Wednesday, November 23, 2011
In scheduling my upcoming blog posts, for this week, I simply wrote “Thanksgiving/Family”. During this time of year, I find that my brides take a bit of time off from planning to focus on their family and friends, so we get a little break at the studio. I wondered if I would feel the same way with planning the renewal and I have to admit, that yes, I feel like taking a little time off too!
We are having everyone at our house for Thanksgiving this year, so I’ve been busy cleaning, buying food and getting ready to cook the big meal (with my father as my right hand man!). I have to admit that while I have had fleeting thoughts like, “Oh, I have to email {insert vendor name here}!” I haven’t done anything more than have those thoughts.
So, this week, the post is short, but my thankful list is long. I’m thankful for a wonderful family, an amazing job, phenomenal people who I get to work with every day and a husband and twins that support and love me unconditionally. I hope you take some time off this Thanksgiving to enjoy all you are thankful for too. Believe me, the wedding planning will be there when you are ready to get back to it! Happy Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Okay, this is probably the most excited I have been in a LONG time! I have been on pins and needles since Sunday waiting for these photos. And, by the way, that was not long to wait…at all…because Elizabeth Ryan Photography did the most amazingly fast and awesome editing job!!! I could probably blab on and on about how wonderful and memorable Sunday’s {Love the Dress} session was for me, Tom and the kids, but really, just look at the photos…they tell the whole story. (Oh and my editorial comments that come with the photos below help too. Ha!) My eternal gratitude to Liz and Ryan for capturing everything…you rock…we “heart” you! Oh and be sure to check Elizabeth Ryan Photography’s blog today (this afternoon, probably) for their wrap up on the shoot, along with more photos — if we didn’t pick the same ones!
Beautiful flowers by Intrigue Design and Decor!
Holding our wedding photo from almost 10 years ago! Awh!
Love + snuggles + paper flowers = my version of heaven!
The wedding dress…10 years later…after losing 80 pounds to fit back in it again!
The “ahhhhhhhhh!!!!!” shot…amazing!!
The groom wore chucks…
The bride wore boots…
One is sweet and the other is seriously amazing!
The whole family!
That’s us…laughing…love…period.
Wow! That’s me?!?!?
Smolder much? (File this under: “things I don’t do on a daily basis”)
Alone…ahhh…well, not so much…
Love and love coming to get us!
The Renewal Date!!!
Time has been good to us!
There is so much more…but I have to stop somewhere. Besides, I need to sit here and look at these pictures a few hundred more times. And, just in case you didn’t get it from the photos above…even 10 years later…I still {Love the Dress}.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
You know when Snoopy does his happy dance on Peanuts?
Well, that is how I feel right now! And, why is that? Well, that is because I had a fun meeting today with an amazing woman about our upcoming {Love the Dress} shoot! I am just so excited that on Sunday, I’m going to put back on my original wedding dress and have an amazing time with my wonderful husband of almost 10 years and my too adorable kids! There are so many ideas swirling around in my head and today just brought them all together.
Before I preview a bit of what we are going to do in the {Love the Dress} shoot, I need to make a special reveal…my wonderful photographers! I say “my” as in they are “all mine”…and some days, I really feel like they are. Or, maybe that is their gift…the ability to make you feel like the one and only. Either way, they rock and I love them! Elizabeth Ryan Photography will be photographing this shoot and the renewal and, I’m sure, many other moments throughout this year! Yay!
I promised a preview and a preview is what you are going to get…so, below are some pictures of details you are going to see in our {Love the Dress} shoot! Oh, and next week, I’m going to share the photos from the shoot — actually Elizabeth Ryan Photography and I will share the shoot on the same day on our blogs, so you are going to get a double dose of {LOVE}! Onto the preview…
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Almost 10 years ago, I went dress shopping with my mom and bridesmaids. I wanted a simple, clean design with short sleeves or at least straps. Imagine my surprise when the dress that I didn’t want to take off that day was a strapless gown with lots of beadwork. I’m sure a lot of brides have had the same thing happen to them — you see the perfect dress in a magazine, but walk out of the store with a completely different dress!
After my wedding, I had the dress cleaned and preserved, put it up in the attic and literally forgot about it. A few weeks ago, I decided that if I was going to do a {Love/Trash the Dress} with my wedding dress, then I had to try it on…eek! So, I sent Tom on a mission to the attic and he came back with this box. My maid of honor, aka Avery, was with me the whole time and was so excited that she didn’t even take off her karate uniform!
When I opened up all of the packaging and pulled the dress out of the box, it was in perfect condition…except for a few wrinkles. I was impressed! So, I stepped into the dress, lifted it up and held my breath while Tom pulled the zipper up…up….and it fit! Whew! Avery was in love! She held my train, fluffed the bottom and decided that I had to wear it for the renewal. I explained that I would be getting a new dress for the renewal, much to her disappointment.
So, in just two weeks, I’m finally getting to do a {Love/Trash the Dress} with “My Wedding Dress”. I’m so excited and am over the moon that Tom and the kids will be included in the shoot too. I’ve been collecting lots of ideas in Pinterest (I know you are shocked) and will share those with you in next week’s post. Oh, and for all of you who have said, “What? You are trashing your dress? What if Avery wants to wear it on her wedding day?” Rest assured, I’m going to have it cleaned, re-preserved and put it back up in the attic and forget about for about 20 years. Avery should be 27 by then…perfect!
