Our Wedding, Part 2

Hey friends! This is the second part (of how many? I have no idea right now, sorry) of my posts about J & I's wedding on October 8, 2016. The last you heard/saw, my family and friends had gone to the Art of Life Salon to get our hair and makeup done. We got done way earlier than expected, then headed back to the hotel to relax (ha).

Once we got back, our photographer, Liz, and I headed downstairs to the lobby of the hotel to get some pictures of my dress. Afterwards, we went back upstairs to eat lunch and get ready. As I said in the last post, I couldn't bring myself to eat more than a bite of my sandwich. I was terribly anxious about fitting into my dress, but mostly it was my adrenaline and nerves. I was so worried something wasn't going to go as planned!

My mom, J's mom, and my maid of honor, Hannah, all helped me into my dress and shoes while Maya, my wedding planner/personal angel brought in the bouquets and flower crowns. If you know me well, you know that I like flowers just fine, but I don't have a ton of opinions about flowers. I really like peonies and I knew I wanted me and my bridesmaids to wear flower crowns, but that's about where my opinions end. Maya had asked me early on what I was looking for, and when I came up with, well, nothing, she asked me to go on Pinterest and make some albums with bouquets that I liked. She is clearly a witch or sorceress of some kind, because she took these half-formed opinions and made us the prettiest bouquets and flower crowns in the world!

Our Wedding, Part 1

On Friday, October 7, J and I had our Rehearsal and Rehearsal Dinner at Centro, an Italian restaurant in downtown Des Moines. The Rehearsal went off without a hitch (ha), and the dinner was incredible! I've eaten at Centro so many times, but never had a catered or buffet-style meal there. Honestly, it was one of the best meals of my life. So many options for those who were vegetarian (portobello mushroom fries?!), and even though I'm not a huge meat-eater, I had a bit of the steak (which was equally delicious).

The funniest/weirdest part of the night was realizing (midway though the Rehearsal) how much I hated being the center of attention. I consider myself an extrovert, and honestly, I love being the center of attention in small groups - so I didn't think I would be uncomfortable in this big group of my closest friends and family. I ended up grabbing a seat by my girlfriends, at the end of a row near the back, which was basically the most secluded I could be, and I loved it. 

At certain points in the evening, I snuck away with J to the other side of the room, where no one could see us. I'd heard people say, "Make time for just the two of you at your wedding," and in theory, I was like, "Well yeah, no problem." But in the midst of the Rehearsal and Dinner, I finally understood. Just having a few moments to "hide" and be with each other felt like breathing again. 

That night, the wedding party all headed over to the East Village to go to Up-Down (this 90's themed bar). We didn't stay out too late, because the girls all had to be at the hair salon early in the morning, but it was fun to let loose and play some silly games together. As it turns out, I am pretty damn good at pinball and not so good at ski ball. We headed back to the hotel, but not after stopping by Fong's to get some late-night pizza!

The morning of the wedding my girls and I got up early to head to the salon, the Art of Life in Urbandale. Some of my girlfriends and family met us there, but most of us left from our hotel. When I got there, Jillian and Jeanna (my new sister-in-law and mother-in-law) brought me Starbucks, which was desperately needed. Chelsea, my hair stylist in Des Moines, cut my hair a few days before and styled it the day of. My high school friend, Lauren, did everyone's makeup, and the flowers and flower crowns were done by Maya at Plum Event + Design, our wedding planner. I was wearing this beautiful robe that Lauren gave me at my bachelorette party, my favorite Lululemon leggings, and a tank I had lying around.

All the photos below are by Liz Morrow unless otherwise stated. She did an INCREDIBLE job taking pictures of our wedding. We actually won a contest to have her take our photos, and all the begging and pleading we did to in order to win was totally worth it. Not only was she super professional, but she was also just a really, really great person. Funny, interesting, thoughtful, etc. I'm super grateful that we got to work with her, and I would definitely recommend her to anyone looking for a wedding photographer!

These pictures end right about lunch, before we headed out for pictures and to meet up with the guys (and the first look).

This photo is clearly by me and not a professional :)

Photo by my mom, I think?

Photo from my sister-in-law, Jillian

I was shocked by how nervous I was - not nervous to marry J, but nervous that something was going to go wrong or the service would be terrible or I would embarass myself in front of so many people. J and I created the ceremony ourselves two weeks beforehand (long story), pulling together services from a couple different sources, and with my mom's help with the prayers. Beforehand, I was super excited about it, because it felt so like us - this fun/weird hodge podge of athiest and Lutheran, punk and sweet: J and me! But for the Rehearsal and the morning of, all I could think about was what did we need to do next? Was everyone where they needed to be? Was I wearing the right underwear? Where was the right underwear? Did I plan everything out enough? Did I plan it out too much? Could J see my dress if the door opened too wide? The questions wouldn't stop.

I knew I needed to eat lunch, but I just couldn't bring myself to. I think I had like, two bites of a sandwich, but I just wasn't hungry. I was on hyper alert, and honestly, I was probably the most "bridezilla" at that exact moment. I apologize (deeply) to everyone in the room at the time. You are all saints for putting up with me, and I love you.

There's still a lot of wedding day to cover, so I won't bore you with an elaborate, mushy post about my feelings - I'll save that for another post. For now, I'll just say that I've never been so grateful in my entire life. I'm not used to being doted on or being the center of attention, and I basically had a week of pampering before the wedding. So many people gave their time and their talents to make me and J feel so special and loved, and I still can't get over it. So, thank you - from the bottom of my heart.

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Life Lately {vol. 55}

I've been so behind, but let's try to catch up from the rest of my summer since the bar exam!

My bestie, Kendra, sent me cupcakes to celebrate me finishing the bar exam - how sweet (no pun intended) // The week after the bar, J and I headed to Hilton Head to see my family. I indulged in some cake ice cream when we went out on a boat // First and last time I was in a bikini this summer

One reason I love being "home" is that I have tons of down time and can read! I finished Yes, Please by Amy Poehler while I was there // J on the boat - what a hottie! // J at the farmer's market, looking deep and introspective (while he was really just sweaty and hot, haha)

My mom bought me "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" and I read the whole thing while I was home // My dad & I both really love to cook, and it's one of my favorite things to do when I'm back home - it's kind of "our thing," which I love. :)

My mom and I checked out some fancy lip colors for my wedding lipstick, and this is the color we loved! It was a mix of a darker lipstick (which, spoiler alert, I ended up wearing alone on our wedding day) with a brighter red lipgloss over it // I was caught up in that Delta disaster when their computers messed up (J had already flown home, so he was fine), and I got to stay in Hilton Head another day - which was fine, until it took me all day the next day to get home. Ugh! // Also, sorry for the creeper pick, but is anyone else obsessed with "About Time?" It's one of my top 3 movies, and Domhnall Gleeson has quickly become one of my favorite actors. And on my second-to-last flight that day, I sat next to a guy who I swear to God was the American-accented Domhnall Gleeson. It was spooky, but I didn't want to be a creeper since he was on the flight with his wife and kids. So I decided to be even creepier and take a secret picture of him, haha. I had to send a picture to my friend, Abby, and make sure I wasn't insane!

Despite what a disaster it was trying to get back to Denver, I was really impressed with how Delta responded to the chaos. Everyone I spoke to was compassionate, kind, and they brought out pizza and free foods for passengers // The weekend after I got back, two of my favorite people from law school came to visit J and me! Tyler was in town for work, and Jay (and their dog, Ella) came with - I think mostly because they know how much I missed them! We went out for drinks, which was actually the first time we'd gone out since being in Denver // The sign on the Occidental spoke to me

The next morning, the five of us went out for breakfast at Snooze // After breakfast, we headed into the mountains to explore - we ended up stopping in some tiny mountain town to walk on a short trail, because J had to head back into Denver for work // That afternoon, Tyler, Jay and I went to the Denver Botanic Gardens

That evening, the four of us (sorry, no Ella) went to dinner at Sushi Den // The next day, Jay, Tyler, Ella and I headed north to Estes Park while J worked again. I'd never been, but I got to spend all day with some of my favorite people, in a convertible, driving through the gorgeous mountains! // The town itself was adorable - a little kitchy, but really cool! We got to drive past the Stanley Hotel, from "The Shining," which was a dream for me. Jay and Tyler insisted we take one of those old timey pictures, and I'm SO glad they did, because the pictures turned out hilarious!

I had a few interviews this summer! // I went back home to Des Moines at the end of August. Mostly it was for Liz, one of my best friend's, wedding, but I also used being home to get my wedding dress fitted! // The space Liz got married was gorgeous! It was this old, refurbished barn in the country, but they really dressed it up and made it seem special - and totally them!

Liz is married!! She has never looked happier or more beautiful! :) We got to ride in a party bus right after the ceremony and get some drinks in town, which was super fun // Kissing my "date" for the evening, Lauren! Both of our partners couldn't make it to the wedding, and since we were already besties, it just made sense to be dance partners! // SUCH a beautiful and fun wedding!

After the wedding, I drove back to Denver and started getting back in the swing of things! Since I didn't have a full-time job, I was doing work for two law firms doing contract work - basically, they gave me work when they had it, but I was working from home. While doing that, I also went to an employment law retreat for two days! It was a total blast and I learned so much while I was there // Laundry is one of my least favorite things (avoiding doing it as we speak), but it's one of James' favorite things // J and I got our wedding rings in the mail, and he loved his so much!

My wedding band was super special to me - the diamonds and emeralds are from my mom's wedding band, since she's basically upgraded her ring, haha. Since my engagement ring has J's grandma's diamond in it, my rings are that much more special! // Since I was working from home, I mixed it up for a few days and worked from a coffee shop // J and I went to a "Thursday" show during the week! It was a blast, even though my feet were killing me by the end. It's one of J's favorite bands, so part of me wished I knew their music better - but I still had so much fun! I've never been to a show with J that wasn't amazing. What can I say? The guy has great taste in music.

Doing more work! In my experience, real-life law work isn't much like law school, but one of my bosses asked me to basically brief a bunch of cases for him. I was thrilled to do it, because it was just like a throwback to law school! // My little brother, Chase, got J and I these two lamps from our registry! It was weird for my little brother to get me a wedding present (he's an adult???), and I was shocked by how much more "adult" it made our bedroom. At the time, we still didn't have a bed, but it really did made our room feel more pulled together // I got another Stitch Fix in the mail!

J and I discovered pretty recently that the Whole Foods by our house has some pretty killer sushi. This has been a dangerous discovery // I also started drinking some green juices again! I totally forgot how addicting they are - in Concord, there's a juice bar where I got fresh-pressed juice all the time, like when I was hungover or had been eating badly and needed a reset. Whole Foods has a bunch of really delicious local juices, and this Green Zinger is one of my favorites! // Speaking of Concord, both of us have been missing the nachos from Hermanos. They're not traditional, but the Betty and Shirl's nachos (picked jalepenos, chicken, garlic oil, avocados, and baby portobello mushrooms) are what dreams are made of. J had been having a rough week, so I surprised him by recreating these nachos as well as I could! I also made a pickled jalepenos salsa to dip the nachos in.

((Apparently I posted a picture twice - oops)) // I went to a networking event for young attorneys and loved my outfit - it's cold enough now that I can wear boots, and having a nice shirt paired with rolled up jeans and nice boots is basically my perfect outfit // I went to another networking event-slash-attorney education event, and during a break, I went to this really cool "grocery" store with a few friends. It's this building where they have a bunch of different permanent stalls - one is for coffee, one is for meats, one is for breads, etc. I just had coffee there, but I can't wait to go back!

Frozen grapes are the best, and I read A Wind in the Door, one of my favorite books by Madeleine L'Engle. I'm still doing my 12x12 project, but I don't know which book I'm on // J and I headed to Iowa for our wedding! We left a week early so we could relax and get a few last-minute things done. // The cats came with us, and they were perfect travelers!

J and I had to finish some last-minute shopping, including presents for each other! I was really into the illustrated Harry Potter books, but I couldn't justify getting a book that I already owned (despite the fact that I have two copies of Anne of Green Gables and want another copy, haha) // While doing errands, J and I stopped by our wedding venue! // My mom, J and I went to get our marriage license first thing in the morning on Wednesday

Thursday morning, I found out that I passed the Colorado Bar Exam, and I burst out sobbing at the HyVee Market Grill (the restaurant attached to this midwest grocery store). I'd been so stressed out about passing, and had tried to come to terms with the fact that I just didn't pass so that I wouldn't be as stressed out - but it turns out I passed by a LOT. It meant so much to me! // Thursday night was my bachelorette party and J's bachelor party! My favorite part was seeing all these women who I dearly love in the same place, getting to know each other. Plus, it was Harry Potter themed, so it was literally my dream party // My friend Erin was in charge of the games - she made me a scavenger hunt at the bars that was the Marauders Map, with folding pages and secret flaps!

Erin also made us a Harry Potter board drinking game, which was SUPER fun! We didn't get through much, but it was one of the most fun nights of my life. After games, we headed out to my favorite bars in Des Moines, and at the end of the night, met up with the guys // Do my girls know me or what?! They put UV Blue in these fancy bottles and called it Polyjuice Potion. My inner and outer nerd were the happiest // The next morning was ROUGH... but to be fair, that's why we chose to have the bachelor and bachelorette parties and Thursday night instead of on Friday night. We knew we'd need a buffer between the parties and the wedding, haha.

It's been one hell of a summer and fall - and still more to come! We have a TON of wedding pictures already, and I'm really excited to post about it. Until then, I'm just relieved I got through almost four months in one recap, haha.

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Top Wedding Posts from 2015

One of my most popular posts from 2015 was on making boxes for my bridesmaids! I really wanted to ask them in a personalized way and to give them little gifts to thank them for being in my life. I really wish I could have given them in person, because I definitely had mini alcohols for each of my girls that (it turns out) can't be sent through the mail!

I posted a series about finding my wedding dress, which was insanely popular. I quickly realized that my readers really, really liked hearing about wedding stuff. I don't blame you, because I like it too. :) They were super fun to write. My first post was on my initial thoughts when dress shopping and my experiences dress shopping in Boston.

My second post in the wedding dress series was about actually finding "the dress." It was totally unexpected, but so exciting! I still pine for it, and I'm not exaggerating. I wish I had it now so that I could wear it around the house. :) 

My last (and third) post in the series was 6 tips for dress shopping. I read a lot of tips beforehand, but these were the ones I really took to heart and used myself. Bringing snacks was a must, because it is physically and emotionally exhausting! I was also really shocked by how much other people's opinions were hard to ignore. At the last place we looked in Boston, my mom and grandma loved this lace dress on me (not the one shown above), but I felt literally nothing. It was so hard to explain why this dress - which was technically perfect and looked amazing on me - just wasn't the one. I felt like I was letting people down! In reality, I wasn't. They wanted the best for me, which wasn't that dress.

In April, I posted about 8 wedding things I'd been loving! Since my wedding Pinterest board is private, it was fun to show off some of the things I'd been thinking about. It ended up being really popular, which again, after realizing how popular all my wedding posts were, wasn't totally unexpected. It's funny to see how my tastes or ideas have changed since then!

It's honestly really hard to write about J and I's wedding - I'm never sure how much to share. It's not just because of privacy, but because if I share everything that we're planning, then I think the wedding itself won't be as exciting for our guests! I like having surprises planned, and I want people to be totally awed! If everyone knows what we've planned, then no surprises. Boo!

At the same time, I really love writing about it. It's fun. We're finally at the point where we've got the big stuff taken care of and I'm constantly being asked about our plans, so it feels silly not to write about it. Plus, writing about finding a wedding dress was basically the most fun I had writing this year! 

It's so funny, because I was so stressed out about being a bride at first. Now, it feels like the most natural thing in the world, because over the past year, I've really let go about what I think I'm supposed to do/think/feel, and just let J and I figure stuff out! There are no wrong answers, and that's been super freeing for me. :)