One Month Later

Gooooood Morning!!!

How is everyone?? 

Can you believe Anderson and Heidi have been married for four weeks??

He's asleep and i'm up and bouncing off the walls. 

Our honeymoon is far from over. Everyday we look at each other like, is this real? Did it happen? Our wedding was seriously THE best day of our lives. 

My husband (ahem). Wants us to share the photos over time. So sneak peeks today.

Let's talk about Wedding Day.

It was soooo much fun. God kept the rain in those clouds and sent the sun. And after we found out it was a tropical depression!! Thank you for allllll your prayers!!

The night before, Andy dropped me, my cousin Tiff, two of my bridesmaids Natalie and Tammy and my goddaughter Asia who was a flowergirl to the Hilton.

Yes! That's where our reception was!!! The staff there was so excited for us! We checked in, Andy took us up to the suite and then it was bye byes! I felt a little sad, when Andy had to leave, but excitement crept back in. Especially after he said see you tomorrow Mrs. Bowen. Soooo cute right??

Ffwd to the morning of! I was up from 4. Sorry, couldn't sleep anymore. Downstairs in the banquet hall with Natalie and my other bridesmaid Camille by 7 to start decorating. Andy's mum and my uncle and family soon arrived, and my cousin Shernelle who shooed me off to have breakfast! 

Well if you never had Hilton buffet? Chile get yo life. The wait staff kept asking you sure you getting married today? You are way too calm. And I was, the joy of the Lord was my strength!!

Here was my thinking, Andy will be there. So will Pastor, our parents and me. I control NOTHING. Let go and let God have His wonderful way. 

Simple.

After breakfast, got ready to make a mad dash to the hairdresser. Then I remembered... No car! 

My other mummy Auntie Yvette brought my bff and bridesmaid Tonya to the hotel, so Auntie dropped me over and then my other bff Tara brought me back. 

The salon was quiet and serene and my stylist asked when I arrived, so Heidz, how we doing this hair? I said Chimes, no clue. Just go for it and make sure it looks sleek and smooth. Boom!

2 hours later. I was in business...

Clip ins, hair spray and more bobby pins than #1 Beauty Supply could stock and Tara whisked me outta there, back to the Hilton. 

On my way back up to the room, my goddaughter Asia who went with me to get her hair done too seemed to realise I was getting jittery. Hear dis now, Auntie don't be shy, if you're brave, i'll be brave. And doan cry hear? Or not ya makeup gine run. 

I nearly died with laughter and truthfully allllll my fears just vanished. In the corridor leading to the room I met Shanelle... One half of I Heart Makeup. Yessss honey I was a heartbeat on wedding day! That was Nella's gift to me and so I asked her Kamilah and my friend Dee Blackett to do the makeup for the entire bridal party and some relatives of mine from England, Auntie Winsome and Maya and my Mummy.

So, by this time it was 1 pm. With the wedding at 3 pm. Definitely time to get ready. The girls were in makeup and I needed to shower and get Asia ready too. 

Nerves? None! Excitement PLENTY! My mummy, auntie who was my Maid of Honour and Nana were there. My godson Seth and his grandmother, everything was calm and peaceful. We were chatting and laughing and so relaxed. God is good...

It got real when I put my dress on. I was late :( In my defense I was ready to go, but we had a slight hiccup. So down to the lobby we went...

See Tammy like she sprinting??? Lol.

Into the limo, and off to the church...

We all got ready to get out of the car, cue flowergirls and ringbearer and bridesmaids and groomsmen.

My brother and my uncle walked me down the aisle. And there was my handsome groom.

Andy looked soooooo freakin good!! I was grinning like a halloween pumpkin. Super happy!!!

The ceremony was intimate and went by smoothly. Our friends and family were there and when we said our vows, we kept grinning at each other.

I did cry a little. I saw my godfather and I couldn't believe he had come, which reminded me of my Dad. Then the tears came.

We went to sign the certificate and that was it!!! 

Mr. & Mrs Anderson and Heidi Bowen, yaaaaaaaaaaaay!!! More grins and happiness and fun!!

We headed out of the church after the FBC chorale sang our neww fave song Happy- Tasha Cobbs (remember?) and our bridal party cheered for us when we got in the limo. 

And then we headed to Central Bank Green for our mini photo shoot alone. Special thanks to Ms. Fran Wickham for granting us permission. Well ya know the Bajan peoples!! Waving and staring and we didn't care! 

We're married!!! 

Wow Photobooth Rentals made our evening!!! Service was excellent and all of our guests took home a strip of photos as their favour. It was kinda funny cause some people thought they had to pay. When they found out it was all part of the reception? Cray cray! We got some great shots!!

We also had a candy buffet, with indigenous sweets, like sugar cakes and nut cakes and black bitch, Quality Street sweets from the UK and US as well. I included some for our diabetic friends and relatives too! They really appreciated that!!

Three best parts of the day for me?

Seeing my uncle and aunt dancing.

Seeing my uncle Michael breakdance.

When Anderson said and to My Beautiful Wife, TWICE!!!

It was over in a flash, and we had a faaaaantastic time. Everything we wanted and prayed for? Happened. God blessed us richly, His grace was sufficient and He provided down to the last cent! 

Our families and friends enjoyed, and most importantly, my husband had a great time.

For your love and support, we are grateful. We cannot wait for the next chapter to begin. So stay tuned, God is at work right now!! 

We love you, keep praying for us as we are for you.

Xoxo 

The Bowens

Ding ding ding!!!

Welll Good Morning!!!

Guess who's getting married in less than a month? 

Yasssssss huntys, God is goooooooood!! 

And guess who said yes to the dress???? Meeeeee!!!

So I've been in NY since April/May. And there was some drama with my Mum and Auntie's passports. They applied for them earlier in the year and i'll be a daggone monkey's uncle if it didn't take goshdarnit 10 weeks o_O. 

So finnnally on Thursday my mummy and auntie made it to the Big Apple woop wooooooop!!

And the hunt was on from Friday. Now I'd been advised to visit many boutiques and places but I have to say that I like to move as God directs me. Before my mum came, my wonderful cuz Renee took me allllllll over the city and all the way to Long Island to find a dress. I know she was super disappointed though, because I was NOT about to try on dresses without my mum being there. I'm her only child and she deserved that honour. 

So I looked and felt and touched, asked questions. I was trying to figure out how important it was to have the shoes. Veil, no veil, gloves, mittens, Man, it was alot! 

I hopped onto google trying to find the nearest Bridal shops to my uncle's house. I'd visited one in Flatbush but both Andy and I were unimpressed lol. 

Yessss Andy came up to NY too! My very own GZ (groomzilla) came to my rescue! I was getting a little overwhelmed and he came for a week and some!!! Yaaaaay!

Fast forward to the day I got my dress. My uncle drove us out to Long Island City and as my mum and I browsed around, it hit me. This is real. So I had the names and style numbers of the dresses I thought would suit my body type and my consultant Damaris went searching. She later told me the ones I'd selected she was going to pull for me when she saw me lolI. I tried about 5/6 dresses. And then I found the one!

As I slipped into the dress and Damaris zipped me up, she said you're gonna love this one. I said yea? Ok

let's go then. 

There was a couple next to us and the baby kept coming over by my family to

check us out lol. The wife was trying on a bridesmaid's dress. When I stepped out of the dressing room, the husband heard my family and me as I looked at myself in the mirror say Woooooow! He looked around and said in spanish ' Honey look, she's so beautiful.' And I busted out laughing, he said did you understand me? I said yes, he said oh my god you look fabulous, really that is the dress! You have to buy that. 

I was laughing and grinning and cheesing and I knew it was the one. When you know, you know. The dress compliments my body, it's slightly sparkly and is a nod to dresses of hmmm.... Andy reads the blog so that's all I can say on that.

Thanks for the love and prayers, we found it!!!

T- 21+ to go!!

Xoxo

Heidi.

Everything about You...

This one is for Andy.

I am honoured, grateful, blessed and so happy that you chose me.

When we met, I promise you, it NEVER crossed my mind that we had even a prayer of being together. My radar was probably down at the time. But God had it all planned.

You're who I prayed for. You are the kindest, most generous, loving person. Your warmth and genuine love for people draws them to you. You are the heart of your home. I love to watch you with your friends, there's something so special about the love you have for them.  They truly are your family, you made it so.

Your love for God is beautiful, and authentic. Real.  Your dedication to your witness and ministry is what showed me that you were covered, chosen. Your service and commitment, that's what I want to be in my own.

I was strong willed, blunt and impatient. But sweet and vulnerable, so you said. And you saw through all of that mess. Your calm, peaceful spirit, rested with mine, and through Him, I am developing those same traits. No one is perfect.

You are the second thing I think about in the morning (Him first) and the first one I pray for at night. My life without you is unimaginable, but knowing you has blessed and enriched it beyond anything I ever expected or hoped for. Our love keeps me sane, happy, grounded. Everything about you is right. Most days... lol

This wedding, all of these plans it's all for us to enjoy one of THE best days we will ever have REGARDLESS of what happens, who's there, who's not.  But mostly, I'm doing it for you. You take care of me and have been from day one. Without being asked, without hesitation, without a deep breath. Of course not without frustration, I AM Heidi after all. Now it's time for me to take care of something, with just a little help from you.

There is no doubt in my mind, that He is at the head of this life we're enjoying. And with all of the prayers, love and blessings from our God, we are a success story, and we will continue to be. I am so proud of us, and so excited for our future. You make it all worth it. I love you.

Always,
Heidi.