HELLLLLOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am back y’all. Hopefully I’m here to stay! I seriously debated dropping it as a whole but I remembered how important journaling is, so here I am!
I obvi missed thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, GETTING ENGAGED, and life in between.
This is probably going to be 99% a Steven update.
PRE-ENGAGED
We always knew we were going to get married. Three days after officially dating I already knew I loved him and by day 4 we both said it. That wasn’t ever the question. We were just enjoying eachother and dating.
Over Thanksgiving weekend I told my family we would be getting married- we didn’t start planning the wedding yet.. we both really missed eachother those 3 and a half days but the reunion was SO HAPPY (uofa lost to asu but we were still on a high!
We decided to start looking at wedding rings after Christmas (once everything calmed down). We knew we wanted to get married in the Mesa Temple but it closed for 2 WHOLE YEARS (starting May 20th). We didn’t have a date though. I was picturing April.
One day (Dec 27th) I was driving down to Coolidge and we decided we should really start planning and talking about it. That evening we talked with both of our families looking for a wedding date. We only had 2 weekends available in April but both ended up being our siblings proms. Alie is SO SWEET and said she’d give up her senior prom. That is 100% not fair. My mom suggested we just get married March, right before spring break. My planning mind went into panic mode- that was only 74 days to plan! We decided to run with it!
So 2 Days later I went and bought a dress. I found something at the first store I went to! They had dresses with sleeves which was SO PERFECT and lucky! The only alteration would be heaming. Since we found something so fast and we were RIGHT NEXT TO GECKO GRILL, we of course at lunch there. Ironically Sheridan was in town and happened to sit and a table right next to us. I hadn’t told anyone yet that we were getting engaged. It felt like the biggest secret of my life not just exploding to Sheridan.
That night we went ring shopping at a store that his dad, uncles and all the men in his family have bought rings. I didn’t want to actually PICK the ring. Just give ideas of what I liked. I’m happy I tried on because it gave me a better idea of what I actually liked (compared to the pictures on Pinterest). He knew which ring he wanted that night. So I left and he finished up.
The next morning, Steven woke up early to meet with my dad. Then I spent the rest of the day house hunting. It was SO FRUSTRATING. I was calling different apartments but they said they wouldn’t know their availablity until Feb! I don’t have the patience in me to wait until then to find a place. So I was very overwhelmed!
The following day Steven picked up the ring. That night we were going to the UofA asu basketball game. It was in Tucson, which is where our FIRST DATE was except then it was a football game. I thought for sure he would propose. While driving down, he made a comment about how he thought about it but wanted to do it when our families were around. I tried to convince him I didn’t care and to just propose but he wasn’t budging. He wanted it to be special. Hahahahaha. Typical Lauren.
Sunday was the following day and it was New Year’s Eve. I didn’t think he necessarily planned to do it that day because he didn’t have anything specific he wanted to do that evening. I was getting super antsy. I had a pretty stressful day at church but then when I texted him he said, hey don’t come down anymore. I’m going to pick you up. I want to take you somewhere. THANK GOODNESS!!!!!!! I was so excited! I was worried he may change his mind since I was grumpy before (thank goodness he didn’t). He tried to play it cool but I of course knew. We drove to the temple and sat at our spot. He said the sweetest things and then proposed. I felt like the most loved girl.
We asked these girls to take our picture after. They were THRILLED for us, as they saw the whole thing.
Growing up, our families would celebrate New Years together. That was one time we would always see them. Then WE GOT ENGAGED ON NEW YEARS. HOW CRAZY RIGHT????
The rest of the night we mostly just cuddled and enjoyed eachother. When all my siblings got back from their activities, we went to IHOP. So he didn't get home til around 6.
THEN THE TRUE WEDDING CRAZE BEGAN.
I was so lucky to have school off for 2 weeks so I could PLAN ALL DAY. And really all night too.
I emailed different vendors and met with all of them during those two weeks. It was hard making decisions when all of the decisions were dependent on other choices (how many tables, how many floral arrangements, etc etc). Really the biggest was figuring out my flowers. Once I knew that, then I figured everything else out. I want to say I wasn't super stressed but outside of Steven and my family, my social life tanked. I was a COMPLETE hermit crab. I tried to give Steven at least one day every week where we did something and didn’t talk about the wedding. It was hard to bite my tongue, but it was always needed for me just as much for him.
By the time school started, I had everything scheduled, booked and decided. I also broke down everything week by week so I didn’t feel overwhelmed by the bulk. Plus any dowm time I knew exactly what I could work on!
At this point, counting down didn’t stress me out (70 days felt like no time to plan it all). We COULD
NOT WAIT!!!!! We were very much counting down!
First Melt Down
Housing was the first wedding planning thing to make me cry. My first and last melt down. I was looking all over the valley (west Mesa, Tempe, chandler, EVERYWHERE) but I was looking for a month “too far away”. Apartments needed places filled yesterday. They didn’t know their availability for March. I even resorted to Facebook, I was so desperate. I eventually decided February move in would probably be my best option. I checked out an apartment that had a move in date the end of February, had laundry in unit and a nice floor plan. I was pretty set until I called Steven on my drive. I didn’t feel safe or good about it. Dang it.
I kept browsing, praying and FINALLY found an apartment in our budget, with a washer/dryer, not in my high school ward boundaries, BUT 2 MILES FROM MY PARENTS. It’s south of the 60, so it’s in the Gilbert stake, 7 minutes from my work, and close to ASU for Steven. I later told Steven it is less than a mile from Barros and 3 miles from soda shop. He is all in now.
Part 2 coming soon
So 2 Days later I went and bought a dress. I found something at the first store I went to! They had dresses with sleeves which was SO PERFECT and lucky! The only alteration would be heaming. Since we found something so fast and we were RIGHT NEXT TO GECKO GRILL, we of course at lunch there. Ironically Sheridan was in town and happened to sit and a table right next to us. I hadn’t told anyone yet that we were getting engaged. It felt like the biggest secret of my life not just exploding to Sheridan.
That night we went ring shopping at a store that his dad, uncles and all the men in his family have bought rings. I didn’t want to actually PICK the ring. Just give ideas of what I liked. I’m happy I tried on because it gave me a better idea of what I actually liked (compared to the pictures on Pinterest). He knew which ring he wanted that night. So I left and he finished up.
The next morning, Steven woke up early to meet with my dad. Then I spent the rest of the day house hunting. It was SO FRUSTRATING. I was calling different apartments but they said they wouldn’t know their availablity until Feb! I don’t have the patience in me to wait until then to find a place. So I was very overwhelmed!
The following day Steven picked up the ring. That night we were going to the UofA asu basketball game. It was in Tucson, which is where our FIRST DATE was except then it was a football game. I thought for sure he would propose. While driving down, he made a comment about how he thought about it but wanted to do it when our families were around. I tried to convince him I didn’t care and to just propose but he wasn’t budging. He wanted it to be special. Hahahahaha. Typical Lauren.
Sunday was the following day and it was New Year’s Eve. I didn’t think he necessarily planned to do it that day because he didn’t have anything specific he wanted to do that evening. I was getting super antsy. I had a pretty stressful day at church but then when I texted him he said, hey don’t come down anymore. I’m going to pick you up. I want to take you somewhere. THANK GOODNESS!!!!!!! I was so excited! I was worried he may change his mind since I was grumpy before (thank goodness he didn’t). He tried to play it cool but I of course knew. We drove to the temple and sat at our spot. He said the sweetest things and then proposed. I felt like the most loved girl.
We asked these girls to take our picture after. They were THRILLED for us, as they saw the whole thing.
Growing up, our families would celebrate New Years together. That was one time we would always see them. Then WE GOT ENGAGED ON NEW YEARS. HOW CRAZY RIGHT????
The rest of the night we mostly just cuddled and enjoyed eachother. When all my siblings got back from their activities, we went to IHOP. So he didn't get home til around 6.
THEN THE TRUE WEDDING CRAZE BEGAN.
I was so lucky to have school off for 2 weeks so I could PLAN ALL DAY. And really all night too.
I emailed different vendors and met with all of them during those two weeks. It was hard making decisions when all of the decisions were dependent on other choices (how many tables, how many floral arrangements, etc etc). Really the biggest was figuring out my flowers. Once I knew that, then I figured everything else out. I want to say I wasn't super stressed but outside of Steven and my family, my social life tanked. I was a COMPLETE hermit crab. I tried to give Steven at least one day every week where we did something and didn’t talk about the wedding. It was hard to bite my tongue, but it was always needed for me just as much for him.
By the time school started, I had everything scheduled, booked and decided. I also broke down everything week by week so I didn’t feel overwhelmed by the bulk. Plus any dowm time I knew exactly what I could work on!
At this point, counting down didn’t stress me out (70 days felt like no time to plan it all). We COULD
NOT WAIT!!!!! We were very much counting down!
First Melt Down
Housing was the first wedding planning thing to make me cry. My first and last melt down. I was looking all over the valley (west Mesa, Tempe, chandler, EVERYWHERE) but I was looking for a month “too far away”. Apartments needed places filled yesterday. They didn’t know their availability for March. I even resorted to Facebook, I was so desperate. I eventually decided February move in would probably be my best option. I checked out an apartment that had a move in date the end of February, had laundry in unit and a nice floor plan. I was pretty set until I called Steven on my drive. I didn’t feel safe or good about it. Dang it.
I kept browsing, praying and FINALLY found an apartment in our budget, with a washer/dryer, not in my high school ward boundaries, BUT 2 MILES FROM MY PARENTS. It’s south of the 60, so it’s in the Gilbert stake, 7 minutes from my work, and close to ASU for Steven. I later told Steven it is less than a mile from Barros and 3 miles from soda shop. He is all in now.
Part 2 coming soon
Love this. You two are so cute! I totally feel you on the not wanting to blog thing. Literally want to stop every week of my life. hahah
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