Wedding of My Dreams

I'm happy to report that our wedding was absolutley SPECTACULAR! It was everything that I wanted it to be--from the gorgeous winter weather to the emotional temple sealing, and from the yummy and relaxed luncheon to the party that was our reception--it was just how I had planned. Everything fell exactly into place, even though we had a few minor mishaps. It was an incredible day and I am so happy to be Mrs. Courtney Helmantoler.

We started the day off bright and early, and did our best to make sure we looked fabulous. Cassidy did a great job with my hair, and Chris looked dashing in his new brown suit. We arrived at the temple with great anticipation and excitement, only to be totally shocked and surprised to find out that my parents' temple recommends had expired. My mom quickly began to cry, and was comforted by the kind temple workers as Chris and I were whisked away. I, myself, began to cry at the thought of my poor mother frantically calling my dad and their Bishop. I panicked for a brief moment, thinking that my parents weren't going to make it to my temple sealing. However, with a few phone calls, everything was taken care of and my mom was still able to help me get dressed.

The temple ceremony was absolutley beauiful! I started to get emotional before we walked in, and was totally crying by the time I saw all my friends and family in the sealing room. It was such a wonderful experience to be sealed for eternity to my best friend, and to know that we will be together forever!

Afterwards, we met our friends and family outside the temple for pictures. Even though it had snowed just the night before, the sky was blue and the temperature was quite nice. We spent quite a bit of time taking pictures, all the while trudging through several feet of snow--just to get the perfect shot (oh, the things I do for Christopher)! By the time we were done, my poor feet were completely numb, but I'm positive we'll have some great pictures.

Our luncheon was next, and we were able to enjoy some great food and great company. Roughly 100 of our closest friends and family were in attendance, and it was a wonderful way to celebrate with them. A photo montage video was shown to all the guests, and several people took the opportunity to say very nice things about me and Chris. It was so touching!

After the luncheon, we had a couple hours to kill, so Chris blindfolded me and drove to the Bed & Breakfast that we were going to stay in that night. Little did I know that Chris's sisters had already been there setting things up for us, so when we arrived, the room was equipped with all sorts of goodies. It ended up being a great way to kill some extra time!

And lastly, the reception was super fun! We ended up standing in a line for several hours (we must be really popular :), and were able to see and talk to many of our friends and neighbors. The decorations were incredible, the food was amazing, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. My only regret is that we didn't get to enjoy more of it with them. We were so glad that so many people showed up, and even more excited to know that they were there because they loved and supported us!

We are still waiting for our pictures to come back, so I'll post them as soon as I get them. Until then, just imagine a beautiful, blushing bride with her handsome, hunky husband :)

10 Days and Counting

In case you haven't realized, we're getting married next Friday. Yahoo! And if you can't tell, I'm totally excited. The stress level has dropped--just a little--and we have most things under control at this point. We have a few last minute items to take care of, but other than that, we are done with the wedding plans (and that may be the best news of all). And, we were able to get the parentals off on their Hawaiian getaway. So, while they're sipping coconut milk and hula dancing, I'm home finishing the last of the wedding planning . I just hope they don't come back too tan--I don't want them to to look better than me on my wedding day :)

In other good news, we have moved all of our stuff into our new apartment. In fact, Chris is living there as of last week. We were able to get all of our furniture and all of Chris's personal belongings moved in, so now all we have to do is move my clothes and personal stuff, and we'll be set. It's so fun to have our own place, but it's also a little weird. Sometimes it's hard for me to really grasp the fact that we're going to get married and that we're going to live with each other. I've been living the single life for so long now, I almost don't believe that things are going to change. But, that doesn't mean that I'm not totally stoked to do so. I can't wait to have Chris as my roommate (and my husband, of course)!

Here's hoping that the next 10 days fly by!

I'm EXHAUSTED!

I'm sitting at work, wishing I could be home in bed. As I'm sure most of you know, dating doesn't allow for many nights of restful sleep. Because we are so madly in love with each other, we just can't stand to be apart--not for even one second :) And seeing as I have to get up at the crack of dawn, in order to be to work at a decent hour, I'm at a loss for some much needed sleep.
To make matters worse, the wedding planning process is quite draining. Between making decisions, meeting deadlines, and trying to please everyone, I'm worn out! Chris constantly reminds me that I'm making the process more difficult than it needs to be; but gosh darnit, I'm going to have the wedding of my dreams--even if it kills me!
With all of this being said, I CAN'T WAIT until we are married and we get to go to bed whenever we want! No more late-night episodes of CSI: Miami, Intervention or Man vs. Wild to keep us awake; no more "Just ten more minutes;" and definitely no more drowsy drives home. I'm so excited to be a well-slept newlywed!

First of Many

I've been wanting to create a blog for quite some time, but I have just been putting it off--mostly because I didn't think anyone would want to hear/read my rantings. But now that Chris and I are preparing for our upcoming wedding & marriage, I felt this was an appropriate time to start. Hopefully you will enjoy the tidbits of our crazy lives!