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Hey Darlings! How are you? I hope everyone had a great memorial day weekend. Mine was awesome, Aaron surprised me with a quick get away to D.C. for the weekend. It was well needed and we had a ball. So while relaxing and collecting myself for the rest of the work week it hit me, I haven't introduced you to my girls. I love them! They are all gorgeous and mean the absolute most to me. Most of them have been through thick and thin with me. They are hands down some of the prettiest and best friends and family a girl could ever dream for! We don't turn heads when we step out, we BREAK NECKS! I couldn't imagine having any others standing with me to marry my babe! So, meet the girls....

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My Maid of Honor Morgan. Everyone say heyyyyy Morg! I don't think I would have chose anyone else to be my maid of honor. Not that I had a lot of options. I love my big sister. I aspire to be like her one day. She is great person inside and out. 

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My Britt! Say hello to princess Brittany! She is the epitome of a lady! We have been joined at the hip since we fell out of the womb. From dressing alike as kids to college. We really have done it all together. I'm ride or die for my little big cousin Britt! Love her...

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Jazzy! Love my Jadamae. Say heeyyy Jasmine. Jasmine was right there with me and Britt dressed up! The triplets that never were...I couldn't imagine not having my Jadamae in my wedding. She's a girl of few words but when she speaks know it's from the heart. Love you boo!

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Wong! This my little pit in a mini! A pure fool. We argue, fuss, fight,  all of the above with one another. I honestly can say I love and hate her at the very same time. She is the person behind all my wild ventures. Say Koneeechhhheeewaaaa Tyanne! She is joined in the wedding by her beautiful daughter my god baby DiorNatalie pictured below! Bow to my princess!

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DiorNatalie
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My Toya! I certainly couldn't get married without her by my side. She is one of the most beautiful people I have ever met inside and out. Love this girl. Say hello to my college roomie of 3 years LaToya! Wave to my favorite Delta girl!

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Say heyyyy Christina! My girls since the 3rd grade. We have been through it all! But she still remained my girl. I can appreciate her realness as a friend and I couldn't be more thankful for her taking part in my special day. She is also joined by her little angel AlexandraIsabella as a flower girl pictured below.

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AlexandraIsabella
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Say hello to Milinya...My beautiful sister in law to be. Aaron probanbly wouldn't marry me if I didn't have her in the wedding, and I don't think I would have left her out myself. She's a beautiful person. Can't wait to have her as one of my sister in laws. She is also joined by her daughters Kiki and Taja as Jr. Bridesmaid and Flower girl.

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Kiki and Taja
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Last but not least! My Pride. The sweetest person I've ever met. I love her. She gives me all sorts of wild advice and she lets me worry her to death. I've known her for years but we just recently got close in the last five years. Hopefully our friendship will remain the same...Love my Krystal. Say heyyyy Pride!

So that's all the girls in my wedding party! If you know them, then you know the wedding will be full of personality and character! They are all something else individually! I know we are going to have a ball. We already are having a ball actually. I love them all in their own special way. Each of these people mean the world to me. I cannot wait to turn up at my wedding with my girls....While it seems all I need is my babe, life wouldn't be life without my crazy girls! Peace and as always...LOVE YOU.
 
Heyy! It's late..but something has been wearing my brain out for the past few days so I decided to do a blog about it. So I get asked all the time "Who is your best friend?" and I always answer I don't really have one of those. My friends have been my friends for years...we are all from the same area, we all know each other's familes, and we are always together even when we aren't together. But I don't really refer to any of them as a "best friend." It seems to elementary but everyone has a best friend, right? I mean so I've been asking my self..."who is my best friend?" I kinda have myself wondering now, lol. So, what exactly is a best friend...Your best friend you share secrets with, your best friend is at your lowest point and at you highest point with you, your best friend plucks your last nerve, your best friend is the person you experience a lot of "firsts" with and a lot of "lasts" with. So when I think about it while I've expeireiced alot with my girls nothing comes close to what my babe and I have had these last five years. There's been a lot of highs and many lows in our realtionship. We've had a lot of firsts together and he will be there for the lasts. When I'm making a fool of myself he's right there laughing and when he's telling a horrible joke I'm right there laughing. We argue, we fuss, we get on each others nerves constantly. He knows me and I know him. Clearly....I'M MARRYING MY BEST FRIEND!
 
 

What's up!? So I'm sitting here listening to my music. It has been a few weeks! Happy New Year! So since the new year I've been going hard trying to meet my goals and planning this wedding! I had a mini revelation about this wedding. While I want everything to be fabulous I also want to walk away from my wedding with some money in the bank. So I'm still doing my vintage chic theme, but from a "less is more" stand point. I plan on making my own favors which are will still be jaw dropping but a lot cheaper. Those are a surprise. I need them to remain original until after May 3rd 2014! LOL I'm just going another route with this wedding. I'm excited...because even with my "less is more" standpoint, it will still be jaw dropping and absolutely amazing. While I'm planning my little heart out I'm still doing a lot. We are saving to buy a house! How exciting to get married home owners. Apartments are cool, but it’s hustling backwards at our age. I'm also still growing my hair and it is growing fast! I've found my hair inspiration and I should be there by summer. In addition to those things I'm still working on my weight and I'm also working on my skin. I've been in the gym 4 days a week and I've been focused on my weight watchers. I have a twice a day skin regiment and it’s working great! So far everything looks great! I can't complain. I'm keeping it short tonight....Next up, Wedding Dress Shopping February 2nd.


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Check out my skin with minimal make up and of course my hair growth!
 
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! How was your Christmas? Mine was awesome. I hope Santa bought you everything you wanted. Christmas was a little different this year for me. Aaron and I celebrated on the 22nd of December instead of the 25th because he had to work. What a blow! But none the less, we had an amazing Christmas. We started off by going to Portrait Innovations Studios and taking Christmas Pictures to give to some friends and family with their Christmas Cards! How corny?!? But it was fun. Then we went to dinner at Texas De Brazil. That was really nice. If you’ve never been there, I think you should go! Make sure you’re hungry when you go! They really pile the food on! Then we ended the night with a room at the Omni hotel where we exchanged gifts and enjoyed the Christmas lights downtown. So I know you’re wondering what we gave each other for Christmas! Well we typically do it big for one another for Christmas. This year we were supposed to be going small but apparently Aaron doesn’t know what that means. I’ll start with what I bought him. I gave Aaron YSL L’Homme cologne gift set, a Michael Kors pea coat, a North Face Steep Tech Coat, Two pair of Levi’s Jeans, Two Ralph Lauren sweaters, a pair of Clark Wallabees and a pair of Lebron 10 Mangoes. I know that’s a lot! LOL but he’s worth it…and I’m sure things will slow up once we have kids and a then they will get everything! Now for what Aaron bought me…I got Prada Candy perfume, a Marc Jacobs watch, a pair of Nike AirMax 90’s, a pair of Ugg boots, Marc Jacob’s Dot perfume, a Nordstrom gift card, a North Face Jacket, and a gift card to the Louis Vuitton Store with half the money for my new bag on it. Ha! We gave way too much to one another but like I said whatever…that will all change once we have kids. On Christmas day I exchanged gifts with my family and we also had dinner at my aunt’s house in Fredericksburg, VA. That was nice! I love my family…they are crazy and all the ladies in my family are all divas! I love it…I couldn’t have asked for a better Christmas honestly and I’m excited for the New Year now. My wedding planning will be in 4th gear in 2013. I’m so excited. I cannot wait to put my plans in motion. Next on the list for my wedding planning is picking out my gown in February 2013 and my Bridesmaids meet and greet in March 2013. I’m excited to go over the wedding with them and reveal which dresses each bridesmaids will wear! Stay tuned for more updates! Bye…

 
So it's been a minute! What's up!?! I've been wrecking my brain about the struggles of finding the right dress. In all honesty I can imagine everything about my wedding and how I want everything to be but I cannot imagine myself in an all white dress. I don't wear white often and when I do it's not by choice. Well this time it's by default because I'm the bride LOL! So first I had to choose who I wanted to take with me to pick out dresses. I love my bridal party but I really don't even want them to know what my dress looks like until the day of the wedding. So I chose three people in addition to the people who have to be there such as my sister and my mother. These people were chosen based on their style and our relationship. I'm huge on relationships with people...It is important to have a relationship with people. You never know who you may need or who may need you. Okay enough of that. I chose two ladies that are near and dear to my heart and a friend. One of the ladies I chose because she is 50+ club but she is so cute and quirky to be her age. She also has been through a lot in life and no matter what lemons thrown her way she always make lemonade. I can't even say I have seen her truly upset. She's taught me so much, almost like a second mother to me. I appreciate her and I know she will cherish this moment with me forever. The 2nd person I chose is my god mother. This lady is straight up and down like 6 o'clock sharp. I love it. She does not cut any slack and she will tell you exactly what it is. She is also 50+ and fly in a conservative way. I chose her because she is one my god mother and two she has two sons so she may not have the opportunity to dress shop with anyone. I love her attitude and I also know with my being as fancy as I am her conservative edge will bring my back down to the reality of what really looks good and what really is too much! Last but not least my girl. She's my pride and joy, we talk every single day. I wouldn’t call her my best friend but she's one of my best friends! We talk all day about everything and more importantly fashion. This girl will push it to the limit! She is always up on the latest and the greatest and her edgy and up to date style is necessary for my wedding dress shopping. In addition to my three guests my mom and sister will be coming. My mom is conservative along with my sister. My sister kind of knows me though so I'm not concerned about her opinion and I'm almost sure she will go in this with an eye for what looks like me. My mom on the other hand will have me looking like a catholic priest if I let her. I'm joking...but my mom is really conservative. She always looks great but she looks at things as if she were looking for herself. It's cool...I know her. I know she won't lead me in the wrong direction. I'm excited to dress shop with these 5 ladies. I think I'm going to make little judge cards... (YES, NO, HEEEECKKKK NO, and MAYBE). My little say yes to the dress panel. Hopefully this experience will be fun and I will have my dress by the end of the day. We're going to two different bridal boutiques in Richmond, Va. Bella Rosa and Alfred Angelo. Hopefully one of these places have the perfect dress for me. Once my dress is chosen I will update a blog post will pictures of my panel and how things went. I am def not giving very many details of my dress but please believe it's going to be BAD!

Also! While I have been neglecting my blog I also had the opportunity to do a phone interview about being a plus size bride. YaNika Nicholas is the author of the book "Confidence is You". This book is a book of empowerment for the plus size community. I had the pleasure of answering questions and hearing a small portion of her chapter on being a plus size bride and finding the perfect dress. I want to encourage my blog readers to please join her group on FaceBook (Confidence is You) and follow her on Instagram (Confidence_Is_You). The book is scheduled to be released in Jan of 2013 so please buy a copy and support, I know i will be first in line for my copy. I also want to thank her for the opportunity to share my story as a plus size bride and being an inspiration to me and other women who battle with the struggle of weight.

 
I've been neglecting my wedding blog! My apologies, fall/winter is my season! I love winter/fall fashion. I shop until i drop until literally during this time of year. I'm still planning my wedding and knocking things out slowly but surely. I've finalized the actual ceremony at the Carpenter Theatre's Gatwald Playhouse. I'm extremely excited to get married there. I wanted everything all at one location from the start. I've also decided on my meal options for the receptions. I do not want the typical plated meal or buffet. Instead I'm going with food stations and each station will be themed and the food will be some wild and crazy display. I don't want a sweet heart table instead I want a "royal table" so that Aaron and I can sit with our closest friends and family. We also will have different chef's to service the stations and carve meat for our guests. The chef's at the Carpenter Theatre are coming up with some great ideas for us such as a ice cream bar to go with our wedding cake and mash potato martinis. Next up I have a bridesmaids event for the girls of my wedding to go over the coming year of wedding planning and FUN! I also am down about 8lbs since joining weight watcher 3 weeks ago. Hopefully it wil be 10 lbs by Thanksgiving and my goal of 25 by February when i begin my wedding dress journey. Thanks for reading and keeping my encouraged! I love you all!
 
I really want everything at the wedding to be meaningful and personable. Two things I love too see at weddings are flowers withe meaning and signature drinks. They're cute touches that I love and really want to have at my wedding. Well first up the flowers.... I only want fresh flowers at my wedding. They can be expensive but extremely worth it. I did my research and I wanted flower other than roses that represented things of Aaron and my relationship. I also wanted season appropriate flowers. I like roses but they're expected at weddings and a bit over priced. So I think I'm going with peonies. They come in multiple pinks/blush tones and white which will be gorgeous with my midnight, black, and white color scheme. The peony flower represent "happy life happy marriage" which is perfect for a wedding! I also want to mix hydrangeas in with my peonies. Hydrangeas come in a periwinkle blue, white and pink. They represent perseverance. These two flower combinations represent two things I hope to have throughout my marriage.
Now for these signature cocktails! I have already created mine. It's so yummy and sweet just like a peach. I haven't thought of a name yet and I'm not telling the recipe but I know everyone is going to love it. Aaron hasn't thought of his yet but I think it should be smooth and strong just like him! He's working on it... The signature drinks will be served during cocktail hour to our wedding guests along with fruit and cheese. I really want the signature drink to serve as a conversation piece for our guests. We will also serve the signature drinks during the open bar hours at our reception. I want the drinks to looks nice and pretty...maybe in some sort of cute display. Presentation is everything! What drink ideas do you have or have had at a wedding? Do share....
 
Plus size bridal gowns have been a mess for years! The horror in thinking I would ever have to wear one of those things. Ugh! But after much research I'm finding the fashion gods have heard my prayers! The plus size bridal collections are going for hot mess to fab! It would be ideal for me to have the ideal body as I walk down the isle to give my had to my groom, but I've never had the ideal body. I'm not about to try and become something I'm not. I do intend in getting in shape and toning up but thts about it. I like my size 18/16 hips and apprently so does my husband to be! So I haven't tried on any gowns and I honestly don't plan on trying any on until January 2013. My wedding timeline says my dress should be purchased by May 2013 and hopefully it will be. I plan on searching high and low, state to state, boutique after boutique until I find the dress for me. The dress I have in my mind is a mix between fit and flair and mermaid. I don't want anything too tight because I have to dance the night away in that dress. I do not plan to change dresses on my wedding date. I do plan to change different accessories to take my dress from sacred to party in 2.5 seconds! For the wedding I love the arm coverings and capes. For the reception the coverings have to go though! U also was thinking blue shoes for the wedding pink shoes for the reception. Lol, I don't really know what I want to do yet. Something is in the pipeline. As of right now my top wedding designer choice is Bonny Bridal Unforgettable Collection. The dresses are plain and simple. I don't really want anything to crazy as far as a dress because my jewels and wedding itself will be extravagant enough. Check out some plus size wedding gowns and let me know what you think?!? Also let me in on those ideas of how to go from sacred wedding to party reception without changing dresses.
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Not particularly my style but she looks pretty.
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Very pretty
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Love the organza bottom!
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This lace cape is so pretty. Also ties in my urban vintage chic theme!
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The perfect style dress for a night of dancing!
 
A successful marriage... Most people hear wedding and immediately ask questions about planning or get excited about how awesome the wedding is going to be. I'm extremely excited about my wedding but nothing excites me more than knowing I will be spending my life with my best friend. Successful marriage is very important in my family. My grandparents were married for just about 65 years, most of my aunts and uncles have been married for over 30 years and my parents have been married for 26 years. Yes, these marriages have experienced ups and downs but through it all remained. I pray for the same success for Aaron and I. I'm positive that we will be successful, we have been with each other at our lowest points and still remained. Not to mention, the foundation of our relationship is strong. That foundation is very important. In addition to our deeply rooted family we will also receive Christian marriage counseling. Counseling is necessary! I love my Sweets but we come from two totally different sides of the tracks and that will bring it all together for us. A lot of people have drifted away from marriage counseling, quite frankly...it's necessary! That will settle issues about previous relationships, issues with your relationship, the things that you all do that grinds each others gears, your doubts and fears just to name a few. So to wrap this up...in addition to Aaron and I having a jaw dropping wedding we will also have a jaw dropping marriage! I'm enjoying this planning process but I am also enjoying preparing to become a wife. The nurturing, the understanding, the cooking, the babies, the decorating, packing lunches, ironing uniforms, just catering to my man and my future marriage! I love doing those things!
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My name...his rib. A constant reminder that I was created from his rib especially for him.