Post-wedding life

I thought things were supposed to calm down after the wedding! Instead, life has been a crazy mix of writing thank-you cards, replacing our old household items with gifts from the wedding, a little househunting, and a whole lot of getting ready for Christmas. Not to mention, that whole pesky name-change thing. People get married and change their names every day, you'd think the process would be simple, but it's a pain in the behind.

Aside from the above, very little has changed between Mike and I now that we're married. I like to joke that he's stopped doing housework, but while I'm here typing up a blog entry, he's scrubbing something in the kitchen. We're just getting used to calling each other "husband" and "wife," and that's pretty much it. Everything is great, and hopefully I can get some more updates if things slow down.

And now I'm Mrs. Theresa Barcelona!

Now that I've finally got a moment to stop and post....I'M MARRIED!

The wedding went off without a hitch, it was everything we hoped it would be and more. The ceremony was lovely, the reception was a hoot, and Mike and I ended the night happy and exhausted.

At the ceremony, I cried. A lot. As I came out to walk down the aisle, apparently one of the younger kids turned to his mom and asked why I was sad. His mom replied, "Sometimes people cry when they're happy." He then asked, "But how can she make a baby if she's crying?" This is why you invite kids to weddings. :)

Speaking of kids, our two ringbearers and two flowergirls were amazingly adorable. The two ringbearers didn't make it all the way down the aisle, but boy were they dapper in their little tuxes. The two flowergirls not only made it down the aisle, but stayed with us up on the dais the entire time. Halfway through the ceremony, I looked at them and realized they were still standing, and I leaned over and told them they could sit if they wanted. They promptly sat down, and continued being quiet and adorable the rest of the ceremony.

One of our favorite parts of the ceremony involved a number of our friends and family standing up where they were sitting and reading short quotes about love. A lot of people have asked about the quotes, so here they are:

Short Quotes

1.) The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love, and be loved in return.

-Moulin Rouge

2.) The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds, and that's what you've given me. That's what I hope to give to you forever.

-The Notebook

3.) I would rather have had one breath of her hair, one kiss from her mouth, one touch of her hand, than eternity without it.

-City of Angels

4.) This is true love, do you think this happens every day?

-Princess Bride

5.) You’ll learn something about men and women – the way they’re supposed to be. Caring for each other, being happy with each other, being good to each other. That’s what we call love. You’ll like that a lot.

– Captain James T. Kirk

6.) Would it make a difference if I said no one could possibly love anyone as much as I love you?

-The Butterfly Effect

7.) Love is like pi – natural, irrational, and very important.

– Lisa Hoffman

8.) My dearest friend if you don't mind, I'd like to join you by your side where we can gaze into the stars…and sit together now and forever for it is plain as anyone can see, we're simply meant to be."

-The Nightmare Before Christmas

9.) Love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.

– Robert Heinlein

10.) Live long and prosper.

– Spock

I'll post again soon about the reception. Anything else people wanted to know about from the ceremony?

T minus 1 day.

So the wedding is tomorrow! It's been so busy around here, the past two weeks have been filled with favors, programs, presents, and decorations. I can't wait to see everyone tomorrow, and I promise to post pictures....after the honeymoon!

T minus 17 days and counting!

So.....the wedding is 17 days away.....EEK!

I've been far too busy with, oh, wedding planning, to actually update my wedding blog. Irony, much?

Over the past nearly two months, things have really fallen together with the wedding. We've got a photographer, a florist, a DJ, and a menu. My dress is in the process of alterations, and I have my somethings old, new, borrowed, and blue all lined up. We're working on a place for the rehearsal dinner. I have shoes, jewelry, and undergarments. Favors are bought and assembled. Table assignments are assigned. Bridesmaid, flower girl, and ring bearer gifts are purchased.

The honeymoon is scheduled! Yippee! We're going to Disney for the honeymoon, and because of my dietary restrictions, we have reservations for all of our lunches and dinners. We're eating pretty much every cuisine Disney has to offer: Japanese, Italian, African, Moroccan, Hawaiian, and good old traditional American steak house. While we're in Florida, we'll be visiting Kennedy Space Center (for him) and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter (her). This is Mike's first trip to Orlando, and my third (though it's been over five years since I have been to Disney, and I've never stayed AT Disney).

We're really doing surprisingly well. I feel as though I should be in "crazy bride" mode right now, but there's not a lot to be crazy about. Are we just really well prepared or am I missing something?

Bridal shower and more wedding planning

Last Sunday, my Matron of Honor, Geri, hosted a wonderful bridal shower for me! It was in Pennsylvania, at the house that she and her family moved into a week and a half before the shower. She made a beautiful food spread, along with some lovely favors. Mike's mom made a gf cake for me, and I received many wonderful gifts! Mike and I have slowly been phasing out our old things and bringing in the new stuff, and its always exciting to get to use brand new things.

The wedding itself is just over two months away, and most everything is where it should be. We've got a few things to handle in the next week or so (tastings, honeymoon planning, etc), and I've got to schedule my dress fittings soon, which means I need to get shoes ASAP! We're really looking forward to the big day, and the week of relaxation that will follow.

And Now, For a Much Postponed Update!

Hey guys! I bet you thought I forgot about you! Or was busy! Or...something. Yeah, mostly I've been being lazy since graduating. It's been a slow time with the wedding, so there's not a lot to post about, and I'm hoping some pictures from our engagement party will be posted.

Speaking of the engagement party! On June 12th, my wonderful mother and her wonderful husband hosted an engagement party for Mike and I at their home. We had a fun mix of people, including college friends, work friends, and SCA friends. My dad and his wife, Mike's parents, my sister, and one of my cousins rounded out the family side of the attendees. We had some awesome food, including mom's husband's chili (with steak and deliciousness!), gluten-free brownies, cake, and an amazing spread of finger foods. Everyone seemed to get along really well, every time I turned around it seemed like everyone was chatting with someone different. We also got some lovely (and unexpected!) gifts, though just seeing and spending time with everyone would have been more than enough.

In other wedding news, we have found our photographer. We met with Derek Morrisey from Impressions Photography (www.pickimpressions.com) at our house last week, and we really liked him and his work, and he's very affordable. It is possible, however, that he will be mistaken for my father, especially when taking pictures!

Flowers are still being figured out. The florist I went to had a price that was more than twice what we want to spend, so we have some research and thinking to do on that front.

And on an only slightly wedding related note, Mike and I went to visit our best man, matron of honor, and their one year old son this weekend. The day we got there, they found out that they are pregnant for the second time! I'm so thrilled for them, and luckily we picked a dress that will still look fabulous with a pregnant belly.

That's all for now with the wedding updates, hopefully I'll have more to post soon!

Flowers

So today, I go off to my first lone appointment. I'm headed to Danielson Flowers in Shrewsbury, MA, to have my first floral consultation. Mike is in Florida, and even if he weren't, I probably wouldn't drag him along to the initial floral visits. I'll definitely go over the information with him, but he doesn't need to sit and watch me talk about flowers.

However, this does mean that I need to prepare myself in a few ways. I need to have all the questions I want to ask in mind. I have to remember everything I need to bring (wedding binder, bridesmaid shawl, pen and paper). And I have to prepare myself to talk to someone I don't know about something I don't know much about. That is the only reason I really wish Mike were going to be there, since he's good at talking to people. Ah well.

Since this is the first appointment, it will certainly be educational. This place doesn't do pre-priced packages, which may or may not be a good thing. I'll find out what they can do, and how much they can do it for. And if it doesn't work, I'll move on. Anyway, wish me luck!