Thursday, September 2nd, 2010 at 11:12pm
By: Mrs Gator
I had this great idea to use bubbles as a ‘prop’ to get Mr. Knight and I comfy during our couples pictures. Fabulous idea until… the bubbles fought back.
The bubbles went in our eyes, and our mouth. They were not cooperating!
By the way, Mr. Knight makes some of the BEST faces. Love him.
Mr. Knight bracing for impact. We had a strong wind that day, which made for us feeling quite cool but not so good for blowing bubbles.
Finally, the bubbles decided to get with the program and work for us the way I dreamed!
I love how it looks like Mr. Knight is teaching me how to blow bubbles. What a cutie.
This little beauty is Mr. Knight and I’s favorite picture… EVER. You might even see it again soon in a little project I’ve been working on that has been taking me WEEEEEKS, cause I’m crazy OCD like that.
Overall, very pleased with my little bubble prop. The only props I really brought with us was the bubbles and our iPhones, and I think they were enough for us (although I wish I had packed some sweet heart shaped sunglasses… bummers).
Our favorite part of our ‘couples picture time’ was sitting in the grass blowing bubbles at each other. So relaxing! It was especially funny to see some of our guests drive by us on the road behind us (see – road approx. 12′ behind us… didn’t notice it? yeah, our photographers are amazing). They looked slightly confused! A few honked, which got us super excited.
I can’t say it enough how amazing it was to see Mr. Knight before our ceremony. It was the best part of my day (besides pulling away from our reception… more on that later). These moments with him are some I will always cherish. :-)
What was your favorite moment from your wedding? Was it a tender moment with your sweetie or the moment you pulled away from the reception? SPILL!
If you haven’t entered my GIVEAWAY for fabulous Juicy Couture Earrings then you better get your butt over there and enter that SHIZ!
And in case you missed it, this is what’s happened so far:
our first look on a bridge
a moment with Gator Dad
We got silly with our iPhones
The girls and I mastered laughing
I put on that little white dress
The boys got full of themselves
I was hungover while getting our hair did
We rehearsed with yummy BBQ
The ladies lunched
Once again, all photos by Ben and Amy of Starks Photography; taken on the property of the Plantation Bay Country Club
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Tags: bride, bubbles, Florida, groom, Recaps
Posted in Inspiration, Recaps
Wednesday, September 1st, 2010 at 6:18pm
By: Mrs Gator
I have been going crazy with excitement about our newest giveaway here on Gator Bride. Can you say… I love Juicy Couture earrings?!?
The beautiful Juicy Couture Black Openwork Teardrop Earrings. Utter GORGEOUSNESS.
The wonderful Chin, of Designer Apparel, contacted me awhile back about doing this fabulous giveaway and I just about fell off my seat. Give away some fabulous earrings to my amazing Gator Bride readers? Why, sure!
When planning a wedding, it is a surprisingly difficult task to find the perfect dress for the Mother of the Bride (and Groom!). Designer Apparel is dedicated to helping Brides find the perfect Mother of the Bride dresses (among other dresses… hello, rehearsal dinner? bridal shower?). With chic brands like Tadashi, Adrianna Papell, and Eileen Fisher, you can’t go wrong! Designer Apparel makes shopping easier, efficient and smarter with tools like price comparison, sale notification, and free shipping notices!
You can even shop by designer, making the search for the perfect dress even easier!
So, you are probably asking yourself, “How can I get my hands on those beautiful Juicy Couture earrings?”
Ohh I want them soo bad! Y’all are wayyy lucky!
You have 4 ways to enter:
- Simply leave a comment on this post with the words “COUTURE ME“
- Follow me through my new Google Friend connect (seen on the right side of my blog) and then comment to let me know it was you!
- Follow Gator Bride on twitter and retweet the following: {plz RT} I entered to win a fabulous set of Juicy Couture Earrings from Designer Apparel and @themrsgator !!! http://tinyurl.com/25kamvs then comment to let me know it was you!
- Super Bonus Question: Whose your favorite designer featured on Designer Apparel?
USA and CANADA readers are eligible to enter {sorry to my international lovahs!}.Please only 1 entry per e-mail address a day, and you can enter as many times as you want! {super happy dance}
The Giveaway will end Thursday September 9th at Midnight (Eastern Time) so be sure to check back every day to enter for your chance to win this fabulously chic Juicy Couture Earrings! The lucky winner will be announced Friday September 10th.
Good luck! I can’t wait to see who wins these beautiful earrings!
{heart}y’all!
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Tags: Giveaway
Posted in Giveaway
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010 at 6:30pm
By: Mrs Gator
I really didn’t send her to Thailand, she went on her own accord. So don’t get your panties in a twist thinking I sent my maid of honor off to a foreign country. :-)
This week we bid farewell to Sunny MOH and her husband, Groomsman S, as they embarked on their journey to Thailand. For the past few years, Sunny MOH and her hubby have been working with organizations in Jacksonville helping refugees from Burma (and many other countries) become acclimated to a life in America. Before coming to the States, many of the refugees had never rode in cars before, worked jobs, let alone had a place to call their ‘own.’ Our friends were deeply impacted by these refugees and wanted to help those still suffering in Southeast Asia. Thus began their long (and arduous) preparations for their move to Thailand. They spent many months saving $$$, selling all their belongings, receiving tons of vaccinations, till finally, they were off the ‘grid’ completely (no car, apartment, job, etc).
As of now, their plans are to live in Thailand for about 2 or so years, teaching English, learning about the culture, and helping others (among many, many other things, which you can catch on their blog). They are both amazing individuals – so giving and selfless. They are a true inspiration to Mr. Knight and I.
Us with SunnyMOH and Groomsman S at our Wedding. :-)
photo by Starks Photography
Bidding farewell to our friends this past Sunday. They left for their 44 hour journey to Thailand on Tuesday.
photo taken on Mr. Knight’s iPhone
Since our Expat friends will be spending so long abroad, Mr. Knight and I (okay… well mostly I) put together a blog for Sunny MOH and Groomsman S so they would have a place to talk about their journey, their experiences, and their work. Also, having a blog makes it easy for them to keep all their family and friends up-to-date on what they are doing and expose their loved ones to the beautiful culture of Southeast Asia.
Sunny MOH and Groomsman S’s blog:
Our Adventures in Southeast Asia
Groomsman S has been really good at writing everyday. If you ever wondered what it was like to live in Thailand (or Asia in general), or would just like something refreshing and new to read, I highly recommend heading over to their blog. Be sure to show them some sweet gator love♥!
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Posted in Uncategorized
Sunday, August 29th, 2010 at 11:58am
By: Mrs Gator
In the beginning, Mr. Knight wasn’t completely on board with the ‘first look’ idea. The ‘first look’ seems to be a relatively new wedding trend. My parents had no idea what I was talking about when I mentioned it and many of my friends, who were married only a few years ago, hadn’t heard of it when they were planning their wedding. I searched the internet for some great examples to show Mr. Knight and even made a little pros and cons list for him to look at. In the end, Mr. Knight was on board (anything to keep his stressed out bride happy). After it was all said and done, Mr. Knight says these set of pictures are some of his favorite from our wedding. Bride – 1, Groom – 0. :-)
I believe the ‘first look’ is such an important moment on your wedding day. Many brides and grooms are hell-bent on not seeing each other till the ceremony (which is tradition) but, having a ‘first look’ and seeing each other, just the two of you, is so much more intimate (in our eyes). We both were so excited to see each other and get a moment to take in everything that was happening that day… we were getting married! Enough of my jibber-jabbering, the pictures truly say it all.
I’m trying to contain my excitement, but failing at it. I had never been so excited to see him in my life!
At this moment I’m so excited that I’m stomping my feet up and down on the bridge super fast so that he can hear me coming.
I’m here Mr. Kniiiiiiiiggggghhhhhhhhht
Mr. Knight checking our my dress, the elusive little white dress he had been hearing about for MONTHS.
This is right after Mr. Knight kissed me and got my lipstick all over his lips. He was smacking his lips together all funny. It was perfect. He made me laugh and I certainly needed a good laugh on our wedding day. Nerves anyone?
That smile… agh I just love him so much!
Mr. Knight checking out the detail on my dress and all my accessories. Even months later, when he sees a picture of us from our wedding day he still tells me how beautiful I looked on our wedding day. So sweet.♥
Accessories: Watters Dress, J Crew Pave Crystal Heels, Handle & Spout hair flowers, Tulip Couture clutch, Aquamarine drop earrings
Truth be told, I don’t think our family was completely on board with our ‘first look’ idea till after they saw our ‘first look’ pictures. I remember telling my parents we were going to see each other before the ceremony and I will never forget the shocked look on their faces (they are very traditional). They also had this same shocked look when I told them the dress I wanted wasn’t white (it was champagne). They eventually came around when they heard all the positives: more time for pictures, less time between the ceremony and reception taking photos, giving us more time with our guests. My parents were really good sports with all my slightly untraditional ideas for Mr. Knight and I’s wedding.
Having a ‘first look’ gave us time so that we could get all the fun pictures we wanted (which is coming up next!) and allowed us to just hang out and chill. We weren’t rushed, we had nowhere to be for an hour and a half. It was perfection. Just Mr. Knight, Me and our 2 photographers and 2 videographers (okay, we were quite a crew). We frolicked all over the Plantation Bay Country Club property. I had time to really think about which pictures I wanted, what would be a good background, etc. I was one of THOSE brides who directed our photographers some. I was out of control. I could have taken pictures with Mr. Knight for hours if I hadn’t gotten so hungry/sweaty/thirsty/tired. I remember wanting to take a nap right before our ceremony. Staying up all night before your wedding is never a good idea. Bad gator bride.
Did you plan to have a first look? What was your deciding moment to have a first look? If you decided not to, why? I’d love to hear what y’all think of this (relatively) new wedding trend.
And in case you missed it, this is what’s happened so far:
a moment with Gator Dad
We got silly with our iPhones
The girls and I mastered laughing
I put on that little white dress
The boys got full of themselves
I was hungover while getting our hair did
We rehearsed with yummy BBQ
The ladies lunched
*All photos by Ben and Amy Starks of Starks Photography
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Tags: bride, Fashion, first look, Florida, groom, Inspiration
Posted in Inspiration, Recaps
Wednesday, August 25th, 2010 at 8:14pm
By: Mrs Gator
In the “honeymoon recap” area, I’ve been quite lazy. It’s not like we didn’t have the most amazing time of our lives in Maui, it is just the MASSIVE amount of photos Mr. Knight took on our honeymoon is making this task quite daunting. (Massive amount = 1,500+ photos = out of control Husband)
The view from our condo in Maui… just breathtaking. It was the best view on the island, and we’re not just saying that, we checked! Waking up to THIS every morning was heaven!
photo by Mr Knight
I don’t want to bore you with a bazillion pictures of us in romantic locations, so I’m going to try and condense our honeymoon recap (and give you a fabulous view of Maui) in as little pictures as possible. :-) If you haven’t seen our honeymoon video, then you better get your butt on over there and view it. It truly captured the feeling of Maui and our honeymoon perfectly.
In Maui there were lots of Mai Tai’s to be consumed:
Mr. Knight enjoying a Mai Tai at Mama’s Fish House
Lots of Luau’s to attend:
Enjoying a Mai Tai at the Old Lahiana Luau. Yums.
Lots of posing on volcanic rock:
Mr. Knight chill-laxin on some volcanic rock.
Lots of scenic pictures to be taken:
View from the Five Palms Restaurant at the Mona Kai in Kihei.
Lots of romantic bike rides:
28 mile bike ride down a volcano is not everyone’s idea of ‘romantic’ but Mr. Knight and I loved it. One of the top 5 experiences of our life (so far). Biking through 10 different climate zones (starting in freezing 26 degrees at the top and ending at the ocean) was unbelievable.
Mr. Knight and Mrs. Gator exhibiting the “Honeymoon Pose;” photo by our Maui Guide from Mountain Riders
Lots of yummy food to chow down on:
Enjoying some calamari, sushi and shrimp at the Five Palms. Yes that is two raspberry mojitos you see in front of me. I was out of control that night, but hey, you have to get a little out of control on your honeymoon, right?
Lots of champagne to be devoured:
Not only did the owners of our condo leave us champagne, but Mr. Knight’s Mom also sent us champagne. So we celebrated watching the finale of “Lost” (in HAWAII, where it was filmed) by toasting to them with lots and lots of champagne. By the end of the night, I was whining on the floor of our bathroom (after I had slipped on… champagne). No more champagne for me. Bad little gator.
Lots of guard rails to pose for pictures on:
Mr. Knight and I on the Road to Hana (one of the most treacherous roads to drive).
Mr. Knight and I in the ‘desert’ portion of the Hana Highway (this is way past the point where rental vehicles are prohibited from driving). Did you know there was a desert in Maui? Now you know. I told you Maui had some ridiculous climates.
Lots of shopping while eating:
Planning out our shopping attack while catching a bite to eat at the crazy-delicious Longhi’s.
Lots of water sports to partake in:
Mr. Knight tearin’ it up on a jet ski. He had sooo much fun. I, on the other hand, was terrified. I decided that being his personal photographer/videographer while he played in the water, was more fun. :-) I’m not even going to tell you how much jet ski rentals are in Maui, you might throw up on yourself.
Lots of silly-ness:
Actin’ a fool up at the Seven Sacared Pools of Hana.
Lei-making to be learned:
Mr. Knight showing off the plumeria lei he made.
Feeling snazzy with my lei and hair flower. Plumeria smell = AMAZING.
Massages to be received:
Mr. Knight getting a massage at our condo before his tattoo appointment. Later, we decided this was a bad idea, he should have had the massage AFTER the tattoo appointment. Oh wells, I still felt like I was on cloud 9 after his tattoo appointment. :-)
Lots* of tattoos to get:
*Maybe not ‘lots’ of tattoos, but one very important one.
Mr. Knight getting his honeymoon/wedding/we-love-each-other-so-dang-much tattoo at the Maui Tattoo Company. Every time I see it, my heart just goes a flutter. I love this man sooo much. :-)
Mr. Knight’s tattoo. A little math equation I came up with; our intials^squared = LOVE and our wedding date. I love it and so does Mr. Knight. It is soo US. Guess what makes it extra special? He got it in Maui, so it is a little reminder of the fabulous trip we had to that incredibly beautiful island.
Where are you going on your honeymoon? If you already went, where did you go? Was it everything you dreamed of? If your still on the search, I highly (HIGHLY) suggest Maui. :-)
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Tags: Honeymoon, maui
Posted in Honeymoon, Recaps
The bubbles went in our eyes, and our mouth. They were not cooperating!
I love how it looks like Mr. Knight is teaching me how to blow bubbles. What a cutie.
