Weekending

Happy Hour

Sullivan's

Trader Joe's

St. Michael's

What's on tap for you? 

"Relax, and let Me lead you."

Below is today's excerpt from the devotion Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence.  I don't know about you, but this is exactly what I needed to hear this morning.  I hope you may find the same peace I did in the words below. 

"Relax and let Me lead you through this day.  I have everything under control: My control.  You tend to peer anxiously into the day that is before you, trying to figure out what to do , and when...  All that planning ties you up in knots and distracts you from Me.  Attentiveness to Me is not only for your quiet time, but for all your time.  As you look to Me, I will show you what to do now and next.


Vast quantities of time and energy are wasted in obsessive planning.  When you let Me direct your steps, you are set free to enjoy Me and find what I have prepared for you this day."

MISC

In my nearly two week hiatus from blogging, we've had a lot going on.  Here's a brain and camera dump of all the latest happenings around the Springs.

- We are having a ball knocking out our bucket list.  I would highly recommend doing this-- it is such a fun way to remember all the stuff you want to do together and then actually make sure that you follow through with it!!  I am loving the newlywed life.

- We hosted our first dinner guests last night.  It was so fun to open up our home and have Anna and Chett over, and the meal turned out great!  A lot of it could be done ahead so we could really just relax and enjoy the evening.  Anna brought dessert so below was all I did for the meal.  It a simple, low key, casual affair.

• Blackberry Pinot Noir Glazed Pork Tenderloin: 
• Roasted New and Sweet Potatoes with Italian Seasonings
• Roasted Broccoli
• Fresh Bread

- I chopped my hair off post wedding updo.  I love having short hair but I have to admit I was sad to see my pony tail go bye-bye.  My sister told me that I looked like I was still in high school with long hair.

- It's true- one man's trash is another man's treasure!  On our way home from a walk Saturday afternoon, Lash and I passed by a neighbor's moving out trash... which also included a sea grass rug!  You may remember this post here of our empty living room and how I mentioned I wanted to get one.  Well, this one was in good condition and I practically begged Lash to take it home. I'm sure we were a sight to see carrying this awkward, bulky 8 x 10 rug all the way to the other end of our street.  But it's perfect for the space and it was free!  {Don't worry, we inspected for dirt, smoke, dog hair, and vermits prior to bringing it inside, and cleaned it off!}  I love the added warmth and depth!

- We went crabbing at Laurel Spring Friday, and are now reaping the benefits of our harvest. The freezer is full of 25 crab cakes, and we also had crab nachos, a crab cake sandwich, and claws.. yum!

- Has anyone successfully recreated Taco Boy's Mexican Street Corn?  It is my favorite!!

Happy Sunday!

sometime soon,

i'll get back to the wedding recap.

right now, i just want to soak up every minute of the sunrise and sunset laughing with my husband.

Bucket List

I'll finish the recap of our wedding reception in the early part of next week....  This week got away from me as we've been working on our summer bucket list!

We're off to the mountains this weekend to celebrate the wedding of our great friends Hanna and Nelson.  Cheers to special celebrations, college reunions, and cooler mountain air!

Wedding Recap: The Ceremony

Note: So continues the wedding recap.  When I promised the first post would be the longest, I might have sold myself short.  Hang in there, I hope you are enjoying the ride!!  Again, all photos are courtesy and copyright of John Wrightenberry photography.

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Our wedding ceremony was held at the Parish Church of Saint Helena's in downtown Beaufort.  Founded in 1712, St Helena's is one of the oldest churches in the nation, and my church home growing up.  I have known all my life that I wanted to get married in this church.

Because of the threat of rain, we were ushered into the church early and up into the choir loft.  As guests began to arrive, I had to "hide" behind the organ so no one would see me!!  Thankfully, I had plenty of company and entertainment, but I'll be the first to admit that was a long 30 minutes.

One great thing about getting to hang out in the loft, I got to enjoy the beautiful opening music that I would have otherwise missed!  Our music selection featured an organ and a brass quartet from Charleston.  I love brass numbers... the more trumpets, the better. 

As for the flowers, I carried an all white bouquet, wrapped in a blue handkerchief for my something blue.   The girls carried similar bouquets with a few more pops of blue and green for color and contrast. {Please ignore the yellow caution symbols from iPhoto.  I have no idea how to get them to go away!}   

Despite the balcony confinement and threat of rain, I felt incredibly calm and relaxed in the moments leading up to the actual ceremony.  Surrounded by the most amazing friends and family, how could you not?

Below is our final daddy- daughter moment when my sister had processed and we were waiting for the doors to open to our moment in the spotlight.  We had a very special conversation and these seconds are one of my strongest and favorite memories of the day.

As soon as the doors opened, the moment took my breath away. . .

and I truthfully felt the presence of the Holy Spirit during the ceremony.

Afterwards, we were radiant!

During our photographs, Lash and I were supposed to take our couples shot last.  After what I thought was our last picture, Lash looked me in the eye and told me, "Mary Loyal, there is one more thing I have to give you."  

He then reached in his pocket and pulled out a second gold and diamond wedding band! I was absolutely speechless.  

I had no idea this surprise was coming (I had completely forgotten he had not given me a wedding gift yet), and I am so excited the photographer was able to capture this special moment on film.

Mr. and Mrs. Lash Springs :)

Up Next: The Reception

Wedding Recap: Getting Dressed

Note: So continues the series of our wedding recap.  For a refresh of the calm before the storm, click here.  All photos below, aside from the first two, are courtesy of John Wrightenberry photography.
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The day of the wedding, I awoke with a feeling of pure joy I have never felt before.  I could not wait to marry my best friend.  Lash and I had previously determined that we were not going to talk the day of the wedding.  Though I, at first, was not quite on board with this plan, his persistence paid off, and looking back, I am so glad I conceded.  The first time we spoke or saw each other that day was in the church at the altar and it was amazing.

Though our wedding was not until 5, hair and make up began around 11.  I honestly cannot believe I am posting this picture, but it was such a memory of the day I have to.  Kristy of Velvet Salon has been doing my hair for 7 years, and I just adore her.  I have been growing my hair out for months for this blessed event, and we knew we were going for a classic bun/updo/nothing crazy.  Well!!!! This was part 1!

I looked like a LION!

The make up artist, who did not know Kristy, kept looking at me laughing and saying, "girl, I just cannot wait to see what she does with that!  She must be good if you are walking around smiling and trusting her with your basically afro!"  Well, trust is a good thing, because soon after, that (above) turned into this  (below) and I'd say it worked out just fine :)

Before I knew it, it was time for the dress.

My dress was made by Modern Trousseau, featuring an ivory lace with a mocha underlay.  Timeless and traditional, the a-lined front was scoop necked with capped sleeves.  The original model came with a keyhole back but I opted to remove the keyhole and instead have the back a "V" shape instead.  To add a slight contrast and also highlight my curvy figure,  I accented the look with a champagne colored sashed.  I kept the jewelry simple, pearl earrings with my mother's diamond jackets (my something borrowed), and a pearl bracelet.

In keeping with the very traditional theme, I selected a cathedral length veil, and trimmed it with the same lace from my dress.

Below, my finished look as I walked into the living room to show my bridesmaids.

We snapped a few pictures around the house.

And off to the church we went!

Up Next: The Ceremony

Wedding Recap: The Calm Before

Note:  And so begins my long overdue recap of our wedding weekend.  I have an outline of posts set up that I hope to follow, and I am so eager to share these memories with you.  This will by far be the longest, as I am covering the days leading up to the wedding, but I hope you still enjoy.  For a refresh of our engagement story, click here!

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In the days leading up to the wedding, my family and I tried to relax as much as possible in the calm before the storm.  Saving my vacation days for the honeymoon, I worked remote two days from my parents house and took off Wednesday- until.  During the days I worked, my mom, dad, and sister were tirelessly ironing out the last few details, including putting together the gift bags for out of town guests.

Our burlap gift bags were adorned with the talented artistry of my dear friend Hanna Nation of GADABOUT.  The figures were drawn according to the details of my dress as well as Lash's white dinner jacket attire for the evening. I just adore the personal touch this provided!

The calm and success of the days prior to the wedding can be attributed both to my family's fine tooth attention to detail, as well as these below pictured ladies.  These women are my mom's college best friends, and I am so touched by their generosity, selflessness, and cheerfulness during the week of the wedding.  They drove my car back to Charleston, picked up the flowers for the luncheon, did dishes, watered plants, answered the incessant phone, delivered gift bags, and so much more.  They were the oil that kept the machine running, and we are deeply indebted for their kindness.

Guests began to trickle into town Thursday, and as a "Welcome to the Lowcountry" kickoff, my parents hosted a very informal "The Day Before The Day Before" at their home. Looking back, I am so grateful for this opportunity to visit with dear family and friends before the chaos of the weekend truly set in.  Moreover, it was such a fun way to kick off the weekend!

The Day Before came before we knew it, and my parent's home was filled with the wonderfully important women in my life for a bridal luncheon. I'm really not sure who has all of the photos from the day, but clearly I need someone to email them to me or tag me!

Instead of giving a formal, and most likely tear-filled toast, my mom had all of the guest email her ahead of time with advice on marriage.  Some were whimsical and had us in tears laughing such as "Let him kiss you, at least he wants to!" and others were serious such as "Always have Jesus the center of your marriage" or "Never let the sun go down on your anger."  

My sister, come to find out, spent her entire Spring Break making a scrapbook of Lash and me throughout our years of dating.  I know this was an incredible labor of love, but I am so moved to have such a special reminder of where we came from and what brought us to where we are today.

After a brief rest, it was time for the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner!  My mother in law has the hard-copied photos of these, and her camera is incredible so I will have to revisit the actual rehearsal later.

The rehearsal dinner was held at Breakwater Restaurant in downtown Beaufort.  The cozy and modern setting provided the perfect atmosphere.

After a delicious meal, our friends and family gave the sweetest and most heartfelt toasts.  When Lash ended the night with his,  I do not think there was a dry eye in the room!   

Following the toast, we went to Marshlands for Desserts and Dancing.  In awe of the beautiful Lowcountry setting, we danced the night away to the band Three Men and a Lady.

 In keeping with typical Laffitte tradition, the family gathered around and sang a Laffitte- Springs themed rendition of "Be Young, Be Foolish, and Be Happy" - adorned with aprons and chef's hats in honor of my love for cooking.  It was adorable, and a charming personal touch to the party.  I have often worn my apron since and thought fondly of the dear memories!

Because I have a tendency of pulling a Cinderella and turning into a pumpkin at midnight, we headed up early so I could get some rest.

Up next:  The Day Of!!!

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P.S. If you made it to the bottom of this post, thank you!!  It was a marathon!