Three years ago, I was wrapped up in the preparations for the biggest day of my life - my wedding day. It ended up going by so fast, but it was an incredibly joyous, beautiful event full of love. And then came marriage. Being in a military marriage comes with its extra doses of stress with things like long-distance. And, to be completely honest, there have been times I’ve struggled with those parts of marriage that aren’t so romantic or fairytale-like. However, I surround myself with encouragers, some of whom have been married for 60 years, some who are celebrating 30 years, and some Continue Reading
A Letter to My Brother Before His Wedding Day
My brother is getting married soon. In just one month and two weeks, he will be standing at the front of a church in a grey suit awaiting his beautiful bride. I couldn't be happier for him and his wedding day. He honestly chose such a wonderful woman to claim as his wife. I am going on three years of marriage. I've seen the ups and the downs. As my brother prepares for one of the biggest days of his life, I wanted to write him this letter. Before Your Wedding Day: A Letter to My Brother To my little brother, Logan, I am really surprised how quickly this special day of yours is approaching. Continue Reading
The Best Countdown App
Going through a deployment? Is your wedding day coming up? Whatever it is you're counting down, finding the best countdown app is a must! Countdown apps can make counting the days easier and more fun. It may even make the days go faster! I've been counting down the days until my husband comes home. I'm so glad that his date to move back to the states was moved up so that I could change my countdown and skip a bunch of days! I've been looking at all the countdown apps out there, and I think I've found some of the very best ones. Choose which one works best for you and your events! Find the Continue Reading
Wedding Vow Art
My husband and I wrote our own vows for our wedding. It was something I really wanted to do, and I think we are both so glad that we did it. I love that they were written from the heart and very personal. We wrote our vows separately and didn't hear each other's until our wedding ceremony. It made it even more special! After our wedding, I knew I wanted to create something with our wedding vows to display in our home. I wanted to be reminded of those vows often. I also loved our wedding photos. We had a great photographer, and I figured I could display our wedding vows using our wedding Continue Reading
Summer Picnic Supplies
Summer is here. The sun is shining, there's a cool breeze, and the sandwiches and watermelon are just waiting to be eaten. What better place to eat them than outside at a picnic! I just love picnics -- there's something about them that just seems so enchanting. Of course a picnic isn't enchanting if you don't have the proper picnic supplies. I've compiled this list of the best summer picnic supplies, so you can be sure your family picnics are the best they can be. These are also great gift ideas, especially for someone getting married. Summer Picnic Supplies Picnic Blanket This Continue Reading
Purple and Grey Bridal Shower Ideas
Like I told you last week, I got to plan and host my first bridal shower a couple weeks ago. It was really fun deciding how I wanted to decorate. I went with a purple and grey bridal shower theme -- the bride's favorite color is purple. And so is mine! I loved how it turned out. This post contains affiliate links. View my disclosure policy here. We did a Bridal Brunch complete with breakfast foods! Our menu consisted of sausage links, biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs, fruit kabobs with dip, hash brown casserole, chicken salad sandwiches, cheese cubes, and muffins. We also had Continue Reading
Three Fun Bridal Shower Games
I recently hosted a bridal shower for a beautiful woman who I have been friends with since second grade. I'm honored to get to be her matron of honor, and I was really excited to plan her shower. I will be posting about the details of the party in the next couple weeks. For now, though, I wanted to share about the games we played. These were three games that were easy to plan and get materials for. Everyone seemed to really enjoy them, and I love that they were all about the bride and her groom. Game #1 How Well Do You Know the Bride? Each guest received a piece a paper with 10 Continue Reading
The Ultimate List of Country Wedding Songs
Our wedding was almost two years ago. Since then, we've been to several weddings and danced at several receptions. We've heard a lot of wedding music, and often times I find myself thinking, "We should have played this at our wedding!" I loved our wedding and our reception. One of the things I would change, though, is adding more awesome music to the list I gave our DJ to play. With all the planning that goes into a wedding, sometimes you just might forget a really good song! To help those who are in the midst of the busy, fun, and sometimes stressful stage of planning the day they will Continue Reading
No +1 = Helper
Kind of a strange title for this post... if you don't get it, you probably will after reading the whole post. :) I went back to Indiana at the beginning of August. I decided to visit family while Travis was gone for a month, but the biggest reason I went back to the Hoosier state was to attend my sister-in-law's wedding. As soon as I arrived, I went north to see Travis' family. I thought it might be strange going there without my husband, but actually I felt really comfortable. I guess they really are my family now. There was lots of wedding prep -- decorating the church, decorating for Continue Reading
Wedding Gift Ideas
Are the save-the-dates hanging on your refrigerator? Have the invitations been coming in the mail? Wedding season is just around the corner, which means it may be time for you to send in your RSVP and buy your wedding gift. I love getting couples a great wedding gift. It's so fun shopping for cute things to give them as they start this marriage journey. I think gifts are becoming a top love language for me! Or maybe I just love shopping, who knows! Here are some great wedding gift ideas for all those lovely bride and groom couples. Gift Ideas for the Bride & Groom 1. Continue Reading
Bride & Groom Gifts (For Each Other)
Recently, it has become popular for the bride and groom to get each other gifts on their wedding day. Some like this idea and others don't bother. Travis and I wanted to get in on this tradition. (Or maybe it was just me! Is it so bad that I love presents?) Gifts from the Bride & Groom to Each Other I have been working on Travis' gift for a long time. For years. Since before I even knew Travis. And it cost me probably $10. Who said a romantic gift has to be expensive? So let me explain. When I was in high school, I bought a journal, and I began writing in that journal to my future Continue Reading
The Best Part of My Wedding
There was one main part of my wedding that made it so special and so beautiful -- and no, I'm not talking about the white dress. My Wedding: How We Included Prayer One of the things I loved most about my wedding was how it was wrapped in prayer. Including God in our wedding planning, wedding day, and marriage was so important to me. I loved how so many people helped me include Him. Before we began decorating the day before the wedding, everyone came together to pray in a circle. We prayed for the day to go smoothly, the next day to go smoothly, and for our marriage to be blessed. Continue Reading