In Case You Missed It...

Our photogs have a new website! You know I am their biggest fan, so head over and check it out... along with our slideshow, cause they're featuring it again!!

Good Work Kevan and Duane!

Our Montaintop Wedding - Blessed

The recaps continue... I miss my wedding?! That sounds lame I know, but I really do miss the day, the preparation, the people, the laughter, the anticipation, the stress (I know... weird!), and most of all, I miss the images. Fernie was such a spectacular location for our wedding, and thankfully I have the pictures to look back on, but I really do miss being out on our wedding weekend soaking in the beautiful views of the peaks and valleys. Can you tell I haven't been out skiing yet this winter?!?! The house buying and long distance relationship have proved to put a damper on our extra curricular... i.e. getting out the mountains where we said our "I do"s.

So yes, this post has perfect timing, because it is a treat for me to share with you some of the most amazing pictures that Kev and Duane of [6:8] Photography shot for us... and the emotion of this moment really was blessed. We were so lucky that the weather cooperated with us, and that we were in one of the most beautiful spots in the world to spend time together on our wedding day. We were so blessed to be in Fernie!!

Caution... picture-heavy post!! Proceed at your own pace :)

I just love the color of the cliff face on this one... red dirt!!

Our photogs reassured us that the lighting would be perfect for the photos... and, well, we couldn't agree more!

The next picture is similar to the one that won us a canvas from [6:8] (thanks again for voting!!), but I just LOVE the white water in the river below. Funny story about this location... we didn't realize we would be going here, but this location is literally a stone's throw from where Ian and I dropped our rafts into the water when we went white water rafting VERY early in our relationship. I'm talking EARLY! OK, obviously there is a story behind this one. Well, to be perfectly honest, the first weekend we spent together in Fernie was a "let's get away from the day-to-day so we can actually talk about us, and whether or not we should make a go of our relationship". Yep, that early! We had started off pretty casually, and our first weekend in Fernie was a turning point... and obviously the road we turned on to lead to great things! So, it was really a full-circle-moment when we went back to this very location. Again, we realized how blessed we were that we had chosen to work on our relationship, chosen to be together, and chosen to love each other. As you can tell from the title of my blog, I believe our path is a purposeful one, and the hubs and my relationship is no different... conscious decisions and choices lead to us being together! So, there you have it... Fernie has seen many pivotal points in our relationship!

Sorry, got a bit off track there... here we go, the white water:

Caught in a moment of reflection...

And the two of us looking out onto the river that brought us together... how crazy was it that our photogs chose this location?! It still sends shivers down my back remembering walking onto that ledge and realizing when we had been there last!

Yep... blessed is the word! Thank-you Fernie... your landscapes, your weather, your skies, your clouds, and most of all, your place in our hearts!

And just for good measure... the boys trying to get me to be all fierce-like!! Tyra... help!

Who wouldn't want to get married here?!

So, with this post, I want to encourage all of you brides out there (yep, and you too guys!) to stick to your guns when you know where you want to get married. We were faced with some resistance to having our wedding in the mountains ("you're having a destination wedding?!" was the comment I hated the most during our planning!), but at the end of the day, we knew Fernie was where we were meant to get married. We absolutely love it there, and like the pictures show, it really is beautiful. We were blessed to be able to bring our family and closest friends to this place we love so dearly!!

As always, photo credit goes to the amazing talent behind [6:8] Photography. Thanks for giving us the gift of these images that I can go back to when I miss the peaks of Fernie!!

347 unread messages...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of my fabulous readers!!

A bit MIA I know... my google reader reminded me of this fact when I opened her up this morning to find 347 unread messages?! WOWZA! I briefly buzzed through them, but mostly just clicked the ol' "next item" button. I know I know, it's bad, but 347?!

So, first of all, I would like to say a HUGE THANK YOU to all of you who voted for my hubs and I in our photogs' best shots of '09 contest!! Your support really meant a lot, and best of all, it got as a freakin beautiful canvas... yep, WE WON!! So thanks thanks thanks for visiting [6:8] Photography's site and voting for us! We are very appreciative! And now the task becomes... where do we hang this new canvas?


maybe here:

or how about here:

What are these new locations you ask?! Well, in the midst of the usual Christmas activities (mainly eating, drinking, playing in the snow, and eating some more!!), the hubs and I made a pretty exciting purchase! Yep, we bought a new house! Wait, here comes the kicker... it's our second house. As in, 2nd mortgage. As in... yikes!! What I haven't totally filled you all in on yet is the fact that the hubs and I are living LD... the dreaded long-distance! Let's be completely honest here... the first year of marriage is not designed to be LD. It sucks. BUT, it will be better now that I will be moving out of my sister's house, and into OUR new house! The hubs will continue to live in Ctown (about 3 hrs south of Etown where I live) during the week, but he will now be joining me in our new home on the weekends. It has been a very stressful time (I definitely understand why Christmas is a slow time in real estate... it really is NOT a good time to buy a house people!!), but we are coming out of it now! We take possession on January 15th, so we are moving out of the bad stress (i.e. trying to convince the bank that we can afford the second mortgage, trying to buy a house during holiday hours, and trying to find time for 3hr home inspections in the middle of the work week all the while trying to finish Christmas shopping!), and sliding on in to the good-stress... like what colors in the new bathroom, what to cook for the first dinner party in the new kitchen, and best of all... where-oh-where is my dream dining table?!

So, the next few weeks (or months) of blogging will definitely continue to recap our Mountaintop Wedding, but there will probably be spurts of house-stuff in there too (cause let's face it, this is all I can think about now!). A year ago this time, I was freshly engaged, and all I could think about was WEDDING! And now, 4 months into an LD marriage, 10 days away from a new house, all I can think about is decorating, renovating, moving, cooking, hosting... so much to do with a new house... where to start?!

I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday season, and I hope you have come into 2010 with great ideas, creative projects, exciting goals, and best of all, a strong love with your partner!! I will be honest with you all, my hubs and I have had to WORK to stay strong during these last few weeks... the stress has tested us, we have definitely fought, but I know these are all trials and tribulations that will make us stronger. Afterall, he is my man, forever!

We need your help... it's a contest!

We interrupt the previously scheduled wedding recap post, to bring you a plea... for help... well, VOTES!! One of our wedding pictures (coincidentally it was going to appear in the next recap post!) was entered as one of [6:8] Photography's top 15 pictures of 2009. They are holding a contest, where the winner (with the most votes) will receive a beautiful canvas of one of their own favorite wedding shots.

This is the pic from our Mountaintop Wedding that was entered:

So, if you have time, definitely head over to their contest and check out all the photos... and if ours still ranks up there on your list, we would be beyond grateful if you voted for us, Tiffany and Ian!! It would be the best Christmas present ever!!

Click here to find the voting!!

Thanks all!! Have a great day!

Our Montaintop Wedding - proud

Wowza... it's a mere 4 days till Christmas?! Where has the fall gone? It is crazy to think that a year ago today, I was on the ski-hill in Austria completing my final day of testing, before packing up to return home... and now, 12 months later, I am married, I have finished my PhD, I have moved cities, and I am hours away from buying (hopefully... fingers crossed!) a new house!! Yep, lots has happened, EVERYTHING has changed, and it truly amazes me every day how the body can sustain stress, love, adventure, heartache, excitement, anticipation, and more stress, and still feel great!! We are lucky!

Our wedding day, as you all know, was blessed enough to have some rain, but we were also lucky enough to be in the mountains, which meant that a 30 minute drive was enough to bring out the sun, stop the rain, and produce some new, dramatic backdrops for our photo shoot! We were still relaxed, and super grateful to have some time without the rain, but the emotion I was feeling here was pure pride...

We arrived at our next location to find a dirt biking track, which let me tell you, made my hubs veerrryyy happy! He jumped out of the jeep, and immediately flagged down one of the bikers, who was more than happy to allow my man-in-black to do this:

Yep, my man figured it was a perfect idea to go dirt biking in the mud in his black suit even before we were married... mmmm, muddy suit in the ceremony? Not quite what I had in mind!

So I admit, I was apprehensive about his carefree spirit shining through on the bike, but come on, how else do you react when you see your soon-to-be-husband with the hugest smile on his face, doing something he freakin' loves (hello, all things with motors he loves!), after months and months of helping me plan a day that would meet and exceed all of my dreams... well, I was proud that he was loving this day as much as he was, because it was his day too of course!!

And a few minutes later, after a quick 4x4 to our actual photo location, he was back to business, bringing out his inner Tyson Beckford!

And I mean really, my man in black, on his wedding day, minutes after dirt biking, looking as handsome as this...

and here's that smile I love...

Yep, I was downright proud of my man! Proud of the fact that he was mine, but even more so, proud of the fact that he is his own man, he knows what makes him happy and goes for it, all the while moving mountains to make me happy!

We really had come such a long way... trials and tribulations, peaks and valleys, highs and lows... it was only fitting that on this day, we were surrounded by the mountains and valleys that mimic our relationship so perfectly. And just like the mountains, no matter how rugged, moody, and unpredictable they can be, the beauty of our relationship, and the mountains we celebrated it in, is undeniable. I was (am) so proud at where we had come... and where we continue to move toward!!

photo credits to the uber-talented, and equally FUN Kevan and Duane of [6:8] Photography.

Our Montaintop Wedding - ahhhh... relaxed!

First of all, thanks for coming around! I know it has been nearly a month since my last post, and I am thankful that you are here to follow this bride's emotional journey :)

The last we left off, I was getting over some bridezilla frustration, and we were just getting started with the portraits. It's strange thinking back on this time, and although it really was just a photo shoot, it amazes me that it was so relaxing. I look at this next picture, and am just so thankful for my girls. They have been with me through the thick and thin of it all (we grew up together, so when I say "it all", it really does mean "it all"!) and having them looking GORGEOUS, trudging through a WET farmer's field on a pretty cold September day, all the while having their show-stopping smiles on, it makes perfect sense why it was so relaxing!
I have mentioned quite a few times that I love wheat fields. I was born and raised in Alberta, and the prairies (considered to be dull and boring by many), really do feel like home to me. Kevan and Duane ([6:8] Photography) promised me that we would see the wheat, and they came through! I love how in the next photo it is all wild and disheveled (my hubs refers to me as a disheveled mess all the time, so I extra like this wheat!), and then on the other side of the road (the last few photos), it is standing up strong and straight in defiance of the wind and rain... isn't wheat just so courageous?! (Yep, that's how much I love it!)

In this next photo, our crew was staying warm in the vehicles, and we were just having fun in the fields. Who woulda thought that after months of planning, tears, $$, and emotion, me walking through thigh deep WET grass/grain in a WHITE dress would be relaxing?! But it really was...

Look at the expressions on our faces in the next two shots (which, by the way, I believe to be genius!)... serious and intense in a way, but also simple and calm... man and wife... relax... relaxing... relaxed.

And, for a bit of fun, here is a shot of my hubs covering my butt as I walked back up to the cars with my dress (literally) around my waist! Our photogs thought it was hilarious, and even snapped a pic of my bare-bride-butt (that I probably won't share here)...

but that's what I'm trying to tell you all about... it was fun and relaxing. This might sound lame, but as I walked and sometimes RAN through the fields with my dress up and the wet grass/grain soaking me, it was not unlike that feeling of running around it wet running shoes in shorts and a tank top in that totally unexpected rain storm as a kid (ya, who am I kidding, as an adult too!). Were we getting married? Yes, but that didn't change us... we were still fun-lovin' peeps who have always loved the rain... relaxed in the rain... that's just how we play!

As always, photo credit goes to the amazing talent of [6:8] Photography.

Our Mountaintop Wedding - Frustration

No matter how often you tell yourself that you will NOT go bridezilla on your wedding day, there just might be a little disturbance that you are not prepared for... and it can spark something inside that you swore wouldn't light on fire!! YEP, I had a bridezilla moment! Emotion of the moment?! FRUSTRATION!!

I was soooo frustrated with my husband when, after our moment of bliss during our first look, we started to head outside to get our modelling on! You already know it was raining, but since we had a spent a few minutes inside doing our first look, the weather seemed to have calmed down a bit, but it was still drizzling, and definitely still a bit messy from the early RAIN!! So, I waited patiently outside with an umbrella, while our peeps figured out the vehicles. We knew in advance that we needed 4 wheel drive to access one of the photo-shoot locations, and we (hubs and I) had already decided that we would be driving his truck (convenient right?!). Well, you can imagine my surprise when he informed me that he had left his truck at the hotel, and that we would be taking his best man's jeep... not that big of a deal right?!

My mom came out to help and make sure I didn't get dirty...

(I think he knew he was about to get in trouble...)

Well, let's just say that the Jeep was NOT CLEAN?!?! and... out came bridezilla! I was pissed right off... oh wait, I am using the slightly less dramatic term "frustrated", but let's face it ladies, I was pissed! Um, what part of WHITE DRESS did he not understand?!? So, after catching sight of the interior...

I think this is me trying to keep a happy smile pasted on my face ;)

I tried to remain calm!! I actually ended up retreating into the house after hissing something along the lines of "how could you have NOT thought this through?!?!" to my husband. I told him to deal with it, and not bring me back outside into the rain unless it was so!! (I told you... bridezilla!!). Well, what ended up happening was pretty simple... they cleaned the seats as best they could, brought me a towel to sit on, and I climbed in the front seat (NOT the back like they had originally suggested!!), and we went on our 'marry' way.

On our way to the photo location, we completely lost our bridal party?!?! They weren't answering their phones, we were driving back and forth on the road trying to find them (which is ridiculous since there is one road, and only a left or right turn on to it from our driveway??), and I was getting more and more pissed off... I mean... frustrated! Long story short, they had gone back to get our rubber boots (which was a great idea), and in a few minutes, they met us at the location...

...and they helped to calm the 'zilla...

Yep, that's me, rain boots and a flask! And so the photos started.

I still wasn't quite convinced that he should be forgiven...

But he probably told me something funny to make me laugh (he's pretty good at that!)...

and I started to come around...

But once my man starts to nuzzle my neck... game over!! I was one happy bride after this:

and we both knew it was going to be an amazing day...

And so started the portraits... a bit rocky, but with the horizon in site, we were on our way!!

All photos courtesy of [6:8] Photography.