Life Update

When I said I was taking a break from writing about wedding planning, what I apparently meant was that I was taking a break from writing period 😂 BUT, lucky for you, I am back with lots of updates to share!

On the wedding planning front:
We really haven't done too much since the last time I gave an update. I was so eager to begin planning last year that I have been able to take long breaks from doing stuff without too much stress. We picked out groomsmen attire back in August, and it was way more stressful than picking out bridesmaids dresses. I am not at all familiar with men's dress clothes (and truthfully, neither is Al), so we are very thankful for our brother Khyne who came with us and helped us make decisions! The guys are all gonna look so handsome, especially my guy!

We finally sent out our save the dates, designed by my cousin Chris. We loved them so much and were thrilled to finally be able to share them with our favorite people! Dropping them off at the post office was one of my favorite things I've done so far because I knew it made our date so real! We hope everyone who got one loved them as much as we did!

In September, my mom, my mom's best friend Ms. Ashlie, my Mama Chellie and I all went and picked the cotton we are going to be using in our wedding! Ms. Ashlie's boyfriend Jim is a farmer and he so kindly let us use his cotton for our big day! I didn't realize how big my love for cotton is until I saw the acres of it. I've heard that it is referred to as "southern snow," and in my heart that is very fitting because I adore snow and my feelings for cotton are now mutual. We can't wait to pull all the cotton together and turn it into something beautiful for our big day. We also can't say thank you enough to Ms. Ashlie and Mr. Jim for contributing to our day!

I have started buying wedding party and parent presents recently, and I'm so excited about giving these gifts to our people. We appreciate them so much and are so thrilled that they have taken time out of their busy lives to be a part of this season of our life. These presents are simply a reflection of the gratitude that we are feeling for them, and we can't wait until the day before our wedding to give them away!

On November 13th, Al and his groomsmen are going to the Panthers game for his bachelor party. His dad (who is his best man) surprised him with a jersey to tell him about the game. He is super excited to go to his first professional football game, and anyone who knows Al knows that the Panthers are his favorite team. I know they're going to have a blast, and I'm so happy Al gets to experience his first NFL game with all of his favorite guys!

On December 10th, my sisters and mom are hosting my first bridal shower and it's CHRISTMAS themed!!! Anyone who knows me knows that I live and breathe for Christmastime, and I can't wait to see all the things my sisters and mom are going to do for my Christmas-lovin' heart. I didn't realize how many women I have in my life who have impacted and encouraged me until I began making the list of people to invite to the shower, but I am so thankful to have them all. I can't wait to see everyone together during my favorite time of year!

I really think that is all we've done since July or August, and I am currently okay with that. I know everything is about to get crazy. On the third, we will be four months away, and we are so ready to celebrate and finally be married! Once I have more to share, I will try my best to do so!


On the life front:
AL GOT A NEW JOB! We are so thankful for the opportunity he has been given to try something new, to be working from home, and to have weekends off! He went to Chattanooga for training for a month, and not only did he learn a lot, he fell in love with the place. He already can't wait to go back at the end of November (minus the part about leaving me at home). That was the toughest part about him being gone. He said multiple times he would never come home if I was there with him. Soon enough we'll be able to move wherever God calls us together! He is adjusting to work-from-home life and is still learning the ropes, but I am so proud of him for doing what is best for our family. He is already such a great provider, and I can't wait for it to be just him and me figuring out life together. Keep him in your prayers for the next few months as he gets the hang of the newness and change! He is going to do great things, and I can't say enough how proud of him and happy for him I am!

We got to celebrate with our sweet friends, Katy and Cleveland, as they got married last weekend! I was a bridesmaid, and I was honored that Katy wanted me to stand by her side. She is like one of my big sisters, and I am so happy for her and Cleve. They are going to have a beautiful life together, and we can't wait to see where God takes them. Their wedding got us even more excited for our wedding and really kicked us into gear, which we definitely needed! Everything about their day was perfect and beautiful, and we loved getting to share in that with them!

Halloween is Tuesday, and we are gearing up to go trick-or-treating with our sweet goddaughter. She loves Halloween (because candy duh) and I love seeing her happy! Her personality gets bigger every year, and she did a great job trick-or-treating last year, so I know this year is going to be even more fun! A few weeks later is her third birthday, and I am in denial that she is growing so fast. I love getting to celebrate all these sweet milestones with her, and I'm so thankful her mama has let me be a part of every possible minute of her life!

This time of year is just the best, and we are so excited for the holidays with our family and friends. This time next year we'll be making our own holiday traditions with our little family, and we can't wait! We're soaking up all the best moments before a lot of life starts to change. There is so much to look forward to in this season, and I don't think either of us have ever been happier!

We celebrated a year of engagement this month, and soon enough we'll be saying "I do." I am honored that I get to do life with my best friend, and I cannot wait to be his wife! Keep praying for us as we take on these new roles! Until next time, I hope you all get to eat so much candy and carve all the pumpkins! Hopefully I'll write again before Thanksgiving (lol) but if not, enjoy that turkey coma too!

Xoxo,
Morgan

True Life: I'm a Wanderer

I am currently living in the state that I call, "No longer a senior, not yet a graduate." My time at UNCW was extended a little bit due to my ever-changing minors and indecisiveness. I completed my last three classes over this summer session, and now I am done with my undergrad and waiting for December 9th to roll around so I can walk across the stage and feel like a graduate. This stage of life is very strange simply because I have one foot still in the school realm and the other foot eager to run towards post-grad life. That eagerness comes with a side of hesitancy though because I don't have a clue what post-grad life looks like for me career-wise. I have deemed myself a wanderer, because I spend the majority of my time walking in whatever direction seems appealing at the moment. I am one of those college graduates who spent four years earning a degree that I have zero idea about how I'm going to use it. When you've been told all your life that you can do anything and everything you set your mind to, dreams of anything and everything constantly fill my head. Every dream I have seems obtainable, and I want to do it all. But that's the problem with being human - we can only do so much.

Sometimes I think I have "epiphanies" and am certain of what my career path will be. However, more times than not, I feel so lost in a sea of uncertainty that my head is barely above the water. One of my favorite sayings has always been "Not all who wander are lost." Lately, I don't know how much I believe that statement because I am wandering, and I am lost. So many people prepared me for life after high school. I knew what to expect with college and classes and friendships, and even in knowing what was going to happen, I still struggled. No one prepares you for life after college when you didn't major in a specific field. No one prepares you for life after college when your dreams sound stupid and probably won't live up to the expectations that everyone has for your life. No one prepares you for the sea of uncertainty that comes with post-grad life...

But I guess in a weird way, that IS preparation for life. Life is uncertain. Life is constantly changing, and you can never be sure of anything except change. I did not plan to be the college graduate who took a year off after graduation to decide what my next step in life would be, but here I am. No, I'm not traveling the world and finding myself in hopes of discovering a new journey. I'm in the same place with the same job and the same people, and my prayer is that God meets me here. I pray that He meets me right where I'm at and He begins directing my steps. Clearly my plans make God laugh because every time I plan anything, He changes it around. My dream college, my dream wedding date, my dream career path... God changed it all - and every single bit of it turned out for the better. He didn't fail me in all those times, and I know He won't fail me now. We are all truly but a mist in this world, here today and gone tomorrow. So my goal for this stage of life is to proclaim this every day: "If it is the LORD'S will, I will live and do this or that" (James 4:15). His plans are great and perfect and everything I need! So for those of you readers who kindly wonder about what I'm doing with my life, meet me in the place I'm in and pray God's will over my life. Pray for me as a soon-to-be college graduate, as a soon-to-be wife, as a hopeful career woman, as a daughter, sister, friend, disciple. Pray that God prepares me for every stage I'm stepping into because I need His guidance to steady my ever-wandering heart. Pray for me to be placed exactly where God wants me to be to reach as many people for His kingdom and glory before He returns or calls me home. Pray for boldness and courage on my behalf - to say yes when God calls me wherever He calls me. I am grateful for the people who read my words and intercede in prayer on my behalf.  It is the most encouraging thing to know I am prayed for and loved.

Recently, I have been so drawn to the hymn "Come Thou Fount" because the lyrics speak straight to my heart. Please click on the picture below and give it a listen if you're not familiar with it. Good stuff!!!

"Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to Thee. Prone to wander, Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love. Here's my heart, O take a seal it, seal it for Thy courts above."

Next time, I'll be filling y'all in on Al's life happenings which are so exciting! We can't wait to see where these new opportunities take him!

Xoxo,

Morgan

Nine Months of Planning

Tomorrow we will be engaged for nine months, which seems impossible and possible all at the same time. Some days we feel like it's going by so fast that there will never be enough time to get everything done. Other days, this season feels like it is dragging on and we just want to be married already. We didn't waste any time starting the planning, so within the first few months we had a lot of major things locked down. Lately, we haven't been doing as much in the planning department (which my sweet wedding planner assures me is perfectly fine despite my constant worry that it isn't). I thought I'd share with y'all a few of the things we have checked off our list since I last shared about it in March. While I do share these things for all of you who are interested in this chapter of our lives, I also share them for me so I am able to go back and look one day and remember what this time was like when I start to forget. For all of you who are interested and enjoy reading, thank you 😘

In May, the reception venue we had chosen back in November came under new ownership and was not allowing any event dates after the end of this year. Up until that point, I had not been stressed and was genuinely amazed at how easy all the planning had been so far. When I received the email that our date could no longer be honored, I went into full drama queen mode. I called my mom trying to hold back the tears, but she assured me that we would find something else (that's what mamas are for). Then my sister called me, and I sobbed uncontrollably for our entire conversation. I knew in my heart that we would find a place, but you couldn't tell me that this day. After about a week of stressing and worrying that we would never find a place big enough for our guest list, I let it go and said "God will make a way." A couple weeks went by, and I had stopped looking for new places at this point, when one night Al and I were driving down the highway and I saw a building. I have no clue what this building was, but it made me think of a place that Al's family used quite often. I texted his cousin to ask her how many people this place could hold, and when she texted me back and said 225, I let out a little squeal of joy. It would be perfect for our reception if everything worked out. After a few days of conversation back and forth with the event person of this place, we went and saw the inside and it just felt right. It was much smaller than the other space, but I liked the intimacy it offered. The other place was going to be very large, and even though our guest list is a little large, that space would have still felt empty. I truly believe this space is going to be perfect. We are so excited to go sign the contract on Monday and make it ours :)

Over the last several months, we have been cultivating this idea of what we want our wedding to look and feel like. At our first planning meeting in March, our planner Monika was asking me questions to get a feel for what I was thinking. After some digging, we discovered my genuine love for southern hospitality and charm, and the rest is history as they say. We are incorporating a lot of little southern traditions and emblems into our day - my favorite, and the most notable, being the pineapple. We cannot wait to see all the details come together to make our day as charming as the southern places that are so dear to us. I don't know if Al would say this, but for me, there is something so special about the roots we have planted here in our little southern part of the world, and no matter where we go this place will always be home. That is the vibe we are going for with our wedding - southern, homey, charming -  and it is going to be so wonderful to see the dream as reality in seven-ish months!

The last time I wrote, I don't think we had quite decided on food yet, but now we have and we are so pumped. We found that going through an established restaurant was way cheaper (I'm talking thousands of dollars cheaper) than just using a catering business. We knew we wanted some kind of southern food to go with our theme, and what is more southern than BBQ and fried chicken? Smithfield's was able to offer us that and so much more, so we had a meeting with their operations manager (SO nice), and he got us taken care of. We're really pumped about that and even more excited that we saved so much money.

My cousin Chris is a graphic designer, and I was so excited when he said yes to designing all our paper things. Over the last few weeks, he has worked on our save the dates, and he completed those last week. I.AM.SWOONING. They are so perfect and exactly what we wanted. We aren't sending them out until early September, but I wanted to get them done while I have some free time on my hands to address them. We are so thankful for Chris and his talent, and we can't wait for everyone else to see his work!

Most recently, as in yesterday, we went and looked at wedding rings. We have a lot of spare time on our hands right now that we won't have when the time comes that we actually need to be getting this stuff done, so we figured we might as well use our time wisely. This was probably the most surreal experience second to finding my dress because having a second ring on my finger made it so real that we are actually getting married. We both found bands that we like, so when the time comes to order them, we know exactly what we want.

I think that about wraps up all the major things we have done. We are really into the little details now, which is certainly not my forte, but I am so thankful for my mama and Ms. Monika because this is their area of expertise. I am just offering my opinion and letting them spin it into gold. We are so excited to be getting closer every day to being husband and wife. We've been waiting a long time for this season of life, so we are just trying to enjoy every second... even on the days we wish it would go faster. Thank you all for reading about our journey to becoming The Risings! I will be taking a little break from writing about wedding plans to write about and celebrate all the other wonderful aspects of life that have been happening over the last few months. We have been faithful in saying, "If we put in the work, God will create a way," and He has been faithful to us in doing that. We are so excited for the plans He has for our life together, and we can't wait to see where He takes us. So please stay tuned if you want to read more about that :)

Until next time...
Xoxo,
Morgan

Bridesmaids Dress Shopping

Almost a month ago, my girls and I headed to David's Bridal to go bridesmaids dress shopping! To say I have the best bridal party ever would be an understatement. They make every single experience so easy and stress-free, and I could not be more thankful for each one of them!

Going into the day, I had a vision for what I wanted. I decided on the color several months ago, and David's Bridal had exactly what I was looking for. I knew from the beginning that I wanted the girls to wear different dresses (same color, same length, different styles) because I wanted everyone to choose something they loved and were comfortable in. In the weeks leading up to us all going together, I went with my sisters individually and let them pick the dresses they wanted first. My two older sisters were originally going to wear the same dress, but they both have such different styles that they ended up choosing two different dresses. My little sister-in-law, Lauren, knew what her favorite was going into dress shopping, and she ended up picking that one after trying on a few. So really, I only had to get six girls to pick six different dresses out of probably fifteen dresses. In my head, this was going to be a huge undertaking, but I am so thankful to say it really wasn't!

When we walked into David's Bridal, we were a little early so we got the chance to pick out the dresses that were left to choose from in several different sizes. Once we got assigned a consultant (who was so sweet and understanding of our large bridal party), we went back to the dressing room and the girls started putting them on. The first of my bridesmaids to pick a dress was my childhood bff Alex. This did not surprise me at all because she is literally the most easy-going person on the planet. The first dress she tried on was the one she got, and we checked one girl and dress off the list. The best part about my friendships with these girls is that they know I am open to whatever suggestions they may have. When some of the girls started telling me that the chiffon fabric wasn't as forgiving as the mesh fabric, we opened up the pool to both fabrics and it seemed like the number of dresses to choose from doubled. From there, each of my beautiful friends decided on the dresses they loved, and it was so easy and stress-free on my end. I just got to sit back and offer my opinion and read their expressions to see how they were feeling. Once they all had their dresses on, I was so happy to know they all got what they wanted (welllll, except for two but we went back and fixed that 😉). They are all such beauties, and it was so sweet to see them all in what they would be wearing as they stood with me at the beginning of this new chapter of life! It was such a fun day, and I am so thankful every single one of my girls (even my sister in Chicago via FaceTime) was able to be there.

After we got everything in the computer and each girl measured, most of us went to have dinner at a cute little Wilmington restaurant, Sweet n Savory. It was nice to spend some time with all my girls in one place and watch the ones who don't know each other that well become more acquainted. It is not often that I get to visit with all my best friends in one day, so this was a perfect Saturday in my book!

My sweet bridesmaids/friends/sisters, I cannot say thank you enough for being the kind, patient, and easy-going people that you are. I have known since around the time Al and I began preparing to get engaged who my bridesmaids would be, and I am so thankful you all said yes to me. I don't know how many times this day each of you said, "It's whatever you like, Morg," and I know you truly meant it. You are all so selfless, and I am honored to have y'all to walk through life with. Thank you for making this experience so wonderful and always sharing in my excitement with me. I cannot wait to see y'all all dressed up on our big day and for all of us to celebrate this new journey together. You ladies mean more to me than I could ever put into words, and I truly believe I have the best bridal party ever. So much beauty, personality, and love in one group - luckiest bride EVER! I love y'all like you wouldn't even believe, and I always will!

Xoxo,
The Future Mrs.


P.S. For all you readers, stay tuned for my next post which will be a recap of all the things we have done since the last update in March or April (what?!) 😘

Engagement Picture Journey // May 20, 2017

A few weekends ago, Al and I took our engagement pictures. Our amazingly talented brother Khyne Daniels at K.Daniels Photography took them, and we are so in love with every single image (more to come!)

Preparing for our engagement pictures was one of the most fun experiences we've had in our engaged journey thus far. When we began talking about pictures, we both knew we didn't want anymore beach or water pictures because we have taken a million of those. We easily decided that we wanted some kind of woodsy-themed pictures, and we started looking for the perfect place. Khyne and I bounced some ideas around for a few weeks, and then one day it hit me as I was sitting outside at my parents' house in Ash. What better place to have woodsy pictures than in our very own neck of the woods? My family owns many acres of land in Ash, and I couldn't imagine a place more beautiful or special to take our pictures, and Al agreed! If you know me, you know there is nothing like home to me. I absolutely love the life my family has built in our little corner of the world, and it is so special to me to have pictures with my future hubs on the land that my granddaddy once worked on with his daddy and so on. It is truly one of the most beautiful places in the world to me! Once that was decided, we started working on our outfits and our props!

One element of our wedding that we have decided on since my last post about wedding plans is that our wedding is going to have a very southern theme. For those who don't know, the pineapple is the symbol of southern hospitality, and we are planning to incorporate that into our day in a big way! So I knew I wanted to use a pineapple in our engagement pictures to tie into the theme we are going for in our wedding (plus, pineapples are just so darn cute)! I also wanted to incorporate an "R" into our pictures because I literally can't wait until that's the first letter of my last name :) I started searching around and found the best of both worlds at a little online boutique called BeauJax. They were so easy to use and had the fastest shipping known to man. Seriously, I ordered it on a Monday and it was here by Wednesday of the same week. I would definitely recommend them to anyone in need of some cute, southern, monogrammed charm around their home.

I had a vision for this wooden plaque with our date painted on it, but sometimes life gets busy and we have to improvise. Fortunately, Walmart always an abundance of chalkboards, and I have decent penmanship. My mom also found the cutest little sign at the Mason Dixon store in Shallotte when she was out shopping one day and picked it up for us to use. I'm so glad we were able to incorporate all of these little elements into our pictures. They added the perfect amount of "us" to the pictures, and each item fit so well with the outfits we decided on!

The outfits were the trickiest part of this whole ordeal. Al and I both wanted to have shirts made that represented our wedding date somehow. I was on Etsy looking around one day and found the perfect Mr. and Mrs. shirts in a shop called Nobull Woman Apparel, and I scooped them up that day. This was literally like two months before we took our pictures, so the shirts were hanging in my closet for that long and I was dying to wear them. So glad I finally can now! We also knew we wanted an outfit that represented our everyday lives. We're both very simple, laid back people, so we wanted to show our personalities through that. This was honestly the trickier outfit to pick out because our styles are so different. Fortunately, Al has a newfound love of jeans, so I was able to find shirts that complimented jeans and each other well. Lastly, I had this picture in my head of tall grass and dressy clothes at sunset since we started talking about woodsy engagement pictures. I searched high and low for the perfect dress for this occasion. Twelve stores later, and JC Penney came through with what is now one of my favorite dresses I own. Picking out dress clothes for Al is always easy, and just like that we had everything together for our pictures (at the last minute, I might add... but I am really me if I don't procrastinate everything?)

Deciding when to do our pictures was tough because we technically don't have to send out our save the dates until early September, but I am not a happy camper when it comes to hot weather. I wanted to do our pictures as early as possible trying to beat the heat of the summer. Khyne agreed to a weekend in May, so we were able to pleasantly take pictures with as little sass from my mouth as possible :) We did get torn up by mosquitoes though... the struggle of living in the Green Swamp in the summer. However, looking back, it just made the day that much more memorable, and I'll be able to tell our kids the stories of their Daddy having mosquito bites the size of quarters on his forehead in between outfit changes and their Papa running around their Mama and Daddy spraying bug spray to keep the mosquitoes away! See, so worth the memories!

The whole experience of taking pictures with Khyne was so easy and stress-free. We may be biased, but we really do think he is one of the most talented photographers we know. He has an eye for beauty and works so hard to get the perfect images that capture the essence of who people are. I cried over the sneak peek picture he sent me. I cried again when he sent me the link to our pictures and I looked at the thumbnail picture attached to the link. And then I was teary-eyed the entire time Al and I looked through the images because I was just so impressed at how perfectly he captured our love for one another. Khyne made us feel comfortable in front of the camera and allowed us to be ourselves. He went above and beyond to get some of the images he did, and we are so grateful that he loves us enough to do that. We are so thankful for this experience with him, and we will cherish these pictures for the rest of our lives. If you are looking for a photographer, please look Khyne up. His website is http://www.kdanielsphotography.com/. Take a look at some of the work he has done. I know you won't be disappointed. He is very versatile, flexible, and easy-going. I literally can't say enough about how wonderful of a photographer and person he is, and we are just lucky enough to call him our brother! We love you so much, Khyne Bug!

Thanks for reading about our experience taking engagement pictures! What a fun memory that we will cherish forever. I'm going to leave y'all with a few more of our favorite images for those who haven't seen them all! Only 270 days until I get to make this man my hubs!

Xoxo,

Future Mrs. Rising

Six Months of Engagement

Sunday we celebrated six months of being engaged!!! We knew when we got engaged that time would fly by, but we never knew how quickly. Our lives changed forever six months ago, and we are looking forward to what the future holds for us. We have gotten a lot done in these last six months, but we still have a lot to do! Thankfully, we have some of the best help in making our dreams for our big day reality. We can't wait to share more about the plans that have come together lately, but today I just wanted to share some of the things I have learned about Al in the last six months. It's true what they say: There is always something new you can learn about someone.

1) He doesn't understand the point of registering for anything over $30.

Registering has been a task for us. I'm not kidding when I say we've been working on it for the last two months, and we're still not even halfway done. It took Al a while to understand why I wanted to register for a nice kitchen mixer or Kate Spade table settings. He was happy with everything under $30 (until he saw the Magic Bullet and HAD to have that). Mostly this has taught me that he's more sensible than I thought, and I appreciate the sentiment of responsibility behind this attribute of his... we still registered for the Kate Spade plates though 😜.

2) He likes to be involved in the planning.

From what I hear, most guys don't care too much about what goes on in the planning stages of a wedding. Fortunately for me, Al has been very involved and likes to offer his opinion from time-to-time. Nine times out of ten, his opinion is, "I like whatever you like babe," but it's still nice to know he wants to be included. I feel like this is foreshadowing to our lives as parents because I know Al will want to be involved in every aspect of our children's lives. I knew he was like this before we got engaged, but engagement has really brought out this interactive side of him, and I love it!

3) He is less nosy than I thought.
I said yes to my dress over a month and a half ago, and Al has not once asked anything about it. We talked about it the day I found it, but he didn't want to know any details. He has never been snooping, and I genuinely thinks he wants to be surprised. I cannot wait to see his face when I walk down the aisle. I think that's what we're both most excited for on our wedding day!

4) He is not good with surprises.
The only time I've really ever surprised Al was at a party I threw for him for his 21st birthday. He literally had zero idea it was happening, so he had a great time and always says it's one of his favorite birthdays. In our engagement process, I've learned not to try to surprise him because it only stresses him out. He likes to know what is happening and what he can do to make things go smoothly, so that is what I have tried to do. While I'm sure at some point in our lives I will surprise him again, for this time in our lives I'm really enjoying making the decisions and working through the unknown together.

5) He is going to be the best husband.
I knew at 16 years old that Al would be my husband, and I knew even then that he would be a good one. Being engaged has really shown me the truth in that thought. He is really studying God's intended purpose for a husband - leaving his father and mother and clinging to his wife, loving her as Christ loved the church, leading his family in truth. I can see the desire in Al's eyes to be all of these things as a husband, and I believe with all my heart he will be. He has proven in the last six months what I've always known to be true, and I cannot wait for him to be my hubs!


I am so excited for a lifetime of learning more about this man I call mine. I hope you all liked learning a little more about him, too! I love you Kenneth, and I can't wait to be your wife!

Xoxo,
Morgan

Vendors and Dresses and Parties... OH MY!

It has been a busy two months in the wedding planning department! While I was sharing about each of my bridesmaids on the forefront, behind the scenes Al and I were busy making huge decisions about our big day! This will be quite the long post because a few weekends ago, I went dress shopping and we had our engagement party, and I am so excited to share about those experiences! To give a little spoiler: It was a dream weekend, and we are SO blessed!

But before I get to that, I want to share with you all the other things we have checked off our to-do list. Within the last two months we have hired our ceremony musician and DJ, booked our photographer and videographer, landed on a color scheme, picked our rehearsal dinner location, found bridesmaids dresses, almost completed our wedding website and registries, said yes to the dress, and celebrated with our loved ones at our engagement party! While that seems like a lot, the planning is only just beginning. My advice to any new brides out there: Let anyone help you who is willing to help! I have never been so thankful for such involved family members and friends! It truly makes this process so much less stressful and more enjoyable. I have created even deeper bonds with people in my life through this journey, and that is what is so special about it all to me. We are so excited about everything we have nailed down so far, and we can't wait to see our vision turn into reality. My favorite thing about the past two months is that a few weeks ago we celebrated the ONE YEAR mark! I was so emotional that day because I know that these months and weeks and days are going to fly by! In just a short time, Al and I will be husband and wife, and we literally cannot wait! Every day we ask each other, "Can we just get married today?" The answer has obviously always been no, but it makes me so happy to know that with each day that passes, we are one day closer to our big day!

On March 4, I said yes to the dress! I knew from the moment I got engaged that I wanted to get my dress from Coastal Knot Bridal. I interned there over the summer, and I loved the way they did business and how much they genuinely cared about each of their brides. It took everything in me not to book my appointment to try on dresses the day I got engaged! I think I ended up booking it on New Years Eve because I just couldn't wait anymore. I invited my mom, my sister Kayla, my sister Courtney & niece Lorelei (via FaceTime), my future mother-in-law, and my future sister-in-law to come to my first shopping experience! I'm so thankful I had all of their input and encouragement to help me find the one! The week or so leading up to trying on dresses, I had SO much anxiety. I am a fairly indecisive person, so I really thought this was going to be the longest process of wedding planning for me. I was nervous that I wouldn't find any that fit me right and that I wouldn't know when I put on the one. This was also a HUGE deal for me because I have known since I was sixteen that I was going to marry Al Rising, and I had been dreaming about this day and my dress for all these years. I really wanted it to be perfect and "the one."

Luckily for me, all the nerves were eased the second I walked in the door. Mrs. Leslie D'Agnese was the person working that day, and it ended up being a little reunion for everyone. She and my mom knew each other from many years ago, and she and Al's mom went to school together, so that in itself eased all the immediate angst. She was so helpful and relatable, and I'd do the experience over a hundred times because of how easy she made it for me. With the help of my entourage, I picked out probably 12-15 dresses. Since I worked there a little last summer, I was familiar with how the process worked and knew I just had to get started somewhere. Trying on the first dress was one of the most surreal moments of my life. I can't really put my feelings in that moment into words because I had honestly only felt that way one other time, which was when Al asked me to be his wife. It was something so special, and I'll never forget it for as long as I live. I'll also never forget the look on my mama's face when she saw me in a wedding dress for the first time. Honestly, the dress I had on was not flattering on me at all, but her face was so precious. I love that woman 💓. I tried on about 3 dresses before I got to the one that would end up being "the one" by the end of my appointment. 

When I put on what I now refer to as "my dress," I knew it was special. I had real life heart eyes over this dress, y'all. It was the first dress I really wanted to try on with a veil (anyone who watches Say Yes to the Dress knows this is a big deal). They aren't lying when they say there is something about a veil that makes it complete. In my heart, I knew this was my dress, but I was so scared to commit because I had only tried on 3 other dresses. They asked me if I was saying yes to the dress, and I told them I wasn't ready yet. So I went back to the dressing room and tried on about 9 or 10 more dresses. I found one other one that I really liked that ended up being my comparison dress, so at the end I tried on the comparison dress first. I saw it with a veil and took a good, long look at myself, and I just knew what my decision was. I went back in the dressing room knowing that I would be putting on the dress that I was going to say yes to! Normally, I'm a very emotional person, but I think I was just trying to soak up every ounce of that day that I didn't really get emotional. I walked out, put on the veil, and knew this was it. I said yes to the dress, we popped the champagne, and it was one of the best moments of my life!

I wanted to share a couple of my favorite moments from that day with y'all. The first one is my niece's reactions to what was going on. She kept coming up to the phone on FaceTime saying, "Mimo. Mama, what's happening?" Clearly she hasn't been watching any Say Yes to the Dress. She said this for most of the dresses I tried on, which really made me laugh. At one point I tried on a dress, and she looked at the phone and said, "Nope." So obviously I couldn't pick any dress that was not Lorelei-approved. But the best moment was when I put on my dress for the first time, she came up to the phone and said, "Mimo. Princess!" I should've known then that would be my dress. I love that sweet girl, and even though she probably won't remember, I loved having her help picking out my dress. My second favorite moment involved my sisters. It doesn't take long to figure out I am the baby of the three. Both my sisters are loud and opinionated, and I wouldn't have them any other way. They gave me helpful input for every single dress, and they never once disagreed with any feelings I had. When I tried on my dress the first time, I kept it on for a LONG time. I really didn't want to take it off. After a little discussion about what everyone liked about it, both my sisters got quiet (very unusual). I asked Kayla why Courtney wasn't talking, and she told me it looked like she was getting teary-eyed. She showed me the phone, and she was a little bit. We didn't dwell on those emotions, and we haven't talked about it since, but that is something I will never forget. The final favorite memory I want to share is the moment I said the words "yes" to my dress. I knew my mom and Al's mom would cry because they both are emotional ladies, but it is now one of the sweetest memories I have. I can't speak for their feelings, but I could see the joy in my mama's eyes and that was enough for me. I wish I could bottle that look up and keep it forever. Such a precious memory for me, and I know they would say the same for them.

Overall, trying on dresses was one of the best experiences of wedding planning so far! My advice for wedding dress shopping to any future brides-to-be would be to only take people with you who you know will encourage you and build you up. It's a vulnerable and special moment that you'll want to cherish for the rest of your life. You don't want to feel pressured or unsure because of someone else's opinion. Also, don't be afraid to share your likes and dislikes about dresses because it will only help you to narrow it down to the one. Soak up every single moment and really feel the emotions that come because you'll never get that experience again!

Mama, Kay, Court, LL, Lana, and Lauren: Thank y'all for making me feel like the princess that I think I am 😉. I am so thankful for the opinions, advice, support, and love y'all gave me that day. I'd do it all over again just to experience it with y'all. Only 346 more days until we're all dressed up together!!!

  

The next day was our engagement party, and it was so wonderful. My parents hosted it at our home for our bridesmaids and groomsmen, and it meant so much to Al and me that they were willing to do it for us. My mom put a lot of effort into decorating and planning, and I loved how everything turned out. We had a gold & white theme, and she and my Aunt Wanda worked together to make beautiful arrangements for the tables. The morning of our party, my mom, dad, sister, and I were outside for a good portion of the morning putting up decorations. The four of us make a pretty good team, and we were all able to get the same vision and go with it. My mom is the queen of the kitchen, so I knew food would not be an issue. My dad grilled burgers and hot dogs, and my mom made all kinds of dips and appetizers. We never are lacking in the food department, and I know everyone really enjoyed getting their bellies filled!

We had a majority of our bridesmaids and groomsmen show up. It was so nice to finally have almost everyone together to mingle and get to know each other. The boys played ball in the yard and goofed off (nothing less than what I expect from Al and his friends), and my girls and I just hung, talked, and chased after Sophia. The day ended with a backyard football game, which makes my southern heart so happy. It was so fun to watch everyone interact and be together. It's very rare for mine and Al's families to be in the same place, and even rarer for our friends to be in the same place, so it was everything we wanted. It was very simple, low-key, and laid back - all words that I would also use to describe mine and Al's life together. I feel like in this instance, a picture is worth a thousand words... so please enjoy these pictures from our party [photo credit for most pictures: K.Daniels Photography].

First of all, we want to say thank you to my mama and daddy for hosting our party. We are so grateful you opened up your home to all our friends and made it feel like home to them too. Y'all have done so much for us, and we will never be able to thank you enough. Al and I love you both more than y'all will ever know!

Secondly, we want to thank all our friends who came and celebrated our engagement with us. We have been blessed with the best friends, and we couldn't imagine sharing our wedding day and all these festivities with anyone else. Thank you all for being so good to us. Your friendships are priceless to us, and we wouldn't be who we are without y'all. We love each of you so, so much!

Lastly, we want to thank everyone who contributed in some part to making our party what is was. To the people who cooked, provided tables, lent cornhole boards, and just put in some last minute contributions to make everything go smoothly: We are so thankful for all of you and love having you all as a part of our lives.

To all of you who made it to the end of this post, thank you for reading about this time in our lives. We want these experiences to be well-documented so years from now we'll be able to look back and read through these posts and remember every detail. We are so excited for everything that is to come. We can't believe that we're nearing 11 months until our wedding day. We are actually counting down the days and know that it will be here so soon! Until next time, wish us luck on finding a caterer and starting to plan all the little details... we'll need it!