So Quickly Life Approaches

I think that the older one gets the faster life passes by. I feel like just yesterday I had 10 months to go until the wedding, but it's only 22 days away! It has gone by so quickly, but I know at several points I thought that the big day would never come. There were times that I was wishing time away, hoping that October would come quickly. Other times I prayed for more time to get everything done. Now I am at a happy medium, I'm so excited that the wedding is soon, I feel like I have plenty of time to complete the tasks at hand, and I'm enjoying my last few weeks of singleness with my family. The closer we get to the wedding day, the faster the days go by. As the wedding is quickly approaching, I realize that Amica and Rhode Island are also quickly approaching. I feel like as soon as the wedding is over I will be preparing to move out to Providence to start training. I have about 2 months with my husband before moving away for 7 weeks, which at first didn't seem like a big deal, but now I feel like 2 months before moving is not enough time and that 7 weeks will feel a lot longer than it seems. Life feels real, it feels grown up with more responsibility than ever. While this isn't a bad thing, it is different and somewhat intimidating. I feel like I'm ready to get married, start a job, move away from my parents, but the unknown always brings a sense of question and unsettledness. How do you prepare for something you've never experienced? I suppose the only thing is to spend time with the Lord and trust that he will teach you and guide you in all your new adventures. I know He will help me learn what it means to be a submissive wife, a wife who eagerly serves her husband. I know He will help me learn what it means to be in the business world and He will be there to comfort me when everything changes and I move away from everything I know. God is good and he will be with me. All I can do it live today, the day the Lord has given me and enjoy the time that I have. When the new things come along I will be able to handle them because the Lord will prepare me. So let life quickly approach, I will soak up as much as I possibly can and Jesus will provide for my every need :)

The Wedding Guru

9+ months of planning my own wedding and several years of observing other's nuptial arrangements have given me quite the arsenal when it comes to wedding info. While talking with my good friend Ali last night, I realized that I have a lot of useful information to share with brides (and some grooms). My first post about wedding etiquette is going to be followed up with some additional points, and yes, they are about RSVPs. In addition to observing who is actually invited on your invitation, one should also take notice of when the RSVP should be returned. No matter what the date says, your RSVP should be returned ASAP! I mean, we already put the stamp on it, is it that hard to look at the calendar, write your name, check a box, and put it in the mail? No, it's really not. Further, the date that the RSVP is quested by should be kept in mind. The bride and groom need to know as soon as you can because of money and numbers for all events. Really, unless you run into troubles taking days off of work or other events might interfere, there's no reason to postpone sending your RSVP. I would also say that even if the bride and groom know whether or not you're coming, you should still send the RSVP. Bryan and I have invited almost 300 people to our wedding, do you think that we can keep track of a conversation we had 8 months ago when you told us you could attend? Nope, sorry, my brain is too full of other details to remember that conversation. Soon Bryan and I will have to start calling guests demanding to be given an answer, and who has time for that when I'm trying to do everything else wedding? It would truly be easier on all parties if the RSVP was simply mailed on time.

On a completely different note, my good friend Sam Oches has a blog, mylifehasasoundtrack1.blogspot.com. He has great taste in music and posts a lot of his finds through his blog. I highly encourage you to take a listen and a bit of time to read his insights. Also, I want to add music and some better pictures/graphics to this blog so hopefully those changes will happen soon! :)

Friends

I think friends are about the best thing that a girl can have, well right after an awesome family, and a great fiance...Okay so friends come in third those people, fourth if you add Christ in... Anyway, point being that true friends are incredible and irreplaceable. The end of college has shown me who my dearest and truest friends are. The people I keep in touch with, either through phone conversations or random hang out times; the people who always offer to help with wedding stuff; the people who listen to me complain about wedding stuff; and the people I can call no matter the time or place just because I need some support. Planning the wedding has really shown me what amazing and wonderful friends I have. My friend Kyria volunteered to shoot some pictures at the wedding after hearing our little photo fiasco. Even though we don't talk as much as I would like, she still said she would come and take a few pictures. And the great thing is I know that she doesn't think I just called her to ask for some free pictures, I know that she is excited to come to the wedding and out of love offered her expert photography skills to Bryan and I. One of Bryan's friends asked him if he wanted some financial help so that we could invite everyone we wanted. Bryan declined, but the simple act of offering was so loving and selfless. Laura and Lauren have been so sincere in their offers to help the day of or with anything I may need in the coming weeks, I know I could ask them to help out in any way and they would be more than happy to. Not to mention all the friends who ask how I'm doing, who want updates about all the plans, and offer their help in every conversation! All the help, love, and support has been so important to both Bryan and I. It makes me wonder, am I this giving of my gifts and energy to my friends? I know the wedding is a big deal, but sometimes I still feel selfish accepting all that my friends are offering me. I suppose that it is part of the cycle, at some point in time all these people will need my help, and I will be more than willing to give it! (And if I complain just remind me about the wedding and I'll feel guilty and stop complaining)

On another note, my good friend Kyria (mentioned above) is an amazing photographer. Kyria and her sister have their own photography business. They do weddings, senior pictures, family photos, and baby portraits. Their work is just beautiful and I'm so excited to see them off and running! The link to their site is listed below, check out their photo galleries and if you're in the market for some pictures, these are the girls to call!
agapephotographs.com

Drama, Drama, Drama

I've decided that no matter the wedding, there is always drama. If you have never planned or been in a wedding, then you may not realize this, but there is ALWAYS drama. Even in a wedding with a fairly relaxed Bride and a very laid back groom there is drama. I think I've had more drama happen in these past 9 months than in all high school and college combined. I've learned a lot because of the crises and feel that someone else may benefit from these moments of panic.

1. Something will always go wrong
No matter how well you plan or how far in advance you start your meetings, something will go wrong. The printer won't do the right thing with your invitations, or all the bridesmaids dresses will be super tight on your girls (just a few mishaps that we had). Once you have accepted that something will go wrong, it is easier to be relaxed and simply fix the problem instead of freaking out about what you are going to do. My good friend, Meredith, did the invitations for us and they are perfect! I loved them! Unfortunately the printer went crazy that week and we had several mishaps. Meredith was infinitely thankful that I did not go bridezilla on her and instead decided to be calm and simply accept things as they came. After that incident I figured that many vendors would also appreciate this Christly calmness and decided that no one's feelings or pocketbook should be affected by a minor wrong. It all has worked out, there's always a solution, and there's no point in worrying over things that you have no control. Better to let it go and know that on the day you will be married than worry and get a zit because your invitations are a day later than you expected.

2. Communication is Key
Feelings are a sore subject when it comes to weddings. I feel I have hurt a few people unneccesarily and some without knowing during the nuptial planning. If I could just remember who I've told my plans and who I have not shared them with, it would have made things much less painful. Communication with many many people is not a strong point with me apparently, so some feelings have been hurt a long the way. Nothing major, but enough that I wish I would have done things differently. I wish I would have been more clear about why I was making certain decisions and not simply assume others can read my mind, or my intentions. Thankfully I haven't made any lifelong enemies or astranged myself from any family, but I could see how a wedding could create disputes that could never be resolved. So my advice is this, be open about what you're doing. Stick to your guns, still do what you want, but make sure that others know your intentions and do your best to be loving, even when others aren't so lovable.

3. Marriage is the more important thing, and that comes after the Wedding
At the end of your wedding you will be married, and that is so much more important than the celebration of the day. Don't get me wrong, I couldn't be more excited to have a good sized wedding with the church and the dress, all the decorations and food, and my loving family and friends surrounding me. But even if everything else fails, Bryan and I will still get married and God will still bless our marriage. Keeping this in mind had helped to let things "roll of my back like water runs off a duck" as a friend's parent would say. I love the idea of my wedding and the wedding day, but I am infinitely more excited for the marriage.

These are the things I have learned from the wedding process thus far, I hope it helps someone else deal with wedding woes that we will all face.

Also I wanted to make the comment that I am a terrible speller and must keep dictionary.com open at all times when typing to make sure I'm spelling certain words correctly. I guess my BA in English didn't teach me everything.

Sacrifice

Lately I have been thinking about sacrifice and how it is the ultimate expression of love. In church on Sunday the pastor was talking about the sacrifice God gave us in giving up his son. He encouraged us to think of the verse John 3:16 from the Father's perspective, how difficult would it be to give up your only child? I cannot imagine the amount of love and hurt that God held in his heart that day. Thinking of this sacrifice made me think about my parents and all they've sacrificed for me throughout my life, I'm sure many that I don't even know about. I'm so blessed to have such loving parents! Their sacrificing continues throughout the wedding process and now Bryan and I both feel the affects their love and blessings. It's so amazing to know that my parents love me this much, but Christ loves me even more! I was having a conversation with my friend's Dad last night, he was asking about my new job. His reaction was like most people when I tell them that Bryan and I have to live apart for 7 weeks, "What?! That's no good at all!" But I see it as a sacrifice we are both making because we know that this is the direction that the Lord is taking us. If Amica, RI, and 7 weeks apart is what the Lord asks of us, then it's really not much of a sacrifice at all because it will end up being the best decision we could make. Sacrifice doesn't seem so difficult or overwhelming when it comes to love and Christ, it seems more like the right thing to do; the sacrifice cannot compare to God's giving up his own son and my sacrifice is but a spec in time. Life feels more complete when love and sacrifice are part of the picture, whether it is sacrificing time, money, or energy it always is more meaningful when you're giving it to someone else.

On a lighter note...My hair dresser came on Sunday and we did my practice hair for the wedding. It's awesome! I haven't put the pictures on my computer yet, but as soon as I do I will post a pic! Only 32 days! I cannot believe it!

Second is the First Loser

Throughout the wedding process, Bryan and I have become more and more excited for the big day. As it creeps closer, we anticipate walking down the aisle and becoming man and wife more than ever. During the process, though, I have learned what it must feel like to be a middle child. Bryan and I have definitely felt the effects of coming in second to many other events. Many of our friends have already gotten married and done the whole wedding thing, Bryan's brother got married in July, Ohio State Football has started, and one of my cousins is getting married the weekend before us. It is hard not to feel like our wedding and marriage comes second to all these events. The easy thing to do is get upset, feel like no one cares, convince yourself that you are the first loser behind bigger and better celebrations. But I have decided to rebel against those thoughts. There are many people who couldn't be more excited about our wedding, including Bryan and myself! My friends have been so supportive, helpful, and loving but how easily I am distracted from those who truly care about us! It becomes so simple to focus on the few events or people that seem to not understand how immense and life changing our wedding is. Instead I choose to focus on those who are excited and those who love us. I accept that there will always be other things going on in the world, but that it's okay to focus on us for awhile. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I couldn't be more excited about being the new Mrs. Bryan Pietch so, I will focus on that and not on a few minor disappointments along the way. Of course, few people outside of our parents care about the wedding as much as Bryan and I, which is fine. I simply want to focus on the bliss that the wedding and marriage are soon to bring. But I will leave you with this thought: Weddings, showers, marriage, any events that go with weddings are A BIG DEAL! and shouldn't be taken lightly. I know I am guilty of not treating these events with the proper excitement and respect, but I am resolved to change! Everyone deserves excitement and commitment on their big day and I will certainly do my best to give that to my friends. Best wishes on this glorious day the Lord has made! Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

35 Days

So I gave in, I started a blog.

I didn’t start one for a long time because I didn’t think anyone would want to read my random thoughts on everything under the sun. However, I’ve recently decided that my writing can and should be improved, thus my Blog, the New Wife: The Freshest Pietch! Many adventures are coming my way and I thought that a blog would be an appropriate way to both improve my writing and share my life via the internet.

With that said, I am not yet married, but the days (only 35 or so left) of singleness are numbered and the weeks to come should be quite interesting. For instance, RSVPs (respondez-vous si vous plait for those that do not know the French translation) are both exciting and exasperating. Some people do not understand how these work. For those who do not understand, please allow me the time to explain basic invitation etiquette. When you receive the invitation please observe who the invitation has been addressed to. If the invitation says only your name then only you are invited. But, if the invitation has your name plus a guest THEN and only then can you bring a guest. It is not appropriate for you to add your date’s name to your invitation putting the bride and groom in the awkward position of denying you a date. You do not get to add a date just because you want one. If you want to give me 50 dollars to pay for your uninvited date, please do! But since that would not happen, please do not add people to my guest list, I do not have room for them.

Fortunately for me, RSVP woes have not ruined the wedding experience for me. I have had a lovely time planning my wedding. I cannot wait to be a wife, I cannot wait to enjoy the splendors of the wedding! I have relished every moment of planning, the counting down, being excited with Bryan, drawing closer to Christ, the organizing and reorganizing, shopping, dresses, friends, and showers. And it will all culminate in my latest and greatest adventure, MARRIAGE! So here’s to me, the new blogger, the soon-to-be-wife, The Freshest Pietch!