Marriage Licenses & Last Suppers!

Well, not exactly the Last Supper EVER--just the last dinner-date out together before we become husband and wife!

After we got off work today, Galen mentioned that since we'll be traveling to Los Angeles for the wedding soon, this was our last evening together in San Francisco before we got married. So of course, we had to celebrate that in style. :)

We treated our broke little selves to an awesome dinner at Houston's, a restaurant we love but can rarely shell the cash out for. Here we are waiting for a table:

But way before dinner--early this morning, in fact--we celebrated something else: our Marriage License!

After a looooong early-morning drive down to San Mateo, we walked into City Hall, stood in line, raised our right hands and solemnly swore...whatever it was they asked us to swear, and after a few minutes, a couple signatures, and a hefty little fee, we walked out with this:

Woo hoo! We're legal and official!

But the fun doesn't end there--when I got into work later that morning (my last day before the wedding), this was waiting for me in the Teacher's Lounge (well, without the missing slice!):

Isn't that sweet? 

:)

More crafts and a wedding gift! :)

We're officially down to the single digits!!!

With 9 days left, I found myself extremely physically/mentally tired, and it really showed in my face (picture below for proof).

Sitting down in front of a stack of paper and constructing more decor flowers zapped me of even more energy!

But I was able to perk up a little bit when I saw a certain little box with a certain little treat inside--we'd received another wedding present!

:)

Thanks, Ms. Florine!

Three stacks of paper, two sets of steady hands, and one friend's help...

...and you've got your *wedding crafts* under way!

With the help of a certain multi-talented friend/groomsman/wedding singer (yes--he really is all those things), I was able to get started on the D-I-Y crafts I'll be doing for the wedding.

Our good friend Louie came over to our place Thursday night to help me with my reception place cards by blessing them with his AMAZING calligraphy skills!

Thanks, Luis!!!

While he beautified the names of our wedding guests, I got to work on my paper flowers (since, due to severe floral allergies, I can't have the real thing!).

Check it out!

Bridal Shower #1!

The lovely ladies of our church's women's ministry, W.O.V.E.N., were kind enough to throw me a bridal shower this past Saturday.

Being surrounded by all that love and laughter, and all those beautiful women who are as excited about my upcoming marriage as I am, was such a blessing!

Here are a few pictures....

I can't believe I get to experience this again at shower #2 (my bridesmaids are planning one in Los Angeles the Friday before the wedding)!

"So Are You Gonna Cry?"

I've asked Galen this question ("Are you going to cry at our wedding?") plenty of times.

Considering that in 5 1/2 years, I've only known Galen to cry 2 or 3 times and have never really actually *seen* him cry, I feel like years from now, when I look over our wedding pictures, there won't be one of him shedding a tear or two. 

But if I'm honest...I kind of want him to! Isn't it romantic when grooms cry during the vows, or at the sight of their bride coming down the aisle?? Even so, I'm almost certain the only people who'll be shedding any tears will be family and friends.

As for me? I'm sure my mother would whole-heartedly disagree but...I don't really think I'm a crier!!! 

Sure, if you ask Galen, he'll laugh and tell you about the time I cried because King Kong died at the end of the movie, or my mother will tell you about how easily I cry if my "little feelings are hurt," but in all honesty, I don't think I'll cry at my wedding.

(Yeah, I said it! And that's the story I'm sticking to!)

:)

--JeLisa

Someone bought us a gift!

It's okay to be excited about that, right?

:)

Hope so, 'cause we are! While doing a final run-through of our wedding gift registries, we noticed that some items have been "completed" (or purchased) at two of our three stores. That was a pretty awesome surprise, we must say.

Thanks, whomever you are!

JeLisa found her wedding shoes! Again...

Ironically enough, I had to find--and buy--my wedding shoes TWICE!

The first time I bought them online, FedEx dropped them off...in front of my apartment building!!! Needless to say, someone stole the package, and I never got to lay hands on my precious, not to mention EXPENSIVE, wedding shoes!

After a couple tears, a little anger, and a tense call or two to the store I'd purchased them from, I received good news and bad news:

- I'd be receiving a full refund from the store *but*

- I had purchased the last of the shoes--they'd been discontinued!

:(

I was soooo bummed. The shoe had been perfect, and really hard to find (my wedding shoe color of choice is kind of unique).

Fast forward a couple days and I, still ever the bummed-out bride-to-be, was searching for new shoes online and there they were! The same exact discontinued shoe, on sale for about 60% off! 

I went from bummed to blissful in no time. ;)

RSVPs are coming in!

It's pretty exciting getting the first RSVPs!

In lieu of spending extra money (and wasting paper in this eco-friendly time!) on paper RSVP cards and postage, we opted to do electronic/on-line RSVPs. 

What's cool about that is each time someone RSVPs (confirms or declines their attendance at our wedding), not only is our Guest List automatically updated, but we receive an e-mail notification.

The ultimate in convenience as well as excitement. :)

It definitely starts to set in that the wedding is really happening, and SOON!, when people start telling you they're coming. So far, 12 people have done so, and we can't wait to see them there!

(If you are on our guest list and have yet to confirm or decline your attendance, please RSVP by clicking here.)

Planning the Ceremony

I can't begin to describe how exciting it is planning the ceremony aspect of our wedding. It's really the most important part to me--more meaningful than my dress, the food, the reception, or any other part of the wedding. For me, the ceremony is what's dearest to my heart. It is, after all, what sets the standard for our marriage and officially seals our union.

So planning it today has been really fun!

I've done a lot of research and liked a couple of things I saw and, taking that into consideration along with Galen's preferences, I was able to outline our entire ceremony!

The best part, though, has been coming up with my own personal ideas. These are things that I've personally come up with and decided to include in our ceremony based on their direct significance to Galen and I, and our faith as a Christian couple. It's such a good feeling to create these unique elements for our ceremony knowing that they'll be perfect for Galen and I because they were created by and for us!

Now, let's just pray I can get through our ceremony without doing the ugly cry...

:)

--JeLisa

Thanks for the Honeymoon, Uncle Alphonse!

Aww, someone in Japan loves us!

That someone is Galen's uncle, Alphonse, who paid for our honeymoon as a wedding gift. Coolest uncle ever, right?

Yeah, we think so, too!

So now, instead of the planned "MiniMoon" in Aptos (our favorite California vacation spot), we get to escape the frigid weather of San Francisco and go soak in the Cancun/Playa del Carmen sun for a week.

Can't exactly say we'll miss the fog...

:)

**Information for Wedding Guests**

Here is a (hopefully) helpful bit of information for our wedding guests!

The following information and links have been compiled in response to the questions we've been repeatedly asked in regards to our wedding. Simply click on the links to use them! 

---------------------------------------------

RSVP here (by September 1st): RSVP

About us and our wedding: Wedding Webpage

Helpful Guest Information: Guest Info Page

Our wedding colors are White, Silver, and Powder Blue with Bronze accents.

For the convenience of those who've expressed interest in giving a gift, we've created gift registries at the following stores (which can be purchased/accessed online or in-store):

• Bed, Bath, & Beyond
• Macy's
• Crate & Barrel

-----------------------------------------------------

If you need further information, please call us at 310.902.5813 or email us at SterlingSmiths@gmail.com.

See you in September!

Wait a minute...is our wedding really next month?

Didn't we just write a blog complaining about having 4 months to go?

And now, our wedding is NEXT MONTH!?

Well, we just have three things to say about that:

1. WOW!
2. Thank GOD!
3. It's about TIME!

Happy Birthday to us! :)

As our birthdays are 6 days apart (JeLisa's is July 29th; Galen's is August 4th), we kind of tend to have a birthday week every year where we're both celebrating each other and transitioning into a new age and stage in life.

The first birthday we celebrated together (21) was about becoming all legal and liberated (you know how that goes). The second, 22, was about ending college and figuring out the future. Last year (23), it was being engaged. 

Of course, this year, turning 24 meant becoming a husband/wife and building a marriage. This is probably the biggest transition for us yet, but undeniably the most welcome and exciting. 24 is the age we get married!

Who knows what 25 will bring (if you're thinking a baby, think again! Give us a few years!), or all the other ages to come. All we know is 24 will be an amazing journey, and for the rest of our lives, every July, August, and September (our anniversary) will hold a special significance that sets us on the path of new journeys. 

We can't wait to let the transitions and celebrations unfold.

Dear Mommie,

You never cease to amaze me.

All my life, you've been a source of unconditional, unmovable, and unrequited love.

Your love is not something I have earned, nor is it something I've always understood (how could someone be so selfless, sacrificial, and AMAZING?), but it IS something I can rely on. Mommie, you never, ever let me down. 

I've always told you that everything good in me and about me is because of you.

Now, the same will be true for my wedding. Anything good in or about it will be because of you.

Thank you for all you do. I can only hope to one day be the same source of love to my own children. I love you!

In everlasting awe and appreciation,

JeLisa

Your daughter

Check...check...check...

Tastings and fittings and tears...oh my!

We spent this past weekend down in LA with our moms and JeLisa's grandmother taking care of some last "checks" on our wedding to-do lists.

After a loooong week (which included an unwise decision to go see Dark Knight at 12:05 a.m. knowing we then had to drive down to LA at like 6 a.m.!), and then a looooong drive down to Los Angeles, we were both definitely tired after all was said and done, but it was still exhilarating to get things checked off the list!

By the time we were headed back up the 101 towards home, we'd booked the caterer, ordered our cake, toured our wedding venue, found a flower girl dress, and JeLisa had had her second dress fitting! Did we mention this was all on Saturday? We were back in San Francisco on Sunday like nothing had ever happened!

Anyway, we're both sending big thanks to our mothers for everything this weekend. Hopefully next time, though, we can all get through a cake tasting without you two bursting into tears...  You ladies are awesome. :)

We moved in! Well, JeLisa moved in...

Remember that apartment we were blessed with?

The one bedroom loft apartment in the city that's:

a. On the same block as our church.

b. A few blocks away from JeLisa's job.

c. Across the street from Galen's gym.

d. Upstairs in the same building as our good friends and fellow engaged couple Robert & Parris.

e. Got tons of natural light.

f. A great price for an apartment in San Francisco.

g. Just all around FABULOUS? :)

Well we moved in Monday (okay, JeLisa moved in...along with all of Galen's "stuff")!

And it's still as amazing as ever! Hopefully we'll be unpacked and all settled in before the wedding. Even though Galen won't be moving in until after our honeymoon, we've already consolidated all of our furniture and belongings and will be setting up our apartment as if we're already living in it together. So unpacking and decorating's been fun!

One lesson learned so far? 

While Galen's design input is always welcome, JeLisa's input always wins! :)

(Although Galen does have his own office area, or "Man-Space" as we call it! No wives--or wife design input--allowed!)

What were we THINKING!?

I guess we thought a 14-month long engagement wouldn't be that long, but it seems like the most common theme throughout our engagement can be summed up in one word: IMPATIENCE.

We just want to be married already!

So far, we're 10 months in, and it seems like every other day, at least one of us mutters the words "Is it September yet?" Any excitement found in those words is most definitely laced with a large dose of disappointment, because, well...the answer is no; it is not September, and it won't be, ever!!!

(Or, at least, that's how it feels.)

Many people have told us that the wedding will sneak up on us and be here before we know it. But it seems like the time has been crawling by and September (and marriage) will NEVER get here.

Perhaps our impatience is due to the fact that we are holding off on a lot of things we'd like to do, and waiting until after marriage to do them. Some of those things include:

• Moving in together.
• Having sex.
• Combining income/finances.

Just because we've decided to wait until marriage to do these things doesn't mean it's easy! While the choice to wait was easy, the waiting itself has been hard. And waiting until after marriage to do those things has made waiting for the wedding day that much harder...

Grrr. Is it September yet? Anyone got a time machine we can borrow? 

Exactly 4 Months To Go!

Today, May 14th, is our 4-month mark!

Realizing this last night brought conflicting feelings: excitement & joy mixed with, well...doom. There are a miiiiiiiillion things on the to-do list that haven't been checked off yet. I don't know why weddings have to be so stressful, but I do know this: 

Galen, we'd better make this marriage work because I am NOT doing this again!

:)

Anyway, during the previous 10 months of our engagement, I've been immensely blessed with inspiration from a plethora of sources; from websites and wedding mags to bridal books and other brides. Here are some of my favorites:

• Ambra's Wedding Bio: Ambra is a newlywed whose wedding absolutely brought me to tears! The way she put God in the center of her wedding was so touching and inspirational, and I can only hope my ceremony is half as meaningful as hers was.
• Wedding Bee Blogs: These are bridal/newlywed blogs that are updated daily.
• MCrosby's Blog: Meghan is a fellow bride whose August wedding is still in the planning stage, but I can already tell it'll be fly beyond belief! She keeps a blog that I love to reference because it's a great source for ideas and interesting finds (i.e. where to get your centerpieces at a great price...).

Resources like these, and weddings like Ambra's, definitely make the planning part of getting married a little bit easier...and a lot more inspirational.

See you in 4 months!

Great song, but...those outfits...

Since we became friends in September, danced together for the first time in September, became a couple in September, and are getting married in September, it's only fitting that the Earth, Wind, & Fire song named after that month be featured in our wedding (so if you're gonna be there, be prepared to break out your best Electric Slide for it!).

So I thought it would be fun to find a video clip of the song. What I found was hilarious--the costumes, the hair, the sweaty faces...I love it!

Thought I'd share:

While I'm at it, might as well include a short clip of another song that'll be featured at the wedding, too:

Emily King's "U & I"

Love 'em both!

...and just like that, I'm obsessed!

Aren't I supposed to be planning a wedding right now?

So why, then, have I spent the last like...2 weeks (!!!) scouring over apartment/decorating/furnishing -related books, magazines and websites? I haven't so much as thought about wedding cakes or ceremony readings.

I know, I know--BAD BRIDE, JELISA, BAD BRIDE! *smack on the hand.*

But I still can't convince myself to put down the Home & Garden Magazines, and I can't pull myself away from Craigslist (that's a really great resource for vintage  furniture--who knew?) or Apartment Therapy.

So...I'll share some of my favorite finds instead. :) Hey, at least it's sort of productive...

• My New Favorite Thing To Check Out
• Steps to a Well-Put-Together Room
• I *Hate* Clutter, So This Is Great
• Since We're Just Starting Out...
• A Cool Space
• Keeping Your Bedroom A Refuge
• Bamboo Bathroom...hmm
• Two of My Favorite Colors
• Would Love to Do This for Our Loft Stairs
• Love How Bright Her Place Is

Of course, these are only a few of my favorite things...but do you see why I'm addicted? And why I'm sad I don't have like, a million dollars to fix up our place with?

--JeLisa

We have an apartment!!!

What can we say? God is amaaaaaazing!

Four full months before the wedding, He's supplied us with a gorgeous loft apartment! 

We're teaming up with another engaged couple (good friends of ours who are getting married around the same time we are) to lease two apartments in a building a block away from the church we all are members of. There were two units available for June--a flat on the ground floor (which Parris & Robert are taking), and a loft upstairs (which we're taking). But as both couples are waiting until after their wedding to move in together, the girls will live in the loft together and the guys will live together downstairs in the other apartment until September, after the wedding, when we'll switch!

It probably sounds kind of confusing, but it really does work out.

Why it's so awesome:

• We get to spend the summer setting our place up.
• We have an address for wedding RSVPs to be sent to.
• We'll live in the same building (it'll be nice living so close to your fiance!).
• We're close to everything: our church, public transportation (no more spending a fortune on gas each week), stores/shops/dining, JeLisa's job...
• We found an affordable San Francisco apartment without having to leave the city or live in a studio or in-law.
• We like the neighborhood and it'll be easier to get to the other SF areas we love.
• For our first apartment, it's actually...nice! Hardwood floors, secure building, nice view, lots of sunlight...

Now, off to look for furniture and check out home decorating tips...

We really do love this city...

Galen and I really love our Sundays--and those rare Saturdays we both have off from work.

On this particular weekend, we were blessed with both. :)

We spent a couple hours gazing upon glorious San Francisco--from above--climbing the rocks, hills, and stairs that make up Corona Heights.

"But aren't turtles green?"

That's what a friend of mine asked me when I told him we'd *finally* chosen a photographer--

Orange Turtle Photography.

They're a husband/wife team based in San Diego, and I think they're great!

Wanna see for yourself? Check 'em out:

Website

Blog

I hope our wedding pictures turn out as beautifully as the others' did!

The Merging of Mr. Warm & Manly and Mrs. Feminine & Cool

Before we got engaged, it hadn't really occurred to us how much our styles differed from one another's!

But then came the day we had to create our gift registries.

We learned that while we do share some style interests (we both enjoy natural/wood elements, and neither of us are afraid of color), for the most part, we're definitely...different. JeLisa loves shabby chic, Galen finds it too feminine. Galen likes black and red, JeLisa likes blue and grey. Galen thinks silver tones are cold and white is boring, while JeLisa thinks silver and white as accent colors add an amazing element to a home!

So what's a couple to do? Compromise! And here's how we did it:

1. JeLisa is basically in charge of the gift registries and decorating the apartment.
   
2. BUT, Galen's opinion is equally considered...well, almost equally... :)
   
3. We'll just have to find items that blend both of our styles...i.e. Galen's blacks with JeLisa's feminine florals...
   

  

So, thanks to some choice options at Ikea, Macy's, Crate & Barrel, and Bed, Bath, & Beyond, we just might be able to decorate and furnish our place without going to war--or having to stock up on tape to divide sides of the room with.

:)

This should be fun...

A romantic day in the park for the *newly* engaged!

The weekend after Galen proposed, we spent a day hanging out at Golden Gate Park celebrating our engagement and his birthday, taking pictures of ourselves, the flowers, each other...

Of course, these aren't even half of the pictures we took that day! The day was beautiful--albeit foggy and cold--and the park was gorgeous.  It was the perfect setting for a couple that had just become engaged...