Tonight I looked down at my beautiful engagement ring and noticed that one of the side diamonds is m...
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02/08/2011
  Beach Old Beach House On the Beach Old Mission Light House View from top of Mackinaw Island Old Military Territory Our Cabin This was our Cabin... This was our Cabin... This was our Cabin... This was our Cabin... Ferry to Mackinaw Island Shipwreck Tours We're MARRIED Enjoying the view Enjoying the view                 |
Honeymoon
Honeymoon Highlights
I realized I haven't blogged about my honeymoon, ANYWHERE!! It was not by any means the most luxurious honeymoon, but it was very enjoyable for the two of us.
We did a road trip around Lake Michigan. We live in Tinley Park, a south suburb of Chicago, and started our journey into Indiana and up into Michigan on the day after our wedding. Our first stop was in Hamlin Lake. By that time we go there was just popped our TENT and went to sleep. It was such a busy weekend and long day we both just needed to get some more rest! In the morning we got up and packed up to head further into Michigan, Traverse City! We spent a couple of days in Traverse City in a nice Hampton Inn!!! We did some swimming, shopping, and sightseeing. The most memorable day was when we did our own tour of the all 7 wineries on Old Mission Peninsula! We got up early and drove to the furtherest point of the peninsula to view the Old Mission Light House. From there we drove back down the peninsula stopping at each of the 7 wineries along the way. Some had tours, all had tastings! We continued our journey up into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, stopping to take a trip to Mackinaw Island on the way. What an amazing place. No motor vehicles!!! Crazy. To watch them pick up garbage or delivery supplies by horse or bicycle was so amusing! Our next destination was the cabin we stayed in... check out the pictures! haha. It was, again, not a luxurious destination by any stretch of the imagination! It was a small little cabin with the bedroom, kitchen, dining, and sitting space all in the same 15x15 room! The bathroom was definitely an addition to the original structure (thank god..) Although I was by no way going to use the shower... it was a shower enclosure with the hot water tank attached to the back of it. HAHA the adventures we take in life. This is part of the trip I will never forget! We went on a Glass Bottom Boat tour of Lake Superior and did some hiking in the Upper Pennisula before we continued on with our journey into Wisconsin. We popped our tent in a campground near Appleton, WI, enjoyed some CLEAN showers! and went to a very nice restaurant for dinner. But later that night as we lay in or tent trying to fall asleep, with wind picked up and the clouds rolled in! Now, as much as I enjoy the 'roughing it' thing, I get a little worried when it comes to sleeping in a tent in a storm (childhood experience...) So at about 3am I had had enough of the wind and knew there was going to be a horrible storm, so we packed up and drove the last 5 hours all the way home! HAHA So like I said it was no by means the perfect luxurious honeymoon, but it was what we could afford, and be had an unforgettable time... |
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02/08/2011
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NWR - house hunt
I'm a Chicagoland Real Estate Agent
I've been married about 6 months now, and used to be on here almost everyday looking at other brides' wedding plans and writing about mine. Now-a-days I'm settled into a real life with my DH in our first place. Every day still feels like a dream! But I was reminded on weddingbycolor with an email update of a Bride I was following, who is also married by now. Anyway, the reason I came on today was to say that along with planning your dream day, many of you are probably thinking of your life together after that day. And if you are thinking about where you are going to live or are ready to purchase a home together, I might be able to be of service. I am a real estate agent with Baird & Warner in the southwest suburbs of Chicago, IL. If you live in the area and are considering buying a home, let me know! I would love to work with members of my weddingbycolor family!
Jennifer Hannon Website: jenniferhannon.net Email: jennifer.hannon@bairdwarner.com Phone: 708.528.9278 |
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09/01/2010
  The Ceremony Site Relax!! Reading my vows the Groom got a little emotional! the KISS Making it LEGAL Our Ring Bearer Our Flower Girl and her Bridesmaid escort (My SIL) Our Cake Memorial Decor DSC_0337 Wedding Party at the Meet-n-Greet The 'After-Party' My brother at the 'After-Party' My dad at the 'After-Party'                |
We're Married
8.7.10
I'm officially Mrs. Jennifer Hannon!!! I still can't believe it has finally happened! The big day was August 7th! The event was pretty much a whole weekend thing though. We chose Starved Rock State Park, so we had guests arriving for our mini-destination wedding on Friday evening and staying through the weekend. The weather was perfect (and HOT)! I was actually pretty relaxed through the whole weekend, but maybe that was do to the couples massages that Pat and I had on Friday evening!! I was happy to be able to do alot of the setting up myself, thankfully no one yelled at me for being involved. And I couldn't have asked for better help from family and friends! The Ceremony was at 5pm on the bluff by the Sunset Shelter. It was a brief ceremony, but it was quite warm and I think the guest were okay with the length of it. Immediately following the ceremony was an hour of cocktails for our guests while Pat and I had some more photos taken, this time as husband and wife, and signed the certificate! Dinner was absolutely amazing, and sadly I could barely eat anything in my rather tight dress :( But we received many compliments on the amount of food, like I knew we would! And the cake was fantastic! We surprised our guests with a specially choreographed Tango for our first dance, it was SO much fun! Then the real party started and we danced into the night. The reception had to end at 11, but that didn't mean the party did!! We had a cabin reserved for the 'After-Party' and our guests continued to party into the morning! Pat and I didn't stay out that late, we got comfy in our bed and read through all our wonderful cards, and opened all the beautiful gifts! In the morning the family and wedding party all packed up to head home, but I know that quite a few families hung around to enjoy all that Starved Rock has to offer; which was a nice treat for us, because we knew it was quite a trip for our guests to make it to our wedding. Later on Sunday, Pat and I packed up the truck and headed off on our honeymoon road trip around Lake Michigan. But that is going to have to be another blog on another day....
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07/26/2010
  SAM_7934 SAM_7941 SAM_7943 SAM_7942     |
Wedding Reception
Seating Chart
I can't believe this turned out so good. This is just the rough draft!!! I'm so excited!!! I didn't have any idea how I was going to do this. I actually would have preferred by table but I bought the frame already (Michaels; super sale with coupon!!) and I didn't have room for all 21 tables to be list. So I went index style, but it turned out great!
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07/26/2010
  flip flops (4) |
DIY Wedding
Bridal Flip Flops
So although I bought shoes to wear with my gown, I wanted to have some fun flip flops to throw on for later on. So I made a pair from the craft store all pretty!!! I just beading thread and some beading glue and threaded the beads on; then on the backside of the strap I glue each strand in place. It was alot of 'tiny items, big figures' but I think they turned out far better than I thought they would.
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07/23/2010
  White Drift Wood (1) Gray Frame (1) Formal Black Frame (1) Blue Frame (1) Oak Frame (1)      |
Bridesmaids
Bridesmaid Gifts
I made my girls a magnetic message board. It was fun to get away from ME ME ME, and to focus on something for someone else! I found this idea online:
http://www.countryliving.com/crafts/projects/make-message-board-0906 But its simple. Supplies needed: -open back frame -metal (magnetic would be good, hehehe) -fabric -magnets or fun stuff to make into magnets -a piece of wood for the backing. I used double-sided table to stick the fabric to the metal, then assemble the frame with backing!! Simple Pimple :D It was fun and easy |
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07/23/2010
  SAM_7871 |
Wedding Reception
Menus are FINISHED!!!
It actually wasn't as bad as I was thinking it was going to be! We, of course, had people that didn't RSVP by the deadline, and we actually still have people that we haven't heard from we the event is 14 days away!!! But overall the menus and seating arrangements were not nearly as bad as I thought the process was going to be.
We had an online RSVP datebase, my FH is a computer dork :D but we were able to save ALOT on stamps this way. So I just signed in on a pretty regular basis and started the menus. Red=Steak (Ribyeye) Bride's meal Black= Chicken (Italiano) Groom's meal Gray= Veggie (Stir Fry) White= Kids (Chicken Tenders) To do seating I just used the meals and started to compile groups of families. Then I re-arranged as needed for the number of seats at a table. Our tables seat 8 normally, but I have tables from 6-9. The 9 people table are complete family (mom, dad, 3 kids with significant others) so It just had to be that way, I'm not moving ONE person away form their family; that is crazy! The menus are obviously all personalized as placecards as well, I just have to work on the seating chart to tell the guests what table they are at. |
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07/23/2010
  SAM_7729 |
Bridesmaids
T-Shirts
My FSIL, and Bridesmaid, maid this for us to wear the day of the wedding, when we are getting hair and make-up done. As well as setting up for the wedding. It's not my DIY, but they are so cute I had to share!
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07/12/2010
  inspiration Home Depot's $350 arch Dad building it Mom & Brother testing the size FH with final product Our Ceremony Set Up       |
Wedding Ceremony
Arch for the backdrop.
Since we are getting married on a bluff at Starved Rock State Park, I wanted to have an arch as a back drop for the ceremony. So I looked around on some websites and found the one that I loved from Home Depot. However they wanted to $350 for it. Haha, no! So I recruited my father and brother to build one for me. So they took the picture and basically made the same exact thing, for less than half the price.
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07/11/2010
  Capture |
Countdown
26 more days!!!
I can't believe its coming so fast! Thankful I am a crazy planner and have most everything done.
Since last time I posted a countdown I got all this done: -finished the favors -ordered the flowers -the girls are getting their alterations done -the guys are going in for their measurements -finally figured out the music situation; mix of live, iPod, and DJ.... -my dad and brother built the arch for the ceremony All I have left is: -buy wedding party gifts -help MIL with the rehearsal dinner -get a list to the photographer... anyone know what to do here? -transportation.... -finalize the ceremony (writing it myself, our officiant is FH's uncle) So I'm sure there is more, but I am totally calm about it all. :D |
number of visits: 1620
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