You know those weeks when you feel like you just can't win? The weeks that are full of frustration, tears, and a lot of things being thrown?
I had one of those week - honestly, it was probably one of the single hardest weeks I have had in a really long time.
The situation controlled my entire existence last week; my mind could simply NOT turn it off. But, you know what? That isn't fair.
I am done.
The situation doesn't deserve another sleepless night, stress pimple, or cuss word. And it certainly doesn't deserve any space in this blog because this is my sacred space |that I share with all of you!|.
So, instead of typing another word about it, I decided that I am going to fill my blog with something that brings me so much happiness instead: mine & Brady's wedding!!!
I know, I know ... Sundays are usually Sister Sundays but Nikki is off being adventurous while I sit and eat leftover Chipotle and write |so typical|so, Sister Sunday was a bit out of the question.
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| Nikki off snow hiking with her friends - thankful she didn't ask me to do this with her ;) |
But, to be fair, a post all about our wedding is pretty much the same thing as a Sister Sunday post because we wouldn't have had a wedding without Nikki.
If you were to look up the definition of the word "Maid of Honor" in the dictionary, Nikki's picture would be right there. She was "Maid of Honor of the Decade" - everything from our engagement pictures to my wedding day hair and makeup, and a million things in between, wouldn't have happened without her |more on that to come later|.
So, if you feel you are being slighted on your weekly Sister Sunday post, I promise you won't be disappointed or, feel any shortage of Nikki!
Look! There she is!
But before I get any further into this giddy, joy-inducing post I want to share another piece of information that also makes me giddy and full of joy: my amazing friend and photographer who took all of our phenomenal wedding photos. Virginia Stiles with Virginia Stiles Photography is the talent behind all of the images in this post. Check out more of her amazing work (and the post she did on mine and Brady's wedding) on her blog here!
So, without further ado, I bring you back in time to the loveliest day of my life: November 30th, 2013! The date that all of my years of planning and dreaming |ok, let's be honest... pinning on Pinterest| finally came to fruition.
The Location:
One of things that was most important to me was to have the wedding ceremony and reception at the same place. As a self-proclaimed stress ball I wanted my day to be as stress-free as possible, meaning once the day started I didn't want to have to move. I wanted to know where a bathroom, my mom, and the champagne were at all times and didn't want to have to worry about relocating.
We were so blessed to find our perfect venue, Noah's, in an up-and-coming neighborhood literally one minute from my mom's house. Praise the Lord for a relaxed day!
The Gang:
We were surrounded by some of our best friends at the time, most of which were family members or friends from our time at CU Boulder. We were blessed to have them by our sides!
The Morning Of:
The day started just as all of my days do: with a mimosa and a beauty entourage in matching robes |oh... wait. I am a teacher. That is not how any of my days start...ever.|
Nikki was completely responsible for my hair and make-up. As someone who typically wears very minimal make-up and only knows how to do my hair 2 different ways, Nikki made me feel the most beautiful I have ever felt in my entire life.
And, while we primped and prodded and pampered and primped some more, the boys did this:
How unfair is that? The life of a boy, I guess.
The Dress:
Those of you who know me, know a few things about me:
1. When I get nervous my chest breaks out into this super awkward red rash. |Not exactly what the world thinks of when they say "Blushing Bride"|
2. I am a bit of a planner. So, when I said I knew exactly what kind of dress I wanted I wasn't joking.
I tell you these things because I knew, thanks to my lovely chest-thingy, I was going to need to wear a dress with a high neckline but, I also wanted to balance it out with lots of lace, a low back, and many buttons. Thank goodness
Little White Dress Bridal in Denver knew exactly how to meet my needs because, like I said, I wasn't planning on changing plans.
The First Look:
I end Part One of Wedding Recap with my absolute favorite moment of the night: Our First Look. Eeee!
I know that The First Look is a new wedding tradition that has caused a bit of a stir with the superstitious ones of the bunch - fearing that seeing one another prior to the ceremony will bring bad luck upon your marriage.
Well, I am so thankful we pushed the superstition aside. We had the most intimate, private moment of the night, got our nervous jitters out of the way, stole a kiss |whoops... another rule broken|, and got the most amazing photos of that raw and real moment I will cherish forever. |and, gasp, our marriage hasn't fallen apart due to bad luck either!|
That concludes the first half of The Van Dyke Wedding reminisce sesh. Thank you for indulging me and allowing me to focus on something that brings me pure happiness in the midst of such a hard week! Ya'll are truly the best |even though I know you love weddings just as much as I do!|
Use the subscribe link to the right to sign-up via email so you don't miss part 2 of the wedding recap coming this week. Trust me, you won't want to miss it because the second part covers the best part: the party!
Hope our wedding fun makes starting your new week a bit easier. Now, off to watch The Oscars! |Another joy-filled experience!|
Hugs & -ish
Jess
Labels: Marriage & Love, Relationships, Weddings
