Wedding Wednesday: Our Wedding Website!

Today is short and sweet! 

Our wedding website is LIVE! I put a lot of time and effort into this website, because I feel like it is really convenient for guests- it was also pretty simple and my "inner-blogger" definitely came out in full force. (I know I also love when couples have wedding websites!) Not only do guests have the start times, the venue address, directions to the reception, hotel accommodation information, and registries in one place, but they also get to read about our story as well as our bridal party to make them feel like a part of our day- which they are! Yes, our wedding is a celebration of Tyler & I and our love for each other and covenant with Jesus, but it is also a big "thank you" to all who have loved and supported us thus far! We LOVE our friends and family! We are inviting a little over 350 people to our wedding and we are excited to celebrate with each and every one of them! Hopefully this website makes our wedding process easier on the people we love most!
View it here!
xoxo Taylor

Sunday Funday.

I love picking fruits and vegetables while they are in season. I say this as if I do it often, but in all actuality I could count on one hand the number of times I have done this in my life. I want to change that- I dream of a garden in my backyard one day, but until then, driving 30 minutes a few times a year to Huber's Orchard will have to do.

 We ate...a lot! If you ever do Huber's- do take-out! Much cheaper and much faster! Still just as AWESOME!

Yay! What a fun (hot!!) day it was! Love spending Sundays with this guy :)

Until next time! xox Taylor

Wedding Wednesday: To-Do List

May consisted of countless appointments and big decisions! Here's to June: booking the church, florist, videographer, photographer, and musicians, doing the hotel block, taking engagement photos, ordering bridesmaids dresses and men's wear, researching stationary, finishing registering, and hopefully saying YES to the dress!

April (11MTW)

Pick the wedding colors + general theme. Pink & Navy, fun wedding! Pretty and springy, with a nautical touch. Trying my best to stay away from "rustic".

Pick bridesmaids & groomsmen Coming soon :)

Pick the date March 7! YAY!

May (10 MTW)

Ask bridesmaids & groomsmen. 

Book venue. Yay!

Book photographer.  In the works. This has been the most fun!
Complete the guest list. We don't have all the addresses yet, but the list is set! It's going to be a rather..um large..wedding!
Wedding Website. Just waiting to book the church before I publish it! 
Ask Officiant. Boom
Book Caterer. 
Hotel Block.

Celebrate with a "10 months until the wedding" date! 

June (9MTW)
Book Florist. Hydrangeas, Ranunculus, Magnolias- oh my!
Book the church. 
Say yes to the dress!
Book DJ.
Book ceremony musicians.
Engagement Photos!
Bridemaids' dresses!
Decide on Men's wear!
Register! Now, this one I can get excited about. I love me some kitchen gadgets :)
Hire Videographer.
Research Stationary.
Celebrate with a "9 months until the wedding" date! 

July (8MTW)
Order Save-the-Dates.
Order Invitations.
Book Baker!
Plan rehearsal night.
Ask Flower girls + Ring bearers!
Ask greeters!
Celebrate with a "8 months until the wedding" date!

August (7 MTW)
Send Save-the-Dates.
Book everything for rehearsal.
Address all invites!
Wedding bands!!!
Order any rentals + lighting.
Send an update to bridesmaids
Hair & Make-up Appointments

Celebrate with a "7 months until the wedding" date!

Septemebr (6 MTW)
Buy wedding favors.
Ceremony readings + readers.
All attire ordered.
Transportation plans.
Flowergirl/ringbearer attire.
Book hair + make-up!
Wedding gift for my groom.
Celebrate with a "6 months until the wedding" date! 

October (5 MTW)
Bridesmaids gifts.
Update registry.
Celebrate with a "5 months until the wedding" date! 

November (4 MTW)
Provide guest list to shower hosts.
All crafts DONE this month!! (banners, garlands, etc.)

Celebrate with a "4 months until the wedding" date!

Decemebr (3 MTW)

Enjoy the season and catch-up on anything if need be :)
Celebrate with a "3 months until the wedding" date!

Janaury (2 MTW)
Mail invites January 2nd.
Get guest book!
Order programs/finalize ceremony order.
Hair + Make-up trial.
Mail rehearsal invites.
Finalize menu.
Final dress fitting.
Confirm Ceremony music.(before ordering programs!)
Talk with DJ about plans.
Reception plan.
Marriage counseling.
Celebrate with a "2 months until the wedding" date!

February (1 MTW)
Get marriage license.
Weekend timeline + send.
Write vows.
Confirm with florist.
Greeter, flower girl, ring bearer, reader gifts!
All shower thank-you's!
Check on hotel block.
Check up on all unknown RSVP's.
Celebrate with a "1 month until the wedding" date! 

MARCH! WEDDING MONTH! 
Reception seating.
Escort cards.
Final payments.
Final count.
Detailed day timeline + send to vendors.
Confirm again with florist.
Detailed reception plan + send to vendors.
Rehearsal plan.
Grooming appointments.
Any other things!

March 6th
Hang out with my bridesmaids.
Rehearse for the wedding.

March 7th 
GET MARRIED. CELEBRATE.

Happy (Wedding!) Wednesday friends!

June Goals

May Goals:
Call & schedule a doctor and dentist appointment. Called for the dentist and will call for the doctor this month!
Complete my resume and update my LinkedIn page. Print a few copies to keep in my car. …Getting there :)
Register for the Praxis II tests. Fail. I'll register this month & take in July!
Catch up on my year-to-date photo album! Printed the pictures and I just need to actually do it. 
Workout 4 times per week. I'll be gym-less this summer so who knows what this will include! 
Finish Reading Unglued and read The Power of Habit. Finally, YES! I actually completed this one!
Take my camera out at least three times. YES! Tyler and I even took a photog class (happy valentine's day to me!) and we learned how to shoot in manual more successfully! Hooray!

May was a full, great month. I started my summer job, started wedding planning, took countless trips between Louisville and Lexington, exercised more than normal, enjoyed time with family, and even relaxed a little! If June is half as sweet, it'll be great month, but here's hoping it's more productive!



June Goals:
Call and make that doctor's appointment!
Register for the Praxis!
Finish my resume and update my LinkedIn page.
Go pick strawberries at Huber's.
Catch up on my year to date photo album.
Catch up on mine and Tyler's "dating album". We found that in his apartment. I haven't updated it in TWO years! Oops.That'll be remedied this month!
Pack up my entire Lex room. I am just moving downstairs in my house, but in December I'll be moving out! So, I want to go through EVERYTHING and decide whether to keep, move home, or throw out this month. 
Continue looking for future church home's for Tyler & me. One unsuccessful one down, thousands to go. Just kidding, I hope! 
Workout 3 times per week. Hey, better than 2!

So, there we go! I am going to work diligently and follow some of Lara Casey and Nancy Ray's advice for making these goals HAPPEN in June! Hooray to that!
I'll share my weekly/daily goals sometime next week...and maybe even get going on some goals for the year or a 101 in 1001 list. Who knows!?

Liebster Award.

I was thrilled when I got the e-mail that Kate had nominated me for the Liebster Award! This was the first award for my new little blog! Yay! So, of course, I accepted her nomination and nominate anyone who want to participate :) 

So, here are the rules if you choose to accept the nomination: 1. You must link back to the person who nominated you 2. You must answer the 10 Liebster questions given to you by the nominator
3. You must pick 10 bloggers to be nominated for the award (with a small following)
4. You must create 10 questions for your nominees
5. You must notify your nominees
So, here are Kate's questions to me!
1. Early Bird or Night Owl?   I would say I am a Night Owl, diligently working to become an early bird! I love the morning time and wish I had an easier time getting up to enjoy it! I am so full of energy at night so it is definitely a battle!  2. How did you meet your best friend?   On the bus in sixth grade- too funny! 3. What's your favorite perfume/scent?  I wear Coach Poppy, but i obssessed with this perfume from Anthro. (Birthday gift, anyone!? ;) 4. Where is your "happy place?" A coffee shop or a new restaurant with a friend, Tyler, or my mom. The best. 5. Name a song you can't get out of your head I am obsessed with James Taylor and "Fire & Rain" has been in my head for a solid week! 6. If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?  Photography, of course! Also, to run long distances! Both very attainable :) 7. What's your dream vacation?  Hmmm..depends. My dream honeymoon involves a beach with a few excursions, but usually I am not really a "beach" girl. I LOVE the beach, don't get me wrong, but I hate sitting. I love new, quaint, cities so I Charleston and Asheville are on my short list. Wine country is definitely on my list of places to go, too! I love America though- so I would be content with never seeing Europe, as long as I get to travel all over the US. (did I just say that!?) 8. Fall or Spring? Fall- pumpkin patches, boots and scarves, tailgating, fires, cider, perfect temperatures, PSL- nothing like it. 9. Describe yourself in 3 words.  Silly. Passionate. Logical.  10. Coffee, Tea or Soda?   Coffe first, then I'll have tea. Love them both! I used to be a huge DC addict, but I definitely do not enjoy soda like I used to!
That's it! I hope you got to know me a little better through these fun questions!  Now...I tag you! Answer these same questions and be sure to let me know so I can read your answers, too! Thanks so much to Kate for nominating me! Have a happy Thursday friends! We're almost to the weekend!

Wedding Wednesday: Being Engaged is Hard

As of today, Tyler and I have been engaged for 40 days. It has absolutely FLOWN by! It has been a joyful time full of hope and excitement for the future, but it is not always picture perfect.  I am the first to admit that I though engagement would be rainbows and butterflies all the time, and most of the time- it is, but some of the time it just isn't. It is a hard waiting period. You think dating is hard? Oh, just wait. It is GREAT but it definiely comes with a whole new set of challenges. Here are some of my thoughts from this period of engagement.

Temptation is real.

Everyone told me this and I shrugged it off like it was no big deal, but y'all being engaged brings a whole new reality to temptation. Sure, we dated for three years. Sure, we've known we would probably get married for a while. But a ring on the finger and an end date in sight makes things that much harder. It seems counter-intutuitve, but the devil is strong in this fight y'all. Tyler and I have never struggled too too much in this area, but I have never seen the importance of this type of boundaries like I do now.

Wedding planning is stressful, and friends are sweet.

It is really great, but really stressful, too! Planning the wedding of "our dreams' while accommodating 300 people is tough. Finding a venue, photographer, dress, caterer......are fun processes but weeks packed full of appointments and showings are exhausting. I am so thankful for my gigantic bridal party, though! They have been a huge help to me and helped me keep my head on straight! Weddings are also EXPENSIVE- who woulda thought!? ;)

It is hard to remember the marriage in the midst of the wedding.  I never thought this would be the case, but it is easy to be consumed with the wedding. Everyday I must remind myself to pray for our future, pray for my fiancé  and pray God would be glorified through out engagement, wedding, and marriage. I am working through Beth Moore's Children of the Day, which is a study of 1st and 2nd Thessalonians about seeing God and shining His light everywhere- it has been SO good for this time.

Pinterest is no longer a way to relax.

Yes, I went there. It is so different when I actually have to make these crafts or hire these bakers! I find myself avoiding it more and more. Pinterest is the bride-to-be's best friend and worst enemy.  

Changing "if"s to "when"s is really, really awesome!

No matter how stressful or challenging, being engaged is AWESOME! Seriously, y'all. I love talking about "when we are married" or "when we have kids" rather than using "if" for everything like I did while we were dating. It is so sweet! I cannot wait to marry that boy! Just being able to do day to day life together will be so sweet. Being engaged is great, but hurry up March 7 :)

What about you married lady or bride-to-be? What did you find hard about the engagement period? Dating or single? What are some struggles you face? We're all friends here! 

Social Media Free Weekend

Jumping straight from school into working my full-time job has made me even more appreciative of the extra r&r a three day weekend brings.Having Monday off just gives the whole weekend a different mindset and I love it. Summer is a sweet season y'all and it is pretty much here! Hooray!

This weekend I was supposed to take a trip to Michigan to spend the long weekend with friends at a YoungLife camp, but the Lord had other plans and I ended up needing to be home for the funeral for a family friend. Not the weekend I had quite imagined, but sweet nonetheless.

The funeral was so God honoring my heart could not take it. None of my family that has passed away has been super religious, so to go to a funeral of a God fearing lady was incredible. There was so much peace knowing that Linda is with the Lord after a long fight with ovarian cancer.

Highlights of the weekend:

-Furniture shopping for Tyler's new apartment/ our apartment come March!

-Registering with Tyler! This is going to be a LONG process, that I will cover in a future WW.

-Lots of rest on Monday with mani's, shopping, a long walk, reading, pinning, and grilling out.

On top of that, I had so much more time on my hands without having my phone constantly in my hands. I took the long weekend off of social media and it was incredible. I am social media's biggest fan, but I hate the way it consumes life. I hate people on their phone during dinner or instagramming a picture during a small get together. It. can. wait. The presence of people is so much sweeter in person than online. This weekend was a great reminder of that to me, and I see many more #socialmediafreeweekend's in my future!

Have a happy "Monday" friends...Surprise! It's already Tuesday :)