Girl chooses colors

Girl plays pretend.
Girl loves colors.
Girl grows up.
Boy meets Girl.
Boy proposes to Girl.
Girl plans a wedding.
Girl is indecisive.
Girl chooses colors.

Since I was a little girl, when asked, my favorite color would usually be purple. Although I did go through a pink phase. And when I was in junior high it was yellow and blue. Then for a while I loved brown. Lately it's been grey.

As I've tried to put together a coherent thought for our wedding, one of the things I keep going back to is colors. I've been back and forth and around and around about colors. I just can't seem to make up my mind.

I've come up with several different color combinations that I like.

Light Blue, White, Tan:
I love the feel of these colors together... calming, cool. Simple.
I can totally see this somewhere like the beach!

Orange, Turquoise/Blue:
I like these colors together, but it is even better for us because J is a DIE HARD Miami Dolphin's fan. Like he gives a whole new name to the word fanatic. I think it would be cool to incorporate his love for all things Orange and Teal by using some variation of it in our wedding.

Purple, Turquoise, Navy, Grey:
I've seen a lot of peacock feathers in the recent blog posts I've read. I think they're very cool looking! I love the colors. I put these colors together kind of by accident and kind of ended up loving them!

Gold, Pink, Champagne:
My best friend Davene is getting married in August, so we've been sharing ideas back and forth. This is actually a color combo she came up with and decided not to use. I like it a lot. It seems very classy and expensive :)

**All inspiration boards made at www.stylemepretty.com All images are used from their site!**

So what do you think? Which color combination do you like best? What venue would you pick to go with the colors? Leave me a comment and let me know what YOU think!

Lots of planning has happened over the last couple of weeks, so I have lots of blogs coming up! Some really cool DIY projects too! AND... I bought a dress :) Stay tuned!

Girl checks out venues

Boy asks Girl out.
Girl says yes.
Boy and Girl go on dates.
Boy and Girl make memories.
Boy proposes.
Girl says yes.
Girl looks for venue.

Ohhhhhh the venue.
The place where we will be married.
The place that sets the whole tone of the wedding.

I have gone back and forth and up and down and around and around looking for the perfect place. I've asked my facebook friends, my photographer friends, random people walking down the street.

I have looked at estates, hotels, churches, beaches, houses, schools, banquet halls, and everything in between.

I have yet to choose a venue.

Our wedding is still a year away. I get that.
But I want to get started!
Like REALLY started.
Yet, I cannot seem to find the "perfect" place.

Okay so that is not entirely true.
I did find the perfect place.
I found it online and I loved it.
So of course I started scouring wedding planning blogs and photographer blogs for examples of weddings that had been done at said venue.
I found quite a few.
And I fell even MORE in love.
It was perfect.

I couldn't find the price on the site, which usually means one thing.
Expensive.
So I took a deep breathe and sent an inquiry email.
I mentioned that our wedding would be on a weekday in the off season and asked if they could please offer us any discounts for that.

And they responded!
With the added discounts, it was only SLIGHTLY out of our budget.
But I figured I could work around that. It was do-able.
So the next step was to check it out in person.
Mom and I got in the car with our mapquest directions and we headed to the venue.

The location was amazing!!!











But as we spoke with the representative, we found that there were several hidden costs. We got back in the car and headed home... our dreams of the perfect venue fading into the distance as quickly as the venue itself.

Since then, I have searched up and down and all over creation (and the internet) for the perfect venue. I even looked outside of LA in hopes of finding that one place that would just click.

Nothing.

So what do you think?
Beach wedding?
Hotel ballroom?
Big church?
Random field?
Castle?
Large Private Estate?
Backyard?

What are your wedding venue suggestions??

Girl chooses bridesmaids

Girl grows up in Oregon.
Girl is only child.
Girl moves to new school.
Girl makes friends.
Girl moves again.
Girl meets Boy.
Girl loves Boy.
Boy proposes to Girl.
Girl says yes.
Girl plans a wedding.
Girl chooses bridesmaids.

The choice of bridesmaids was not a difficult choice for me.
And while it took me longer than 5 minutes to decide, it wasn't much longer.
I moved several times growing up... and went to 3 different high schools.
I've had my share of friends, and what I've found is that there are very few friends that last a lifetime.

I wanted my bridesmaids to represent me... to stand next to me physically, spiritually and emotionally. But I also want them to be girls that I will still be speaking to 5 years down the road!

I wrote a few weeks ago about Davene, my maid of honor. She's been my friend the longest (outside of my family). I am so excited to be in her upcoming wedding and just as excited that she'll be my maid of honor!


(I'm on the left with blond hair! Davene is on the right)

I also have a beautiful, wonderful friend who I haven't known quite as long, but who has been there for me through thick and thin. We had a chance meeting... a blind date of sorts... and she has been a great friend to me ever since. She is the girl that will tell you the truth... even when you don't want to hear it. She'll pray for you, encourage you, and tell you when your jeans look bad. I am blessed that Bianca will be a bridesmaid, and even more blessed that she is my friend.


(Bianca is on the left, I'm on the right. I should mention that as fantastic as it looks, her hair is not normally this... full ;))

I moved away from Oregon almost a decade ago. Leaving behind my friends, and my extended family. Even though we've had distance between us, my cousins have been amongst my best friends over the years.

Heidi is my oldest cousin. I remember being a little girl and thinking she was the coolest. I would follow her around her house, wanting to do everything she did. I'm sure it drove her nuts, but she was so kind... even as a kid. Heidi has been my source of strength and encouragement through lots of tough times. She has been the first one I've talked to when I've had a problem... we've laughed together, cried together, struggled together and triumphed together.
(Heidi is on the far right. I am on the left)



(Rebecca is in the middle the above picture)
Rebecca is only a couple of years younger than me, as is Holly. But when we were little girls, and I was following Heidi around.. Rebecca and Holly and I had a rocky relationship. I'm not entirely sure when it changed, but it did. And what followed were long days playing with our dolls, making up choreographed dances and skits, laughing so hard that we couldn't even stand it, and begging our parents to let us stay together longer. We had slumber parties, and went on vacations together. All these years later, Rebecca lives in a totally different state. So does Holly. And yet, through the miles, we remain not only cousins, but also friends. Holly has been a big support for me in the time that J has been in the military... and especially with this deployment. Her husband is an Army man too. I am grateful for amazing beautiful girls who are not only family but also friends.



J is a package deal. He has a large, and very tight knit family. And I love them.
His niece, Crystal has quickly become a great friend to me. I feel like we've known each other for years. She is the kind of girl that you can laugh with for hours, and who will be there for you when you just need to cry. We've had countless conversations while riding all over the place in my jeep. She has been an incredible support in my photography as well as coming along to hang out, assist and second shoot for me. I am so proud of who she is becoming, and so thankful for the huge role she's played in my life.




I also have two very special little girls that will be joining me as beautiful flower girls. J's nieces, Samantha and Angela. J and I had already discussed having them as part of the wedding.
But then one night we were all at dinner and they walked up giggling.
Samantha said in a sing song voice, "Angie has something to ask you."
To which Angela giggled and whispered in my ear, "Can we be your flower girls?"
I looked at them wide eyed and said, "Well I don't know... do you have experience?"
Oh the list they gave me of their flower girl qualifications.
Needless to say, they will be fantastic flower girls :)


(Angela, me with blond hair, and Samantha)

Boy chooses Groomsmen

Boy becomes big brother.
Boy grows up.
Boy stays close to family.
Boy proposes to Girl.
Girl says yes.
Girl plans a wedding.
Boy chooses groomsmen.

When J and I started discussing our wedding plans, we knew he would be deployed for the majority of the planning time. So we only talked about a few details that were most important to J.

What color to wear... and not to wear (No pink for the boys)
What colors to use... and not to use in the wedding (no pink... seeing a pattern here?)
Who to invite.
What kind of wedding to have.
Other small details (J wants cake lollipops. Somewhere. Anywhere).
And of course... Groomsmen.

It took all of five minutes for J to decide on Groomsmen. Maybe even less.
I didn't really know how to respond to that.
But for J, it was just obvious.

J has a son named Javvy. Javvy has been a part of his life for 18 years... and obviously is a huge part of his life. Those two are definitely 2 of a kind. Sometimes they act more like brothers than father and son. I don't know that I'd ever seen two somewhat grown men (or one and a half) play video games like they do. Or take random adventures in the middle of the night together. Or run AT FULL SPEED through the house in full on battle mode.
They have a unique relationship.
(Javvy is on the left, J on the right)



J is the oldest of three boys. Their mother is a saint! :) Alex is only one year younger than him, and was an obvious choice for one of J's groomsmen. Alex lives the farthest of the guys... yet it's only about 30 minutes and we are fortunate enough to see him often anyway!
(J is on the left, Alex on the right)



Sam is the youngest of the boys, but just as close. All three share inside jokes, and laugh over movie quotes that I've never even heard. They ride motorcycles together and sit around talking, laughing and telling stories for hours on end. They really are brothers who have become great friends.
(J is on the left, Sam is on the right)



David is J's cousin. But he's more like a brother. When we first got engaged, J and I discussed lots of options. We talked about running off to Vegas and getting married by Elvis or in a drive thru. We considered having a tiny wedding on the beach with only our parents. But as we talked about our options, J would continually struggle with the idea of not including his ENTIRE family. It would be his parents, his brothers, their families... but it wouldn't stop there. Each time, David was one of the people he wanted to be by his side. (Side note: don't worry family... we decided against Elvis or a 5 person guest list).
(David is on the left, J is on the right)



I wrote in a previous blog about J's best man, Danny. You can read more about him here.
(J is on the left, Danny is on the right)



I am so glad to have a fantastic group of men who have loved and supported J throughout his life stand next to him on this special day. I am also grateful that they love me too. I am fortunate to have a fantastic, close relationship with each of these men, and I am so thankful for the role they play in my life as well.

In addition to these great men, we have 3 fantastic young men that will also be joining us. J's 3 nephews, Sam Jr, Michael, and Vincent. They love their Tio, and I know he is excited to have them be a part of this day in such a special way!







I should maybe take a moment to say to the men listed in this blog...
If you didn't know we wanted you to be in the wedding...
SURPRISE!
I was chatting with Sam the other day and mentioned something about him being in the wedding. He looked at me like I was purple and said "what?" Apparently J forgot to officially ask him before leaving the country. whoops!
:)

Girl chooses Maid of Honor

Girl moves to new city.
Girl has no friends.
Girl starts a new school.
Girl makes a friend.
Girl asks friend to be maid of honor.

We moved to a small town in Southern Oregon in the middle of my freshman year of high school. And suddenly we were in a whole new place, a whole new school, a whole new church... and I had no friends.

I slowly began making friends, but I had yet to really "click" with anyone. I had places to go and things to do and people to spend time with but I didn't have a best friend.

Then one day, Davene walked into our church. I didn't like her at first, because she seemed to be awfully close to the boy I liked at the time (oh high school)... but soon enough I found out that that boy was her cousin and she was pretty fantastic. Not long after that, she and her mom and sister moved into the house down the street... only a few houses away from me. We became inseparable. Every night we were at her house or my house... together.

The summer before my junior year of high school, I moved again. This time to Southern California... more than 14 hours away from Davene. I was devastated. I didn't want to leave my best friend. In the years that followed, we both had ups and downs.
New friends...
Broken hearts...
Drama...
Family struggles...
But in the midst of it all, Davene was always just a phone call away.

Over years and miles, she has remained my best friend. So many years later, and so many miles away, she is still only a phone call away. I am THRILLED to stand beside her on her wedding day next August, and just as thrilled that she'll be my maid of honor on my wedding day next November :)




Me and Davene with her baby boy!

Boy chooses Best Man

Boy has a cousin.
Boy and cousin make a deal.
Boy proposes to Girl.
Girl says yes.
Boy asks cousin to be best man.

J is Cuban.
His family came here from Cuba... together. And they have stayed close, not only physically (almost all of them live in the same neighborhood) but also as a family. They spend lots of time together and really are good friends. J's oldest cousin, Danny, has been his best friend since they were young. They're only a year apart, and living so close allowed them to grow up together.

When they were young, they became blood brothers (ew) and made a pact that they'd be each other's best man. Many years ago J stood beside Danny as his best man. And in a few months, Danny will stand beside J.

For some people, choosing a wedding party is hard. Either they have too many friends... or not enough. For others, it's easy.
For J, it was simple.
Literally a 5 minute conversation.
He knew he wanted his family...
He wanted people that not only would stand beside him on that day...
But that had already stood beside him throughout his life...
And would continue to do so long after we are married.

Can I just say how much I love this picture? I found it on Danny's facebook page. It's old... I can tell by J's facial hair... but I love it! I think it's fantastic. (J is on the left, Danny is on the right)

Boy and Girl take engagement pictures (part 1)

Boy proposes to Girl.
Girl says Yes.
Boy gets orders.
Girl wants pictures.

I became a photographer because I love pictures.
I have always been that girl with 10 million photos strewn around my room and hung on the wall in various frames; the girl who carries around her camera, says "PHOTO OP!" at every possible moment and snaps away.

So it is only natural that as J and I have dated and done fun things, there are always pictures. J on the other hand has never been the one to jump at the chance for a photo. But he has very quickly adjusted to my love of all things photo.

When I found out we had two weeks together before he deployed, I knew I wanted to try to take our engagement pictures during that time. I knew that we'd be getting married shortly after J got back, and I knew I'd be doing a lot of the planning while I was gone, so I wanted to be sure that I had photos to use as well.

So I asked my WONDERFULLY talented friend Jordana of Hazelnut Photography to do some photos for us. She was so amazing and flexible and worked with us and produced some AWESOME pictures! Like I am seriously soooo thrilled! As a photographer, choosing a photographer is a huge decision. Maybe one of the biggest. I knew I wanted Jordana to shoot some photos for us because I've seen her work and it's gorgeous. But I've also shot with her and I know HOW she works. And I love it. There is so much to a photographer other than just their images. The reason that photographers get the pictures they get is not only great talent and great tools, it is also the ability to interact and direct clients. When you are choosing a photographer... think about the whole experience... not just the finished product.

The other thing that I think is so important is to plan for your engagement session. That doesn't have to mean you have to have a theme and props (although those can really add a lot!) but think through what you are going to wear, how it will photograph. Think about little things that are special to the two of you. For our shoot, I knew right away that we wanted to incorporate one of J's motorcycles. It's something that is unique and something that we love to do together. I also knew that I didn't want us to be too matchy matchy, and I wanted something that would look like what we wear on a regular basis. It was also important to me that our clothes added to the photos but weren't the focus of them. Here are a few of my favorites from the motorcycle portion of our session.



















We did some special photos that were styled by the wonderful Carter and Cook Event Co, but I can't share those quite yet, but I promise you'll see them soon :)

Thanks to all the amazing people who made this shoot possible. It's so much fun to collaborate! Especially when it's with friends!