Monday, October 22, 2012

Planning a Wedding

Did you know that planning a wedding is stressful? Well, if you didn't, now you do. I know some girls who think it's really fun, but I'm not one of those girls. Of course I'm excited to create an evening that's all about me and my new husband. Of course I'm excited to choose my colors and create a style for my reception. Of course I'm excited about getting all dolled up and getting amazing pictures taken.

But getting there is a lot more stressful than I thought it would be.

That's mostly because there is an incredible number of things that need to be done and because it is all rather expensive. And because we have to plan one thing in order to know what our budget is for another thing. Did I mention that there's a lot to do? And to coordinate? And to pay for?

But things have progressed this past week. Three major things were crossed off this week:

  1. The temple is booked.
  2. I have a dress!
  3. The venue is reserved. (Which means the food is taken care of. I'm so glad we're not doing it ourselves.)
Yay for making progress! Especially when my dress only cost $300. And it's perfect. Simply perfect. I still can't believe I found a dress that's so perfectly me and what I want for such a good price. And I didn't even get it at some out-of-the-way shop—I got it at David's Bridal. I'm so excited about it, and I can't wait to get it the end of next month. Now I just have to figure out how to accessorize it.

There are still some big expenses that need to be taken care of (like a photographer—you know, just a little thing), but I'm so happy that we are actually making some progress.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

The Best Weekend of My Life

I know I'm a week and a half late in writing about this, but a proposal story is worth waiting for, right?

Andrew and I had been talking about marriage for a couple of weeks before he proposed. Little did I know that he had already looked at a ring before he even told me that he wanted to get married. He picked the ring out himself because he wanted it to be a surprise (and he made a phenomenal choice). But that meant that for two weeks, he tortured me with the knowledge that he had the ring and that I couldn't see it. To make it even worse, he told me had a picture of the ring on his phone. It took a lot for me not to steal his phone and take a peek.

All of that just made me suspicious of everything. I knew that Andrew had the ring and could propose at any time. But I also knew that his parents were coming down from Washington, and he wanted to tell them in person. So when he asked me if I wanted to drive the Alpine Loop, my first thought was, "He's going to propose." First of all, he planned it a week and a half in advance (we never plan things that far in advance), and he was super concerned about making sure that all of his camera equipment was functioning right so he could take pictures of us without having to set a timer and run into the picture. Plus, it seemed to be good timing with when his parents would be coming down. But, of course, I was never 100% sure, so I kept second-guessing myself.

Sunday morning rolled around. Andrew and I headed up the canyon, and he was nearly silent almost the whole way up. I have come to learn that Andrew gets really quiet when he's nervous, so I couldn't help but be even more suspicious.

I have to say that the colors of the trees were absolutely gorgeous. They were so vivid. Reds and yellows and oranges everywhere. We drove the Alpine Loop and just enjoyed the beauty for a while, and then Andrew pulled off at Cascade Springs. We wandered through the trails for a little while (carrying a bunch of Andrew's camera equipment) until we found a cute little bridge that seemed like a good spot for pictures. After setting his camera up to take pictures every few seconds, Andrew joined me on the bridge.


He didn't even pretend that he wasn't going to propose. He didn't turn and pose for the camera or do anything that would throw me off.


Instead, he pulled out a package of tissues because I had told him I would cry when he proposed. Then he got down on one knee, pulled out something sparkly, and asked me to marry him. I would tell you what he said, but I can't remember exactly because my brain was so full of, "Oh my gosh! This is really happening! Andrew is on one knee asking me to marry him!"


But I didn't forget to say the most important word: Yes.



I was so incredibly happy. But much to my surprise, I didn't cry. Andrew still gives me grief about that. But I can guarantee that he'll get all the tears he wants on our wedding day.

When Andrew stood up and hugged me, I could feel him shaking. He was so nervous even though he knew what my answer would be, and I thought it was the most adorable thing ever. Andrew is so sweet and so good to me.





I can't tell you just how happy I am right now. I am so blessed to have someone who loves me for who I am and who wants to spend the rest of eternity with me. Andrew is wonderful, and I will be eternally grateful that we got put in the same FHE group. Otherwise I might never have found out how amazing he is.

So on February 19, 2013, I will be marrying the man I love for time and all eternity. It's only 132 days away. And I cannot wait.