wedding video...

Our Story...

I'm so ashamed that I haven't posted a blog in almost 15 months!!! that's a LONG time! and ALOT can happen in a year and a half and ALOT has!! so an update since the last time I posted... I arrived home from my visit with Luke in Australia... wait I never ever explained how lives even came together, ill start at the beginning... ( I never wanted this blog to be all about me but to be used to encourage others so ill try my best)
   It was July 2010 and on a spur of the moment decision I decided to go to Prescott Conference, I had found really cheap tickets and had a place to stay for free so I took it all as a sign that I needed to be there. conference was amazing as usual, the seminars timely and the spirit of so tangible you could almost feel it in the heavy summer air. I was there without my other Cape Cod friends so this forced me to be more friendly to strangers and try and meet new people (which i am not naturally good at). one night after service Jess, Jensen and I got invited to a "pasta" fellowship at a girls house in Prescott which of course we agreed to do. anyways if you've ever been to a Prescott fellowship you wont be surprised when i say their were SO many people at this house we couldn't even get inside and once we did it was hard to breath, so I quickly grabbed some pasta and went out to the driveway which was also rapidly filling with people. While eating my spaghetti I got introduced to three guys that were here from Australia ( little did I know that Luke had already noticed me at church and had been trying to find a way to introduce himself without seeming too bold) both of Luke's friends were very talkative and outgoing and spent the evening trying to convince us Americans that Australia didn't have pizza and all sorts of other ridiculous things (which I did NOT believe for one second! although Luke would say otherwise). I left that evening not thinking much about anything except that I though Luke was cute... On Friday night two girls I was with wanted to go say goodbye to the Aussies so I tagged along even though I did really want to say good-bye i was way to shy to approach anyone by myself... so we are all standing in a circle saying our goodbye and Luke was standing across from me and I remember thinking "i would definitely go out with that boy if he asked me" (come to find out later he was GOING to ask me out that night but chickened out and went home very sad and depressed he never got my number or email or anything)... But as fate would find it a few months later through a mutual friend we got each others emails and started talking which lead to calling and then skyping and flower sending and visiting each other and to engagement and finally marriage :)

    For anyone who has done long distance you know how hard and frustrating it can be at times, we got engaged in October and in March we still hadn't heard anything back about our fiance visa, to be honest I was very much over skyping and phone calls and just wanted to be in the same country as my husband to be... finally on March 23rd  Luke's visa got approved! and from that point everything moved very quickly, I went from having thousands of wedding ideas on pintrest to having to make ALOT of decisions about everything by myself very quickly and I'm soo bad at that, but thanks to Curran and my mom and all my other bridesmaids and soo many other people we pulled it all together in a few months. Luke arrived June 15th and we got married July 15th.

Little girls dream of their wedding day their whole lives and I couldn't have dreamed up a more perfect day. we spent the day before setting up and decorating the Bartely's front yard for our "whimsical garden reception" full of vintage books, flowers, lace table clothes, old doors and an antique claw foot bathtub (which was filled with ice and held our giant bowls of fruit salad) and all the other "breakfast theme" food was ready to go for the next day...

Of course it was hot day, it was the middle of July but getting ready that morning was so relaxed in Curran's cozy apartment, we all kept saying we couldn't believe how calm we all were :) my sister Justine (who was also my florist) arrived with the bouquets which were beyond perfect and even had ranunculus in them which was an amazing surprise because they're usually not available in July but she found them for me! As soon as I arrived at church my stomach started churning and I just focused on breathing... as soon as Luke and I joined hands at the altar and I looked into his eye I was at peace and felt safe and secure knowing this wonderful man who I loved so much was about to become my husband forever... after our millisecond kiss (probably the fastest on record) the rest of the afternoon hurried by in a happy, giggling, sweaty, smiling, kissing blur, pictures done at a garden and a railroad track...unlike most brides I actually ate at my reception (probably only because I was so excited about having quiche and a waffle making station haha)...

waiting to be worn

sister make up time

apparently i though it was a good time to write letters to my bridesmaids :)

our mason jar wedding favors and also drink cup for the reception

by 4 o'clock by 15lb dress felt like it weighed 100lbs and I was so ready to be not sweaty (would not recommend a July wedding)... my parents spoiled us with a couple of nights at a beautiful resort in Dennis before we heading off the Florida for a week of sun, relaxation, roller coasters and yummy food.
     Ive only been married 7 months but I thank God everyday for what a blessing my husband has been to me and how God uses every situation to show me more about His love and sacrifice and is slowly teaching me to become the best wife I can possible be even though sometimes its very hard and our selfish human nature likes to interfere I wouldn't ever change anything and am so lucky to have such a hard working husband who constantly puts my needs over his own and is so thoughtful,loving,caring and romantic... I definitely got a keeper :)