October « 2008 « Southern Weddings Magazine

Real Wedding: Allison + John

October 22, 2008 by Southern Weddings in Details: Real Weddings from Across the US | 11 comments

This Houston, Texas, wedding comes to us from {Lauren Clark Photography}. The stunning bride and groom were married at the gorgeous {Ashton Gardens}. How beautiful is this decor!? To see more check out Lauren’s {Blog}.

Facebook it
Tweet it
Pin It

Describe the proposal: John schemed an incredible proposal over a period of months, seeking out the help of my best friend, Meredith Ramsey. Not only did he travel far and wide (Dallas) to pick out a gorgeous one of a kind ring, but even thought to confirm that the diamond was conflict-free. He knows me well! After spending the weekend in Lubbock, Texas (home to our alma mater, Texas Tech) John took me out to a local favorite for dinner. We went back to my apartment to find that he had canvases and paints set up for us to ‘speed paint’ our way through 3 canvases over a little Dave Matthews. The last canvas John painted was unforgettable, depicting a ‘proposal scene’; He then dropped to his knee with an actual ring and a million wonderful words of his affection. John arranged for my sweet friends to meet us after for champagne and cake. It was the best.
What attracted me to my husband was: I loved John’s sense of humor and spontaneity. He has such a creative, romantic spirit and would send me handwritten love notes in the mail.
Why do you love your husband? I love my husband for his servanthood, ambitious nature, and constant support. He makes me joyful and giddy, and challenges me to never settle!
What attracted me to my wife was: The first thing that attracted me to her was that she wasn’t just beautiful outside, but she was so selfless and beautiful on the inside. I knew instantaneously that she was the kind of girl I needed in my life.
The weather on our wedding day was: We could have done without the Houston humidity, but it was incredibly sunny and gorgeous.
What was the design inspiration for your wedding? I love design and started a notebook from day one of the engagement. The colors were eggplant and celadon with accents of gold throughout. With it being an afternoon wedding, I was hoping for a semi-formal ‘garden party’ with lots of organic elements and as many DIY projects as I could get my hands on. We incorporated pears throughout in lieu of our ‘perfect pair’ theme, and I found tons of inspiration via wedding/design blogs that I navigated on a daily basis.
Favorite design element of your big day: We both agree that the most beautiful design element was the actual venue itself. Ashton Gardens is a one-stop treasure with a quaint limestone chapel connected to a ballroom adorned with crystal chandeliers and floor to ceiling windows. There is a simplicity and natural beauty of the whole place as it sits tucked away in a forest.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: I certainly don’t want to discourage any bride-to-be, but I probably tried on 30 dresses before I found the one. For me, it was completely different than what I anticipated on getting, so I encourage you to go with an open mind! It ended up being so perfect for me. Also, though slightly irritating at the time, I am so grateful my mom took pictures of every dress I tried on. She even printed them out and created a binder – this helped to see how they photographed. I had some of my closest friends flip through and vote on their favorite.
Describe your wedding flowers: Exactly as I envisioned. Fresh, uniquely textured, perfect accent to the bridesmaid’s dresses and the other décor.
Describe your wedding cake: Simple vintage, yet elegant with fresh fruits and a touch of foliage. The groom’s cake was a snare drum after John’s talent and passion for music – it was enormous and detailed perfectly.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Reading our very personal, intimate vows to one another in a room filled with our family and closest friends, while John’s father officiated, was an irreplaceable memory. I cried tears of joy virtually the entire time and felt so much love.
Three adjectives that describe the day are: anointed, blissful, authentic
Did you write your own vows? If so, what was your favorite phrase/verse/or line ? We combined the traditional vows with a few more personal lines that really represented our commitment to one another. My favorite verse was ‘ I will listen to you with compassion and understanding, and speak to you with encouragement.’
What advice would you give to someone planning their wedding? Let others help! Don’t try to do it all on your own, and planning ahead is always a great idea. Make sure it’s about you (not in a Bridezilla way!), and that it reflects you. Enjoy the process, because the wedding flies by!

Congratulations to Allison + John. We wish you a lifetime of happiness!

xo Southern Weddings October 22, 2008 | view Southern Weddings's blog

Kathryn, October 22, 2008 6:20 pm Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

I love it - what beautiful autumn details!

lauren clark, October 22, 2008 7:05 pm Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

oh yay!!!!!

Kendall S., October 22, 2008 7:58 pm Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

Beautiful Couple, Beautiful Wedding!

Tabitha (From Single to Married), October 22, 2008 8:44 pm Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

I love that she's wearing sleeves on her gown - so hard to find these days and it sets her apart!

cristy cross, October 22, 2008 10:15 pm Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

Man, that Lauren Clark...she's good, darn good

Lori, October 23, 2008 1:47 am Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

It was one of the most beautiful days I have ever experienced. Lauren's pictures are precious mementos and they savor the lovliness of the weekend. The Weavers are two of the most genuine, wonderful, God-loving people I know-love you guys!
~mommy to the flower girls :)

Michelle @ Everyday Celebrating, October 23, 2008 2:12 am Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

Took me a minute to get past that amazing RING!!!!!!!!! wow!

Emily, October 24, 2008 1:51 pm Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

I love the bridesmaid dresses, any idea who the designer is?

Allison, October 29, 2008 1:01 am Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

Hi there! It's me, Allison. Just noticed your post about the bridesmaid dresses. They are an imitation of a Melissa Sweet dress. I didn't want to ask my bridesmaids to pay $250... which is about the cost of them, so I found a great local seamstress and took her a pic. of my inspiration. She replicated them perfectly for $50 a dress and the fabric cost $35/person. It was a great alternative.

Emily, October 31, 2008 4:35 pm Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

Thank you! Beautiful wedding! I love that color purple!

tonton @ Casablanca Tagaytay, March 19, 2010 6:17 am Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

I love the theme. It's simple but very religious and not boring. The pictures are also given life.

Southern Weddings reserves the right to delete comments which contain profanity or personal attacks or seek to promote a business unrelated to the post. And remember: a good attitude is like kudzu – it spreads. We love hearing your sweet thoughts!

Another Contest!: Chewing The Cud

October 21, 2008 by Southern Weddings in Contests,Inspirations | 31 comments

We’re in the homestretch to launching the new BlogSite, so we want to spread the love with a few FAB giveaways. If you haven’t already entered this one and this one and this one, get to it! And, now… our fourth giveaway for the week!

Oh my, words cannot even begin to do any justice when describing how much I adore Viola Sutanto’s work. On one of my first days here at SW, a small little parcel was delivered to the office packed full of Chewing the Cud‘s ridiculously wonderful samples. All were consciously crafted out of tree-free paper with soy-based ink on a vintage flywheel letterpress!! Naturally, my heart was immediately all aflutter! Since then, I have had the extreme pleasure of getting to now Viola. Based out of San Franscisco, Chewing the Cud offers perfectly simplistic, naturally trendy, carefully creative, and totally FRESH designs. As Viola put it “Chewing the Cud is a story depicted in the mediums of paper, apparel, and accessories. The tale is a celebration of all things unique; sometimes bold and dramatic; other times a soft whisper, or a playful hint of spice. The ending is always a kaleidoscope of inspired possibilities, and that, is how we like to see our world.” With that said, how much do you want this new giveaway from Chewing the Cud?! I do! I do!

Facebook it
Tweet it
Pin It

The Prize: Win 75 custom-designed, two color invitations from Chewing the Cud’s Signature Collection.

To Enter: I am sure some of you all are wondering what “Chewing the Cud” means. In literal terms, and much to my amusement, the phrase actually defines the moment of meditation before taking a calculated leap. {LOVE IT! Viola, you are so cool!} So in honor of CTC philosophy, we request that you, our lovely readers, share with us a story {whether wedding related or not} where you took a leap of faith. No restrictions beyond that… we genuinely want these to be honest and heart-felt! Good luck and I cannot wait to hear your submissions.

Contest ends on Halloween at midnight!

xo Southern Weddings October 21, 2008 | view Southern Weddings's blog

Victoria, October 21, 2008 5:29 pm Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

My fiance was the one who encouraged me to take a leap of faith! I was preparing to take the LSATs and apply to law school, and I had been going to a night class every Sunday for almost a year to get ready! Throughout the class, he kept telling me I should become a writer, not a lawyer. But I didn't listen to him until I came home from the LSAT and literally burst into tears not because I thought I had done poorly, but because I had hated it so much! That very day I decided to throw away all my law school prep and apply to MFA programs :) I am so much happier now!

Mary Williams, October 21, 2008 5:45 pm Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

After I finished college, I had some trouble deciding which direction my life should go in. I languished for about a year in retail jobs before deciding to go back to school to pursue my dreams of being a writer. The night before the move, however, I totally freaked out and became convinced that I shouldn't move away from my friends and family. After wrestling with it all night, I decided to take a chance on a new life and go for it--whatever happens. The first day of orientation all the new students stood up and introduced ourselves. When the 4th guy told us his story, I looked up into the blue eyes of my future husband.

Miss Meme, October 21, 2008 5:58 pm Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

Being engaged to a man who going off the navy boot camp next month is my leap of faith. I can't look for a job because I don't know where he will be stationed next year. I don't know how often I will see him in our mariage (we have no idea how many 6 month cruises he'll have to take or if he'll have to go to Iraq). I know for sure that he is worth it!

Catie R, October 21, 2008 6:28 pm Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

I have a two-pronged leap of faith. First, it has to be my fiance. When we first started dating, we were both working at Walt Disney World as interns. Halfway through the internship, he moved back home to Georgia for a job opportunity. We decided to stay together. After the internship was over I moved home to California, and we decided to stay together even with the cross-country distance, and this was after 3 months of dating. Our relationship has been majority long-distance as it will continue to be until we get hitched next July! That leap of faith was well worth it. My second leap of faith happened most recently, when I decided to go for my passion and what makes me happy - photography. I'm starting my own photography business, specializing in weddings and portraits. My fiance has encouraged me since my first thoughts about it. I love what I'm doing and hope to go full time in the next year!

shopgirl, October 21, 2008 7:56 pm Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

I fell in love. And for some that might not seem like such a leap, it may come easily to many. But to fall in love - to give your whole heart and soul to someone, to trust someone so much that the barriers i had up have completely shattered in his presence - that was huge for me. It was the scariest time for both of us, wading through such uncertainty, fighting those instincts to push him away, to keep yourself from getting hurt. It was an enormous leap of faith, but the outcome was DEFINITELY worth it ; )

Tara, October 21, 2008 8:58 pm Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

I took a leap of faith when I decided to move to DC last year. It changed my life 100%. New job, new city, and new life experiences. I would have never met my fiance if I had stayed in my old "comfortable" life!

kwolyniak, October 21, 2008 10:56 pm Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

My leap of faith came four years ago when I decided to be a mentor in a low-income, rural high school that was full of at-risk teens. I signed up to go to lunches three days a week and sit down with teenagers who looked at me like I was crazy. I was your average granola-girl trying to find something in common with girls who'd been through so much. Four years later, I am regularly attending camps to increase these girls' self-confidence and recognition of their internal value. Our cabin sizes average around twenty girls or so a trip. I have watched high school girls deal with pregnancy, drugs, gangs, abuse, and the list goes on. What I can offer has nothing to do with what I have in common with them... I am simply "there" for them. As I am watching these girls prepare to graduate and move on to college in the spring (a few of them ivy-league), I myself am preparing to graduate to a new place in life, as a bride... my fiance is also a mentor in another local high school. Not only was I able to make a difference in the lives of these girls, but they in turn have made a difference in mine. Not to mention that I found the love of my life in the process of helping others, and gained a partner for a future of continuing the good work we've begun.

Ashley, October 22, 2008 2:21 pm Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

My leap of faith was to leave my beloved family in Texas to move to Mississippi for graduate school. I was struggling to find my place and was in a relationship that was not right for me. So I decided to embark on my own. I am a twin and my sister and I are very close and it was (and has been) hard on us, but I needed to know that I could be independent and self sustaining. I have since completed a master's degree and continue my education each day. I work in Mississippi as a health educator and am engaged to an incredible man that I would have never met had I not taken this leap. And I really enjoy Mississippi! I am the happiest I have ever been, and finally things feel right. Plus, i no that no matter what, I accomplished these things and I can be independent and be a partner in life and in love.

Carla, October 22, 2008 4:40 pm Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

I've had so many leaps of faith in my life that have all lead me to where I am now!!! I surviving being asaulted by my ex-husband for 4 hours one night (I escaped with a paper bag full of my most important belongings the minute I could and I just celebrated 20 years of escaping that nightmare!). Learning to trust people again, especially men. Moving to a new state by myself. Falling for a friend that was recently widowed despite all those voices in my head saying this is a bad idea!!!! He needs more time to heal!!!! But everything has worked out beautifully and I feel very blessed. Things just fell into place for us and now we're getting married in February AND expecting our first baby! God is good!!!

Courtney, October 22, 2008 4:45 pm Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

I wish I could take credit for this, but I am so not the hero of this story. It's a bit convoluted, but I'll try to explain...

3 years ago, my now future husband (B) was at a music festival in Memphis (he was going to school in Alabama at the time). I was living happily, 2600 miles away in Southern California. At this festival, he met a girl with dark hair and blue eyes (as do I) and she slipped him a piece of paper with a website address on it. When B got back to school 3 days later, he looked her up. Only she was me - the URL was my blog.

(note: I have seen the paper, and think a) she could have misspelled her own blog as there were a number of adult beverages served at this event b) it's barely legible, so the possibility exists that we misinterpreted the address or c) as cheesy as it is, it could have been fate.)

Fast forward 3 months: after emailing daily, we found out we had more in common than initially anticipated. And after a particularly gratuitous Auburn victory, he was emboldened enough to call me. And we talked for 9 hours. Another 3 or so months later, it was the day after Christmas and I had just driven back to Southern California, talking to him the entire way through the Central California Valley. On a whim I told him he should fly out (I had frequent flier miles set to expire) - and he totally hesitated. I don't know who he talked to, or what they told him, but he did it. And as of New Years Eve, we've known we were meant to be.

One and a half long distance years later, thousands of dollars in plane tickets and phone bills, I was getting tired of being apart - and as great as we were, I didn't know if I could last another 2 years while he finished school (a fact which makes me cringe to admit). So when I told him of my reservations and put the option of "dating other people" on the table, he knew it was make-or-break time.

2 months later, having applied to transfer to school out in sunny CA - with no car, no job, and no football team to speak of (which as a boy from Alabama is a the biggest deal of all!) - he is here with me. Because he was man enough to call my bluff.

And even though we're still in the planning stages of the wedding, our happily ever after has already begun.

elizabeth, October 22, 2008 6:10 pm Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

I took a leap of faith in taking my current job. It is only for a year, so I'll still be looking for a job again soon, and it's another hour away from my FH, but I love it. Sure, it's hard to be 2-hours apart, but the end is in sight, and I really believe that it was the best thing for my career. And I like my job! We're both planning to move at the end of my time here so that we can both be in the same city, and this has given us time to plan and find just the right fit.

McKenzie, October 22, 2008 6:26 pm Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

My fiance and I were the proud parents of the most wonderful puppy. She was our light and our sunshine and I truly looked forward to spending my evenings and weekends with her. Stella brought so much joy to our lives and even helped my fiance propose to me (she came to wake me one morning with my ring tied to her collar).

When we took her in to be spayed, she never came back home. The veterinarian accidentally overdosed her anesthesia and she passed away the day she turned six months old.

After the shock and horror of it all (and days of crying), I took a leap of faith and jumped in the car for a several-hour drive to meet another potential dog to join our family in Stella's absence.

Lola was everything Stella wasn't -- she's impulsive and rowdy. She fights against our cuddles and ignores our training. Yet, the love of this stubborn little dog (who sheds all over everything and refuses to let us clip her nails or brush her teeth) has helped us to learn and grow after Stella's death and continue to build our little family. We've been able to love someone who obviously doesn't always love us, and to learn about loss and luck and love and humor as we build our little family.

nancy, October 22, 2008 8:40 pm Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

My leap of faith would be my relationship with my fiance! :)

We were best friends since high school (over 10 years ago now!). When he approached me at the end of college about being in love and knowing that he wanted to marry me one day, I thought he was crazy! Of course, I respected and "loved" him, but didn't want to ruin our friendship. My father had also recently passed away from cancer, so I was in an angry, jaded phase in my life where I wanted to wallow in depression and not open my heart to anyone, in fear of the chance of letting myself be so connected with someone and then possibly feeling the pain of loss all over again. Well, after much commitment and persistence on his part, I decide to take the leap of faith and love and now we are planning our wedding for next year, one day before our 7 year anniversary!

We would love to use Chewing the Cud invites! We are such huge fans of their work!!

Tabitha (From Single to Married), October 22, 2008 8:47 pm Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

hmm... so many! Definitely getting married was one, but I'd say moving across the US to live by myself, hundreds of miles away from my family, was a huge leap of faith. It worked out though - I stayed for 10 years before moving back to the East where I belong. :)

Courtney Lindley, October 23, 2008 9:36 pm Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

My moment came while I was working an internship and I finally got two real job offers at the same time. One was with the Hornets (NBA) Basketball team and the other was writing for the Sports Business Journal's online daily edition. The New Orleans Hornets were temporarily located in Oklahoma City, OK because of Hurricane Katrina. It was quite a big decision for me: to stay at home in Charlotte and continue living in the same city I had lived all of my life (other than a few years in college) or move half way across the country. I spoke with one of my mentors and it was something that he said that helped me make the final decision. I think he knew I would miss out on an experience if I did not take that leap of faith and move to Oklahoma. I have never regretted my decision. I had an amazing experience working for the Hornets and I also met my fiance there who also worked for the Hornets! That's the best part!! It's so cool how the decisions you make can lead you to something so wonderful!!

Alexis, October 24, 2008 2:27 am Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

I took my leap of faith 8 and a half years ago when, in high school, my best friend and I decided that we both wanted to be more than just friends. Despite worries about ruining a fabulously strong friendship, there was something that pulled us together. We'll be getting married 9 and a half years after our very first kiss!

tto, October 24, 2008 5:58 am Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

i quit my security blanket job in finance to try my hand in the fashion industry, of which i know nothing about (except how to say "oh, how pretty...i. want. it.") it isn't the most exciting leap of faith...but i did throw away 8 years of climbing the corporate ladder to become a bottom feeder with 25% of the earning power. it's only been 3 weeks...but 3 weeks of going to work because i want to and not because i have to. i'll also never have to wonder 'what if' ever again.

worth it? like, totally.

Kate, October 24, 2008 6:46 am Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

I should have loved New York City. I had an undergrad in photography and was a couple of semesters into an MFA program. I only ever hearted New York. The only person I wanted to share the urban wilderness with was on the very opposite coast. To a chorus of What? Oregon? Are you nuts? You know that a sweat shirt is part of the dress code, right? How can you be sure... and every possible story about every boyfriend that ever turned out wrong, I jumped on a plane to see about a boy. With absolutely no plan other than the future resolve of an eighty year old lady who knows that she never let love go gently by. I found a job, my own place and we turned our long distance affair into a daily romance. We are tying the knot next August. I am wearing a sweat shirt as I write this but then again, I am ready for bed.

Jess, October 24, 2008 10:32 pm Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

I chose not to go to grad school immediately after college, much to my mother's dismay. I took a year to think and putz about and now am in the Washington Conservation Corps doing exactly what I wanted to do for a career. I'm hoping to stay in for two years then go towards my Masters and stay in the Department of Ecology. I make nothing - it's a volunteer position, actually - but I can see every day that my work is helping the environment. I mean, my team of six people planted over 300 trees last week alone!

Veronica Lugo, October 24, 2008 11:04 pm Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

I was supposed to be married in November of 2005, but just a week before the wedding I called the wedding off. Reason: I had fallen in love with someone at work and in the bottom of my heart knew I couldn't get married to someone else. I was very good friends with this guy and he was the first one I called after the break up and returning of the ring. I took the biggest risk of my life in hoping that my unrequited love would be returned and I can say my leap of faith paid off, we are now engaged to be married in Barbados in June 2009!
Thanks for the chance to participate and tell you about my amazing self-growth story...

Allie, October 25, 2008 12:04 am Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

My leap of faith is shared with my fiance: Not only are we living apart (and have been for three and a half years), we have no idea where we're going to live after we get married. There are a lot of little jumps that go into that leap — we're both very close to our families and they live 1,000 miles apart; I own a house in Oregon that's too small for us to share; we're fairly sure we don't want to live where he lives or where I live — but we have to have faith that the big things and little things alike will come together. We are both very deliberate, planned people, so not knowing where we'll work or live in a few months is terrifying, but it's also exciting to think of all the possibilities before us.

Reeve, October 26, 2008 12:51 am Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

My fiance and I have been together for 9 years & we have been totally smitten since day 1. The problem was that we were both so young & so not ready for major commitment. Over the years we have grown apart, grown together, traveled apart, traveled together. I never stopped believing that someday it would all work out & that the confusion would pay off in the end. For the last 2 years we have been happily in love, in the same city, and it all feels so new again. We know the core of each other, our good side and our bad side. Here's the twist: I always thought that the marriage piece was the happily-ever-after-make-it-all-worthwhile bit, but looking back I know that what has enriched us the most is the journey we've already taken and the discovery that came with it. We are uniting our lives next August with 100 of our closest friends and family, but I don't believe that the leap of faith will ever end. Our marriage will most certainly be tested in our future together; our faith in each other and in what we share will be what keeps us on track. I am looking forward to one leap after another!

P.S. Thank you for the contest!!

SAR, October 26, 2008 12:57 am Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

I never wanted to get married. I just didn't think it was in the cards for me. I am pretty independent, like to do things my own different way and just didn't think I'd be able to hitch myself up to one person without giving up a part of me. And here's the leap of faith: I met a really cool guy. He is funny and quirky and thoughtful and darling. He makes my life so bright and I am the very best version of me with him anywhere in my life. It's hard to argue with a good thing, and so I jumped...

Tom, October 26, 2008 4:51 pm Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

I am a scientist. Well, a biologist actually, but the mere mentioning of this instantly ends party-time banter. It’s a shame, given the sordid story of how I chose my Ph.D. thesis lab. In graduate school, we have semester long rotations where we test-drive a lab. Not only do we get to kick the tires, we run experiments, interact with other scientists, and get a sense of whether we can be happy in a given lab environment for the next five to six years of our degree program. My first rotation was great, the science was interesting, the people were engaging, but I still had reservations. The second rotation offered exceptional science, far more independence, and frequent group meetings with a Nobel Laureate. Most people would have chosen this lab in a second, however, there was something missing… one rather amazing person.

During my first rotation, I had befriended a smart, irreverent, and beautiful technician in the lab. We bonded over the Bunsen burner discussing gene cloning techniques and microscopy. She alone made this seemingly easy decision infinitely more difficult and complex; having the heart and mind collide is not something scientists manage well. In the end, I joined the first lab. She and I would escape for lunch to discuss everything from mechanisms underlying cell movement to the best place in NYC for bagels. In the four years since that decision, she has moved out of NYC to attend medical school, while I finish my degree. We might not see each other much, but we have talked with each other every night for our last three years apart --me about science, her about medicine. It might have been a leap of faith to join my thesis lab, but there is no question in my mind why that technician and I are getting married.

JS, October 27, 2008 6:07 pm Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

I am right on the cusp of taking my leap of faith. I've always been a cautious person, never riding my bike too fast or opening up to someone enough to love them fully. I opted to study biology in college, with the idea that it was "safe" and would offer me a good strong career that I could rely on for the rest of my life.
So I work here, as a scientist. And I hate it. My saving grace, and the thing that gets me through my days, is my photography. Over the past few years, I've been taking photos, and I've been getting better. I always said to myself, that one day, I'd really make something of myself with this photography thing. One day, right?
Then, within just a few weeks, my perspective changed. My twin sister had given birth to a gorgeously fat baby girl, who was perfect in every way except one. Her heart didn't work right. How a family deals with this type of news is amazing.
What's even more amazing is having this same family have to deal with my own diagnosis of cervical cancer, which came just a few weeks after my niece's diagnosis. We'll have our surgeries, her and I. And we'll be fine. But we both will live our dreams more fully. I won't return to my science job. I will do my best to follow my passion, and take photographs. She will get bigger, get teeth, learn to crawl and walk. We will celebrate her every accomplishment, knowing how miraculous each one is.
I was truly shocked when my then-boyfriend of just a few months propsed marriage. I didn't understand why he wanted to be a part of such a broken family. I asked, and he said he knew it was his job to fill in the cracks, and hold us all together. He wanted to be a part of our family, forever. We are excited to be planning an October 2009 wedding.

Zolie, October 28, 2008 7:45 am Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

To understand my leap of faith, I think it is important to understand my mindset and personality prior to *that* moment. My whole life has been centered on career, independence and self-sufficiency. I finally felt comfortable in my skin and had created a good life. I was embarking on the career of my dreams, and hard work was it's own reward. I was dating a guy, but it was light and casual... the first 15 minutes of a romantic comedy. No commitments, no demands. I cherished my freedom, and preferred not to depend on anyone.

Just when life feels like it is settling into a reassuring and predictable pattern, the earth opens up underneath you and changes everything. I went for a run one night, and all of a sudden I couldn't see correctly out of one eye. I ignored the problem as trivial for a while, but it got to the point where I couldn't ignore it any more. In addition to my vision being blurry, the next few weeks became a blur. There were several doctor visits, some procedures, and in the end, a life-changing diagnosis. Friends said that I was muddling through with bravery. I don't know if I really was, but the reflex was to keep the emotion in. If I could just hold it all together, maybe this wasn't really happening.

Right in the darkest moments, the casual boyfriend of 9 months decided to say the "L" word... That word reserved only for good outdoors gear. He said "love" and I just wanted to bolt. I didn't say it in return. The next few weeks consisted of me finding any way to get off the phone that did not involve him saying the "L" word. I was avoiding "the talk".

The leap came when I was driving home from work one night and talking to the boyfriend on the phone. I tried to break up, knowing that my diagnosis might forever alter our relationship... but in a boldly desperate act of bravery, I told him about the diagnosis. I expressed my love and told him he should consider finding someone else. His response, "Baby, none of that matters. We can go through this together. This is our problem, not just yours" And you know what? He meant it.

Fast forward 2 years. We're getting married soon. I'm doing pretty well health-wise, and we face all of those challenges together-- even on the not-so-good days. I've got my career, my freedom, I'm self-sufficient, and I have the most giving, loving fiance a girl could ever have. Now I'm an individual and part of a team... and it's the best feeling ever!

Elizabeth, October 28, 2008 4:46 pm Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

I met Jason through a mutual friend on a St. Patrick's day. That night, after all the festivities, I rear-ended him!!! After getting the repairs done and settled, he asked me to go fishing with him. I jokingly said that I would marry him if he ate a worm (the bait). He told me to put that in writing and he would. I drew up a contract, initialed it, and he ate the worm. He brought the contract with him when he proposed a year later!
Talk about a leap of faith, he is marrying a girl that annihilated his bumper, and I am marrying a man who eats worms! I would do it again in a heartbeat. Best fender bender I ever made!

Courtney, October 28, 2008 8:30 pm Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

I would not be engaged had it not been for my leap of faith. My fiance and I met when we were both working in California but I moved back to North Carolina shortly after we met. We promised to make our long distance relationship work and it did for over 2 years. Finally we realized one of us would have to move if we wanted to truly be together for the rest of our lives. Since my job has flexible locations I decided I would be the one to move across the country. We were not engaged yet but I had such great faith in our love for each other that I packed my bags and my dog and moved to California.

LT, October 28, 2008 9:24 pm Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

I think my leap of faith is leaving home and studying abroad for the next 4 years. It was difficult since I never left home and I'm leaving my boyfriend of 6 years behind. But despite of the decision to study abroad and be apart made me and my relationship stronger. Now, me and my boyfriend will be getting married next year and he'll be coming over to stay with me.

Joey, October 29, 2008 1:42 am Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

I have two defining moments where a leap of faith was required.
Five years ago, I found msyelf, a Memphis native, suddenly transplanted in Atlanta. While that itself isn't difficult, factor in being a mom of a five year old son and having moved into a new home only to discover within months of moving in that my husband had been repeatedly unfaithful to me. After six agonizing months, the decision to divorce him was made. In a year, I went from being a happy mother and wife and homemaker planning a second child to being a single mom in a strange city with no family and only a handful of people I knew.

My first leap of faith came when I made the decision not to move back home to Memphis and stay in Atlanta so my son could have both parents nearby. I started out with literally nothing because he (x) refused to provide income verification and when he provided it, it was untrue. But luckily I had a good past career as a nuclear medicine technologist and put my nose to the grindstone and began working. Within a year I was elected by my peers at our state convention as President-Elect of our Society.

So that was the first leap of faith. Here's the second one.

Love. Ouch. That four lettered word. It was unfamiliar to me after four years of healing. From going thru the raw, searing pain that comes from finding out your partner is unfaithful, to then dealing with a less-than-honest stb-ex husband to finding out the woman he was cheating with was pregnant just simply hurt. You get to a point and I did, when you feel almost numb. Nothing. Maybe it was a defense mechanism, but it got me thru four years. And while I had dated a little the third and fourth year, I felt as thought I was always going to remain single.

Then one night out eating dinner, I met a man. A tall, handsome dark-haired man with piercing blue eyes. We had a wonderful conversation. Within a matter of minutes I suddenly felt at ease. We laughed a little and joked around. He asked where I lived. I told him Cumming (Georgia). He replied "I live in Suwanee". I said that I had once lived in Suwanee. I did. That was where I had once built my dream home with my former husband and lived through the most bittersweet days of my entire life. I did not tell him that though. He asked me where. I told him which subdivision. To my utter surprise, he resides in the SAME subdivision. But in another section. Through more conversation, we found out our families were from the same little corner of North Mississippi and had a Memphis connection. One of my closest friends in the world, her family is friends with his family also. There were so many coincidences that it simply could not be a coincidence.

We had basically been moving in parallel circles for years. But the time wasn't right for us to meet until last December.

Since that time we have been inseperable. He is a wonderful role model to my now 10 year old son. He is my significant other and so much more. But we're waiting to marry and do things appropriately. We do not live together and are very careful of the needs of our children first.

And in 2009 he's gonna be the reason I make my second leap of faith as I marry him.

I never thought I would get one second chance. But I was blessed and have two.

Thank you for this opportunity to tell our tale.

Emma, October 30, 2008 2:25 pm Yeehaw! Love this: 0 reply

About two and a half years ago I moved country, job, and working language to be closer to the man I had been dating long-distance for two years. I was not a month in the new job before he proposed hurray!