Tonight's Gonna Be A Good Night...

And it was...it was the most amazing night ever.  All the concern, and worry that people wouldn't dance was washed away beginning with the very first song.  People got their groove on...it was so much fun!  I didn't even know what  Andy and I would look like dancing together because we never have (unless you count slow dancing in the kitchen in between cooking dinner and catching up on our day at work). 

I love looking at the wedding pictures of everyone dancing because you can just see how much fun everyone was having!  I'm giving myself a pat on the back for the playlist I put together.  Go me!

Father Daughter Dance

I'm not a "daddy's girl."  I grew up in a military, not very communicative, not very affectionate home.  By no means was my childhood hard or bad in any way, I just wasn't best friends (or even friends) with my parents.  They were protectors, homework helpers and disciplinarians.

Picking out a song for my father and I to dance to was difficult.  Most songs are pretty mushy and don't reflect the relationship we have...after hours of searching, I found the perfect song.  Wildflowers, by Tom Petty.  The lyrics were exactly what I know my father wanted to say to me.  We don't have the type of relationship I'd like to have, but I must say, that my father truly was wonderful throughout my wedding.  He was kind and generous, and I felt he was really making an effort to communicate and express himself. 

I have a far from perfect relationship with my father, but on my wedding day, he stepped up to the plate and I felt like I was "daddy's girl" for the first time. 

Wildflowers--Tom Petty

You belong among the wildflowers
You belong in a boat out at sea
Sail away, kill off the hours
You belong somewhere you feel free

Run away, find you a lover
Go away somewhere all bright and new
I have seen no other
Who compares with you

You belong among the wildflowers
You belong in a boat out at sea
You belong with your love on your arm
You belong somewhere you feel free

Run away, go find a lover
Run away, let your heart be your guide
You deserve the deepest of cover
You belong in that home by and by

You belong among the wildflowers
You belong somewhere close to me
Far away from your trouble and worry
You belong somewhere you feel free
You belong somewhere you feel free

Mother and Son Dance

My mother in law is one word.  AMAZING.  I truly feel like I lucked out big time with the in-laws; they're the kind of family that I SO look forward to visiting.  As much as I love being a west coast girl...I'd totally love to move to Flagstaff just because they are there.  (Yes...I know, you're all wondering how I could be so lucky right?)

Anyway, 3 nights before the wedding, we still had not picked out the song that Andy and his mom (well...our mom, now) were going to dance to.  We were going through a bunch of music and Louis Armstrong's, "What a wonderful world" played.  She said, "Please don't play that song...I will be reduced to tears!"  Andy snuck me a look and saying, "download that song."

"Don't worry mom...I wouldn't do that,"  he said.

You should have seen her when the music started...she just buried her head into Andy's chest.  It was such a sweet moment.  I love this picture of the two of them...perfection.

Check it out!!

 Our wedding was featured on Hi-Fi Weddings!

Bubbles + First Dance = Awesome

When I was researching all the elements I wanted to include in the wedding, I saw a picture of a couple doing their first dance with bubbles and I knew I had to do it!  I ordered them online (they were super cheap and came in really pretty vials).  Everyone loved it...if you're thinking about bubbles I would recommend it!

We danced to "Marry Me" by Train.

Keeping it Simple

We spent around $120 and got 90 cupcakes and one round cake from Sam's and we thought it turned out great!  We tossed some flowers on top of the cake for the topper, borrowed a cupcake stand and PRESTO!  Savings Galore!

The Best and Worst Toast

We've all heard toasts that have made us laugh, cry and cringe.  Well, lets just say that my husband's best man made us do all three.  Literally....look at our faces. 

The best man started off with, "I was going to try and keep this PG...but I just couldn't help myself..."  The story he told was one I had heard and Andy's college buddies were familiar with, but it's not exactly a story our parents, grandparents and relatives probably wanted shared (or cared to know!) at our wedding.  It's more of a story guys tell sitting around a campfire drinking beers. 

Well, fortunately my MOH gave a toast that made us laugh and cry tears of joy...it was truly the best toast I think I've ever heard.  (I love you Gina!) 

We still love the Best Man...his toast was just one more thing that added to the laughter of the day...and to his credit...he did bring the toast full circle and ended it well (Thank God!)  

Blue Shoes

I scored these shoes for less than $20 online.  I love a good deal!

 The very easy DIY project I did. 

Hooray!!

I've got some good news!  Last night we got our passports back!!  WOOOHOOO!

And...over the weekend I became a certified scuba diver!!  I wish I had pictures to show...but as you all know...no more camera.  *sniff, sniff*

So, now that we have our passports back, all is clear with moving on to SE Asia for our next few months of travel.  We'll be on the island of Utila for just over one more week, then we'll fly into LA for a wedding, then we head off to Bangkok to begin our next journey of discovery.  (We'll get a new camera in LA...but we'll be sans a laptop.  So my posts and comments may be more infrequent, but please keep up with me and I'll do my darndest to keep up with you too!)

When Things Go Wrong: Part V

Last night our apartment was broken into.  Our passports, laptop, camera, ipods and other miscellaneous stuff was stolen.  Ironically, we had just booked tickets to Bangkok that same afternoon.  Seriously, WTF is wrong with people?  What is someone going to do with our passports?

UGHH!!

The Dress

I truly believe you can find a spectacular dress without spending a gazillion dollars.  I was sure I could find a dress for under $1000, and I did...in fact, I bought it off the rack for $500.  With alterations and a veil purchase I spent $750...and I couldn't have felt more beautiful on my wedding day. 

Getting Ready

The morning of the wedding was a bit hectic.  I wanted to get ready and take pictures before the ceremony where the reception was going to be held, at Foxboro...which is about half and hour away from the ceremony sight.  The only thing that was still stressing me out at this point was how my hair and makeup was going to turn out--I still didn't know exactly what I was going to do with my hair.

I thought after I pulled my hair up (and teased the hell out of it--and used a bottle of hairspray) I was going to have my girls pin it up somehow...turned out it looked OK in a curly ponytail and that was easiest, so I just said yes to the ponytail.  

My beautiful MOH helping me with my hair...can you see the stress on my face?

Then, the second stress began...the snow started really coming down.  I had to let go of all the shots I envisioned taking outside.  

Regardless, my photographer was still able to capture amazing shots...the few we took outside of the bridal party you can see here and here.  Isn't this venue just gorgeous? 

Mom and Pops

I'm so glad my mom decided to wear a traditional Korean dress (Hanbok) and my dad decided to wear his Air-Force Tux (mess dress).  I think they look awesome!

The Wedding Reading

My husband picked out the reading...I just love it.  

 My beautiful friend Leslie

"Being in love is a good thing, but it is not the best thing.  There are many things below it, but there are also things above it.  You cannot make it the basis of a whole life.  It is a noble feeling, but it is still a feeling.  Now no feeling can be relied on to last in its full intensity, or even to last at all.  Knowledge can last, principles can last, habits can last; but feeling come and go.  And in fact, whatever people say, the state called "being in love' usually does not last.  If the old fairy-tale ending "They lived happily ever after' is taken to mean 'They felt for the next fifty years exactly as they felt the day before they were married', then it says what probably never was nor ever would be true, and would be highly undesirable if it were.  Who could bear to live in that excitement for even five years?  What would become of your work, your appetite, your sleep, your friend-ships? 

But, of course, ceasing to be 'in love' need not mean ceasing to love.  Love in this second sense - love as distinct from "being in love' - is not merely a feeling.  It is a deep unity, maintained by the will and deliberately strengthened by habit; reinforced by (in Christian marriages) the grace which both partners ask, and receive, from God.  They can have this love for each other even at moments when they do not like each other; as you love yourself even when you do not like yourself.  They can retain this love even when each would easily, if they allowed themselves, be 'in love' with someone else.  'Being in love' first moved them to promise fidelity:  this quieter love enables them to keep the promise.  It is on this love that the engine of marriage is run:  being in love was the explosion that started it."


C.S. Lewis,

Mere Christianity

Unity Candle Alternative

I wasn't a huge fan of the unity candle portion of most weddings...so I was searched the internet looking for alternatives; I found pouring wine or sand into a container together, washing each others feet, and some other random things that didn't really suit Andy or I.  We pretty much settled on doing the unity candle until the rehearsal dinner when Andy's father suggested our entire bridal party taking communion together.  We loved the idea.  Afterward, the wedding party came around us and prayed over us while we had a friend play acoustic guitar and sing "Divine Romance" by Phil Wickham.  I have never seen this done at a wedding and we just loved it.  We loved sharing this with the bridal party, and we loved doing something a little different.

Here we are passing the bread and wine to the bridal party.

The wedding party praying over us.

They each said a prayer for us during the song that was performed...it was so touching and memorable.

Laughter Part II

Remeber my previous post about my husand getting a bad case of the giggles during the ceremony?  These pictures capture it so well!

Look at my bridesmaid's faces in the background...hilarious!!

Andy's Uncle and Mother laughing in the crowd!

DIY Ceremony Decor

My preference would have been to say my vows amongst tall trees with sunshine streaming through branches, but we knew there were high chances of a wintery, white wedding--so we planned an indoor ceremony at Andy's father's church.   I don't find most churches aesthetically pleasing (for weddings) unless they are the really grandiose, stained glass cathedrals.  I was trying to figure out how I wanted to decorate the space on a budget without flowers, ribbon and big bows (I'm so not about ribbon and big bows).  I'm way more about simple elegance.  Three days before the wedding, this is what I came up with. 

We hung a rod with fishwire and hung curtains from Ikea.  Found cheap vases and filled them with willow painted ivory.  The table was made and we loaded candles and votives on top.  The whole thing cost less than $80.

 (We lit the candles before the ceremony started.)

The entire party!

Wowzers

I came across this post a couple of weeks ago on Curious Catchall's blog and I haven't stopped thinking about it since!  When I get back to the states I am totally doing this!

You can read more on how this was done here. 

Post Semana Santa

The island of Utila is back to normal.  Semana Santa (Holy Week) was absolutely crazy; apparently during Holy Week it's tradition that all the mainlander's head to the beach and PAR-TAY.  So for an entire week this tiny  little island was crammed with people, debauchery, and madness.  The songs, "Tonight's gonna be a good night, Bad Romance, and Sexy Bitch" were replayed waaaay too often until about 4am every night...if I ever hear those songs again I might involuntary throw something. 

Andy and I secured work only a few days before Semana Santa began which was a great for making some quick cash.  Andy was working at a dive shop in the morning and we were both working in restaurants at night.  It's super cheap to live here, so in general you don't need to make a lot of cash to get by.  If you make $20 a day then it was a good day.  We had a great week!  Now it's time to relax and spend it!

Our loot!

Travel Funnies

My husband is fluent in Spanish; I catch about every fifth word or so.  As we've traveled through Central America, I've left all the talking to Andy.  He looks to me mid conversation with locals and is subtly trying to tell me to speak.  I just smile.  He doesn't want to look like the creepy white guy who has a mail order-bride.  (I'm half Korean, but many people here think I'm Honduran for some reason.)

"Speak some English!"  He says.

"Que?"  I respond.  Hehe.

My 100th Post! Now What?

I think every gal who starts a wedding blog comes to a crossroads after the wedding is over.  What should I write about now?  Who would be interested?  Well, I still am!  Daily blog posts are kinda like Facebook and twitter updates--most are random updates, but I still read them!  I am interested in what is going on in the daily lives of my blogger friends even after your wedding--because I'm in the same boat!

Perhaps it's because I'm on a Caribbean Island with no friends and I don't know when I'll develop an authentic friendship in the next year traveling abroad, but I can't wait to see all of the wedding pictures of my blogger friends whose weddings are yet to come, and I look forward to discussing "wifehood" and all the things that come after marriage. 

Thanks so much for reading...I hope you continue to do so!

New Traditions: Easter

This is the first holiday Andy and I are spending together as a married couple; one of the things I sooooo looked forward to about being married is starting holiday traditions.  Our first Easter tradition is banana mango pancakes with sweetened condensed milk and honey--DELISH!

I Love...

 I love when he wakes me up with, "Good morning wife."  

I love signing my new married name.

I love making him coffee. 

I love getting to know him better every day.  

I love knowing I can be completely vulnerable.  

I love how incredibly goofy we can be with each other.  

I love taking care of him when he is sick.

I love how he lavishes me with affection.

I love that he covers my eyes with something when the light pours through the windows in the morning so I can continue sleeping. 

I love how his touch still gives me goosebumps. 

I love how he communicates with me. 

I love that we pray together.
I love referring to him as my husband.

I absolutely, positively love being his wife.

Reviewing Vows: Honor and Respect

I have to admit, I've been a little bummed out reading some wedding blogs lately.  I'm all about having a place to vent, be real, bitch, and complain about things that go wrong or stresses related to the wedding, but it's disappointing when the bitching, venting etc. is about our husbands/future husbands.  I'm not saying we should be fake and avoid topics like conflict, but I think whatever we write or say about our men should be done carefully, remembering our vows to always honor and respect them.  

All the books about relationships and marriage I read, and during pre-marital counseling the HUGE thing that was revealed to me was that in relationships the one thing women crave most is love, and the one thing men crave most is respect.  I know I've got a ton to learn about marriage, but I pray that those who know me best will help keep me accountable.  If I start bitching about my man...especially on a blog for the entire world to see, I really hope someone leaves me a comment to delete it.