We are married now :) YAY!!!!

Almost Here

Can't believe the big day is almost here. 3 days in counting until we marry and become Mr. and Mrs. Harris. This journey has been very emotional. Filled with Joy and Growth, Englightment and Rewards. We are heading to the alter very soon and profess before God and our close family and friends that we are committed to spend the rest of our lives together and be there for each other in sickness and in health.

People keep asking if we are nervous.  I am not nervous to get married I just want everything to run smoothly but I am  not going to think about it too hard. We are just going to enjoy the day moment to moment and try and take in all the love and wonderful things of the day.

Then we head of to Jamaica our first travels as husband and wife.

3 Weeks and Counting

I can't even believe that the big day is almost here.  God has blessed us so much as a couple in this short year of engagement. Simply amazing.  We have grown even closer as a couple. The engagement process has allowed us to start saving together, budgeting together, planning together,  traveling together and problem solving together which are great things to go into a marriage having worked on.  We got are marriage license last week which was fun and made it even more real for us.

Wedding Dress Blessing

So Helpful Honda Random acts of kindness bought my dress and picked me for the National Commercial.  What a blessing

The Count Down Begins

OMG the big day is almost here.  We cant even believe it.  Just yesterday Donovan and I were watching a movie at home and looked at each other.  "You ready to be my wife" he said. Yes can you believe we are getting married next month, like we are going to be in Jamaica on our honeymoon next month, this is crazy its finally almost here.

We also met our goal of being mostly completely done with everything dealing with wedding planning. So we are right on target. Now there are just bridal showers, bachelor and bachelorette parties to attend. Check in to our hotel, have our rehearsal and then head down that aisle to say i do in God name amen.

Trip to Solvang for Christmas

Helpful Honda Suprise

The most amazing thing happened to me last week. So a few weeks ago I submitted for a documentary about brides that was posted on lacasting.com.  I made it past the first screening and had an interview on Skype a few days later. From the Skype interview the company narrowed it down to 5 girls to go to newly opened Davids Bridal on Pico and La Cienega.  They also wanted us to bring a family or friend along to try on dresses.  So my cousin and I showed up and casting said it is now a Market Research so just take inventory of the whole experience.  We walked in and they handed us water so that was a plus on our mental check list. They had three dresses waiting for me that were on my bridal profile.  When I got to the last dress which was the runner up dress from a few months ago, why did the helpful Honda girl come out and say "Do you like your dresss because this is random acts of kindness and Honda is buying your wedding dress today" .  I thought is this candid camera, where is ashton is this punked.  I could not believe it, cameras and producers started coming out of dressing rooms and I was made aware this was not a joke Honda was buying my dress today.  I was handed my receipt and the dress will arrive early January. Whoever they pick will also be on a National Honda Commercial which would also be a plus for me, but even if not I am still in shock that they bought my dress on the spot.

Premarital Counseling

We started our Premarital Counseling and are enjoying it a great deal. We are being counseled by our friend Pastor Issac of Ebenezer Mission Bible Church.  All kind of fun stuff like family, finance, common goals, adoption, where and what city to settle in, finding a home church as a couple to raise your kids in. I would encourage all engaged couples to go through this process together. There are many things that you "already know" about each other but the counseling gets you to go deeper and also to ask those questions you might not have thought about yet.  Our counseling gives a biblical twist on things as well in terms of what God says about marriage and our roles and responsibilities as a couple, as individuals and future parents through the word.  We also took a marriage class that was with a hand full of couples that was fun. But this is a nice intimate time as a couple with the pastor as we get closer to saying I DO to really but things all out on the table on how to move forward in this new union. Fabulous!

Brides told me RSVP can be crazy, I didn't Believe.

I don't know if this is normal or not but when there is a rsvp written in for spots reserved it is not etiquette to change the number to the amount you want right? I guess it is just a wedding issue people run into sometimes. If Obama invited you to a vip event I don't think people would try and change the number he gave. So I'm trying to charge it off as a wedding thing and not people thinking they can just dictate to me whatever and I have to just deal with it. It probably more of an issue for a bride with a small budget and paying for everything as appose to a bride who was given a lump sum from their parents to plan their day. But even so the stress would still be on the bride and parents in that situation when they are trying to stay in budget. It is perfectly normal for folks to think of their selves only and not think of the whole picture of Does the couple have enough money to add the person i am trying to add that does not know the couple? is the seating arrangement loose enough for the couple to move things all around to accommodate the person i am trying to add? Do you realize you are judging the couple for not having enough money to accomodate your extra wants when you own invite is a sacrifice in itself and they though you very special to share their special day
? I have read a lot of bride blogs and this issue keeps coming up so it is keeping me calm. Folks have even gotten upset at the family and brides in these blogs as well as in my situation. It is really an interesting phenomenon how folks can get mean during such a happy occasions for the couples to be. But brides we just have to stay calm and keep the focus on the fact that the Ultimate Goal is to walk down that aisle and say I Do to the man of your dreams before GOD. Nothing can stop that from happening. If only I was a trust fund baby, I could invite everyone who has ever been in my life, folks woudn't give major attitude and all would be marry?  yeah right! At every level there are bumbs in the road on the wedding planning route. Eye on the prize! God has brought us together and we are starting this new chapter to forever together.

donovanniketa

forever love (Created with @Magisto)

Thank you Notes as Gifts Come in

Great Tip From The Knot.com

'll write thank-you notes as the wedding gifts come in.

Yes, you're busy, but you can always carve out 10 minutes from your schedule to write a thank-you note. So place your stationery box and a big sheet of stamps in the center of your desk and sit down to express your gratitude within 48 hours of a gift coming in. If you wait, your note-writing list will quickly grow to a frightening length, and it'll become that much more intimidating to tackle it. And if you let too much time pass before writing your notes, the gift-giver might wonder if you received the present.

Maid of Honor Duties from The Knot

The maid/matron of honor is part worker bee, part emotional lifeboat. Chosen for your energetic, get-the-ball-in-motion qualities, you should also remember that listening to the bride, making her laugh, and offering emotional and logistical support are also part of your honor attendant package. Here's what's expected:

• Lead the bridesmaid troupe. It's the maid/matron of honor's (MOH) job to direct the other maids through their duties. Make sure everyone gets their bridesmaid dresses, go to dress fittings, and find the right jewelry. Also provide them with the 411 on all prewedding parties.
  
• Help shop for dresses (the bride's and the bridesmaids'). And the MOH pays for her own entire wedding outfit (including shoes).
  
• Offer to help the bride with prewedding tasks, from addressing invites to choosing the wedding colors and nodding enthusiastically when she waxes poetic about wedding cake.
  
• Spread the news about where the bride and groom are registered.
• Lend an ear. Whether it's about the planning, the marriage, or the registry china patterns, the MOH should assure the bride that she has someone with whom she can share her thoughts. Even if she seems to dwell on the same subjects repeatedly, the MOH keeps listening.

• Host or cohost a bridal shower for the bride. 

• Attend all prewedding parties.
  
• Keep a record of all the gifts received at various parties and showers (or delegate a bridesmaid to handle this).
  
• Plan the bachelorette party with the bridesmaids.
• Help with day of duties and keep the bride calm
• help organize day of schedule and make sure gifts and cards get back safely

Invitations/Guest List

What to do when you can only invite so many people to your wedding? Well we are going to have a send off celebration the weekend before the wedding. We will invite wedding guest as well as all other friends and extended family who we could not invite to the wedding due to budget and venue size.  This way we will still get a chance to celebrate our engagement and wedding with as many of our friends and fam as possible by the end of our Official I do's.  I have heard all kinds of horror stories about church members or co-workers or extended family and friends that you know through your own friends etc... getting mad at the non invite.  Considering I am from LA and having our wedding in Cali our guest list could easily get up to 300. 

Some helpful hints from other brides and blogs about how to get your list down focus on the folks who know the both of you as a couple. Focus on the folks who you can call up on the phone and vise versa in the past year or two.  Try to stick to immediate family and friends who you have been in constant contact with during the course of your relationship.  If that still does not get the list down start thinking about partners, if its a brand spanking new relationship ask you friend if they mind if you could just invite you and not the partner.

All in all it is about the bride and groom and close friends and family witnessing the union.  If it gets all dramatic with people they are steering away from the matter at hand and that is that you two want the moment that will change your life forever to be about the two of you and not other people.  Hopefully our send off celebration will allow the extended friends and family to have fun and feel part of the celebration that is my prayer. 

im so glad he changed me ...

creating #hastag for wedding

With social media ruling the world there are many creative ways to get great pictures from your wedding to save for all your days by none other than your guest. With the megapixels that these new smart phones have and photo filter apps you might get a whole slew of professional pictures for FREE. We are still having a photographer but for those brides who don't have anyone def use this method. And there is an instagram app where you can order your pics and cards with your pic and framed pics.  The future makes things so convenient

Here is an article that tells you a few facts about creating the perfect hastag for your wedding.

Be creative – but not too creative
Many couples choose to combine two of the following to create their hashtag: first names, last name, initials, date/year, and wedding location to create their hashtag. Examples include: #susanandjoe, #smithwedding2014, #juliejordannyc, and more. You can also poke fun at your name in your hashtag, but just make sure it’s not too much of an inside joke. Keep it catchy!
Keep it short
You want your wedding hashtag to be easy to remember, so keep yours to around 15 to 20 characters. This might stifle your creativity a bit, but it’s important that your guests actually use your hashtag!
Make sure it works
Avoid including characters other than letters or numbers in your hashtags - no spaces, punctuation or symbols, please! So #n&b2014 won’t work, but #nandb2014 would. Also, your hashtag cannot consist only of numbers on Twitter. It’s a good idea to test out your hashtag before your wedding to make sure it works.
Aim for unique
There are lots of hashtags out there and there is a likelihood that the wedding hashtag you think is totally unique may have been used before. While that’s not a total dealbreaker, you might want to type your ideal hashtag into your favorite social media platforms to make sure it’s not too popular. But if you can be the only ones to use your wedding hashtag, all the better.
Tell your guests
In order for your hashtag to be useful, your guests need to know about it! Post it on your wedding website, include a note in your ceremony programs, and display signs during the reception (check out some creative ideas here!).

Buying first home as a Married Couple

A few tips I found about newly married couples and buying their first home together!

 

Getting ready: If you’re a first-time buyer, you need stability in your career and the desire to commit to living in the same community for five to seven years. Purchasing a home is a lifestyle choice that makes you think about how you like to spend your time and the type of community you want to live in.

Talk with a lender. They can help you understand what you can afford and what mortgage programs best suit your circumstances. They’ll help you to include a deposit, closing costs, home owners insurance, property taxes and other costs associated with purchasing a home.

 

Get a loan PRE-APPROVAL (as opposed to a pre-qualification)! Having already gone through the credit check and paperwork requirements will allow time for any credit fixes needed as well as speed up the process once you’ve entered into escrow.

Choose a Realtor. You can choose a Realtor by asking friends/family for a recommendation, researching online at realtor.com, or visiting some open houses in the area you are looking.

An efficient Realtor will educate of you of what to expect from one another during the process, give you details regarding the current market conditions and possible negotiation issues that may apply to your transaction.

 

Start searching! Keep your budget in mind when searching for homes – you don’t have to spend all that you qualify for; Find an area that suits your needs – do you want a neighborhood association with a lot of amenities? Close to good schools? Rural living?; *Look at new homes and existing homes – new construction is often more expensive, but they may allow you to pick and choose what upgrades and features you want.

 

Fashion for Pre-Wedding Events

So I want to wear white to all of my upcoming pre wedding events. So I have been on the look out for some cute cocktail dresses and other alternative all white fashion.  Bridal Shower, Bachelorette Party, Engagement Party and Rehearsal Champagne Brunch! Looking from funky to conservative.



I am really liking the different looks I have seen with the tutu type tule skirts. For a flirty girls night out on the town

 Then there is the a line fitted dress with the sweetheart neck line good for rehearsal champagne brunchThere is always the classic pant suit. Might be cute for the engagement party

 

 

6 months to go/ Officiant

So the Pastor who is going to marry us is Elder Oscar Owens. He baptized me long ago and I am so glad that he has agreed to marry us.  We have met with him once so far just to catch up and meet Donovan and talk about some of our goals during the engagement process as well as the feel for the wedding.  We want a spiritual feel for the wedding especially since we are not getting married in a church. So there will be a wedding spiritual message, scripture reading as well as a Gospel Choir.

We will have a meeting next week with Oscar Owens to talk more in dept about the ceremony, vows etc...

Cant believe we are getting closer to the day. Six months to go and it has been a blast being engaged.

Alternative ways of getting money for your wedding, outside of saving and family!

Ideas from Cheap-Chic-Weddings website

Moonlighting

If you have the extra time and skills, this may be a way to get money for your wedding!

*Be a personal organizer *Run errands for others *Babysit, house sit *Hold a garage sale *Create and sell your arts & crafts

*Clean houses,clean boats *Be a personal chef *Walk Dogs, dog sit *Be a movie extra *Deliver new vehicles to dealerships