Sparkly Christmas Present

-this original post came out around Christmas time-

Now that Mr. Farmer and I are about to join our families we have had to juggle how we are going to spend the Holidays. Thankfully we have a system that seems to work out perfectly for us for the time being. It was a crazy few days with lots of traveling but we wouldn't have it any other way. We would rather be busy traveling if it means we get to spend time with our friends and family.

There is just something magical about the holiday season. Mr. Farmer and I particularly share in the excitement that is gift giving. We would much rather give a gift than receive one. Since this is our first Christmas together and our first and last as an engaged couple it was very special to us. We both love gift giving and this year Mr. Farmer took it to a whole new level.

Why am I telling you this? Let me show you! 

 

(photo personal)

 

That's right folks! A new ring! For Christmas this year Mr. Farmer decided that he wanted to get me a new engagement ring. So we exchanged the old one for this custom designed, one of a kind ring that he designed by himself. He also picked out a new diamond to put in the center.

Honestly I was so blown away I couldn't believe it! Considering that we just picked a new ring 3 months ago, I couldn't imagine getting a different one. It was by far the biggest surprise I had for Christmas. Why did he get me a new ring?

He wanted me to have something he created for me and he wasn't happy with the one I had.
 Something nobody knew about my other ring was that when I got it, it was missing a side diamond and another diamond was cracked. Knowing that it was flawed bothered Mr. Farmer pretty bad. It was insured and we could of taken it back which we intended to do but now we don't have to worry about it.

 So I present for the LAST time my engagement ring!

(photo personal)

I am in love with this knowing that Mr. Farmer took the time to design it and customize it to my style. It truly is my dream ring and is perfect. I also love knowing that he wanted to ensure I had a ring that no one else would have. It was an incredibly sweet gesture and one that I am very appreciative of.  He said it is just as unique and beautiful as I am. (Say it with me, awwwww). I loved my other ring dearly, we picked it out together and it was perfect. I didn't think I could love another ring more until he presented me with this beauty. He never ceases to amaze me folks!

Did anyone else change out their engagement ring?  



We start at Pink

I realized that I haven't talked much about the style of our wedding. In all honestly it has been an on-going process for Mr. Famer and me because, we don't really have one. After the post-engagement glow started wearing off we had some big decisions to make regarding what we wanted our wedding to look like.

 

We had a beautiful venue

photo via The Florian Gardens

 

I had a beautiful dress. Which I will strategically leave out!

 

But other than that we needed to really nail down a direction to take this celebration in. We needed to start to form a vision. We didn't really want a theme per say.

 

We are a pretty fun, roll with the punches kind of couple. We also wanted something that was a little unique, so I didn't want to pick something that our families have seen before. Mr. Farmer brought up the idea of using pink as one of our wedding colors since it is one of my favorite colors. Pink is where we started planning our wedding.

 

Seriously I have a mild obsession with anything pink. One quick look at my desk and you have no doubt what my favorite color is.

 (photo personal)

 

However we couldn't just have a pink wedding. Well we could but Mr. Farmer wouldn't allow that. We wanted something that paired well and wasn't too formal. So what did I do? Took to Google of course!

 

I don't think I could live without Google folks. Either way I wanted to see if I could find some fun pairings. I found one that was paired with several different colors but still made my little heart flutter.

 

Screen shot of Google

 

Oh yes folks, NAVY BLUE! It's just such a fresh color. Pairs well with so much and it is really the new black. Ok I have no clue what I am talking about but it's pretty. After some discussion with Mr. Farmer we decided that since we are getting married in a garden, in the hottest month of the summer, at the hottest time of day we needed to find a lighter color for the guys to wear. Black wasn't going to work and a dark navy suit would be a bit too warm.

 Enter...

 

Screen shot of Google

 

  Gray! Or is it grey!??!? Seriously total mystery to me. I just don't know but I will figure it out.

So if you are keeping track we have:

Screen shot from Word

We decided to add in silver and white for some accent colors just to break it up so it wasn't so dark. Mama D decided it was best as she thought our wedding colors were a bit "too Winter". (I have no freaking idea what that means but apparently it's wedding talk for too dark for a summer wedding)

So with my colors in hand I headed to Pinterest to get some inspiration.

 

Just a small sampling of my Pinterest wedding board. Cake via We Heart It, Suit via Cocktail Details by Mthreestudio, Invitation via Esty seller Jvandy27 - no longer available

 

As a couple Mr. Farmer and I decided that we were fine with not having a set theme for now. We had some colors we loved and finally we felt comfortable beginning to design our save the dates and start planning this shindig.

 

How did you decide your wedding colors?

 



Get Ready for your Close-Up

Mr. Farmer and I knew that we wanted to have engagement pictures done no if's, ands, or buts about it. Since both Mr. Farmer and I have been in the modeling profession for over 10 years we are not afraid of being in front of a camera lens. However, this would be the first time we took professional pictures together and THAT folks was a little nerve racking.

Photo via Prezi by Travis Peck

Our fabulous photag Kyle Zempel offered to do engagement pictures for us but since he is located quite some distance from us, oh only about 8-9 hours or so, we realized that we needed to get someone local to do the job. Mr. Farmer came to the rescue with Jayne Salentiny. We knew that we needed to get our Save the Dates out fairly soon, and in turn we needed to get our Engagement Pictures done even sooner. Nothing like a little pressure huh!?
 

Mr. Farmer and I discussed it and neither of us had any real "vision" for what we wanted. We happened to be having this conversation sitting outside enjoying some wine and then it dawned on us. DUH! We live on a farm! It's part of who we are as a couple so why not have Jayne come out to our farm and take our pictures around here? It was fall so all the leaves would be turning a perfect color and it would be super pretty.

85% of my wardrobe is neutral colors so I knew that I would be able to just grab something out of my closet and have a perfect outfit to go with the fall colors. Along with using the clothes already in my closet, I am obsessed with makeup and have a lot of it. I love everything about it and I love doing it on other people (I am the go to person for it between my friends). ** I knew that I would be able to handle getting myself ready for this shoot without a spending a lot of money or a lot of effort.

Going into the Friday we were to have our engagement pictures taken we were all prepared. I decided last minute to stop in and have my hair done (and gained a hairstylist in the process she was so amazing). As happy as I was with my hair, I noticed that the wind kept picking up during the day. And I don't mean a gust here and there, I mean like 10 mph winds; steady all day. Gusts up to 20mph! At noon Jayne called to ask if we wanted to cancel because of the wind. I had to leave work early so I made the executive decision we would just make the best of it.
 

Just see for yourself, here are the Barn Engagement Pictures........(all courtesy of Jayne Salentiny)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the necklace I mentioned in our engagement story. I wear one half and Mr. Farmer wears one half. My half says I Love and his half says You. Mine also has an etching of a lock and his has a key on it.

 

 

Here is where the wind really started to take hold.

 

 

Just for fun our lab Winchester would NOT stay away. He clearly wanted to be around people. Every time Mr. Farmer would tie him up he would get out. We even tried putting him in our shop but he opened the danged door! After this shot Winchester was put in the house.

 

Did anyone else have to battle some crazy weather?

**A fun little fact is that I did the professional makeup in the wedding brochure for the hotel we are staying at on our wedding night! The photo shoot was shot in the honeymoon suite that Mr. Farmer and I will be staying in.

The Qwest for the Dress....Conclusion

Again, I love you Mr. Farmer darling but please find some other reading material to entertain yourself with.  There's a nice stack of magazines under the coffee table, go find one. This post is NOT for you!

I was super excited to start my shopping trip with my mama and besties. Since I moved to MN (no I won't be sporting purple anytime soon) I don't get to see them very often, and getting to see them together a total treat that almost never happens. Our first stop was a shop in Wausau, WI that has been around for ages, Thelma's Bridal. It's the store that everyone goes to because "that's just where you go".
 

I gave the girls each time to pick out one dress that I would try on. Mama D was so picky she didn't find anything she liked but found one that was acceptable and I gave it a go. 6 dresses later and still no "bride" moment for Miss. Barn. Most of the dresses were very outdated and a lot of them were very dirty. One dress I tried on had loads of self tanner stained on the inside!

Photo via Criminal Macros I love this show, Criminal Minds  

I was a little discouraged however we still had one other store to scheduled for
the day. Elegant Occasions in Wausau, WI. We headed over there and did NOT have ANY luck. I tried on a few dresses again to appease everyone but still wasn't feeling it. I couldn't find anything that made me feel beautiful. I liked some of the dresses but none that stood out. They all started to look the same to me. So far this was turning into a nightmare of poofy sleeves and tulle for days *shudder*.

Enter Circle the Date in Marshfield, Wisconsin. I had thought about going here but since it was a 45 minute drive away I tossed it to the back of my mind. Well, not anymore. Desperate times call for desperate measures peeps. I didn't have an appointment (cringe I know) but I called to see if I could get in anyways.  The shop owner said sure come on over I am about to close but I'll stay open for you. They had one dress I previously tried on; the Mori Lee, which turned out to be the dress everyone agreed they liked the best. 

So I went to Marshfield with just my mom and when I put that dress on for the second time, I had my "bride" moment. In a quiet shop, with just my mom and the owner. It was a perfect moment and it was like it all clicked. My mom started to smile bigger, my smile got bigger and I didn't want to take the dress off. This was supposed to be my dress. This is why I didn't find anything all day. I had already picked out my dress.

Style 1953 via Mori Lee

Why had I bothered wasting the day, when deep down I knew all along which one I was going to wear? I'll tell you why, because I went to 2 stores that I didn't really care about so that it would be easier for everyone coming with me. I knew that none of them carried this dress and I also knew that none of them were very trendy either. But, I wanted the experience to be convenient for all my friends and family who came shopping with me. It's OK to throw down the "I'm the Bride and what I say goes" card, within reason.

Hindsight is always 20/20 but at the end of the day I had MY dress and I was ecstatic. I know Mr. Farmer was just as happy for me. It was a successful trip and I call that a pretty perfect day. Wedding dress, check!

Did anyone else go to shops just because they were in your home city or because "that's where you're supposed to go"?

The Qwest for the Dress....Part Two

Before I get into the goodness of this post, I love you very dearly Mr. Farmer but you shall NOT PASS GO, DO NOT COLLECT $200!  LOOK AWAY! SKIP THIS POST, FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO LOOK AT!

Finally after 3 weeks of agonizing waiting (ok it really wasn't that bad) I got to have a girl's day with my mother in law, sister in law, niece to be, bestie and step daughter. We started right away in the morning, thankfully we had a coffee stop because I might of died without some caffeine. Hi I'm Miss. Barn and I have a serious caffeine addiction.

I wanted to get to our first stop right when they opened so it wouldn't be quite as crowded and we would be able to get better service. Which I would recommend to any bride out there. If you can get an early appointment, do it. I shouldn't of been worried though because when we arrived at The Bridal Gallery in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, our consultant Katie was amazing. Since I had called ahead they had already pulled the Martina Liana dress and it was already waiting for me.

Here she is again in all her stunning beauty: 

Photo via Essense Designs

 Oh what a pretty dress.

To keep things interesting I told each girl that they got to pick out 1 dress each and that I would try it on, no questions asked. So while everyone went to go find a dress I had a chance to speak to Katie one on one and she asked me questions on what I liked and didn't like. Since this was my first shopping trip I hadn't tried on much so I was a little worried I wouldn't find anything I liked. Well I had the exact opposite problem. I loved everything!

I knew that I needed to try on the Martina first to see what it looked like on my body. Often times something looks completely different on the hanger than it does on your body. Same goes for the picture. Some times it looks great in the picture but awful when you put it on. Thankfully I didn't have that problem. 

 

 (awful photo personal)

We took off the blush belt and added a floral one because I am getting married in a garden peeps, it's just too perfect and because the consultants were having fun "jacking me up". I loved this dress. I felt beautiful in it but it didn't have quite the sparkle I was hoping for. In my picture you can hardly tell there is any sparkle to it. I promise there was though. This was my dream dress but I needed to be sure so I tried some other options to compare. 

I tried on the dresses that both Katie and my girls picked. There were a lot that I liked but then I got to my 4 year flower girl's choice. Which I will have you know she picked out all on her own (Did you picture a little blondie with her hands on her hips, stomping her foot? Good, you should have). I kind of giggled when I saw it because it had little flower appliques on it. Of course she picked this one. I am getting married in a garden how cliché right, but I gave it a whirl.

Mori Lee 1953 via Mori Lee

I put this dress on and was pretty amazed. I actually liked this dress and so did everyone else. WWHHHAA?? How could my 4 year old soon to be niece pick out such a beauty? Trust me we were just as shocked. I enjoyed trying on a few other dresses and decided it was time to head to lunch as I was exhausted. Dress shopping, serious business folks. 

After lunch we got to the second store, The French Door and they were very welcoming. I was seated with my consultant right away and filled out some paperwork asking what styles I liked and my budget. I don't remember my consultants name, nor do I care to. After we had been checked in their attitude seemed to change and they were a little put off by the fact that I wanted my girls to pick the choices, not my consultant. They had no problem letting us know their dissatisfaction with my choice. I tried on the Mori Lee gown again as they had it in stock and why not I liked it. I tried on a few other gowns but none that made my heart sing like the Mori Lee and that Martina.

Well, there happened to be a dress that was on a mannequin right next to the mirrors that I was looking at myself in. K my lovely step daughter pointed to that one and said I want to see you put THAT one on. I agreed and I put it on, I am not going to tell my step daughter no. Now folks, I had said that I never wanted to wear something poofy, and Mr. Farmer told me he didn't want me in anything poofy either. But I loved this dress. I give you:

 Maggie Sottero's Esme (photo personal - we had to sneak this photo as they didn't allow pictures so I apologize that it's such an awful photo)

After we tried this dress on I was exhausted and I knew it was time to call it a day. I loved this beauty, and the more I look at it the more I love it. However I had to get K home and my head was spinning with beautiful dresses. I narrowed down my search to 3 I was in love with.

The Martina Liana, the Mori Lee and the Maggie Sottero.

Did anyone else have the problem that I did where you loved everything you put on?

The Quest for the Dress Begins

One of the very exciting parts of getting engaged and married is wearing "the dress". It is typically the first things brides think about and typically one of the first things people ask about, "Oh did you get your dress?", "What are you wearing?", "I can't wait to see the dress!" I'll be perfectly honest with you, I was NOT super excited about going dress shopping.

Image from Home Alone via IMDB 

SHOCKER, I know!!

For whatever reason I kind of just forgot about it. I was so busy enjoying being engaged and securing all of our major vendors that it was Mr. Farmer who urged me to go dress shopping. It was a pretty interesting conversation.

Mr. Farmer: Hey babe, don't you think you should start dress shopping?

Me: Oh yeah I suppose I better get on that huh?

Mr. Farmer: Umm ya think?!

I seriously love this man. So after a little urging from Mr. Farmer I started looking online at dresses. I hadn't the slightest clue what I wanted or what I was looking for. Between magazines and the good 'ol internet I found a bunch of beautiful gowns but none that made my heart sing with glee, that is until I came across this beauty...........

Martina Liana 411 via Essense Designs

This was the most stunning dress I had ever laid eyes on. I don't know why I even wasted another 2 weeks looking online and in magazines because this was the only dress I loved.

Oh yeah, because it was way out of my price range. Like triple what I wanted to spend!  I love everything about this dress though and Mr. Farmer told me that if I had to have this dress that he would make it happen. So I looked up the bridal shops that carried this dress and there was 1 place in the entire state of Minnesota. Crap! I decided to check South Dakota as I am right near the border. EUREEKA! I found a shop that had this beauty and not so quickly scheduled an appointment. Why did I drag my feet?

Two reasons. First I was sad that I wouldn't be able to take my first dress shopping trip with my mom. Since I wasn't going to be able to take my mom with me for my trip I decided that I wanted my new family to come with me. Problem solved. Second reason, I wanted a very special little girl to be able to come.

Who is this special little girl you ask? That would be my beautiful, intelligent and amazing step-daughter K. 

Gorgeous I am telling you! (photo personal)

I don't get to see K very often (sad bride) as she is a very busy 11 year old (seriously this girl tires me out just listening to her schedule), we needed to arrange a time that fit her schedule and everyone else's. In order to do that we needed to go out a few weeks, 3 to be exact.

So needless to say, it was a very eager 3 weeks for us because we were super excited to go. Every other day Mr. Farmer would ask me, "So are you getting excited to go dress shopping?"  to which I would reply "Of course I am!"

Did anyone else struggle to get their butt in gear with dress shopping?

 

Lights, Camera, Action

Mr. Farmer and I are very lucky that we know so many talented people in our lives. Because of this it was an easy decision to have friendors help in our wedding. For those of you who are not familiar with the term a friendor is just as it sounds, a friend who is a vendor.

I graduated high school with an incredible photographer who I knew was starting off his photography business. Thankfully, I secured his talents before he took off and his schedule started to fill up. Score for me! Who is this amazing photographer?! Check him out:

Photo: Kyle Zempel Photography

Photos by: Kyle Zempel Photography
 

 He does some of the most amazing work I have seen in quite a while. His outdoor shots are seriously breathtaking!! Like deserve to be in a showroom amazing. A well known fact about me is that I used to be a model and Mr. Farmer still books shoots, so needless to say we know a good photographer when we see one and who would be a good fit for us. As an added bonus Kyle comes with a photo booth!
 

 Besides any guy who has this little cutie?

How can you say no! (I have a deep love for dogs, and his Flussa is ADORBS!)

Photo: Kyle Zempel

 

I e-mailed him immediately and he agreed to be our photographer for the day. His style is very much journalistic and that was the type of photography Mr. Farmer and I were looking for on our big day. We didn't want to be overly posed nor did we want any photos that were overly processed in post-production. We wanted someone who would be able to capture the emotion of the day as it was happening and Kyle was the best fit. I encourage you to check out his website, I am telling you AH-MAZ-ING!

Since Kyle is a one-man team my godmother, who is amazing in her own right, has also agreed to bring along her camera and assist in taking some shots for us so that nothing goes undocumented. At the end of the day after all the decorations, glitter, panic attacks and wedded craziness all you have left are the images and memories of the best day of your life. Since it goes by so fast I want to have as many pictures as possible to look back upon and reminisce with my new husband. (Plus I have a horrible memory)

Our next friendor was a no-brainer for us. I have a VERY dear friend Greg who runs his own entertainment company (Mr. Farmer and I actually helped plan his proposal to his lovely fiancé who will actually be standing up in our wedding!)

Ladies/Gents NIHL Entertainment:

NIHL Entertainment

Brian VanDellen Photography via Jack3d via Facebook
 

 I knew that I wanted to use his company but I also wanted to make sure he was up for the challenge. I didn't know if he would want to attend as a guest or be willing to work our wedding. Since his lovely fiancé was part of the bridal party I worried it was too much to ask of him. However Greg obviously loves what he does and wouldn't allow me to use anyone else. His exact words were, "How can I let you use some punk DJ you don't even know, not on the most important day of your life!"

I am also extra excited because not only does he have amazing sound but he has more lights than anyone I know. Up-lighting is like the thing to do now-a-days so of course I just HAD TO HAVE IT and thankfully Greg includes that as part of his entertainment package.

Photo via Bhangrajunction - Beautiful No?!

It's just so danged pretty. SWOON! Mr. Farmer and I are very lucky to have such wonderful people in our lives who are willing to lend a hand and are so good at what they do. It worked out well for everyone, we saved a little cash and our friends able to generate the business and publicity they so deserve.

Did anyone else have any friendors at their wedding?