Wedding Details Linkup

Two of my favorite blogs to read are hosting a Wedding Details linkup. I really enjoy reading about and admiring people's weddings. I love seeing the different ways everyone gets hitched. 

Alrighty, Troy and I met in an unconventional way. Well, actually it is not so unconventional anymore, but it is definitely a story I have had to get used to telling. Enough skirting the issue... Troy and I met online, kinda. I had been dating a super loser on and off for about a year. My girlfriends were pulling out ALL the stops to try and nip that relationship in the bud (yes, its 'nip in the bud' NOT 'nip in the butt'... something I just recently discovered myself!) One night while consuming some wine we decided to create an online dating profile for me. I bought the 1 month package. It was fun creating it and checking out all the profiles on there. Then the messages started rolling in. Most were really pushy, some were strange and one was interesting. I corresponded back and forth with the interesting guy, but decided to deactivate my account.

Fast forward about 6 months- summertime and the living is easy! For a teacher, at least! Most of my summer days were spent at the pool with my fellow teacher friends. On such a day, I received a Facebook friend request from a hottie. I knew him somehow, but I couldn't remember how. Of course I accepted. Of course I messaged flirty responses to his messages. Of course I freaked out and didn't respond when he asked if we could grab a drink together! A few days of mulling it over and talking with my friends, I finally agreed to meet up, get a free drink and lock myself in the women's restroom, if he turned out to be a creeper.

It took about a month of dates with butterflies in my tummy and a really awkward conversation for me to connect the dots. Mr. Facebook was in fact Mr. Interesting Online Dating Guy. We had a mutual Facebook friend and I had commented or liked a post that Troy had commented or liked, and the rest is history...

Unconventional? I think so, but it has worked for us :)

Details
We became engaged on June 3, 2010 and were married on March 25, 2011. I have always thought a New Years Eve wedding would be a lot of fun, but we didn't want to rush the process OR wait a year and a half to get married. So spring it was! As far as March 25th goes... it is incredibly hard to organize the schedule of the Catholic Church AND a reception site, soooooo.... we saw an opening and grabbed at it!

So happy to be engaged!

Location
My family's Church and a local resort that is part historical site and part newly renovated. It is a unique space for sure!

The church where we were married

A view from our reception!

Bridal Party
We both had our closest friends and family members.
I had my cousin, my sister in law love, a friend from high school, college and adulthood.
Troy had his brother, my 2 brothers, his closest friend from elementary until today and another elementary friend.

What a good lookin' group!

Colors
The ladies wore a soft gray dress, but our colors were mostly ivory and soft pinks. I had a vision of having a lot of mercury glass around until I saw how expensive my vision was and then changed my mind!

Centerpieces

Cake! I didn't even get a piece, but everyone loved it!

Sweets table... didn't get any of this, either!

Our guest tree... we have this hanging in our bedroom now!

Wine bottle favors

First Dance
Everything by Michael Buble- definitely more of a peppy song, which totally fits us. We are not sappy, sugary lovey- dovey song people!

Our first dance and my terrible hair

Honeymoon
We got married at a busy time of year for a teacher. I did NOT want to short change our honeymoon because of the panic I felt in writing lesson plans or leaving my kiddos for a week and a half! After we got married we did need some time away from everyonething, so we escaped to Sedona for 3 blissful days on our mini-moon. We hiked, explored, relaxed and drank our hearts out AND I only needed to write 3 days worth of sub plans! Score!

In the summer we went to Maui for our honeymoon and I am still upset that we needed to leave to come home :(

What would I change
Most of the technical things I would change are so small and ridiculous now that I look back on it. I hated my hair that day! The trials we did were amaze-balls, but then the big day arrives and he did NOTHING like we had planned. I never did return to him after that and wish I had my current stylist/friend (who I knew and considered having do my hair... gah!)

Mostly I would change some of the process... there was a lot of family tension around the time of our wedding. Not having to do anything with us, but it did impact our time. I wish I didn't care as much and had distanced myself from their issues. I think if Troy and I didn't have all of that weighing on our minds, we wouldn't have been and continue to be concerned and/or hurt by their actions or misbehavior's. 

Other than that drama... our day was everything we hoped. Then Pinterest made an appearance...

Week of the Wedding events...

The week of the wedding was crazy busy AND went by soooo super fast! I had 'moved' back to my parents about 10 days before the actual wedding. It was Spring Break at school and it was nice to not have to worry about keeping it all together in the classroom, while at the same time tying up loose wedding ends!

To say I actually relaxed makes me laugh! I wish that I had more time to actually spend with family but everyone was running around between getting last minute things, entertaining out of town family etc.

We got married Friday, March 25th and had our reception the Thursday before. Troy's parents hosted our Rehearsal dinner at a yummy Western themed restaurant in town! It was delicious food and a treat for our out of town guests! We actually do not have many pictures from the Rehearsal dinner, as it literally flew by!

Here are a few for your viewing pleasure!

Troy and I gazing longfully at each other across the yummy cake!!!


Sarah (bridesmaid), Patrick (best man) and Allison (flower baby) AKA the Phoenix Bogles!


And just because I love the cake I had designed for Troy! Each side had a different aspect of Troy's personality/ hobbies and of course the A is for the UofA (who happened to be playing that night AND won!)

Bachelorette Party Galore!

This will mostly be pictures which will not do my bachelorette party weekend much justice! Yes we look like we are having so much fun, but we really were having a blast! We even decided that we need to schedule a yearly getaway for just us girls, rather than waiting for bachelorette's or big birthdays!

My sweet sister in law Sarah planned and executed this whole fanciful weekend with the help of Jess! We drove up to Phoenix and arrived at our suite at the Phoenician. By the way this suite was bigger than any apartment I had ever lived in and more luxurious than my house! Well that's not exactly true, but I am trying to help you see how fantastic this suite was! Sarah and my new cousin Dana had gotten there earlier (they live in Phx) and had set up some delicious snacks and decorated the whole place too!






Isn't that adorable?? After we seriously noshed we headed to the explore the hotel... basically we ended up at the lobby lounge (oops)

We ordered some champagne, helped Sarah heal after a snapping incident and made me do a disgustingly huge (no pun intended) blow job shot- YUCK!




We had the most delicious dinner in an underground wine cellar! After that we bar hopped, ended up hanging out with the village people (or so they thought they were), did a little pole dancing and racing around Phoenix in a huge pink golf cart!



I wish I knew what Katie saw on the dance floor to have made her make this face!

I seriously LOVE this picture... Dana is telling me to step aside so she can show me how it's done!

It's been forever...

I am awarding myself the worst blogger award this year! I have just really had so many new things happening in life that I have lost touch with the blogging bit! I still LOVE reading everyone's blogs, however composing my own has been too much for this gal... until now!

I am going to try to catch you up on life! Well as I said a lot has happened... you know, becoming a wife, going on honeymoons and getting a new job! Can you all forgive me now? I've decided to start with the wife thing, since that is the most fun AND I have a lot of fabulous pictures to go with it

Let's talk Bridal Shower...

It was a suprise! My mom and aunt worked very hard with the help of my bridesmaids to make it a fabulous event!
Here are some pictures...

My lovely bridesmaids!
Sarah- my friend who just so happens to be my sister in law
Jess- my newest friend
Krissy- my lovely grade school... never have to explain anything- she just gets it!
Shelley- my friend since college... we have so many life experiences together!
Katy- my lovely cousin

The lovely ladies and I!
My aunt had been collecting everything bridal ever since Troy and I became engaged... at this time I was only wearing half of it. Let's just say she was super excited and spent a lot of time in the bridal aisles!!!

My auntie, my mom and my grandma! The sneaky ladies behind the whole thing!

There were games and LOTS of fun! This was my favorite! My friend Tina had to win with her Vegas Bride look! Total side note... her and her husband found out they were pregnant the day of the shower! They are due in September and I can't wait to meet their little bambino!!!

There were also LOTS of presents, which apparently I suck at opening! It took me forever to get through them all! Shelley and Krissy actually started preopening them for me. They would take the card off and tell me who it was from. Apparently you arent supposed to read the card before you open the present at these events because it takes too long! Who knew?

My aunt even got Troy a little something, something the next day at family dinner! Yep that is a pig thing that really oinks! This next picture is my favorite because it is my older brother Jon taking a drink and he looks a bit disgusted by the whole thing!

Updated blog (for YOU Krissy!)

I have had quite a few requests for an update on my blog! Krissy even told me that I better change my blog or else! I am sorry people! I have been terrible at keeping things fresh here... boo to me! We have been SOOOOO incredibly busy... I cannot even keep up with what has happened since I last blogged!

This time of year is my absolute favorite time of the year for so many reasons! One of those reasons are all the fantastic things there are to do in good ole' T-town. Summer is way too hot for much else besides the pool, so when the weather starts cooling down, Tucson gets hopping!

Needless to say we have been quite busy! Not to mention we have our 1st house together and a billio teeny tiny (and a few bigger) projects that we are trying to accomplish! Oh and then there is that little thing called 'Our Wedding' that we are planning for in about 4 months time! AGGGHHH!! I am NOT complaining though! I am sitting here typing, listening to Phil Collins, thinking about our future with a dry wall-less kitchen and excited! I am excited for so many things! There are the obvious things... wedding, holidays, winter break (actually thats a huge one!) But its the little things I am excited about mostly... baking, families coming together and being happy, relationships growing, sipping wine and champagne, hosting my 1st holiday for our growing family, accomplishing projects! All these little things and more that are contributing to our blossoming life together! Oh and I can't forget good music! Abba is playing now...(such a shameless fan!)

Anyways... as for the wedding updates! We are working on it- a LOT of it!

We are making favors, getting close to ordering invitations, thinking about readings and songs, wrapping up the Church paperwork (yes there is paperwork!), starting to make a dent in all the small things, working on attendant gifts etc.

There is a lot that we haven't started doing yet (thinking about- yes, doing- no)... tuxedos, scheduling the marriage encounter, picking out bridesmaids shoes, marriage counseling, veil, transportation, slideshow, flower princess ensemble.

And then there are the things that we have crossed off our list, which is MY favorite part! Church and venue booked, dress, shoes and jewelry purchased, bridesmaids dresses ordered, DJ booked, menu set (except for appetizers), favors purchased, florist booked, photographer booked, engagement shots taken (and proofs to be here soon... in like a week!)

The good thing about all of this though is ALL the help that I have gotten from Troy and our mama's. I'm not worried about getting anything done because I know I have them to help... I am worried that I might not remember everything I need to do!!! It seems like there is a lot that I am forgetting... oh well if I forgot anything, please comment me a reminder!!!

I am going to leave you with a few pictures of what we have been up to these days!

Being silly to keep warm on Mt. Lemmon!
Troy, Jess and I



Angel Charity Poker Tourney... stealing pumpkins and being fabulous!





Shelley's Bachelorette Party in VEGAS!


Troy and I at Shelley and Clark's wedding...


T-town girls... Whitney, Shelley and I


Pumpkin patching with the Bernsteins
Try to find Katie and I!




Katy's Bachelorette party in Phoenix!
Jessica, Katy and I


And as always Bearing Down for the Wildcats!!!