T minus 28 days!

I cannot believe my wedding is only 4 weeks from today. Panic is starting to set in! There is so much to do still, I just want to freeze time. When I said, "Yes!" in May, I had no idea how fast time would fly to October. I feel like I've blinked, and it's almost here. Pinterest isn't helping with the process, because I only keep seeing more ideas I love. Someone should really block Pinterest from my iPhone and laptop until October 21st. {No, but really, please don't...} Haha!

 

Today is bittersweet: it is the first day of fall. I LOVE FALL. I love layering clothes, I love not having a ton of humidity, I love a slight chill. I also love bonfire-season. The downside to this is that I no longer live in my sweet little house on Sugar Hill Road, where I could have bonfires in my huge backyard every weekend. I moved into the house Joe and I will live in together at the end of May, and Joe is at his parent's until the wedding. I realized this morning, when I let the dog out and felt the brisk morning air, that it is bonfire season...and for the first time in a couple years, I can not have a bonfire kickoff to fall. This is probably not a bad thing, as all my time and energy is invested in this wedding and settling into our home...but I sure do miss having all my friends over for fire, drinks, and music.

 

I told you I would keep you posted on this wedding process, so here's some of the "new" news:

 

1. We decided on a unity ceremony idea! I don't want to share it yet, as I'm so excited and want it to be revealed the day of the wedding. But what I can share is my thought process leading up to the choice! Our wedding is outside...meaning candles/open flame symbolizing an eternal commitment probably aren't a good idea. Nothing would be worse than lighting a beautiful candle to represent our marriage vows, and to have a fall breeze come in and blow it right out. Embarrassing!

The only other choice it looked we were left with was the obvious sand-pouring ceremony. {Insert gag here.} First of all, sand is beachy. I like the beach, but our wedding is not at a beach, nor beach-themed. Second, I am so "anti" doing what everyone else does or expects. Not that I'm a huge rebel, I just like to be different. Obviously with a wedding, there are certain traditions I am sticking to because I'm a southerner, and a Jesus-lover. But I want to do them {respectfully} different. My dear friend, Whitney, {an amazing wedding planner who loves Jesus with all her heart!} found a really beautiful idea, that fits the feel of the wedding perfectly, and I am so beyond excited to use it.

 

2. I am using tutorials from The Small Things Blog for my hair, my sister's hair, and Beth's hair. I have always had a love for Kate's blog {see here or here}, and I am so thrilled that most of her tutorials are for beautiful, classy, simple styles that will be stunning for our wedding vibe. A very close friend of Joe's, Autumn, will be doing our hair.

3. Some of the guys from church (particularly a group of senior high students whom we dearly love) are choreographing a dance for the reception. They are extremely excited and I am beyond curious and thrilled to see what these goobers come up with. I was totally rooting for having the bridal party and a few select friends do a flash mob during the reception, but after my sister giving me a strong "NO," I decided to let it go. {But I still think it'd be REALLY cool!}

I think that's all I am at liberty of sharing at this time. :) I can not WAIT until after the big day, when I can show you everything else! Secrets are SO hard to keep when I am this excited. :)

Bridal Shower!

I meant to post these a few weeks ago, but my sweet friend Betsy threw me a beautiful bridal shower a few days before my sister left for college. My matron of honor, Beth, threw me a shower last weekend at the church. Unfortunately, I have no evidence of the latter, as we were all having too much fun to remember to pick up a camera! But here are some goodies from the August shower:

 

 {My sweet friend Betsy. She did a wonderful job, I am so grateful to have beautiful people like her in my life! Our friendship has seen it all, and I am so thankful I'll have her by my side on the big day.}

 

{The lovely monogram Mrs. Carroll and Betsy ordered for me! I can not wait to hang it in our home.}

{Mama and her girls! Love them so much.}

 

{Bets is literally the cutest person I know...who else would have been this creative? So cute.} 

 

{My soon-to-be mother-in-law, Brenda...such a sweet lady, with an even sweeter Southern drawl!}

{Ash made me these, modeling something I repinned on Pinterest! These will definitely make an appearance at the wedding.}

 

The best part of the shower was definitely the "game" they played: but first, let me explain. A year and half ago, at Beth's bridal shower, one of her friends from college pulled me aside and handed me some paper and a pen. She instructed me, "Have someone help you, and write down everything Beth says as she's opening her presents, but don't make it obvious or let her know. When she's done, we'll read them aloud and say that they are phrases we hope that her and Nick don't say on the wedding night." SCORE. The perfect "that's-what-she-said" game. It was a blast, and so hilarious. Since then, I've done it to all my girlfriend's at their showers. I've bragged and joked with each of them: "You'll never get me with this game one day, because I'm the one who does it each time!" Obviously, I didn't realize when I would say that, that on the day of YOUR bridal shower, you are so happy and consumed with other things, you don't pay attention to things that aren't obvious. Imagine my shock when, after opening gifts, my own mother read back to me everything I'd said during the process. A few memorable quotes?

- "Are you one of those jerks who uses tape?"

- "That was a fun sound, did you hear that?"

- "Hope Mom cleaned out her van!"

- "Thank the Good Lord for Pinterest."

 

My second shower, in a nutshell, was lovely. Beth and Whitney hosted it at the church, and at one point they each, along with Stacey, another good friend, read verses that meant a lot in their own marriages, and shared some special prayers and wisdom. Homemade strawberry jam and biscuits were included, and a beautiful cake by Mandy, the wife of the pastor marrying us.

 

The summary of both showers? I am SO BEYOND BLESSED to know and be loved by each of my friends, and love you more than I can ever put into words.

 

Happy weekend y'all :)