Amie & Justus
HOW WE MET
IT WAS LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT (CLICHÉ I KNOW, BUT IT’S TRUE!). IT WAS AT A FOOTBALL TAILGATE I SPOTTED THE TALL, DARK, AND HANDSOME GUY WHO IS NOW MY HUSBAND. WE LOCKED EYES FROM ACROSS THE FIELD AND A MUTUAL FRIEND INTRODUCED US. WE DIDN’T ACTUALLY MAKE IT TO THE GAME, BUT INSTEAD PLAYED DRINKING GAMES AT A FRIEND’S HOUSE AND LATER WENT FOR PIZZA AT A LOCAL SPOT WE MUTUALLY LOVED. JUSTUS EVEN JUMPED INTO A MOVING CAR THROUGH THE WINDOW TO MAKE SURE WE COULD RIDE TOGETHER! FROM THAT DAY ON WE WERE INSEPARABLE. JUST TWO WEEKS AFTER MEETING, JUSTUS COULDN’T CONTAIN IT ANY LONGER. WE SAT CROSS LEGGED ON HIS BED WHEN THE TOPIC OF LETTUCE WRAPS CAME UP. I SAID DEFINITIVELY, “I LOVE LETTUCE WRAPS!” ATTEMPTING TO AGREE AND HOPING TO ALSO SAY, “I LOVE LETTUCE WRAPS!” HIS HEART HAD OTHER PLANS. THE ONLY WORDS HE COULD SPEAK WERE “WELL, I LOVE YOU”. I WAS STUNNED, BUT THE FEELING WAS MUTUAL. BEFORE I KNEW IT, I SAID “I LOVE YOU TOO!”. NOW WE’RE LIVING IN PHOENIX, AZ, SOAKING UP OUR FIRST YEAR OF WEDDING BLISS, AND SNUGGLING OUR PUP, RUDY.
OUR FIRST DANCE SONG WAS “MAKE IT TO ME” BY SAM SMITH. IT’S BEEN OUR SONG FROM THE BEGINNING BECAUSE THE LYRICS DESCRIBED EXACTLY HOW WE FEEL ABOUT EACH OTHER. WE’VE ALWAYS SAID “YOU WERE MADE FOR ME”, SO IT JUST FIT!
“YOU’RE THE ONE DESIGNED FOR ME
A DISTANT STRANGER THAT I WILL COMPLETE
I KNOW YOU’RE OUT THERE WE’RE MEANT TO BE
SO KEEP YOUR HEAD UP AND MAKE IT TO ME
AND MAKE IT TO ME”
MY DRESS SHOPPING EXPERIENCE WAS VERY SPECIAL. THE FIRST TIME I SCHEDULED MY DRESS SHOPPING MY ENTIRE FAMILY CAME INTO TOWN. ABOUT AN HOUR BEFORE MY FIRST APPOINTMENT MY GRANDFATHER WAS PUT ON LIFE SUPPORT IN ANOTHER STATE. WE CANCELLED ALL OF MY APPOINTMENTS AND TRAVELED TO HIM FOR GOODBYES. A FEW WEEKS LATER WE TRIED AGAIN, BUT WITH SOME SADNESS AND APPREHENSION. MY MOM AND I STOPPED INTO A BOUTIQUE CALLED BRIDE STUDIO IN PHOENIX, ARIZONA. WE HAD THE MOST AMAZING EMPLOYEE HELP US AND I ENDED UP BUYING THE FIRST DRESS I TRIED ON.
MY MOM AND I HAD TEARS IN OUR EYES; WE JUST KNEW IT WAS THE ONE! IT WAS SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE, AND I KNEW MY GRANDPA WOULD HAVE BEEN EXCITED THAT I FOUND ONE I LOVED. MY DRESS WAS MY FAVORITE PART OF MY WEDDING DAY (BESIDES MARRYING THE LOVE OF MY LIFE OF COURSE!)
FAVORITE DETAILS ABOUT OUR WEDDING:
JUSTUS AND I PLANNED HAND WRITTEN VOWS THAT WE READ PRIVATELY TO ONE ANOTHER BEFORE OUR CEREMONY. IT WAS SO RAW AND EMOTIONAL, AND WAS OUR ABSOLUTE FAVORITE PART OF THE DAY. WE CAN’T WAIT TO READ THEM AGAIN YEAR AFTER YEAR! OUR DAY WAS ALSO MADE SPECIAL BY GETTING MARRIED ON MY GRANDPARENTS 48TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY. MY GRANDFATHER PASSED AWAY JUST A FEW MONTHS BEFORE OUR WEDDING, MAKING THE DAY EVEN MORE MEANINGFUL. I’M SO HAPPY WE SHARE A WEDDING DAY WITH TWO PEOPLE WHO LOVED EACH OTHER VERY MUCH.
PHOTOGRAPHY: @SARAHENGLANDPHOTOGRAPHY //DRESS: @DAUGHTERSOFSIMONE @BRIDESTUDIO //MAKEUP: @VALERIAG_BEAUTY //ALTERATIONS AND VEIL: @ALISFASHIONDESIGN //VENUE: @THEICEHOUSE_AZ //FLORAL: @SYDNEYELIZAFLORALS @THEFLORALTHEORY //JEWELRY: @DWELLEROFTHEDESERT
