... going to weddings!

Patrick and I went to a wedding on Saturday. I was moving and fun and exciting to see two people promise to stay together until the very end and it made it even more special and amazing to be there with Patrick knowing that we will be doing the same in September.

I wish I could show you my crappy pictures so that you could see how beautiful Rachel looked in her short wedding dress and purple stockings, how fun their reception was and tell you their unbelievable engagement story, but I don't want to do that without asking permission, so instead, here are a few pictures of other people who were there. Oh! But before they come, enjoy this embarrassing moment I got myself into:

I have been looking for shoes to match my gorgeous dress and I spotted a pair that were similar to what I am looking for. The woman was really stylish in a 'couldn't-care-less' kind of way so I got all my bravery together and asked 'Excuse me, where did you get your shoes? I have been looking for a pair like that.' 'Toast,' she replied, 'have you heard of the store?' 'Toast?', I replied, 'no, I haven't!' 'What a fancy boutique. Just my luck.' I thought. She looked a bit surprised and told me they had a website where I could find them. I quickly turned to my friends 'Remember 'Toast', guys, ok?' I turned and thanked her, she chuckled at my love for her shoes and I went about the day. Later on, I asked Rachel where she got her wedding dress from. 'Coast' she replied and I immediately understood what had happened. Coast. Not Toast. It's a good thing I can laugh at myself. And anways, she probably thinks I'm American ;)

Ok, enough of that. Here are the promised pictures!

The really awesome worship band. 

 

Nessa and Becki looking all dolled up!

I took some pictures of us while the wedding couple were having their pictures done.

Preparation is Key.

I just got back to Bremen yesterday after spending 4 wonderful days in London with the Hons.

London, Baby!

I'm going back to London on Monday, which meant this last time was really relaxed. Normally, I don't really want to see anyone else because I know those few days are all we will have for at least a month, but knowing that I would be back in a week meant that I loved hanging out with his flatmates for a little while on Thursday, going to Rachel's fun, relaxed, wonderful wedding on Saturday (more on that in 'We Love...') and - most excitingly - having our first marriage preparation session on Monday night!

Marriage preparation. Not something everyone does before getting married, but something that I always knew I would do when I got married. I remember in Canada, when my parents were Corps Officers, that they did marriage prep with a few couples who wanted to get married, and I remember my dad saying that he would never marry a couple without going through the prep first. Years ago my Grandparents told me interesting stories from marriage preparation that they were doing with a couple (it had something to do with sex. Needless to say, I have repressed the details). With this kind of 'history', there's no wonder that I wanted to do the course. Patrick hadn't really thought about it but was happy to go along with it and we decided that we wanted my old Corps Officers and his current ones to do it with us. Jonny and Catherine are so much fun to be around but are also really honest, which is perfect for talking about marriage.

We didn't really have many expectations when we went to their house on Monday (barring the expectation for good food!) After a delicious, I want to say Moroccan, meal and reading Sam some good-night stories, we started to get prepared. Expectations and Communication were on the table and it was so much fun! We got to fill out a questionnaire about our expectations (I LOVE things like that) and talk about each other (which I love!) and getting married. Jonny and Catherine helped us feel relaxed right away, and had some really good tips for life after the wedding. My favourite of the night: make the bedroom a 'no work talk' room. This is definitely one I want to apply in my own marriage.

I am really looking forward to our next session Tuesday morning and to learn more about marriage and life post-wedding.

Did you do marriage prep? What would be your number one tip?

Bride bouquet

Die klassischen Brautsträuße kennt wohl jeder.
Hier mal ein paar ausgefallene Ideen:

Der Unkraut-Blumenstrauß

Der Süßigkeiten-Blumenstrauß

Ein Brautstrauß aus alten Broschen

Mal ein paar echte Blumen in einem Strauß

Brautstrauß aus alten und vor allem bunten Broschen

Der Knopf-Blumenstrauß

Schon wieder ein Broschen-Blumenstrauß

Dieser Brautstrauß wurde aus alten Eierkartons gebastelt

Der Perlen-Brautstrauß

Buch-Blumenstrauß

Pfauenfedern-Blumenstrauß

Papier-Blumenstrauß

*Sigh*

I'm excited. Really excited. It's been a while since I have been this excited about getting married. Over the last few weeks there has just been so much going on that the wedding and my future marriage was pushed to the very back of my head. There have been lots of meetings, some more travelling and then just over a week ago I was informed that my wonderful flatmate Mareike is to move to Karlsruhe in a month and that I will be taking over the responsibilities for Bremen Corps on top of my other work as of the 10th of March. None of that, however, can silence my excitement for long.

I am excited about putting on my dress, walking down the aisle with my dad, saying 'I do', hearing 'I do' and partying the night away with our friends and family. But more than all that, I am just filled with awe and excitement about the fact that I get to marry who I am going to marry. Seriously, I wish I could make you understand how spectacular my particular Honsberg is (they are all lovely, but mine is just... well you understand, right?), and if I weren't afraid you would get sick and have to leave this blog and never return I would go on and on about what I love about him and how rosy my future looks because he is in it. Please stay! I promise I will keep it together. I will tell you this, though:

I am so eternally grateful to God that he has blessed me with a man that is all I wanted and more. And so all the decorations, my beautiful dress, the music, the food, the flowers - all of these things fade into insignificance when I think that I get to promise before God to love, honour, serve and be faithful to the man who isn't perfect, but is certainly perfect for me.

What's not to love?!

... Style Me Pretty.

I have been really busy traveling the last few weeks, so thinking about the wedding has kind of landed on the back burner. I am back home now for a week and really need to remind myself that I am getting married, that that is really wonderful and get back that giddy, happy feeling that every bride-in-planning should have.
There is one place that never fails to inspire, amaze and put me in the wedding mood:
www.stylemepretty.com is an amazing wedding blog. They post some of the most beautiful weddings I have ever seen and have really inspire me to be creative with my own plans.

This is my favourite wedding today. 

I am in love with the wheat. It's serious. I'm done for. Save me.

Was ziehe ich an?

Wer kennt nicht diesen Moment:

Man steht vor einem gut gefüllten Kleiderschrank und fragt sich "Was ziehe ich bloss an."

Und meistens kommt man zu dem Ergebniss: "Ich habe einfach nichts zum anziehen."
Damit es Euch nicht mehr so ergeht, stelle ich hier zwei Links vor.
Dieser hier http://www.modcloth.com/ hat ganz, wie ich finde wunderbare Kleidung. Vor allem ihre Kleider haben es mir angetan.
Und hier noch ein Link für alle zukünftigen Bräute: http://www.jesuspeiro.com/
Ich liebe diesen Designer.

Mit diesen Links da kann die nächste Hochzeit doch kommen oder?!

... dancing!

Mareike and I saw this video of this couple's first dance. We sighed and 'awed' our way through it and (possibly due to hormones and disgusting amounts of chocolate) got a little bit teary at how in love they looked and how crazy cute they are. They both have such a charming, awkward grace that make them endearing and I love their choice of song. Ok, ok, I just love them!

Patrick and I know (sort of) what our first dance song is going to be but I have very few expectations on our dance itself except that it will be sweet and wonderful for us both. It may be something completely different for our guests, though. Poor guys.

I will just be happy if it doesn't end like this:

Es gibt ja die unterschiedlichsten Arten sich auf eine Hochzeit vorzubereiten oder eine zu planen.
Da gibt es Hochzeitzeitungen die man lesen, Hochzeitsmessen die man besuchen kann, stundenlange Internetrecherchen... Na fällt Euch noch was ein?

Mir schon: Filme

Ja genau Hochzeitsfilme. Nein natürlich nicht die Privatvideos anderer Menschen, sondern die klassischen Filme aus Hollywood.
Ich denke den ersten den ich zu diesem Thema gesehen habe war "Vier Hochzeiten und ein Todesfall."

Welche Filme fallen Euch ein und vor allem welche könnt ihr uns empfehlen anzuschauen?!