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Jersey Shore Wedding | Susan and Brad’s Love Story

Love, Stories Documented, Wedding // 20th August 2013

When I think about Susan and Brad, I think about Susan’s great laugh and Brad’s quiet smile. I think about their kind hearts and their selfless dedication to make a difference in their student’s lives. I think about Bucknell and the AMAZING times we shared with Susan running around on campus and working away in the Dean of Students Office. I think about ‘ray Bucknell… but now, thanks to Susan’s Dad’s toast, I think about ‘ray Brad and Sue! ;) (and will forever think about ‘ray Brad and Sue! every time I hear the fight song! ;) )!

When I think about Susan and Brad, this quote always comes to my mind: “It’s not where you are in life; It’s who you have by your side that matters.” Susan and Brad are such AMAZING examples of this quote. They are the loyal friends that everyone dreams of having. When life throws them curve balls, they are the ones that pick everything up and move forward without skipping a beat! When Hurricane Sandy came through and devastated their home and community, they were strong. They had each other by their sides and they knew that was truly all that mattered.

It is such a treat to see Susan and Brad so happy when they are together. They have this comfort that is pretty much magical! When Brad breaks out that quiet smile and Susan chimes in with her great laugh, this world is a better place! ;)

Susan and Brad, we could not be more excited for you two!! Thank you so much for including us in your beautiful Jersey Shore Wedding! It was such a blessing to be there to see your happiness and the beginning of the rest of your lives together! Here’s to the “dancing-fool groom” and his absolutely beautiful bride… wishing you many many years of happiness together (full of dancing, of course!)!! So happy for you! ‘ray Brad and Sue! ;)

Thanks to all the vendors that helped make Susan and Brad’s Wedding Day AMAZING!

How to make your wedding bouquet unique

Wedding // 14th August 2013

Good Morning Everyone! We are so excited to share a fun guest blog post today from our good friend Sarah of Intrigue Designs. Sarah and her team are one of our favorite florists to work with. A few weeks ago we asked Sarah if she had any ideas that Bride’s to be could use when deciding on their wedding day floral design. Sarah jumped on the idea and has written an AMAZING post that all soon to be brides should read. If that’s you, we will let Sarah take it away and let you enjoy this post on how to make your wedding bouquet unique!

How to Make Your Wedding Day Bouquet Unique – By Sarah Campbell-Angers

You see it in all the movies. It’s the mesmerized look that seem to makes its way across every groom’s face, as his bride walks towards him on their wedding day. True love inspired, that look may be the same, but it’s his one-of-a kind woman walking toward him that inspires it.

When thinking about wedding bouquets so many brides scroll through hundreds of images on Pinterest, or flip through the pages of numerous wedding magazines, to come up with what they believe to be the “perfect” bouquet. As all of my brides will tell you, I encourage the use of such sites. It gives me a better understanding of each bride’s style before they sit down and meet with me. However, every bride should embrace their own individuality when designing a bouquet and not simply try and copy what they think looks pretty.

Here are some simple things to keep in mind when designing your wedding bouquet, that can help make what you carry down the aisle as unique as you are;

Color: When thinking about color, don’t just think about what colors you’re using in the rest of your wedding or even your favorite color. Instead, take into consideration what color you wear most often, or what color makes you happiest or calm.

Material: All sorts of material can be incorporated into your bouquet. I’ve used feathers, brooches, ribbon, pearls, you name it and chances are it has been or could be used in a bouquet. For example, we did a wedding where we incorporated paper flowers, made of book pages to go in the bride’s bouquet. It was perfect for her!

Shape: When most people think about bouquets they imagine the traditional shape, which can limit you without even realizing it. Shape is really just another window of opportunity for creativity.

Wrap: This is where I see the most originality. We’ve created all sorts of wraps; from burlap featuring the bride’s initials to elegant ribbons. There are hundreds of ways to incorporate your own individuality by simply getting creative with how you wrap your bouquet. Lately I’ve seen brides hanging small charms with pictures of loved ones, attached to the wrap of their bouquet. I love the sentiment!

Flowers: Of Course, you have to consider the type of flower you want in your bouquet! Some brides come in knowing exactly what kind of flower they want, others with a particular color, others with just a style, and some with no idea of what they want in regards to the actual flowers at all. Utilize Pinterest and wedding blogs, and get inspired! Different flowers represent different things in many different cultures. There is so much to be said for the type of flower you choose to incorporate in your wedding day bouquet. Make it meaningful to you.

Color, material, shape, wrap, and of course flowers are just a few of the many design elements that go into a bouquet. It’s important to remember, all of these elements can be utilized to create a bouquet that is a true extension of each individual bride!

Every bride is different, which means that no bouquet is exactly the same. I love it when a bride comes in and is willing to get creative. I’ve found the more of themselves they put into it; the happier they are! The best part of my job is the ability to get creative and design something special for each and every bride. At the end of the day a bride’s bouquet should be just as fitting as her dress, to create the perfect representation of the one-of-a kind, woman carrying it.

Looking for more wedding day floral inspiration? Meet Sarah and her team this Sunday at their first ever Intrigued Bridal Fair and Flower Showcase.

How to Have an AMAZING Marriage: The 50/50/100 Rule

Life in Love // 9th August 2013

Before we tied the knot and each said I do, we heard all sorts of advice about how marriage is a 50/50 relationship. The idea was that in order to have a great marriage couples should each be responsible for 50% of the marriage. Each couple should share the household chores. Each couple should work to come to agreements even if it is a compromise. Each couple should share the parenting duties…ok with the exception of breast-feeding; I just don’t think that would work to well for a guy. :) You get the point.

Throughout the first 5 years of our marriage Liz and I definitely tried to follow this philosophy for our marriage. And for the most part, our marriage was pretty darn good. But for us, good, or even great isn’t enough. We wanted to have a truly AMAZING marriage. We want our marriage to be an example for our future children of what a love filled marriage can be. We want to be the little old couple that walks down the street after 75 years of marriage hand in hand… maybe by then we will be pushed down the street in wheel chairs but we will still definitely be holding hands and squeezing each other tight.

Not satisfied with just having a good marriage, over the past year we decided that instead of 50/50, we would each do everything we could to give 100 percent in our relationship. Instead of focusing on how we could simply share the load in our relationship, we decided that we would try to serve each other 100%.

Sure there are times when one of us can’t give the other one a full 100% but the beauty of this rule is that the other person will be there to pick up the slack. Think about it for a second. If the premise of your marriage is simply a 50/50 relationship and someone gets sick, loses their job, or something else happens then all of a sudden a hole will start to form in your marriage. One spouse might only be able to give 10% while the other person is still giving 50%. That leaves an empty 40%. Soon, the spouse still giving 50% will begin to feel resentment. All of a sudden, they are the one’s dealing with paying the bills, doing all chores, parenting, etc. If a relationship is built around this 50/50 philosophy, the extra work for one spouse to keep the marriage afloat when the other spouse is unable to do so will never lead to an AMAZING marriage.

However, there is good news. If your relationship is centered around giving and serving each other 100% of the time, then no matter what happens, you will be prepared for the times when one spouse can’t give as much as to the other.

This past week has definitely been more crazy then normal. We are smack dab in the middle of wedding season, plus we were hosting a guest, plus we have been working super hard in the planning of our documentary project, plus we have been working on finalizing plans for our AMAZING Life Escape couples getaway. Trying to cross things off our mile long to-do list, we had been working all day and before we knew it, it was already 3pm.

Seeing that I was starting to get a little “hangry,” without even thinking twice, Liz said, “Why don’t you go get some lunch and I’ll stay here to finish editing photos.” In that moment she focused on serving our relationship 100%. I was able to take a short break without feeling guilty. I grabbed a quick lunch and became re-energized.

In the end, it helped make me happier which allowed me to again focus on how I could serve Liz better. When I got home, after picking up a tasty smoothie for Liz, I decided to spend some time responding to emails that I knew had been on Liz’s mind for most of the day. The simple act of Liz serving our relationship 100% lead to a happier evening and more time to relax while watching football together…side note, how amazing is it that football has started again!!!

Before wrapping up this post I just wanted to leave everyone with 3 quick things you can do to have an AMAZING Marriage and how to bring your relationship from a 50/50 relationship to one in which you serve each other 100%.

1. Say yes – No matter what, begin to make it a habit of saying yes when your spouse asks you to do something.

2. Just do it – If something needs done around the house, instead of waiting until later, or hoping that your spouse will take care of it instead, just do it.

3. Do the things your spouse doesn’t like to do – If there is a particular chore that your spouse doesn’t like to do, there is no better way to brighten their day then to take care of that thing for them.

Follow these three tips and focus on having a 100/100 relationship and your marriage will quickly start turning from good to great and from great to AMAZING.

If you enjoyed this post and are looking for a way to intentionally focus on creating a more AMAZING life together then join us for a fun and unique couples getaway at our AMAZING Life Escape this November. Throughout the Escape Liz and I will be leading several AMAZING Life Inspired sessions focused on turning your relationship into an AMAZING relationship. Get more info by clicking here. And if you sign up before the end of the day today you can save $351 using code AMZESCAPE. We can’t wait for you to join us!!

Kent Manor Inn Wedding Photos Annapolis Wedding Photographer Photos By Liz and Ryan Photo (33)

Kent Manor Inn Wedding | Darcy and Patrick

Love, Stories Documented, Wedding // 8th August 2013

Ryan and I have had some really great conversations recently with friends that have us dreaming of a world where everywhere you look there is an AMAZING example of love. It is not often that we find ourselves in a place where we can stop everything that we are doing and look around and see nothing but AMAZING smiles, lots of laughter, and hearts that are overflowing with joy. We are beyond grateful to say that we found ourselves in one of those environments on Saturday at the Kent Manor Inn!

In a tent decorated with super fun, BIG and bright lanterns, Darcy’s dad welcomed the family and friends who gathered to celebrate the marriage of Darcy and Patrick. He mentioned the table of photos that greeted everyone at the entrance to the reception. The table was full of generations of love and marriages that has shaped Darcy and Patrick’s lives. That love that was so visible in all of the photos was reflected on every single face that was there to celebrate Darcy and Patrick! Darcy’s dad mentioned that through all of the differences in those black and white images and the lives that they represent… the common denominator and one consistency throughout… is LOVE.

Darcy and Patrick… the love that surrounds you and is present among you is something special! It truly was awe-inspiring for us to look around on Saturday (and Friday too! ;) ) and see nothing but AMAZING smiles, lots of laughter, and hearts that are overflowing with joy! Your AMAZING wedding celebration surrounded by your family and friends has touched our hearts in a special way! Thank you for opening your arms to us with a warm welcome and leaving a lasting impact that we will always treasure! You are AMAZING! Congratulations Mr. and Mrs.! We could not be more excited for you!!!

Huge thanks to everyone who helped make Darcy and Patrick’s day so AMAZING!

Reconnect without Distractions & The Liz and Ryan Date Night Guide

Life in Love // 7th August 2013

It’s late in the evening. We are sitting on the couch together, phones in hand, laptop on the ottoman, iPad nearby, and the television is on. I check the latest score of the Orioles game while Liz pins away on Pinterest. The phone buzzes and the urge to see who might have emailed us this late in the evening is too strong to resist. I just “have” to know who needs my attention at this exact second. Unfortunately, the person who really needs my attention at this exact second is sitting right beside me. We sit together on the couch, but are we really together?

Is checking that email, facebook update, or instagram really more important then checking in with each other?

How did we let all of these distractions interrupt our lives?

How many people reading this can share a similar story?

How many people reading this are doing so on their phone in front of the TV while your spouse sits oh so close, but yet so far away?

I remember our honeymoon quite vividly. Ok, Ok, I won’t get into all those details here :), but the one thing I will share is that it was truly an escape with each other without distractions. No phones, no computers, no television. It was truly a place and time to connect with each other without distractions.

Earlier this week, Liz and I cuddled close for a date night together on the couch. It has been one of our traditions to watch The Bachelor/Bachelorette together since the very beginning of our relationship back in highschool…. going all the way back to season 1!

… For a moment we were definitely worried Des might end up alone. Maybe it was all the distractions of giant cameras and a twenty-person television crew that kept Brooks from truly falling in love with her. But that’s a conversation for another post…

We roasted s’mores, made fancy drinks, and sat close. Besides the TV and after a quick instagram, (because clearly everyone needs to know at that exact moment that we are roasting marshmallows inside our house, just in case we accidently set it on fire), we made sure to turn off the computers, put away the iPad, and put our phones on silent.

And for the first moment in over a week, we could truly reconnect with each other.

Too often we get caught up in the fast paced life of a technology driven world that we forget to reconnect without distractions.

Our friend Lara Casey has declared this month as Intentional August, a month to focus intentionally on what’s most important.

This week we challenge everyone who reads our blog to intentionally shut off the distractions and focus on reconnecting with the one you love.

Sit close, share the one thing you love most about each other, play truth or dare, watch the sunset, or better yet, watch the sunrise. Have a romantic date night in the middle of the week. Make breakfast in bed. Have sex before work (yes I said it! :)). Talk about your big dreams, how many children (or dogs) you want to have, and what life will be like when you are old and wrinkly.

We have some fun inspiration to help you reconnect without distractions. Earlier this year we created the Liz and Ryan Date Night Guide. And today, we thought it was the perfect opportunity to share it with you all for FREE! Just click here or on the image below to download the guide. And then print it out so you can turn off your computer and reconnect with your spouse. :)

Finally, if you’ve enjoyed this post and our date night guide download, and you are looking for a fun couples getaway, we’ve created our AMAZING Life Escape as the ultimate way to reconnect with each other without distractions. Learn more by clicking here and be sure to use discount code AMZESCAPE when registering to save $351 on our last two remaining spots.

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