In other news...

Dear blogger friends and family,

I am so truly sorry for being a bad blogger. Like many others, I will be making it my New Years Resolution to finish up my wedding posts and start posting about other, non wedding yet equally as exciting news; Beckstrom style.

For now, I sign off wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and hope that your time with your family is as special and dreamy as mine will be.

One of my many gifts from 2009 :-)

With love and holiday cheer.... xoxo

The Wedding: The Afterglow

<<<Friends, I thought it would be nice to do some wedding recap blog entries. Scroll down to see the first few entries. Enjoy!>>>

We were filled with excitement and uncontrollable bliss. As our guests headed down for the reception our families and bridal party congratulated and hugged us - that was a great moment and I just love the pictures that were taken then. The absolute best high.... and I was sharing it with my favorite people!



We were able to walk up the driveway and take a few moments to ourselves to bask in the glow. (We came to find out AFTER the fact that Geoff's mic was still on from the videographer. Oops!)


We had our moment together and we're so excited to greet everyone as they were down enjoying cocktail hour. We headed to the back yard and joined our friends, as Mr. and Mrs.!



Up Next: Let's party.... the celebration continued with dinner, toasts, another quick photo session and a big fat party!


(All photos taken by my awesome photographer, Ben Becker)

The Wedding: The I Do's!

<<<Friends, I thought it would be nice to do some wedding recap blog entries. Scroll down to see the first few entries. Enjoy!>>>

The pictures in Langley were super fun but it was nice to be back to the house for some more bridal party & family pictures and then some down time before the ceremony.

The Abodeely family

The Beckstrom & Pease family

After more pictures it was time to say goodbye to my husband-to-be and have some down time before the ceremony began. I was happy and had this total sense of calmness and mindfullness. I was fully excited and prepared to say my vows in front of our community and to commit to Geoff in a new way. I had seen Geoff and was SURE he was the hottest groom around, so I knew I was making the right choice ;-)
Geoff walked me up to my parents room and kissed me goodbye - a special kiss, our last kiss as fiance's!

Ahhh, some down time...! I had almost 50 minutes before the ceremony was to begin so I figure it was plenty of time to take that big white dress off and relax! It was a warm day so it felt great to sit in my mom's bathrobe and air out a bit! I practiced my vows, had a snack and watched out the window as our guests arrived.


It was SO amazing to look down from my parents room and see everything all prepared.... the planning the last year had payed off BIG TIME and the house looked amazing - the tent, arbor, chairs, bars.... seeing every detail laid out down below was surreal.



______

The time was here! The ladies headed downstairs and I could hear everyone shuffling around and getting into place. The ceremony music changed and I knew, it was time!

Our family walked down the aisle first, escorted by Geoff's groomsman. Then my beautiful ladies headed down the aisle (looking absolutely STUNNING). And then it was our turn - the moment that I've had in my dream since Geoff and I got engaged. My father walking me down the aisle on my wedding day.

Mom and Dad both presented me to marry Geoff

The ceremony was perfect and just what Geoff and I wanted. We wrote the entire ceremony with my brother Paul, our officiant. The words he added were amazing, so appropriate and just what Geoff and I were hoping for.

Our family and friends supported us and gave their blessings.

Geoff and I vowed to each other to be forever faithful, respectful and sincere.

And, at that moment, we became Mr. and Mrs. Beckstrom!

Up Next: The Afterglow.... Some reflection time and then the reception begins!

(All photos taken by my awesome photographer, Ben Becker)

The Wedding: Off To Town

<<<Friends, I thought it would be nice to do some wedding recap blog entries. Scroll down to see the first few entries. Enjoy!>>>

Geoff and I were in complete bliss! We were lookin' and feelin' good and so excited for the day ahead of us. Dru drove us to downtown Langley to meet up with our bridal party for some photos. The weather was perfect (okay, maybe a little hot but when you get married in Seattle you don't complain about the heat, no matter how hot it may be!) and our photographer did a great job making the pictures fun!

Check out my red heals... LOVE them!





Geoff and I had a little photo shoot (one of many!) down by the water. Langley provided awesome back drops for photos! We are so lucky that we were able to get married there and that the weather was so great!

The whole group in front of the Star Store (love that place!).

Geoff's gang!

My gang!

Sweet sibling picture... just missing Paul!

We even convinced the scooter rental place to let us take some pics with their rides! So fun!

Taking our pictures in Langley was great because it allowed us to get some pictures with different exciting and artistic backgrounds. It definitely spiced things up from the usual wedding pictures! Check out these cool backgrounds:

Taking pictures with our peeps was really fun - I was just filled with emotion knowing that these people are here to support us in this journey - what a true blessing!

Up Next: The I Do's!.... back to the house for family photos and the ceremony!

(All photos taken by my awesome photographer, Ben Becker)

The Wedding: Show me my groom!

<<<Friends, I thought it would be nice to do some wedding recap blog entries. Scroll down to see the first two entries. Enjoy!>>>

I had my bouquet and my eyes were dry so it was time to do a little photo shoot. My ladies went to get ready and it was nice to have some down time... well, of course with the camera in my face, but none the less it was giving me a moment to reflect on what was about to happen.

(Look closely at my tissue in hand... I was still drying my eyes!)

It was time to get movin'! My groom was outside waiting and I could literally FEEL the excitement in the air - not just my own, but everyone around me who had worked tirelessly to pull this day off (ma and pa Abo, to name the two biggest players). The day was here and everything was flowing perfectly. I left my parents room and headed down the stairs to see my husband-to-be. I had butterflies of excitement in my stomach. It was time to see my GROOM.

Once I was downstairs I was greeted be a different man in my life... my dad! Oh, what a moment! Look at these pictures: Aren't I the luckiest?!


Dad approved and I could tell from his tears how proud he was, and he sent me off to see Geoff.

Again, I ask you, aren't I the luckiest?!!?

I'm comin' babe!

It's funny to hear it from Geoff's perspective. All he could hear was the swishing of my dress and with each step that I took it kept getting louder and louder, and he kept wondering when the swishing would end and he'd feel the tap on his shoulder!

The moment I saw my groom on our wedding day!

I think he liked what he saw! ;-)

We spent the next 15 or 20 minutes just enjoying each other. With all we knew it was just the two of us... we were completely locked in and at that point, nothing could have gone wrong.

Up Next: Off to town... our peeps meet us there for a fun photo shoot!

(All photos taken by my awesome photographer, Ben Becker)

The Wedding: Make me pretty

<<<Friends, I thought it would be nice to do some wedding recap blog entries. Scroll down to see the first entry. Enjoy!>>>

My belly was growling bright and early that morning, which is what woke me up. I wasn't nervous, worried or even all that anxious... I was just hungry, happy that the day was here and excited to see Geoff! My sis made me some eggs for breakfast, had a little play time with my nephew and then it was time to GET PRETTY!


My hair and make-up was done and I had my girls by my side. I didn't feel like a bride quite yet and I was still cool as a cucumber. I had about 15 minutes before Geoff arrived so it was time to slip on the dress.

It's amazing how many people it takes to get a bride in a dress!

And once you're in a dress... you need help with the shoes...

and the jewels!

"WOW, I'm wearing a wedding dress!"

My mom was the first with the tears, of course. I love my mamma. I'm so blessed.

That is when things changed a little. Remember how calm I was?! Well, I had a moment. It was time to put the veil on.

Careful, careful.

Mom straightened the veil and put her "mom touch" on it. I still hadn't looked in the mirror, but once I did it was WATER WORKS.

See those looks of concerns?! I think they thought I was going to call off the wedding ;-)

There was something about the veil that sent me over the edge a little and I'm still not sure what it was exactly. It was just a bit much for me and I felt like an "80's bride" as I said at the moment. Hmmm.... not so much. I think it was just overwhelming emotion that my wedding day was here and that this was REAL.

Okay.... so I had my moment and once my eyes were dry I was given my beautiful bouquet, which was wrapped in my mom's wedding dress sleeve - so special to me.

I was happy again. :-)

Up Next: Show me my groom.... let's get this party started!

(All photos taken by my awesome photographer, Ben Becker)