Our Wedding (Part V): Video (+ Photo) Highlights

APRIL 22, 2016: THE DAY I MARRIED MY FOREVER LOVE.

"Our Wedding"  ❤  A Five-Part Blog Series

• Part I – The Preparation (Click HERE to view)
• Part II – Our Ceremony (Click HERE to view)
• Part III – Our Reception (Click HERE to view)
• Part IV – Our Honeymoon (Click HERE to view)
• Part V –  Video (+ Photo) Highlights

Thanks for checking out my final post in the wedding blog series! It is all about videos and a final montage of some of my favorite photos from our wedding.

We are celebrating a year and a half of marriage (10/22)! Although the wedding posts may be coming to a close, our love and learning about marriage continues on. Thank you for taking the time to read these posts, and I hope you enjoyed them all!  ❤ 

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PART V: Video (+ Photo) Highlights

– Wedding Day Trailer –

Produced by "The Story is Told"

Ok. I am pretty stoked about this, so before I start tearing-up, it is my pleasure to present to you this amazing trip down memory lane...

Ladies and gentlemen, our wedding day trailer.

Enjoy! ❤

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– "Our Story" Wedding Video –

Videography – Ron Harrison   |   Editing – See below for THAT fun story... :'D

This video was shown during our wedding reception (see the extended story behind finalizing this video HERE). I really liked the idea of having a video that opened up about our lives: both as individuals, and our lives coming together as husband and wife. I've been to weddings where I really knew the bride, but not the groom (or vice versa), so I wanted those who may not have known either myself or Bryan very well, to get to know us a little bit more during our wonderful celebration. Enjoy!

The story behind the editing: The finished product almost didn't happen! The afternoon before the wedding (that's right...not even 24 hours before the wedding), I was at home trying to finish editing this (I know, crazy...). When I realized I just didn't have the physical strength or time to finish it, I broke down. I texted every and any videographer I knew, but came up empty-handed. Then, I got a text from a dear friend from my days at Disney, letting me know that the crew was finally in Arizona! I called her crying – telling her my situation. Trent, one of the other friends from Disney who knew the program from a graphic-designer perspective, offered to take a program he had little experience with, put his graphic design expertise to action and spent the evening editing the final portions to our video. A blessing that means the world to me (thank you, Trent)!!

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– "Forever" (aka Bryan's Song) –

Videography – The Story Is Told   |   Song Composition – Christie Lukes

After our first dance, I surprised Bryan with a gift of song. Bryan has always told me that one of his favorite memories of me is one of the nights he came over, I sat and sang while playing the guitar...and that meant the world to him. So, when it came to giving him something on our wedding day, I decided to write him a song and perform it for him. ❤

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– Favorite Photo Moments –

Finally, I close this series of wedding memories with some of my favorite photo moments. For a full collection of photos, visit my previous blog posts – links below!

 The Preparation  |  Ceremony  |  Reception  |  Honeymoon

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❤ PREPARATION ❤ 

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❤ CEREMONY ❤ 

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❤ RECEPTION ❤ 

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❤ Mr. & Mrs. ❤ 

See more blog stories at http://christieroshau.com/findyourstory.

Our Wedding (Part IV): Our Honeymoon

APRIL 22, 2016: THE DAY I MARRIED MY FOREVER LOVE.

"Our Wedding"  ❤  A Five-Part Blog Series

• Part I – The Preparation (Click HERE to view)
• Part II – Our Ceremony (Click HERE to view)
• Part III – Our Reception (Click HERE to view)
• Part IV – Our Honeymoon
• Part V –  Video (+ Photo) Highlights

Thanks for checking out my wedding blog series! We are on the brink of one year and five months into our marriage, and looking back on our wedding/honeymoon never gets old! Did you miss "Part III – Our Reception"? Click HERE to get the scoop on all of the details to our reception!  ❤ 

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PART IV: OUR HONEYMOON

– TEN "MAUI-WOWWY" THINGS TO DO –

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✔️ 1 – Stay (majority of your time) in Lahaina

We stayed in two different locations on the island, and I'm so glad we spent majority of our time based in Lahaina. It's a beautiful part of the island, close to a lot of beaches, and a great "home-base" when exploring elsewhere. We also saved by staying at a condo vs. hotel the whole time.

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✔️ 2 – Rent a Convertible and EXPLORE!

My favorite part about Bryan are the times he's able to legitimately surprise me (FE: Our proposal). This is another fine example. He surprised me by renting a red convertible for the week! The coolest part was how much of a God-thing the rental was...we ended up at the wrong rental car place, and when Bryan asked them about if they had a red Camero, they initially said how their location rarely ever gets the sports cars. But, low and behold...they had ONE left! 👌🏻

No matter the vehicle, explore the island! From the beaches to the back roads...plan some time to simply explore the island.

Surprising me with the Camero rental car!

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✔️ 3 – Eat Good Food

Here are my top five places to eat in Maui...

Our first restaurant we went to in Maui!

Amazing BBQ Pulled Pork Tacos (and fish tacos, so I hear...not a fish fan) :-)

The last-standing Cold Stone in Maui...being the ice cream fanatic I am, I say it's a must-visit! :-)

SO GOOD! Not typically a shaved ice fan, but this was a game-changer. Right off of Front Street...

An amazing place with an amazing view for our last evening in Maui... ❤

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✔️ 4 – If  You Take the Road to Hana, Take the Road with Dramamine...

Another term for this is the "Road to He...." nevermind :-) Let's just say, it's best to take a Dramamine if you get sick on wind-ey roads. Not sure if this contributed to my whoozy-stomach, but I will say that there is a place to eat half way, but I didn't think it was that good...so I advise bringing snacks!

UNLESS you want to see all of Hawaii's flowers in one place (kind of neat)...avoid overpriced "Phhokamoa Falls" .... Can't even get close to the falls, and the price was pretty ridiculous. Still, I got some great photos out of the visit!

Property of Christie Lukes, Christie Lukes Photography

Property of Christie Lukes, Christie Lukes Photography

Property of Christie Lukes, Christie Lukes Photography

Property of Christie Lukes, Christie Lukes Photography

Finally, this is a great drive for lots of waterfalls, jungle-feel and TIGHT road corners...so drive safe! It took us a full day to do the trip FYI, and we didn't even see everything. So, if you really want to see something particular, plan ahead.

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✔️ 5 – Molokini Crater is Your Place for Snorkeling

Real moment: I strongly dislike fish: eating, swimming with...seriously. BUT...I will say that this was a neat adventure to go out to this world famous area for snorkeling! Bryan was super patient with me and helping me conquer some (for me, uncomfortable) fishy moments. A great bonding activity! :-D The snorkeling deal we got also included a boat tour on the way back to shore.

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✔️ 6 – Go to a Farmer's Market and Buy "Apple Bananas"

Go to at least one farmer's market while you're in Maui (but remember that you can't bring food back to the states) A must-have fruit is an apple banana!!! They are so good, and the next time we go to Hawaii, I am getting a bundle of 'em!

✔️ 7 – Take a Stroll Down Front Street. Multiple times.

This is just a neat beach town with lots of shopping! ALSO...savings alert!! I forget the name, but there is a little hole in the wall right there on the street that advertises CHEAP activities: all you have to do is spend about 2 hrs of I remember right at a "timeshare" event in a hotel. We were able to go snorkeling and attend a luau for 70% off original price!!

✔️ 8 – Attend a Luah

Go to one! It may seem super touristy, but it's an all-you-can-eat event and a culturally neat ️experience. Also, I must say it was extra special to us, as we met fellow newlyweds sitting across from us. It's crazy how God brings people together at just the right time, and that couple certainly fit the mold of a new lifetime relationship!

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✔️ 9 – Watch a Sunset. Or Two. Or Three...

Of course, it didn't hurt to see a few of these moments while we were out there...

✔️ 10 – Have a Professional Photoshoot on the Beach

Finally, I wanted us to have captured moments from a professional towards the end of our trip. So, we had Stu! If you want a good photographer for a beach shoot in Maui...USE STU! I am more than happy to send his number to anyone in need of this during their Maui trip. These are only a small collection I've posted here, and love them so much!

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❤  I hope you enjoyed these "Maui-Wowwy Moments" from our Honeymoon in Hawaii! ❤ 

Our Wedding (Part III): The Reception

APRIL 22, 2016: THE DAY I MARRIED MY FOREVER LOVE.

 

"Our Wedding"  ❤  A Five-Part Blog Series

• Part I – The Preparation (Click HERE to view)
• Part II – Our Ceremony (Click HERE to view)
• Part III – Our Reception
• Part IV – Our Honeymoon
• Part V –  Video (+ Photo) Highlights

Thanks for checking out my wedding blog series! Such a beautiful story that I love looking back on. Did you miss "Part II – Our Ceremony"? Click HERE to get the scoop on all of the details to our ceremony! For this particular post, I focus on the TOP TEN MOMENTS of our amazing reception.  ❤ 

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PART III: OUR RECEPTION

– TOP TEN MOMENTS –

Note: Extended vendor reviews will be at the end of each blog for my "engaged" readers!

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#1 – THE COCKTAIL HOUR

After saying our vows, it was off to the reception! We were so fortunate to have the opportunity of celebrating at the Paradise Valley Country Club, in Paradise Valley, AZ. A BEAUTIFUL background, a gorgeous ballroom, and glass doors that opened up to connect the two!

During the cocktail hour, we were busy getting our photos taken! It was great, because it allowed for our family and friends to watch us enjoy these new memories off in the distance, as well as have activities, appetizers and drinks available for them in the patio area.

ACTIVITIES

We were so thankful for the turnout of guests that we had at our wedding, and I wanted them to have an enjoyable evening. I'm all about creative fun, so I planned enough activities going on during our photoshoot, that if someone didn't want to participate in one activity, there would be another available that they might feel more comfortable with. Here are some of the things going on leading up to the food that (hopefully) kept the guests entertained, while also creating lasting memories for us to look back on.

• “Guest Book” Vinyl Records – We had guests sign a vinyl record, along with their favorite lyrics. With any idea, you can add a personalized touch, and these are a great example. I could have gone out and buy records, but decided to use old records from my grandma. That way, I not only have a new memory with them, but an old memory to carry on!

• Photo Frame – A huge shout out to my dad for creating this photo frame for our guests! It was set up in such a way that you could frame yourself with the Camelback mountain. Thank you to one of Bryan's friends and groomsmen, Sean Shelton, for taking this AMAZING photo!

Photo Credit: Sean Shelton

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Monopoly Game –  Bryan and I are all about games, so we put together one of my favorites for our guests to participate in! A huge thank you to my brother, Robert Roshau, for his creativeness to bring this idea to pass. It is such a joy to see everyone's ideas come to life, and I'm so thankful for this treasure we get to keep the rest of our lives!

Deck of Cards – Continuing the idea of games, I thought it would be a neat keepsake with our final engagement shoot photos all in one place, as well as an opportunity for everyone to write a message on the inside portion of each card. It means so much to me to read back on all the personalized messages, and we appreciate them so much!

"50 Years" Letters – There were a total of 50 letters/envelopes left on specific seats throughout the ballroom, representing each year of marriage leading up to 50. On each anniversary, we are to open the corresponding year – giving us encouragement and memories throughout the next 50 years of marriage! I found this idea online through a wedding store website. What a cool memory for us to have with so many of our guests down the road!

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#2 – RECEPTION DECOR

• Table Assignments (Cassette Tapes) – Keeping with the music and EKG-strip theme, each seating assignment had an engagement photo on the front, with an EKG heart inside with the guest's assigned table number. I just love how these turned out! We also put in "part one" of guests thank you gifts: a magnet with the Camelback view, personalized message from Bryan and me, along with our Bible verse for our marriage: 1 John 4:19.

• Seat Assignments – Each seat assignment not only had the guest's name, but a cute EKG heart to pair. My aunt did all the calligraphy, and it looked absolutely amazing!

• Thank you gifts – Personalization was KEY to this wedding! Every woman guest received a "bride" gift box with a personalized necklace (I went to Hobby Lobby and picked out about a half dozen different charm designs with matching chains, and then divided them up accordingly). For the men, we gave them a "groom" gift box, with box of personalized matches. Also, you'll see below personalized flower petals sewn by my dear friend, Sarah (since they did not allow real petals, she thought it would be neat to make them look better than the paper-version petals)!

• Table Setting Décor – Each table was carefully designed with the theme, color scheme, and atmosphere in mind: Blush jewels tossed on each table... "Did you know" facts about the bride and groom (yes, there were probably at least 50 messages, all personally designed)... Napkin holders with music staff/notes ... Children activities for the young one in attendance... Delicate floral designs at each table. 

•  Head Table – I love how this table turned out! I found "Mr. & Mrs." Wood art with scripture subtly in the backdrop that were at the focal point of the table. Flowers from the ceremony were brought over an re-used on this table (not shown in the above photo), as well as my bouquet, and each of the bridesmaid flowers. I like where the table ended up as well, as it had a nice backdrop to it for when photos were taken, yet allowing us to see out to the guests and band.

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#3 –  THE GRAND ENTRANCE

Our grand entrance consisted of each bridal party member coming up with their own routine, and then concluding with our little number we made up on the spot :-). We then did a welcome and thank you speech, followed by the blessing by Nan. 

^  Our Grand Entrance... :-)  ^

Thank you speech to family and friends.

Nan gives the prayer over the dinner.

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#4 – TOASTS & SPEECHES

The speeches for the evening included my Maid of Honor, Best Man, and both of our sets of parents. You could tell each person put time into personalizing their toast, and we enjoyed each one of them!

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#5 – FATHER/DAUGHTER DANCE

A unique personable touch: I wanted to have this moment really special for our parents. We wanted to honor them and their years of support and love, and I look back and really am blessed to have shared this special moment with my dad.

So, we had Bryan's mom give her speech before they both shared in the mother/son dance!

Then, my parents gave their speech, and Dad asked me for a dance. I'm writing this blog post in a public space and don't really want to start crying, so I'll leave it with these beautiful photos of daddy and I sharing the dance floor :-) ...

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#6 – “OUR STORY” VIDEO

After the dances with our parents, we moved into a video that was all about telling our story to our wedding guests. This has a personal touch to it, and it almost didn't happen! The afternoon before the wedding, I was at home trying to finish editing this (I know, crazy...). When I realized I just didn't have the physical strength or time to finish it, I broke down. I texted every and any videographer I knew, but came up empty-handed. Then, I got a text from a dear friend from my days at Disney, letting me know that the crew was finally in Arizona! I called her crying – telling her my situation. Trent, one of the other friends from Disney who knew the program from a graphic-designer perspective, offered to take a program he had little experience with, put his graphic design expertise to action and spent the evening editing the final portions to our video. A blessing that meant the world to me!!!

< < VIDEO COMING SOON IN AN UPCOMING POST! > >

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#7 – OUR FIRST DANCE

As the movie faded, we came out to the dance floor to share in our first dance together as husband and wife. Dancing is a passion of mine, so it was so amazing having my husband and I learn a specific routine for our wedding, with a specific song that has meaning to the both of us. My forever life dance partner ❤ ...

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#8 – BRYAN’S SONG

After our first dance, I surprised Bryan with a gift of song. Bryan has always told me that one of his favorite memories of me is one of the nights he came over, I sat and sang while playing the guitar...and that meant the world to him. So, when it came to giving him something on our wedding day, I decided to write him a song and perform it for him.

< < VIDEO COMING SOON IN AN UPCOMING POST! > >

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#9 – TRADITIONAL EVENTS

During the remaining portion of the reception, we walked around taking photos and visiting with as many guests as we could! We also took part of tradition wedding events like the cake cutting, money dance and bouquet / garter toss (or, in Bryan's case, football toss)!

CAKE CUTTING

MONEY DANCE

THE GARTER / BOUQUET TOSS

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#10 – THE GRAND EXIT

What says grand exit better than SPARKLERS and a 1969 CLASSIC CORVETTE (courtesy of my parents)!   :-)   I love how these photos turned out, and the personalized sign my parents put together to fit classically on the rear of the car. Driving off with my forever love is the greatest start to a new beginning as husband and wife. A spectacular night, indeed...

Photo Credit: Sean Shelton

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COMING UP NEXT... OUR WEDDING (PART IV) – OUR HONEYMOON

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VENDOR REVIEWS

[ RECEPTION VENUE & CATERING: PARADISE VALLEY COUNTRY CLUB ]

I cannot say enough good things about Shannon (the venue coordinator) and the rest of the PVCC staff. Professional – professional - PROFESSIONAL! Shannon was 100% always willing and ready to help. It feels REALLY good to be a bride and NOT have to have in the back of your mind if the reception coordinator really knows what they are doing (psst...Shannon is an expert and truly gifted in her craft)! She also didn't mind the handful of visits I wanted to make to the facility leading up to the big day to make sure all details were in order :-) ...THANK YOU for your kindness and professionalism (oh, and how can we forget the all around BEAUTIFUL facility and backdrop)!

• Product Itself: Excellent
• Customer Service: Excellent
• Costs: N/A
• Overall recommendation: 5 ♥/ 5 ♥

[ MASTER OF CEREMONIES / DJ: ROSEBUD ENTERTAINMENT ]

I met Budd at a bridal expo, and was (I believe) the only vendor I found through this time of expo...AND IT WAS WORTH IT! He is the best of the best, and I cannot brag on his professionalism and expertise enough. He understood my needs and fulfilled it. Our meetings were productive, and his services were nothing short of excellent. An example of a stress-free vendor. Recommended!

• Product Itself: Excellent
• Customer Service: Excellent
• Costs: Reasonable
• Overall recommendation: 5 ♥/ 5 ♥

[ LIVE ENTERTAINMENT: LELEA & THE 3NATIONS BAND ]

This group was incredible! Young, professional and very easy to work with. What a talented group, and I am so fortunate to have found them. Bryan and I used to be involved in a non-profit organization, and at a fundraising event this band was playing. I knew instantly I wanted them to be a part of our evening, as they actually unintentionally represented how Bryan and I first met: helping the youth. Hands down: a wonderful group to work with!

• Product Itself: Excellent
• Customer Service: Excellent
• Costs: Excellent
• Overall recommendation: 5 ♥/ 5 ♥

[ DECOR & ADDITIONAL MEDIA ]

Please contact me directly for information on DIY projects, additional video services and any other projects you see done on this page! 

Wedding Photographer: About Love Studios

Our Wedding (Part II): The Ceremony

APRIL 22, 2016: THE DAY I MARRIED MY FOREVER LOVE.

"Our Wedding"  ❤  A Five-Part Blog Series

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• Part I – The Preparation (Click HERE to view!)
• Part II – Our Ceremony
• Part III – Our Reception
• Part IV – Our Honeymoon
• Part V – Photo Favs (a collection of my favorite wedding photos)

Thanks for checking out my wedding blog series! Such a beautiful story that I love looking back on. If you missed "Part I – Preparation," make sure to click HERE! For this particular post, I focus on the ceremony. And, if I do say so myself, great timing (as this is the week leading up to our first year wedding anniversary)!  ❤ 

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PART II: OUR CEREMONY

Note: Extended vendor reviews will be at the end of each blog for my "engaged" readers!

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THE CHAPEL

I wanted a place that reminded me of two major things I remember back that the church I grew up in had before they remodeled: A center long aisle and a cross or symbol of my faith on the stage that was a focal point...

Grace Chapel, Scottsdale Bible Church (interior)

Grace Chapel, Scottsdale Bible Church (exterior)

Need I say more? :-)

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THE PASTOR & PRE-MARITAL COUNSELING

We were please to have my children's pastor from back in the day as our officiant (and as our premarital counselor)! Note to engaged / single / dating couples: we highly recommend Christian counseling prior to getting married, as it opens your eyes to items of marriage you may not think about, or need to hear a "real" perspective on tough subjects to confirm or clarify your decision. We also did premarital group counseling through the church itself. It felt a little bit more broad vs. one-on-one counseling, but I'm glad we did both.

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THE WEDDING DRESS

Unlike other gals, my story wasn't the magical "...walk into the Bridal Boutique, tried on my first dress and viola! My dress of my dreams!"

....yeah, no. Not my story.

It was more like: try on 1,012 gowns, and still couldn't find it. Until...

I remember surfing the web one day, trying to find the type of dress I was looking for: form-fitting on top, flowy with a long train on the bottom, jeweled ever so delicately (NOT Disney princess...but ROYAL princess-elegance-look).

I saw it...I just knew it was the one! Sophia Tolli's Egret – Style Y11565.

Now all I had to do was hop in the car and go try it on, right? Sure! I mean, the closest location I could try one on was next door in...

San Diego, CA....say WHA?! (Can you say, "road trip"?!) :-D

That's exactly what I did! Candace and Jennifer (two of my bridesmaids) equally came along for this last-minute excursion to the west coast (as well as Jennifer's little girl)! So, was it THE ONE?

Yes. It truly was my dream dress!!

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ACCESSORIES

• The Shoes – Dilliard's
• The Bracelet – Charming Charlie's
• The Necklace – Dilliard's

• The Additional "Heart" Ring – My 'something borrowed' Grandmother's ring
• The Perfume – A gift from my handsome husband ;-)
• The Purse – A gift from my beautiful mother!

• The Garter – Hobby Lobby (wedding items go on sale every so often, so if you have time to plan, just wait and keep an eye on their promotions!)
• The Veil – CraigsList! Originally a David's Bridal veil, but I snagged this deal and it TOTALLY made my dress C-O-M-P-L-E-T-E!

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THE GROOM'S ATTIRE & ACCESSORIES

My wonderful husband looked ever-so dashing in his tuxedo from Celebrity Tux and Tails. His socks were a gift from me and read, "Fire It Up!" – (to compliment his firefighting career)! And of course, that dashing-smile makes his look complete ;-)

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HAIR & MAKE-UP

I loved the fact that I got to get my hair done in an intimate, small studio by a woman who has done my hair for about ten years now! Linda, you are an amazing person, and I'm so glad you were the stylist to keep my hair from blowing everywhere in the wind later on that day :-) ... My mother was there with me, too, which made it equally sentimental to spend time with her before heading over to the church to finish getting ready.

I found my make-up artist on Thumbtack, a wonderful outlet to compare and find local vendors. I use it for my own business, so it was great to find Julie to do my makeup. FABULOUS work and comfortable to be around (let the photos be the proof of her work)!

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THE WEDDING PARTY ATTIRE

Bridesmaids: My bridesmaids wore beautiful off-the-shoulder Mori Lee blush long gowns. I wanted something unique, but also elegant and sophisticated (and the ladies look fabulous)! The colors are so on-point, too! :-D

Flower Girl: My lovely little flower girl wore a dress I found at Dilliard's – her mom (far left bridesmaid) did a fabulous job tweaking the look to take out some of the gold so that more blush pink showing. She also sewed fabric petals to replace what would have been flimsy "fake" flowers (the chapel did not allow real petals to be thrown). Also, I had EKG hearts and sheet music hearts cut out that would equally be tossed down the aisle (to match the invitations and "theme").

Junior Attendants: These wonderful girls wore dresses I found at Diliard's (that – how cool is this – matched as an older version of the flower girl's dress)! They came down the aisle holding signs that help tell "our story". My aunt is the artist/master tracer when it came to making the signs. LOVE THEM.

Groomsmen and Ring Bearer: Moving onto the men's wardrobe...what an amazing group of guys! They all looked awesome in their tuxedos (and, yes, I secretly want the ring bearer to marry the flower girl)! ... :-) ...

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PRE-CEREMONY MOMENTS

Moment with Mom: This is the moment it all started to sink in. I'm. Getting. Married. I know not every girl can say this, but I'm fortunate to have a mom that has been a best friend throughout my life. A strong pillar of reflecting who Christ is through her walk and encouragement. Through the good, she's the behind-the-scenes cheerleader. Through the bad, she's the shoulder to cry on and encouraging word. As I was about to marry my new forever best friend, Bryan...having mom there for me meant the absolute world. This picture captured all those emotions in one moment.

Dad's First Look: I thought it would be a neat gesture to give my dad a "Daddy First Look" since we have such a close relationship. He's been there through so many life trials, and has taught me so much about hard work, fun and what it means to being a supporting father. I loved this opportunity as "Daddy's little girl" to spend a precious moment with Dad before he gave my hand to the most incredible man that has traits that remind me of what I look up to in my own father.

Bryan's First Look: Bryan and I didn't want him to see me in my gown before the ceremony, so we went with the idea to do a "blind" first look! It was great to be able to share one more moment with Bryan before we would part ways, and not see each other again until the ceremony. Don't ask what was on my mind. Probably happy, scared, excited, nervousness:-) 

Prayer with Nan: This moment is such a neat example of the core of my family. When I came back in from photos and getting "last minute" details together, I open the door to find my Nan (that's what we always called my grandmother on my Dad's side). It made me break down in tears yet again, as she travelled her 87-year-old self from Oregon to be a part of our special day. She led our group prayer together, and the prayer was passed on to others in the circle. The shot of our hands holding below is incredibly special to me, because it includes both my grandmothers in one picture. I wore my Grandma's ring who could not be there, and would pass away about seven months later. No words to express what this prayer time meant to me before I'd walk down the aisle.

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CEREMONY MOMENTS

The Music: Each song had a special meaning as to why it was chosen, timed out and either was a recording, or performed live. It made it that much more personable!

Coming down the aisle with Dad. At the end, we did our traditional "noses" that he would do when tucking me into bed as a kid.

Bryan's "Hand Kiss" – A tradition he would do every time he dropped me off at my door.

We wanted to take a moment and look out towards the audience to soak in the love and support of family and friends.

THE RINGS & UNITY CROSS

The Unity Cross is sitting on top of an old family Bible. Hidden special moments everywhere! :-)

Communion & Prayer

Live singing , piano, acoustic and acapella moments throughout the service were so intimate and special for us to hear.

Singing the papers – A new tradition was started. We had both families come up on the stage as a symbol of two families merging together. Also, my grandma signed as her witness for my mom's wedding – so I had mom continue this by signing as my witness.

The Kiss!

Mr. & Mrs. Lukes have left the building!

Back in the Bridal suite before we head out to celebrate!

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OTHER DETAILS

There are SO many details that I could go on and on about during the ceremony: the Bride and Groom gifts, bridesmaid gifts, signage, flower girl petals...guest book, flowers from bouquet, flowers on the ceremony stage and reception floral designs. If you want any specific details of any of the above, let me know! I'd be happy to help guide your ideas in the right direction. Until the next post, have a great week (AND HAPPY 362 DAYS OF MARRIAGE TO MY FOREVER LOVE, BRYAN LUKES!)

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COMING UP NEXT... OUR WEDDING (PART III) – RECEPTION

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VENDOR REVIEWS

[ CEREMONY LOCATION: GRACE CHAPEL, SCOTTSDALE BIBLE CHURCH ]

The on-site coordinator we were assigned to have was definitely flexible with our needs leading up. However, when it came to the rehearsal, she was not proactive to get things moving, and didn't seem to have review the thorough outline(s) I provided (I come from a background of production run sheets, call times, etc. and know I had a plentiful of information for her to get the scope of the order, etc - and it sometimes felt like a waste of my time based on the questions she was asking, etc). In addition, we specifically hired the sound crew to be there during the rehearsal to do what anyone would think a sound crew would do: a sound check. Well, they did not have mics set up or ready, and it was handled unprofessionally. The chapel itself was so incredibly gorgeous, and the Bride's room was so relaxing and inviting to get ready in. I thought a bit pricey being a church, but I definitely saw venues more expensive that weren't as nice.

• Product Itself: Excellent
• Customer Service: Fair
• Costs: Fair
• Overall recommendation: 4 ♥/ 5 ♥

[ WEDDING DRESS BOUTIQUE REVIEW: TOUR OF ELEGANCE, SAN DIEGO ]

Erin was AMAZING to work with, and the store itself was such a comfortable setting to be able to try on gowns. I knew in advance that it would need alterations, so it didn't bother me how the bust "cup" size was about 2 sizes bigger than you'd think in proportion to the dress size I ordered. My dress was more expensive than others, but not over-the-top. It was very good fabric and quality, and I was happy with its final look.

• Product Itself: Excellent
• Customer Service: Excellent
• Costs: Fair
• Overall recommendation: 5 ♥/ 5 ♥

[ ALTERATION #1 REVIEW: VALENTINA'S ALTERATIONS, PHOENIX ]

Valentina was professional and reliable with her deadlines and level of experience. The one thing I appreciated most was that she was honest when she couldn't do something that I wanted done to the dress, and instead of "trying," to make something work, she knew that she didn't want me to take that chance on my wedding dress, so she respectfully declined to do the service. She was able to accomplish majority of alterations, however, I took it to a second alterations location to finish the job that was needed. 

• Product Itself: Great
• Customer Service: Excellent
• Costs: Fair
• Overall recommendation: 5 ♥/ 5 ♥

[ ALTERATION #2 REVIEW: HELENA'S ALTERATIONS, SCOTTSDALE ]

She has been a God-sent since pageant years, and I'm so glad I went back to her to finish my dress! "Mama takes care of you!" is something she always says, and she means it. Professional - experienced – passionate – caring...she NAILS it. She was able to accomplish what the first alterations was not able to, and then went above and beyond to make sure all other aspects were checked and double checked. If you want to feel at ease and that your dress is taken care of 100%, then go see Helena. Hands down!

• Product Itself: Excellent
• Customer Service: Excellent
• Costs: Fair
• Overall recommendation: 5 ♥/ 5 ♥

[ HAIR & MAKE-UP: LINDA GIGUERE & JULIE MARTIN ]

Each woman provided me with CONFIDENCE in their professionalism and talent prior to the big day, so that when April 22 came around, my hair and make-up was the least of my concerns. If you have any questions on the work, just look at the beautiful photos!!! :-)

• Product Itself: Excellent
• Customer Service: Excellent
• Costs: Reasonable
• Overall recommendation: 5 ♥/ 5 ♥

[ FLORIST #1: TAMI TISDALE]

Tami is a wonderful soul. She was my "primary" florist, if you will. I won auction items that were certificates for the bouquet and centerpiece for the ceremony, but Tami took care of the rest. The reception centerpieces looked amazing! I LOVED the flower girl's headpiece. The only hiccup was that the groom, groomsmen, and mother of bride/groom had very large roses to them that I thought were supposed to be the smaller rose look, so they were at times overpowering. Not sure if that is a flower-seasonable thing, or could have been fixed. Other than that, she was incredible to work with! I'd recommend her hands down. Very reasonable, professional and understanding during our monumental event! :-)

• Product Itself: Good
• Customer Service: Excellent
• Costs: Reasonable
• Overall recommendation: 5 ♥/ 5 ♥

[ FLORIST #2: RITA VANEK]

Rita took care of the Bride Bouquet. I won a certificate at an auction that allowed me to get my bouquet preserved, so I knew I wanted it to look amazing since I'd be keeping it years down the road. She did a fabulous job (and even was able to add these cool lights I brought in for her within the bouquet)! 

• Product Itself: Good
• Customer Service: Good
• Costs: N/A (It was an auction item, so I cannot comment on prices)
• Overall recommendation: 5 ♥/ 5 ♥

[ FLORIST #3: CARTE BLANCHE DESIGNS]

Carte Blanche Designs was wonderful to work with, and did a beautiful job bringing my vision for the centerpiece to life! We were able to equally use the flowers they desinged for the ceremony into our reception decor.

• Product Itself: Excellent
• Customer Service: Excellent
• Costs: N/A (It was an auction item, so I cannot comment on prices)
• Overall recommendation: 5 ♥/ 5 ♥

[ MUSICIANS: PIANIST, ACOUSTIC GUITAR, VOCALIST]

All of the musicians were incredible to work with – a mixture of friends and new acquaintances. Please contact me for more info on any of the musicians used, and I'd be happy to forward their information.

• Product Itself: Excellent
• Customer Service: Excellent
• Costs: N/A (individually worked out costs, as it varied per person)
• Overall recommendation: 5 ♥/ 5 ♥

Our Wedding (Part I) – Preparation

APRIL 22, 2016: THE DAY I MARRIED MY FOREVER LOVE.

"Our Wedding"  ❤  A Five-Part Blog Series

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• Part I – The Preparation
• Part II – Our Ceremony
• Part III – Our Reception
• Part IV – Our Honeymoon
• Part V – Photo Favs (a collection of my favorite wedding photos)

I am excited to finally share details to our wedding day (and details leading up)! For this particular blog, I focus on the pre-wedding preparations and parties.

There are many other "pre-wedding" items that were obviously done before the wedding, but they will be saved for the upcoming posts. 

I hope you enjoy! :-)

❤ Christie

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PART I: PREPARATION

Note: Extended vendor reviews will be at the end of each blog for my "engaged" readers!

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ENGAGEMENT PARTY

Overview: The engagement party was an absolute blast! I recommend any couple getting married to have an engagement party. Remember – this is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of a celebration in your life. You can make it as elaborate or simple as you want!

Preparation: I made an informal postcard invite with photos from our engagement to both in and out-of-state family and friends. True, we weren’t expecting those in other states to fly out to the engagement party, however, it did open an opportunity for us to show them pictures of the proposal!

Engagement Party Postcards - details were added on the back

Final Product:  We had simple finger foods in addition to the ice cream and chocolates (the key to my heart)! I wore a dress from Macy's, and the location was in the clubhouse in my the condominium I was living in at the time. It was perfect for the number of guests we had, and also offered an outside patio area. We had a photo area in addition to a dear friend of ours who took photos for us (shout out to Ruben!). My brother gave me a selfie-stick to use for the night!

One of my favorite moments: The "proposal re-creation" hands-down won me over (shout-out thank you to my beautiful mom and her decorating talent)! Bryan put a lot of creativity, love and time into making it a very special moment (and complete surprise), and it was important to share that with our friends and family (as the proposal was in Ohio). We also did a live "performance" of the proposal from both our perspectives for a glimpse into the proposal. Good times! 

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FIRST ENGAGEMENT PHOTOS & SAVE THE DATES

Overview & Timeline: My dream was to have the farm-feel field look that was light and airy, fun and cute. Well...we got that moment! We didn't have an exact wedding date set at this time, so our save-the-dates went out about 5 months before the wedding. I love how they all turned out!

Save the Dates

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INVITATIONS

Overall: I am VERY pleased with how the invitations turned out! I am also very proud that I did what many decide to never attempt to do: DIY projects!! Yep. I am so excited with how they turned out, and have my parents to thank as they helped me with the assembly line in helping me put them together!

Timeline: This was an ongoing project, as the original one was not able to be printed without going over budget AND looking elegant and professional. So, the new design went out to guests about 1-2 months before the wedding.

Preparation: I went back-and-forth with this design, but finally came up with it. Elegance, sophistication and a touch of our personalities were the goals. The EKG heart represented Bryan: His passion for people (as a paramedic/firefighter and in general). The music heart represents me (my passion for music and heart for worship).  

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CEREMONY PROGRAMS

My brother was the brains behind the final design of our ceremony programs. I sent him an idea I had that would be too costly and timely to do at the time, and he was able to simplify it and piece together our final product. Thank you, Robert, for your time and effort to make our ceremony programs so special! ♥

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FINAL ENGAGEMENT PHOTOS

I was excited to utilize Rizalde and his wife for a final engagement session. We ended up using a lot of the photos for items within the ceremony, reception and activities. I absolutely LOVE how they turned out! Enough chit chat...see for yourself  ♥ 

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 WEDDING EXPOS: DO THEY WORK?

I attended a number of expos, and overall I'd say they were helpful, but more of an "experience." It's fun to go with your bridal party or group of girls! We took advantage of photo booths (see example to the right :-)...) Expos help give you ideas of what you like or don't like...and, you get FREE SAMPLES!!! From the expos I went to, I only used one vendor that I met initially there (my emcee - I’ll review his services in a later blog).

My favorite part about the wedding expo? Being able to model wedding dresses! Ok, maybe it wasn’t related to my actual wedding shopping, but that was my favorite part about the expos! :-D A huge thank you to Kim Horn (she's a wedding planning extraordinaire) for her gracious heart to allow me to have these modeling opportunities! If you're in need of a wedding planner, her professionalism and way she treated us as models is enough for me to know she takes care of her brides! Contact her today!

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WEBSITE

We had a wedding website setup to help give more information for our guests. You can take a look at ours by clicking HERE. It was basic and made through a free website maker called Wix. I paid for a domain name as I liked it to be personalized, but that was it!

Click photo to see our full wedding website!

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BRIDAL SHOWER

Here's a showcase of one of the gatherings leading up to our wedding: the Bridal Shower! Thank you to my Maid of Honor, Bridesmaids and family members for putting this event together! :-)

• Attire: I loved the light pink skirt I found paired with my lace crop top (both found at Charlotte Russe)! Best part? My shoes! I found them at David's Bridal, and KNEW I had to find an outfit to match them :-)
• Activities: The afternoon was filled with a lot of good-times: amazing desserts, opening a collection of wonderful gifts, a "how-well-you-know-the-Bride" game put together by my MOH Aimee, sharing a photo book of a photoshoot I did in my mother's wedding gown, a "dress guess" game where everyone cut out a wedding dress from a magazine of their favorite and what they thought my dress would look like, and all-around good time with family and friends.
• Decor: The colors were soft and light with cut-out hearts, a wedding gown pop-up amongst other display items, a Bridal chair personally decorated and re-done by my MOH, and creative signage! The desserts I would also categorize as "decor" as they were so cute and personable!
• Parasol Umbrella: This was something past down from my Great-Grandmother that I absolutely loved having around as a special item of decor and memories...cherished moment ❤
• Desserts:  Jennifer (one of my bridesmaids) made adorable hand-crafted treats like the "wedding cake" cookies and rice crispy engagement rings pictured below! I'm a girl always ready for good desserts, and that we certainly had! :-D

Photos taken by Danitza Schmidt.

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WEDDING PLANNER

For some brides, it's not fun to plan. For me, it was what I always wanted to do! To know that I had an opportunity to utilize my gifts and abilities to make our special day one that we can look back at and feel special and personalized was totally worth it. I wanted to take time to plan out all the details to our big day, and I enjoyed the opportunity. Creativity is my passion, and what better way than to be able to than on our wedding day! :-)

With that, the wedding would NOT have been what it was without the sincere help of so many! You know who you are, and know that you contributed to make our wedding memorable and special. We had everything from family members (including my aunt that took the time to FLY OUT to Arizona to help), to the full bridal party and amazing friends. A HUGE shout-out to my (now) husband who was so supportive of everything going on every step of the way – especially during some of the most emotional roller coaster rides along the way. It was so encouraging to have a wonderful support team. I also appreciate the venue coordinators as well as my aunt's assistance on the wedding day, so that was a wonderful thing to have. Thank you, thank you...THANK YOU!

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Coming up next... OUR Wedding (Part II) – Ceremony

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VENDOR REVIEWS

 

[ Danitza Schmidt – First Engagement Photoshoot ]

My dear friend, Danitza Schmidt (SDS Photography) did a fabulous job capturing our first engagement session in Coolidge, AZ. She also has always been so amazing at making her clients feel comfortable in front of a camera!

• Product Itself: Very Pleased
• Customer Service: Excellent
• Costs: Reasonable
• Overall recommendation: 5 ♥/ 5 ♥

 

[ Rizalde Sherwood – Second Engagement Photoshoot ]

We had the absolute pleasure of working with Rizalde and his wife for our final engagement shoot! We ended up using these photos taken for additional elements within the wedding, and thoroughly enjoyed his services. I would highly recommend him to others (and already have)!

• Product Itself: Very Pleased
• Customer Service: Excellent
• Costs: Reasonable
• Overall recommendation: 5 ♥/ 5 ♥

 

[ VistaPrint – Save-the-date printing ]

We ended up using two of the engagement photo chalkboard photos (PS, Danitza ^^ does chalk art as well)! I did the additional designing you see and sent it off to www.vistaprint.com.

• Product Itself: Very Pleased
• Customer Service: Excellent
• Costs: Reasonable (when you find coupon codes that knock the price down)!
• Overall recommendation: 4 ♥/ 5 ♥

 

[ Invitations (Project Elements) ]

• Main Invitation: Sheet Music from a second-hand store, EKG strips, cardstock from Paper Source and Michael’s, and ribbon from Paper Source and Hobby Lobby. 
• RSVP Card: One side had the RSVP, while the other was a photo from our first engagement shoot.
• Wedding Rehearsal Card: I printed on shimmer paper and pink sparkly cardstock (not shown on the above photo, but was added for extra shimmer).
• Printing: Kinkos/Fed-Ex Office (Fun fact: Bring your own paper, and it will save you a little money)!
• Envelopes: The calligraphy for the envelopes was done by a combination of my friends Christina, Kim, and even my dad! Christina is, yes, a friend of mine, but equally does calligraphy as a business. If you'd like her to help with your project, contact her at chrissy7776@yahoo.com! I didn't post photos since there are addresses on the envelopes, but take my word: AWE-SOME!
• Overall recommendation: 5 ♥/ 5 ♥  ( But I'm a little bias... :-) ...)

 

[ About Love Studios – Wedding Day Photographers ]

We had our photos taken by About Love Studios. Our photographers took wonderful and beautiful photos (as you will clearly see even more when I post day-of wedding photos)! We did have customer service issues, and eventually one of the specific situations was discussed and brought up with them. Even though the communication wasn't at a level we were expecting based on the reviews read, I am glad that the photos were so gorgeous and captured so many of the priceless moments created that day! In the end, we love our captured memories that will last us a lifetime.

• Product Itself: Excellent
• Customer Service: Fair
• Costs: We hired them through a benefit event, so our costs were different than regular prices.
• Overall recommendation: 3 ♥/ 5 ♥

[ The Story Is Told – Wedding Day Videographers ]

Our videography was provided by The Story Is Told (Abbey and Morgan). They were so amazing! I loved working with this husband/wife team! I was on the search for the right videographer, and if anyone knows me, they know how picky I am in this category (being that this is part of my personal career). I’d watch a wedding video 5 seconds in, and be able to tell it was a “no" immediately. When I ran across their company, I was instantly in tears over a STRANGER'S wedding! I knew they were the winner. :-)

Her attitude during a specific incident that happened I will forever appreciate – she was professional, calming and a definite smile when needed! Even my mom made a comment about how amazing they were. My husband equally commented on how he enjoyed their services and presence at the wedding. Believe it or not, I haven't even watched only but a few of the clips but still believe in their services (we bought just the raw footage at the time, and I don't want to see it until it has been fully edited to preserve the moment as a whole)! With that, I'm still comfortable doing this review without even watching their work in full.

• Customer Service: Excellent
• Product Itself: Excellent
• Costs: Reasonable
• Overall recommendation: 5 ♥/ 5 ♥