every girl wants to be a bride

Remember when you were high school and some teachers on the first day of the school year ask you to interview the person sitting beside you and let them interview you and then you stand up and tell the class about each other? Or maybe they just asked you to stand up and tell about yourself? Thankfully not all of my teachers did that but every year there was at least ONE who did and inevitably the subject of your 10 year goals would come up. "Where do you see yourself in 10 years?" I always answered "Married with a bunch a kids" Being a wife and mom was always always always #1 on my life-goal list and I am pleased to say that I have achieved that goal. Go me! I always dreamed of my wedding and being a bride. I guess most girls do that. I had a blast planning my wedding that took place nearly 9 years ago. We had a small budget but managed to pull of a very beautiful, fun, and classy wedding and I ended up wearing the most fru-fru dress that David's Bridal had in stock at the time, just like I had always dreamed of :-)

Wedding planning is an all encompassing task that for most girls, but is just as much fun as it is stressful. You dream about it, you are constantly thinking about it, it becomes a part of you. Then the day after the wedding you wake up and think "Wow, I have absolutely nothing to do today...what did I do with free time before I was planning a wedding? Hmmm???" It's a welcome relief but a little bittersweet at the same time. You spend 6 months to a year planning this one day that has come and gone and now it's mostly just a big blur. Like waking up from a dream or something, I dunno, it's odd. 

Other than my OWN wedding, I have never been intimately involved in planning a wedding. Although, weddings still play a major role in my life because I photograph them so often, I don't handle much of the planning and I have never been dress shopping with another bride-to-be until this past weekend. My future sister-in-law asked me and Mandi to be bridesmaids in her July wedding. I was very surprised and very flattered and very very VERY excited! I have only been a bridesmaid once and it was for my cousin, Lorrie, some 7 years ago when I was extremely pregnant with my first child. I wore a black dress and I looked....huge. But it was so touching to be a part of something so special for a cousin who had always been like a big sister to me and whom I love very much. However, being extremely pregnant, I wasn't really involved in much other than the bridal shower. This time around, I am not only a bridesmaid but can actually be helpful! Whoda thunk? 

Hobbling around with one foot in a boot to support my bum ankle, I got to experience some fun and excitement of bridal shopping...and what is the most important part? Da-da-da-dum....The DRESS! So after some 20 gowns and many pictures and laughs and surviving the chaos that is David's Bridal on a Saturday, we ate Olive Garden(*ahhh, me love!*) and we were all....pooped. This brought back a memory of wedding planning that I conveniently put out of my mind. Wedding dress shopping is EXHAUSTING! First of all, I watch shows like "Say Yes to the Dress!" where the brides are catered too and pampered beyond belief(as they should be). The bride's family/friends who happen to be present have a couch or chairs to sit in and you aren't fighting for a spot in the giant mirrors. Oh but the reality of it is that it's just overwhelming, emotional, exciting, stressful, hectic, rushed, more overwhelming-feelings, exhaustion, frustration, temptation to elope and wear a white sundress from Gap, more emotion, despair, and more and more exhaustion as the minutes tick by. It's insane, but Lisa naturally took it like a champ. If Saturday was any indication of how pleasant and easy going Lisa is going to be on her wedding day....I think she'll be just fine!

*if your name is Jonathan Ingram, you are not allowed to scroll down any further. Sorry dude.* 

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Ok, people who are not Jonathan Ingram, here are a few pictures.

Lisa and Mandi--just blouse-ing browsing

Andrea(Lisa's sweet sister) doing her duty...carrying 40lb wedding dresses

More looking

This was my favorite shot of the day. She didn't pick this dress, but modeled it like a pro(this was the "Vera Wang" that I have told so many people about!)

She didn't pick this dress either, but the bride she is starring down was trying it on as well. Lisa wore it better. I think that girl she is starring at tried on every dress that she saw Lisa try on.