First Wedding of the Summer

Brian and I usually attend or are in an average of 12 weddings each summer. It is a bit much. This summer, 2010, we are only in 2. And they are the most fun 2!

Wedding #1... The last weekend in June we went to St Simons Island for Chelsea & Matt's wedding. It was SO fun to be in a destination wedding, my first. The weather was flawless (except the 10 minutes it rained during the ceremony, but we were inside so we were safe), the bride was STUNNING, the groom was adorable, and it was great to be reunited with all our college friends. It's hard to go from spending every waking moment with your best friends while in college to then everyone going off and getting married and moving to different states. We always try to make the most of our time together when we are reunited because those times are few and far between.

Chelsea was the best. The whole weekend was amazing. She got a cottage on the island for all the bridesmaids and their spouses, it was great for us all to be in the same place. We spent our days laying out on the beach & lounging around the house. The bmaid luncheon was held at a gorgeous house where we spent the afternoon playing in the pool and sipping margaritas. The Rehearsal Dinner was at Jekyll Island Country Club and they served delicious southern food - mac and cheese, fried chicken, key lime pie, etc. It hit the spot. Groomsmen and bridesmaids gave some fantastic toasts that had me crying and laughing. The wedding was held at the beautiful St Simons United Methodist Church. While we waited for the ceremony to start, the maids and bride played "Would You Rather" in the parlor and had some good laughs (seahorse or manatee?). The reception was tender and sweet. Chelsea's little brother played their first dance. They had a fun band that kept us all out on the dance floor all night long. All in all, what an amazing weekend. Congratulations to Chels & Matt!!!! xoxo

Here is a slideshow I just put together of the weekend...

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Upcoming Trips

We are SO excited about our upcoming trips! In a few weeks, we are going to Hilton Head Island with my (Ellen's) family for a week. My family goes here every year and we have our usual favorite spots - Red Fish, Salty Dog, and of course the beach! Although, I must be honest. I don't get in the ocean. Sad I know. But I am VERY afraid of what is out there. I was stung by a jellyfish when I was a child and since then I have seen every scary ocean movie out there so I am officially terrified of sharks. So needless to say, I keep my distance. I will put my feet in, but that's about it. Hopefully that'll change once we have kids. I would hate to pass down my "issues" like that to our children. YIKES!

Anyway, back to the trip. We are very excited about HHI this year, but also nervous at the same time. This will be the first time we are leaving Penny and we are very sad about it. In fact, I'm not sure who will be more sad - Penny or us. We have hired a girl from the vet to come and stay with her at our house for the week. She is a very sweet girl and obviously loves dogs, but it is SO hard to leave your baby for the first time. And for a week nonetheless.

Naturally, I have typed up a 2 page list of "things to know about Penny" for her. Naturally.

Now onto our next trip for 2010. Toward the end of June, one of our best friends, Miss Chelsea C., will be getting hitched in St. Simons. SUCH a fun destination wedding! She will no doubt make a beautiful bride. All of my best college friends (The Fab 5) will be there. Some with husbands. Some with babies. Crazy times.

Next trip is another wedding. Obviously it is wedding season. My cousin, Miss Anna N., is the next to get hitched. She is marrying the most wonderful guy (besides Brian of course) and we couldn't be happier for her. Their wedding is in July in Augusta, Georgia. Oh and I am bridesmaid in both weddings YIKES!

And our final trip for 2010 (thank goodness b/c I am getting tired just thinking about the packing and unpacking!) will be to St. Thomas with my family!!! We are taking the week of Thanksgiving and going to this gorgeous island. My parents have rented a villa for the 5 of us (mom, dad, sister, B, and me). I am SO excited to go somewhere exotic and far away!!!

patio view from villa :)

So obviously, I will be doing a LOT of packing and unpacking over the next few months. I LOVE to travel, but I am not a fan of packing and unpacking. I dread it with each trip. I feel prepared for our upcoming trips, there are just 2 things that I think I'll need to purchase between now and then...

We have a fabulous digital camera, but it's just not "cutting it" anymore. It's great if the subject is sitting completely still and is willing to hold the pose for 3-5 seconds. We are in need of a nice Digital SLR, especially now that we have Penny and you gotta know the girl will not hold a pose for 3-5 seconds. And then for when we have children, it will definitely come in handy. Brian really wants a DSLR for St. Thomas.

I, like every girl, have 42301 bathing suits. But alas, it is never enough. I am on the hunt for a cute new bathing suit for my 2010 summer wardrobe. This year I am wanting a ruffle bandeau. So I'm keeping my eyes out for one!

Our Very First Blog!

Well this is our first blog, so bear with us as we are learning the ropes. Let me first just catch you up to date on the past few years of our lives together as hubby and wifeski. We met while attending Samford University (in Bham, AL) and fell in love. Basically, Brian stalked me for a few weeks until I gave in haha. But we began courtship, which eventually turned into an engagement... which eventually led to a wedding on March 8, 2008 here in Atlanta. We had the most fabulous wedding-->

getting my hair & makeup did

Bob (B's dad), Brian, Phil (B's bro)

our BEAUTIFUL church where we got married - Peachtree Christian Church

Carolyn (E's mom), Ellen, Lamar (E's dad), Deborah (E's sis)

Phil, JoAnne (B's mom), Brian, Bob

we were so blessed to have all our best friends in our wedding party :)

when 2 become 1

husband & wife

outside our church

our reception was held at The Biltmore: Georgian Ballroom... Ellen's parents had their 2nd date in this very room & this is the moment in time when they fell in love with each other... it just seemed fitting that Brian & Ellen have their reception here :)

our first dance as husband & wife - "True Companion"

my dress was custom-made by Kenneth Poole Platinum... Classic Cheesecakes & Cakes created my wedding cake based on the design of my dress...

March 8, 2008 was basically the most perfect day of our lives. We were both on Cloud 9, head over heels in love with each other, and we got to share the special day with all our friends and family. The next "big event" in our lives happened the very next day... our honeymoon! (this post has gotten WAY too long, I'll make a new post with honeymoon stories & pics)

Here is a slideshow of our favorite wedding pics (turn your sound up so you can hear the music!)...

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com