Work Hard, Play Harder

And so it began…

The wedding planning, that is. And boy was it stressful. Who knew that planning the most exciting day of your life, the day that you dreamed about since you were a little girl-- you know, the kind of dreaming that had your wedding day planned to perfection. From your wedding dress with crystals and poofy sleeves, to your colors (mine always fluctuated, but I thought I would choose turqoise because it looked good with my hair), to the bridesmaids (you know, those friends that you chose when you were in elementary school that you just knew would be your friends for life), to even your husband (mine was always Jeffery)—those childhood dreams… who knew they could cause such chaos and stress. And it seems that the more you had dreamt up, the harder it was to plan because that Bridal Boutique sure doesn’t make that poofy-sleeved wedding dress with crystals that you had imagined in fourth grade.

I’d like to think I was an easy-going bride. In reality, I just hated to make decisions. But when I had something in my mind, no matter how hard, I was going to find a way to accomplish it.

Hence going in the back yard to test the popcorn…

And putting together our own flower arrangements… even if my slaves and I… I mean bridesmaids… stayed up until 2am the morning of our wedding…

And painting signs with wood we found on the side of the road…

And I definitely can’t forget the invitations and programs that I… I mean my Dad…worked so very hard on…

Oh, the planning… I miss it already!

But with great planning, comes great partying… And my girls threw me some fabulous parties!

Let me start with my bridal shower. The only word that I feel describes my bridal shower is sweet. From the fresh flowers, the cream puffs, the tangy lemonade, the lace tablecloth and of course, the chocolate covered strawberries, everything was delightful. But I think what made it so sweet and so rich were the guests. I just remember sitting in that room, surrounded by several women, young and old, all who loved me and loved Nic and supported “us.” Each and every one of them had made a huge impact on my life in one way or another, and to have them all gathered in one room to celebrate our marriage was beautiful.

Not to mention the hosts of the shower… Karen, Kaley, Bethany, and Missy. Thank you ladies for making that afternoon so perfect.

And the Lingerie shower… it was amazing. One of my best friends, Christine, planned the entire thing. When I walked through the door and saw all of the decorations, I was speechless. Christine should definitely take up party planning as a part time job.

We started off the evening with dinner, drinks, games and of course, lingerie at Christine’s house. She had thought of everything, and no one went home empty handed.

We then brought the party with us out on the town, and can I just say, when there are girls, dancing, a bridal sash, and a “last night out as a single woman” checklist, you are sure to have a good time. And I think a good time is an understatement… So I will leave you with pictures…