4-18-15
This was by far my favorite day ever. I got to marry to love of my life, and today, we are celebrating 3 years of marriage!! Everyone dreams of their wedding day. It is one of the most significant days in your life, and there are so many things I will cherish forever that made this day so special.
After being married for 3 years, I would tell others that marriage takes work - it’s goes way beyond the elation of the wedding day. When all the excitement and "honeymoon phase" are gone, you have to really focus on your relationship and serving and loving your spouse - daily and in every season of life! But man, marriage is such a beautiful gift, and I am so thankful that I have my sweet Max to share this life with!! There were so many wonderful things about our wedding day and the entire process, but here are the 7 things that I loved the most:
1.Family & Friends - this day would not have been the same if our family and friends were not there with us. So many people traveled and came from all over (s/o to all of my extended family!), and it meant the world to me. Feeling the love and support from those that mean the most is just an incredible feeling, and we are so blessed (and still are) to say we do!
2. Venue - Ashton Gardens in Corinth, TX! Talk about a BEAUTIFUL venue! The chapel was all glass surrounded by trees - gorgeous architecture. The reception was held in the adjacent elegant ballroom - so convenient for all of our guests. The other advantage was that they handled all of the catering. We just had to pick our choice of food, and because of the time of our wedding (12:30 PM), we chose a brunch menu! Who doesn't love a good brunch?! We were very happy with every aspect of our wedding!! It was a long drive for some, but it was truly the perfect place for us.
3. Photography by Dyan Kethley - not only did this girl step in last minute due to an emergency we had, but she went above and beyond! Not to mention she was pregnant at the time and was running around trying to get all the perfect pictures! She also did my bridal portraits and spent so much time getting to know me on a personal level. I highly recommend her!!
4. Singing Together & Tribute to My Mom - Max and I are both performers, and we got to sing a simple song together that was just so special. We sang “They Were You” from The Fantasticks, and it will always be a song that just melts my heart because it’s exactly how I feel about my sweet Max. Of course, this was after I stuffed the entire brunch meal down (yes ,I ate my entire plate!) and the dress was a liittttle right after that! But it didn’t matter. I also got to play a song for my mom. I knew I wanted to do something very special for her because she is a rock star. She has been there for me through all of my darkest days and constantly given me advice, encouragement and love. So I recorded a song called “Like My Mother Does” by Lauren Alaina and played it for her at the reception. I know, probably not your typical thing to do, but I really wanted to show her how much I love and appreciate her.
5. Flowers / Decor - our flowers were done by a dear family friend, Kathy Hollingsworth. Obviously, we knew what my colors were :). She is so easy to work with and one of the sweetest people we know! I would recommend her to anyone! I did a lot of the other décor myself - chalkboards, name settings, programs, etc. Most of the material I bought from Hobby Lobby! Even for the flowers, I purchased all the vases there. It did take me awhile to collect them all for 19 tables. Every other week, the glassware would be on sale, so I would go to different stores if they ran out of the vases I needed. I did the same with paper for programs or name plates. Other décor I used were flowers, engagement photos, a bridal portrait, and a “candy bar” set-up before you walked into the ballroom. This also took several trips to different Party City’s in the area! The only thing we rented from another vendor outside of Ashton Gardens was light pink table cloths. Because I didn’t already have enough pink? ;)
6. Fancy Cakes by Lauren - I had a recommendation from my former boss at work, and I knew she was SERIOUS about this cake. She talked about it a lot. Lauren was a competitor and multiport gold medal winner of the popular Food Network Challenge TV Show so needless to say, she is in HIGH DEMAND!Believe it or not, my hubby took care of this one ALL by himself! He met with Lauren several times, and she ended up making us a 4-tier hot pink strawberry cake - and it was DELICIOUS!!! If you are wondering, strawberry is actually my favorite flavor of cake, not because it’s pink! We thought about doing two cakes, but Max really didn’t have a preference on this one! Again, I would highly recommend Lauren!!
7. My Dress - yes, I absolutely loved my dress! I knew I wanted something big, something that made a statement. Shocking, right? But, it had just he right amount of puff, lace, and beads. I thought I had died and gone to heaven! I found it at Terry Costa in Dallas. They carry all sorts of designer weddings gowns, prom dresses, cocktail dresses, you name it - and this is WITH a variety prices to choose from, so you can definitely choose what works for you!
I could still go on about so many more things, but I know we will watch our video and look at pictures with such special memories each and every year.
And now...
To my Dearest Max,
Happy 3rd Anniversary! 3 yrs? Only?? Kidding! You have the biggest heart - and it’s full of gold! Thank you for your patience, your quickness to forgive, your support and love. Life has thrown has some huge curve balls our way, but it has been quite an adventure, and there is no one I would rather share this life with than you! You are my best friend, Max! Thank you for all you do, and I can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store for us in the future! Here is to many many more years!! I love you to the moon & back!
Forever Yours,
Kim
XOXO,
