Flashback Friday - The Wedding - October 19, 2002

So, this week was our nine year anniversary. NINE. So, while you are thinking I simply MUST be 40 years old, I'm not. I guess I just got married young. Although I really didn't. It seems REALLY young now. Many of my friends got married in their late 20's, some 30's and some still single. So, I guess in comparison, I was young. I had just turned 24 (yes, you just got my age didn't you?). To say that Jake and I are different people now than we were at 24 is grossly an understatement. Its crazy how much we have grown and changed. And to add 2.5 years of trying to have kids into the mix, it's hard. We are so lucky to have made it this long, and to tell you the truth, we are loving life and each other and having a blast! I can't to see what the rest of our lives has in store for us!

I wanted to flash back to my ancient times wedding. Although at the time I loved it, if I had to do it over, I just might do 100% of things differently. But, it was still awesome. I'll break it down:

The Dress: I saw a picture of the first dress in a Bridal Magazine. I immediately fell in love with it. I was low-waisted (a must for me), low chested, full skirt, a little darker than white, and it just felt fairy-tale. It was Watters and Watters, who was more well known for their breidesmaids dresses. I had no idea of any cost associated with this brand, so it was kind of scary. The only store that sold it around me was Bridals By Lori in Atlanta, GA. So, off my Mom and I went one weekend. We arrived at this 3 story mega bridal boutique and showed our consultant the dress. She took us to where it was and I was appalled. It was BROWN. (called french satin antique) So dark compared to those other white gowns.(we actually had to order additional tulle from Watters and Watters b/c the ivory was too light to make the veil) Alas, we drove 4 hours here, so I tried it on, and again, was just eh with it. I didn't look like the model in the magazine, lol!! So, the consultant started walking around showing me otherr things and putting them in the dressing room: off the shoulder gowns, strapless, different silhouettes, etc. When I arrived back to the fitting room, I could have vomited. There were at least 30 dresses in there and the decision-making side of me just about freaked out. (I , really hate making decisions). So, I went back to the mirrors, they gave me a veil to try on, and I decided it wasn't half bad :) No WOW "this is the dress moment" By that was mine. There was also this cost thing that I wasn't prepared for as well. So, after changing clothes, we went and sat down with their money person and i was prepared for the worst. The cost of the dress? $600. Seriously, $600. Book it. Decision made. And a shout-out to me sweet in-laws who bought the dress for me :)

Hmmmm, my dress didn't look at all this this. Shady advertising...

The Bridal Party: I got the bridemaids dresses made. My colors for the wedding were a very simple black, cream and red roses (supposedly dark red). So, they dresses were a strapless cream top and black long skirts. Pretty, but might do something different now. I still love the colors, though, so thats good! The guys wore regular tie tuxedos. The groomsmen's ties were a deep red and Jake and his dad (the best man) wore black.

The Flowers: I am terrible - TERRIBLE - with flowers. And I hate decisions, natch. So, I decided to go with about the only flower I know: Roses. They were supposed to be a very deep red rose, but they instead were traditional red. sigh...

WHat the were. Still pretty, but wanted thme darker

What they should have been

The Hair: LOVED It. Seriously, exactly what I could have pictured and it turned out perfect.

Don't really have a good one of my hair, so you get this shot instead, which is one of my favories.

The Invitations: I did my wedding before I had my little stationery/invitation business. I went completely traditional in this area, and I really wish I didn't. I would do something so much more creative now. It was neat though that mine looked exactly like my mom and dad's invites looked, so that was kind of neat, I guess.

The Photographer: I cant blame him. It was the times. I am completely aging myself now. Do you know that he still used FILM to photograph my wedding? And for black and white photos, he had to switch rolls. CRAZY!! And he was one of the very few in Knoxville that did photojournalistic style photography. I mean, its crazy. Now, they are a dime a dozen and EVERYTHING is digital. It makes me sick though to look at the pure art that is wedding photography now. It makes me wish I had waited just for that!

The Venue: We invited about 400-500 people, of wish maybe 200-250 came. (Jake is from a small town, so we invited many people from there)We got married in the church I grew up in, then had our reception at this very old office building in downtown Knoxville which is now a satellite school for Lincoln Memorial University. The reception was a blast.

"Look - there's a band"! (what movie??)

Food: The food was awesome. We had a huge buffet and had beer and wine. My cake was beautiful and had our monogram on it (which there were no pictures of, sigh) and Jake's groom's cake was of UT's football stadium :)

I'm fake-drinking the champagne toast

The Date: Knoxville is SEC football country. You do not - DO NOT get married in the fall. And if you do, you must get married on an off weekend. So, we got married on October 19th, 2002, the off weekend before the UT/ Alabama game.

The Lessons Learned: 1. Do not drink at your rehearsal dinner. Just don't. Trust me. I was in a very bad way on my wedding day and completely regret it. I couldn't even drink the champagne toast. 2. Let Jake be involved. Make him involved. The wedding was all about me, and I hated that, and if I could take it back I would. And I look back on it now and hugely regret it. 3. Spend more on your photographer. Totally worth it. 4. Wait a day before you go on your honeymoon. There is no reason to get on a 6:30 flight the next morning after after a night wedding and reception. 5. Not a lesson, really, but I'm trying to talk Jake into going off somewhere fun next year for #10 and "possibly" renew our vows. Just us, just for us. We'll see if it happens. Fingers crossed!

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