One of The Most Important Parts

Last night I did not mention a very important part of my special day. I did this on purpose because she deserves a full page .........plus some.

Meet The Wedding Planner:

Kalyn Hall Randolph

Love, Laughter, Happily Ever After

 

 

 

First of all could she be any more adorable?? I think not! Kalyn and I go way back to when we were little kids growing up in the same neighborhood. We also went to school together, were in various organizations together, share a second mother, and most importantly shared a connection over our love for Jesus Christ. Kalyn is one of the most kind hearted women you will ever meet. I learn something new from her each time we talk.

 

Kalyn was married almost a year ago to the man you see with her Tony. They began dating in high school and throughout most of college. They were separated by Kalyn's family moving to Louisiana. You see this is yet another area I am always getting advice from Kalyn on. Just like she and Tony had a time of "testing" by being states apart, Ryan and I are dealing with the same thing. Ok, so back to the point. When I was thinking of  who I wanted to ask to be my wedding planner only one name came to mind....Kalyn. She had just been married, all the details to her day were perfect, she worked on a budget, and she is super organized.

 

I know, I know...the PERFECT Wedding Planner/Director

 

 

Even when she did not have time due to school she would listen to my hours of rambling every time I called her. No matter how stressed out I was she had the perfect solution to the problem or the perfect words to say. She made time to come to my showers(see above), help me with details, and give me advice on where to get the best deals.

 

I am known to get "High Tense Mode" as my best friends would say. Most of the time I am happy and carefree but when I get stressed.....I get stressed. I literally hit my breaking point several times during this planning process. I think we as the bride want everything to be perfect and exactly as we have a vision for it. If anything goes astray it causes total crying breakdown haha! I knew that on my wedding day I was going to be "High Tense Mode". Being the type of person I am, I thought I would want to be right in the middle of everything up until I walked down the aisle.

 

Before the wedding Kalyn and I talked several times about the agenda, what exactly I wanted, and how I wanted it. When she sent me the typed document that she prepared of everything I told her I wanted, I was at complete ease. She LITERALLY took everything I said to heart and made it happen. I knew that from that point forward I had no need of being in the middle of anything. She was going to make sure everyone got to where they were supposed to be on time, the items I wanted her to check on would be checked on, I would make it to my "Paw Paw" on time and we would FINALLY say "I DO" after months of planning!  

 

From the start of my day to the end she stood by my side making sure I was ok, calm, and not worried about anything. I can't even list the number of times she said "Is everything how you want it?" I will say that if anything went wrong on my wedding day, I never knew it. Everything went perfectly and exactly how I envisioned it.

 

Kalyn holding my flowers until we got out of my delivery truck!

 

 

I must say I have never been so calm in my life. It was a Peace I can't describe. I never got nervous, worried about anything, or stressed. I kept telling myself it was God letting me know I had waited my turn and knew that I had finally found the man he created just for me. I also knew in the back of my mind that Kalyn had typed out the most detailed time line you have ever seen and she would not play if someone got off track!

 

I don't think I could ever say Thank You enough to someone who can help you stay calm on your wedding day. From the months before,  through today, and I am sure forever I will always value the advice that she has given and gives me. It pays to have Christian friends who always have the perfect way to help you through any and every situation. Though she may be years younger than me, I feel she is far wiser at the whole being a wife thing. I will forever look to her for guidance.

 

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you

For being one of the most important parts to my day!

 

 

Kalyn, I am truly BLESSED to have you in my life!

 

 

 

The Honeymoon Is Over.....

And that means I'M BAAAACCCCCCCKKKKKKK!!!

I am so excited to finally now somewhat be back to my normal life. Only one HUGE thing has changed. I'm now a MARRIED woman!!!

On May 25th I had my dream Barn Wedding! It could not have been more perfect. We are beyond blessed to have so many wonderful friends and family members in our life. They all played a special part in sharing our day with us. I am not even going to lie and say that planning was fun. It was by far the most stressful 8 months of my life. I am so glad that the planning part is over and that I had a beautiful wedding to show for all the tears!

I will say my favorite part of the entire day was saying the vows. Our vows were so beautiful. We did not write them but if I could sit down and write something from my heart that beautifully, the vows would be it! I will make another post one day with the vows in it. The reason I loved that part so much was because I got to look in Ryan's eyes and know that I was making a Covenant to spend forever with him. I meant every word of what I said. I truly believe in God and that HIS word is truth. I want to live my life by The Bible as much as possible. A marriage is no exception to the rules. I will honor and cherish my marriage until I die.

I know for now you would much rather see pictures than hear me ramble. Get ready, I will be sharing a lot coming up about marriage and how it has changed my life in only a few short weeks!

For now I will let you get a small view of how amazing our special day was!

The Get Ready!!

The Venue

Be Sure to Like Their Facebook Page

The Barn at Powell Plantation

The Decor

 

I'm Blessed to be Talented and have VERY Talented Parents! I would say we did a pretty good job for DIY!

Old Windows exactly how we found them! Some with and some without the glass! Used as frames for our childhood photos. My Mom did these and they turned out precious!

 I wanted a Bible Table. I had my amazingly talented friend Kirby Dykstra hand draw me signage for not only this table but my program. She does graphic design work on the side. If you need anyone to help out in this area she is great and I would be happy to set you up with her! Anyway I had tags where you wrote your name and the Bible verse you highlighted in the Bible. There is also a extra large Mason Jar on the table to put the tags in. Ryan and I will draw a card out at night and read a verse for as long as they last form all the people that attended our wedding.

 

The Program Kirby designed for me. The most perfect program ever. Fit me perfectly!

 

 My ALABAMA roots are something I am very proud of! I love where I was born and raised and I also love my Crimson Tide! Everyone that knows me, knows my love for Alabama. I had to have BAMA flair throughout the wedding.

 My precious daddy had this set up for me. What else would you put gifts in at a barn wedding besides a red wagon??? Loved this idea!

 

 

Ryan and I both love candy. We had to have a candy table. We picked all of our favorite treats to have as Wedding Favors! We also had the Koozies you will see below.

 

 

One of my favorite things at the wedding was this table in memory of loved ones we had lost.

 

The Flowers

Sue's Florest

Northport, Alabama

AMAZING

 

Bridesmaids Flowers

 

Table Decor

 

 

The Bridesmaids

Love my Girls

I don't have all of my wedding pics back yet. However, I think this is the perfect picture to display just how beautiful the flowers were!

 

Could they get any more beautiful?? I think not!

 

Mine and Ryan's precious cousins, niece and nephew.

My Mother and I

 

 

And yes....This does deserve a category of its on

The Out House

 

My dad designed these beauties. They are working out houses with chandlers and all!!

Cutest toilet Ive ever seen!

 

And Now I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Locke!!!!!

 

 

ROLL TIDE!

BEST DAY EVER!!! Hope you enjoy these pictures as much as I do!

Sniffles

I am currently in Oxford, MS home of Ole Miss! I am loving my time here and the simple southern lifestyle that they live. I am of course here for work and it has been great. I love being able to come in and call a new town my own for a week. I have walked the sidewalks of Ole Miss, marketed in the Union, and talked with Admissions offices all over campus. I felt like a student again. Thank Goodness I am not but it was a very fun and productive week.

I got sick on the Monday I arrived here. I knew I was feeling funny and on Tuesday I felt like an 18 wheeler had hit me. I went to CVS explained to the Pharmacist my symptoms and let her know I am not from here. She helped me get some meds. I don't know if we picked the wrong thing or if I was just to late. I felt horrible the last two days. I slep in sweats one night and shivered the entire night. Anyone that knows me knows I hate being hot so I was way sick. Today however I am feeling much better but my throat is still hurting a little bit. Let's just say my sniffles are driving me crazy and I hope they go away fast.

As soon as I get back to town, I will be heading to Alexander City. We are having our second shower at Ryan's Church. I am really excited about it but nervous because I really don't know anyone. Thank goodness Ryan's mom will be there to introduce me to everyone and my mom will be there as someone I know. I can't wait to share all the pictures from the event after Sunday.

Next week I am off to Fayetteville Arkansas! I have never been and I could not be more excited. Once again this is a work trip but I am looking forward to it. I love going and helping the teams at all the sites. Once again the bonding time and the idea sharing is what it's all about.

I may be gone a lot with my job but at the end of the day I would not love anything as much as I love what I do. To me loving what you do is far more important that a huge paycheck. Yes, money is nice but being happy is what means the most. Seeing results and the lightbulbs go off brings the biggest smile to my face.

Stay tuned early next week for shower pics and pics from this trip!!

Long TIme Gone

My oh my have I been gone for way to long. It is peak leasing season during this time of the year so being busy does not even describe my life right now. I have been to North Carolina, Florida, Louisiana, and Tennessee all in three weeks time . Tomorrow I head off to Mississippi until Friday and then to Alabama for our second wedding shower on Sunday!

On my trip to North Carolina I have the pleasure of traveling with my boss Jessica. It was such a great experience to be able to talk with her, travel with her, and learn more of what she does. We were able to see three of our properties that are in North Carolina over three days.

A few weeks ago I mentioned going to Gainesville to see a property and look into the market. Well our company is now managing that property in Gainesville. I went back to help with the transition team. It was so fun to be with several of my co-workers throughout the week and learn more about them. We have properties from Florida to California so sometimes you get to work with people you hardly ever see. I love getting to know my co-workers and pick up on their tricks of the trade. It was a great take over and I learned a lot for the future.

One of our newest properties is in Baton Rouge. Now those of you that know me know I love The University of Alabama. The thought of Baton Rouge is a sin!! I will say after going there for a week my thoughts have changed for the better! I had a wonderful time helping market around campus as well as helping with their Reveal Party. This trip made me re-live being on site and hosting an event. I was exhausted after a full two days of events. I started thinking about how I made it in the past without killing over. It was a blast and we had an amazing turn out. When an event is a success it makes it all worth it.

Now on to Tennessee. Ryan as you know is a college football coach. Some of the things that come along with the territory is being asked to speak at different clinics and events. He has asked me to hear him before and it has never worked out. Well this weekend I made sure I came to hear him. Let me tell you I have no clue what one thing he said meant but I sat through it with about 100 other men. I get Fiance of the year! We also got the wedding sports coats picked out FINALLY....a HUGE check mark off my to do list!

Another huge thing that we are wanting to ave nailed down before we get married is finding our Church. For both of us it is very important that our relationship is built around Christ. Ryan has been trying different Church's and found one that he thought would be good for us. This morning we were able to both go together. The main Pastor was not there but it was still great. I can't wait to go back and hear the main preacher. I am hoping we are that much closer to having the BEST decision made for our marriage. I want to be able to jump right in and form relationships and be able to serve again.

Life has been a whirlwind here lately but I don't expect it to slow down anytime soon!! It's busy time at work and wedding time is right around the corner!

Oh and on a really happy note I am down 14 pounds in my weight loss. I have a lot more to go by the wedding but so far I am thrilled!! It is so encouraging and makes me want to keep going. I'll be sure to keep you posted on my progress.

Day of Love

I consider everyday that I get to spend with Ryan a special one. I know that sounds cheesy but we unlike a lot of couples do not get to see each other but about once every 2 weeks if that much. He treats me like a queen at all times. I ask him all the time why does he love me so much? I know I am a handful at times!!! I am thankful that he does because I have never been treated as wonderfully by anyone in my life. He is the most thoughtful man I have ever met.

Ignore these eyes we have going....it is a work in progress for me. I am really trying to help him keep his eyes open in pictures. It's a bigger task than you think.

Last weekend we had our first wedding shower as you all know. Well we also did Valentine's because we will not see each other again until the end of the month, possibly not until March 3. Trust me it's not my favorite but we are making it work while we have to.

I have been working out and eating healthier since the new year began. I told Ryan that instead of flowers, chocolate, or really bad food I really wanted a FIT BIT. He looked it up called me and said wait you want THAT little thing?? I laughed and said yes. My co-workers Heather and Brittany both have one and I love seeing how they use it. Let me explain a FIT BIT is an all in one pedometer, calorie counter, activity log, food log, mile counter, and fitness aid. You can link it with your iphone and with your computer. I also use an app called myfitnesspal and it uploads the calories you burn automatically for you.

Needless to say of course my Prince in Shining Armor came through with a FIT BIT!!! Yay I am so excited and have been using it like crazy, The average person is supposed to walk 10,000 steps a day. Do you know how hard that is? I never dreamed it would be so difficult but if you sit at a desk all day like me it really is much harder than expected. I love it because it encourages me to make sure I am walking as much as possible. The last thing that I want to say about it is you can compete with your friends on who gets the most steps in a day/week/etc. It really is fun to have accountability with your friends and co-workers.

 I could not believe he actually had a bag and tissue paper. The very first gift swap we ever had he just sat on it to hide what he was going to hand me. No paper, no bag, no nothing!

Here she is my pride and joy of the moment!

I also asked that while in Tuscaloosa for our shower that we go to Hokkaido one of my favorite Japanese Steakhouses. I used to not eat that type of food and then I went there and was sold. Ryan has never eaten that kind of food so he really was not excited but said he would take me. We ended up having our Valentone's Dinner with several of our friends!!! It could not have been any more perfect. I love that Ryan is so easy going, loves hanging out with my friends, and could care less that our Valentine's Dinner was spent with them. He is so happy to spend time with me in any way, shape, or form.

After dinner we went and hung out at a local place called Moe's. They had a live band which our friends Rob and Shelby love.

 Why yes, that is Shelby taking Ryan for a little spin on the dance floor...LOVE IT

Here the three of us are. There were more people I just did not have my camera out very much which is shocking.

Finally I want to show just one of the examples of how thoughtful Ryan is. He ALWAYS gets me a card for everything. I NEVER buy cards which you would think it would be the other way around. Anyway, I have personally had to go shopping with him to get his mom a card and it is an act of congress. He takes so much time out to find the perfect one. I know it is no different for me. Please read this card that pure made me tear up. Such a sweetie.

My day of LOVE is not just February 14th it is everyday that I get to spend/talk with Ryan.

Just FYI ...I did give him 3 seasons of DALLAS and lots of his favorite candy. Yes, he is my Paw Paw. He was happy as he could be.

HAPPY VALENTINE's DAY to all of you Lovely Readers out there. I will be gone to Gainesville, Florida for work all this week so I want to make sure I get the chance to tell you all!