Getting Ready on My Wedding Day

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**Photos courtesy of Daniel Peter Photo, www.danielpeter.com.**

**Hover over the bottom right corner of each image to Pin to Pinterest!**

As could probably be expected, the night before my wedding included very little sleep. Ironically, I had just been telling people that very evening at our Rehearsal Dinner that I hadn't had any wedding nightmares or insomnia yet. I was getting 8+ hours of deep, peaceful sleep... of course, that is, right up until the last night.

It took me a while to fall asleep, and then I woke up a few hours later. I figured I'd take a shot in the dark and text my mom to tell her I was having a hard time sleeping. As luck (or God) would have it, she was also having a hard time sleeping! She consoled me a bit and reminded me that all of my A+ sleeps leading up to the wedding would serve me well, and ultimately I would have all the energy I needed thanks to adrenaline and excitement.

I ended up waking up for good at 8 something. I rolled out of bed looking like a hot mess (mostly the mess part) and decided to assess the breakfast and coffee situation downstairs with two of my bridesmaids. One delicious iced coffee with whole milk later, life was good.

My bridesmaids set out their dresses for the day. Part of their gifts from the Rehearsal Dinner included those large baskets (seen above), a pair of nude pumps (not pictured), and personalized hangers (seen above). Each girl also had her own brown bag (seen above) filled with goodies like gum, Advil, Fiji water, and Smart Pop. We also delivered these bags to each of the rooms of our guests at the hotel.

Our hair stylist was already at the hotel, finishing up my mom's hair. They came up to our skyline suite, and she worked her magic on the rest of my ladies.

As far as getting your hair done goes, I think this was just about the best scenario ever. We had a panoramic city view to watch as she teased, curled, set, pinned, and sprayed...

Meanwhile, my makeup artist got to work on beatifying all of the ladies. It made me feel really happy to see these girls, who are so special to me, being pampered. Who doesn't enjoy a complete hair and makeup ritual?

I went last, so that my hair and makeup would be totally fresh. The hair artist curled my hair and clipped it up so that it could set in curls as it cooled. Then, she passed me off to my wonderful makeup artist so that he could start with my foundation and get the makeup basics out of the way.

My sister gave me a super cute tote bag from Dessy. Their web site is mostly dresses, but she somehow stumbled upon the cutest wedding day bag ever designed. Naturally, it was stuffed with goodies like a white tank top with "BRIDE" in rhinestones. 

My then-fiance was in the same hotel, in a different suite, on a different floor. He was getting ready with his groomsmen, my sister's boyfriend, and my dad. I knew he would be a little tense and nervous as he got ready for the wedding, so I wanted to send him a little something to lighten the mood and ease his nerves. After getting my nails done the day before, I had stopped for a nice bottle of Michigan Whiskey.

After my sister gifted me my bag, I sent her to his room with the bottle of whiskey and a card I had written him. I wasn't there to witness any of it, so it's really special to see in photos that she delivered it with a big hug!

It's also very sweet to see my almost-husband reading my card with a big old grin on his face. 

After reading the card, they opened the bottle of whiskey and drank it out of the various assortment of glasses the hotel suite had provided. My husband later told me that the whiskey was a great idea because it really did ease the tension in the room, and, despite being in full tux apparel, everyone loosened up.

The photographers did a wonderful job of capturing the gift giving, card reading, cheers, and aftermath: happy men who look classy as hell drinking whiskey in tuxes.

If you're familiar with the 5 Love Languages, you may be learning that one of my love languages is gift giving. I enjoy finding special items to make my favorite people feel special. So, while my husband and his groomsmen were sipping on his gift, I was busy giving my mother a gift in the ladies' suite.

I gave my mom a silver mesh infinity bracelet. We have sort of an inside joke about watching the T.V. show Revenge (jokes include: how horrible it is, how confusing it can be, why on earth we keep watching it despite those things...). On the show, the main character has a special relationship with one of her parents that is symbolized by the infinity sign. I wrote my mom a story that drew on other inside jokes (and mimicked a letter I wrote her as a first grader) and then talked about how our love goes on forever. 

I also gave her a small packet of blue tissues, "to dry her happy tears" during the ceremony.

As we continued getting ready, my bridesmaids started putting on their pearl necklaces that I had given them in their basket the night before. The necklaces were a collaboration between my aunt Betsy and me, and my aunt made them. I thought they were perfectly classy and simple.

Little did I know, my bridesmaids also had a gift for me. They had put together a book of "Letters To The Bride," each having written me a page. Some were more lyrical, some had inside jokes, and some were more picturesque (one was even 3D!).

It was really neat to read the letters from each of them and see how it not only reflected their unique personalities but also my unique relationships with them. As I read each letter, I was reminded of how lucky I am to have these ladies in my life! They are so supportive, creative, and unique. 

I may have had a few happy tears, but I somehow managed to not completely ruin my makeup. My mom helped me put my jewelry on. I actually had not chosen my jewelry until the day of the wedding. I knew I wanted a combination of pearls and sparkles, so I brought with me a number of pearl necklaces and earrings that were borrowed from my mom and aunt, and a few pairs of earrings. I ended up wearing a necklace that was borrowed from my mom along with a drop pendant from my aunt and pearl earrings from my aunt. Not just something borrowed... many things borrowed.

Next, my hair artist took my curls out of their rolls and pinned me into an up-do! As my makeup and hair started to come together, the mood in the room started to get more and more exciting. We chose more upbeat music (Girl Talk? Backstreet Boys? All of the above) and started to get pretty silly. 

What adds to an already excited room full of women? A bottle of champagne! My mom ordered us some champers and we eagerly toasted to love, marriage, and the wonderful day ahead.

As we clinked our glasses, I couldn't help looking around me at the amazing women that are in my life and be thankful. I am so blessed, and I am sure that, no matter how many words I write or how many times I express my gratitude, it will never suffice. Thank you, thank you, thank you... :)

With my hair finished and my makeup almost done, it was time to put on the dress! I had chosen a lace dress by Jim Hjelm (via Volle's Bridal) that layered antique looking, ivory lace on top of a champagne colored silk. It was very comfortable and I felt like it expressed my personality very well.

My shoes were light blue, extremely comfortable, and had a mid century feel to them. 

The dress is fairly easy to put on, because it lacks the puffiness or elaborate corseting of a lot of other wedding gowns. But, there was a clasp at the top of the back, and a bow to be tied using the ribbon part of my sparkly sash. My sister and maid of honor did the honors, and then it was time to step into my wedding shoes!

Stepping into these shoes just brought me one step closer to the wedding, itself. Despite the momentous occasion of the day, I was still completely calm at this point. In fact, my makeup artist even remarked that I seemed like one of the calmest brides he had ever worked with. I had a very deep feeling of peace, knowing that it would be the start of the rest of my life with the man I would love forever. Who could be nervous about that?, I thought.

In true Carly fashion, I had a gift I wanted to give to my dad. My mom had the idea of bringing him to our suite blindfolded, so that we could capture his reaction upon first seeing his little girl in her wedding dress. So, she headed over to the boys' suite and retrieved her husband, purple blindfold and all.

The photo above will probably always be one of my favorites. The surprise and joy in my dad's face is unmistakable, and my mom's grin as she watches his reaction is priceless. 

I wasn't sure which parts of the day would end up bringing me to tears, but I did know that the most likely culprit would be seeing my dad and giving him the gift I had for him. Sure enough, from the moment we hugged, we had tear-filled eyes. I gave him a handkerchief that was embroidered with a special message to him. 

My dad enjoys taking walks. There is a forest trail near my parents' home, and he frequently takes walks there with family or our family dog. But, it goes back much farther than that. I have a photo from when I was around 9 or 10 years old of my dad and I, standing at the edge of a pier, having taken a walk down to the beach together. We are standing next to each other, staring at the water. So, on my dad's handkerchief, I had a message embroidered that said, "Dad, Thanks for walking by my side today and always. Of all the walks we've ever taken, this one will be my favorite. A'voo, Sissy." (A'voo was the way I said "I love you" when I first learned to talk, and Sissy is one of his nicknames for me)

Once we released my dad from the torturous ladies' suite (apparently we just invite people there to cry their eyes out!), we took a few photos with the beautiful bouquets of flowers that had arrived. We worked with Ashland Addison Florists, and they did an impeccable job. I wanted bouquets that were very muted and light, with a vintage and romantic feel.

Soon after, it was time to put the finishing touches on. My makeup artist added mascara (which he'd left off so far, because I told him I would probably cry when my dad came to see me). Then, my hair artist secured my veil. I surveyed the final product and was absolutely stunned to see what they had done to me!

At this point, we took a few more pictures in the suite and then headed out to meet the boys for Justin and my "First Look!"

Vendor List:
Bride's Dress: Jim Hjelm via Volle's Bridal
Bridesmaids Dresses: J. Crew
Tuxes: Formally Modern
Flowers: Ashland Addison Florists
First Look Location: Hyatt Regency McCormick Place

We're Getting Hitched!

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That's right, we're getting married! This weekend, my fiance fooled me by fabricating a fake story about our Saturday plans, proposing to me, bringing me to an amazing post-proposal photoshoot, and arranging to have our parents meet us for a celebratory shoot and dinner! Read the full story below.

  

Last weekend, my fiance fooled me by fabricating a story for our Saturday plans. We have plans to meet up with my parents, he said. They're in town for Christmas shopping, he said.

So, on Saturday morning, I took it easy. We cleaned the apartment (seriously, how did he know I would enjoy this day more with a clean apartment!?). Eventually, I started getting ready to hang out with his parents.

I was just finishing getting ready, folding the corners on a smooth and perfectly made bed, when Justin called for me from the other room. Carly, he said, come in here!

But, I'm making the bed, babe! Do I have to come now? After a beat of silence, I heard Yes! You should come now!

When I walked into the living room, Justin put his hands on my shoulders and told me to stand in the middle of the room and wait. He left for a moment, and I heard movement in the other room (little did I know that he had gotten me out of there so he could grab the diamond ring he'd stashed in the closet!).

When he returned, I still hadn't caught on. Finally, he said, This whole day has been a kind of misdirection. We're not actually going to meet my parents right now.

I tilted my head and asked, Okay, then what are we doing?

My future husband smiled and said, We're going to meet a photographer at the Kinzie Street Bridge to take pictures.

At this point, I had an inkling of what was going on, but I still wasn't sure. A moment later, I had my answer. He was down on one knee, my heart was thumping in my chest, and the next five minutes were a total blur. I had to ask him the next day what he actually said to me, so clearly my brain was so flooded with pure joy that it forgot to take notes! I love you more than anything. You mean everything to me and I want to be with you forever. Will you marry me?

The poor guy must have been scared to death for a moment, because my response was hardly a whisper. Yes. He tilted his head and asked, Is that a yes? I nodded and shouted it.

When he slipped the ring on my finger, it fit - perfectly.

A moment later (you know, after fixing my hair and texting my sister, crying), we were on our way to the most genuinely smile-filled photo shoot I've ever been part of. We took hundreds - actually, probably thousands - and were kissing in almost all of them.

An hour or two later - I lost every concept of time, so it could have been more or less - we went to one of our favorite restaurants called TWO. It's down the street from the new apartment we'd moved into together and was one of our favorite date night spots. The photographer came with us to take pictures of us as we sat at the bar - and then, all of a sudden, Justin's parents walked through the curtain, followed by my own parents.

We took a few more pictures, filled with clanking glasses and hugging and smiles, and then sat down for a wonderful dinner with both sets of parents. It was a perfect day - from the intimate, quiet proposal, to the photoshoot that captured our emotions on the day we got engaged, to the inclusion of our parents.

Does this guy know how to plan a proposal or what?

Justin worked with my Aunt to design the ring, and I think they did a wonderful job capturing my personality. The piece is entirely custom, vintage and modern at the same time, and with just a bit of flair. Definitely unique - and exactly what I wanted. It even has a small aquamarine, which is Justin's birth stone, embedded in the top and bottom of the ring.

Holland [Not The Country] & The Best Day Ever

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WARNING: This post describes what might have been the best day of my life. Get ready for some happiness, here!

Last weekend, Justin and I traveled to the distant land of Holland. Not the country. It's a small Michigan town nestled on Lake Michigan, with another much smaller lake also connected to it. Two lakes. One boat. Two kayaks. One dog. Two Dunes. One extremely high energy Carly...



Kayaking is simultaneously exhilarating and terrifying. Every time a large wave came by, I cursed the boat whose wake I was battling and silently said a tiny prayer. Lord, please do not let me tip over.





We were out in the kayaks for an hour or so. Half way through, my shoulders were burning. But the moment we turned around, everything changed. Funny how being on the home stretch can bring a smile to your face. Granted, the waves were still terrifying... but I was getting a good workout (reason to smile # 1) and I was almost home (reason to smile # 2).



To further capitalize on the sun and natural landscape... and to make a bright, sunny day on the lake even more romantic... Justin and I decided to pack a lunch and take the boat to the dunes.



With the water level so low, the boat was anchored out farther from the dock than usual. I've got to give Justin some credit and thanks here for carrying me to the boat. Then carrying the cooler. Then carrying my camera bag and our bag of sun screen, etc. And then the dog. I'm cracking up at the looks on their faces. It's as though he's carrying her to the top of Mt. Everest (which we later climbed... see below).







Dunes. I'd seen them before in Indiana. This was a whole different story entirely. I'm not convinced that these images even capture the height and magnificence of the dunes.



Justin referred to this particular area as the bowl. Instead of the large dune pushing right up to the water, there is a smaller dune with a huge (and not visible in this picture) bowl of dunes behind it.





The openness. The beauty. How could I ever find this in a city? Never.







And how could this high-energy pup ever find this much free space to run around in while in the city? Never.







We hiked up the first set of dunes. I'll be honest and admit that I had to stop a few times. This was almost encouraging for me, because it signaled that, on top of being in a beautiful place and getting some great sun, I was also getting a great workout.



Climbing the dunes was like being on a stairmaster... but instead of stairs, the sand is moving, sucking your feet in, and slowly falling backwards, as though an avalanche of soft, white sand is threatening to take you away with it. Not the easiest thing to climb. Again, this made me extremely happy. I love a good challenge.



Hazel had a similar experience. She would sprint part of the dune, then stop and sit, slide a bit, and start again.



She brought up a ball... which she promptly set down (you can do that on flat land, so why not?).



It immediately began rolling down the steep dunes. She watched it with a funny look on her face for about 30 seconds... then, shortly after I snapped this image, she took off after the ball.



How high were we? It's hard to do the height and steepness of the dunes justice in pictures. Here's how far away Justin was, while he stood down below. I'm pretty sure this was taken when I wasn't even at the top yet. See the tiny little human? Don't forget that he's 6 foot 7...



He then sprinted up after me. Show off. :)



Once at the top of the first dune, we were amazed by the view. One side was a panoramic view of Lake Michigan. Boats coming in to land at the dunes. On the other was a magnificent view of trees and dunes.







Suddenly, we looked up into a tree to see a wooden box. I figured it was a geocache and wanted to open it.





Turns out, it was a love letter! Someone had left it high up in the tree. What a climb their lover must have to do to find it someday, if they already haven't...


The front of the box was intricately carved. Someone spent some loving hours on this box. So cute to find.



We moved away from the lovers' box and hiked along the top of a few dunes. Some of the dunes were covered in what felt like a forest... giving the illusion of a desert on one side but a forest on the other. Opposites!

I should preface the next image by informing you that, no, I am not naked. I'm wearing the same swim suit I am in all the other pictures. Yet somehow, it doesn't quite show.





On the back side of the first dune, we could see various trails climbing high up into other dunes. The wall of sand on the right was so steep that I figured I probably wasn't even capable of climbing it.

Justin jumped/climbed/ran down into the center of the sand "bowl."

And, standing on one of the dunes, here's all I could see of him and Hazel. Click on the image to zoom in... I swear that's an extremely tall human being down there.

Before climbing the highest dunes, we had a bare bones picnic. By bare bones, I mean one huge spinach/strawberry/walnut/feta salad, which we split, and two Stellas... which we couldn't open, so we switched to trusty old Miller Lite.

After the picnic is where my personal version of this story really gets good. You might have to be a little sentimental to enjoy it. And we decided to leave the camera behind in order to make the extremely steep hike unscathed, so there are no visuals to help me tell the tale. Just my recollection.

We began hiking up the tallest dune. It took us about 20-30 minutes and, for me, was pure challenge. Every step I took required some serious internal coaxing. About half way up the dune, I stopped and turned my head to see what was behind me. I was already so high above the earth that I could actually see up and over the previous dune. I could see the beautiful, blue water of Lake Michigan and the dark green vegetation on other dunes. It was majestic. So suddenly, I raised my hands high in the air, and started to pray. To thank God for the moment I was having. To tell Him what a wonderful job I think He did and how beautiful everything was. To tell Him how happy I was in that moment and how much I loved Him.

Then, when I looked back at the dune, I was reminded that I was only half way through the journey. Every step was difficult. I felt God urging me to keep going, to make it to the top of the dune. So I kept pushing.

And then, near the top, I broke into a (very painful) sprint. I ran the last 10 yards and finally reached the top. I was greeted with one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. To one side, the bright blue ocean. But on the other side of the dune was something I couldn't have seen without finishing the climb. Miles of wilderness. Natural beauty, the way Michigan was made, long before we put up buildings and took down trees. Miles of tall trees, steep hills, and small lakes. All seemingly untouched.

Just as some lover had left the "I Love You" note in a small, wooden box, God had left that precious sight for me. To tell me that He loved me. Just as the lover would have had to hike the dune to reach the wooden box, I had to make a journey to find my gift. And, just as one of the lovers must have spent countless hours painstakingly carving the intricate details on the box, God had created something intricately detailed for us. 

I stood there for quite a while. Breathing. Sinking it in. Tearing up a little bit. With sunglasses on and no one around but Justin and the dog to see, tears were easy and almost invisible. I just stood there, appreciating the beauty of the gift I felt I had just been given. And every time I felt a gust of wind, I really did feel like God was hugging me.

When it was finally time to head out, I turned around and waved goodbye...

And we made our way back to the house, where I could tell that we had timed the day perfectly. Suddenly, a huge storm rolled in.

And, at the end of the day, I felt just like Justin's dog. On the way out to the dunes, Hazel had been anxious and couldn't seem to calm down. Justin had turned to me and said, "Just wait until you see how she looks on the way back. It's like a different dog."



And sure enough, on the way back, instead of anxious and unable to relax, Hazel seemed content and calm.



Content and calm is just how I felt. And, if you know me, that, in itself, is quite a feat. :)

See you tomorrow!