100 Happy Days

We are beeeeyyyooond excited!!! Today officially marks 100 days til Heidi and Andy's Wedding Day!!!! 

Our invitations are on the way out. Already some people are disappointed, but we have a plan so not to worry. We have some thing in the works!!! We promise :)

Of course, no event Heidi or Andy are a part of is ever without some measure of drama. People inviting themselves, inviting other people, asking who's in our bridal party. Why we're having it here and not there.  And not a cheque nor envelope with a Grantley at all at all. 

Regardless, we are blessed and grateful for all the love and support.

So it's crunchtime. I have no dress, shoes, not even undies lolololol and I couldn't care less. Andy and I have come to the conclusion AGAIN that those things are nice and of course we want them. But this is about God guiding him and me into our life together. Boom!!

I need some help ya'll 

Limo or nah??

Tiara or nah?

Garter and get it tek off in fronta people or nah?

Eat on the morning of the wedding or nah?

Oh and guess when it finally hit home home home that this man is really, honestly, seriously, truly going to make lil old me his wife???

So this happened:

We love you!! Countdown with us!!! T-100 days :D

Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr.. The Social Media Saga

Goood Morning!

I'm trying to keep up family!

It's not that I don't have anything to write about, it is that I'm trying to find the time.

So update:

It's gift list time!! Any suggestions on what we should get? When Dad died he left a house full of things, so all we need really are appliances and sheets etc. Still we want our own household items. But if there is ANYTHING you can think of that we might need that you had/ didn't get that you wished you had SHARE PLEASE!! I can tell you we are looking at Cave Shepherd/Sheperd (spell it wrong all the time), and Dwellings. Any other suggestions? Except Walker's World.

So the title may intrigue/confuse you. But this is something that I have been grappling with for the last few months. We have spoken about it briefly, Andy and I but as he was bringing me home last night I 1) realised I'm about to be a dude's wife, and 2) do we want to share that very intimate, private moment with the world?  you tend to forget things of this nature with big events like weddings.

Should we or shouldn't we allow people to upload photos from our wedding instantaneously. Andy had a friend who got married just at the beginning of the Facebook phenomenon. And in their invitations or on the programmes or somewhere they indicated that they did NOT want any photos uploaded.

Has social media caused us to over share? 

Given my status on Facebook and Instagram etc, I am inclined to say that I understand that move. Somethings are private. And the couple should be allowed to release their photos on their own terms. And I am leaning towards that too. Not just for privacy's sake, but also because we really want to share the memories with you all when we are ready.

I don't mind things like this, but Bajans and people on a whole rip your events to shreds when they get a glimpse of what you did! 

So what is your take on the social media thing? Should we tell our guests to leave it out til we give the go ahead? Or are you interested in a #aboabbowenwedding trend on the Internet??

Do we really want images like this traversing the highways and byways of social media?

Thoughts??

Love the one you're with

So here we are!!

5 months before!! Thanks for asking how the plans are going, how Andy and I are, for the prayers, the Instagram and Facebook love!! We are so grateful.

Try and put some pressure on Andy for his blog man. Man could procrastinate???!?! Murda.

Official business: Nuff more family ex out of the guest list. I set to receive hate mail JESSSS now, but I am in vex woman mode. I aint ever care!! Times hard and Chris Sinckler say it's not his fault dem harder. So I done sweating. What we want is exactly what we must have! So boohoo!! I cannnnnnnot apologize for inviting people I talk to everyday over family I see once every two years. Bump that friends, let's keep it real. Love who loves you, love the one you're with.

I cannot stress enough how stressless this process has been in spite of that. Maybe coming to the crunch the nerves and stress will set in, but for now, I'm worrying about curtains, table settings and the diet/ weight watching I bombed over Christmastime.

I must tell you that ZUMBA with the Fitness bunnies has been a BLESSING. For the first time in my life, I am doing something all by myself. None of my friends go to the class. I know the admin lady Kim through Anderson, she has since become a friend, and Leslee and Nadia are super supportive. Too love to mek ya get down!!!! And let me tell you, it has been exhilirating!! I have learned that I am strong, focused, ambitious and determined. I don't need anyone to hold my hand. I go to the class, workout as hard as I can without passing out (Leslee and Nadia run offa batteries I swear!!!) and I am soooooooo happy. Shout out to my girl Teal!! She pushes me to work harder, eat right stay focused, she is so bubbly and full of life that she makes me want to work harder, who would've thought?

There's ya girl, back right!!!

(All photos compliments Andrew Browne Photography - Taken from FitnessBunnies Page on Facebook)
Leslee is working closely with me, and I will be starting a blog this week so look out for the links to that one! It's going to be intense, informative and real. See, I want to promote healthy living, keeping fit and fabulous. Just because you're married, doesn't mean you let yourself go. Girl NO!

So the encouragement from the class is AWESOME, the Fitness Bunnies, Leslee and Nadia have fostered a loving, nurturing environment to workout in. And I don't know whether they know it or not, but they have created a little community. Women of all shapes and sizes come out, there's even a gent who comes SHOUT OUT TO RICO (life of the party). The beauty of the sessions is that people who don't even know each other encourage each other, chat, push one another, there is a serious connection. And we are all gearing up for a great year. I encourage you to come out it's only $18 per session twice a  week. I promise, fun, great music, and some sweaaaaat! Do NOT worry about not being able to keep up, wuk up, gyrate. The focus is on the fitness.

Wedding tings:

Guess who has not booked a car yet, and getting married in wedding month. Risky I know, I saw a Rolls today and I was like, I want that, bet it's $2000BDS. Hey I love Audi, Mercedes and Lincolns - Suggestions PLEASE!!!

Engagement Shoot:

So we have to do this in segments. i'm not allowed to upload any of the photos, but they look soooooooo good! The incomparable Wade Phillips and the phenomenal Charles'Chris' Butcher had a balllllllll with Andy and I. But lemme tell you all, that was the most fun i've had being photographed ever!!! It was romantic and funny and scary and we even had a guest Lighting Assistant, shout out to Martina!! Thanks for coming! Andy was talking so much junk!! But he did help to calm my nerves and get me to be relaxed in front of the camera. I'm little miss bossy so it's easy directing models for our shoots, but this time I was one of the models. FREAAAAKKKKY. I kept looking around before the shoot started like, where is she, and then it would hit me, I was the she.

Andy was incredible though, totally in his element. He has a friend who will remain nameless for now ( you know who you are) who's always teasing him about his looks in a good way. I can actually agree with you buddy, Andy is hot. No doubt.

So when we arrived at the location, there was hardly anyone around and that continued til the rain came down a bit. Prior to that we were shooting and giggling, and trying not to giggle and it made me slightly sad, because it's going to be over soon. And this journey has been soooo much fun. Of course not without difficulty. But when the good outweighs the bad, that's God. That's favour, blessing and that's love.

I promise as soon as I can to release one of our photos. But we are trying to keep everything under wraps for now. Love you all and stay tuned!! Greater things to come!!

First look, family photos and trash the dress!!

Hiiii!!

200 plus days left... remember when it was 400 plus. I know, we are BOTH getting nercited (nervous and excited), anxious and entering financial comas LOLOLOL.

No on a serious note, we decided not to overspend and stick to a budget, and so far so good, but we allll know in BARBADOS, where EVERYTHING is expensive, you have to be savvy. Otherwise, things can get ugly. So we have a plan and we are determined to stick to it. But things come up so we have back up plans and back up back up plans.We're gearing up for our Engagement Photos, Andy has a final quarter of the year challenge going on with a friend of his to get fit by December or end of I believe. (he's gonna kill me for mentioning this, no wedding lolol) Can't wait to see the results, Andy is EXTREMELY competitive and he usually wins, did I mention he was Captain of the Basketball team at St. Michael's yasssss huntys, get yo lives :D  ;) I have been progressing nicely on my weight loss journey. I weighed recently and I am at 164 so I have to reaaalllly work on my eating (was naughty, ate burgers, at $9.95 and the BEST Coke in Bim?? you betta eat em! LOL)

The supplement I'm taking is WORKING! It keeps me in check and I'm drinking loads of water. So I'm starting my juicing next week to kick start my 10 lb loss again, but I will eat during the day to fuel my body properly.

I found shoes!!! 6 pairs. Decision decisions, but I need two for the day, Some ballerinas or wedges for reception and some sky high or platform heels, I AM marrying a 6 footer after all :)

I'm on the hunt for a cinematic Wedding videographer. I've been seeing tons of great work from our American and Canadian friends, but are there any local companies or film students who do it here? Help a Bridesista out!

I am also in need of decorators! WE have a few in mind but we like to weigh our options. One of our colours I can tell you :) is Ivory. No my dress is not.It's lily white :) BOOM.

Onto the meat:

First look:

HATE IT. I don't subscribe to the superstition. I do dislike most of the Groom's reactions that I've seen. The men are hardly ever blown away by their brides. At least it's not apparent. HOWEVER, I have seen no less than 20-30 grooms almost bawling at the altar when they see their brides enter the church, hall or Ceremony Location. So we will NOT be doing first look bleccch. ( just my opinion to each his own).

Photo Credit: http://abeautifuldayphotography.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/wedding-photos-js-0261.jpg

The Compromise:

However, one thing that calms Andy and I down, especially during stressful times or if we argue or disagree about something is PRAYER. And something I have seen and know to be effective because our God is real ( can I get an amen, hallelujah, thank you JESUS), is the Couple's Prayer.

:) I love it!  Photo Credit: unknown

So the couple sits or stands on opposite sides of the doorway, hold hands and pray together before the ceremony. The beauty behind it is that you can't see each other, but touching and agreeing in prayer sets the tone for the rest of the ceremony and the day. Setting that small window of time aside to give God thanks for His blessings, ask him for His mercy and grace on your lives together, and expressing your commitment to Him and each other, thereby acknowledging His place. I imagine there must be a great sense of peace and happiness after that. It must get a little emotional too. So that's what we are going to do. Before all the fun and family, all the eating and making merry, we are going to give Almighty God thanks for bringing us to our Wedding Day and for (speaking prophetically) taking us through to a beautiful marriage.

Photo Credit: http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2013-06-14-prayingphoto.jpg
This was the photo that inspired my thinking about it.

Blindfolding Anderson would be HILARIOUS. But I'm sure he didn't see jack til the altar. Cute huh? lol Photo Credit: Unknown

This blog has a beautiful prayer for the couple 10 days before the wedding. Beautiful http://beyondblessedblog.com/2012/08/14/10/

Family photos:

Wade (www.vecpict.com) And Charles 'Chris' (Facebook: Firefly Photography OR Charles Butcher) have been trying to get some of our brides and grooms to take their family photos BEFORE the wedding.

I pitched the idea to Andy and my mum about taking the family and bridal party photos especially with our overseas guests on the day, and at our next function (date to be announced soon) ;) The rest of the photos. You know how Loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooonggggggggggg the photo sessions can run at weddings. Everybody and dem granmudda does want a picture. And ya dun know the 1980's cameras gine be coming out of the woodwork. Gotta crank the film too and then use the viewfinder, uh uh boah! We want to ENJOY so we are seriously considering NOT doing them before but definitely doing them after the Wedding while we still have our newlywed glow ;)

Safe to say this photo session probably took AGES???? : Photo Credit: Unknown

Trash the Dress:

I LOVE THIS. Although I did read of one bride who drowned, so safety is KEY! I'm def not trying this at the sea, nonsense. I mean ya can drown anywhere but uh uh boah, I'll take my chances with a pool of fairly still water thanks.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/canadian-bride-words-dragged-death-water-logged-wedding-gown-trash-dress-photo-shoot-heavy-article-1.1145343

( soo soooo sad ) the poor photographer, he tried and the groom :(  Deepest condolences, sincerely.

Anyway, I'm thinking a pool and Andy and I jump, big splash, nuff laughs, EPIC photo. Truly memorable and fun. If not, we can do dirt bikes or riding bicycles through the neighbourhood. Something fun and funny for our personal album. With the greatest caution and care!
I am willing to let Wade and Chris do whatever they want. I trust them totally! But I def have my own ideas. Andy has about 500 more than me (photographer problems).

Trash the dress with your husband :) 

With time going by so quickly I tend to forget that I'm getting married. But when I do I'm mostly stoked, slightly stifled that my room will not be mine and my beloved bathroom will change. We've started house repairs officially and Andy seems to be enjoying it. It's a great time for us. And we are grateful to have a house to renovate, building costs are ridiculous.

I'm still debating whether or not to do a giveaway for this blog. Your response has been fantastic, and I love to give things away. So stay tuned, it could be wedding related, photography, makeup. Who knows. Maybe October, but I don't know if you all are interested in that sort of thing hmmmmmmmmmmmmm... wink wink...


That's all for now, talk to you soon :D

xoxo
Heidi

Updates, questions and excitement!!!

BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE!

I've been counting the weeks since last blog! 5 or so right? Despicable, i'm treating you terribly. But of course that means that there is more news.

Let's talk flowergirls! I have three of the prettiest, sweetest little ones that you can imagine. I've always loved the idea of having lots of little ones in my bridal party. But as I got older I realized the potential for disaster. Children cry, get sick, get shy. But these three are precocious, intelligent and make Andy and I laugh with their crazy antics and witty banter.

No photos, they are young and I do not want them plastered all over the internet. The world has become a strange place and children are often targeted for the wrong reasons. But I can tell you their names are Kendra, Asia and Neriyah. Kendra and Neriyah are cousins, and my cousins specifically and Asia is my goddaughter. No word from the groom on whether we are doing a ringbearer yet, but if not, we'll just omit that step.

Can I tell you, Anderson Bowen is getting excited. More and more I'm hearing, Hun, for the wedding or, did we discuss... I'm super excited too and NERVOUS especially about the photos. But as long as I have Andy there and THE BEST TEAM in the world for support along with my my mum and family and Andy's family, it's all good. He picked out his suit, and he has a special, secret colour he's accenting with. Blow me down. No best man chosen yet though, it's gonna be so hard for him. Lots of people he loves and they love him back, I do NOT envy him :( But I know his peeps will understand.

This guest list is ever reducing, more and more the monkey is climbing and the tail is being exposed, I love it and so does our pocket! Boom! No budget busters up and through here homies!

No more travelling this year, but  I DO need some advice, where should we honeymoon, we kinda already decided but it's still early days, so input is welcome!

What do you all think about a post wedding photo session, would you want to see the photos? It will save time on Wedding Day since I have so much family and I know everyone is gonna want photos with my handsome groom, I mean who wouldn't? Oh yea and of course with me, the bride (teehee).

My mother,  future mother-in-law and I are in talks re: their outfits. My mother's nickname is Sweetsteps, because she walks in heels like she's barefooted. Elsa Klench boy. She's a trip. And she is the ULTIMATE dresser. My mum is known for her classy dressing and really good style . Now Mrs. Andria Bowen She loves to dress up, and she dresses well. But this is the last going down for her, Andy is her baby, and I need her to be beat and snatched. My mummy is the mother of the bride and MUST also be beat and snatched for the gawds! So I'm just making sure that they have it together. No wardrobe malfunctions or regrets over here. Any bride worth her salt knows, everybody has to be on
point. Photos are forever huntys!

Onto today's topic, KISS. Keep it Simple Silly/Stupid. I am a big thinker, I love to do things OTT (over the top). Andy gets a bit miffed, especially since I get these random notions and MUST try to at least get parts of the 'projects' done.

Case in point. I am NOT a DIY princess, I am more of a go and BUY princess, so this friend of ours says, 'Oh Heidi, for your programmes, you could make fans or, if you decide to do bookmarks, you can draft them on the computer and offer them as favours.' bahahahhahahahahaahahahahhahhahahah *tears* In the words of my FAVOURITE celeb Tamar Braxton, 'uh uhhhh She tried it.' She, me, her Heidi is NOT sitting down drafting NOTHING.

Let me tell you about WHY brides get stressed out. They take on too much and impose way too much pressure on themselves, and for WHAT? Are they happy during? HARDLY, most of our brides are usually SUPER glad the event is over when we ask if they enjoyed it. Scuse me? After all the time, energy and effort, you better at least be telling me it was all worth it.

The night that Andy proposed was soooooo happy and so much fun. He made it so that we were alone (which is rare for us), and intimate and sweet, and then after when my Auntie came and picked us up and started FLIPPPPING out cause we had just got engaged, we started talking about how he did it and what my reaction was.

Well I was GENUINELY surprised and felt like I was floating for the next two days for sure. Earlier that day I had been moaning to my mum about how I just wanted to go home and SLEEEEP. I had just had surgery, my stomach was sore (I have four scars now, photos to come), flown 9 hours to Germany, another train ride for 2 or so to Munich, dropped off luggage none of which I could lift :(  straight to meet the designer off the train, then a few days later we drove to Austria, two days later shot the video, drove back to Munich, spent a day there, took a train to Paderborn and THAT was when the relaxation started. Whirlwind trip right? So I just wanted to breathe. I CAN tell you I woulda been plenty disappointed if I hadn't taken my mum's advice and not gone to dinner with Anderson.

As soon as I realised what Andy was doing that night, I paused. We talked about it after, and we laugh about it now, cause Heidi pauses for nothing so big man was in a state of panic for a minute. I paused because I had always promised myself that if ANY man asked me to marry him, I'd take a minute or two before I said yes, let it process a bit and marinate, and then give my answer. Sounds simple right? Well it's not, if you don't get a feeling of calm assurance when you take that time to think about what you REALLY want, back the hell up honey, cause this thing right here called marriage is the long haul, the big leagues it's the real deal and SHOULD NOT be entered into for frivolous reasons.

In that moment all the joy, happiness, love, hardtimes, grief, pain, euphoria came rushing back. I remembered the first time I really looked at Andy, when he met my mum, when he helped me with my thesis, when I helped him decide what career choice to make, our first trip together, my dad's death which came soooo soon after we got together, when he called me to ask if he should buy his first car, when he took me to meet his grandmother. Our likes, dislikes, our love for God and our love for each other is what flooded my mind and I knew that I HAD to say yes. It was what I wanted and what God wanted for us.

So that is how I want our day to be. Simple, sweet and elegant, but well thought out and organized. Fun and a little bit flirty but SIMPLE. I don't want fanfare, a HUGE expense, or a show off occasion. What I want, is what we want, memories. In the end that's alll we have, time is fleeting.

Just like our proposal and engagement, we want to simply enjoy what God is doing in us. The works He is perfecting in us. Our greatest success on our Wedding Day will be us leaving our former individual selves behind and embracing our oneness. But we are going to do it, simply, not QUIETLY now. Just nice and easy.

How was your wedding day? And what would you do differently now. Or If you're not yet married, what would you include to make your day unique to you?

xoxo,
Heidi.

Your party or your guests party?

Well I'm glad you're all still following because life is happening FAST!

I love unique, anything that seems even remotely unusual or odd is for me. I am officially marrying Mr Conservativo. Bae (like the slang?) LOL, is pastel and I'm neon.

However as you may have surmised from our last entry, we are different with similar tastes in extracurriculars and hobbies. Board games, wii, pawn stars. Also, we are music lovers. So quality entertainment for our beloved guests is a must. Thank God my family can sing, rap, act and dance. So we are set. A few poets too! Countless wedding receptions we have attended and few stand out. They are all memorable because they were family and friends of course. But we have to be us and make sure that guests that attend ours, have that unforgettable experience in a good way.

And soòoooo fun is the aim. An old friend of mine recently suggested (and please feel free to offer suggestions as you wish via the comments section, fb or email), a kissing menu. I was clueless! He explained that instead of the old cheesy clink glass with fork at various intervals throughout the evening or after requests, the couple would kiss. For example, a guest requests the mike or signals to the mc (it's all scripted and timed so there should be no rowdiness,) and offers a word of advice like don't go to bed angry or have breakfast together once a week or the family that prays together stays together, and the couple would kiss.

Sweet right? So after the third suggestion I done wid dat, I'll kiss my new husband whenever I please on that day and any day cause no clinkingglass people are dictating our pace!

I also love the idea of a family tree , each family or friend member should write on a piece of paper provided their relationship with the bride or groom and paste it onto a tree, which will be framed at a later date. Totally cute and different  without being ott or difficult right?

So keep the Ideas coming we greatly appreciate it, great food for thought and great suggestions! Never know! One may make it into our Day Of Calendar of events ;)

Love,
Heidi xoxo.

Loves, here's an update

Well my loves, T-3 hunned n somink days!! Less than a year until Andy and my biggg day! Talk about countdowns! So here's the low down on the show down.

I've been travelling with the future in-laws ya'll. It was fun, and I advise any fiancee or girlfriend who wants to become a fiancee to do it! Get to know the family you are marrying into. My mother always says come live with me come know me. I can honestly say, I love Anderson eeeeeeeeven more now! At the end of the experience you will either love your man soooòooooooo much more, or run as far and as fast as you can. I love Anderson Bowen and I am so blessed and happy to be becoming his wife. Yaaay us!!!!

Welll now!

We have our colours, I have my bridesmaids (ahem). Most of our overseas relatives have the dates, we have our venues, food, drinks, cake sorted, we have a house, a car, God is gooood!

So what is left? A whole freakin lot! The music to us is suuuuper important! It sets the tone for the whole shabang. We want a worship session before the ceremony for sure. Then for the reception, we love the Lord, and we love Gospel, but we also love, rap, rnb, hip hop, reggae man we jes eclectic!

I cannot wait to see Andy on the dancefloor.  He is Mr Reserved Chill, bust a move in private. But he saaaaaays he's gearing up to drop it like it's hawt! BOOM! My babe gine mash up de place!!!!

Invitations and save the dates. I may have changed my mind. People keep forgetting the date. Maybe a magnet... (Pyoni....)

Photos: Waaaaaaade and Jazz Apple! Come on party people it's about that time! Collabo, concept execute. Andy loves a good photo and so do I but posers we are not! So the big guns Jazz and V-ann have to step in!

Hair: suggestions PUHLEEZE. Mine is growing and I think I want a chignon or cascading sidesweep with a swoop, but then Andy likes when I wear a ponytail or just pull my hair back. Help me family!

Weightloss! This for me is huge, I feel soòooo much better than I did a few weeks ago! I started Bios Life Slim on the 14th, I've lost 5lbs. I am overjoyed! I'm trying to eat better, up my water intake. My energy levels are way better and I'm sleeping well too. I'd say that's an improvement.

Honeymoon: I'm good with Carnival Valor, but we have to book soon, Time has flown and I think the European tour is our Anniversary trip now. I 'm just excited to travel with Andy, this man is a SUPER shopper. And let me tel you, this man love a piece of clothes hear? I too love my Kins. Sooooo much fun and tries on everything he buys!
Well stay tuned for the continued saga. Wedding Day 2014!

That's all for now.

Sooo sorry I wasn't around for the last 2 weeks! But net access was limited.
Thanks for sticking by us. We love you all!

Love,
Heidi
Xoxoxo