I cannot believe that today is September 28 and that tomorrow, Robert and I will be getting married. The past 6 months of been a whirlwind of activity and planning, and tomorrow I get to see if it all will work out!
The one thing that I know for sure will work out is my dream of having family and friends surround us and help put this wedding together. There were craft nights, special trips to the city to buy fabric for veils and to try on dresses, dear friends who are currently working very hard putting all my flowers together, and special family items apart of the wedding, some reminders of those that are no longer with us. We are truly blessed to have so many that care for us and without all of you guys, this wouldn't have been possible!
We will be heading out to the Sonoma Valley later this afternoon after we load the rest of the boxes up in a rented truck.
For any of you who can't make it, we are hoping to have a live broadcast of the event, but I can't promise anything. If we do, I will post a link here and on the website.
Thank you to all of you for following me on this journey! Looking forward to celebrating with most of you on Saturday! Pictures will be posted later on for everyone to enjoy!
Here we go!
We're Getting Hitched!
Friday, September 28, 2012
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Something borrowed...
Growing up, I always thought I'd wear my mom's dress for my wedding. When I was 12, the dress fit me almost perfectly. 26 years later, the dress doesn't fit. I still wanted something that my mom wore when she walked down the aisle 30 years ago, so we decided to take the netting from her veil and create a veil for me. Thanks to our good friend Jan Weldon, I have my beautiful veil.
Since my ring belonged to my great-grandmother and the veil was my mom's, I thought it would be neat to have something from both my grandmothers. I emailed my mom's mom and she sent me the garter that she wore, and my mom and aunt wore as well. Finding something from my dad's mom was a little trickier since she died when my dad was young and we don't have much that belonged to her.
I called my dad and sent him on a search. He was able to find a charm bracelet that his uncles had made out of military metals to give to his mom. He also started on a quest to find out more about his mom's side of the family. I think it was good for him to look into that, and maybe we will find out even more over time.
So, as I walk down the aisle, I will have 3 generations of my family's belongings walking with me. Since I never got to meet my grandmother on my dad's side, this small part of her life means a lot.
With less than 6 days to go, things are really starting to come together. We've been blessed with a lot of generous gifts and excitement is building. Can't wait to share this day with all of you! It should be a great party!
Since my ring belonged to my great-grandmother and the veil was my mom's, I thought it would be neat to have something from both my grandmothers. I emailed my mom's mom and she sent me the garter that she wore, and my mom and aunt wore as well. Finding something from my dad's mom was a little trickier since she died when my dad was young and we don't have much that belonged to her.
I called my dad and sent him on a search. He was able to find a charm bracelet that his uncles had made out of military metals to give to his mom. He also started on a quest to find out more about his mom's side of the family. I think it was good for him to look into that, and maybe we will find out even more over time.
So, as I walk down the aisle, I will have 3 generations of my family's belongings walking with me. Since I never got to meet my grandmother on my dad's side, this small part of her life means a lot.
With less than 6 days to go, things are really starting to come together. We've been blessed with a lot of generous gifts and excitement is building. Can't wait to share this day with all of you! It should be a great party!
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Saying goodbye to the single life...
This weekend, Robert and I had our bachelor and bachelorette parties. I won't go into all the details other than saying, we had a lot of fun!
Spending time with all my bridesmaids made me decide to tell all my readers about the girls I picked, and what I know of the guys that Robert. Each of them represents a certain aspect of our lives, so enjoy!
My Matron-of Honor is my former neighbor and mother of my goddaughter. Laetitia and I met when I was in high school and her and her husband had just moved across the street. We became close friends and I was their go-to babysitter when they had their first child, Max. Over the years, we got as close as sisters and it was an obvious choice for me to ask her to hold this position in my wedding. She jumped on the chance with a lot of enthusiasm and has been a big help.
Adena Demonte and I met 6 years ago when she started dating one of my best friends, Dan. She represents the theatrical side of me. We've directed multiple shows together, laughed, cried and drank...a lot...together. She is always traveling now with her job, but I know that when we do get to see each other, it will be like no time has passed at all.
Narineh Ferderer represents the high school part of my life. She was a year ahead of me, but we had a close knit group of friends that hung out at the C-Wing at Woodside High. When she left for college, we lost touch with each other, but a few years later, reconnected and became best friends. We are both book nerds. I had the honor of helping her and her husband, Chris, plan their wedding and doing the flowers for them. Now I get to watch them as their little family grows!
Becca Ohlin is probably my longest lasting friendship. We've know each other since, well...she waved "hi" at my sonogram? We were raised in Redwood City at PCC and even though she moved all the way to Vacaville, we are still as close as ever. She is a goof ball, but one of the sweetest most genuine people I've ever met.
Brandi Minter represents the dance part of my life. We met in second grade when her mom started teaching at the school I was going to. We became inseparable and would spend our summers together watching Nickelodeon, while her mom was teaching summer school. We were on the dance team together at PCC and choreographed many many dances for church and for fun. I accompanied her to LA when she auditioned for So You Think You Can Dance, and now I teach with her at Community Street Jam. She is funny, extremely talented and a great friend.
Jen Driver is my cousin, so obviously she is the family representative. We grew up playing games like "Pretty Pretty Princess", and have always been pretty close. She is a bundle of energy, very intelligent and an over-all amazing person.
Robyn Stuart is another life-long friend. Her dad and my dad went to San Jose State together and all the college friends and their families would spend Memorial Day Weekend together every year. She was several years older than I, so I was always in awe of her beautiful curly hair, and how cool she was. Out of all of the kids from that group, the two of us have stayed in touch, and I couldn't imagine not having her standing up there with me. She is beautiful, talented, smart and extremely kind.
I've known Stacey Sondy since she was born. I was always very protective of her and I look at her as if she were my younger sister. I had the honor of being in her wedding last year, and just had to have her share in my day as well. She has gone through a lot in her young life, but she is one of the strongest people I know.
On to Roberts side. I don't know as much about them as I do about my own girls, but here it goes...
Michael Taylor is Roberts vocal coach and his Best Man. They have been working together since before he and I met, and they both share the same sense of humor. Michael has a great big laugh that you can hear from miles away, and he is an incredibly talented performer. I know he was really excited when Robert chose him to be his Best Man.
Dan Aden is having a bro-mance with Robert. They met at Google and discovered they both went to the same college at different times. Dan's wife, Melissa and I sit back and watch our men's shenanigans with lots of eye rolls. He and Rob are two peas in a pod and get into so much trouble together. Somewhere on the Google campus, there is a concrete bust of an Android that the two put together. Drive around and see if you can find it!
Joe Dowd is one of Roberts Cal Poly roommates. I don't know half the things they did in college, and I probably don't want to know most of them!
The last two on Roberts side is his brother, Ryan, and my brother, Jonathan. I have to give a shout out to Ryan for how helpful he has been during this planning process! My brother got a long with Robert as soon as they met. Not sure what else to say about the brothers!
So that is our wedding party. A lot of great friends and great memories with all of them. 11 days left! Things are coming along! Just a few more details to iron out and we are good to go! Looking forward to partying with everyone!
Spending time with all my bridesmaids made me decide to tell all my readers about the girls I picked, and what I know of the guys that Robert. Each of them represents a certain aspect of our lives, so enjoy!
My Matron-of Honor is my former neighbor and mother of my goddaughter. Laetitia and I met when I was in high school and her and her husband had just moved across the street. We became close friends and I was their go-to babysitter when they had their first child, Max. Over the years, we got as close as sisters and it was an obvious choice for me to ask her to hold this position in my wedding. She jumped on the chance with a lot of enthusiasm and has been a big help.
Adena Demonte and I met 6 years ago when she started dating one of my best friends, Dan. She represents the theatrical side of me. We've directed multiple shows together, laughed, cried and drank...a lot...together. She is always traveling now with her job, but I know that when we do get to see each other, it will be like no time has passed at all.
Narineh Ferderer represents the high school part of my life. She was a year ahead of me, but we had a close knit group of friends that hung out at the C-Wing at Woodside High. When she left for college, we lost touch with each other, but a few years later, reconnected and became best friends. We are both book nerds. I had the honor of helping her and her husband, Chris, plan their wedding and doing the flowers for them. Now I get to watch them as their little family grows!
Becca Ohlin is probably my longest lasting friendship. We've know each other since, well...she waved "hi" at my sonogram? We were raised in Redwood City at PCC and even though she moved all the way to Vacaville, we are still as close as ever. She is a goof ball, but one of the sweetest most genuine people I've ever met.
Brandi Minter represents the dance part of my life. We met in second grade when her mom started teaching at the school I was going to. We became inseparable and would spend our summers together watching Nickelodeon, while her mom was teaching summer school. We were on the dance team together at PCC and choreographed many many dances for church and for fun. I accompanied her to LA when she auditioned for So You Think You Can Dance, and now I teach with her at Community Street Jam. She is funny, extremely talented and a great friend.
Jen Driver is my cousin, so obviously she is the family representative. We grew up playing games like "Pretty Pretty Princess", and have always been pretty close. She is a bundle of energy, very intelligent and an over-all amazing person.
Robyn Stuart is another life-long friend. Her dad and my dad went to San Jose State together and all the college friends and their families would spend Memorial Day Weekend together every year. She was several years older than I, so I was always in awe of her beautiful curly hair, and how cool she was. Out of all of the kids from that group, the two of us have stayed in touch, and I couldn't imagine not having her standing up there with me. She is beautiful, talented, smart and extremely kind.
I've known Stacey Sondy since she was born. I was always very protective of her and I look at her as if she were my younger sister. I had the honor of being in her wedding last year, and just had to have her share in my day as well. She has gone through a lot in her young life, but she is one of the strongest people I know.
On to Roberts side. I don't know as much about them as I do about my own girls, but here it goes...
Michael Taylor is Roberts vocal coach and his Best Man. They have been working together since before he and I met, and they both share the same sense of humor. Michael has a great big laugh that you can hear from miles away, and he is an incredibly talented performer. I know he was really excited when Robert chose him to be his Best Man.
Dan Aden is having a bro-mance with Robert. They met at Google and discovered they both went to the same college at different times. Dan's wife, Melissa and I sit back and watch our men's shenanigans with lots of eye rolls. He and Rob are two peas in a pod and get into so much trouble together. Somewhere on the Google campus, there is a concrete bust of an Android that the two put together. Drive around and see if you can find it!
Joe Dowd is one of Roberts Cal Poly roommates. I don't know half the things they did in college, and I probably don't want to know most of them!
The last two on Roberts side is his brother, Ryan, and my brother, Jonathan. I have to give a shout out to Ryan for how helpful he has been during this planning process! My brother got a long with Robert as soon as they met. Not sure what else to say about the brothers!
So that is our wedding party. A lot of great friends and great memories with all of them. 11 days left! Things are coming along! Just a few more details to iron out and we are good to go! Looking forward to partying with everyone!
Thursday, September 13, 2012
16 days...
I can't believe how quickly time has flown by, but here we are with 16 days left until the wedding!
My head has been spinning with all the little details that are in need of attention like, final guest count, shuttle and valet services, song choices for the DJ, types of flowers and designs, ceremony timeline and layout, reception timeline and lay out, seating chart, hair, makeup...and the list goes on and on and on.
More craft projects are getting checked off the list. There are just a few finishing touches to be done, and then we are good to go!
The bridesmaid dresses are in, and there only needs to be simple alterations, but they all seem happy with them! Speaking of dresses, my dress is looking more and more perfect every time I go in! The last fitting will be on the 25th (cutting it close, I know!) and then after spending some time with my mom in the city, we will be able to take it home!
This weekend our wedding party is throwing us separate bachelorette and bachelor parties. Looking forward to spending time with our friends and living up the single life one more time! Not sure I will be sharing many pictures of that night! We shall see!
Well, off I go to work on more details! Here's hoping for no more bumps in the road!
My head has been spinning with all the little details that are in need of attention like, final guest count, shuttle and valet services, song choices for the DJ, types of flowers and designs, ceremony timeline and layout, reception timeline and lay out, seating chart, hair, makeup...and the list goes on and on and on.
More craft projects are getting checked off the list. There are just a few finishing touches to be done, and then we are good to go!
The bridesmaid dresses are in, and there only needs to be simple alterations, but they all seem happy with them! Speaking of dresses, my dress is looking more and more perfect every time I go in! The last fitting will be on the 25th (cutting it close, I know!) and then after spending some time with my mom in the city, we will be able to take it home!
This weekend our wedding party is throwing us separate bachelorette and bachelor parties. Looking forward to spending time with our friends and living up the single life one more time! Not sure I will be sharing many pictures of that night! We shall see!
Well, off I go to work on more details! Here's hoping for no more bumps in the road!
Monday, September 3, 2012
Things to do...
The last time Robert and I went up to see the venue, we decided to check out some wineries and other attractions near by and let you know how they were!
We didn't spend a lot of time in the town of Geyserville, but we did have lunch at Diavola Pizzeria. It was delicious! They have a lot more than just pizza, and they also have this dipping sauce that is very tasty. Definitely a place for you to try when you are in town!
We tried out four new wineries, but only three are worth mentioning (partly because I forgot the name of one of them, and partly because it didn't stand out to us).
The first we tried was Hawkes Winery. Its a very small production, but has some great wines. The manager of the tasting room turns out to be the daughter of the family that is renting their house to us for the wedding. We bought a couple bottles of whites for the wedding, so be looking for it!
The second, White Oaks, was a recommendation from Hawkes. Its a little more upscale than Hawkes, but it has beautiful grounds and some good wines. I think there will be a few bottles of white from this winery as well!
The third is Passalaqua winery. Another small winery, but had some interesting wines, and pretty grounds. You can even do tasting on the patio and enjoy the scenery.
A few of the others that we have tried in the past are Simi Winery, which is on the way to the venue and has nice picnic grounds and their Cuve is delicious. Going on the other side of 128, there is Amista winery, which isn't great, but is dog friendly! One of our favorites is Lambert Ridge. The road to Lambert Ridge is windy and you lose all cell reception, but it is beautiful and the wine is amazing! They also have two large fuzzy dogs that welcome you by lifting their heads off their bed! Its a definite must when you are in town!
I hope this gives you something to do while you are visiting the beautiful Sonoma Wine Country! 27 days left!
We didn't spend a lot of time in the town of Geyserville, but we did have lunch at Diavola Pizzeria. It was delicious! They have a lot more than just pizza, and they also have this dipping sauce that is very tasty. Definitely a place for you to try when you are in town!
We tried out four new wineries, but only three are worth mentioning (partly because I forgot the name of one of them, and partly because it didn't stand out to us).
The first we tried was Hawkes Winery. Its a very small production, but has some great wines. The manager of the tasting room turns out to be the daughter of the family that is renting their house to us for the wedding. We bought a couple bottles of whites for the wedding, so be looking for it!
The second, White Oaks, was a recommendation from Hawkes. Its a little more upscale than Hawkes, but it has beautiful grounds and some good wines. I think there will be a few bottles of white from this winery as well!
The third is Passalaqua winery. Another small winery, but had some interesting wines, and pretty grounds. You can even do tasting on the patio and enjoy the scenery.
A few of the others that we have tried in the past are Simi Winery, which is on the way to the venue and has nice picnic grounds and their Cuve is delicious. Going on the other side of 128, there is Amista winery, which isn't great, but is dog friendly! One of our favorites is Lambert Ridge. The road to Lambert Ridge is windy and you lose all cell reception, but it is beautiful and the wine is amazing! They also have two large fuzzy dogs that welcome you by lifting their heads off their bed! Its a definite must when you are in town!
I hope this gives you something to do while you are visiting the beautiful Sonoma Wine Country! 27 days left!
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