Pre Wedding Fun!

Rob and I were honored by the parties and spoiled by the wedding showers during our engagement.  Though we were apart (Rob moved to Dallas a week after we got engaged) we were so supported and loved.  Thank you to all our friends and family who did so much!! We love you all.

Tea Party

To Bonita (one of the lovely women I worked for in Washington DC):  Thank you for the Tea Party!!

To Amy and Katelyn (my amazing friends at work): Thank you for making the party complete!

Bonita made beautiful tea sandwiches, scones and other treats.  I couldn't ask for a prettier afternoon.  She even designed games with tea. 

Washington DC Friends Bridal Shower

Since I moved to DC 4 years ago, these ladies have inspired me, motivated me, made me laugh and in the last year, supported me in all the adventures Rob and I had.  Thank you Joni, Kellee and Marla for the fun afternoon and all the ladies who came!

Joni is an amazing baker.  She made these beautiful cupcakes to look like a wedding dress.

It tasted amazing too!





I'll spare everyone the pictures of the more revealing presents, and include the awesome new glasses we love!  Thanks to everyone for setting us up in our new life.

DC Engagement Party

Joni again honored us with a party when Rob came back to DC to help me move to Texas. She made a BEAUTIFUL cake that, again, tasted amazing.
















In true Rob style he demoed its 'eat-ability'.

The party goers had Rob tell our story from start to engagement and our plans for the future.  It's cute to hear his way of telling it all.

 

Getting Ready for the Wedding

We tried to do a few things to make the wedding special for our guests.  One was welcome bags for the bridal party.  Becky helped me put them together.  I included a 'do not disturb' sign for after the wedding, contact list of the family and wedding party, and lots of Utah products with little tags.

We also displayed pictures of our families' wedding days at the reception.  A legacy of love :)  We displayed them in frames painted in yellow and blue.  Yeah for DI (it's like Good Will for all my non-Utah friends and family) and spray paint.                                                                                     (see next blog about the wedding!)

  Utah Bridal Showers

My girlfriends from high school threw me a fun bridal party with glitter toes, and takeaways of sugar scrubs and bath salts.  They got me a cowboy hat with a veil!! How well they know me!                                                                                                                                                         I also got some good marriage advice as these ladies have more experience than me!

Aunt Trudy, Aunt Jody and Mom also threw me a shower at Aunt Jody's house.  It was so fun!  For some reason however, I can't find any pictures of it  :(  I loved when Trudy had each person as they gave me a gift, give me a piece of advice.  It was all written down for me.

The Holland clan rounded out the spoiling with a lovely afternoon.  Becky even called Rob and quizzed me on his answers.  Happily, I answered more questions correctly than they thought I would!  Did you know if he were a superhero he would be Captain America and if he were to assign me an animal he would say I was a cheetah?  I did!! Ha!

 Bachelorette Party!!!

What could get better than brick oven pizza and dancing outdoors?  From left to right: Brian Morrison - Man of Honor; Shalene Hardman - long time A-mazing friend; Casandra Winter - my redheaded friend since college, oh the good times; Emily Morehouse - bridesmaid extraordinaire; and Melissa Morrison - the wonderful woman and friend I'm so lucky Brian married; Tara Ivie - Matron of Honor (not pictured, but there in spirit)

We love surrounding Shalene with redheadedness.

Getting Close!!

Getting our marriage license in Salt Lake County!  So exciting!  

I had to call Dad to know where he was born, ha!

Mom and Emily at the salon on wedding day morning.  

Mom got her toes done (first time ever), and Em got make up and hair with me!  

She looked great with an up-do and her blue dress. 

I promise it looked more calm when it was done!  

She did a great job taming the full head of red!

The Man of Honor hung in with the ladies so well.  He brought treats from Kneaders and got a hair cut.  For some reason he didn't want his make up done, go figure.  Cathryn, Rob's sister, also got her hair done, but no pictures be taken ;)  She looked great at the wedding.

Rehearsal

Rob and I wore our wedding colors to the rehearsal.  We practiced with Dennis as the fill-in judge.  Good thing Brian had just gotten married, he remembered stuff I had never thought of!

Emily made me a 'bowquet' from all the wedding shower present bows.  It was beautiful and made me feel so special as Dad and I practiced walking to the ceremony.  It was also helpful to practice handing it back and forth to the Man of Honor. 

Everyone laughed at my written instructions and maps, but on wedding day, everyone was where they were suppose to be and on time!  I love Tim's face in this picture.  He was a great Best Man.

 Rehearsal Dinner

Rob and his family planned the rehearsal dinner.  They chose Charlie Chow's Dragon Grill because Rob and my first date was at Genghis Grill, a Mongolian grill.  How cute to do our rehearsal at the same style restaurant.  It was perfect, all you can eat, and everyone could get exactly what they wanted.  The bridal party was there, Dad, Mom and Dennis, Rob's Mom, Dad and Sister, Becky and Robert Holland, and the sister missionaries who helped convert Rob- Erin Anderson and Tori Nixon.  
 

We got or own section of the restaurant.

The rehearsal and dinner was on Mom's birthday so we got her a cake and sang to honor her too!

So ends the preparation for the wedding.  Again, we can't thank everyone enough for all the time, funds, and effort they put into making us feel so special and celebrate the best day of our lives.  We couldn't have asked for anything better.