Here they come!

INVITATIONS ARE ON THEIR WAY!!!!!

Over the weekend, Ryan and I started building the invitations! I didn’t expect this honestly, but it was SO MUCH FUN!  Here’s a breakdown of what went into this.

First my beautiful and obviously talented bridesmaid Haley volunteered to basically be my personal wedding invitation graphic artist. How lucky am I!! She designed the entire invitation and sent me a copy. I couldn’t have ordered a more perfect layout and design myself. I loved it! The colors were great! The wording was us! It was modern yet simple and I loved it!  It’s not overly mushy but still has an element of sweetness. I guess in a way I didn’t know what I wanted the invitation to say or look like until I saw what she came up with!! As we printed them out, (this may sound funny) I felt very proud of our wedding. They added a formal and sophisticated element that I hadn’t felt yet. 

The Next step was from my talented fiancé’. He created a website dedicated to the wedding. Our blog has been used for a record of the planning process so I didn’t want people to have to scavenge through to find direction information etc.  He asked me what to include and then wah-la came up with ryan-danny.com! OUR OWN URL!  We worked on the different aspects of the site each night last week. I found myself excited to leave work and get to work on the details! We would play around with pictures, fonts, links etc.  Ryan shines when it comes to a technology challenge so it was really fun to watch him learn new ways to link or embed information! I love my little techy nerd! THEN on Friday he brought home all sort of equipment from work. He literally set up a studio in our basement. Lights, cameras, mics… the whole thing! We created a basic vlog style video and explained the purpose of our website. Ryan edited it and it’s now our homepage to the website!!!!! HOW COOL!

 Finally we sat down one evening together, printed, stuffed, and stamped 100 invitations! We talked about what we expected with the wedding, we laughed at stories we shared about some of our guests, and we worked like a little invitation making factory.
Originally we were going to try to send out wooden invitations! (Belinda's idea!!! She know's me so well!) Loved it! But time and money said to try to create our own with a kit. One day while bargain shopping at Good Will, I found a blank invitation kit. $10 bucks and I only had to buy one more box from the store!! So low and behold it all came together better than expected!  I loved putting them together and having the weekend experience!

                                                       Here’s  the creation process

 

Blank Envelope

Gluing the Info Card

Info card about our website!

RSVP card with return envelope! 

We stuffed the cards into the pocket!

This was the hardest part!

The actual invitation portion!

Completed Product!

Sealed and Addressed!

                                                              So this is what 100 invitations look like!

                               

Then it's off to the post office we go!

We carried the box in on TAX DAY... haha.

People stared at us as we posed with a box of invitations!! Ryan is such a good sport! I love that he played along with this whole day! To tell you the truth, as we sealed and finished our parents invites. I cried. He stood me up and hugged me and said "We're getting Married!".... GOSH I COULD CRY AGAIN!

SO HERE THEY COME FOLKS!!!

Amazing experience! 

THANK YOU HALEY! They are perfect!

www. ryan-danny.com

Backyard Photo Shoot!

Ryan and I decided to play around with his awesome camera! We had our own at home photoshoot! 

Look at my handsome fiance'. I am one lucky girl!

This was so much fun!

Secret garden!

3 Months and Counting!

Where did March Go?

I wanted to update everyone on how wonderful things are going and how thankful I feel! I am very lucky to have such a wonderful, crafty, supportive, and fun group of people I call family and friends! Planning this wedding has been so much fun because I have their help and participation in our special day!

Lately things have just been falling into place and each day I’m becoming more and more excited about our event!

Update on the wedding! Ryan, Jeremy and I went this past weekend and picked up all of the boys cloths! We are buying their outfits instead of renting. It seems to actually be cheaper this way and we can give them to the boys to keep forever!! They are wearing simple dress pants, white button up shirts, and vests. Having videoed a lot of weddings, Ryan says it is crucial that they are not stuck in something hot and uncomfortable. They will have their sleeves rolled up and basic white shoes on. Ryan picked everything out, and it’s totally his personality, which I loved!!! We were able to get all of the boy’s gear for even less than we budgeted for… I must share that we were able to get JCPenny white dress shirts on sale for $3.00!!! Cha-Ching!! Tonight Derek came over to try on his clothes and I found myself really excited and slightly emotional. This is really happening and it’s going to look gorgeous!

So all of the boys are dressed and ready!

I also had an attire sort of weekend! I had my first fitting!!!! My dress came in during the week. Ginny came with me for my first try on. It was even prettier than I remembered! I bought the dress in November. It was a fairy tale sort of day. Much more than a dress, the special moments were everything from the lady that did my fitting, the fact my Mom (who has survived lung cancer) was standing behind me, my sister had chills, my best friend had tears in her eyes, and top of it all , I could imagine the eyes of both Ryan and my dad when they see me for the first time in this dress! It was beyond the most perfect thing in the world. I will never EVER forget that moment. Trying on the dress made me relive that feeling and filled my heart with excited anticipation… I’m SO ready and giddy about our Wedding. Who would of thought… I’m such a simple, non-girly girl.

Other things accomplished include getting Ryan’s wedding ring, our honeymoon suite has been booked, fabric for table clothes purchased, candy table dishes and utensils, photo booth software J, and finishing up some chalk boards and picture stands!

We are a little less than 3 months away now!!

Next step is sending out the invitations by our goal of April 15^th!!! More to Come!

Soundtrack to our Life

Oooooh... what's this you ask? ... You'll see!!!!

Update!

  We're getting closer! As of today (February 17th) we have accomplished several big things. We confirmed our officiant. Ms. Charlene Hughes will marry us on our special day. For those of you who know her, you know that this is a very special gift that I will cherish forever. We have finished getting candy jars for the reception! Our music has been selected. This part was fairly easy because our relationship has been marked with special moments and perfect songs. I feel like I've always known that Ryan is one of a kind, but he may have sealed the deal when he asked me to dance one evening in my kitchen. Flowers are being taken care of by a dear friend from work! I have jar donations from many people for candles! Another friend has helped to get glassware and reception lights!  I am so lucky to have such wonderful people in my life willing to help me out.

Big things coming up:

Next weekend all my bridesmaids are going to be in town for our dress fitting!! I'm so excited to have them all together, get them all dressed up, and have a girly "I'm getting married!" type of day!  After the girls have dresses picked out, then it's on to the boys attire!! 

We've been looking into honeymoon ideas lately so that's also on our to-do list! March will be a busy time and I'm soooooooo excited! 4 months!! 

So to comment on the above post:

 Ryan and I went through some old messages from 2005 and read each one. It made me realize that I've loved this man since I met him and I was never giving up. I even faked a movie critique personality to have something to talk to him about. We laughed about how I was hinting to go on a date and that he never picked up on it.  However, in the long run after meeting tons of people in college, I still came back to the very first boy I met in my very first ever monday morning class! Ryan is my best friend and  I fall more in love with him every day. When I read the above post I cried and then made fun of his gramatical mistakes (Journalism major!).  

We have a chalk board in our pantry... I wrote the top message and he responded! 

CHEESY!!!

More to Come!

Ryan's Turn

Since Danny has done a great job of keeping you up to date of things going during the last year in the wedding planning process, I thought it would be fitting for me to share a little about how this all started. So with that said, here is the story of how I found the love of my life.

It was my first class, on the first day, in the first semester, of my first year of college that I met Danny. That’s right. Out of the hundreds of people that I met during my time at Marshall, Danny was the first. It was 9 a.m. Monday morning, and I didn’t know what to expect as I walked in to my first college class. The class was Communications 103 – Fundamentals of Speech and Communication. I nervously chose my seat. I don’t remember the exact point that we spoke our first words to each other, but I do know that before that first class was over, I already knew I had just met an amazing person.

As the semester went on, somehow my seat in class had migrated from the back to the front, which put me directly in front of Danny. We soon became partners on our speeches, and had to critique each other. As I recall, Danny was pretty tough on me. I don’t know if that was her way of flirting or her way of getting back at me for being a total suck up to the teacher.

By October of that first semester, we had stared sending facebook messages back and forth. The messages started out about class, but evolved to the topic of movies and life in general.

When the class ended, we continued to keep in touch through facebook. Occasionally we would run in to each other on campus. I remember seeing her eating lunch at a table by the fountain one day on my way to class. I walked over to say hey, and ended up skipping class to sit and hangout. I didn’t want to leave.The messages and chance encounters became fewer and further between. We still kept in touch, but we would sometimes go 2-3 months without writing.

In March of 2008, I was helping my friend Derek look for apartments. He had a meeting to see a house on 6 avenue. I went with him to look at the place, and while we were waiting on the porch, Danny and her roommate Ginny drove by. I was so excited to see her, as it had been several months since our last random encounter. I practically ran down the alley to meet her as she got out of her car. We then just stood in the alley and talked forever. I don’t remember what we talked about, but I do remember it was during this conversation that we exchanged telephone numbers. I also remember leaving with Derek and telling him “dude, she is the coolest girl I have ever met.”

In the next few days, we texted back and forth a little bit, and started talking in the evenings on an instant messenger. One night, while talking, she said that she and some friends were going to walk around campus. She extended an invitation. I was at her house 10 minutes later. As we walked around campus, we kind of broke away from her friends and just walked and talked by ourselves.

I spent several evenings in the following weeks at her house just talking. We would sit and talk for hours.(Something that after four years, we can still do for hours) I don’t remember everything we talked about, but I do remember feeling like we were meant for each other. There wasn’t an official start date to our relationship, we just both agreed in May of 2008 that we were perfect together so we tagged April as our beginning.

That first summer was great. Two of the greatest moments I remember are: 1). Danny and her roommate Sarah randomly showed up to my apartment one night challenging Tyler and I to a water balloon fight in Ritter Park. I don’t think Tyler or Sarah enjoyed nearly as much as we did, but we had fun, and that’s all that matters. 2). Danny got a bike for her birthday that year, so the next day, I went to Walmart and bought a bike. We went on a ride through Huntington looking at houses, buildings, the river, and the park. We just kept riding because it was great to be together. I went back and traced our route and map and figured up that we rode about 15 miles that day.

 We’ve been through a lot together since that summer. From us laying in the floor crying together, to uncontrollable laughter that would not stop. From going on random adventures to Louisville to being bored together but loving ever minute of it. Ups, downs, sadness and loss to some of the biggest accomplishments in both of our lives, the last 4 years of my life have been the best because of her. I’m so excited to live the rest of my years with her. I love you Danielle Bray.

514 - Can't wait to make you my wife!!!

Making the little Things Count!

Countdown!!! 8 months!

October 30th!

Time is already seeming to fly by. My to-do list is getting overwhelming (not in a bad way, more of a Oh man this is really happening way)

I'm getting really crafty lately!! Ryan and I have always talked about how we wanted to be a part of  each detail about our wedding! He has been so creative and supportive and this truly is a journey I will never forget!

Crafts I'm currently working on for the wedding include candle jars to hang around for the wedding. Recycled Jars! (Pickle jars are the best) Some friends have donated some jars as well!

They will be hanging EVERYWHERE hopefully!

I spy game cards that will go on the tables along with a disposable camera. I bought 10 of them to put around the room!These will be in vintage looking (meaning bought from goodwill haha) Picture frames!

Hopefully people will Play!

I bought some Lanterns for the reception! I love them!

I've been working on the drift wood signs that will be placed around the whole venue!

I still have a lot to go for these!!!

This weekend I started the Farewell Sparklers project! Here's how I made them:

First, I collected boxes from different things around the kitchen and cut them up! (RECYCLE!)

 

I cut them into book mark shapes!

Then I printed on them (This wedding is making me learn Photo Shop!!)

Next I stamped a recycled symbol and a "created by recycled bits and pieces" stamp on the cardboard!

                               

 

Next I cut a place to put the gold sparklers.

Then I stapled a book of matches to each. They can be taken off to light the sparklers!!

THE FINAL PROJECT!!!!

 

So this is an update!! Still working on figuring out table clothes, dresses, and grooms ware! 

 November I have my first dress appointment!! 

PS.. Must share that last week Ryan and I planned a date night. Typical Dinner and a movie type of night. I got called to the office and a vase of a wildflower mix was delivered for me with a card that said, "Looking forward to our date night, 514"  I fall more and more in love with this man. I'm so excited to become his wife!

More to come about The Day I say I DO!

Decor- Unique finds and Natures beauty!

We found these candle holders at an antique shop outside of Beckley! We bought like 12!!!!

I'm making some candle holders from drift wood!

Ring Bearer will carry this down the isle!

Mom and I are collecting unique candy dishes from thrift stores and antique shops!! Each one is soooooo cheap!

Just some things we're gathering up!!! Starting to get crafty!!! I'm super excited!


Click OLDER POSTS TO KEEP READING!!! -------------------->

Location, Location, Location!

After LOTS of research and budget debate, WE FOUND OUR LOCATION!

I've dreamed of an outdoor wedding, with a lodge-rustic-cabinish style building to hold the reception. We're going for a very natural wedding with drift wood, trees, greens, browns etc. So when we viewed this place everything just clicked. I could not stop smiling. I could see our first dance in the ballroom!

We will be getting married at Camp Washington Carver- Clifftop WV

Courtyard!

Above- The ballroom- Also a beautiful setting if it needs to be moved inside!                         Left- The Dinning room is huge- we have access to the entire upstairs and kitchen!  

 We will be married between these trees in the field above!!!!

Picking a place has made the process so much more real!! I love this place the price was unbelievable and I could visualize our wedding!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Next step- Catering!

So lucky!!

Just an update!!! We celebrated a year engagement in January. Febuary the girls of the wedding are all coming in for a dress fitting. Everyday I feel extremly blessed. I get to marry my favorite person in the world. I cant imagine my life any other way. Today he went with me to a middle schools girls basketball game, we had a ball. He makes everything perfect!! This is one of those overwhelmingly cheesy posts but as the countdown starts to dwindle, we are both realizing how special what we have is.

Who will be celebrating with us!?

As we've been planning, we've both been thinking a lot about who we want to be included in this special day. I am so blessed with so many great people in my life and multiple best friends so I knew ahead of time this would not be a small event. I may be simple but I sure do have a lot of friends and family. At first I tossed back and forth about weather I should set a certain number but then I decided (not based with budget in mind ahaha) that I want everyone I love to be with us and celebrate to the max. So big wedding here we come!


The past week we've been working on a guest list and bridal party! Both are in progress.

I have picked eight bridesmaids!!!! I've decided to make it formal so  I'm proposing the idea to each of them to share in our event. I hand made ear-rings for each of them. (You'll soon see my theme and crafty-ness revealed).

1. I wanted to make them something special to keep in memory of my wedding.
2. I wanted to formally ask them because each of them represents a special part of my life and I want them to know how special it would mean to stand with me on that day.
3. I wanted us all to wear pearls, which is the national symbol of lung cancer. Together we will all honor my mom and how amazingly strong she is. I could not imagine this day without her and because of her faith and strength I'm am no longer in fear of this.

I boxed them up and wrote individualized letters to each of them.

 

I've cried with each of them!! They are each wonderful women

and I am truly honored to call them my friends!

Ryan is in the process of asking his guy friends to be a part of his wedding and he's doing it in his own special way- taking some golfing, out to eat, softball etc. We both just wanted to make sure we expressed how much it would mean to us that day.

As for our guest list for that day-I created a google doc (I'm so 21st century!) and Ryan's mom filled in his side and I'm working on my side. It's really coming along.

HOWEVER!!!!

If you're reading this and you want to help me out and let me double check our info on you please scroll to the bottom of this page and fill out the form and hit submit!

Thanks!!!