Wedding Wednesday: Our Wedding Day Details

We're Married!!

Wow - it's been a long time since I wrote a Wedding Wednesday post.  I guess since we're married now, there really isn't much more to write about.  However, I thought I would share one last post with the details of our wedding day. The details include vendors I worked with and a few memories of the day...

Please do me a favor by visiting, and liking the Facebook pages I share with you.  These people are awesome!

All of these pictures are courtesy of our photographer, Andrea, from Adorn Photography.  If you are from Nebraska, you should hire her.  You wont be disappointed with her work. :)

THE CHURCH

We joined Holy Spirit in the midst of going through our wedding preparations.  We wanted to do it as a "couple" and found our church home here.  Fr. Tim, who married us, gave us the best marriage experience anyone could have asked for. 

THE DRESS & ACCESSORIES

My dress was an Alfred Angelo dress.  It was the very last one I tried on during the first dress (and only) appointment.  I tried on a dress that was 2x the size I needed but still loved it. I added the sash which I found on etsy.

My sister's sister-in-law (got that?) made my veil for me.  She is so sweet. She had me look online at what I liked and put it together for me in a matter of a few days. I loved it. 

I love gold and new I wanted accents to be gold rather than silver.  I found these great shoes at ALDO.  The bracelet was from Banana Republic (with coupons, I only paid $1!) The earrings were from Francesca's and the garter was from this shop on etsy.  The garter came with a throw garter too!

HAIR & MAKEUP

My hair and makeup was done by Lore from Lore's Hair Salon. She made me feel like a million bucks!

FLOWERS

My flowers were designed by Design's By Bernie in Carroll, Iowa.  This lady is 100% fantastic! She had me come to look at my bridal bouquet 3 times before the day of the wedding to make sure it was perfect.  The bridesmaids bouquets were solid white hydrangeas.  They are hard to keep alive so Bernie was kind enough to make us an extra bridesmaids bouquet "just in case." 

BRIDESMAIDS

I asked each of my bridesmaids to pick out their own pink or coral dress.  I didn't have any say in the matter - they coordinated this perfectly on their own! OMG! I did this for a couple of reasons; First, I wanted everyone to be able to pick a dress that they could rock.  If you look good, you have a lot more fun! Second, I wanted them to purchase a dress within their price range.  They were not meant to "go broke" for our wedding.  We already asked a lot of them!

GROOM + GROOMSMEN

My husband and the groomsmen are not "tux" guys.  My husband made that clear before we were even engaged. Instead, we went to a nice men's store where Adam picked out a nice pair of dress pants and nice white shirt that they were able to purchase.  They were 100 times more comfortable.  Adam and I gave them these ties from Ties.com.

PROGRAMS & GUESTBOOK

For our guestbook, I created an album on Shutterfly which was a reflection of our dating life and engagement. I wanted it to be something we opened again from time to time. I designed the programs myself (with a little help from a friend) and had them professionally printed. I knew exactly what I wanted and brought the vision to life!

CAKE & DECORATIONS

I had our wedding cake made locally by Sweet Things.  It was meant to be simple and it was. I love what she did with the frosting. 

I kept the decorations simple too. I made these glitter vases and filled them with fake peonys I found at Walmart. We borrowed the mirrors and added tea lights.

SOME OF MY FAVORITES FROM THE DAY

I will always remember this moment when I met Adam in the church before pictures started.  It was the most perfect, honest, and true moment I have ever experienced.

 

We had to most fun wedding party anyone could have asked for! We brought together two completely different groups of friends that meshed perfectly. It was so fun to spend a whole entire day with our best friends!

Since we got married in a small Iowa town it was only necessary to go to another small town down the road to kick off our celebration after the ceremony.  Little did these ladies know what they were in for...

(I love this picture!)

This bar's name may be the "Angry Beaver" but we know it as the "Animal Bar." Yes, those animals were once alive and have been in this bar for years... If you are ever traveling in western, Iowa on highway 30, stop in at the Angry Beaver in Maple River Junction, Iowa. It's an experience!

The reception was super fun.  Our DJ was outstanding so I credit some of the fun had that night to him. Confetti and all! The floor was packed all night long, until about 1:00am!

Well friends, our wedding journey was really fun. Thanks for letting me share it with you.  If you are interested in the rest of my Wedding Wednesday posts that include planning tips visit my wedding page.

I can't wait for what's to come next!

Our Wedding In Snap Shots!

I'm back! And it feels good to be back in the blog world.  I have missed my blog friends and readers!

Since I'm sure you are just a little curious about our wedding, I thought I would come back with some snap shots from our wedding weekend.  But, first of all, let me tell you that I (Adam too) could never have dreamed of how awesome and wonderful our wedding was.  Everything from the planning to the rehearsal to the ceremony and reception - I would have not changed a thing.  We are truly one lucky couple!

Throughout the weekend my sweet bridesmaids kept snapping pictures and posting them to Instagram.  Here are a few of the pictures that they took over the weekend.  To see more search #abkohlerwedding on Instagram!

The Rehearsal Dinner...
Adam's parents hosted the rehearsal dinner at the local winery in town.  It's such a beautiful place with great food.  It really set the stage for the fun we were going to have throughout the weekend.  Plus, we had a private dining room so all of our friends and family got to know each other.  We had quite the group... :)

The Wedding Day...

The wedding day was such a fun day!  We hosted our wedding in the community we live in, which was a perfect choice because our friends and family got to take part in our lives to see where we live, work, and play! My bridesmaids looked beautiful, the groomsmen looked handsome, everyone had fun, and I got to marry my best friend.

Do you see how perfectly the bridesmaids dresses match?! I think I mentioned in a Wedding Wednesday post that I had my bridesmaids choose their own pink dress.  They complimented each other perfectly!

Finally, here are some of my favorites from the day that a friend of mine took!

I can't wait to share some of our professional photos and share more about the story of our day through those photos.  I promise I will.... 

So happy to be back with you all!  Cheers!!

Wedding Wednesday - Preparing For Marriage

The countdown to our wedding day is officially on - 23 days from today we will be tying the knot!  Eeekkk! To say we are excited is an understatement!  While we have been preparing for this day over the last year, we've learned the most important part of the preparation is preparing for our marriage.

We will be getting married in the Catholic church and fortunately the church makes sure we have taken the time to prepare you for marriage. Now, I'm sure the first thing that crosses your mind is how can a priest prepare a couple for marriage since he has never been married.  Good point, the same thing has crossed my mind.  We had the fortunate experience to work with a couple who sponsored us through the church - they are awesome!  We spent five class sessions getting to know them, learning from their marriage experiences and preparing for our marriage.

Our five sessions covered communication, family, finance, faith, and intimacy.  What's a little ironic about these five topics is that they are the ones that are least likely to be talked about and most likely to cause a divorce.  Even though Adam and I have lived together for going on two years, there were still a few things we haven't talked about.  There is a difference between being "pretty sure you know" and actually talking about it.

Let me share a couple of topics that stuck out to me...

Understanding how your family communicates may answer a few questions about how and why you and your fiance communicate the way you do.

How we raise our children within our faith is important!  It goes beyond Sunday mass and religious ed classes.

Another thought provoking topic was "what if we can't have children" and what does that mean for our marriage?  Seriously, that's huge!  I don't think many people go into a marriage thinking that it may not be possible.

Fortunately for us, finance was fairly easy and living together helped that.  We both got to experience how the other spends money.  But if you aren't willing to openly share or see signs of poor financial management, now is the time to talk about it.

Intimacy is more than sex.  It's about being together, sharing your minds, hearts, and faith.  Picture yourselves when you are old... what will you have left? Intimacy.  Think "The Notebook" here... :)

Now here is the kicker.  We started our sessions talking about communication and that is the foundation for everything - our willingness to openly communicate.  The question that brought me the most confidence in our relationship was this one "Besides your spouse, who do you confide in?  Would you tell your spouse everything that you tell the person you confide in?"  Our answers were yes and that makes me happy.

We often joke saying "You're Stuck With Me" when we do something that frustrates the other but it's true, we are stuck with one another.  It's a commitment we've chosen to make thru thick and thin; in good times and in bad.

While preparing for our wedding day has been fun, we are both excited for our marriage and the possibilities it brings to life!

The most important question that anyone getting married needs to answer is... do you want a wedding or a marriage?  They are extremely different.

Wedding Wednesday - DIY Guestbook

Wedding preparations are in full swing! In June I had two beautiful bridal showers.  Since I couldn't just settle for a traditional guestbook (white cover with lines for people to sign their name) I made my own.  I wanted something that we could go back to from time to time rather than put it in a box labeled "wedding."

I have to admit that sometimes I want to kick myself in the butt for coming up with these ideas because I usually wait until the last minute but I am glad I brought this idea to life!  It turned out great and I received a lot of compliments on it.

I divided up the book into different milestones - 6 months, 1 year, 5 years, 10 years - so we could go back to read advice, date ideas, well wishes or whatever people decided to write to us.

Here is what you need to make your own:

Scrapbook

Mini envelopes & note cards (from Chelsea Paper)

Double sided tape

Washi tape

This would make a great guestbook for an actual wedding if it were small wedding - since we have a pretty large wedding planned I didn't want there to be a hold up at the door. 

Cheers to a great Wednesday!

Wedding Wednesday: Gifts For Bridesmaids

Last week I did a little post with gift ideas for groomsmen.  I received a lot of comments and notes of thanks for pulling ideas together into one place so I thought hey - why not pull ideas together for bridesmaids to share with you all this week!  

First, let me tell you, girls are way easier to buy for!! (Maybe it's because I'm a girl??) I could keep on buying for my bridesmaids but that would probably max out my wedding budget and I have a few big expenses left.  Here is a roundup of some of my favorite finds!

Hangers // Totes // Clutches // Monogram Necklaces // Robes

If you do some searching on etsy you can find some really great deals! What other ideas do you have?  Please share in the comments below!!

If you are interested in more Wedding Wednesday posts, filled with wedding planning ideas go here!

Wedding Wednesday - Gifts for Groomsmen

I am moving right along in this wedding planning process and getting into the details including the fun stuff like gifts for our wedding party.  Let me tell you what - there are way better awesome gift options for bridesmaids than there is for groomsmen.  Since we've been on the hunt for wedding party gifts I thought I would share a round up of gift ideas for groomsmen.

Tie Clips // Soapstone Drink Cubes // Money Clip // Flask // Golf Ball Marker // Bottle Opener Key Chain

I really like the monogram items that can, in a way, commemorate the day.  Then again I would like it to be something that is fun and useful. 

A few other ideas I came across were a membership to the Tie of the Month Club (None of the guys in our wedding party would ever join it.  I would probably be considered the worst bride ever) or a bottle (or case) of their preferred beverage.

What other ideas do you have?!  I would love to hear them! 

Wedding Wednesday: Bridal Shower #1

This weekend I celebrated my first bridal shower in my home town at the church I grew up in.  It was so fun to see so many people and feel their love and support for Adam and I.  Here are a few pictures from the day....

My sweet bridesmaids came to celebrate the day! Aren't they a beautiful group?! Unfortunately two were missing, my sister Kayle, and my friend Niomi.

Since the shower was planned for the afternoon, we got to feast on the really good desserts.  Thank goodness there is no calorie-counting at bridal showers! 

I received SO MANY wonderful, beautiful gifts.  This table filled my car and took me two days to put away when I got home.

Random photo, because I should probably have a least one in this post... 

Our mom's must have been having a serious conversation.  Can you guess who I belong to?

My maid of honor, Katie, and I must have been having a serious conversation too.  Must not have been that serious though, I don't recall what were talking about here. :)

I even got to give a little "thank you for coming" speech.  It wouldn't be like me to not talk. 

This is the wonderful group of ladies that helped organize the whole shower.  They are all good friends of my mom and ladies that were with me as I grew up!

In case you didn't guess it correctly - this is my mom!

My grandma was able to make it too - thank goodness!  I wish I had a picture with my other grandma but I missed her before she left. 

And finally, meet my God Daughter.  There is never a time I see this fun girl and we don't get a picture.  Plus she was a huge help opening gifts!

Besides the fact that it is a little strange to have people watching you open gifts, it was a pretty awesome day.  I left feeling both extremely blessed and overwhelmed by the generosity of others.  Thank you to everyone who made this day special!

Wedding Wednesday: Engagement Pictures

Happy Hump Day!  We had our engagement pictures taken at the beginning of May so thought I would share a few of my favorites.

The weather (wind) really wasn't ideal but our pictures turned out great!  We prayed the rain would hold off, which it did, but we forgot to ask for the wind to stay away.  Our photographer was, Andrea, from Adorn Photography she was fantastic to work with!  Check out her Facebook page here.  If you are a Nebraska native, and looking for a photographer, look this girl up - you wont be disappointed.  I can't wait for her to take our wedding pictures!

In case you're curious...

Earrings - Francesca's

Jean Jacket - Express (similar)

Dress - Filly Flair (exact)

I can't wait to turn these pictures into our wedding guest book! :)

Have a great Wednesday!