Wedding BLESSINGS! PART I.

I need to force myself to put on "paper" all of the BLESSINGS that have occurred having to do with our upcoming BIG DAY! 

With how absolutelyinsanelycrazybusy my life has become the last few weeks, and will be for the next few as well, it's without a doubt a necessity that I praise the Lord for what He's done!

It's important to STOP, and TAKE TIME to see what God has laid before you, and recognize His blessings.

Here's a running list on how we've been able to put together our wedding-- that we can AFFORD, and not regret not eloping ;), not go into debt, still have our adoption account, and still love each other post-wedding. 

HAHA!

1. Kate Ehresman- has "manned" the planning, creating, purchasing, designing, organizing the entire reception. Incredible. You should SEE what she has up her sleeve. Actually, I don't even know a LOT of the things she has planned- I completely trust her and am SO EXCITED to see the end result. 
2. Tracey Bramble- has taken up the task of making 59, yes FIFTY-NINE tissue paper poof balls for decorations per designer Kate's request. AND the designing and printing of our programs.
3. Instead of an overpriced wedding cake that people will inhale in less than two minutes, we've decided to do our FAVORITE deserts at the reception! AND family and family friends have volunteered to take on the task of making our favorite deserts, some are the reason these deserts ARE our favorites, and it's such a blessing to have them bake mass quantities of them!
4. A friend of mine, Melanie Phelan, was still VERY much concerned that Beau and I still needed a cake for the 'cake cutting' for the bride and groom, and she's putting her skills to the test on our mini-cake as her gift to us!
5. My Aunt Em is a freakin hair and makeup PRO. She could easily make it on her own being a hair stylist/makeup artist if she ever gave up her amazing teaching abilities. So, she's the one that will be 'dollin me up' on the big day!
6. Our photographer, Makensie Brown is a girl I went to high school with (a few years younger than I am) who's just starting out but does a fantastic job! I'm so excited to see what she will do with film to keep our special day fresh and fine on our wall! 
7. Our reception venue offers discounts the more you do with THEM. Although they couldn't beat the famous Hickory Park's price per meal, they DID still offer a discount because we're having our rehearsal dinner there! BOOM BABY! 
8. Thanks again to my talented and gifted Aunt Em, she designed, helped organize, cut the invites! (my mom, uncle, and 16 year old cousin too) Many hands make light work!! 
9. Our florist, at the Chicken Shed is a hometown hilight! She does a BEAUTIFUL job with arrangements, and knows we're running on a tight budget and without even knowing my budget, not only matched another place we priced (which was already low) SHE BEAT IT! I DIDN'T EVEN TELL HER WHAT MY budget was! THANK YOU LORD!
10.  Kate also helped make all the hair pieces for myself and the bridal party- and with my weekly coupons emailed to me for Hobby Lobby, I refuse to buy ANYTHING full price or without a coupon! She's a master with the glue gun.
11. A friend of the Ehresman's have offered Beau's DREAM CAR for our getaway car- he's drooling already. Guess I'll have to wait till my 50th birthday party or something for my first ever Limo ride someday. ;)
12.  The Bramble's surprised us one night that they had us over for dinner, and offered their condo at a golf course for our wedding night, fo free. Incredible. Secluded "honeymoon" suite, you betcha baby!
13. As you may have known, a few months ago or maybe not even that long ago, Beau and I were in a rut for an affordable, somewhat nice, place of our OWN to live. WELL, although we're not the only one's in this massive house, the basement of a couple that just built a brand new house a year ago this month- offered us their made-to-be-apartment for a couple for SUCH AN AFFORDABLE price! Which lifts the burden of me not being able to financially contribute next fall when I student teach. HALLELUJAH! Thank you Jen Lee for the referral and thank you STENBURG's for the BEAUTIFUL BASEMENT we get to call home as a couple! WOOOOOO! (this place is gorgeous, the part of town, the basement, their family, etc)
14. I'm wearing Old Navy wedge silver flip flops. Comfy. Cozy. Cost effective. I can't say I'd ever wear a pair of orange heels again just for the sake of a cute wedding day pic of my feet, so my fave shoe, is what I'll sayin "I DO" in. (my feet = ick anyway)

are you tired of my on-going blessing list? 

because i (we) are so STINKING BLESSED BEYOND MEASURE. 

ALL GLORY TO GOD! 

HA! well, I'll probably touch base with more and pictures to match, POST-WEDDING? 

Sound good?

I LOVE SAVING MONEY. 

I LOVE BARGAIN SHOPPING.

HOWEVER-

it's been Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo hard for me

to allow people to help so much, 

to offer what they do,

to go out of their way like they have, 

to ask for help in volunteers for that night to keep things replenished, 

etc. It's BEEN SO HARD.

I'm so thankful. I wish I could let them all know more than just the words, thank you notes, etc, because I feel so incredibly blessed. It's insane.

It's SO appreciated.

It's so humbling.

One of my bridesmaids on Saturday had to give me a pep talk about wedding showers, people giving gifts, and my fear of walking down the aisle- because I hate that people have spent money on us, gone out of their way for us, have made their homes dirty with paper plates, tissue paper, wrapping paper, for us, kicked their families out of their homes for a few hours for us, 

and that on November 5th at approximately 5:10ish? 

there will be 320ish eyes staring at ME as I walk down some aisle. 

AH.

I'm TERRIFIED.

I hate that kind of attention.

Stupid. I know.  Whatever.

 

I hate the, "it's one day where it's all about YOU!" phrase.

Because no.
It's not about ME. 

It's not even about BEAU & I.

It's about Christ and the blessing he's bestowed upon each of us in giving us one another.

THAT'S, what I want to RING LOUD AND CLEAR.

That starting that day, we have a HUGE MASSIVE responsibility to live out till death do us part, in being a Christ-like example of Christ and His church.

 

So, after all of the decision making, color scheming, disagreements on this or that, the decorating, makeup applying, picture taking, accessorizing, walking up and down an aisle, eating, dancing...it's ONE day. 

Then, it's the rest of our lives for Him. 

 

Incredible how much I teach myself through expressing myself through typing this all out finally. Just to SEE it, to process it. Neato.

Okay, I'm peacin' out for the night. The blogging world will be 'lucky' if it sees me again before the 5th of November. HA.

OOOOOOOOOOOOH THAT MEANS I'LL BE MRS. CHRISTIANSEN!! :) :) :) :) :) :)