Wife Life: Hello! Happiness

Today is my sweet friend Natasha from Hello! Happiness. I love Natasha's blog because over the last 3 years I've followed her plan a wedding, have her first sweet daughter Caroline, and become pregnant with her second baby girl - who should be making her grand entrance very soon! And, somehow, she finds time to look darling everyday, blog, and keep us entertained with all of her posts on life, love, and the Vols! 

Q: How did your Hubby propose?

A: Way back in January 2010, what I thought was just a casual weekend getaway turned into one incredible surprise. Jeff and I had planned to take a trip to Charleston to check out the city, yet I had no idea what he had up his sleeve. Once we arrived, we checked into the bed and breakfast we were staying at and then decided to walk around town to explore some of downtown and such. We stopped at a few art galleries, had some afternoon cocktails at a local pub, and then walked to the park where he started asking me questions about our relationship. Next thing I know, he was down on one knee asking me to marry him, and of course I screamed and cried because I was so shocked. He said we had reservations for a late dinner so we could go back to the B&B to call our family and friends to share the good news, but when we walked in, there stood my parents, his Mom, and my best friend and her fiance. They had all been in on the big secret for months and had me completely fooled. It was the sweetest, most thoughtful surprise, as he knew how important it would be to have them there to celebrate with us.

Q: Was planning the wedding everything you thought it would be?

A: Everything and MORE! I'm not going to lie...wedding planning had its share of challenges from cutting down the guest list to staying within budget to making sure every detail was just right, but it was so much fun and our wedding turned out just the way we had hoped. We incorporated some special, unique touches (like candles on the altar to honor Jeff's father who had passed away) to late night Krystal hamburgers for our guests since they had been dancing with the band all night), to southern food with all our favorite fixins'... it was the day I had always dreamed of. 

                             Q: Did anything go wrong on the day of your wedding?

A: If it did, I sure don't know about it! That was the best part about having a wedding planner, as she and her team tended to anything and everything that day, and all we had to do was show up...I tell all my friends getting married that was one of the essentials that made our day run so smoothly and I can't say enough great things about how much they helped de-stress Mom and I those last few weeks leading up to our wedding day.

Q: What is your favorite picture from the entire day?

This is my favorite picture from our wedding because it truly captures what that day is all about...taking your vows to love someone, through the good and the bad. The party is fun and it brings so much joy to be surrounded by your closest friends and family, but at the end of the day, it was a day about the commitment Jeff and I were making to one another and I will remember that always.

Q: After everything is over, you said your goodbyes, get up to the hotel room, what happens next:

A: Funny enough, the first thing we did was get undressed (no, this isn't leading to THAT) because we had both been in those clothes ALL day, and all we wanted was to put on those yummy hotel robes! Not to mention I was desperate to get out of those dang Spanx...haha! Then, we devoured the amazingly tasty food basket our caterer had packed for us, since we didn't get much of a chance to eat during the reception. It was HEAVEN! 

Q: Where did you honeymoon and what was the best part?

A: The next morning, we jet-setted off to Antigua! We had researched for months on the ideal destination for us to enjoy as Mr. and Mrs. and decided on Hermitage Bay Resort, which was AMAZING...36 individual cottages with all the amenities you could imagine. The food, the drinks, the ambiance...ahhh it was pure perfection! 

Q: What is your favorite part of being a wife?

A: My favorite part of being a wife is the fact that no matter what we face, we face it together! I was always extremely independent prior to being married and I have changed a lot since we got married...I know I don't have to tackle the hard stuff alone and I know Jeff is always going to support me no matter what. It's humbling knowing you always have someone in your corner.