All About THE WEDDING!

On Thursday, March 14th I married the love of my life.  It was perfect.

We drove down to Charleston, SC the day before the wedding and enjoyed a nice evening on the Isle of Palms.  We woke up on Thursday morning with smiles on our faces.  Kenneth dropped me off at Lava Salon for my hair and makeup appointment, and I didn't see him again until right before the ceremony for our "first look" photo.

My dress is from the Allure romance collection.  It is based on an early 1940s design. It's all lace, and I knew the moment I saw it that it was THE DRESS. This is what it looks like:

 

My amazingly talented stylist, Devon, nailed the vintage hairstyle I had in mind.  It looked so amazing.  The makeup artist, whose name I have somehow embarrassingly forgotten, was equally talented and fantastic.  I couldn't afford to tip them nearly as much as they deserved, but I did drop a thank you card in the mail today and I highly recommend Lava Salon to any person wanting great style at an affordable price in the Charleston, SC area!  The owners Geoff and Noel are so nice, and they were celebrating their 9 year wedding anniversary that day! How cool is that? I will be scheduling a salon appointment every time I visit Charleston from now on!

Janice Clayton of Pretty Petals of Charleston was my florist, and she dropped my flowers off right at the salon for my convenience!  She is also very talented and very kind.  My bouquet was incredible! The flowers were so fresh, sweet smelling, and beautiful.  Pretty Petals is very reasonably priced, does great work, and if you need a florist you should give Janice a call.

My maid of honor, Laura Putnam, was fantastic.  She got her hair and make up done with me, and then she made an emergency lipstick run to make sure I had red lipstick to reapply during my photos.  She dropped me off at White Point Garden at 2:00.  I called the photographer and he arranged for our first look photo.  The expression on Kenneth's face when he saw me was priceless.  He told me I was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.  

Our ceremony was scheduled for 2:30, but everyone arrived early so we decided to get the show on the road about ten minutes early.  Steve Vickers of Coastal Hospitality performed our ceremony.  He was very professional and also incredibly affordable.  He arrived early and was well prepared for our ceremony even though we'd only consulted via email.  He told my mother I was the most beautiful bride he'd ever seen, and even if he was just being nice it's still something I'll never forget.

Kenneth and I repeated our vows and we were both a little teary eyed as we slipped our wedding rings on each other's fingers.  This was truly the happiest moment of my life.  We said our vows in the gazebo in historic White Point Garden overlooking the battery in Charleston, SC.  

We took photos all over downtown, and our incredible photographer Jason Yandle was fantastic. He has already posted some truly stunning photographs of our special day. I could not be happier.  If you need a great photographer for any reason then you should definitely contact Jason.  He is so creative and talented.

After our photos we had a very romantic dinner at Poogan's Porch.  Our wedding day was absolutely perfect.  The ceremony was exactly what we wanted. It was intimate, private, romantic, and simply beautiful.  Most importantly, though, I married my soul mate. 

Day 5: A Book That Makes You Happy

I'm taking part of the 30 Day Book Challenge.  Click the link to do it too (and add your blog to my meme)!  

The first book that came to mind when I saw today's challenge was to name a book that makes you happy is not, perhaps, a book you would expect.  It's a nonfiction work.

Historic Preservation of a Living City by Robert R. Weyeneth is one of my favorite books.  Charleston, SC is one of my favorite places in the whole world.  I am at peace there.  If I could find a good job in Charleston, I'd move there tomorrow.  It is a beautiful city.  Historic preservation efforts, which I myself partake in on a rather frequent basis, give me a feeling of satisfaction.  I love this book and it always makes me happy.

Thanksgiving: Stuff I'm Thankful For

This year I am afraid I must admit to being a bit of a grinch.  I am not feeling particularly grateful for anything.  I'm in a tough spot, my life is a bit of a mess, and I am SURLY.  I am not very sociable.  I do not want to participate in the holiday hurrah.  I do not want to be surrounded by people.  I do not want to plaster a fake smile on my face and make idle chit chat with anyone.  Told you I was surly.

In the spirit of the holiday, however, I will attempt to say something nice instead of pointing out to the masses that the pilgrims gave the Indians small pox and eventually decimated them.  So here are twenty things I am grateful for:

20. Good hairbows.  I have really thick hair and most ponytail holders snap in half the second I try to use them.  I love the ones that don't break.

19. Warm, fuzzy socks. 

18. Books.  Any books.  I don't even care if I like them.  I just love books.

17. Chocolate.

16. My furbabies. I have pictures of them up on another post so I won't put more up, but my furbabies are fabulous.

15. The fact that I used to work at a museum.  I may have been laid off, but at least I know what it is to have a job you truly love.  I know what it is to look forward to going to work, to have a job that makes you say, "I cannot believe I'm actually getting paid to do this!"

14.  Rally signs like this one (and people who appreciate rally signs like this one):

13. Homemade quilts.  Homemade anything, really.

12. Bikinis.  And the fact that I still look good wearing one.

11. J.K. Rowling and her absolutely amazing Harry Potter books.  These books can transport me elsewhere and take away all my troubles, if only for a few hours.

10. My front porch swing.  It really is a great place to sit and relax.

9. The truth.  It doesn't matter if it's an ugly truth.  I am always grateful when people are honest with me.

8. Red wine.

7.  For getting to go snorkeling in the Caribbean.  Look how clear that water was:

6.  Historic architecture.  And Savannah, GA that does such a great job of preserving its past (and has great food/old houses that make me happy to just wander down the street):

5. Shepherd's Pie.  You wouldn't understand if you've never had it.

4. Charleston, SC.  It is my happy place.  I love every single thing about this city.  I love its storied past.  I love its beautiful and historic buildings.  I love the ballast stone streets (yes, those are ballast stones--not cobble stones).  I love the harbor.  I especially love this fountain:

The next three are not in any particular order.  They are numbered simply to complete the list.

3. My family.  They may drive me insane.  They may be dysfunctional.  I may, in fact, avoid them at all cost today, but they are my family.

2. This lady.  Her name is Samantha.  She is a Leo.  I am an Aries.  We were, therefore, meant to be the best of friends.  She will run away with me to historic cities at a moment's notice and she loves seafood as much as I do.

1. These ladies.  They are Laura, Amy, and Emily.  I have known them for years and years.  They're family, not just friends.  I can cry on their couch at 2:00 AM when my world falls apart (and they can cry on mine).  I can eat at Cici's with them once a month every month just to keep our old high school tradition going strong.  I can tell them anything, absolutely anything.

I am also, of course, thankful for all the rest of my friends and for all of my readers.  Thanks for reading this blog and have a very Happy Thanksgiving!