These soft chiffon/organsa roses or peonies will be used in so many places in my wedding! They look ...
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02/11/2011
 On a trip to California Us on New Years at our classy dinner party. We had a dinner party first, and then went to a '90s party. Us on New Years going to a '90s party    |
An update from Macbride
Hi all!
I know I haven't been on here in a long time. I do think about you guys every now and then and certainly miss you. I just thought that I would share some updates with you. We've been married for about 5 months now and this will be our first Valentines together as a married couple. Life is great on the other side. At first, it felt different, but then we settled in to our old routine (we had lived together for three years already before we got married). School is going great. I just handed in my thesis this week, so I will be defending in early April. That's when I will officially be "Dr."! I'm interviewing for teaching jobs right now. It's a bit of a stressful time because I can't seem to find work in my area, so we may have to move to the other side of the country, or even to another country! The unknown is kind of scary but with that said, it is kind of exciting. My bridesmaid who had a difficult pregnancy ended up giving birth to a baby weighing only 2.4 lbs. I am happy to report that he is now 5.8 lbs and he is doing extremely well. I get to visit him for the first time today because he has been moved out of the NICU. I also have a little bit of drama going on with a former student who is stalking me through Facebook. He's sending me intense e-mails saying how I'm the most awesomest person in the whole universe. The catch is that I've never actually talked to this guy. I was a teaching assistant for the course and lectured only one class. He was one of 100 students in the class. The kicker is that the class was two years ago. Crazy eh! The reaction from my husband of course is, "Okay, well we are just going to have to beat him up." Of course we're not going that route but it feels good to have a protective husband. Well I think those are all of the updates from my end. How are you doing?!?!?! |
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12/07/2010
 Amy is on the left and I am on the right. Our friend Jen is in the middle. |
Ask a Question
Can you pray for my pregnant bridesmaid?
I've blogged before that my bridesmaid (and cousin) Amy was having complications with her pregnancy. She was in the clear for a little while until two weeks ago when her blood pressure was super high. She was put on hospital bed rest until her due date at the beginning of March (I know yikes!).
Long story short, I messaged her a few times after she told me this to see when I could visit. She said in a day or so; that was last week. So I decided to just pop by for a few minutes with the gift that I got her. BAD IDEA. It turns out that she was moved to labour and delivery because they thought that the baby may come today. I only stayed a few minutes and I feel guilty because my timing was really off. Anyway, I was wondering if you could send her positive vibes or prayers. It's their first child and they've had such a bumpy road with insemination. Thank you so much :). |
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11/19/2010
 IMG_0279 |
Macbride's Wedding Day
SLIDESHOW!
I'm so excited. My photographer just e-mailed me with a slideshow of what our wedding album is going to look like. Feel free to take a peek! Let me know which pictures we could cut because as of right now, the album is too big for what we ordered!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYwbZqgmVmo PS. There is no music because I'm not sure how to add it, but feel free to put on your favourite sweet song and view the slideshow! |
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11/18/2010
 cvs_pharmacy_photo_book photobook_lg2   |
Share a Deal
Free Photobook at Shoppers Drug Mart!!!
Shoppers Drug Mart is giving away a free 7 x 9 (20 page) soft cover photobook. From what I've read, the book has to be to the exact specification (e.g. 20 pages). They ship it to the nearest Shoppers and it's ready in 5 to 7 days. All of this for free!
http://www.shoppersphoto.ca/ (click on the bonus offer) It would make for a great gift, especially since the holidays are coming up. I actually signed up twice *blush* (with my maiden name and married name) and got two photobooks. One with wedding pictures and one with engagement pictures. I'm not sure how they will turn out but it's definitely worth it. The software they use is a little annoying as it took me quite some time to properly load the enormously sized pictures that I had. I ended up having to resize the pictures, but I'm excited to see how they turn out! The offer expires November 21. |
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11/11/2010
 On the plane heading to Europe. A windmill There were bikes and cats everywhere in Amsterdam. Our rings and a windmill A coffee shop where we had err umm coffee. We just arrived in Amsterdam, 10 in the morning, and decided to start the day off right and have a beer! The bike I rented in Amsterdam had a really uncomfy seat so I had to use my jacket as a cushion. It was sure cold in Amsterdam. So scenic at a park in Amsterdam. Relaxing We got to climb a windmill. At the top of the windmill. My turn at the top of the windmill. Smooching :) Eating yummy chocolate in Belgium. On a boat cruise in Brugge, Belgium. Such a cute puppy! Chris should go into modeling and I'll go into photography. Our rings and some fine Belgium beer. Some ubber expensive water we didn't want. Each bottle was 6 euros! Chris and a bug :). Us at a nice jazz club. My handsome husband Okay so I watch those top model shows and I thought that I would try a pose. Lol I ended up looking like a complete goofball. A tram in Luxembourg. Trying some cool things with shadows. A beautiful castle in Luxembourg. Notre Dame Bird man in Paris, France Our rings and the Eiffel Tower Space Invader!! The Louvre in Paris. More cool pics with shadows. This one is love in Paris. We stopped for a rest on a hike. Relaxing at the gardens of the Louvre I just really liked his bum. Versailles, France So I wasn't going to post a pic of me in a bikini because I thought, "Who would want to see that?" but after reading daniellerenee85's post about real women, I decided to put it out there, curves and C2 Chris cooking up a storm in Italy. Cinque Terre, Italy. Yummy food that Chris made. It's pasta not worms :). Our rings and some Italian wine. Lover's lane in Italy. Captured by a gladiator in Rome, Italy. Chris and the Colosseum. Our rings and the Colosseum.                                                |
Macbride's Tips on
The Honeymoon
Okay so here is the last installment of my tips.
1) What if I have Mother Nature's gift during my honeymoon? Because I didn't want this to happen to me and I was scheduled to get the gift the day after our wedding (bad kind of gift to get), I doubled up on my birth control. For most women, this works fine. BUT if this is your first time doing it, I would test it out first in advance. For me, it actually caused me to have the gift the ENTIRE honeymoon. Yup all three weeks. My body was really out of whack and even emotionally I was PMSing the entire time. So not cool. So if you are thinking about doubling up on birth control and you haven't tried it before, please please please do a test-run in advance. 2) What about the costs of the honeymoon? You likely had a budget for your wedding and if you were really good, you actually stuck to it. The honeymoon is where we splurged a little bit. They say "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" and we were actually in Rome, so we ate and drank quite well. I took the mentality that we were on budget for our wedding so it's okay to spend a few extra bucks for the honeymoon. Plus some of your guests will probably surprise you with how generous of a wedding gift they give. We went backpacking in Europe which was definitely expensive but so well worth it. We got to see great sites, experience amazing culture, and even lay on the beach in Italy. I would say do what suits you and don't be afraid to spend an extra couple bucks to get your dream honeymoon. It's important to pick what matters most to you (including for your wedding) and put your money there. -It was really fun to take pictures of our rings. We took a picture of our rings and the Eiffel Tower in Paris, with beer in Belgium, with wine in Italy, and so forth. Make sure to take fun pictures to help capture your memories. I think that sums up all my tips. Hopefully you've been able to get something out of the posts. For those who are planning, I wish you the best of luck in preparing for your big day. For those who are on the other side already, isn't it nice over here :). |
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11/05/2010
 Going in for the kiss During the speeches Up close From the back     |
Market Place
Macbride's Hair Fascinator
Hello ladies!
Just a reminder that my hair fascinator is still up for grabs. She retails at about $60 but I'm selling her for only $25 plus shipping. Hope the planning is going well. |
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10/31/2010
 1. Thank You Parasol 1. Thank You Parasol 2. Purse 3. Hair Fascinator 3. Hair Fascinator 4. Bridal Shower Decor 5. Bachelorette items 5. Bach 6. Leaves 6. Wedding Wishes Card 7. Kissing Bell            |
Market Place
Macbride's Garage Sale
Well it's not a garage sale per se, but I guess it's the modern day garage sale. Buyer pays shipping (shipped from Ontario, Canada). Here's what I got for sale:
1. SOLD Thank You Parasol: $20 -40 inches wide (she is big but beautiful!) 2. SOLD Purple Purse: $10 -Never used! 3. Hair Fascinator: $25 4. Bridal Shower decor: $3 5. Bachelorette Items: $5 6. SOLD 88 leaves and wedding wishes card:$2 -I can make more; also can make in other colors 7. SOLD (10) Kissing bells: $1 for all of them |
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10/29/2010
 See it looks like a disc went through my head...well sort of. Front shot   |
Ask a Question
Dressing up for Halloween?
For me, Halloween is such a fun time of the year. When else do we have an excuse to dress up, especially in sexy attire (e.g., sexy school girl, sexy nurse, etc), without having to worry about what people think of us?
This year, I have foregone the usual sexy costume and Chris and I are going as dead ultimate frisbee players. He did a great job on his costume, which consists of a clown wig with a disc sticking through it. My wig didn't turn out as well. Chris is a quality engineering and my wig did not pass his quality inspection because he says it looks like I just taped the disc to my head (which I did!). I still think that it looks pretty funny. So are you or your kids dressing up for Halloween? PS. Totally unrelated to Halloween but we just got our marriage certificate in the mail yesterday, so today I am off to get all of my ID changed. It feels a little more official now! |
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10/28/2010
 Seating plan Laughing during speeches Do the bustle (sing it to "Do the hustle") Cutting the cupcake Chris dancing with his mom to Old Time Rock and Roll Getting our groove on. Dancing to Foxy Lady, waiting for Chris to get his butt back to do the garter toss. I forgot to tell Chris I had two garters (a keep and a toss!). Lots of people out on the dance floor. Chris' young friend hitting on Chris' mom's best friend. Dancing with my bro I sing when I dance so I always have the funniest faces. Note a couple from my wedding party dancing in the background :).             |
Macbride's Tips on
Dinner and Dancing
Okay I think this is the last installment of my tips; no wait there is still the honeymoon to post about. Also, we took videos of our big day, so once Chris posts them I will post them here!
Should we do a receiving line or go table to table to chat with guests? We struggled with this one for quite some time. We went to a wedding earlier this year and the couple went table to table, but didn't have enough time to get to all of the tables. We, as well as some other guests at tables, felt a bit shafted. It may depend on how many guests you have. The other option was to have a receiving line, which can take some time because guests can be really chatty. So what we did was have the receiving line as guests came in for dinner. It was the perfect compromise because guests were hungry and did want to chat as long! We had 100 guests and got through the line in no time. Another tip: limit the number of people in the line if you are doing one. There is no need for the whole wedding party to be there; we just had our parents and us of course! Should we do the speeches all at once or do some speeches between courses? Again with this one, we went back and forth. We didn't want speakers to have to rush through their meals and we also didn't want to have a marathon of speeches after dinner. So we intermingled the speeches throughout dinner. This worked really well as we had our guests' full attention. How much dinner/food should I eat? This may sound like a silly question but I actually hardly ate anything (including apps during our cocktail hour). For someone who LOVES food, I really didn't have an appetite. I tried to caution myself when drinking because I didn't have much food in my stomach. So I would say, listen to your body. If you are hungry, go for it. If you feel too full already, brace yourself. It's not worth the potential food coma that you may go into afterward (or the potential bloating either!). What happens if things during the dance don't go as planned? Definitely roll with the punches. My Dad seemed to forget that we were to dance after the first dance and went outside for a cigarette. Cue the music, I'm standing in the middle of the dance floor, alone, singing to "My Girl," as someone runs outside to get him. Mishap #2: When we started the flower toss, Chris thought that he would have enough time to run to the bathroom. We finish the toss (which takes all of two seconds), cue the music, and AGAIN I'm standing alone in the middle of the dance floor. This time I just decided to start dancing. I think it was how Ashley Simpson felt when she lip synched to the wrong song on SNL and started doing the hoe-down dance. My dance was a bit sexier because it was to Foxy Lady, but nonetheless, I rolled with the punches until Chris got his butt back to do the garter toss. Also we opened the bar after the first dance, so there weren't a lot of people on the dance floor initially. Don't panic. If good music is played, they will come! A couple more tips: I bustled my dress and took off my veil during the cocktail hour, which worked out nicely because I could easily get around and chat with different guests. Also, if you are wearing two garters (a toss and a keep), make sure to tell your husband. Chris was so confused when he found two instead of one! NEXT UP: The honeymoon! |
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10/27/2010
 Just before we saw each other. Chris' expression when he first saw me. My expression when I first saw Chris. It was so nice to see him. Chris is in disbelief. My dad and I walking down the aisle. Chris calls this his "stupid face" because he is trying so hard not to cry. I'm all smiles but trying to hold back the tears.         |
Macbride's Tips on
The Ceremony and Cocktail Hour
Just a warning to everyone; these are my tips that I learned from my big day and they may not apply to everyone but I wanted to share some things that I learned and pass on my knowledge.
Should we do a first look before the ceremony? This is really up to you but I highly recommend it. Chris was absolutely floored when he saw me for the first time and we actually got to see each others' expressions up close. It was so calming to see him before the ceremony and I loved how we got to spend some time together alone (which didn't happen at all during the wedding). Seeing each other before the ceremony did not take away from when I walked down the aisle. Chris was actually in worse shape than me and had a hard time looking in my eyes because he was balling like a little baby. What happens when someone is negative on my big day? I would suggest to have a buffer; to have someone that will remove you from a negative person and deal with him/her. If this isn't possible, just think to yourself, "I'm not going to let this person spoil my day. I have worked so hard for this, and they can be as crabby as they want, but it won't affect me." The person who was negative was actually my officiant. She was ticked off because she got lost with the map I gave her, even though all of my 100 guests were able to find the venue no problem. So when the ceremony was to start, she was asking me, yes me, the bride, how to get back to her car after the ceremony. She was anxious and on edge, and I was so worried that the ceremony wouldn't go well. Chris and the Catering Manager kept asking her to come because they wanted to start the ceremony and were so surprised that I didn't flip out. Anyway, she finally calmed down and the ceremony went so well. It's like something clicked in her and she turned into the person that we had originally met. Long story short, don't let anyone ruin your day, no matter who it is. Do I need a planner for my wedding day? If one is in your budget, definitely get one. I didn't have one but I did have an extremely helpful Catering Manager who went above and beyond and helped in making sure things were on task on my wedding day. Also a tip is to make sure that people know what they are supposed to be doing. So if you are taking photos with family at a particular time, make sure they know when and where they are supposed to be. It would have been helpful to have a planner round people up because if you try to, everyone who sees you will try to talk to you, and it will be really hard to get things done. Plus you don't want to be doing these sorts of things on your big day either. Just a small tip for the cocktail hour. We weren't sure how many hors d'oeuvres to have and I have heard 5-6 pieces per person. But because our ceremony started at 5, we thought that because dinner would be really soon, we would have 3 pieces per person. We had dip stations and the staff served the hors d'oeuvres. The amount was actually perfect and we saved about $500. NEXT UP: Dinner and Dancing |
macbride
| 3 | years since wedding |
Christa
Chris
Sep 25, 2010
Hamilton,
Ontario,
Canada
Hamilton
Hamilton
Edison Photography
Orange
Because we love the cottage so much and that's where Chris proposed, we're going to have a romantic cottage themed wedding. Something a bit rustic but with a touch of elegance. Think butterflies, ivy, candle lanterns, and so forth. The wedding will be sage green and burnt orange to capture some fall colours.
number of visits: 5794
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macbride said...