Honeymoonin'

I'm sure most people have a good time on their honeymoon... I had a FANTASTIC time!!  We chose to go on a cruise for our honeymoon in the Mexican Riviera.  This was the first of many good decisions.  A cruise was such a good idea!  We drove to California early the morning after our wedding.  Once we got on the boat, we took a short walk around and went straight to our beautiful room

Then, everything from the past week caught up to us.  We just crashed.  The best part was we didn't even have to feel guilty.  Since it was the first day, we were just at sea so relaxing was expected.

Then we took our tour around the boat.  The boat was awesome!  Since it was Karsten's first cruise, he was a little more amazed than I was.  We began with on board activities and planned our on shore activities.  It was incredible.

Although I wished this week would never end, I was excited for the next step: a marriage.

July 16th, 2011

In all seriousness, this day was the most amazing day of my life.  Nothing I write can quite describe the way I felt.  The most I can do is try and bring the magic of this day into writing in just the series of events.  So let's start with the morning...

1:00 a.m. Although, I had a BLAST at my bachelorette party, those girls kept me out until 1:00a.m. (I probably wouldn't have slept anyway).  When I got home, I mostly packed my suitcase for the honeymoon and just double checked all of my checklists and schedules for the day because that would be the last time I look at them.

3:00 a.m. I layed down to rest my eyes... and fell asleep.

4:50 a.m. My mother comes to wake me up and asks if there is somewhere I needed to be.. yes.  My hair and makeup appointment was at 5:00 a.m.  Bad start.

5:20 a.m Hair and make up appointment

7:30 a.m. I get home to put a skirt on and grab my temple bag and wedding dress.  Don't worry, I had to be at the temple in 15 minutes!

8:00 a.m. Driving in the car with my mom, I was hyperventilating, crying, and trying to eat breakfast.  It was starting to hit me.  Today was my wedding day.  It was 80 degrees.  For those who don't know for Las Vegas in July, this is unheard of.  It made me cry.

8:15 a.m.  We arrived at the temple.  All of the nerves stopped once I saw my husband to be in his suit sitting and waiting for me. 

9:00 a.m.  The sealing was to start.  However.. you can't start without the groom's parents...........

9:15 a.m.  I became Mrs. Smith forever.

Many things went off this morning.. I woke up late, forgot to bring my hair net to the temple and my dad had to bring it, and we arrived late to the temple.  None of it mattered from this point forth.

10:00 a.m.  Family pictures

11:00 a.m. Bride and Groom pictures

12:00 p.m. Home with my husband

5:45 p.m. Arrived at Angel Park- Touch-ups and waited for people to arrive

6:45 p.m. Ring Ceremony.  I have the cutest ring-bearer ever!

7:00 p.m. Grand Enterance

7:15 p.m. Food.  Family. Friends. What more do you need at a wedding.

Cake
Toasts
First Dance
Father/Daughter and Son/Mother dances
Moneydance
Ladies Dance
Man Dance
Bouquet Toss
Garter Toss
More Dancing
Grand Exit

And the lived happily ever after...

Pre-Wedding

 Whenever I talked to other women about their wedding, I get similar responses.  Many say "it flew by" or "it happened so fast I don't even remember it".  I wanted to make sure I soaked up every minute of my wedding day and everything leading up to it.  SoOo we did just about every wedding tradition there is.

The Engagement Party
At my parents.  It got me SOO excited for the rest to come!

The Engagement Pictures
Sunrise and sunset pictures.  We had a great photographer for doing this!

Wedding Dress Shopping

My bridesmaids loved this more than I did.

Invitation stuffing
Cake Testing
Flower Picking
Venue Shopping
DJ Interviews
Dance Lessons (Yes, it was choreographed.  Ha!)

The Bridal Shower

I have Litany Rosequist and Michelle Crouse for throwing this lovely "sweets" party and for other family friends and my bridesmaids for helping to put it together.

They loved to embarrass me.

Karsten and I were both asked the same questions to see how well we knew eachother.. I must say, we are pretty dang good.

The Rehearsal Dinner

Karsten's mom put this together for family and the bridal party after I went to the temple on Thursday for the first time for endowments.  I loved getting to spend this day with people I love!

The Bachelorette Party
For the sake of my own embarrassment, details of this last night of being single will remain secretive and many pictures will not be posted on any form of internet.
For a quick over-view:

We went to Dick's Last Resort for dinner

Learned how to pole dance

Went Shopping..... :)

And had dessert at serendipity

Special thanks to all of my married and single girls that participated in this night with me!  You girls rock!

Next is the day we've all been waiting for... or at least, I'VE been waiting for!!

SEVEN

One week.  ONE WEEK!  I can't believe it is here. Karsten and I are moving into a house in the next few days and we are doing a deep cleaning before we start the move.  I can't help but think the entire time that Karsten and I are going to live there together.  We won't have to leave each other at night and go home because WE ALREADY WILL BE!

Everything else is super smooth sailing as far as wedding prep goes.  Invitations are out.  Dresses and tuxes are picked, altered, and ready to go.  Catering, venue, DJ, flowers, cake, accessories, temple interviews, marriage license... ALL DONE!