Under Grace Photoblog

1. How did your husband pop the question?

The short version: He called me while I was at work, said he would pick me up (because I left my car at home since I had been traveling in a company car all week) and we would have a bonfire & cook food with some friends of ours that evening. I was a bit fussy because I was wearing dressy work clothes/shoes to a bonfire and it was pretty cold that night which I wasn’t at all prepared for. His buddy pulled his boat up to the shoreline that is near my office and drove me over to the island in the middle of Table Rock Lake where we’d be having the bonfire. Suddenly my husband’s friend got a call on his cell and said his girlfriend had arrived and needed to be picked up on the shore. Well come to find out, the call was fake, the friend went fishing for an hour while my husband busted out a catered dinner he picked up from a fancy restaurant near by and we ate it by the fire on blankets. Then the wind changed and as we were moving the blankets closer to the fire, my husband got down on one knee, popped open the ring box and said “Will You Marry Me?” The rest is history.

We got engaged the middle of October and we got married the middle of June so from start to finish, 8 months.

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico (Riu Palace All-Inclusive Resort) – AWESOME!

Invitations, guest book, programs & program baskets, place cards, menu cards, table numbers, floral centerpieces, table linens, aisle decorations, and candle holders (tables).

My mom and I tackled these projects together. We also booked & planned our own Honeymoon.

We lost our original unity candles and then the outdoor lighters we had for our replacement unity candles wouldn’t work. No biggie. Then the only other thing that was surprising was our band made my husband and I sing the “Na Na Na Na Goodbye” song to all of our guests before we drove off.

As much as I enjoyed making my invitations, I think I would make them more simple next time (if you’re a DIY person). I would allow more time for pictures…in my mind you can never have enough! I wouldn’t change much at all…my day went amazingly smooth and as long as you get to the “whatever happens, happens” stage, you’ll have a fantastic wedding day.

The fireworks, crying like a baby during the Father-Daughter Dance

Theknot.com, my MOM, Cedar Lake Farm, Ethyl’s Smokehouse (caterer), Under Grace Photography.

• Recruit as many family members as possible who are willing to help you plan/execute the wedding details (especially if you work full time).

• Plan a wedding that describes both you and your husband, it’s more fun when you can get him involved anyway! And don’t do anything that will make you the slightest bit uncomfortable…the dress will take care of that so any other ceremonial arrangements or even family members that might make the wrong lasting impression, need to be left out.
• Prepare for things to go wrong along the way…then move on.
• Expect some major emotional break downs on: 1) Your mother and/or closest planner, 2) Your MOH (Maid/Matron of Honor), and 3) Your fiancé.
• Use your wedding pictures for family presents as long as you can (I had Christmas covered months before because my wedding was in the summer!). Get your venue, colors, dress, photographer, and videographer booked first.