking through craigslist and ebay to see if anything popped up for an inexpensive alternative to my dress. At this point I knew my dress was not the most "me" dress. And since I'd only be wearing it once - shouldn't it be the epitome of "me"? But then again, I'm only wearing it once, Adam was going to think I was beautiful in anything, I've already bought it and it is a beautiful WOW-worthy dress.

Knowing that potentially switching dresses would also mean trying to sell my current dress while finishing up wedding preparations and then being uber stressed with finding another dress with in such a short time span. So I decided that my dress was pretty and it wasn't worth the last minute effort to replace it. But I continued to think about it and drool over other dresses that were more "me". And then it was the rehearsal and I spent the day in a light flowy airy dress I love.... and have no good pictures of unfortunately!

It was airy and light and beachy and pale colored and once or twice I thought "why dont i just get married in this!?"

And then it was the morning of our wedding. My dress was just beautiful and glowing!

I'm sure I would have been glowing in a potato sack, but I felt bridal so I was happy. I know everyone compliments the bride, but EVERYONE.. ALL DAY... kept saying that my dress was amazing and unique and BEAUTIFUL etc. I normally don't care too much about what other people think, but WOW! This many compliments and high praise - I was a very happy bride and VERY happy with my dress choice. Now, I am soo glad I didn't change my dress. Hence - the ALMOST dress regret. Now, I love it again and am debating whether or not to keep it or sell it or donate it.

Title Fun

noreply@blogger.com (*Michelle) — Tue, 12 May 2009 17:57:00 +0000

So many of the blogs I've read recap their weddings with a constant title:

That Bride's "That Wedding"
Mrs Lovebug's "One Lucky Day"
Mrs Shortcake's "Old Fashion Love"

So I thought I'd reach out for some creative suggestions.
Keywords being beachy, tropical, stars, relaxed, party, celebration, destintion wedding, hometown.

My current idea is "Hometown Destination Wedding".

Thoughts?

And because every post should have a great photo:

SERIOUSLY?!?!!

noreply@blogger.com (*Michelle) — Mon, 11 May 2009 01:48:00 +0000

Not to be completely Grey's Anatomy... but SERIOUSLY?!?!? SERIOUSLY?!?!?!?

So I've told yall before about my love of Top Gun. Let me reiterate by pointing out that I still have the VHS tape because I love the commercials at the beginning!! I still say this is the best pepsi commercial ever!

Anyway, I'm watching Top Gun on Bravo right now while making dinner and cleaning up and a few things struck me. 1 - when did we become such prudes?? When Maverick and Goose walk into the bar (just before the serenade) a la:

Maverick say's "Even you could get laid in a place like this." To which, Goose replies "I'd be happy to find a girl to talk dirty to me." Really? Is that THAT bad? Oh no, Bravo edited it to "Even you could have a good time in a place like this." To which, Goose replies "I'd be happy to find a girl to talk to me." Seriously??? "Get Laid" and "dirty" are too extreme for TV!?!??!?!

Oh, and it gets worse. Much worse. Maverick is in class and get's the note from Charlotte, and then he's pulling up to her house. Smooth transition right? Sure except they deleted the ENTIRE volleyball scene!!!

I rolled my eyes at the word edits, but at this point, I walked away from my cooking and rewound the "video" (thank heavens for DVR... oy I wish I had tivo.... but I digress..) and sure enough - they really did take out the ENTIRE volleyball scene. So, not only are you deprived of that fun, but if you had never seen this, or don't have it memorized like I do, then it leaves you with, "Why is he late? He keeps talking about needing a shower... Why?" I think its a travesty. GRRR to all the uber conservatives that think "talk dirty" is suddenly unfit for tv!

Oh, and just to make this somewhat wedding related.... (since this still is my wedding planning blog and all). As many mistakes and uber faux paus are made in "Top Gun", it is still a favorite of almost every Naval Aviator I know. Add alcohol and you have the proof!

Take 3 Naval Aviators (including the one in the middle not in uniform), one ex-military old fart (yup - thats my dad!), 2 good friends of the bride, plus LOTS of Jamie and Gingers and VOILA!

Yes, this is the wedding after party and they are all hammered singing "That lovin feeling." This is why you have an after party. :-D Ok, back to wedding day recaps!!

Random Wedding Dress Thought

noreply@blogger.com (*Michelle) — Mon, 11 May 2009 00:16:00 +0000

So its been a lazy Sunday for me. I've been cleaning and organizing, singing to the radio, and watching movies on TV. Luck would have it, "My Fair Lady" was on. As much as I like the movie, I really wasn't watching much as I was writing thank you notes. I looked up and watched a bit when a random thought struck me:
With "vintage" being the most popular wedding theme and style right now, I am surprised I haven't read about a bride somewhere wearing Audrey Hepburn's "My Fair Lady" dress.

Since she tends to be the epitome of fashion and everyone wants to be her, I can hardly believe it. Granted, maybe tone down the bling a bit, but I'm still a bit surprised.

Video Dabbles and Our Cross Country Drive

noreply@blogger.com (*Michelle) — Sun, 03 May 2009 19:49:00 +0000

Believe it or not, this is a wedding related post. I know I am stalling on the photos of the wedding day... now that I've work all the way up to it, I am leaving you hanging for a bit until I can get more photos from my wonderful wonderful photog.

But in the mean time, I thought I'd fill you in on something I've been working on. For anyone who doesn't remember, I am not a big fan of wedding videography. I do like the idea of having a video of the wedding, but I don't feel the need to make this my film debut and pay thousands of dollars to look like something hollywood produced.

So I had the bright idea of handing my parents video camera to my cousin Molly and have her capture the day. Unfortunately, we had a snafu in that the video camera broke. Oops. But - my dad's point and shoot digital camera has a huge memory card and video capability. See her below the yellow arrow? Yup, thats my sweetheart videographer cousin.With that fantastica camera catching moments... I knew I was going to need to know how to edit some video. So I pulled up iMovie and started working with a few video clips and photos from oru cross country move. This was the outcome! (Obviously I still have a few kinks to work out.)

Anyone else learn new software for their wedding photos or videos?

Rehearsal Rewind: Bridal Luncheon

noreply@blogger.com (*Michelle) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 09:51:00 +0000

Whoopsidaisies!
I am a bad bride. I skipped right over the bridal luncheon that my God-mother threw for me the morning of the rehearsal... so pardon the rewind!

The restaurant at the hotel had some great private spaces, and thanks to my godmother, we claimed one of them! I also figured this was a good time to dispense the gifts for my bridesmaids and readers. Since mom and I got their first, I stuck their presents on all their chairs for them to open quietly as they like instead of shower "oohs and ahhs" style. I DIYed earrings, necklaces, and "shoes" for my girls, picture framed photos of me and the girls, and my mom sewed some beautiful fabric into shawls that matched the girls dresses. I really didn't want to give gifts at a big gathering to be reviewed by everyone present. They all appreciated the gifts, and appreciated not having to be on stage while opening.

They even made up a beautiful (shimmery!!) menu just for us.

Aren't we cute? :)

The whole gang after a very tasty and fun meal.

It was relaxing, tasty, fun, and filled with laughs. It was a great way to start the rehearsal day.

Rehearsal Dinner and Welcome Party

noreply@blogger.com (*Michelle) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 18:54:00 +0000

Now that we've practiced walking in a straight line, its on to dinner and party time!

Since a large portion of our guests were traveling in from out of town, holding a traditional rehearsal dinner where all OOT guests get invited wasn't exactly in budget. But at the same time, these people had just traveled all the way to Florida and we wanted to see and spend time with them. These are our friends and family and for a few days, we get to bring them all together... even if that means they will share all their embarrassing stories about us.... and they did. :)

So this meant we had two options, hold a backyard BBQ or a Welcome Party after the rehearsal dinner. I loved the idea of a BBQ. My parents live in a condo building that has a BBQ area and giant lawn on top of the parking garage. Perfect for some paper plates, beer in buckets, and frisbee tossing! Unfortunately, notsomuch with anyone else jumping on board this idea train. Everyone thought it would be alot of work to toss a BBQ themed dinner party. Well, on that point, I agree. But no one seemed to get that I was REALLY talking about a honest to goodness paper plate BBQ. Everyone wondered about centerpieces and who would serve the food etc. Oy.

So a small rehearsal dinner followed by a Welcome Party for all it was! When it came to deciding where to hold it, we tossed around a few ideas, but when we found out that one of our favorite resturants was perfect location and affordable, we were sold. A few minutes on Vistaprint later, we had a rehearsal dinner invite... a little photoshopping later, and we had Welcome Party version that we printed on our inkjet and stuff into the welcome bags.

For anyone who's going to be in the Panama City area around meal time, I HIGHLY recommend the BoatYard.

Just a clip of the view from the top deck, and as you can tell from the lighting, it was about to be a great sunset too. See the tall buildings just left in the distance? Yup, that's the Bay Point Marriott. Told ya it was close by!

Groomsman/violinist Dan and his girlfriend enjoying a drink and the sunset before we sit down for dinner.

Adam is from Amish country in Pennsylvania. But do you know what's nearby?
HERSHEY!!
His parents brought 30 GIANT dark chocolate bars personalized for us with them.... that must have been an interesting conversation with the TSA. :)

The whole gang seated and ready for toasts and food. All I have to say for people who think "open seating" at their wedding is a good idea.... NOTSOMUCH! This was only 25 rather intelligent very friendly people and it took 10 minutes for everyone to figure out where to sit. YEESH!

And the toasts began! Knowing our family and friends, I was pretty sure this was going to turn into a roast. Much to my surprise, there were a few slightly embarrassing stories that came out, but all in all, they were all sweet and endearing.

Remember the Eel lure from the bachelorette party? Much to everyone's entertainment, it has joined our rehearsal dinner.

My eldest bro and Dad. You'd think they go to the same barber right?

Behold, your future, Adam. :)
They have such similar mannerisms and smiles its almost creepy.

Unfortunately, after this, we began the welcome party and started having so much fun, no one thought to be taking pictures! Darn us all for having so much fun meeting, talking and drinking!
Everyone who had made it in town in time was there and having a good time. We really got to hang out with a drink in hand catching up on each other's lives. We were the common factor with everyone, but it was all about visiting with THEM and finding out what had been going on in their lives. Our good friend and chef baked mini key lime pies, amazing cupcakes and other delectable desserts for everyone to nosh on. They were delicious!

Finally, it was getting late and knowing that we were going to have a full day and long night partying into the wee hours of the morning, I wanted a full night's sleep. So we called it a night and headed off to sleep.

My Foolish Family Practies Walking in a Straight Line

noreply@blogger.com (*Michelle) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 15:38:00 +0000

Say "Hi!" to my parents! Sorry - just thought that was a fun photo of the two of them from the rehearsal.

My lovely ladies above... (Sister in law Debbie rehearsing the color too! Glad to know that she actually does like the color I picked!!)
And the guys below.... (Obviously this was at the beginning since we hadn't figured out that we probably needed to move where the musician (AKA Guru) was sitting.)

Much to everyone's entertainment, Dad and Adam got in a elbow shoving match.

The sunglass crew practicing what to say when.

My siblings!

Everyone cutting up and taking pictures.

Ellie and me!

Adam's parents. Looking like the only mature people in this whole crew.

oops - Did I say mature? See the bunny ears on the shadow below!?

I wish someone had a video camera running this whole time. It was so much fun as we were all being complete goofballs... a la when practicing walking down the aisle to our spots, every one had their own unique take on what "Walk with presence" meant. Some people were dancing or staggering or jumping or clicking their heels, and everyone was having a good time.... though from the look on the wedding coordinator' face, we were much more entertained than she was. Of course, being the 5 year olds that we are....errr... act like... her scornful looks just made us laugh harder and goof off more. I'm guessing it only added to her chagrin that it wasn't just the "kids" - my Dad tends to join (or lead) us in the goofing off. Have I mentioned that while Mom sits with the choir in church, Dad and I have been known to be scolded from the pulpit? :)
Yeah, we are that family.
But we always have a good time, and usually accomplish whatever we set out to do.

YEA!!!! :)

On to the rehearsal dinner and welcome party!

Bedazzled Bride

noreply@blogger.com (*Michelle) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 12:27:00 +0000

Remember before I blogged about trying to make decisions on jewelry?
Here and here and here.

Well, its now a few days prior to the wedding, and I still haven't decided on anything - oh, and I've added two hair flowers to the mix from Lauren Lee Designs.
(Click on the flowers for links.)

Oh, I've also added a necklace that I got from a great Etsy seller:

And my sisters-in-law have brought along their collections to see if there is anything out of it that I should wear. Too many options!
So it ended up being me, my mom, and newest sister-in-law trying to figure out what combination of hair thing, earrings, bracelet, hair flower, and necklace would work best. I wanted to wear something of my mothers, but as you saw before, we have very different tastes, and her necklaces end up being chokers for me. I wanted to be beautiful bridal, but I still wanted to be me.

So I donned my dress and veil and let mom and Ang play dress up with me. They came up with some very beautiful combinations.

Feather + Etsy Necklace +Mom's Pearl Bracelet +Sentimental Sapphire earrings

Feather + Mom's diamond solitare necklace + Sentimental Sapphire earrings + Mom's diamond tennis bracelet. Obviously, I'm feeling dramatic and silly.

Those combination (and a few other elegant ones I don't have photos of), looked beautiful and put together and elegant. But for the most part, I just kept thinking, can I take this off now?
So then we decided to see how things did with the orchid flower instead.
Orchid + Etsy necklace + Sentimental Sapphires + Mom's pearl bracelet + Sparkly veil comb

Same as above but without the sparkly veil comb thingy.

And then we started trying a few to see what would go best with Mom's wedding dress that would become my after-party dress.

So we left it with the options narrowed down to fancy and well put together, or mishmashed combination of things I like. Little did we know, Adam would make that decision easier for me!
Stay tuned!

Salutations to Single Shennanigans: Part 3 - Partying at Pier Park

noreply@blogger.com (*Michelle) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:16:00 +0000

Welcome back to the pre-wedding craziness!
When we left off, we were all dressed up and ready to go!

The front side of the shirt was the classy airbrushing, and the backside was a "to-do" list for the night.

So in true tropical, beach tourist ready to drink style - we headed to Margaritaville!

First up on the to-do list - take a photo with a man in uniform - DONE!

Wearing two veils tend to get people's attention.
(You'd be surprised how many people asked if it was my BIRTHDAY.... really? Do you wear a VEIL on your birthday? Am I missing out on some bday tradition?)
A young party girl came over and wanted to buy me a Washington Apple shot. She was going to do a shot with me until she got carded. Turned out, only 20 years old. And as it turns out, is was the SWEETEST, most disgusting shot ever... my reaction below says it all.

And, of course, what a bachelorette party without a blow-job shot?

When Ang got married to my bro, we did them at her bachelorette too. So I made her join me.

Ang!! You aren't supposed to use your hands!!!!

Another shirt to-do: Guy in a hawaiian shirt! Glad we went to margaritaville!

Guy wearing blue underwear. He couldn't have been happier to show it off.

Ready to close down the Margaritaville bar and move on.

So we headed over to Tootsies where there was a live band and dancing on the bar!

According to my shirt, I had to be serenaded. Nothing said I couldn't sing too!

Had to get a condom from a guy. There were VERY excited to be a part of the shennanigans.

And I had to kiss a guy named Adam.

Find a guy from California... I think he was wearing blue underwear too.

Getting less and less sober by the photograph.

I am a happy drinker. The more I drink, the louder I get and the more I laugh.
This is how much I love my readers. Enter, the terrible terrible talking/yelling photo.

Nothing better than dancing with the band.

Me and my MOH.

I have no idea what we are doing, but it sure is cute!

After quite a while of drinking and dancing - I was toasty! And while not toasted, definitely not-so-sober... so we went out to get some fresh air.

I really liked this guys hat. And he really liked dancing with Debbie.

This guy was VERY entertained with the flashing necklace.

And Lord only knows why, but he had an eel fishing lure with him.
But wait, it gets better.
His drunken logic meant that because it was my bachelorette party, and because I had a flashy necklace, I needed the fishing lure. So enter into the wedding weekend "Steve" the eel.

Only in the South does your bachelorette party mean that people must give you fishing lures.

And in true Panama City style, now that we had closed one bar, and out danced the band, we had to go to Corams!! (It's like a Waffle House, but local.)

mmmmm - hashbrowns!!
At this point, we got the messages from the boys that they were all down for the count and calling it a night. HA! We outlasted the boys and weren't hammered! We did, however, have a DAMN good time that I wouldn't have traded for anything.
We Win!
:)

Anyone else have any fishing lure or underage shot type of quirks for their party?

Salutations to Single Shennanigans: Part 2 - Lingerie Shower

noreply@blogger.com (*Michelle) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 18:51:00 +0000

So I left off with a somewhat dreary day with plans falling a part and the bad weather giving guests and friends trouble getting into town. Now most of the day has gone by and its time for my Lingerie Shower!! Nina made a fun invite:

Of course my size and bra size are wrong but oh well! Anyone notice who's hosting? Yeah, "The Church Ladies"... including the priest's wife and the headmistress of my elementary school!! Who's going to need therapy? Oh wait - thats me! Oy.

So we arrive, and the next thing I know, I'm wearing a flashing "bride to be" necklace and a veil... with a twist. :)

Oh yeah, those are devil horns. It was funny... I'm just REALLY glad it wasn't phallic.
So there was a great spread of food, lots of talking, and some great mango mojitos.

Most of these women have known me since I was 3 years old. And the one in the blue green jacket is my mom.

So then the present opening started and the embarrassment began...

Did I mention THE CHURCH LADIES threw this shindig??
Actually, it was a lot of fun and it wasn't all lingerie.

The above pancake griddle pan was given with banana pancake mix and a pancake flipper. I was told I would understand it more on Saturday. ... huh? Its pancakes! YUM! What's to understand?

Brilliant idea for anyone going to a lingerie shower who doesn't want to give lingerie - hangers!!

Just below is me cuddled up in my SOFT new robe! I love it!

So, just below was from my mother with her suggestion of my wedding it on the wedding night! :)

THANKS MOM! :-D
Loving the feet!!

Well, that was her funny gift. Her real one was the beautiful white one below.

Above is the top part of a red hula lingerie outfit. It was fun.
Below is the "proper attire" for preparing my hubby a snack. (Note: the proper attire only includes the bowtie and apron skirt!)

Apparently, I was ready to beat someone with the rolling pin.

Unbeknownst to me, MaryEllen had written down what I said as I opened all the gift and was now reading them back as "things Michelle will say on her wedding night." It was hilarious!!

So with the shower ended, now it was time to get ready for going out. In true Panama City style, the girls had made me a airbrush t-shirt. They decided that a tshirt was too plain, so we had to jazz it up with some bows at the shoulders.

Add in an additional POOFY veil and some leis, we were ready to hit the town!

Stay tuned for part 3!!

Hint - it involved Margaritaville and a fishing lure. Only in the south.

Military Bride

noreply@blogger.com (*Michelle) — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 14:40:00 +0000

I'll get back to pre-wedding shenanigans in just a bit, for the moment, I want to touch on a bit of my real life.
So there are lots of fun things about being a military bride. Not the least of which is a dashing uniform!! Oh, and add to that that my husband is a pilot and spends most normal days in a flight suit... am I the luckiest girl ever? I think so! :) We also don't have to worry about insurance or lay offs, and we have a decent support system. Being in the Coast Guard, it becomes a very small personal world, scattered from coast to coast. But it does come with its drawbacks. We were married for 2 weeks before he left. He has 6 weeks of training in Alabama. I mentioned before that we spent our first 18 months of dating 6000 miles apart, but it still hurts every time, and now that he's my HUSBAND (still not used to that word!) its worse than before. So its back to phone calls and emails for us, while I try to keep busy enough not to notice how lonely it is to wake up without him. So, to any of you girls who has your guy nearby, go give him a hug and be glad you can.
Just so this isn't the most depressing post ever - one of the upshots of being a military bride - the sword arch!!

Thank you Wes for capturing this moment! (I know this shot was Wes because I can just see the edge of Rae's camera and shirt in front of us.)

I miss my husband.

2 weeks ago...

noreply@blogger.com (*Michelle) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 13:17:00 +0000

This was us.

I'm surprised that our feet are touching the ground, since it felt like we were flying.
Hope you are having a good weekend.

Salutations to Single Shennanigans: Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (*Michelle) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 21:41:00 +0000

Adam and I had 2 very different perspective and plans for our "last hoorahs". And I don't mean that he wanted strippers and I wasn't ok with it. I mean that he planned the bachelor parties of a few of the guys in charge of his, so there was retribution to be had. Add to that that my eldest brother also being in charge of planning and you've got on hell of a night that will probably end up in a TERRIBLE hangover and some serious bruising. Below is Adam at bachelor party of his best man, Jon. (There was even a ball and chain that they wrote his bride's name on!)That night ended with most of them kicking back food and hungover and oversleeping to the point that they were late for the rehearsal the next day. Oops. So he was all kinds of nervous. It was a full day of planned drinking for him, starting with a fishing trip in the morning. Unfortunately, we woke up to a horrendous storm. Notsomuch with the fishing trip! So they were spending the day lounging about and running a few errands.

I was at the other end of the spectrum.

The insta-storm that had brewed up meant flights were being delayed, canceled, and rerouted left and right. One of my bridesmaids was stuck in Atlanta after her red eye flight from LA. Another was still in Gainesville because the terrible weather was making driving on I-10 a bit perilous. Adam's parent's and brother were stuck on a tarmac trying to get TO atlanta, and a few cousins and friends were scattered around various airports trying to figure out how to get to PC. I was calling everyone trying to coordinate phone numbers and locations so that if need be, someone could hold up a sign for "D/Z Wedding", collect a crew and rent a car. Not the best of mornings.

That evening, a group of women from my home church (most of whom have known me since I was 3 or 4) decided to through me a LINGERIE shower. The hostess list included the headmistress from my elementary school, a couple of my friends' mothers, and the priest's wife. All I have to say is, when I need therapy, it really isn't my fault.

However, other than that, there were no plans for me. For whatever reason, getting my bridesmaids to talk was like pulling teeth. And everyone was calling me asking what I was planning. My planning? Are you kidding me? I planned the rehearsal dinner and the wedding and the reception and ALL the details to go with that. I AM DONE. I was a bit perturbed for quite a while at this. Anytime someone asked me, I really began to wonder if blood really could boil from anger. But by Thursday, I just didn't give a damn. I knew I wanted to get my nails done, and Bliss was great from the pedicure, so I offered that all the girls could join me. Some did and we had a good time, and then ran some errands and ran into the boys running errands.

It was a very rainy day in a small town... and for the most part, our moods were matching the dreary weather. Anyone else start out their party evening on a less than fun note?

Floral Frenzy

noreply@blogger.com (*Michelle) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 12:07:00 +0000

So my sister-in-law is a floral designer (and thus the recipient of a million emails from me of blog photos I like). But I wanted her to be able to be a part of the wedding as my sister and bridesmaid and have fun. So this meant that someone else would have to work with her and do most of the actual leg work. One problem, she lives in Hawai'i and our florist is from Tennessee (wedding coordinator recommendation). So they talked via email and between them and the wedding coordinator, I never had anything to do or worry about.

My parent's just renovated their office building and the side of it that is for rent we used for the floral ready room. We cranked the AC and set up of few tables. And the next thing we knew:

Poof! Pretty Flowers and vases!

At this point, Tom (florist) was walking my MOH and I around flower by flower and explaining the plans and asking if they were ok etc. I finally stopped him and said
"The flowers are beautiful, I can't imagine that there is anyway to make them look ugly. So, as far as I'm concerned - we're good. No need to explain - I'm not the floral pro."

And guess what - I WAS RIGHT!
Between the floral fiends - we ended up with some BEAUTIFUL centerpieces!
(Photo by the wonderful Rae Leytham)

And my sister hand made my bouquet for me, and I couldn't have been happier. It was beautiful, whimsical, tropical, and had a touch of sparkle!
(Photo by the amazing Rae Leytham)

THANK YOU FLORAL FIENDS!

Anyone else take a hands-off approach to their florals?

Feverish Perspective on Checklists

noreply@blogger.com (*Michelle) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 16:13:00 +0000

Side Note: There will be a list of things I absolutely would not change... but it wasn't supposed to post yet!

So, it was 10 days before the wedding and I was supposed to drive over to Pensacola to see some friends and I was not feeling well. I got part way there before realizing I really didn't feel well, I hadn't slept well and thus was exhausted and while I wanted to see my friends, this wasn't worth wearing myself down when there was still a long checklist of things to do. Turns out, I turned around just in time. I made it home, laid down for a short nap, and woke up rejecting my food. ick. I spent the next 24 hours with 100 degree fever, kicking back anything I ate or drank. I was not a happy bride-to-be. By Saturday, I was keeping down food, but I couldn't stay awake for more than a few hours. Needless to say, I wasn't getting much done.

It wasn't until Monday before I left the house again. I was still recovering and still had a lot to do. I had a haircut and a make-up trial and was supposed to get a pedicure with a friend I hadn't seen in years. The haircut and the make-up trial were at the same place and both went smoothly.... not that I was surprised. This is the same place I went to for all my proms and haircuts growing up; and most recently my hair trial. I HIGHLY recommend Fotula of Hairbenders to anyone in the Panama City area. (Photo below is of Fotula at her daughter's wedding just a few years ago. Photo taken by my mom or dad.) Then it was off to Bliss Spa for their Ice Cream Pedicure. I was still pretty worn out, but at least I just had to sit and relax while Fotual cut my hair, Dana did my make up, and the great people at Bliss tickled my tootsies!

While I wouldn't recommend getting ill to anyone, it did help to keep perspective. I had a long list of things to do, and I was working at whiddling it down- but I also knew that what didn't get done, just wouldn't get done. The world would not cease to spin, and the wedding would go on. At the end of the day, regardless of what on that list went undone, Adam and I were going to be married, and thats all I cared about.

Weddingbee Photo of the Day!!

noreply@blogger.com (*Michelle) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 19:11:00 +0000

Remember how I made the "shoes" for my girls and I? Well, Rae took an amazing shot of our fancy tootsies and then just yesterday my blog reader showed me Mrs Bee posted this........

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Gallery Photo of the Day

April 13th, 2009 @ 3:25 pm by Weddingbee Gallery

We’re so excited to see all the amazing and inspiring wedding pictures that bees and readers have uploaded to the Weddingbee gallery! This month as a thank you, every day we’ll feature a photo from the gallery, and at the end of the week, we’ll choose one random featured user, and send them a prize!

Today’s featured photo is from mdarrah’s barefoot wedding. She DIYed “shoes” for herself and her bridesmaids! Check it out!

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Thanks Rae!!