Bryanne and Tom's Wedding!

[Complicated Woman]

Okay, sorry ladies, because this is nothing new, but I have a million threads posted with all the various steps in it. I just wanted to put the whole thing in one place!

Wedding Date: Friday, January 19th, 2007

[Complicated Woman]

How We Met

Tom and I were high school students at the same youth group...I had always thought he was really funny and cute, but we didn't know each other well at all. He ended up commuting to a local college, and I ended up going away to school.

We were both seeing other people, and we actually first hit it off at this New Years Eve party we were both at with our SOs. His ex had a lot of issues -- she was very immature and self absorbed, among a lot of other things -- and she ended up spilling soda all over our host's white carpet and just walking away from it (who does that?), so I went and got a rag to clean it up. As I was cleaning it, Tom came over and apologized for his ex and we started talking.

It wasn't anything romantic yet on my end, I really was just being friendly, but Tom says that he left the party wishing that he could have a girlfriend like me and not like the girl he was dating at the time.

Time went on and I ended up getting roped into counselling at this camp for high schoolers. Tom was the guys counsellor. We really found out we were very compatible at camp and he shared a lot with me about how hurt he had been by his then current gf. She had lied to him a lot, she told him she wasn't physically attracted to him and she really didn't appreciate him at all. He went on and on about how he really was unhappy but he didn't think he would be able to find someone else.

Not wanting to be self-serving, I held my tongue about her actions and just told him I thought he was great and that he deserved to be happy. We talked about a lot of other stuff and as I watched him with the kids, I just felt so strongly that he was the sort of man I wanted to be with. He was devoted to God, he was loving, he was responsible and smart and funny.

So, when I got home, I broke it off with the guy I had been seeing, just in case. I found out later that he had done the same thing. As he puts it, he couldn't go his whole life knowing he hadn't done everything he could to explore a relationship with me because if I was what I seemed, I was the woman he wanted to marry.

We ended up spending some time dating casually -- I didn't really want to rush into anything and didn't want to be a rebound girl for him, but within six weeks we both felt more connected to one another than we had ever felt to anyone before. The rest is history.

Tom is wonderful. I've always had a hard time believing I was loved, and he makes it so easy. He treats me like gold and being with him is so easy and natural and familiar and exciting all at once. I've been in all kinds of relationships and have survived some traumatic abuse, and Tom is so gentle and understanding of everything. He validates me and reminds me that I am valuable and loved, no matter how I might be feeling and no matter how others have treated me. I can't tell you how much I love him. He's lived through a lot with a very crazy father, and things that others would use as an excuse, he dismisses as part of life. He is strong and capable and so very good hearted. I feel like the luckiest woman alive to be sharing life with him.

[Complicated Woman]

The Proposal

Tom proposed (officially) on my 21st birthday. We had a great day -- I had to work a bit, but we spent time with my family and then went out to eat -- I had a glass of wine -- and we just came back to my house. He had prepped me that he was NOT going to officially pop the question on my birthday, but I was kind of holding out hope until we left the resturaunt. He fooled me!

At any rate, we got back, and I (egomaniac that I am) asked him to tell me why he loved me. So he did -- I'll spare every sappy detail -- but he basically said, "The other day, I was talking to my mother about why I think we should get married. I think we should get married because there's never a day that I don't want to see you. No matter what happens, even if we've had an argument the day before, I always look forward to seeing you because I know that we're going to have fun and laugh and that something good always happens. I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Then he got down on one knee and asked if I would marry him. He then fumbled to get the ring out of his wallet, where he had buried it deep in one of the little pockets because he was paranoid about losing it and he didn't want it to show when he paid for dinner.

Of course, I threw my arms around him and said yes. Afterward, he and I went and he asked my dad for my hand in marriage (a little backwards, but my father loved it) and then went to ask my grandfather as well. We had a beautiful evening with my grandparents as they told us the stories of their engagement and offered wedding advice. I will cherish those memories forever.

[Complicated Woman]

Pictures from the Proposal

Tom & I on the night he popped the question. Forgive my appearance, I'm all flushed and excited:


Another:


The RING:


Up close they get blurry, but I tried!:

[Complicated Woman]

Wedding Plans

This is our reception site. The setup is actually a large house with a few sitting rooms, three fireplaces, a huge dining area, a separate bar area, and an entire atrium for dancing. They only do one wedding at a time and we get the run of the whole place.

Here is a pic of the outside:


One of the fireplaces in the sitting rooms:


This is the atrium, it will be set up as our dance floor and the DJ/ipod/whatever will be in there, it's just off the dining room:


This is the dining area. You can kind of see that in the back of this picture there is an elevated area, that's where we'll have the sweetheart table, the bridal party and their guests, and our immediate families:

[Complicated Woman]

The Food

The hor d'ourves list. I put the ones we're having in bold. (We picked already because we had just tasted them all and didn't want to wait because we'd never remember what we liked!):

Shumai with Teriyaki Sauce
(this is basically a shrimp dumpling, it's really crispy and yummy)
Cajun Chicken (or Shrimp), Creole Sauce
Chicken Satey, Spicy Peanut Sauce
Hazelnut-Crusted Chicken, Honey Chili Sauce
Almond and Ginger Crusted Chicken, Lime-Honey Soy Sauce
Grilled Waldorf Chicken Salad in Phyllo Cup
Mexican Duck Burritos
Chicken Empanadas

Baked Brie in Phyllo Cups Topped with Almond Raspberry
Sundried Tomato and Leek Tart
Boursin Cheese in Puffs
Curried Eggplant and Goat Cheese Tartlettes
Kaleidoscope Antipasto
Provencale Toast with Goat Cheese, Basil and Tomato
Samosas with Peach Chutney Sauce
Wild Mushroom Tart
Grilled Foccaccio with Assorted Toppings
Deep Fried Cheese Ravioli with Red Pepper Dip

French Crusted Loin of Lamb on Crostini
Topped with Onion Confit
Filet Mignon with Horseradish Sauce on Rye
Empanadas (Beef, Lamb, Veggie, Chicken)
Baby Lamb Chops with Mint and Ginger Sauce

Classic Shrimp Cocktail
Smoked Salmon on Pita Bread
Crabcakes with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Sweet and Spicy Tuna Tartare
on Homemade Tortilla Chips
Smoked Trout on Cucumber Coins
Tarragon Lobster Salad in Mini-Tart
Avocado and Crab Salad in Endive Leaves
Oyster Chinoise with Salmon Caviar
Seafood Kaleidoscope
Asian Shrimp
Russian Blini with Sturgeon Caviar and Creme Fraiche

This is the entree list:

~ Chicken ~
Gallatine with Tarragon Sauce
Dijon Mustard and Horseradish Sauce
Provencale with Herbs and Wine Sauce
Chicken "Eze" stuffed with Goat Cheese and Herbs,
topped with Port Wine Sauce
Madeira with Wild Mushroom Sauce

~ Beef ~
Rib-eye Roast with Cabernet Sauce
Medallions of Beef with Merlot Sauce
Grilled Sliced Steak with Rosemary and Red Wine Sauce
Tenderloin of Pork with Vanilla Pear Chutney
Filet Mignon with Brandy and Black Pepper Sauce
Rack of Lamb Provencale

~ Fish and Seafood ~
Fillet of Salmon Served with Choice of Salsas
Tilapia Fillet, Lemon Tarragon Buerre Blanc
Rainbow Trout with Provencale, Pesto Sauce or Leek Sauce
Fillet of Sole Stuffed with Crabmeat
Grilled Ahi Tuna with Avocado, Tomato and Fennel Relish
Grilled Chilean Sea Bass, Tequila Lime Sauce
Halibut, Choice of Sauce
Grilled Red Snapper with Pineapple and Citrus Salsa

~ Pasta and Vegetarian ~
Penne Provence
Farfalle with Arugula, Pistou Sauce
Fresh Five-Cheese Ravioli, Choice of Sauce
Tortellini in Basil or Coriander Pesto
Royale Antipasto Station
Grilled Polenta Medallions with Ratatouille
and Grilled Portobello Mushrooms

We can pick three of them. Or they offer a duet package where you can have smaller portions of two meat entrees as one meal choice, plus a vegetarian option. We're also adding a miniature sweets station.

[Complicated Woman]

My Dress

Here they are! My face looks really uncomfortable because I HATE when my mother takes my picture. She took about 150 as I stood there awkwardly.





Yeah, this one I'm begging her to please stop already. I don't actually look like Shrek.

[Complicated Woman]

Details

The tiara I'm making:


My bouquet:




Bridesmaid's flowers:




All the bouquets together:

[Complicated Woman]

A Few More Details

Decoration for cake table:


Sample Centerpiece:


Guestbook:


detail shot of book:


Flower girl's dress:


detail...


FG crown:


And the little kissing ball she will carry:

[Robyn Lynn]

Thanks for reposting all that, Bryanne!!!

I hadn't read your story before.

[lisa82]

Awww, I love your proposal pics, you guys are so cute! Sounds like your plans are coming along really, really well. Is your little sister your flower girl? The dress is so cute!

[555Ann555]

Oh! It all seems so really now I see it all together!

[Steph]

[Complicated Woman]

Thanks girls! Lisa, my little sister is going to be the flower girl.

I don't think I've ever posted a picture of her, so here she is. I'm marginally paranoid about putting her face on the internet so she won't be up very long!

**EDITED TO REMOVE PIC**

[555Ann555]

Oh she's just a little sweatheart I love those curls!!!

[Steph]

She is adorable!!!

[Marge129]

What a cutie!

[Lizbet]

She's going to grow up to be a heartbreaker! You'd better keep an eye on her! LOL

[Heather]

Okay. I'm reading through everything and bawling my eyes out, lol. So sweet!! I think as we all come to know each other more and more, our wedding stories and wedding days become our special day for friends too. Alright, now I'm just being a sap. I'm due for AF so I'm crying at the drop of a dime, lol.

[maroki13]

She is so cute !! How old will she be at the time of the wedding?

[Complicated Woman]

Maroki, she'll be 3 and 1/2. that she will make it down the aisle...aside from that I don't care what she does!

[maroki13]

Maroki, she'll be 3 and 1/2. that she will make it down the aisle...aside from that I don't care what she does!

I know what you mean. Both of my FGs will be in their 3's...one of them 3 and one of them 3 1/2. I'm trying not to think about what else they could do besides make it down the aisle.

[birdie]

Your story is wonderful! and that reception site--WoW! I've seen the outside pictures but the inside is absolutely gorgeous! You and Tom make a beautiful couple!

[lisa82]

Awwwwwww she is so cute! She will look so beautiful in that dress. You'll have to get a picture of just the two of you on the big day, it'll be precious!

[Complicated Woman]

Thank you!