Oops - I’m Out of Order!

Yeah, yeah, I hear you. I point-blank said that next up was pics of the guys...but I lied. Oh well. I’m pregnant and my brain does NOT work like it should be working! I’m also slightly anal-retentive so I like to stay in order...jumping back to the Maids’ time with the photographers for a quick post.

Hit rewind. All the way back to the field...before the Vogue/GQ poses...

I wasn’t crazy about doing a bridal session before the wedding. It was one of those things that I could live without. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that this wasn’t my first wedding...or maybe I just didn’t care about that little detail. As much as I like having my picture taken and putting on some “cheese” for the camera, it just wasn’t something that I wanted to do. But practicality says that at some point someone – my soon-to-be-husband or maybe my parents – might want a picture of just me in all of my bridal glory. I don’t want one on my desk...but someone might.

So keeping others in mind and trying not to be a totally selfish bride, I stood my ground in the field a little longer than the other girls so that Christina could grab a few shots of just me. Since I think that I actually did this FIRST before anyone else, they were all laughing at the faces that I was making because of the sun-glare hitting my eyes from the sun thingy that the second photographer had. Don’t worry – I told them to stuff it and got my revenge a few minutes later once they were blinded by it as well!

Here I am...this will be short and sweet since I feel funny posting pictures of just myself. Yes, I have a blog. Yes, I talk about my life as if it’s the most interesting thing I’ve ever heard about...but I’m really NOT that self-centered. At least, I don't think so.

Standing in the field, looking my most bridal-ish...

It was SO much easier looking off in the distance...
A little more breeze to lift the veil up a bit...

There's the sassiness that those who know me best are looking for!

This one is my favorite...

I love that my veil is just barely blowing...and the angle that puts the grasses blurry in front...

When we got over to the other hall and posed in the shade (Thank the Good Lord!) I opted not to take any other pictures of just me...five was plenty for people to choose from! But looking back, I’m glad that I did take a few shots of just me on this special day...especially since I didn’t do the bridal session before the wedding.

How do you feel about bridals? Did you do one or just take a few pictures of yourself alone on the big day to accomplish the same goal?

**All photos courtesy of Christina Carroll Photography

Need to catch up? Here’s some links:
Girls’ Spa Day
Bachelor/Bachelorette Party
Setting Up the Venue…
Practice Makes Perfect…
Rehearsal Dinner
5 Minutes is All that I Need
A “Quick” Stop at the Hair Salon
A Sneak Peek at the Venue...
Arriving at the Venue...to Stay!
Getting Dressed

The Maids Pose for the Camera...

The Maids Pose for the Camera...

Since B was opposed to a “first look” opportunity before the wedding ceremony, there was much juggling to be done before the show started to make sure that he got his wish. He’s a bit old-fashioned about it, and I argued against it before the wedding, but I have to admit that it was well worth seeing the look on his face when he saw me for the first time in my dress...well worth any juggling that we did before-hand.

We also had a bit of a time crunch, as we were starting our ceremony at 5:30 in the evening...one week before the time changed out of Daylight Savings Time...so I wasn’t really sure how much natural light we would have to work with after the ceremony. All of this meant that we did our individual pictures with our Guys and Maids before the ceremony started. I had originally thought (I don’t know WHAT I was thinking) that since there would be two photographers, that one would go with the Guys and one with the Girls and we would be taking our pictures at the same time. But seeing how much work went into getting these pictures...I know realize how foolish that thought really was. And how little I know about photography...

Even though we had plenty of light to work with on our BEAUTIFUL wedding day, it still took the second photographer working with a light shield thingy to get the most light in the most flattering spot on us for the best pictures. I’ll be honest and admit that there were possibly a few curse words spoken as she BLINDED me with the light screen to catch the glare right in my eyes, but the quality of the pictures was MORE than worth not being able to see for several minutes as my eyes readjusted to normal levels of sunlight...

First up, went the girls. Yes, we’re pickier...we actually LIKE to pose for the camera...and there were just tons of things that we could do. I had my Mom and little J on standby as our bouquet girls...along with some water as it was kinda hot outside. Don’t they look excited to be at our beck and call?
I think that J was just a "little" excited, huh?Christina loved Redbud Hall best because of the large field that is behind the hall. There’s a dirt road (sort of) that leads back to a fence line and you can just see for miles and miles...a great backdrop for pictures, I have to admit. And I love the way that she was right – getting out in the middle of the field and catching the blowing grasses really made the pictures that much more beautiful. Even if we had to deal with bugs, itchy grass and the possibility of ants.

By the way, there were a zillion pictures to choose from, and I just tried to choose and show off my favorites...

First, just the Maids and I...
Then we added the flower girl...Then we changed up the grouping a little...I wanted a single shot with each bridesmaid individually...first up, MOH...Then Maid Momma...And last, but not least, Maid Britney...These girls were SUCH a help to me during the wedding and the days leading up to the wedding. OK, I’ll be honest...it was the MONTHS up to the wedding! They still love me, so hopefully I wasn’t too bad of a bride-to-be!

Before we left the field, I wanted to grab a few pictures with J and I alone...I really LOVE this one where she leans in to “hug” me...so cute!And the last request that I had was a "generations picture" with my Mom, myself and J in it. I have to say, even though I’m talking about myself, that we are some good-looking women! Do you remember when my Mom called me and described her dress as being black and white paint drizzles? I talked about it somewhere and can't find it now...and was sort of worried...but she looked GREAT!

After we left the field – and got all the grasshoppers off of my dress – we headed to the hall next door, Tejas Hall to use their outdoor benches. There were too many guests arriving for us to use Redbud Hall, and I was sort of worried about going into someone else’s territory as Tejas Hall was rented and being used that same day. Luckily, their wedding started after ours, so no one but the groomsmen really saw us or anything.

Here we are trying so hard to follow Christina’s instructions to look serious, laugh, pose like Vogue or whatever...I think that these shots turned out great! Here’s my favorite one...After we finished these shots, I was getting anxious about the time and knew that Christina still needed to go and do pictures with the boys, so I shooed her off to do that while the girls put me back in my room...

**All photos courtesy of Christina Carroll Photography

Need to catch up? Here’s some links:
Girls’ Spa Day
Bachelor/Bachelorette Party
Setting Up the Venue…
Practice Makes Perfect…
Rehearsal Dinner
5 Minutes is All that I Need
A “Quick” Stop at the Hair Salon
A Sneak Peek at the Venue...
Arriving at the Venue...to Stay!
Getting Dressed

Getting Dressed

When we last left off, I was all set to start the process of turning a girl in her "undies" into a bride...So get ready for some funny faces – mainly from me as they get me into a dress without messing up hair, veil or make-up...


I was getting ready to have the dress come down over me...
I think that it started out with just MOH holding the dress, but we quickly realized that a few more hands were needed! You know that old saying about it taking a village to raise a child? Well, it might also apply to dressing a bride...Ah! Air!! It was needed and welcomed at this point! Maid Britney got the LOVELY task of making sure that "the girls" were staying right where they needed to be...

Luckily her task was easy enough, and Mom and MOH started on the laces...

Then we realized that not only did it take one person holding up the front, but someone needed to get the veil out of the way...enter Mom to the rescue.

Once that was out of the way, MOH could see what she was trying to do with the laces. It really helped having the seamstress cut off some of the "extra" on the laces...they were MUCH more manageable, just as a tip to future brides-to-be!

MOH and I had previously decided that we liked the corset laced bottom to top best...so that's where she started...I think that it was at this point that MOH was muttering curses and comments under her breath about brides that pig out the week of the wedding! I was doing my best to "suck it in" and hold still...You can see from my facial expression below that the "comments" were getting a little funny...or maybe I just chose to laugh and ignore her...

Almost done...

And what a pretty picture the back makes...MOH and Mom did a GREAT job!

While I was being tortured...I mean, while MOH was working SO hard on getting me all laced up...J was looking at me with little stars in her eyes. She kept saying over and over how much I looked like Cinderella...it almost made me cry. And she could NOT resist touching the sparkles...

I tried to make sure that each Maid was captured doing something special to help me get ready...MOH had already been in LOTS of shots getting me dressed, but she went about putting the final touches on J's hair and pinning her tiara in. (Note to other brides out there: this step of putting on the tiara is BEST left for right before the pictures start...I'm just saying.)

A pretty princess all ready to go!

Maid Britney helped me with the veil, which was fitting since she slaved so hard over it putting all those crystals on! Maid Momma helped me get my garters straight, which was really special if you know the history between us...this is what I helped her do at her wedding several years ago! And some of my favorite shots of us getting ready that Christina captured...little J slipping my shoes on...since she’d made the comment about me looking like Cinderella, it was really a simple choice to have her help me put my shoes on. I mean, she was the closest one to the floor! But I’m SO glad that these shots were captured...they were SO sweet in real life! LOVE those shoes! Wasn’t that the sweetest?!?!?

Stay tuned for the girls’ pictures!

All photos courtesy of Christina Carroll Photography

Need to catch up? Here’s some links:
Girls’ Spa Day
Bachelor/Bachelorette Party
Setting Up the Venue…
Practice Makes Perfect…
Rehearsal Dinner
5 Minutes is All that I Need
A “Quick” Stop at the Hair Salon
A Sneak Peek at the Venue...

Arriving at the Venue...to Stay!

Arriving at the Venue...to Stay!

**For those of you readers who have patiently waited for posts with pictures...get ready! There's not another post where I didn't have a photographer near to capture the events! Get ready for wedding picture overload!!!

Leaving Whataburger, we made it back to the hotel, where J went with my Mom to get her bath and I settled down for about 15 minutes in a quick bath of my own. If you remember, I had started two nights earlier and although the cramps that had plagued me the day before we thankfully MIA, I still felt the need to be as clean as possible before putting on a wedding dress. Sorry if that’s TMI...

We headed back to the venue with our suitcases in tow and met up with all the other girls to start getting ready. I was shocked (pleasantly so) to discover that the boys were on time and we spent a few minutes jockeying B around so that he didn’t see me (his choice) as I got out of the car and into my room. MOH and Maid Britney worked on getting my stuff out of the car so that J and I could stay out of sight with the curtains securely closed.

But once you’re inside the room, only having make-up left to do...and getting dressed, which you have to wait for the photographer for, what’s a girl to do to pass the time? And maybe more importantly, how do you entertain a 7-year old during that time?

Nintendo DS to the rescue!

On one hand, I feel like a “bad” mom for leaving my child to play a video game on this all-important day, but there were only so many hands available in our dressing room, and I had some stuff to do. To be fair though, as soon as the basic make-up was on my face, she got to come into the bathroom for her turn with the make-up brushes and perfume sprays.

Then MOH (I’m pretty sure) took her and tried to repair her hair. One of the girls had thoughtfully brought a curling iron and they all set about either helping me with the details on my make-up or getting J’s hair re-curled a little bit...and in between they got themselves ready too! These ladies were truly amazing...

Before I knew it, everything that could be done was done. I was dressed in my corset-bra and petticoat, wandering aimlessly around our dressing rooms. Back and forth between the main room and the bathroom area...back and forth...not nervous, just possessing an abundance of energy! I had peed like 3 or 4 times already, and really had nothing left to do. And what’s a bride to do when she’s got time on her hands? Why, peek out the window, of course! I could see a handsome groom standing outside...just a few feet away from where I was and he looked SO handsome!!!

Like any good bridesmaid, my girls got onto me for peeking out the window...and I quickly reminded them that he was the one who didn’t want to see me, not the other way around. Somehow my very logical argument didn’t hold up, and they got the task of keeping me away from the windows in addition to everything else that they were doing! J thought that it was pretty funny that I was getting "in trouble!"

Before I knew it we were all ready and dressed...well, except for me that is. We had to wait on the photographer to capture those “getting ready” moments...and she was running a few minutes behind.

Luckily for my sanity, she got there about 5 minutes later and we set about getting some snapshots and getting me into my dress. My Mom also arrived about this time to lend a hand and be involved in this part of the process...I mean, how does a girl get married without her Mom there helping her get dressed? That applies even if it’s not your first wedding! Who cares if she’s done this before? She’s still your Mom, you’re still her daughter and the tradition needs to be honored.

Before we could start getting ready, the photographer took some shots of my dress hanging... Yes, I'm THAT bride that totally had a brain-fart and forgot to bring/make a pretty hanger for the picture of my dress hanging! Other brides out there, see how ugly it is? Don't be like me! Find a pretty hanger and take it with you... I still love the "Booby Bling" the best!

Then she took some of my accesories and got some great shots of them...they totally make my attempts at taking pictures look SO amateurish! But I guess that's why she's a professional photographer and I have a normal 8-5 job...

When Christina asked if she could borrow my e-ring, bouquet and shoes for a minute, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Of course, like most of her work, I LOVED the final result...check it out for yourself...

Some close-ups of my bouquet...

I LOVE that she caught my MeMa's earrings on the bouquet...

Didn't it turn out so nice? It sits on my nightstand even now, as I type this, and every night when I turn the light off, it's the last thing that I see each night...and it puts a big smile on my face.

Here's the shoes, sexy and sassy!

To be perfectly honest, Christina "borrowed" our rings twice that day...once before the ceremony and then once during the reception. I can't swear that these shots were the ones taken before the ceremony...but at this point, I'm not that picky! I think that they turned out great!

And last, but not least, another of my favorite shots. While Christina was outside getting those photos, look who’s in the background taking after her mother... All photos courtesy of Christina Carroll Photography

Need to catch up? Here’s some links:
Girls’ Spa Day
Bachelor/Bachelorette Party
Setting Up the Venue…
Practice Makes Perfect…
Rehearsal Dinner
5 Minutes is All that I Need
A “Quick” Stop at the Hair Salon
A Sneak Peek at the Venue...