Pre-Wedding Stuff with Pictures that I never posted

NaM · November 12, 2009

Iâ€™m getting ready to post my planning thread and had all this in there. But I figured it was a bit long and I never posted my engagement before so here is a little pre planning thread and some picturesâ€¦since thatâ€™s the best part anyway!

The Bride and Groom:

J and I met in North Carolina in the summer of 2007, briefly at a mutual friendâ€™s party. It was my last weekend in the states before I left to study in London and he was only in town for the weekend from DC. While I was in London, J found me on Facebook and we wound up writing each other nearly everyday; pen pals if you will. We developed a great friendship but eventually as life moved on we lost touch. Come wintertime, I was in Hawaii visiting family and J was doing a soccer tour of the South Pacific giving clinics to kids from military families. It was a classic tale of being at the right place at the right time and we crossed paths, in Hawaii of all places! We got together with a group of people a couple times while on the island and then went on our first date when we both returned to North Carolina after Christmas. It was perfect and we have been inseparable ever sinceâ€¦.

Our first night in Hawaii

Another of us in Hawaii

And one of us just for kicksâ€¦

Engagement:

In December 08 J and I went to a friends wedding in Utah. When we returned to NC we stayed at his parentâ€™s house because it was closer to the airport than my place and we got in really late. Not knowing we were going to be staying there, his mom dumped his mail by his computer which I was working on. Guess what was on top: a Tiffany Co. envelope! I immediately told my best friend the next day and she whole heartedly convinced me it was a Christmas and/or graduation present and I didnâ€™t think twice about it. Low and behold a week before graduation J comes out of my bedroom with a little blue bag and tells me he has a present for meâ€¦I open it and itâ€™s the most beautiful pearl necklaceâ€¦and an explanation for the Tiffany envelope in his room.

A picture of the necklace (I will be wearing this on the wedding day)

NaM · November 12, 2009

My best friend and I were graduating on the same day and we both had a lot of family in town, old friends, and a lot going on. So we planned a dinner for our families and then an after party at a local bar to celebrate the occasion and everyone being together. Dinner went great and when we were getting ready to leave J said he and his friend need to run to the liquor store before it closed to get drinks for the night so they left a bit early. Then my BFF said she forgot her wallet and need to run home to get it and asked if I would go with her. I was hesitant and told her I didn’t want to come but she said I had to because her access card was in her wallet so she needed mine. We walk in the door and there are roses and candles and champagne everywhere, the works! And I was focused on the balcony cause the door was open and I thought someone broke in! My bff walks out of the house and J walks into the room and hands me a book and tape recorder. He recorded 5 tracks, all with a special saying, song and memory that went along with our pictures in the book. When the recording was over he got down on one knee and popped the question! Of course I said YES!!! The best part is I still have the book and the recording so I get to listen to my proposal whenever I want! After my bff and J’s bff walked back in we all hugged drank champagne, etc. THEN they tell me the “graduation party” was really an excuse and that all our friends and family were waiting at a restaurant for us, and they all knew about the proposal. It turned out to be our engagement party and was absolutely perfect!!!

Right after he proposed

And another

Family at the party

A few of my girlfriends…who all knew and didn’t spill the beans!

My e-ring. It’s the Tiffany Novo.

NaM · November 12, 2009

Legal Day:

We got legally married in Vancouver on 3-6-9. It was just the 2 of us, our marriage commissioner and two friends who were our witnesses in a park near the beach. It was absolutely perfect!! We went and had dinner and champagne at the Sandbar on Granville Island. We will have the same script read at our ceremony in Mexico that was read on our legal day.

Saying our vows

Back home…married!

Bachelorette Party:

My MOH threw me an awesome bachelorette party over the summer! It was a Kentucky Derby-“Race to the Alter” theme. What a great night! Since I was only in NC for a few days I had my shower then as well. Here are a few pics from both events: