Marriage, One Year Later

Guys... I have been married for an entire year (yesterday). How does time go by so fast? October will always be one of my most favorite months even more so now that it holds our marriage anniversary date. I am so excited to celebrate with my favorite guy on one year of marriage down and the many, many more to come. I know I've learned so much just in this one year I can only imagine the years to come.

|We have learned to compromise, agree to disagree, and love each other during our worst. Nothing makes me happier knowing I have someone who will love me unconditionally.

|As much of an independent person as I am, I need Joe in my life. He is my partner and other half. I'm completely okay with knowing that I need this person in my life to be a better version of myself.

|Never speaking about personal things (you know your spouse would not want you speaking about) regarding your spouse with friends. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard awful things come from someones mouth about their husband and it makes me cringe. That is the most intimate relationship you have, I feel like it should not be slandered like that.

|Knowing that through the ups and downs of life I have that one person to always rely on. This year has been hard. With health, job, and school things that have not been easy, it's always nice to come home to someone who makes me feel better. Or let me cry on his shoulder.

|We both appreciate a good Netflix marathon. We have finished many of series in our first year of marriage and it's one of our favorite things to do after work/weekends.

|You really get to know someone once you're married. I mean, we've been together for almost six years in December, but now that we're married I feel like we are even more connected. It's really the best feeling ever.

I can't wait to see what this next year holds for us. What is your best advice you give to newlyweds or what works for your marriage?

Wedding Guests: Do's and Don'ts

I miss doing Wedding Wednesday posts so much! Planning our wedding was my hobby the majority of last year and I loved it. I meant to write a post on etiquette for wedding guests a long time ago but never did! These are all things that I personally experienced, or thought would be useful to someone going to a wedding soon.

DO:

RSVP on time! This was a huge pain for me. We of course pay for these RSVP's with the paid postage for a reason, so please send them back. Don't text the bride that you'll be there, she has enough going on that it's better just to see it in writing. Plus, then she will know if you are bringing a guest and your food option.

Show up on time. This was a huge problem for our wedding day. We were ready to start the ceremony when someone ran in and told us we had to wait because someone had to run somewhere but they will be right back. Needless to say, I was't pleased. Show up early and find a spot; the bride and groom will be thankful.

Stay for the reception. It was sad to see how many people came to our wedding and only managed to stay for dinner before any of the fun parts of our reception. The newlyweds and their families have put a lot of time and effort into the reception, so stay to celebrate and enjoy it!

Pay attention to the dress code if there is one. It's just polite. I didn't mind what people wore as long as it wasn't flip flops, tank tops, and jeans. People still showed up in them anyway, and I didn't care much, but it's just nice to follow the bride's lead.

Use the hashtag! I had so much fun looking through our hashtag after our wedding, it helped me get get through until we had our professional photos back.

Don't:

Bring a date if it wasn't specified on your RSVP to do so. If anything, I would say ask the bride if it is important to you but never just assume and show up with someone.

Text the bride a few days before her wedding canceling on her. I had a "friend" text me to say that they couldn't make it to my wedding a couple of days prior because of work. The food was paid for, the seating chart was finished, and it was hurtful that my friend didn't request this day off months ago.

Use your phone during the ceremony, especially if the couple specifically requests not to do so. I can't imagine who you would need to text in the middle of a ceremony that couldn't wait until after so just don't do it!

I'm sure I missed something, but these are things that really stand out to me. What are some of your rules for weddings?

Wedding Wednesday: Wedding Debt?

If there's one thing I love it's talking about our wedding and married life. When we were planning our wedding, I knew that no matter what we would not go into debt for our wedding. If that meant cutting the budget, food, flowers, then we would do so.

I was scrolling through my Facebook feed when I saw a girl I knew from school post that they just got approved for a 20,000 loan for their wedding. It made me wonder how many people do this...

A wedding to me is about getting married to your best friend and about celebrating with your loved ones. I think that people forget that this one day will only last about five hours and then its done. Of course you want it to be beautiful, but it should be beautiful to you and your spouse. If that means it has to be smaller, or less extravagant in order to fit your budget then you should feel no pressure to go outside of your means to please others.

Once you are married and the wedding is over, you quickly go back to reality and then realize that all that truly matters now is that you're married to the one that you love. I feel that if we would have taken out a loan for our wedding, I would have knots in my stomach right about now. I have student loans to still pay off, we now have a car loan to pay for each month, and we will eventually want to buy a home.

I'm not saying that this is wrong, I'm just saying that I had no idea that people were doing this in order to make their wedding bigger or better.

How do you feel about loans for weddings? Did you take one out, or know anyone that did? Do you think it's worth it?

Bishop Wedding Part 2: The Ceremony

We really could not have asked for a more beautiful day to get married. It was sunny and 75 outside which was really just perfect. When we were searching for our venue, we found this one because it's actually right down the road from where I work. We ended up choosing it because we wanted outdoor/indoor space. I liked that we could do the ceremony and reception there and it was beautiful for pictures as well.

As for decorations at the ceremony site, we kept it simple with pink and white rose petals scattered down the isle and I had an obsession with curly willow (you'll see it incorporated in our centerpieces), so we had it added on the arch with fresh flowers on top.

I did my bridal portraits and pictures with my sisters and mom before the ceremony (which I will share in another post) so there wasn't so much waiting time after the ceremony for our guests. As time came close for the ceremony to start, I was hidden away to not be seen until 5pm. Then it was time to get married! 

My mom walked me down the isle, it was the best decision for me. She's my best friend, the one who raised me, and I couldn't imagine anyone else doing it. I walked down the isle to "A Thousand Years"

This was the first time Joe and I were seeing each other, and I was so happy we waited until that very moment to see each other. 

The ceremony itself was very quick, but perfect. Our officiant read the most beautiful prayer at the opening of the ceremony that put an ease in my mind because I was very nervous.

I had no idea how fast the ceremony would feel, it goes by so fast. The only part I didn't love... for about half the ceremony there was a bee on Joe's boutonniere. If anyone knows me, they know that I freak out if I am anywhere near a bee. So it was really hard to just stand still and keep focused, not to mention my soon to be husband is allergic to said bee. Thankfully it flew away and left us alone after that. Just the things you get with an outdoor wedding. The rest of the ceremony was so perfect. All of the worries about everything being set up or all of the little details didn't matter at this point. 

Finally, we exchanged rings and were announced as husband and wife!

I'll be back next week to share more about our big day - bridal party / bride and groom pictures!

Previous wedding day posts:

Part one: Getting Ready

Day of Wedding Essentials

Ladies, when searching on Pinterest to figure out everything I needed on my wedding day, I laughed. Not at all of the items of course, but some of them I figured I would never need. Wrong. There are several things I wish I would have brought because I actually would have used them. 

My dress had a pretty long train and had a poof at the bottom like most wedding gowns do. I cannot count the number of times people stepped on my dress. It wasn't anyone's fault, because it was so big when I would dance or hug someone they would accidentally step on it. Not even halfway through the reception, I realize - no scratch that, someone pointed out that my dress was ripped. In my head I thought about how I laughed that I wouldn't need that silly sewing kit. Well it would have come in handy. Thankfully it ripped right at the seam on the zipper and on my upper back (it could have ripped in a much worse place).

Just because you may think you won't use something, still pack it and you won't be sorry. I over packed, even just for the day and I'm glad I had these things on hand.

Here are some things I did pack:

+ Deodorant | Trust me, you'll wanna freshen up!

+ Phone charger | If you hand your phone over like I did and you're out of the house/hotel all day this will be necessary. 

+ Lotion | It's all about showing off the ring. 

+ Lip color you are wearing | Touch ups 

+ Nail polish color you're wearing | Ditto. 

+ Bobby-pins
+ Hairspray
+ Bandaids
+ Mints or little Colgate Wisp freshen brushes

+ Lint roller 

+ Tissues | For any tears or also works for blotting lipstick or excess oil. 

+ Pain Reliever | I had a major headache and my back really hurt that morning.
+ Sandals or flip flops | I actually ended up not even putting on my heels!! You couldn't see my feet anyway. 

Things I didn't but wish I had packed: 

+ Sewing kit

+ Bug spray | I didn't take into consideration the bugs for our outdoor ceremony, but I wish I would have thought to bring bug spray for everyone.

+ Double sided tape or skin tape. 

MUST haves:

Rings

Marriage License 

Extra cash for tipping (unless someone else is handling)

Another tip: Drinking water is so important to stay hydrated, and eating will keep the bridezilla mood to a minimum. 

What were some of your essentials? Anything else you would recommend? 

**This post is not sponsored, everything was purchased with my own money**

A prelude to our wedding.

I cannot believe I am finally married! What a crazy past few days it has been! I have no idea where to even start with these blog posts. I don't have the professional pictures yet, so I can't really re-cap or share the details quite yet. I just can't wait to share our special day with you all, but I guess there are some other things that I would probably benefit from getting off my chest..

Weddings are not all they are cracked up to be. I am so beyond thankful for Joe and if I wasn't sure a week ago (I was) I sure would be now, that I 100% married the right person. 

With weddings comes a lot of cost, pressure, and ups and downs. But never in all the nights that I stayed up panicking did I imagine just how cruel and mean people can be. Not just people, but family. 

Friday night; yes, the night before our wedding - I received some really upsetting news from my dad that turned our supposed to be girls night in with my mom and sisters into sadness, anger, and tears. I only bring this up now because I can't pretend that everything was exactly how I imagined. I won't go into details of course, but I think I got maybe three hours of sleep the night before. 

After drying my eyes and finally calming down we had people asking to come and bring extra people two hours before the wedding. Talk about stress..

The point that it really clicked for me that no one else mattered and this was OUR day was when our officiant prayed over our marriage. She spoke about how the person we were holding will be the one to wipe away tears and who will be here until the very end; Joe knew this very well from the night before. That night I had to put all of my anger and sadness away no matter how hard people tried to push me. Note: Someone made fun of the way I was standing during the ceremony... I think I prayed my way through the night to give me grace, and to get through it with a smile. 

I cannot forget to mention all of the amazing from the night, though! Once certain people left, everything was perfect. We had people there who genuinely love and care for Joe and I. These people helped the planning of this wedding for months and they lifted my spirits when I really needed it most. Joe, was my saving grace, he kept me calm and made me laugh even when I wanted to cry. That is what a wedding is about, anyway. 

This post is the prelude to the happiness of the wedding. I wanted to get this out of the way before I share everything else. There are so many happy things and thoughts from that night that I want to spew out all over this page, but I will wait until I have the pictures to back it up. 

Although I am sad it's over, I am just so happy to be married and start this new life as a wife and everything that comes with it!!

5 days. FIVE DAYS!!

With only FIVE more days until the wedding, I figure this will probably be the last post for at least a week or two. I am trying my hardest to get through these two work days that stand in between sweet freedom for a few days. I still need to go home and make the favors for our guests, run last minute errands, and hopefully relax before the wedding weekend starts. With number changes from some guests which is a major bummer, to my final fitting (It fit!), and getting our marriage license; this past week has been busy. Not to mention I am trying to get homework done, so I have no worries this weekend.

I can't believe it's so close, it really does go by so quickly and you do have to enjoy every bit of wedding planning. I am already wondering what in the world I can plan next!

I'm positive there will be updates on twitter and instagram -  #bishopwedding14


Please wish me good luck that I won't fall, and that everything goes smoothly!


P.S I am participating in a giveaway along with some other blogger ladies that will run until October 14th!

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Talk to you when I'm a Mrs!

So Close.

With the wedding almost two weeks away, it finally feels like things are coming together. Even my Knot checklist isn't overwhelming anymore, and it really is starting to set in that these are my last few weeks as a "single" girl. Although Joe and I have been together for almost five years, something about knowing that we will be officially married is really special.

The only things left to do in these next few weeks include - A few more DIY projects (writing in chalk is not easy), place cards, a marriage licence, crossing my fingers that my dress fits, finding a hotel room, and picking out music. I thought things would become progressively more stressful, but they aren't. Knock on wood that everything stays stress free. Even all of the RSVP's have been received, and the seating chart is done (Thanks Wedding Wire).

I did some shopping recently - I was on a mission to find shoes, jewelry, and garters. I found all of those things in one trip to the mall and David's Bridal! Talk about a ton of weight lifted, because finding these things was stressing me out. 

I also ordered Joe's ring this past weekend, and let me just say that women have it so easy - ring wise anyway. I looked over so many reviews online because I couldn't believe how inexpensive men's wedding bands are! I'm not mad though. We need to save all the extra dollars we can! 

Since we won't be taking a honeymoon right away, I will of course be sharing all of the wedding pictures here once we receive them. But...you can also follow me on Instagram and using the hashtag #bishopwedding14 to see updates in real time!

Five Favorites

1 | Coming to terms that this semester I can only manage two classes. Last semester I took four but with the wedding literally right in the middle of the school semester there was no way I could take a full course load. So I switched my two classes to online so I don't have to worry about going to school on Tuesdays and Thursdays like the spring semester. This is a huge relief for me.

2 | Maybelline Fit Me concealer This concealer has been my best friend lately. I use it with my damp Real Techniques sponge and it blends so easily. It never cakes on me, which never happens! Hands down my favorite drug store concealer yet. I use it for my under eyes, nose, and anywhere I want to highlight as well.

3 | Finally finding a part of my girls (sisters & mom) gifts for helping so so much with the wedding, and for being in the wedding! Etsy is always the solution lately. I can't wait to share once I give it to them and all the other goodies I find to go with it. I'm too impatient to wait to give it to them on my wedding day so I'm doing it at my bridal shower.

 4 | This chalk board that my mom found at Ross a couple weeks ago. We are going to use it at the reception after the wedding and it is huge! It may not look it from the pictures, but it weighs a ton and it goes up to my belly button. I need to figure out where to get colored chalkboard pens and an easel that will hold it (any ideas would be great).

5 | We finally got some rain in this town. Since we're in a drought we haven't been watering our lawn whatsoever and the grass is straight up yellow and crunchy. We get a little too excited when it rains.


What are some of your favorites lately? 

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