One Year and Counting!!

So one year ago Monday (November 5th) was mine and my husband's one year anniversary! Some days it feels like it just flew by. I mean we were walking down the aisle one minute, and the next an entire year had gone by. I know a lot of people say that the first few years of marriage are the hardest, and honestly I don't know if I agree with it. Things have been pretty rough and tumble the last few months, but as a whole, I would say Wade and I shared a great first year together. I don't regret one single moment of it.

I thought, before I got into what we did for our anniversary, that I would share a little bit of how our wedding went!I know it its five days late, but I've honestly been too busy to get it up! I hope you enjoy!

 We got married at the most beautiful place call Shiloh Farm. From the moment I walked into the place, I knew I wanted my wedding there, but it was so out of my price range. It was so magical and rustic, and I absolutely loved it, and just knew that it wouldn't happen because of how pricey it was. However, when my mom and dad seen it, they totally fell in love with the small church and HUGE barn as well! My mom didn't fall in love with the barn as much as I did because it had hay on the floor. I still crack up when we walked in and she was like.. "Ree, there is hay on the floor!". I was like, "Yes, mom, it's a barn!" LOL!!! The ending story was, they knew I really wanted my wedding there and loved it enough to pay out a good bit of green just so we could have my special day there!




 


This was the outside of  church! Right behind it was the barn that was connected directly to the church, where we had our reception! I am still so in love with this place and would love to just go back when I have the extra money and have photos done of me and my husband! 

My sister and I were the first to go to Shiloh Farms to check it out. The Manager, Leesa, was so genuinely nice. You could tell she wasn't just trying to "sell" the place to us. She honestly loved the place. Her own son and DIL had their wedding there! When we walked into the church I immediately fell in love with the atmosphere of it. It was intimate and comfortable. Without any added wedding decor, it was stunning. The only things we added were the flowers on the columns to match my colors (they'd already had their own) and the ribbons/flowers on the pews! I mean, really, that was pretty much all we did to decorate the church!

This was the inside of the barn! It had the picket fenced dance floor and everything! There were lights all over the place, and I could so see us line dancing (which we did lol) in that place!


This was the place that I got dressed in! Leesa, the manager, had everything perfect for us, even leaving us a small fruit and cheese tray, along with some cider (She really was the best!). This place was stunning on the inside, I was absolutely in love with everything about it! I think you are getting the picture that I LOVED this place!

 

So, as I'm going through pictures from my wedding, trying to pick out a "few" to put on here just to show you guys a piece of our special day, I'm finding myself choosing a lot of pictures HAHA! So if there ends up to be more than said "few" just bear with me!

 

 

This was inside the Rose Cottage, where my bridesmaids and I were getting dressed. I found my dress a week after I got engaged (11 months before my wedding). It was a total accident. My mom, my sister, and myself were just going to browse around just to get an idea of what I might want. I had it in my head that I wanted chiffon, strapless dress with minimal train. I would have never guessed I would have fallen in love with a lace, strapless. And guess how much this girl paid for it... a whoppin' $300 for the dress and getting the bustle done! It was found before my actual location was found, and I must say the antique look of the lace/dress went perfect with what our theme ended up being! :)

 

Did I forget to mention that there was a swing in front of the church? Well, there was. This was what my hubby was doing while I was trying to finish dressing! Doesn't he look so handsome? Yes, I already know he does lol! I loved that we dressed the men in jeans and button ups. We even put on the invitations to come casual. After all, our reception was in a barn!

 

 

 

Yes, even I ditched some of the formality and wore boots! I absolutely loved them! I didn't see the point int paying for two pairs of shoes (one for the ceremony and one for the reception), so I just bought me some good old cowgirl boots and wore them for the entire thing.

Can you tell we are from the country and we like it that way?!? Wade's groomsmen (which I happen to be related to almost all of them) brought a couple of guns for the pictures. It turned out so stinkin' cute! The two boys in the back (left to right- Erich and Bradley) are my cousins. The guy to the right of my husband is my BIL, Darrell and my nephew Luke. Then the man to the left of my husband is my FIL, Sonny! :)

 

 

Then you have all my girls! They were the best, especially my sister. She totally did it all for me (hair, makeup, you name it she did it!). From Left to right: My DJ (from birth), my SIL, Nicole, Chell (another bestie from birth lol), Megan (bestie from HS), My Bister, Rachel and niece Lauren!!

 

 

We totally walked down back down the aisle as Mr. and Mrs. Dixon to "We're From the Country". It was so much fun. My sister and BIL actually half danced down the aisle, which was a nice touch and everyone got a kick out of it!

 

 

And here are just a few more pictures, just because I loved them!!!! :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

I hope you enjoyed a glimpse into our Wedding day as much as I enjoyed sharing it. We really had a blast that day. In ways it was a total blur, but it's like I remember everything, which is contradictory, but still true. I remember the jittery nerves and butterflies in my stomach. I remember how I felt when he was he was singing to me and when our minister, Brother Michael, pronounced us man and wife. I remember how chilly it was that evening, and I still don't know how I went all night without some sort of jacket LOL. It was a day I'll be able to share those memories fondly to my kids, and if God tarries my grandchildren.

 

One year later and I'm even more in love with him. Yes, there are times he picks and he annoys the crap out of me. I do the same to him, I know I do lol. But, we have learned compromise and patience. he's probably got the patience more perfected then I do, which probably says a lot about how much he loves me! Money has been kind of tight lately, so for our anniversary, which happened to be on a dern Monday, we both took off and did absolutely nothing. The night before we'd went to walmart, got some munchy food and movies, and spend the entire day watching movies and putting up candy corn lights for Thanksgiving. That night he took me to one of my favorite restaurants, the Olive Garden, though he doesn't care for it. It was delicious! I had the moscato peach chicken!! It wasn't anything fancy, but it was good enough for us and we enjoyed getting to spend the entire day together with no obligations to be anywhere or do anything!

 

 

I know this post was kind of long, but I hope you enjoyed it! For all of you newly married I want to share with you a quote that was actually on a gift that was given to me from my cousin, Erich as a wedding gift.

 

"Don't go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path, and leave a trail"

 

Each marriage is different, so don't try to be another couple. You and your spouse, as a couple, have your own unique relationship and you have to learn to do things your own way, make your own traditions, an so on. Love you all and Hope you have a fabulous day!