...behold...
I've been a little lax with my posts in preparing for the holidays. Both sides of the family in town this week, so there's lots to do! Just wanted to give you a little teaser. We got our engagement photos back from the lovely Will Knowles last night. I'll be telling you a lot more about his work and sharing more pictures later on, but for now, please enjoy...
...reception-part one: the space...
I've been meaning to disclose all of our whimsical plans for the most anti-cookie-cutter wedding reception ever, but our ideas are so gradiose that it's quite an undertaking. So I figure we'll just take a little chunk at time. I blogged about what brought us to this point here and here if you'd like to catch up.
The basics are this...DG and I are not status quo kind of people. We like to be different. Often times for nothing other than the sake of being different. Hence the reason my engagment ring boasts this gorgeous green sapphire rather than a diamond. I wanted something all my own. So, as it applies to our wedding reception, we want the whole event to engage our guests in such a way that they feel compelled to stay for a few hours. We want to keep people guessing, so we've pretty much thrown the rule book out the window. Anything that might possibly be perceived as stuffy or boring is gone. We're doing things our way, and our way includes a lot of very unconventional ideas.
Our original ideas were built around yard games. We wanted to be outside and have some activity to keep everyone entertained, but like I've said before, the venue situation just didn't work out that way. So we're bringing the outside inside. DG works for an arena here in Nashville which will allow us the use of the facility for free. (Yes, please.) It's pretty much a blank canvas, so we can do what we want. I took some pictures when I was there the other night. Like I said...it's large.
The whole space will be closed off in curtain just like the far end you see in the picture. To the left, is the stage. In the center, the dance floor, framed by the guest tables. On one end, a coffee bar, lounge area, and table games. On the other, we're rolling out the green indoor/outdoor carpet and setting up our yard games. Corn hole anyone?
It's hard to visualize, I know...but it's going to be amazing. Lighting is going to be EVERYTHING in this situation. Luckily, the arena owns a lot of what we'll need already, and since they're generously not charging us rent (believe me, DG has paid his dues), we'll have a little extra budgeted to rent the extra lighting we'll need. DG's working on a final drawing of the space, so I'll have that to show you soon!
More to come.
The basics are this...DG and I are not status quo kind of people. We like to be different. Often times for nothing other than the sake of being different. Hence the reason my engagment ring boasts this gorgeous green sapphire rather than a diamond. I wanted something all my own. So, as it applies to our wedding reception, we want the whole event to engage our guests in such a way that they feel compelled to stay for a few hours. We want to keep people guessing, so we've pretty much thrown the rule book out the window. Anything that might possibly be perceived as stuffy or boring is gone. We're doing things our way, and our way includes a lot of very unconventional ideas.
Our original ideas were built around yard games. We wanted to be outside and have some activity to keep everyone entertained, but like I've said before, the venue situation just didn't work out that way. So we're bringing the outside inside. DG works for an arena here in Nashville which will allow us the use of the facility for free. (Yes, please.) It's pretty much a blank canvas, so we can do what we want. I took some pictures when I was there the other night. Like I said...it's large.
It's hard to visualize, I know...but it's going to be amazing. Lighting is going to be EVERYTHING in this situation. Luckily, the arena owns a lot of what we'll need already, and since they're generously not charging us rent (believe me, DG has paid his dues), we'll have a little extra budgeted to rent the extra lighting we'll need. DG's working on a final drawing of the space, so I'll have that to show you soon!
More to come.
...beautiful edgefield baptist church...
Just real quick, cause I don't have ton of time...
I've been meaning to share these photos DG took at the church last week when he went to pay our deposit. I'm so super excited to get married there. I just love the way it feels.
I think we're going to get some amazing photos outside and around the church.
Here's the door into the sanctuary where the guests and my dad and I will enter.
Down the center aisle. We may have to find a way to cleverly detract from the lettering over the baptistery...but DG's got a dear family member who will be lending us his creative expertise to help us with the aesthetics. More on that later.
Gorgeous sanctuary. I love the dark wood beams and chandelier.
I've been meaning to share these photos DG took at the church last week when he went to pay our deposit. I'm so super excited to get married there. I just love the way it feels.
I think we're going to get some amazing photos outside and around the church.
Here's the door into the sanctuary where the guests and my dad and I will enter.
Down the center aisle. We may have to find a way to cleverly detract from the lettering over the baptistery...but DG's got a dear family member who will be lending us his creative expertise to help us with the aesthetics. More on that later.
Gorgeous sanctuary. I love the dark wood beams and chandelier.
...weight watching and the wedding...
Once upon a time, I thought I had to wait. There was a certain kind of person I wanted to be. She looked a certain kind of way, spent her time doing certain kinds of things. She was me, but better. Improved. And she could have exactly the kind of guy she wanted. So I set out to become her, hoping that if I 'deserved' him, he would come. We girls tend to think this way. (Gratefully, I was wrong. He came despite my imperfections. And he was so much more than the he I'd imagined.)
A large portion of this equation has always been my weight. I grew up a fat kid. I distinctly remember the first time I decided to put myself on a diet in my elementary school lunch room. I was eight. I spent most of my childhood and early adulthood feeling bad about myself. It was hard and painful being so dissatisfied with my body, but somewhere along the line, something changed within me. I made a decision to start taking better care of myself. I accepted my plight, knowing that I'd grown-up with less than healthy habits and that genetically, the odds were sort of stacked against me, and I started slowly changing.
It was probably about two years ago that my best friend (and MOH) proposed that we train for Nashville's Country Music Half-Marathon. It seemed like an impossible task, but we had about nine months to train and we knew it would keep us accountable. I certainly would never claim to be an athlete...and that three hours was SUPER hard...but we did it. I still had a way to go, but I was in the best shape of my life.
About a week after we ran the half-marathon, I moved home. I lost the support and accountability of my best friend and spent all of my free time with my family, whom I love dearly, but who also encouraged the development of those habits I'd fought so hard to overcome. I was saved by my a part-time job which required me to stay on my feet at work every day. Even though I ate whatever I pleased and pretty much quit exercising entirely, I gained only six or seven pounds in the year before I came back to Nashville. Then I came back, started my old desk job...and sat down.
So here's where I'm at. Down about 11 pounds since I've moved back. Keeping track via Weight Watchers online program.
A large portion of this equation has always been my weight. I grew up a fat kid. I distinctly remember the first time I decided to put myself on a diet in my elementary school lunch room. I was eight. I spent most of my childhood and early adulthood feeling bad about myself. It was hard and painful being so dissatisfied with my body, but somewhere along the line, something changed within me. I made a decision to start taking better care of myself. I accepted my plight, knowing that I'd grown-up with less than healthy habits and that genetically, the odds were sort of stacked against me, and I started slowly changing.
It was probably about two years ago that my best friend (and MOH) proposed that we train for Nashville's Country Music Half-Marathon. It seemed like an impossible task, but we had about nine months to train and we knew it would keep us accountable. I certainly would never claim to be an athlete...and that three hours was SUPER hard...but we did it. I still had a way to go, but I was in the best shape of my life.
It's the thing that's always hung over my head...and going into wedding, with the prospect of starting a family someday in the not-so-distant future, I want to look and feel my best. DG and I have had about a million conversations about saving our children from the same sort of self esteem issues we suffered as kids. His family medical history is laden with all sorts of preventable diseases and ailments just like mine. And his dad passed away at a much younger age than is fair. So together, we are changing our lifestyle. It is a challenge for sure, but doing it together makes all the difference in the world.
Even this morning we found ourselves out on the greenway near his house for a nice little run out in the sunshine. When we were on our way back to the car, I teared up a little (that's normal right?) trying to explain to him how much it means to me that he's doing this along with me. (He's already down over 30 pounds! I'm so proud!) Working together with someone who knows where you're coming from, who understands the struggle, and who is invested in your health and future is exactly what I needed.
So here's where I'm at. Down about 11 pounds since I've moved back. Keeping track via Weight Watchers online program.(It's less than $20 a month and I highly recommend it! It's practical. Flexible enough to fit in to your normal life and logging all my food and exercise is the only way to keep me on target.)
So we'll just keep plugging away. I've got about five and half months left and the MOH and I are planning to run the half-marathon again this year...exactly one week before the wedding (Yikes!)...complete with custom bedazzled bride and MOH wear, of course.
I know that I'll never be supermodel thin...but on my wedding day, I want to be able to look in the mirror knowing I did everything I could to feel the most beautiful I've ever been...and to know that what I'm offering DG on that day is the very best version of me and nothing less. More than that...I want us to be around for a very, very long time to take care of and love each other.
…we got the church!!!
As we speak, DG is downtown at Edgefield Baptist paying our deposit and taking more pictures of the beautiful sanctuary for us to share.
I am happy to report that things have been going well on the wedding front lately. So, so much to tell. I'll be working on some more updates over the next few days.
Yesterday was a good day, too. DG met with his caterer friend about our reception. I was so pleased with the deal he worked out for us. The food is going to be fun and fantastic and affordable.
Plus…these babies arrived in the mail yesterday. I'm in love. J
I'd originally seen them at the flea market for $15 when I fell in love with them, but of course, they didn't have my size. I went scouring the internet to find them, and ended up ordering them from Overstock for about $35. Not too bad for the shoes I plan to wear on my wedding day…at least in my opinion.
AND! My MOH found this lovely dress at JCPenney for only $80! (I am so all about this bridesmaids'-dresses-that-aren't-traditional-bridesmaids'-dresses-thing.)
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