Once upon a time. . .

      Do you ever feel like your life is a fairy tale? That is exactly how I feel. Except this princess spends her time up to her ears in children, while her prince is away working to build her the palace and buy her the crown. A little backwards, perhaps. But still lovely and perfect in it's own right.

More like this kind of "princess"

     For the last 5 weeks Chris has been out of town building a house. It really messes up my routine,  not having him home. Even my sleeping schedule has changed. . . our Californian king bed feels massively huge without my 6'7 hubby by my side. I toss and turn, lay sideways, upside down. . .it's just not the same. Supper schedule has changed as well, because making a big hearty homemade supper for Tucker, Ryker and myself just means that about 3/4 of it gets discarded. I am not one who likes to waste a meal. I just hate to see food go to waste. I think of it as selfish disgrace. Luckily, Chris likes to eat, so we don't usually have that problem. So we've been eating simple things. . . like grilled cheese. (how creative!)



 Speaking of creative. . .wowzers. Eggs and rice never looked so darn cute!

 

 

 

However, all this time without my other half means I stay up much later planning our wedding. In the last week I have actually arranged basically everything. Lucky for me, we are both on the exact same wavelength as far as wedding planning goes. I have never been that girl who dreams of a huge, elaborate wedding with tons of flowers and extravagant center pieces. So when I brought up taking a vacation and getting married there, Chris was very relieved. Weddings are beautiful, don't get me wrong. I admire women who spent every waking minute for a year planning every last detail. That  takes a lot of effort.  But. . .that just isn't me. If I did do that, I think I would be depressed once the wedding was over. At the end of the day the flowers wilt, centerpieces get thrown away, dinners get eaten, and booze get drank but what is really important is the marriage itself. That's what my union is about. Us. Plain and simple.

 

We have decided to get married in Montego Bay, Jamaica at the Sandals Royal Caribbean resort on March 11, 2013 at 3:00p.m. I have booked the vacation, scheduled the wedding, paid the government marriage doc fees, and consulted the Sandals wedding planner. My wedding planning is Done with a capital 'D'. When you stay at a Sandals resort they throw in a wedding package for free. Getting married on the ocean while I'm taking a luxurious vacation is about the least stressful way possible. With the free wedding package, I will also receive a free sparkling wine & chilled hors d'oeuvres cocktail reception, a Honeymoon dinner at a resort specialty restaurant with white-glove service and a complimentary bottle of sparkling wine, and a mimosa breakfast-in-bed any morning of my choice.

 

 

 

 

 

This is the gazebo at the resort that I will be getting married under

 

 

 

This is my free wedding cake

 

 

 

And this is the little reception table set up. . .

 

Who needs more? Not this girl!!!

 

 

With Chris being gone I have also had ample amount of time to surf the web for dresses. I have decided to do a very "ballsy" perhaps stupid thing. I am buying my dress straight from a Chinese factory. From China. They make them custom made, so all I submit my measurements, wait about 30 days and Voila! My dress that I have never seen in person or tried on will arrive in the mail. Why am I not more worried about this?! I really am not worried in the slightest. I was deciding between 3 dresses, so when I sent my dear mother the pictures. JoAnna and her both chose the same dress, and that solidified my choice. I know that a lot of the dresses in Bridal shops (even the "brand name" ones) are made in China, exactly like mine will be. However, my dress will cost me a whopping $150, compared to $1500. Added bonus, I don't have to deal with overly chirpy, pushy, saleswomen. This is a risk I am more than happy to take, call me crazy.  

 

 

This is the dress I am getting

 

 

This was one I was considering . . . it is only $135!!

 

 

I think I will have to give in and hire a fairly expensive wedding photographer, though. Pictures last a lifetime, though. So that'll be an expense well worth it.

 

All in all, I couldn't be more excited with our decision to do a destination wedding. It might sound rude, but I honestly don't care who (or if anybody) can make it. This day and our marriage is simply about us and our commitment to each other. It isn't about anybody else, nor should it be. If it ends up just being Chris and I, looking into each other eyes as and saying our vows to the sounds of the ocean, that would make me just as happy as if the world were watching. I feel blessed to have a partner who feels exactly the same way. I am confident I will feel the same as I do now when we are old, and gray in our rocking chairs.

 

 

And they lived happily ever after. . .THE END.