This is a picture that I captured when we were on Safari in Tanzania. We were actually very close to Olduvai Gorge which is where William proposed to me. I was captivated the whole time by how close we were to giraffes and elephants and the zebras were as common as NC squirrels! This is one of my favorite pictures from our Africa trip because it's so perfect that it looks like a postcard or something! Happy Wednesday!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Wednesday Posts
I saw on someone else's blog how they did "Wordless Wednesday" with just a picture post or "Where in the World Wednesday" where they post a picture and little blurb about where they were. I LOVE this idea so I think we'll conform! Today is Where in the World Wednesday: This is a picture that I captured when we were on Safari in Tanzania. We were actually very close to Olduvai Gorge which is where William proposed to me. I was captivated the whole time by how close we were to giraffes and elephants and the zebras were as common as NC squirrels! This is one of my favorite pictures from our Africa trip because it's so perfect that it looks like a postcard or something! Happy Wednesday!
This is a picture that I captured when we were on Safari in Tanzania. We were actually very close to Olduvai Gorge which is where William proposed to me. I was captivated the whole time by how close we were to giraffes and elephants and the zebras were as common as NC squirrels! This is one of my favorite pictures from our Africa trip because it's so perfect that it looks like a postcard or something! Happy Wednesday!
Monday, March 28, 2011
Wedding Part II-The Ceremony
Okay, so we left off with detail shots and talking about the firemen and everything else. It only delayed the wedding by about 10 minutes and then things went smoothly from there. It's funny when you're the bride because you plan the ceremony for months and when the day actually comes it goes by so fast that it's almost a blur! My uncle and William's uncles served as our ushers so they worked hard to seat all the guests. They ushered in our grandparents and our mothers and my grandmother lit the memorial candle that was in honor of her husband (my grandpa George) and my dad's mom Marie...both of which passed away last year within 1 month of each other. 
Next came the pastor with William and his groomsmen following. They took their places and the bridesmaids began to enter. I absolutely loved they way they all looked in their dresses, it was so elegant and just looked great on everyone. 
Next came the pastor with William and his groomsmen following. They took their places and the bridesmaids began to enter. I absolutely loved they way they all looked in their dresses, it was so elegant and just looked great on everyone. Next it was my turn and I love the following pictures! Campbell's Chapel has a really long aisle so I couldn't see William's exact expression until I got there---I'm so thankful for this picture of his smile, it makes me happy!
After my dad gave me away we played the song "Marry Me" while we moved up on the stage. I absolutely LOVE that song and it's so special to us now that it was in our wedding ceremony. We took our places, had a prayer and scripture reading, exchanged vows and rings, and moved to do our unity sand ceremony. We had another song that was played on the piano called "A parent's prayer" and after that we were pronounced Mr. and Mrs. William Thomas Harrison! Here we are walking out:
We went back to the room where we got ready so that guests could clear out and we could go back in for pictures. We love all of our "altar shots" and here are just a few of the group ones:
After my dad gave me away we played the song "Marry Me" while we moved up on the stage. I absolutely LOVE that song and it's so special to us now that it was in our wedding ceremony. We took our places, had a prayer and scripture reading, exchanged vows and rings, and moved to do our unity sand ceremony. We had another song that was played on the piano called "A parent's prayer" and after that we were pronounced Mr. and Mrs. William Thomas Harrison! Here we are walking out:We went back to the room where we got ready so that guests could clear out and we could go back in for pictures. We love all of our "altar shots" and here are just a few of the group ones: Then of course the pictures of the two of us:
And finally, we were getting ready to head out to the reception (last post to come!) and my mom and grandmother had to bustle my dress. The lady at David's Bridal made it a ballroom bustle so I had to lift the top layer up and they had to tie these numbered ribbons or something like that. I was always wearing it so I never got to see what it looked like. Anywho, right before we left we snapped a picture of the process:
Stayed tuned for the final part of the wedding saga! Part III-Recepetion!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Wedding Day Part I
Okay, so we went in reverse order and covered the honeymoon and rehearsal dinner so now it's time to talk about the actual wedding day! I'll have to cover it in parts when I get these little sprouts of free time!
And the finished product:
The guys were over in a separate building so the photographer took us outside to get a few photos. It was cloudy and sort of windy but it made for some cool shots! Here are a few outside:
The guys also caught some pictures outside:
and the kissing balls that marked the rows:
and our sand:
The morning started off by going to get the cake. We picked it up and delivered it to the reception site and then we ran last minute errands. William was at my parents' house in Garner getting ready and I had a hair appointment and went straight to the chapel. (We were all sort of rushing around so none of this part was captured on camera!) When I arrived to the chapel all of my bridesmaids were already there and we started getting ready together. Most of us had our makeup already done so really all we had to do was last minute touches and getting our dresses on. Here are some pics of us getting ready:
And the finished product:The guys were over in a separate building so the photographer took us outside to get a few photos. It was cloudy and sort of windy but it made for some cool shots! Here are a few outside: The guys also caught some pictures outside:All of us girls were sitting in the room where we were getting ready and all of a sudden the fire alarm goes off. Really? We were getting married at Campbell's Chapel and anyone who graduated from Campbell knows that fire alarms are frequent in the town, LOL. So it wasn't really a big deal and the coordinator came and told us that a little kid had pulled the alarm. The fire department came to turn off the alarms and it made for a good picture:
My photographer captured some perfect detail shots before the beginning of the ceremony so I wanted to display those. One of my favorites is the picture of my bouquet that's at the top of our page! Here are our programs:
and the kissing balls that marked the rows:
and my shoes:
and the beautiful flower arrangement on the stage:
and our sand:Enough details?!!? :) Part II will be the ceremony, I promise!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Rehearsal Dinner (and Rehearsal)
Our rehearsal day was actually a crazy, chaotic, BUSY BUSY day. Of course it turned out wonderfully but it was the busiest day of the whole wedding. We woke up early that morning and I went with my mom, aunt and cousin to get our feet and nails done. Let's just say that was the most heavenly part of the day! After that, we had to run to Target and Michaels to get last minute ceremony stuff and then we picked up my dad and went to get their tuxes. I didn't peak at William of course but as soon as he was done we jumped into the car and went to get ready for the rehearsal dinner. When we got ready to leave, we hit MAJOR traffic, a few wrecks, etc. and we actually ended up being late to the rehearsal dinner! It was all good though because they already knew what we wanted and ordered for us. We had a wonderful steak dinner at Heath's steakhouse in Dunn. It is such a special restaraunt to William and I because we used to go out on special "dates" there when we were at Campbell. We would celebrate Valentines Day, special occassions, etc. there so we KNEW we wanted our rehearsal dinner there. Here are a few pictures of various people while we were eating:
After we ate, we had various people give toasts, advice, random stories, etc. It was a lot of fun. Then, William cut his groom's cake which was a doctor's bag. It was SO cute. It actually had his initials on it and a stethoscope and Prescription bottles.
After we all ate some cake we let the bridal party open their gifts. I got all the bridesmaid matching monogrammed polka dot tote bags, their jewelry for the wedding, a personalized note pad, and a devotional book. I got the maid of honor a few other things and the junior bridesmaids had matching bags also. Courtesy of Melissa, here a few pics of the merchandise:
After gifts were opened we spent sometime just finishing coffee and taking pictures. Sara, my photographer, and her husband Joe attended the rehearsal dinner and rehearsal and she managed to snap a few good ones. Afterwards we headed to the chapel for the Rehearsal!
Once we got to the chapel everything went smoothly and we were able to run through the ceremony several times. It really made us relax once we were able to see how everything was supposed to flow. We had a great time laughing and practicing and we felt so calm and prepared when we left. Here are a few pictures from the rehearsal:
Next up: WEDDING!
After we ate, we had various people give toasts, advice, random stories, etc. It was a lot of fun. Then, William cut his groom's cake which was a doctor's bag. It was SO cute. It actually had his initials on it and a stethoscope and Prescription bottles. After we all ate some cake we let the bridal party open their gifts. I got all the bridesmaid matching monogrammed polka dot tote bags, their jewelry for the wedding, a personalized note pad, and a devotional book. I got the maid of honor a few other things and the junior bridesmaids had matching bags also. Courtesy of Melissa, here a few pics of the merchandise: After gifts were opened we spent sometime just finishing coffee and taking pictures. Sara, my photographer, and her husband Joe attended the rehearsal dinner and rehearsal and she managed to snap a few good ones. Afterwards we headed to the chapel for the Rehearsal! Once we got to the chapel everything went smoothly and we were able to run through the ceremony several times. It really made us relax once we were able to see how everything was supposed to flow. We had a great time laughing and practicing and we felt so calm and prepared when we left. Here are a few pictures from the rehearsal: Next up: WEDDING! Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Honeymoon Part II
Okay so we left off talking about the great time we had snorkeling in Barbados. It was SUCH a fun excursion and well worthy the money. The next day was St. Lucia and we had an excursion booked to take a scenic tour up into the pitons and have a mud bath and bathe in the hot sulfur springs there. Well...We were supposed to meet at the pier at 9:30 and I set my phone alarm on the ship so we could wake up. However, I accidentally set the alarm according to my phone's time which was an hour behind the ship's time. I also set the phone in our room for a wake up call but wouldn't you know that I set it for PM? Wow what are the odds to mess up both alarms? Anyway, we ended up waking up around 8:00 and we got up and scrambled to get ourselves together. We knew we had to eat breakfast because the excursion was 5 1/2 hours and it didn't mention that lunch would be served. ALL that said to tell you that we made it to the pier at about 9:28 and I realized that I had left the camera in the room. OF COURSE, St. Lucia was one of THE most beautiful islands that we went to and OF COURSE they stopped for multiple photo opps along the tour. We were both mad. Really mad. BUT, no fear. The internet is amazing and I have found exact pictures of the exact locations we stood in. First off, here are pictures from our balcony that I took once we returned to the ship:
We boarded an air-conditioned bus and the actual drive up to the pitons was about and hour and a half. It was such beautiful scenery and we passed several beaches/bays, the outskirt of the rainforest, etc. We arrived at the town of Soufriere, which means "sulfur in the air", and you could immediately smell the rotten egg smell. The area is actually a volcano that folded in on itself and when you are looking at it you can see the steam coming out of the hot springs:
We took a tour down inside the "volcano" and then we went to do the mud bath. The mud and the water around the area is black. When sulfur mixes with iron the chemical reaction produces a black color. There are tons of other minerals in the mud and the water that is great for the skin and the sinuses.
We put the black mud on each other and a lighter clay mud on our faces (we were REALLY hating the lack of camera here) and the guide told us about how the Bachelor (Jake) brought Vienna here on one of their dates and they stayed in the luxurious resort across the street. She said they sat right in that cove in the above picture and so they now sometimes refer to this as the bacherlor springs. LOL Here's a pic. of the couple in front of the pitons:
I never liked her but anyway....After the mud was all over us we walked right up the way and got in the hot springs. The guides told us it was obviously hot but they kept saying our bodies would adjust. That never happened for me. I got up to about my belly button in the water and I couldn't go any further it was just too hot. William loves hot water and he was able to submerge but even he couldnt stay but for a minute. Afterwards, our sking was so smooth we could definitely tell a difference!
We left the spring and boarded the bus for the ride back. We did some shopping on each island and we actually bought a Tshirt at each place we visited! We boarded the ship and jumped into our nightly routine again! The next morning was St. Kitts and we had a nice slow morning waking up when we wanted, a slow breakfast, tv, etc. We eventually made our way out to the island where we did a lot of shopping and sight-seeing on our own. For those of you who may not know William and I traveled to Africa last summer. Ever since then the boy has been obsessed with monkeys...well probably before then but Africa peaked his interest. As soon as we entered the town we saw monkeys. They were wearing diapers and island clothes. LOL. We both got to hold them and take pictures:
We didnt go to the beach at St. Kitts which was a good decision because we heard it was one of the dirtier ones. After a fun day of shopping and playing with monkeys we boarded the ship again and we were ready for St. Marteen on the final day. St. Marten (or Marteen) is half dutch half french. Hence the different pronunciations. On the dutch side of the island the beaches are beautiful and you actually have to wear a swimsuit. On the french side the beaches are pretty but they are also nude. We HAD to catch a glimpse of each side. Once we left the ship we took a water taxi over to the beach (you can see the yellow boat which was the taxi. We stopped for a lovely picture in front of the crystal clear water and we rented an umbrella/chair set and spent the majority of the day there on the dutch side:
We spent our last night on the ship having fun and soaking the last minute up. We went to bed late by accident and we had to get up early the next morning to finish packing, eat breakfast, and get transferred to the airport. OF COURSE, I set the cell phone alarm wrong again. This time, I was on the ship's time but I forgot to take in daylight savings time which put the ship time back on the right time of the phone and so we woke up at what I thought was 6:00am, only to discover that it was really 5 am. We needed the extra packing time though. We got to the airport at San Juan and found out that our plane wa delayed and that we would miss our connecting flight in philadelphia. After about 30 minutes we finally worked it out and it was actually more to our advantage. We got home a little later but we flew into Greensboro which put us only about 30 min. from our house and so our parents were able to bring us our wedding presents and stay the night. Monday William had required classes so he had to get up and be there at 8 AM! My parents stayed long enough on Monday to help me get presents put away and get clothes washed etc. We are so thanksful to have mom and dad help us so much and for them taking off work to get us home. The honeymoon was amazing and we had such a great time. We were sad for it to end but we were also excited to start our newlywed lives on the mainland!! :)
We boarded an air-conditioned bus and the actual drive up to the pitons was about and hour and a half. It was such beautiful scenery and we passed several beaches/bays, the outskirt of the rainforest, etc. We arrived at the town of Soufriere, which means "sulfur in the air", and you could immediately smell the rotten egg smell. The area is actually a volcano that folded in on itself and when you are looking at it you can see the steam coming out of the hot springs:We took a tour down inside the "volcano" and then we went to do the mud bath. The mud and the water around the area is black. When sulfur mixes with iron the chemical reaction produces a black color. There are tons of other minerals in the mud and the water that is great for the skin and the sinuses. We put the black mud on each other and a lighter clay mud on our faces (we were REALLY hating the lack of camera here) and the guide told us about how the Bachelor (Jake) brought Vienna here on one of their dates and they stayed in the luxurious resort across the street. She said they sat right in that cove in the above picture and so they now sometimes refer to this as the bacherlor springs. LOL Here's a pic. of the couple in front of the pitons:I never liked her but anyway....After the mud was all over us we walked right up the way and got in the hot springs. The guides told us it was obviously hot but they kept saying our bodies would adjust. That never happened for me. I got up to about my belly button in the water and I couldn't go any further it was just too hot. William loves hot water and he was able to submerge but even he couldnt stay but for a minute. Afterwards, our sking was so smooth we could definitely tell a difference!We left the spring and boarded the bus for the ride back. We did some shopping on each island and we actually bought a Tshirt at each place we visited! We boarded the ship and jumped into our nightly routine again! The next morning was St. Kitts and we had a nice slow morning waking up when we wanted, a slow breakfast, tv, etc. We eventually made our way out to the island where we did a lot of shopping and sight-seeing on our own. For those of you who may not know William and I traveled to Africa last summer. Ever since then the boy has been obsessed with monkeys...well probably before then but Africa peaked his interest. As soon as we entered the town we saw monkeys. They were wearing diapers and island clothes. LOL. We both got to hold them and take pictures:We didnt go to the beach at St. Kitts which was a good decision because we heard it was one of the dirtier ones. After a fun day of shopping and playing with monkeys we boarded the ship again and we were ready for St. Marteen on the final day. St. Marten (or Marteen) is half dutch half french. Hence the different pronunciations. On the dutch side of the island the beaches are beautiful and you actually have to wear a swimsuit. On the french side the beaches are pretty but they are also nude. We HAD to catch a glimpse of each side. Once we left the ship we took a water taxi over to the beach (you can see the yellow boat which was the taxi. We stopped for a lovely picture in front of the crystal clear water and we rented an umbrella/chair set and spent the majority of the day there on the dutch side:
We wandered over to the french side, chuckled a little because 98% of the population was over 65 and naked, and so then we headed back to the Dutch side. We stopped for a snack and a drink at this cute little restaraunt and went back to our chairs and enjoyed swimming in the last bit of carribbean water that we could before boarding the ship.
We spent our last night on the ship having fun and soaking the last minute up. We went to bed late by accident and we had to get up early the next morning to finish packing, eat breakfast, and get transferred to the airport. OF COURSE, I set the cell phone alarm wrong again. This time, I was on the ship's time but I forgot to take in daylight savings time which put the ship time back on the right time of the phone and so we woke up at what I thought was 6:00am, only to discover that it was really 5 am. We needed the extra packing time though. We got to the airport at San Juan and found out that our plane wa delayed and that we would miss our connecting flight in philadelphia. After about 30 minutes we finally worked it out and it was actually more to our advantage. We got home a little later but we flew into Greensboro which put us only about 30 min. from our house and so our parents were able to bring us our wedding presents and stay the night. Monday William had required classes so he had to get up and be there at 8 AM! My parents stayed long enough on Monday to help me get presents put away and get clothes washed etc. We are so thanksful to have mom and dad help us so much and for them taking off work to get us home. The honeymoon was amazing and we had such a great time. We were sad for it to end but we were also excited to start our newlywed lives on the mainland!! :)Next blog I will start out with Rehearsal dinner and actual rehearsal and work our way up to the wedding!
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