Hello everyone and thank you for reading what’s going to be my nauseating blog about my upcoming wedding! I will be marrying my fiancé, Troy, on June 30, 2015 in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. I’m extremely excited and grateful to have this opportunity to share our experience with others. Even though it is early on in our wedding planning, I have found it to be exciting, stressful, confusing, overwhelming and amazing all at the same time. My hope is that this blog will provide a little help to a future APbride, and if not, maybe it will at least bring a little humor to someone’s day.
So, about me- I grew up in small town Missouri where I developed a love for the simple things in life and cherish any day I can sit outside with my loved ones or work in my garden. I would like to think that I’m pretty laid back and low maintenance, but Troy and my family may disagree. Troy grew up in Omaha, Nebraska and is the most hardworking, driven man I have ever met. His strength and dedication never cease to amaze me, and I am so very thankful that I’ve been given the chance to spend every day for the rest of my life with him.
Troy and I crossed paths when we both attended Northwest Missouri State University in 2005 where he was a Bearcat football player and I just happened to be a Bearcat cheerleader. Talk about the stereotypical college relationship, right?! Well, if we would have actually dated in college. I first met Troy while attending a party with a group of my girlfriends and one of them introduced us after I commented on how good looking he was, and Troy says the first time he remembers seeing me was in the weight room (no surprise since I’m a fitness competitor in my free time). From there, we began a friendship and nothing more. I like to say he was the “great white buffalo” of college. The guy no girl could tame.
After graduating in 2009, I ventured back home for two years to work before moving to Omaha to begin graduate school, while Troy stayed at NWMSU to finish his MBA. About the time I moved to Omaha, Troy had decided to move to Denver, but before each of us set off to our new homes, we both ended up back in Maryville, MO for the big Homecoming game. Everything after that is history. From there, we endured a year and a half of a long distance relationship, one move from Denver to Omaha, a three month stint in Virginia for graduate research, and year of finally being together. I had finally, somewhat, tamed the “great white buffalo.”
The Proposal
Perfect. Like every newly engaged woman (as of May 3, 2014), this is how I describe the proposal that gifted me one beautiful ring and one extremely amazing and handsome man that is now my future husband. After recently finishing my Master’s of Public Health degree, in which my thesis focused on the implementation of school gardens to teach children healthier eating habits, Troy found it appropriate to propose in his parent’s garden…with 150 roses…spelling out “MARRY ME?”. Again…PERFECT.
As I reflect on me standing there makeup less, in my cut off jean shorts, and amazing AC/DC t-shirt, with him on one knee, I think about how “us” it was. It was just the two of us being completely natural, in an intimate moment where we expressed our genuine love for each other, and that is what I want our wedding to reflect.
The Wedding
Growing up with two large families, wedding guest lists ranged from 250-400 people, intimate weddings did not exist unless you were secretly eloping or going to the court house. Like most girls, I dreamed of the huge, traditional Catholic wedding with the long train, full veil, all the bells and whistles, and when the proposal came, that’s what I began planning for. A week into planning, I realized this was an extremely public way to get married and that is about the farthest thing from Troy and I’s relationship. So, after lots of discussions, research, and phone calls, we decided a destination wedding, with our closest family and friends, would be exactly what we wanted.
The natural beauty of a beach front ceremony, dinner and drinks with those we care about most underneath little white twinkle lights, crisp clean flowers that make you smile, a jaw dropping back-less mermaid style wedding dress, and my favorite man dressed in grey slacks, a starched white button down, sporting that goofy smile he gets when he has had a few drinks and he’s enjoying himself. That my friends, is my dream wedding.
Audrey S is blogging as part of our #APbrides feature. You can follow Audrey and the rest of our Real Brides- here and see what ideas they’re saving on Pinterest (here).
