The grand reveal!

A few weeks before the big day A.J. and Jenny were planning on coming all the way up to Logan to take our bridal/groomal pics (don't know exactly what to call them).  The week they were planning on coming bad weather was in the forecast almost everyday.  So we ended up having to play it hour by hour to know when it would work out to take them.  But we got lucky one night and my wonderful cousin Whitney came up to do my hair and make up and my mom came to help out with my niece.  I was so anxious and excited.  This was going to be the first time Jared would see my dress.  I had Jared take my ring to get cleaned and sparkled up while I got ready and we had him meet us over at the Logan Temple.  Getting ready took a little longer than plan so Jared was there with A.J. and Jen for quite a bit before I got there...you can't rush beauty! 

Once I got there they set up Jared at the bottom of some stairs on the north side of the temple and had him blind folded facing the opposite direction from me and they had me at the top of the stairs.  I walked down to my handsome man where I untied the blindfold and he turned for the grand reveal.  It was fun to see his reaction and get to finally share my favorite dress with my favorite person.  

We then spent like 4 hours taking picture around the temple.  It was beautiful and fun! I love how they turned out.  I posted a good chunk of them down below but they are out of order from the night but I didn't want to spend forever switching them all around so they can just be enjoyed out of ordered.  

**One fun story from the night is at one point I had like 6 ladybugs on my dress :) I loved it! And in case you didn't know, ladybugs are good luck. 

...Crunch time...

The Friday after we got engaged Ellen, my mom, and I went wedding dress shopping and reception place shopping. We checked out a couple of reception places and as we were waiting to hear details about a place we went dress shopping. We went to a store in North Ogden first but you had to have an appointment to look around so we scheduled an appointment for later  and decided to check some other stores out in the meantime. On my way into a store I found a penny on the ground. It made me so happy.
**side note** A couple of years ago I shared a poem with my brother Cameron that talks about how pennies you find on the ground are little gifts of heaven meaning that Heavenly Father is thinking about you. Well my brother is down in Arizona in a recovery center doing so good. The first day he went there he found a penny and knew he was exactly where he was suppose to be. Now every time my mom and I find pennies we like to think of it as gifts saying Cameron is with us.
So the day I was shopping for my wedding dress I found a penny so I knew Cameron was with me.  We ended up going to a store in Roy and the very first dress I saw and tried on I fell in love with and ended up buying.  It was so beautiful and perfect. Then we received a phone call saying the place we wanted my reception to be was available so we booked it. (All of this accomplished just a few days after getting engaged).
Later that night Jared's parents drove up to Ogden to take me and my parents to dinner at Jeremiahs. It was so fun to get all together and celebrate such an exciting time. After dinner I was able to walk them out behind Jeremiahs to show them where our reception was going to be. It was such a fun and successful day!!
We were given so much love and support by our family and friends. I felt so spoiled with all of the fun showers/bachelorette parties my friends, ward members, and family all threw for me. It was so amazing to be with so many people that I hardly get to see anymore. I absolutely loved it!! I felt like I had a shower every weekend from the time we got engaged 'till the week before we got married. This is when Jared and I realized our "theme song".....on the road again! We would sing it everytime we got in the car to travel somewhere and we find ourselves still singing it when we get in the car now. It always makes us laugh!
                                           Me with my good friends Natalie and Alyssa.

                                                   Me with the best- Kait and Ellen

                     My best friends reunited after 6 or so years. Shannon, Chelsea, Brianna, and Shelby. Thank you girls for such a fun evening. 

We picked up my ring on July 3rd. I was extremely excited to have the real deal (especially to have a ring that didn't turn my finger green). It was beautiful and exactly what I dreamed of. 

                                              


On July 4th we started out the day by horse riding in Logan with my parents! It was so much fun to do my favorite thing with my favorite people. Then we spent the rest of the day doing our typical Independence Day traditions (going to Grandma and Grandpa Walters for a BBQ then going to Davis high for the Kaysville fireworks).

On July 5th and 6th Jenny and A.J. took our beautiful engagement pictures in down town Ogden and over in Ogden Valley. They did such a fantastic job. We loved them! We are so grateful for such  talented family members. Here is a good chunk of those pics...

Next we got our marriage license. That was crazy.  I couldn't believe that it was getting so real.  We had to raise our right hand and swear that we aren't cousins.  I was trying really hard not to laugh but slightly nervous cause Jared and I hadn't exactly researched our family lines.  haha but we still raised our hands because we were pretty confident that we could promise this.

On August 2nd, I had the wonderful opportunity to receive my endowment from the Bountiful, Utah Temple.  Jared, my mom, and I headed down to Bountiful at 7:30 in the morning and we walked into the temple.  I was excited and pretty anxious, not quite sure what to expect.  Jared got taken one way and my mom and I got taken the other.  I first went through initiatories where I was overwhelmed with the spirit. I couldn't help but cry.  I felt so pure and clean.  Next, I had the opportunity to meet with the Temple matron. It was such a special time.  Then we went into the endowment room and I was able to receive my endowment.  It was a wonderful experience with so much to learn.  I had so many wonderful family members and friends there to be apart of it all.  It was so special.  I loved every second of it.

           
                    Alyssa and I together on both of our speical days receving our endowments.

The Wednesday before we got married Jared and I went back to the temple to do an endowment session as I was sitting in the endowment room I realized in my temple shoes there was a penny!!! Cameron was there with me once again :) I decided that I would be careful when I took my temple clothes off and hopefully the penny would stay in there for our wedding day. I love having that reminder of Cameron come up so often.