Disclaimer: Not every love story starts out with sunshine and rainbows.

Let’s start off by fast forwarding back to 2007. I had just graduated college and started my first “real” job. Bright eyed and beyond enthusiastic I walked into Day 1 and was greeted by my new boss. Wow was he charming, handsome, and . . . umm taken! Bummer. It wasn’t until that moment that I really understood Alanis Morissette’s lyrics that dominated my middle school years: Isn’t it ironic?

Months after putting my nose to the grindstone and living through daily reminders that this great guy was not available, I jumped at a new opportunity. I signed up to go through a new training program offered, even if it did mean a 2 hour commute for a few months. Yeah, I wanted out of there.

Months had passed and I was transitioning well to my new position. I was desperately trying to have fun dating but, no one really got the butterflies going. And unfortunately I kept running into that charming, handsome, unavailable man at work functions and social events. There was just something about him that I couldn’t get out of my mind.

As I was finishing up the training program, I was asked to return to my original office.  I just flat out said no. I didn’t think I could survive any more daily reminders. I started at a new office close by and the charming, handsome man and I had a few run-ins at work happy hours. It is then that I discovered that unbeknownst to me the charming, handsome, unavailable man was in fact available. Almost a year after I met him the harbored crush could finally be pursued. The flirting commenced almost immediately and our little love story began with the modern day love letter, email. After four years of more emails, texts, fun, laughs, kisses, love, support, a puppy, and moving in together we are getting married!

He popped the question the day before Thanksgiving last year and after the holidays the planning began. We are few months in and I have learned so much in such a short amount of time. Keep checking back for my monthly updates as we create our Art Deco inspired wedding with our Handmade budget. There will be lots of crafty DIY projects and budget conscious creativity.  Hopefully you can take something away from our planning process to inspire your BIG day.   -Rebecca Smith

One month. 30 days. 4 weeks. However you want to put it, our wedding is . . . SOON! I have to say the past 11 months of engaged life have treated me well. I’ve had a blast planning our wedding and also enjoyed all the other fun nuances of being engaged, such as using the term ‘fiancé’ and wearing this gorgeous diamond on my left hand.

But there is one thing that I haven’t thought about until the past couple weeks that I’ll probably miss the most, and that’s my last name. Yes, it may sound silly, but I’ve had this name for close to 33 years and giving it up is, well . . . bitter sweet. Don’t get me wrong, I’m extremely excited to become “Mrs. Robinson,” but when you really think about your name it’s something that becomes a part of you. But, the good news is, as a bride, we have options and I’m taking advantage of them. I’ve decided to keep “Bradford” as my new middle name. So, in all reality I won’t necessarily have to part with my last name completely . . . just my middle name, but I can live with that.

Aside from some of these “deeper thoughts” (if that’s what you want to call them) that have been running through my mind as we count down the mere days before our wedding, there are several things that I’ve been doing to steer clear of being deemed a ‘bridezilla’ so I thought I would share:

*If you call yourself a ‘bridezilla,’ then most people won’t feel the need to call you one…at least not to your face!

*Google Calendar – The last three months of wedding planning are the busiest. So if you and your fiancé want to stay sane, I’d highly recommend sharing an electronic calendar, such as Google Calendar, so you both can see when things are planned and who is doing what, when. This is a must!

*Excel – I’m a Microsoft Excel geek. I love it. Guest list, budget, rental items, you name it and we have an Excel spreadsheet that organizes it. Love, love, love Excel!

*Exercise (taking some ‘me’ time) – If your Google Calendar starts to get too full, then you know you’re not taking time for yourself. You know what I’m talking about: “personal time,” “me time,” whatever you want to call it, you need it! I exercise regularly but when it came down to the grind of wedding planning, I was skipping the gym and heading straight home to check things off my list. Bad idea. So, I did it, I invested in a personal trainer and I couldn’t be more happy with my decision. Ladies, if you want to get toned for your wedding and need someone to keep you motivated to get to the gym, Damon Dukes at Merritt Athletic Club in Canton, is your man! Shoot him an email if you’re interested (ddukes2269@gmail.com).

*Date Night – Yes, it’s the cliché “Date Night” term that married couples tell engaged couples they should always make time for. Well, it’s the truth. It’s so easy to get caught up in all the wedding planning, that you get out of your routine and, well, life is passing you by. Part of the planning process is preparing to be a married couple and that means continuing to enjoy one another and taking time for each other just as you did prior to getting engaged.

*Bottle(s) of Wine – Nightly. Just kidding. But seriously, when there are 150 invitations that need to be stuffed and stamped sitting on your dining room table, pour a glass of wine or two and try and enjoy it. Note: sit glass far away from all invitations, and white is probably the way to go. Red will stain!

*Just Stay Positive – You’re planning what could be the most important event of your life. There will be bumps along the way, challenges that don’t seem fixable, and, yes, some days when everything seems to be going wrong. I promise that the next day they don’t seem so bad, and…in the end, everything works out just the way it was supposed to!

Get in, buckle up, and enjoy the ride. My journey along Country Road will soon change direction, but this is only the beginning… I’m looking forward to the next phase of this beautiful road trip. -Amber Bradford

Kristine, left, and I celebrating our one year anniversary at the Dave Matthews Band festival in Atlantic City, 2011.

I would like to start with two confessions.  #1: Despite my better judgment, this Maryland native has fallen for a Jersey girl. It’s true, I just can’t resist that feisty attitude and hearing “wooder” makes me go weak in the knees. Not really. But I do love her like crazy and she lets me be myself and keeps me in check when necessary.  #2: I have never blogged before and at the risk of being white noise among so many other wedding stories, I thought this would be a chance to share our experiences during this process as a same-sex couple. Positive and exciting changes are happening for the gay community and I am grateful not only for the unconditional love and support from our family and friends, but also for the opportunity to legally marry the woman I love in my home state.  So here it is, the classic tale of girl meets girl . . .

In between jobs at the National Aquarium and the Maryland Zoo, Kristine taught at a nursery school for about a year.  I was working through grad school as a nanny for an adorable three year old, who was starting her first year of preschool, and in the afternoons when I picked her up, “Miss Kristine” would tell me about her day. This is officially how we met, but I tease Kristine that while I was crushing on her, she didn’t even notice me. It wasn’t until a year later that fate (and by fate, I mean very persistent friends) unknowingly brought us together.

It was a Thursday night in July and a good friend of mine convinced me to meet her out at Grand Central Station, a popular gay bar in Mount Vernon. Coincidentally, Kristine’s friend dragged her out as well. Typically I am not a very outgoing person and I don’t think I have EVER made the first move, but that night I spotted Kristine across the bar and decided to approach her – maybe I was feeling sassy in my pink dress? I bounced (according to witnesses) over, tapped her on the shoulder, and reintroduced myself. I give Kristine a hard time (noticing a pattern?) because she didn’t seem to remember me at first; but we started talking and by the end of the evening we had exchanged numbers.

After fourteen loooooooooong hours (which is like weeks in lesbian time), Kristine finally texted me and we planned our first date for the following night.  I guess you can say it went well because here we are, almost three years later, living in a tiny row house in Canton with our dog, Jolie, and three cats, Camden, Jones, and Phoebe Buffay.  And yes, we are planning our wedding. Because I am a planner and very detail-oriented, our wedding isn’t until July 2014, making sure we have plenty of time to make our day exactly the way we want it to be. That also means there will be several blog posts between now and then, so, if you’re still reading, keep an eye out for my next post when I will share the deets of our engagement stories (that’s right, we have two!). – Emily Wolf

Sean and I met in Brewer’s Hill in April of 2011, where we both were living at the time. Soon enough, we moved in together, and from our bedroom window each night, we could see Mr. Boh winking at us from the Natty Boh tower.

Our relationship continued to grow and blossom around all things Baltimore–Orioles games, local farmer’s markets, trying new corner bars for Ravens games, and of course, drinking Natty Boh.

Fast forward two years. We are now living in the county but still go into the city often. Last Saturday evening, Sean took me to Tark’s Grill, then we decided to “have a few drinks” on the water. Well, instead of driving to Bo Brooks, he pulls into the parking lot of the National Bohemian tower. “I have a surprise for you”, he says. “I arranged a private tour.” Still not sure what to think, but very excited, I went with him inside, where we were greeted by the building manager Dave. Little did I know, Sean had arranged it all in advance with him. We had the entire building to ourselves. Dave took us up to the top floor in the elevator, where we saw the view from the offices there. Then he opened a door to the outside and pointed to a ladder on the side of the building. Sean told me to climb it and that it would be worth it to see the view of the city from the top.

When I climbed to the top of the ladder, which is literally right next to Natty Boh’s winking face, there was a blanket with champagne and glasses, plus 2 Natty Bohs and 2 Natty Boh hats. I was floored. It was then that I understood just what was happening. Sean got down on one knee and proposed, and then Dave (who left us alone when we climbed the ladder) let us have as much time as we needed on the roof. We sipped our drinks, took photos of the city and of us in front of Mr. Boh’s face, and just enjoyed our first moments of being engaged while overlooking the neighborhood where we first met.

Dave then returned and took photos for us, which was great. We were there for sunset and into the evening, which was incredible. The only “flaw” to the evening was that Sean had put a video camera in hiding to capture the engagement, and it ended up dying as he was getting down on one knee!

As if this wasn’t enough, there was more to the evening. Sean and I got in the car and decided to go to Fells Point to celebrate with drinks. When we walked into the upstairs of Kooper’s, 25 of our family and friends were there waiting for us! Sean had planned a private, open-bar, catered event weeks in advance, and the people we care most about were there. It was an incredible evening that we will both forever cherish.  – Colleen Sidlovsky

It’s 27 days until the wedding and there is a lot going on! I’ve learned a lot about weddings over the past year and a half so I’m going to take this opportunity to share my wisdom… and my worries.

Unsolicited Pieces of Advice:

1. Shoes –  I’ve changed over the past few years, or matured rather. Maybe it’s age, maybe it’s the fact that I work from home and don’t need to wear real clothes – let alone shoes – on a daily basis (Think: pajama pants, dog by my side, and hurricane hair. It’s awesome. You should try it). Whatever it is, I have no desire to wear adorable heels on my wedding day. I bought flats. With rhinestone-studded toes. At Marshall’s. For $19.99. And they are awesome.
   

   My flats!

2. Bridal gown undergarments – One word. Bustier. I got mine online and it fits like a glove. My dress is somewhere between A-line and Trumpet so I wanted something to hold me in where the fitted waist hits my curves. The brand I bought is Fellina, but try some on and find the right one for you.
3. Wedding Website – I really didn’t want to put a line like this on our Save the Dates: Please visit http://www.weddingwebsite.com/weddings/2013/naomiandbenarefinallygettingmarriedMay26/ for more information! You know what I mean. So instead I bought www.naomi-and-ben.com from Go Daddy for about $10/year and set up a simple redirect to my free Wedding Wire site. It’s super simple!
4. Shower and bachelorette in one weekend – I let my b-maids and family know that I wanted to have my shower and bachelorette in one weekend. I did this selfishly, I admit, but I think many appreciated it. I came in from out of town for the festivities and so did many friends. By having the shower during the day on Saturday and the Bach party later that night, everyone could participate in both!
5. Hair and makeup trial prior to dress fitting – Each time I head home to Maryland I end up cramming in tons of wedding activities. This one worked out perfectly! I did my hair and makeup trial in the morning and then went straight to my dress fitting. I got to see my full look and man am I excited for the big day!!
   

   Amie Decker Beauty making me look like a rockstar!

6. Wedding workout  – I obviously want to look and feel my best on my wedding day. It will undoubtedly be the most photographed day of my life! Last year around this same time I signed up for an 8K race. It was a personal triumph and I decided to do it again this year – conveniently about a month and half before the wedding. It got me fit and feelin’ good just in time! So stop reading this and go sign up for race – 3K, 5K, 8K, doesn’t matter. Google a healthy training plan and hit the pavement. You won’t regret it!
7. Honeymoon of a lifetime – Take that crazy honeymoon. Just do it. Ben and I have always dreamed of traveling to Australia. Over the past year we debated whether it was feasible as a honeymoon – Ben is still in school, I might not have the vacation time from work, it’s expensive, blah blah blah, excuses excuses excuses. Finally, we decided. We’re doing it!!! It’s one of those places that if we don’t go do it now, we might never go at all. To give guests an option other than the normal registry items, we set up a Honeyfund where they can help contribute to our trip. Can’t wait!

And now for the flip side…

Things I’m Currently Worried About:

-        Sweating – Last year, May 26 was over 90 degrees. 90 degrees!! I’m a shwetty person and I love to dance – a dangerous combination for a bride. Luckily many brides blog about this and I recently read two pointers that I might try. One said to brush baby powder on your inner thighs so you are more comfortable under your dress as you sweat. Another said to put a battery powered fan under your table to help cool you off (you can point it right up your dress!). Ha!

-        Seating assignments – It just sounds difficult.

-        Weather - There is a certain flow that needs to happen. Our ceremony is in the garden (a grass-covered garden, mind you), followed by cocktails outside on the terrace, and then down the stairs to the reception inside the Carriage House. I want everything to feel smooth and cohesive, and my guests to feel comfortable. Mother Nature, however, might have other plans. We will see!

One thing I am happy to report that I am no longer worried about is . . . the dress! I chose a certain belt the day we bought the dress but had nightmares about it for months after we made the purchase. Maybe it was too thin, maybe it wasn’t sparkly enough . . . whatever it was, it just wasn’t the right one. At my first dress fitting at Betsy Robinson’s, I told my consultant and she gladly let me try on alternative belts. I found the perfect one! There was just one tiny problem… it takes 12 weeks to order (which I didn’t have) and they can’t sell me the sample. Roadblock.

Luckily, the manager was able to dig one out of the back that was recently returned and we made the swap. Phew! Now I’m ready to go.

I keep asking myself, “What am I missing?” Well, I hope I have everything because it’s gametime in 27, 26, 25, 24… – Naomi Horak

Now you have the guy, you need your girls!! One of the biggest decisions to make during wedding planning is asking the special ladies in your life to join you at the alter and help you tie the knot. I am blessed with many wonderful women in my life, so keeping it to a reasonable number was going to be tough. I always knew my little sister was going to be my maid of honor. That one was easy.  After some discussion with Michael, we landed on lucky number seven for each of us. This may sound HUGE to some people but again, we have so many important people in our lives!

Michael went about asking his groomsmen over beers, without much fanfare.  I however, had a different plan (I guess I’ve always had a flare for drama). Plus I LOVE giving gifts! I know that sounds corny but I really do enjoy finding that special gift for someone I care about. After all, these girls were going to be spending quite a bit of money so it’s the least a bride can do right? If I could pay for everything for them I would, but unless I win the lottery, smaller gifts will have to do.

Here is what I found on Etsy:

The price was right at $17 each.  It’s really adorable on your wrist and fits in with our waterfront wedding venue. I asked most of my maids in person since they either live around here or are family. M has two older sisters who have basically become my sisters so I knew I definitely wanted them to be a part of our special day. For my best friend who lives up in New Jersey, I knew I would have to mail hers since we don’t get to see each other all that often. So I made a card on my computer to go in the package:

There are lots of options on Etsy if you aren’t feeling crafty or would only want to give out cards instead of a gift. The possibilities are endless and only limited by your imagination (and wallet).

I wear my bracelet every day and every time I look at it, I am reminded of all of the special people I have in my life.  And I couldn’t imagine my Best Day Ever without them! – Carrie Costantini

So I realize I’m late to the game with this statement, but I have to say it anyway . . . how freakin cool is Etsy?? I’ve used it sparingly in the past, but as I Pinned away onto my wedding board, I realized more and more pins were leading me back to this delightfully artsy site.

As I’m sure most of the world already knows, there are an incredibly wide variety of items and what I love most, is that by buying through Etsy, you’re supporting independent artists. Plus, you get something totally unique that can’t be found from any big box store.

For example, check out this super cool and incredibly handsome wedding ring my super cool and incredibly handsome fiancé Matt found on Etsy (handmade of Titanium and white oak from a Jack Daniels whiskey barrel by Steven of Wedgewood Rings) – it’s the perfect match for him:

Wedgewood Rings

I haven’t given it to them yet, so I can’t show you an exact picture, but I also found some really unique and beautiful cards and gifts for my bridesmaids. This isn’t what I bought, but it is a sampling from the same artist (Caitlin Belisario of Belisario Photography and Design). I can’t tell you how accommodating and responsive both Caitlin and Steven were. They tailored the items to our specific requests and we ended up with some amazingly gorgeous and special things.

When I could pull myself away from Pinterest and Etsy, the other things we’ve been solidifying this month are the final contracts with our vendors. This past month we signed contracts and put down deposits for the florist (Natalie Galasso), music (Sierra Entertainment), and hair/makeup (Bellissimo Brides). Phew! All vendors are accounted for! Sure there are still a million details to take care of, but at least we now have a quality team in place for the wedding day. It’s funny, but I really do imagine them to be our all-star wedding team!

Maybe I feel that way because our photographer, hair/makeup woman, florist and musician have all worked together before. They were not only on the recommendation list the venue gave us, but they also all referred each other! Having not met any of them face-to-face, as they’re all based out near Yosemite, it gives me great comfort to know that Team H&M not only know each other, but work well together. I’m betting that this will ensure a (mostly) smooth wedding day. Of course I read reviews about each of them online, but being told personal stories about Carol at Bellissimo Brides from Natalie the florist, means more than something written by a stranger in a chat room.

Next month brings my wedding shower and a trip out to Yosemite for a tasting and site visit! - Hallie Falquet

One day when grabbing a coffee in the cafe at work, a fellow engaged co-worker came in for her morning Joe. She asked, as we often do, how wedding plans were going.

I explained we had chosen The Crowne Plaza in Timonium as our venue.

It’s close to the church and since it’s a hotel our out of town guests (and those that enjoy the open bar) won’t have to drive, and now we would be focused on finding a photographer.

She replied, “You should ask your venue! They probably have recommendations of some great companies they have worked with.”

Fun fact: For the past 5 years I have been “working” as the Wedding Coordinator at my church. I do behind the scenes things to make sure the wedding ceremony goes the way the bride and groom have always dreamed. I love it. I put the boutonniere on the groom, and then his groomsmen, when they arrive, and ask if they have any final questions before they begin to usher guests.

I get to tell the bride she looks beautiful when I walk her to the holding room, and calm her down when she is about to hyperventilate in the minutes before she walks down the aisle. I get to hear the groom choke on his vowels, because what groom can say “to be my wife” without getting a tear in their eye? Like I said, I love it!

But in all of the bouncing back and forth between bride, groom, MOB, MOG and guests looking for the bathroom, I get to talk to the musicians, soloists, videographers, and PHOTOGRAPHERS before and after the ceremony.

I tell them the “rules” of where they can go, and when they can use flash, and answer any of their ceremony schedule questions. I have worked with photographers that are shooting their first wedding, and ones that have been “doing this for ages”, but there was ONE that stood out in my mind as someone I, as a “venue representative”, would recommend.

Erik Annis, of Kitestring Studio, had reached out to me after shooting a wedding at the church and said how much he enjoyed working with me and, most importantly, how much he loved shooting in our church. He told me how he thought the architecture is wonderful and how great settings make his job even more enjoyable.

It wasn’t until my co-worker said that, I thought “Who have I worked with that I would recommend to a bride?”

So I told Lauren from Moore and Co (formerly K&B Events) about the thought, she reached out to him to set up a meeting. Our meeting went great, and it was that easy for Adam and me to agree he would be a great person to tell the story of our day. – Phoebe Brown

I received a text message early this morning that read:

“In case I forget to text you tomorrow, get excited! One month to go!!”

It’s true—we’re just a month away from tying the knot. Time is going by so quickly and we have been so busy being engaged that I don’t think we ever realized what our wedding meant to all of our friends and family.  The message came from a close friend—a former neighbor who now lives in Vermont. She and her husband are traveling on their wedding anniversary so they can spend the weekend celebrating with us. Another friend and her husband are traveling from New Jersey on her birthday. Yet another is planning to attend a second wedding during the gap between our wedding and reception!

For me, it really hit home about two weeks ago, when Matt’s sisters hosted a bridal shower for me.  Neither of them live in Maryland, but both flew in for the party. Everyone there was just so excited for us!  The group was fairly small, but that is only because so many of our friends and family have spread out across the country.  In fact, I’m only now realizing that we sent invitations to fifteen states, including Rhode Island, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, DC, Virginia, Minnesota, West Virginia, Delaware, South Carolina, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Vermont, and California. It’s hard to believe, but almost all of those states will be represented at our wedding! As the response cards come in, it has been so much fun to read the messages people have written us. I didn’t expect so many hand written notes, but it has made the experience so much more exciting!  It’s kind of like a pre-wedding guest book, but with a few new pages every day!

Love all the notes from our friends & relatives!

Writing has been really helpful for me. It has been a great way for me to organize my thoughts, and I’ve had to make sure I got something done each month so I would have something to write about!  It has also been a great way to share my thoughts and experiences with friends and family around the country. Matt also uses my posts to make sure I haven’t let stress get the best of me.  I’ve had my moments, but I think the process has been fairly smooth. For the last several months I’ve been writing about how quickly time has passed, but I think it only hit Matt this afternoon.  While I was putting my thoughts together for the blog earlier today, he called me. Our conversation, as I remember it, went something like this:

Matt: So I was looking at my calendar today.  Are we really getting married in four weeks?

Me: Yeah, It’s a month away.

Matt: Huh…

So, there it is. One month to go. Four weeks. 30 days.  However you choose to look at it, May 18 is almost here. I feel like I should be nervous or anxious, but I’m not. I play up the stress to keep people from bothering me at work, but I feel surprisingly calm. We still have a few loose ends to tie up, but we are ready! – Lindsay Ayers

I guess it’s been awhile since I’ve been the “center of attention.” The wave of emotions I felt this past Saturday at my bridal shower definitely caught me by surprise . . . in a good way. It’s tough to describe, but the best I can do is say that it was an overwhelming sense of love from family members, friends, co-workers, neighbors . . . from everyone! And I loved every minute of it.

As Drew and I get closer to saying “I do” (in less than two months) there are a lot of emotions, thoughts, and feelings that have been going through my mind daily. In the early stages of engagement I’d say these kinds of deep thoughts came and went sporadically, but lately they’ve become part of my daily life. Getting married is life changing . . . in its most fabulous form!

Just a head’s up to readers, I’m about to get a little more personal in this blog post . . . but that’s what this blogging experience is all about, right?: Sharing everything that goes into planning a wedding. The vendors and contracts are definitely part of all of it, but how you feel; now that’s a whole other story.

Needless to say, while I was surprised at all of the intense emotions I felt on Saturday, these emotions were all very much welcome. Getting married isn’t just about wearing a pretty dress and having a party (although parties are super fun). It’s about your journey in life: remembering where you’ve been, where you came from, who’s been by your side to support you, and looking forward to where you’re going together with your spouse.

The look back on where life has taken me thus far — that’s where all these emotions came into play. All the most important ladies in my life were at my bridal shower on Saturday. Not because they felt like they had to be, but rather because they wanted to be there, to show their support and love for both Drew and I . . . for the path we’ve chosen together and for the path we can’t wait to share with all of them moving forward.

There were so many moments that I’ll cherish from Saturday. Having my Mom, who also is my Matron of Honor, sitting by my side as I opened gifts and who also had the privilege of leading the ‘game’ during the shower when I was asked questions about Drew’s ‘favorite things.’ You know the game…for every question I got wrong my Mom got to stuff a piece of cheap bubble gum in my mouth. I’m pretty sure Drew was in on this game, and adjusted his answers accordingly to ensure I was chewing the biggest piece of gum EVER!

Me & mom

And then there was my 91-year-old grandmother, who stood up in front of the party to tell a story about my imaginary friend, “Tiger” from my childhood. Yes, my imaginary friend was a tiger named “Tiger.” She had the entire party laughing at her story of me blaming my bad behavior as a toddler on Tiger so I wouldn’t get punished. This is one of the many moments where I sat back and took it all in. These are the moments I will cherish.

Grandma spilling all my childhood secrets …

Everyone at the shower has a special place in my life. Some deeper than others, but all independent of one another. To walk up to a house where there are 40 people standing outside waiting to celebrate with you . . . that was an intense and very special moment that I will never forget.

On my drive up the Country Road to my shower, I did a lot of thinking . . . while listening to fun, upbeat country music of course. My song selections that somehow were on repeat for my 45-minute country drive was the “Cruise” remix by Florida Georgia Line featuring Nelly and “Wagon Wheel” by Darius Rucker. I wasn’t supposed to drive myself to my shower, but somehow it just worked out that way. Because sometimes, it just feels good to take a few minutes to have some personal time to take it all in. I’ll never forget that country ride.

The laughter and love shared over the couple of hours at my bridal shower were priceless and unforgettable. Yes ladies, it’s true, time goes by so fast and you have to do your very best to be “in the moment” and just try to take it all in as best as you can during all the wedding festivities. If this past weekend was a glimpse of what it will feel like on our wedding day . . . I’m going to need to figure out how to stop time. And I’ve got about 60 days to do so.

Me & my bridal party. Look at all those cowboy boots!

All kidding aside, my married friends have told me repeatedly that the last couple weeks before your wedding will go by so very fast . . . almost so fast that you don’t quite remember all the details of it. This is where I’m going to try to do my very best to be in all the moments . . . the good moments, the stressful moments, the “I’m so excited I’ve got butterflies in my stomach” moments . . . all of them!

For all the brides -to-be out there, I urge you to challenge yourself to be “in the moment” throughout your entire engagement. It’s no secret your actual wedding day will come and go in a blink of an eye, so take the time to feel everything that goes into planning your wedding . . . it’s so much fun!

Now, let the bachelorette party festivities begin. Watch out Key West! – Amber Bradford