This is tiggre99's Red Wedding!

Have you ever thought about those who are currently fight for our freedom, the ones who have fought, and the families support them? I know I do all the time. I found this article today and I plan on doing this over Thanksgiving, including my family in on it. Check it out and see if it is something you would like to do as well. If you choose to participate, remember the cards need to be postmarked by 7 December. Just think of the joy that you will give to a soldier (maybe wounded, overseas or stateside), veteran, or the family who supports them while they are out.
Click here for more info: Holiday Mail For Heroes

How Holiday Mail works
We have established an extensive process to ensure all cards sent to our service members are safe and arrive in time for the holidays. Holiday cards will be collected through a unique P.O. Box address from Monday, November 2 through Monday, December 7*.

First, cards from across the nation must be sent to this address:

Holiday Mail for Heroes
P.O. Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

Every card received will be screened for hazardous materials by Pitney Bowes and distributed to participating Red Cross chapters nationwide. Once the cards arrive at the Red Cross chapters, they are sorted and reviewed by volunteers who then distribute them to service members, their families and veterans in communities across the country.

Please don’t forget to follow these guidelines while preparing your holiday greetings!

Do...

Sign all cards
Entitle cards “Dear Service Member, Family or Veteran”
Limit cards to 15 per person or 50 for school class or business group
Bundle groups of cards in single, large envelopes
Don’t...

Send letters
Include personal information such as home or email addresses
Use glitter – excessive amounts can aggravate health issues of wounded recipients
Include inserts of any kind as they must be removed in the screening process

For the brides still planning the wedding...what is your must-have thing that you want at your wedding? The one thing that you just can't do without? (FH's are a given...) :-) If you have a second or third what would it be?

For the married ladies (like me) still lingering...what was your must-have and was it still important at your wedding or would you have chosen something different?

My must-have was the cake/cupcakes. I LOVE sweets and wanted to make sure I got someting that was delicious. My dress was a close 2nd...it didn't start out that way but once I saw it, I had to have it. My venue tied for #1. I didn't want the traditional wedding and wanted somewhere memorable and great for photos.

After the wedding, I still would put the cake as my #1. It was very delicious and everyone loved it. Everyone raved about our wedding location, so that was a major plus! We have great photos to share for it. And my dress, I received compliments and loved wearing it. So my 3 must-haves were still the same.

One thing that I got really lucky on was my photographer. I think if she wasn't so great, I would have regretted not putting more emphasis on it...but she ended up being awesome so no worries for me.

We all want our weddings to be perfect...and we work so hard to make it that way. I'm posting a few things that I found helpful or learned throughout my process or have experienced via other brides. If any of the married ladies read this and want to add from your own experience, please do so!

1. I think this is the most important...your wedding is about marrying the love of your life....not favors, not the dress, not the flowers. Don't lose sight of this. It is very easy to get swept up in the emotions and the stress of the planning but just keep in mind that at the end of the day if everything went wrong, you are still going to be married. Take time out throughout your process to have a date with FH and not talk wedding. Make a date night and focus on your love.

2. Don't sweat the small things. As much as we want to everything to go perfectly and we plan so hard...things will go wrong. The flowers may not be right, the vendor doesn't set up things the way they should, people are late, your make up isn't 100% right...whatever it is...don't sweat it. Refer to #1. Chances are that your guests aren't matching the flowers to the colors in the wedding, or worrying about the set-up, how your hair looks, something was left out. Remember if they don't know, they don't care.

3. Not everyone is as excited about your wedding as you are. Noone has the vision that you have...and noone will want to spend 100% talking/thinking/dreaming about your wedding. It's reality. There will be people you counted on but failed and there will be people who will surprise you with their help. As hurtful as it can be not to have the support of someone you thought would help--just accept that you can't count on them and move on. Don't continue to keep asking and asking and hoping they will change their minds. They won't. You'll have less stress if you find out who you truly can count on instead of keeping the hope alive that people will just want to do it. Just keep that in mind when they need something.

4. It is never too early for DIY projects. Don't wait until closer to the wedding date. Get them done early. The less stressed you are towards the end of your wedding planning the better you will be on the day of the wedding.

5. Factor in personal time on your wedding day...especially if you are doing everything yourself (setting things up, etc). It can be really calming to have some time to yourself or just time to relax so you won't always be on the go that day.

6. Take time out in your reception to spend a few moments with your new husband, after all you are newlyweds. I've been to weddings where I didn't get to see the B&G but there were a lot of people...I didn't care.

7. Have fun at your own wedding! Yes, you want to see everyone, but honestly if you are running around...how will you enjoy yourself. Take time out to dance and have fun.

8. Your wedding is only 1 day. Don't alienate friends and family because they aren't doing what you want them to do. Refer to #3. Treat others as you want to be treated---think about what you are saying and doing and how you would feel if a someone did that to you.

9. Even if things go wrong and people make you upset on your wedding day--just focus on your husband. Stay away from those people and focus on the good that is happening around you.

I didn't have a traditional wedding--so we didn't have a processional of attendants (only 1 MOH) and we didn't have music (we let nature serenade us). We really liked how our Pastor sculpted our ceremony. I hope this can help any brides out who had questions or want to use any of my readings.


Call to Worship
Dear friends, we have gathered together this afternoon in the presence of Almighty God as a community of family and friends to witness John and Melissa express their love for one another.
This is a time for joy, a wonderful moment of blessing and the beginning of a wonderful adventure of love for John and Melissa. We are here for the express purpose to witness their vows, to celebrate with them on this exciting occasion, and to support them in their new life together.

This is a holy time - for we are in the very presence of God Himself who designed the marriage relationship;
This is an awesome moment - for we are aware of the strong, yet fragile, cords of love being sown together today.
This is a joyous and hope-filled day -- for the marriage relationship is one of God’s finest gifts to a man and a woman.

On behalf of John and Melissa, I thank you for your presence. You came at their invitation, and your participation symbolizes your support for them and their future together. As their loved ones and friends, the most important contribution we can make to their marriage is to support them with our prayers, our encouragement, and our love.




Giving of the Bride
The Bible says that “a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife and the two will become one.” With this profound idea in mind I ask the question, “Who gives Melissa to be married to John?”

Prayer

Scripture Reading Colossians 3: 12-14

Since God chose you to be holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.”

The Art of Marriage

In the art of marriage the little things are the big things...
It is never being too old to hold hands.
It is remembering to say "I love you" at least once each day.
It is never going to sleep angry.
It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.
It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family.
It is speaking words of appreciation and
demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.
It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.

It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow.
It is finding room for the things of the spirit.
It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.
It is not only marrying the right partner...
It is being the right partner.

Pastoral Charge

John and Melissa, every couple who comes to the marriage altar desires to have a happy marriage. The nearest place to heaven in this world is a God-centered happy home. Of course, the opposite is also true. More scars are put upon a person’s character and heart in an unhappy home than in any other place.

A home filled with love and trust and affirmation is a wonderful place. Someone has aptly said that a love centered home and a Christ centered home is a place where angels may be asked to stay with us…and they would not feel out of place.

I know that this is the type of home which the two of you would like to have. You would like to have heaven in your home. I believe that the Bible indicates that there are at least three ingredients needed in every marriage in order for there to be heaven in your home.

1. The first ingredient is a present…a gift.
The Bible says, (Ephesians 4:31-32) “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”

Presents are always important in commemorating special events: wedding presents/ anniversary presents/ birthday presents…

Don’t neglect to give presents to one another. However, always remember that the best presents are not material things. The best presents always involve giving of yourself to the other person:
Words of affirmation/ deeds of kindness/ positive attitudes/ the fruit of the Spirit.

One of the most important things that you can do for your marriage relationship is to share affirmation and deeds of love with one another.

The first ingredient for a heaven-filled home is the giving of presents…the giving of yourselves in love.

2. The second ingredient for having heaven in your home is purpose.
The Apostle Paul says (Philippians 3:13-14) “…I am focusing all of my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven.

Every person needs a purpose in life. Every couple and every family needs a purpose…a goal… an objective in life. Marriage is not two people standing eye to eye…but shoulder to shoulder, looking to similar goals. As a married couple, you need to determine the goals for your marriage and family.

Of course, your primary goal should be to serve Jesus Christ…to put him first in your lives and in your marriage. This is the foundation for a great marriage relationship. Jesus said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and all these other things will be added unto you.” That is a great formula for a marriage.

3. The third ingredient needed in order to have heaven in your home is power.

Our society and culture is very hard on marriages. We live in a hedonistic society that tells us to focus on our own needs…look out for number one…strive to be happy at all costs…
Don’t worry about commitment
Don’t think about giving of yourselves to meet the
needs of others
Don’t take your marriage vows that seriously…
These are the messages that we receive all the time in our culture.

So, couples need encouragement and support and assistance in order to be true to their marriage vows.
The Bible says that God will provide you with the power that you need in order to resist our culture and be true to your commitment to one another.

The Bible says, “My God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

God will provide you with the power that you need to stand by your commitments to one another…to share your love with one another…to offer forgiveness to each other…to grow in your love for one another.

The power of God is available to you through the presence of the Holy Spirit.

You can have heaven in your home. These three ingredients will be very important to your marriage:
A present…giving of yourselves to one another
A purpose…making sure that Jesus is the center of your
relationship…
A power…depend upon the power of the Holy Spirit on a
daily basis

Commitment to the Lord

John and Melissa, will you please join your hands? I now ask that you express your commitment to the Lord to be true and faithful to your wedding vows.

John, do you take Melissa to be your wife; will you commit yourself to her happiness and her self-fulfillment as a person, and to her usefulness in God’s kingdom; and will you promise to love, honor, trust, and serve her in sickness and in health, in adversity and prosperity, and to be true and loyal to her, so long as you both shall live?

Melissa, do you take John to be your husband; will you commit yourself to his happiness and his self-fulfillment as a person, and to his usefulness in God’s kingdom; and will you promise to love, honor, trust, and serve him in sickness and in health, in adversity and prosperity, and to be true and loyal to him, so long as you both shall live?




John will you now express your personal vows to Melissa by repeating after me?

I, John, take you Melissa as my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our friendship and love you today, tomorrow, and forever. I will trust you and honor you. I will laugh with you and cry with you. I will love you faithfully through the best and the worst, through the difficult and the easy. Whatever may come I will always be there. As I have given you my hand to hold, so I give you my life to keep.

Melissa, will you express you personal vows to John by repeating after me?

I, Melissa, take you John as my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our friendship and love you today, tomorrow, and forever. I will trust you and honor you. I will laugh with you and cry with you. I will love you faithfully through the best and the worst, through the difficult and the easy. Whatever may come I will always be there. As I have given you my hand to hold, so I give you my life to keep.


Prayer of Dedication

Exchange of Rings
John and Melissa, your rings speak of completeness and unity. The unbroken circle is complete, and we pray your love for each other will be complete. The rings glisten, and we trust your lives will continue to glow. The rings sparkle, and we pray your relationships with each other will sparkle. But more importantly, these are your rings. They symbolize your commitment to each other and your love for each other. May these rings remind you of your love and commitment to each other throughout the years.
The years will wear away some of the sparkle of these rings. But as the years go by, these rings will become more meaningful to you as they remind you of the commitment you made here today. Just as polishing will renew the sparkle and shine of these rings, may you be careful never to allow your marriage to grow dull.

John, will you give the ring to Melissa as a token of your love and repeat after me?

This ring I give to you as a token of my love and devotion to you. I pledge to you all that I am and all that I will ever be as your husband. With this ring I gladly marry you and join my life to yours.

Melissa, will you give the ring to John as a token of your love and repeat after me?

This ring I give to you as a token of my love and devotion to you. I pledge to you all that I am and all that I will ever be as your husband. With this ring I gladly marry you and join my life to yours.

Blessing for a Marriage – James Dillet Freeman

May your marriage bring you all the exquisite excitements a marriage should bring, and may life grant you also patience, tolerance, and understanding.
May you always need one another - not so much to fill your emptiness as to help you to know your fullness. A mountain needs a valley to be complete; the valley does not make the mountain less, but more; and the valley is more a valley because it has a mountain towering over it. So let it be with you and you.

May you need one another, but not out of weakness.
May you want one another, but not out of lack.
May you entice one another, but not compel one another.
May you embrace one another, but not out encircle one another.
May you succeed in all important ways with one another, and not fail in the little graces.
May you look for things to praise, often say, "I love you!" and take no notice of small faults.
If you have quarrels that push you apart, may both of you hope to have good sense enough to take the first step back.
May you enter into the mystery which is the awareness of one another's presence - no more physical than spiritual, warm and near when you are side by side, and warm and near when you are in separate rooms or even distant cities.
May you have happiness, and may you find it making one another happy.
May you have love, and may you find it loving one another.

Solo Mrs. Main “Walking Hand in Hand

Walk hand in hand with me through all eternity
Have faith, believe in me, give me your hand
Love is a symphony of perfect harmony
When lovers such as we walk hand in hand

Be not afraid, for I am with you all the while
So lift your head up high and look toward the sky

Walk hand in hand with me, this is our destiny
No greater love could be, walk hand in hand
Walk with me

Be not afraid, for I am with you all the while
So lift your head up high and look up to the sky

Walk hand in hand with me, this is our destiny
No greater love could be, walk hand in hand
Walk with me

Sand Ceremony

Love is the eternal force of life.
Love is the force that allows us to face fear and uncertainty with courage.
But although you will be sharing one life, never forget you are two separate people.
Cherish and affirm your differences.

Love each other.
Keep your commitment primary.
Together you will laugh and cry, be sick and well, be happy and angry, share and grow.
Growing sometimes together, sometimes separately."

“Mae and Flo, mothers of the Bride and Groom, will now come forward to present the sand for the Sand Ceremony. The two separate colors represent each family. This demonstrates to us the symbol of two who become one as well as the faith, wisdom and love that Melissa and John have received from their parents. (As the mother’s bring the sand forward, John and Melissa will present them with a rose.)




“Through the love of God, your paths have come together, and in this symbolic ceremony, you will each take a vase of sand, each color representing your previous separate pathways, and your families. Together you will join your sand, symbolizing your willingness to walk life’s path together as one.”

"We begin with a layer of white sand. This layer represents Christ who is and always will be the foundation of you both as individuals”

(Pastor pours a little of the white sand into the large jar)

"Then we layer the individual colors. Symbolizing that this marriage is based on the strength and love of John and Melissa joined as one in Christ and love forever."

(John pours a little of the green sand in first, followed by a little more of the white from the Pastor. Melissa then adds a little of the blue sand, followed by some additional white sand from the Pastor). “
This layer represents Christ as the foundation of your marriage.”
"And now we combine the colors, which symbolizes two lives joined as one together forever."

(John and Melissa simultaneously pour their remaining sand into the large jar until their jars are empty. The Pastor caps off the sand with the last of the white Sand.)

Just as these grains of sand can never be separated and poured again into the individual vases, so will the love and bond between the two of you render you inseparable. (The Pastor then holds the large jar up as if presenting to the wedding audience and places then jar to the side).
Solo Mrs. Main “The Lord’s Prayer”

Pronouncement

John and Melissa, you have made life-long commitments to each other. You have proudly and publicly shared your vows, and you have given beautiful rings to each other as a symbol of your love and devotion.

Therefore, it is my joy as a minister of the Gospel to proclaim that you are husband and wife. What God has joined together, let no one ever try to separate. May the Lord pour out His blessings upon you now and forevermore.

Benediction: It is altogether fitting and proper that the first few moments of your marriage begin in prayer. Let us have a moment of quiet prayer as you life up John and Melissa to the Lord…as you pray for God’s blessings on them.

Blessing: May the Lord bless you and protect you
May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you
May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.

John, you may now kiss your bride

Presentation of the Couple:
It is now with tremendous joy and enthusiasm that I present to you Mr. and Mrs. John XXXXX.

I'm not very crafty, but I know some of you ladies are fabulous at crafts. My wedding day has come and gone, but I am looking for an album to my pictures in and no ordinary album will do. I found this one on Etsy and fell in love with it and as I tried to do with my wedding, I want to get into my crafty side. Does anyone know how to get the ribbon on the spine like that? Or even how to make a photo album from scratch?

Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks!

Melissa

We had cupcakes for our guests and a 6 inch cake for us to cut. Hubby and I made our own tower.

We bought our foam from:
http://www.guildcraftfurniture.com/cake_dummies.html

We bought sizes 8in, 15in, 22in, and 29in squares. This held 60 cupcakes perfectly. Guildcraft has different sizes and shapes you can choose from.

We bought our fabric from Joann Fabrics store. Hubby covered it and we held it in place on the bottom using straight pins.

I bought the brown ribbon and the little colored leaf pins from Michael's. The leaf pins were actually brads that I cut off the brad part and glued to the cupcake stand.

To jazz up our cucpakes we bought cupcake wrappers from:
http://www.shopbakersnook.com/CupcakeWrappersLaserCut.html?sm=52585

The ones we ordered, they were actually a mettalic brown with leaves laser cut into the paper. I thought it would be flimsy, but it was a hard cardstock, much like my pocketfolds.

Our guests loved them! Our baker had never seen them before, so we gave her a few extras to use in case her clients ordered cupcakes she could offer them.

Now that the wedding is over, I have some time to post a few wedding DIY projects that I didn't have time to do before.

I went from not wanting to have invitations, to simple ones, to these...all thanks to WBC. :-) So thank you WBC brides before me that helped me design the invitations you see today.

I was really lucky that I didn't have to do a lot of invitations. If I had, I would definitely orderd the pocketfolds and not made my own! :-) I printed everything from my own printer (a laser printer).

I picked up my paper (pocketfold, inserts, vellum, and for the liners), envelopes, stickers, and stamps from:
http://www.paper-source.com/

I picked up the heart cardstock and the ribbon for the corners from Michael's.

I used this link for the pocketfold template: http://roadtotheaisle.blogspot.com/2008/03/diy-pocketfolds.html

I bought envelope liner templates from paper source, although I am sure you can freehand your own.

I embossed the stickers after I stamped them to make them glossy and give them texture.

To make the photo corners I used this website. They are really easy!
http://hopestudios.blogspot.com/2009/06/tutorial-tuesday-how-to-make-ribbon.html

They weren't perfect, but they were made with love and the way I wanted them. If you have any questions, just ask!

I was going to wait until I had all of my pictures, but since I've had a little bit of time on my hands and was browsing WBC, I decided to post the ones from my photographer's blog. We are extremely happy with the pics we saw and can't wait to see the rest...I hope you enjoy them!

I'd be lying if I said everything went perfectly. There will always be things that go wrong--it's just how you handle them that is important! We had beautiful weather and an awesome ceremony. FH loved my dress and said I must have read his mind because he loves a lady in red. I really couldn't have asked for more than that. And besides, we were married at the end--sounds like a successful day to me! :-)

I ran 40 mins late to my own wedding. lol So ladies, please leave enough time for you to get ready--especially if you are doing everything yourself. It is important to have time to yourself before you walk down the aisle. You need that little bit of relaxation. I didn't have it, but it all worked out. However, FH told everyone that I was well worth the wait. I broke my bustle before I even left out the cabin. I stepped back and ripped the thread that was holding up my skirt. We couldn't get my bracelet to fasten (although I had done it before). My earring fell out right before I was going to walk out the door and then couldn't get it back in...luckily my MOH found me a backing I could use.

We definitely have a memorable moment in our wedding. I was so rushed at getting ready, that I forgot to make sure my MOH had my husband's ring (should have given both to the Pastor or the bestman). So when it got time to do the rings, we had to pretend. LOL Hubby and I laughed about it then and we laugh about it now. We didn't freak out or get mad. We laughed it off and continued on with the ceremony. A few guests said they didn't know! He got it before we did our formal pictures.

As I said--don't let the little things get to you. Have fun and enjoy your day. That is what is important.

I received lots of compliments on my dress, the flowers, how lovely the ceremony was, and the decorations. I also received lots of compliments about the Out of Town bags...they were worth putting together. So it all is worth it.

Happy wedding plans to you lovely ladies who are still going at it...I do have to admit though, even though we had a small wedding I am really glad it is over.

photos courtesy of www.leahsternphotography.com

WOW! I can't believe I haven't blogged since July....what a busy summer! I've been popping in periodically, but not nearly as often as I used to....

I've gotten a few things finished and lots more to do, but I've made a big decision...to add a few colors to the wedding. My wedding was originally going to be red and white---without much of anything else and while I still like that I always felt it lacked something. I am getting married in the fall at a B&B and I've always wanted the fall colors but wasn't sure if I should go ahead and add them since my dress is Red. Well, I walked into Michael's and they had all of their fall colors out so I just had to do it! Everyone is on board with the change. It won't take much to change the colors--I'm going to add a little bit of colorage to my centerpieces, our flowers will still be calla lilies and roses but now they will be Orange/red calla lilies with red roses, the colors on our cake with change as well to match the color of the flowers, and I can now add some fall foliage to my arch. So not too much to be added, but enough to make a difference. I am also having hand-painted wine glasses as the favor for my guests so my MOH will be painting the glasses with fall colors as well. I'm so excited to have this change! I can't wait for it all to come together!

WOO HOO! :-)

FH and I had a date to do some wedding stuff last night. We both have been working late this week and so I was waiting for him to get home and hoping we could go and grab some Chick-fil-a for dinner. Of course that day he didn't have his cell phone on him and he wasn't answering his work phone...so I was waiting at home for him to arrive. I hear him unlock the door and notice him trying to hide something. On the way home he picked me up a dozen roses! He rarely does it, so when he does it makes it extra special. So that was cry #1. He also picked up a pizza for us to cook and some chips. Bless his heart (he's not a cook by any means) so in his mind he had this great big plan to have dinner and dessert but when he was picking up the items he realized they didn't all mesh well...so he just ended up with the pizza. I could care less, it was the thought that counts! He figured since we had a date to do wedding stuff he thought we should have some dinner to go with it. Then he proceeds to tell me that he thought about me all day (as he generally does) but then he tells me how much he appreciates me and all I do for him and he just wanted to tell me and let me k now. He says he can't wait to spend the rest of his life with me and he really wants to marry me. Awww so this was cry #2. He then asks me to marry him again. lol Silly boy!

I'm not usually a crier, but he gets me to do it every once and awhile :-)

Just another reason to make me love him even more.