The Wedding!!!

Hello!!! There is sooooooooo much to share with you, I haven’t a clue where to start! I’m just going to dive in headlong, so hold on!!!

Last Saturday was the wedding…THE wedding, the one that’s been planned now for over a year. What an incredible day! It came together perfectly, wonderfully and beautifully. It had been unseasonably cold, rainy & dreary all week long. On Saturday morning, we awoke to those same cold temps, but beautiful sunshine! What a blessing. It truly set the tone for a wonderful day!

The entire wedding party met together at the church around 9:00 Saturday morning. Brennan and Breezy were seeing one another beforehand, so that many of the photos could be taken in advance of the ceremony. However, they shared a few special moments together, just the two of them (captured at a distance by the photographer) when he saw her for the first time as his bride. (I can't wait to see those photos!)

The original plan was to take many of the remaining photos outdoors. However, because of all the rain, mud & cold temps, they decided instead to make arrangements to use a local old theater instead. It was beautiful!

Special thanks to my sister, Marcia for capturing so many of these photos for me, all throughout the day (and even the night before at the rehearsal!) What a gift! Although I'm very anxious to see the photographer's photos, it was wonderful to have a huge array of candid shots (over 200 from her alone!) Thanks also to Dale Robertson who graciously shared his photos, as well. (Trying to narrow them down was no small task, let me tell you!)

The juniors, ring bearer and flower girl.

The WHOLE wedding party!

Beautiful Breezy

All the lovely ladies...

My two favorite guys...

Tom and I, just before the ceremony

Breezy's Mom, Lisa

Awaiting his bride...

What a great moment...

Brennan & Breezy planned a very meaningful and Christ-centered ceremony. At the outset, during a hymn, they had set aside a few brief moments for a time of prayer with us as parents, Breezy with hers and Brennan with us. It was very special and something we will never forget.

The service was officiated by pastors who are very dear to Brennan & Breezy. They did an amazing job, and their messages complimented one another beautifully. There was great emphasis on the covenant they were entering into, and the challenge to make their marriage mirror the relationship of Christ and the church. It was a powerful reminder to all married couples.

With this ring...

Signing their covenant

At the close of the ceremony, there was unmistakable, radiant joy that these two were now husband and wife!

LOTS of family photos after the ceremony. I love this one. = )

My Mom & Dad (He was wearing dress shoes for the first time since his injury...every time I thought about how bad my feet were aching, I thought of him. He was in a good bit of pain, but kept on smiling.)

From the decor to the favors, Breezy's family did an incredible job. They had worked on various items for several weeks and everything looked so elegant. Breezy's Grandmother made 40 of these beautiful arrangements! On Thursday, everything was brought to the church and we started putting it all together. As friends arrived from out of town, they all jumped in to help....it was a great time!

Here is the happy couple making their grand entrance at the reception!

The extraordinary cookie table! In keeping with Italian tradition, there were all sorts of cookies offered. (In addition to the beautiful cake!) Among them, Kolache, thumprint cookies, crinkles, Mexican wedding cookies, shortbread, biscotti and clothespins. With the exception of two cookies, all the rest were made by family friend, Brittany Robertson. She was baking and freezing for several weeks, and did an amazing job...they were INCREDIBLE!

The food itself was delicious... Italian wedding soup, salad, chicken & fettucini alfredo and Italian green beans.

Another HUGE hit of the day was the coffee bar. Bren & Breezy had arranged it through a local coffee house who came in and set up shop. They made coffee drinks and smoothies all afternoon!

My nephew, Blake and his lovely girlfriend Lydia

Remember how Brennan proposed? He wrote a play called "She Said Yes." Near the end of the reception (as a transition to their getaway), they had arranged for the same people who originally played the parts to re-enact the play. It went beautifully and the crowd absolutely loved it!

As the play ended and they prepared for the tossing of the bouquet and their departure...they took a few moments to thank everyone for sharing in their special day.

All smiles at the end of the reception, my beautiful nieces, Jordyn & Blaire.

And finally...a picture of my sister, Marcia with my lovely niece, Brooke!

A wonderful day, indeed. Hope you've enjoyed these glimpses of the wedding. Thank you for sharing in our joy and excitement for all these months. We wish Brennan & Breezy a lifetime of love, joy and happiness together.

Brianna's "Something Blue" Bridal Shower

At long last! I wanted to share photos from Brianna's "Something Blue" shower earlier this month.

Due to a number of circumstances, there were a very limited number of weekends available for our bride, so we decided to combine forces (her Mom, her Aunt, her Grandmother and myself) and have a large joint shower.

I knew it would be special and wonderful, because everything touched by Brianna's family is just that. Her Grandmother takes care of the monthly women's prayer breakfast at their church, all of which have their own theme. She puts a great deal of thought and planning into each one, so I knew she would be overflowing with beautiful ideas. And she was. Add to that the creative talents of Breezy's Mom, Lisa & her Aunt Shawn...Wow! We all had our assigned tasks beforehand, then the morning of the shower, other family members arrived to help, too. Like a mini army we got everything set up and ready.

Don't you love those place settings? It was an afternoon tea so at every place, there was a sweet tea bag personalized with the names of the bride and groom, a cute tea cozy and special cup and saucer to keep as well. I loved the way the large doilies looked under the plates.

The favors were darling! Breezy's Aunt Shawn reduced the shower invitation and placed it on these little boxes, added a flower and coordinating ribbon and pretzel candies. Absolutely adorable.

Breezy's Mom, Lisa has been collecting antique cups and saucers since she was a teenager. Having them on display added a beautiful touch to the shower.

All sorts of various teas were offered, in a variety of lovely tea pots...

We served cucumber sandwiches, mini quiche, egg salad sandwiches, cranberry scones, cream puffs, oreo bon bons and baklava...

...chicken salad croissants, triscuits with cajun salmon dip and mini fruit pizza. Delicious! (This was not to mention of course, the cake!)

We played several games..."How Well Do You Know Brianna" and also a purse scavenger hunt, which proved to be great fun.

Since Brennan made the trip back home from South Carolina with Brianna, he stopped by later on (just in time to help open some gifts!)

They received all sorts of wonderful things....too many, in fact to take back to South Carolina on this trip. Literally every nook and cranny of that car was filled. (I meant to take a photo, but forgot!) By the time the wedding rolls around, they just might need to rent another little u-haul! ; ) This couple is so very blessed and so very loved!

As of today, the wedding is 20 days away! Rehearsal dinner invitations are in the mail, Tom's is being measured for his tux this week, my dress fitting is Saturday...it will be here before we know it! Thanks so much for sharing in our joy and excitement! = )

Special People + Bridal Shower + Road Trip = Great Memories

This time last weekend I was on a road trip. My travelling companions? Breezy (my daughter-in-law-to-be), her Mom, Lisa and her Aunt Shawn. Our destination? Youngstown, Ohio (about a 5 hour trip). The occasion? A bridal shower for our sweet girl, given by her Aunt Kristin.

They picked me up at 9:00 am Friday morning and after a quick trip to Starbucks, we were on the road. Our plan was to arrive at the home of Breezy’s Aunt Kristin in Columbus (on the way) for lunch. It normally takes about two hours to get there, but due to heavy construction and an overturned semi, it took almost four. We finally arrived at Kristin’s home, and after a warm welcome by her and her husband, Andy, we were ushered inside to enjoy the wonderful lunch she had prepared for us. Oven Fried chicken, Caesar salad and fruit. Delicious! And then…Kristin’s specialty, “Kolache” (an Italian nut roll) for dessert . (It was simply amazing!)

After lunch, we were back on the road, this time we followed Kristin, who had kidnapped Breezy for the ride. = ) More construction, a missed exit, more traffic and we finally arrived in Youngstown and got checked into our hotel around 7. Breezy’s Dad, John (Kristin’s brother) had come into town to surprise her. = )

I knew Breezy’s family was Italian. What I didn’t know was that Youngstown, Ohio was known as “little Italy.” There are Italian restaurants everywhere. We ate dinner that night at a pizzeria called “Inner Circle.” We tried an assortment of different menu items, all of which were very good. We had a great time, chatting and hearing stories from Kristin and John.

After a relaxing Saturday morning, we got ready for the bridal shower. It was a luncheon at a wonderful (of course, Italian) restaurant called Caffe Capri in the absolutely beautiful “Mama Q Room.”

The host & the guest of honor. = )

The tables looked lovely! Breezy’s love of coffee inspired Kristin’s choices for decor and favors...


Each table had a centerpiece containing various kinds of coffee. There were coffee beans scattered all around, then iced coffee and three different types of flavored coffees from which to choose. Each place setting had a chocolate spoon, a coffee scented candle, chocolate covered coffee beans as well as a darling pen that was personalized with a tiny little coffee cup!

Breezy's Mom, Lisa and her Aunt Shawn playing Bridal Bingo.


When it was time for lunch, we first enjoyed a wonderful salad, followed by the delicious entree, Chicken Marsala. The side dishes (green beans with almonds and gnocchi) were served family style. (It was the first time I'd ever tried gnocchi and I thought it was terrific!) My absolute favorite part of the meal, however was dessert...tiramisu. The portions were huge and I unapologetically ate every bite. = )

Is that not just a thing of beauty!? ; )

And now...gifts!


The shower was a wonderful & joy-filled occasion, with two especially touching moments. First, at the start of the shower, Kristin asked Breezy to share the story of how Brennan proposed. As she told the story, she got a bit emotional, which resulted in many teary eyes. (I especially enjoyed hearing this sweet story from her perspective.)

Later, when only one gift remained, Kristin explained that though it was from her, it was being given in honor of Breezy's Grandma, who passed away last year. "Grandma Sandy" had always loved buying snowglobes for Breezy. Needless to say, as she opened this, there wasn't a dry eye in the room. It's a bride and groom and the inscription reads, "Love is not about who you live with... it's about who you can't live without." What a fitting end to a very special occasion.

We so enjoyed the remainder of our weekend (even that long drive home!) Great memories that will last a lifetime. How I love this precious girl and her dear family!

Wedding Update

As of today…the wedding is only six months away! I can’t believe it’s been three months since I first shared the news! Plans are definitely in full swing -- Brianna (aka "Breezy") has found and ordered the dress of her dreams (I‘ve seen it and it’s perfect for her!) The beautiful bridesmaid and flower girl dresses have been ordered, as well. The photographer has been booked, as has the church, reception hall and rehearsal dinner. The guest list has been compiled and finalized. The wedding rings, invitations, flowers and fabric for the reception tables and other decorative items have been purchased. They’ve had multiple pre-marriage sessions with the Pastor conducting their wedding (each time Brennan is home, including this week). In addition, this week they picked out the tuxes! (Whew!)

They both have a very busy summer ahead and they’re trying to have nearly everything done by August. It’s a tall order, but Breezy is a planner extraordinaire and there are lots of us looking forward to helping out any way we can! ; )

Oh…this reminds me! Before I go, I want to quickly share with you a gift idea for a special bride you might know. Are you familiar with Lisa Leonard Designs? She’s a very talented jewelry designer, and a true delight to work with. This past Christmas, Tom and I bought one of her necklaces for Brianna. We chose an existing design and asked her to alter it slightly for what we had in mind. She was happy to oblige. As you can see, one heart has their marriage monogram, the other has their wedding date. Breezy positively loves it and wears it nearly every day! If you know a special bride-to-be who might like this, or possibly one of Lisa's other designs, stop by and shop her site. If you type in the code “welcome 15” on the order page, you’ll save 15% on your order! (Don't know anyone getting married? She also has some great gift ideas for Mother’s Day, as well!)

Happy weekend, my friends! We're looking forward to enjoying a little more time with Brennan before he heads back to school.