Happily Ever After.

This weekend we made our way up North for a wonderful wedding celebration! Whitney and Bryan began their new lives together as Mr. and Mrs. A at 5:30 on September 5, 2010 on Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia.


It was one of the most beautiful weddings I have ever been too! Everything had a personal touch from B and W! The music, food, location, and wedding colors were perfect for celebrating their love! Even the two diferent cultures- North meets the South! New Jersey and North Carolina all together in Virginia!
Whitney is one of JM's dearest friends from Greensboro, NC, where they grew up together, and Bryan is from New Jersey. They live in NJ and we were lucky enought to go and stay with them last fall too!
Now there are 3- no make that 4 ladies (not including me or his own Mama) in JM's life that we would travel the earth to see that you need to know about. All 4 of them made him the most wonderful man in the entire world. Thank you to Jean Gray, Erin, Whitney, and of course Mrs. Ellen D. I am one lucky girl! Even luckier that I love all of these ladies so much too!

(Jean Gray, Erin and Whitney from left to right)
I cannot believe that Jean Gray got married in June to Nate who we love too!, Whitney this past weekend and we are next... That means that we will have seen everyone 4 times this year alone! Erin is married to a wonderful man, Frank, that loves her more than anything in the world! I didnt know JM when they were married- but I have heard all about how wonderful that wedding was- hand-dipped corn dogs and ALL! I am so lucky to marry in to this part of JM's family too!

Now back to Whiney and Bryan!
Her dress was beautiful. I had never seen a more beautiful and calm Whitney before. She was radiant in that long, flowy gown! It seems as if it were made for her. She was stunning! So were you Bryan! Bryan was in all black and has never looked more handsome!
Their colors were Light Blue- some would say "Carolina Blue" (JM is a Duke fan- we will not go there) and Orange. It was such a beautiful contrast together! Blue hydrangeas and Orange gerber daisies!
Music- EVERYTHING! Bryan has some of the best taste in music and timing! Every song was played at the perfect time! It was perfect and reflected both of them! It was so much fun to dance all night long!
Location- At Whitney's parents Lake House. It was in the back yard on the lake- Big white tent and all! The weather was PERFECT! Not a cloud in the sky!
Food- LOVED IT ALL! IT was a whole North meets South thing... There was a Southern bar and an Italian bar... VERY fitting since Bryan is Italian- how could I have left that one out! The food was wonderful! Being from the South I should say that I loved the Southern food the most... BUT the Italian food was just too good! All of it was wonderful and I could not stop eating, but the chefs that were right there making pizza was amazing! Then we were all passed out a desert. Neopolitan icecream in between two hot waffles... this is a Atlantic City Board walk thing... and it is something I will probably crave from now on!

All in all the wedding was about one thing. LOVE. The love that they have for each other and the love that everyone has for them. Everyone who was there to celebrate, those that couldn't make the trip, and those that they have loved and lost celebrating from above were watching over this couple this past weekend as they started their new lives together.

So here's to Bryan and Whitney... We love you both so much! Congratulations.

xoxo,
KATIE

To be happy or sad....

Happy...
My family threw me a shower this weekend. It was all family and a few of the Bridesmaids could make it too. This shower was so nice because it was JM's family and mine too! They had not all met before so this was the perfect way to introduce everyone (ladies ONLY) all at once. The food was wonderful! They even had a chocolate fountain! YUMMY! Mimosas were flowin too. Such a great time!
Happy... We got wonderful things for the kitchen. AND it was a Recipe Shower too. With every gift there was a wonderful recipe attached. I cannot wait to try them ALL- after the wedding of course! I mean do you actually think that I can eat Caroline's Recipe for Krispy Kream Bread Pudding with a Butter Rum Sauce and stay on this weight loss plan!? I don't think so... but we will have that for Christmas FOR SURE! We even got rid of the old stuff in the kitchen to make room for all of the new!
Happy... That I was measured by my trainer at the gym today and lost a ton of inches... I mean 4 from my bust ALONE. (For those of you that know me... the girls are huge. Thank you to my Grandmothers for that!)BUT I am sure that this is from my back too!
Happy... I still have an hour-glass figure... (Yes I have a bubble butt too!) AND I feel my whole body is tightening up too!
Happy... I get to go home to the most wonderful family! There is always someone (or some kitty) waiting to be loved when I walk in from work! (Read the previous post about them!)
Happy... The laser treatment on my face went wonderful! and is healing more and more every day (Insert Music... "you're so vain...")
I had a wonderful weekend... but also a sad weekend as well...

Has anyone ever had to ask a Bridesmaid to step down? Even though it hurt so bad and didn't want to do it at all? Well that was my weekend... and it is consuming my thoughts into Tuesday.

Sad... She didn't show up for a single thing... and I never got an answer as to why.
What if she didn't show up for the wedding? Rehearsal dinner? Isn't that really unfair to the other 11 of my Bridesmaids who have been at everything?
Sad... that I feel that 11 other bridesmaids were thinking "I told you so". Even though no one would say it out loud because they don't want to see me hurt. This is a much watered down version of the events leading up to this... believe me.

Happy... am I happy about this... No. No I am not. I am sad, angry, frustrated... BUT I do know that I have 11 amazing friends who are willing to fly or drive to be with me. AND that they are only a phone call away. I love all 12 of them, even though only 11 can be by me when I marry my Prince Charming.

I wish that things were different... but I know that they are not. I do not know what the future holds at all.
I do know that I am in love with the most wonderful man in the whole world, and I get to marry him in 67 days. And that we have wonderful friends who love and support us both.

Neither of us are perfect, and we don't think that we are. We know that when anything is going wrong or I'm just having a stressed time, all I have to do is call him or think about him and what we have and I cheer up or I realize that nothing is that bad b/c we have found each other and no matter what happens there will always be us...
and there will always be people that love and support us too.

Thank you to both of our families and friends who were at the shower this weekend... or there in spirit. We love you all and couldn't thank you enough for all of the wonderful love and support that you have given us both... Only 67 days until the big party!

Comments... if you are nice enough to comment and follow on my blog, thank you. Thank you all for reading and keeping up with me on this journey of madness... And no one has before, but please don't pass judgement. I don't need any blog drama too. BUT if you do want to make a suggestion... then what would you like me to name my blog? I want to change it once we are married... since I will no longer be living a "Grigsby Life" Think of something clever... McCracken will be my new last name!

Thank you for always being there blog world!