Bridal Portraits

(This blog is a few days late...but I have been BUSY!!!)

What a production!

It all started this morning at 4:45...I got up and took a shower.

No conditioner in my hair and before I dried it...plenty of mousse. Two departures from my normal routine.

Mom arrived at 5:45am. We drove to Elan studios on Greenville Ave. in Dallas for hair and makeup. My appointment was for 6:30 -8:30. It took almost 40 minutes for her to roll my hair. Then we did makeup and finished with styling. 2 hours and 10 minutes later we were off to the Dallas arboretum.

The photographer wasn't going to be at the Arboretum until 10:00...it was 8:40...I was hungry. So mom and I headed to McDonald's for breakfast...of course I decided it was probably best to hit the restroom before I got in my dress....as once I am in it...going to the bathroom would be a near impossible event! So here I am...100x's more makeup than I EVER where and a veil in my hair walking into McDonald's. I got lots of looks...I mean...how often does a person walk into McDonald's with a viel in and obviously ready for either a wedding or pictures? It was fun though!

I had to cut my Egg McMuffin in order to not mess up my makeup. Then around 9:30 Dad through up the blankets for my makeshift dressing room in the parking lot and mom and Chrissie (my wedding coordinator) proceded to help me get dressed.

The pictures themselves were tedious...tons of comands to twist my body into beautiful poses. Standing and waiting for people to move or the sun to move...smile, don't smile, big smile, little smile....look down, look up, gaze at that tree over there...look at your dad or mom or Gerry...don't laugh even though mom and dad are laughing...don't cry when mom tears up....drop your left shoulder...drop it more but don't tilt your body...

But it was so much fun! I remember a torterous trip to the arboretum as a child and in one garden I saw a bride sitting in the grass, surrounded by green, getting her portraits taken. The site transfixed me. I stood far away and watched....I wanted to be that bride. I dreamed of my time to get my pictures taken. And finally it all came true...it was ME and about 10 other brides...fullfilling dreams on a warm Sunday morning.

I can't wait to see the pictures. They should be online by Thursday night. I can't wait for Nathan to see me in June. I felt so beautiful...I am plain...nothing overly fancy or spectacular. I think I am pretty but Sunday I was beautiful...stunning...I have never in my life felt so good about myself. Everything was wonderful. And I know it showed in my smile and face and I can't wait for Nathan to see that...not that he doesn't already think I am beautiful...like he reminded me Sunday night!

Only 2 months...and 5 days....invitations go out at the end of this month...lol...haven't started that yet....but I have a 3-day weekend this weekend to work on it! We are getting closer...closer to the most wonderful moment in my life.