My first interview subject is my esteemed MOH Tara, who was married to the love of her life, Johnny, last July. They had a beautiful wedding on a hot summer day and I was honored to be her MOH as well! Read on...
Partners in crime!
Tell me your engagement story!
Johnny and I had a trip planned to New York City for New
Years Eve, but we almost didn’t get there.
Our flight was scheduled to leave out of Minneapolis, but on the way
there, we hit an extreme blizzard and a 100 car pile-up. State Troopers closed the highway and made us
turnaround. After a lot of panicked
phone calls to my Mom and the airline, we realized we were going to have to
either pay out-of-pocket for flights out of Winnipeg, or forego the trip
altogether. Since we had already planned
the whole thing and were extremely excited, we decided it was worth the extra
money, and rebooked our flights departing out of Winnipeg. We then high tailed it out of North Dakota
before they closed the other side of the highway and trapped us in!
We made it back to Winnipeg hours later and after staying
with Johnny’s Mom for a couple of hours through the night, made the early trek
to the airport. We landed in New York
City later that day without incident, and jumped right into the first yellow
taxi we saw. Looking back, I realize
Johnny was acting a bit weird, but I didn’t notice at the time. He was distracted, nervous and kept checking
his luggage! When we arrived at the
hotel, we were too early to check in, so he suggested we go get a coffee and
walk around Central Park while we waited.
We left our luggage with the hotel and did just that. When we got there, he asked me if I wanted to
go on a carriage ride. I resisted a bit
because it was super expensive for the 20 minute ride, but quickly agreed we
should do it. We were on a holiday,
after all! We rode around in that
carriage, under a blanket, and all I could think of at first was “this blanket
probably hasn’t been washed in a year, and I hope it doesn’t have bed
bugs”! The park was gorgeous, and just
as we were coming to the end of the ride, the driver turned around and asked us
if we wanted him to take a picture of us with our camera. I handed it over to him, and showed him how
to use it. As soon as he started taking
pictures, I started to pose, but Johnny was getting down on one knee! I was completely shocked, shaking like a
leaf, my face beet red and tears streaming down my face. And the guy caught the whole thing on camera! It was an absolutely unforgettable moment in
our life. It couldn’t have been any more
perfect.
We didn’t want anyone to find out via Facebook, so the
hardest part was keeping it a secret all weekend until we got home!
How cute is that....
...(gratuitous embarassing pic)...
...she said yes!
Did anyone help you plan your wedding? Planner, family, etc?
We had TONS of help!
We made most of the decisions ourselves, but when it came time to
execute, we had so many people that were not only willing to help, but EXCITED to
help! My entire family, Johnny’s entire
family, our wedding party, Shyan and Haley... everyone came through when we
needed something and it was so amazing to have that support. Whether it was something big or small that
was being asked, someone was always there for us.
Pretty ladies!
What was your favorite part of the planning process?
Is it wrong to say making my organizing binder, which
included dividers and a color-coded table of contents, was my favourite part of
the planning process? [Editor's aside: this should surprise exactly no one. End of aside.]
What was your least favorite or most frustrating part of the
planning process?
I found decision making to be difficult. There are just so many important decisions to
be made, and they’re not always easy! I
was glad once we had everything booked and in place, because then we could
focus more on the fun stuff, like the little details.
What did your husband think about all the wedding
plans? How involved was he?
He was definitely more involved than I would have initially
guessed! He loved talking about it and
giving ideas, and I’d say he was most involved in the planning of the social,
the transportation, the guest list and music.
He left the invitation and favour making to me! He didn’t care much when it came to flowers
and centerpieces, either ;)
What was the happiest moment on your wedding day?
Without question, the happiest moment of my wedding day
was when I started to walk down the aisle and saw his face and his reaction to
seeing me.
What a beautiful family!
Any funny stories you’d like to share?
I don’t know about funny, but some memorable moments were
the walk back down the aisle in our sunglasses, the slideshow, Haley’s dance
and the very last song of the night (Journey – Don’t Stop Believin’) when
everyone stood in a circle, holding hands and danced and sang like crazy!
What do you remember most about your wedding?
So many things!
It’s so hard to pick. Seeing
Johnny as I walked down the aisle, seeing everyone in tears during the
ceremony, the pastor declaring “I now pronounce you man and wife”, sweating our
butts off at pictures but everyone being such a good sport, the receiving line
where we got to have a little moment with each of our guests, the speeches, the
dancing and visiting with the different tables.
But when I think about all those moments, the common theme was that we
felt so loved. So supported and loved.
What do your guests remember most about your wedding?
I’ve gotten a lot of comments about the wedding color,
which we chose to represent our love for the Caribbean (we had initially
considered getting married there, but after considering all factors, decided
against it). I’ve also heard a lot “I
haven’t cried like that at a wedding in a long time!”. Those are two great compliments.
The bridal party in Tiffany Blue...
Is there anything you would change about your wedding?
I wouldn’t change one single, solitary thing. Not even the things that “went wrong” at the
last minute. They all contributed to
making the day exactly what it was.
Perfect.
My advice would be to take in every moment of that day,
because it’s over so fast. You’ve spent
a year and a half planning it, so when the day comes, don’t let anything bother
you and just soak it all in. You will
never have a day like this, ever again, in your life.
Absolutely <3 these two.
Johnny and Tara Elias
Wedding Date: July
21, 2012
Ceremony: Evangel
Chapel
Reception: Masonic Memorial
Temple
Photography: Kim
Griffin
Gown and Bridesmaid Attire:
David’s Bridal
Groom and Groomsman Attire: Michael’s Formal Wear
Invitations: DIY
Cake: Laurel’s Cake
Creations
And there you have it! Stay tuned for more posts from all my favorite old married ladies! A club I'm very excited to join... ;)
Happy Wedding Wednesday!!!
~M
1 comments:
HA! I love your aside to my answer for "fave planning moment". But it's true! :) :)
Love this!
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