Beautiful February! In-line with the romance in the air this time of year, here's another recap from my wedding day...
Bridal Prep:
I was so jittery the morning of the wedding! I had hardly slept a wink the night before, due to excitement. When my alarm went off at 5am, I was more than happy to jump out of bed and begin getting ready!
My bridesmaid Sarah was awake too; she had slept in our guestroom the night before. I was so thankful to have her there with me to help me greet the other bridesmaids as they arrived one by one.
For breakfast, we had a spread of bagels, cream cheese, apples and PB.
In one of our planning meetings, my
photographer had advised us not to eat too much fruit beforehand since it could have an acidic effect on the stomach and lead to an unpleasant experience ;-) ....if you know what I mean.
For the morning of I had decided to have all the stylists and makeup artists arrive at my condo so the bridesmaids and myself could all get ready prior to heading to the church. We all decided we would change into our dresses at the church later on.
First to arrive at my condo was my hair stylist. I was so thankful for such a dedicated stylist who would get up at 5am to make my hair beautiful! I had done one trial run for my bachelorette party and decided, after looking at the bachelorette photos, to keep my hair a bit simpler.
My hair previously had included a braid. I decided against the braid since the wedding was a bit more formal.
Next to arrive was my sister, the maid of honor. She came with a gift for me - a "Bridal Survival Kit"
The box she decorated included pictures of Bryan and I during our engagement session. She filled the box with pins, chap stick, deodorant, a TIDE pen, liquor, gum, and a few other treats. I was so thankful! In all the hustle and bustle of planning, I had forgotten to pack a little bag of emergency things for the church so it was a perfect gift!
After my hair was done, my good friend Shila came over to do my make-up. She used to sell Mary-Kay and is extremely talented with make-up. Knowing she had done her own make-up for her own wedding, I was more than confident that she would do a fantastic job. She was so sweet and encouraging the entire time. I have been friends with Shila for over 6 years and it was so sweet to spend this important time in my life with her. In the below picture of the reception later on that day. Shila is the one standing third from the right in the maroon and brown dress.
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| Photo Taken by Robert Madrid Photography, All Rights Reserved |
She did a FABULOUS job with my make-up. I was so pleased how natural it looked in all different lightings - inside and outside that day.
A few
make-up items I purchased prior to the wedding:
- Make-up FOREVER foundation- Sephora
- Anastasia Eyebrow Pencil and Highlighter Kit- Sephora
- Victoria Secret Shimmer Blush- VS
- Maybelline Liquid Eyeliner Brush set- Target
- Stilla Liquid Eyeliner pen- Sephora
- Lash Extensions (applied the day before at Pretty Suite Studio, Palm Beach)
- Airbrush Mineral Wear Foundation Powder- Target
- Mary-Kay Lip Gloss Samples (I played around with different colors prior to the big day and ended up using a neutral/peach color)
After all of our make-up/hair was complete, the bridesmaids and I made our way to the bridal suite at the chapel to finish getting ready (with the photographer present).
Once at the church, I saw my dress hanging in the bridal suite for the first time in a while. The night before, one of my bridesmaids had placed it in the bridal suite. It was beautiful! I couldn't believe the day was finally here, the day I could wear it and feel like a princess!
Being a corset dress- my bridesmaids were wonderful helping me get it tied. It was a process that all of them could help in.
I love my mom's reaction in the below picture. Once the dress was on, reality started to sink in, this was it! This was the day my life would change forever for the better! I couldn't wait!
Soon, my mother-in-law (to-be) arrived with a note from Bryan, my soon-to-be groom. As I read the heart-felt pages he had written, I began to tear-up. In fact when I looked up, there was not a single dry eye in the room.
All the girls in the room (mostly bridesmaids) were so special in my life and so supportive of Bryan and I's relationship. They were caught up in the emotions I was feeling at that very moment too. I couldn't have asked for a better group of girls to share all these special moments with. Our eyes were filled with tears of joy.
Next I slipped on my special wedding shoes.
My shoes were extremely simple. They were satin-cloth flats that I had found at the mall one day. I was a happy girl wearing such comfortable shoes all day long!
As for my veil, my mom and I had purchased it, along with my necklace and earrings, at a cute little boutique in Winter Park a few weeks prior. It was exactly what I had been looking for and the shopping experience was such a wonderful memory I will cherish forever. My mom and I had made a day out of shopping- getting brunch at Briar Patch and browsing the shops downtown.
I was ready! My dad came in for a final moment right before I headed out to the courtyard.
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| My daddy and I |
This was one of my final moment as a single lady! I was on my way out the door for the "first look" with the man of my dream- my handsome groom who was waiting for me! My heart began to pound!
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