This is kwalther's Chocolate Wedding!

I finally found a photographer that I liked! JerriAnn recommended utahbrides.com, so I decided to give that one a shot. The bridal shows that I went to had this new modern dark lighting that I'm not a big fan of, so I was looking for someone that had happier looking pictures regardless of the weather. Here are some of his sample shots and he sounded really nice on the phone.

So after you have seen the previous post, you can understand why we were in need of new photos. Jacob's sister Fran happened to have a nice camera and a free morning to retake some pictures. I was amazed at how much of a difference it made with coloring, time of day, and someone there to fix your flyaway hairs and posture. Here are the ones we really liked. As you can tell, we used these for our announcements and not the other ones for a good reason! Thanks Fran!

So our first attempt at engagement photos didn't run as smoothly as we would have liked. I should not even be posting these, but for some reason they really entertain me. The lighting/angles/positions.. well a lot of things just didn't work out. While I should trash these, they just crack me up.

You have to click on the image to really appreciate the humor/shame/embarrassment

Sorry, it has been so long since an update!

Thanks so much to Chantelle on the invitations! My cousin graduated from BYU with a major in illustration, so when it comes to photoshop, she does magic. She was amazing and looked at the layouts we liked and created our announcement. I think it looks wonderful! Thank you so much Chantelle! I attached some of my own trials, but the main picture with maroon boarders and brown boxes is the finalized one.

If you click directly on the picture, they enlarge to see them better.

I found some cute arrangements of calla lily boutonnieres online, but it might just be cheaper to get a simple white rose one tied with turquoise ribbon. I don't know where in Provo to find so many, so this might be a hard task. I'm not sure if silk or real flowers will be better.

We found our dream wedding cake! :-)

We decided to be registered at WalMart. I'm not how sure it exactly works, so if anyone has any suggestions on how to do a registry, I would greatly appreciate it. We tried going online and registering there, but we weren't sure how to deal with our move as well. I'm planning on going out there tomorrow if Curtis will let me use the car.

Here are some possible decoration ideas for the Oak City and Alaska Receptions. Since the one in Utah will be more summery, Jacob's mom found some really cute columns that we might use for the inside of the chapel. The tables look like they will be white table cloth with brown stream. In the centerpiece it looks like we may be going with a narrow glass with a calla lilly in the middle surrounded by turquoise rocks. :-) It sounds so pretty already!

The one in Alaska will have a more winter theme with christmas trees lined with turquoise and brown ribbon and turquoise and brown Japanese lanterns.

Yesterday Jacob and I went to go check out the bridesmaid dresses from the online store. They turned out to be too short, but luckily Jacob's sister came to town today and helped save the day by driving me around to check out other options and look at decorations. We found these beautiful turquoise glossed shirts. On top of that Fran offered to sew skirts to match the tops. We found some brocade fabric with blue and brown woven in that looked perfect. Thank you so much Fran!

Here's some different angles of the ring. I love it so much! He picked an amazing stone as the center. I like how there are 4 circular cut stones leading up to two diamond shaped diamonds which lead it to the centerpiece.

I'm not sure on how to do my hair. I like my veil, but a lot of brides have been doing without. If I were to use the veil, I would have it up with some pearl beads, but I may just end up having it all flow down and curly. My veil has a comb built in it, but I can alway break it off and use bobby pins. I wonder if it is possible to have it down and use the veil as well. Hmmm.

I love the look of calla lilies, so I'm hoping that I can combine them somehow into the bouquet with those brown twisty twigs. Does anyone know what the name of those twigs are called? And then attached to those, I thought it would be pretty to have a turquoise sash around them (as well as the twigs maybe?). Here's some layouts I had in mind. I'm trying to not make it look so Tiffany's which is why I'm going with a darker tealish turquoise.

I'm really lucky in this department. Jacob's sisters are all so beautiful. My sister is able to fly down for the wedding, so she will be the maid-of-honor. I found some cute options for dresses, but since it will be summer time I've settled on this cute knee length turquoise one. I'm hoping to match with with a brown tank tops to wear underneath and brown shoes.

Our official colors are turquoise and brown. :-)

Here's the potential dress for Lisa, Jean, Fran and Susan.

It has some floral designs in beads with a train that is easily attachable. It's an empire styled waist with a slight A-Line. I need to take it in for some alterations because I'm a little too short. First I'll have to buy the shoes to size it :-). I'm thinking for the reception, I'll possibly add on a turquoise silky sash around my hip that matches the bridesmaid dresses.

Jacob and I had been over at his sister's house to watch a Jazz game and enjoy some delicious pizza Friday night. As he was driving me home he told me that he would be busy all day Saturday. Apparently his cousin was coming in town and that meant I wouldn't see Jacob until later at night. The next day I slept in and he called me during breakfast to tell me he would be coming home late from some gun show in Salt Lake. He then asked if 8pm was an okay time to get some dinner. I agreed and when 8pm came he was a no-show. 8:15 came, then 8:30, then 8:45, and then finally around 8:55 his ringtone goes off. I picked up as he said, “Sorry I don’t really have an excuse, but are you still hungry?” Irritated, I say I’m still hungry and tell him I’m coming outside. He doesn’t reach the door before I come out and shoot daggers with my eyes about his timeliness. We get in the car and I get on his case about not calling me. That’s when he confesses that he had been playing X-Box’s Halo with his cousins and that the time had gotten away.

That game being his biggest weakness on my likeness scale made me even madder. He asked if Café Rio would make up for it, and I must have muttered some kind of maybe. We arrived at the restaurant and got some delicious pork salad. Sitting down he asked me, “Sooo, do you think we are rushing things too fast?” One of the most common break-up phrases second to you’re-too-good-of-a-friend and just-like-my-sister. I was back to shooting evil glances at him and he innocently smiled back at me before he informs me that we’ll discuss this later in a not so public setting. As much as I love Café Rio, he was in a pretty big hole at this moment.

When we were back in the car he asked me what I’d like to do that night. My roommate had told me about an outdoor movie with free food and prizes playing on the baseball field and I suggested we go do that. He immediately shot down my idea saying that he was not in the mood for “The Sandlot,” the movie playing. I frustratingly get angry again with him for never liking my date ideas when he should be planning them anyway. He then brings up the matter that we still have things to talk about and that we should just go up to “The Hill.”

*Backup information: “The Hill” is where my parents have some property near the Provo Canyon and Temple. It’s where we usually eat our McDonald’s parfaits and the police don’t bother us on private grounds. I like it because it had a great view of Provo. Jacob will deny it, but he likes it because there’s a bush he parks next to so I can’t run away.

So on our way to “The Hill” I mention that we should go to “The House” instead. Jacob had brought up earlier that week that he wanted to explore it one more time before the owners moved in.

*More backup information: “The House” is a big house on “The Hill” that is being constructed. On one of our earlier dates we had taken a walk and come across it. Jacob thought it would be cool to go inside and scare me (which worked). On our way up to the house there was a steep hill with loose rocks and that was when he first held my hand to help me up. Granted he let go after we made the top and didn’t hold it again for another 2-3 weeks later, it was still a special place. We also ended up bringing my laptop there often and watched movies in their half-built theater room.

We arrived at the house and I suggest we get out his iPod and watch a movie. He had forgotten his headphones, but says he has his camera. We are terribly unphotogenic together so it sounded like a good idea. I ask him if he had a blanket in the back and he said he still had it there from last time. We get out and make our way inside to the balcony. We move to the upstairs balcony with the better view, where he lays out the blanket to sit on. Inside though, is a bouquet of 11 white-like roses! He explains quickly that he felt bad for ditching me today and that his cousin had urged him to get me some flowers. I was in a much better mood at that point (they smelled really good!), so we sat down and got talking. However, Jacob then said that he really had to go to the bathroom. Disgusted, I told him I wouldn’t look and to go somewhere I couldn’t hear. He leaves, but then comes back to tell me he left some cheesecake in the car. On first date he took me to the Cheesecake Factory in Salt Lake.

That past date also happened to be the same one where I slipped on ice and instead of helping me up, Jacob bursts out laughing and pointing. I’m kind of surprised I agreed to a second one myself.
I should have been suspicious at this point, but I was mad enough earlier, that I figured he was still trying to make up for it. He then tells me that it’s really cold outside and that we should go back to the car. I tell him I’m fine and take off my jacket to share. He then complains some more and so we get up to leave. While we’re downstairs he remembers that he left something up on the balcony. I assume it’s just trash and wait for him. He then tells me he found something I’d want to see. I figure he wants to be funny and push me off the ledge so I reluctantly oblige. He promised he wouldn’t push me and I go out on the balcony again. He makes me walk to the edge and turn around. I look back and I’m facing this huge sign on sheet metal. It has glow sticks adhering to it spelling out, “Will You Marry Me?” with an attempt of a ring shape with the other glow sticks.

*More backup information: His current roommate is in Divine Comedy, a comedy group, and for a few dates we had gone and received free glow sticks. On our way home from the shows I’d annoyingly hide the glow sticks around his car and he’d end up finding them.

I was completely taken aback and just looked really confused at Jacob. He then begins to speak. Behind his back he was holding something as he says along the line that, “I don’t know if you noticed, but your bouquet had 11 whitish roses which means friendship. And here I have a red one that means love. Just like the red rose will compete the dozen is the way that you complete me.” The he pulls out the red full bloomed rose and attached to it is the wedding ring I had my eye on a couple weeks earlier. He then gets down on his knee and asks to marry me. “Of course!” is my shocked reply and then he gets up and hugs me.

…..

Later he mentions that it was really nerve-racking talking to my dad the night before. I had no idea he even spoke to him because my parents did not mention anything. Apparently he got my dad in the middle of a hockey game and had to call after our date the night before. As we were at his sister’s house he stole my dad’s number on my phone while he claimed to be playing with my games.
Earlier that day he had been with his cousin, but instead of Halo, they were actually making the sign and driving out to Salt Lake to get the cheesecake. Apparently, they had a run in with the real owners of the house as they tried to hide the cake and flowers and pretended to be married and interested in investing the house. As for the ring, Jacob and I had gone hypothetically ring shopping previously, but the one I liked was “too much” so we had gone in to size my finger so Jacob could pick a surprise one if the day ever came. All the jewelers were in on it and pretended to play along with Jacob as I dumbly got my finger sized.

…..

I’m so lucky to have come across a guy like Jacob. I doubt I will ever run into a guy like him that makes me so frustrated and happy at the same time. I’m excited that he wants me to be a part of his life and seeing him in mine is just incredible. He has put up with my snoring, klutziness, accidental cooking mishaps, threats from my cousin, busy schedule and makeup-less mornings. I don’t know why he still sticks around with me, but I love (almost) everything about him. His smile, personality, eyelashes, family, laugh, spirituality, hair, stubbornness.. well maybe not that last one, but he contains so many qualities that I look for in a husband, father, and a member in my current family. Hopefully everything runs smoothly and I’m totally ready and nervous for the next two 1/2 months of quick planning.