Our One Year of Bliss
I'm going to start this blog off by saying: This is going to be the longest blog that I have ever posted! Consider yourself warned.
Where it all started...
Cody and I met at a very difficult time for the both of us; I was going through a divorce and he had been laid off his engineering job. We often reflect back to this time in our life and think about how we were not looking for love at all. I committed to being single for at least a year after my divorce to work on making myself a better person and to also work my butt off in my career to give my boys the best I could. Neither one of us was looking for a relationship, but after a mutual friend of ours introduced us to each other there was no denying our sudden fall for one another.
We didn't start "dating" until my divorce was finalized, which was just a few months after getting to know each other. I'll spare you on all the mushy details on the qualities that I loved most about him, but I have to say that Cody was (to me) what a man should be. He was kind to people, he respected my goals, he held the door for me, and most of all he was loving to my boys.
Other bonus: he loved health and fitness! That sure makes life easier.
After 4 years of growing together and truly getting to know each other… I mean rrreally getting to know each other; the good, the bad, and the ugly, Cody finally proposed. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate him taking his time and proposing when he did. It worked a lot of patience in me which was difficult at times, but the foundation we grew through the years of learning more about each other made it worth wait.
Cody was home for a quick weekend break while working on a project in Indiana (for nearly 7-months at this point) when he popped the question. His proposal was like the one you dream about as a little girl hoping to find her Prince Charming one day. It was perfect! The only sad part was that he had to leave and go back to Indiana for another 3-months. We were fine though. The long-distance relationship situation just brought us a whole lot closer.
My dear friend Michelle (the one to the right of me in the pink/purple stripes) threw me a breath-takingly beautiful bridal shower. I will never forget her for doing this for me. It was the most beautiful party I have ever seen. The pics we got don't do it any justice. I'm so grateful for my wonderful girlfriends! I've been blessed with so many great women in my life! Not sure what I would do without them.
Once Cody was finally home (from his project), we were able to start working on our wedding details. I'm sure my family is still annoyed with all the changes we made during the time of planning. First we were going to do a small perfect garden wedding at Tiny Boxwoods (I'm still heart-broken that we didn't go through with this idea), then we were going to get married on our Disney Cruise, and then we finally just decided to get married privately together with just us and the kids. It was really special for us to have it that way.
Our Wedding Website: Click Here
The Dress by Winnie Couture
Wedding Ring Bearer Pillow
Bracelet, Earrings & Garter (borrowed from friend, Jamie)
Necklace (borrowed from my sister, Karisa)
My Hair & Make-up was done by the talented Misty Rockwell. My dear friend Jamie helped keep me touched up.
We did the "First Look"! I had my dress hidden in our closet almost a year and was FINALLY able to wear it for him. I couldn't wait for him to see it.
Our dear friend Michael Middleton was so sweet to re-marry us in order for us to capture these incredible pictures.
Best day of my life!
In November 2014 (5 months after tying the knot) we took our boys with us on our honeymoon. It was incredible! We went on a Disney Cruise to Cozumel and to Castaway Cay. The kids had a great time! We highly recommend it! The boys loved the kids club, so we had plenty of alone time. They were actually begging us to let them stay in there! That was nice bonus!
As soon as we got home from our trip we celebrated our nuptials with our family. Cody and I both have rather large families (which we are really close to) so it was super special for us to come home and see them all in Houston.
My stepmom & sister did a beautiful job decorating. It was important to me that I had my mom's presence at the celebration of our marriage. My mom past away when I was 8 years old. You can read more about it on my bio. My family often shares stories about their personal interactions with butterflies when they were thinking about my mom. They are really remarkable stories, but too personal to share. I really wanted butterflies to be all over the place at our reception. My mom was an incredible gardener so I wanted to have that "garden" feel. ALL of the flowers were by our family friend Elaine's Florist. I didn't wear one at the reception, but for our wedding pics (above) I wore a braid in my hair because my mom wore one when she married my dad. Another way to bring my mom into our union was by choosing purple to be the main color theme. It was her favorite color.
My sister made the creative mason jar floral sets that were all over the house. They were also the keepsakes as there were pics of Cody and I wrapped around the glass. She also created a slideshow of Cody and I growing up that was played on all the tv's. It was so sweet and one of the greatest gifts she could've ever given us.
Bridal Party. I let my girls buy dresses that they wanted and asked if they would follow a color scheme. I didn't want them to spend a ton of money, I wanted them to feel beautiful, comfortable and confident. It was also important to me that they be able to wear their dresses again. I absolutely love what they chose and think it made for great pics!
Who they are from left to right: My new sister-in-law Sarah, my best friend Michelle, (top) my sister Karisa, and (far right) my cousin Sarah. So grateful for these beauties!
I made them wear a butterfly in their hair. Hope they aren't too mad at me about that, lol. My sister and I found the butterflies at Michael's Craft Store and she superglued them to bobby pens.
We hired 2 hair and make-up artists to come to the house to make us pretty before everyone showed. They did an amazing job and it was so fun to have quality girl-time over champagne.
Hair & Make-Up Artists:
The gifts I gave my mom(s) and my bridesmaids were inspired by Pinterest. God, I love Pinterest!!! The hangers we made by a friend of a friend. However, you can find someone on Etsy to create the exact same thing.
I absolutely love wine charms! The picture of the wine charms (above) is from the Etsy Account that I used to order them. Click Here to view their Etsy Acccount. I sure wish I got a picture of the ones that I bought. I went with silver and added a lavender bead. The girls LOVED them!
Both gifts were given to:
Mother (my stepmom)
Mother-in-Law
Bridesmaids
Father-of-the-Bride Toast. He made me cry. Love you Daddy!
Father-of-the-Groom Toast.
Cody's twin brother was so kind to give us a toast. These two are so close! I hope to keep it that way forever.
I'm sad that we didn't get any pictures of my Uncle Kyle giving his toast. It was a complete surprise when he spoke on my moms behalf. Thinking about it right now makes me tear up all over again. It was what I really needed at that moment and I will never forget that.
Cody's sweet grandma Ninny gave us these beautiful monogrammed champagne glasses.
The boys were skeptical about the cider, but were begging for more after the first glass.
Our incredible Italian Cream cake was by done by friend of a friend. Unfortunately she doesn't usually do this kinda of thing for people so I can't share her contact info. This cake was the best thing we've ever had to datel!!!
Yep, I got him good y'all!!!! I'm actually shocked that we didn't have a full-on cake fight.
Bouquet Toss!
My Aunt Kelly caught it!!! Funny thing is that they actually were the next to get married anyway.
Big thanks to Wade and Laurie Phillips for allowing us to break in their new home! Their house is sensational and they were spectacular hosts! We are still humbled and in awe that they allowed us to party their.
My gift to the hubs...
Dumbbell Cake made by Thoughtful Cakes
I thought this came out perfect! Cody thought it was pretty funny for me to surprise him with this.
On our way to the hotel! My sister hooked us up with a night stay! Best day everrrr!
Just moments before our little Brayden was crying wondering why we were leaving without him- LOL!
I shared our story because...
#1. I want to look back and remember this beautiful time in our life
#2. Perhaps this might inspire someone that is going through a divorce and doesn't see any light at the end of the tunnel. I've been there. It's dark, it's scary. Just focus daily on becoming a better you and I truly believe that God will bless you beyond your wildest dreams. He did it for me; and I know He can do it for you!
I'll end this by sharing the post I made on Instagram...
"You grow up dreaming about the day you find someone that loves and adores you. You think about the ways you'll return respect and appreciation to them. You spend countless years working on yourself to become the best "you" possible. Yet somehow when the day finally becomes reality it's so impactful that it brings you to tears. I can't even begin to explain how grateful I am that the Lord brought Cody and I together. Here's to a future filled with adventure, great memories, and endless love."
Pic Credits:
