groom – Jana Kate

To Love You NOW …and Forever

December 13, 2017February 19, 2018Leave a comment

The sun glimmers over the sea and casts a glare on her phone screen. She puts one hand over her eyes and brings the screen closer so she can see. As Sophia thumbs through photos of wedding venues she feels the phone vibrate and sees a message from her Maid of Honor, Alexa.
“Don’t you just love this style!” and an attached picture of a long sleeved lace gown pops up when she taps the message.

It is a lovely dress but not exactly what she what she wanted. She has to talk to Alexa about that later. Her thirty-minute lunch break is over.

As she walks back to the office her phone begins buzzing again. It’s Matt. Why does he have to call her now?
“What do you want?” she quips.

“Nothing sweetheart, I just wanted to see how your day was and if you want to get dinner together tonight?”

“Yeah, sure. What time? 7 o’clock. Okay. Bye. I love you.” She rushes as she hangs up and walks into her office.

Wait, she did not have time to meet with him tonight. She already made plans with their wedding planner to select invitations.

“I can’t see you tonight. Meeting with the wedding planner.” She texts him quickly before her work phone starts ringing.

That was the 4th time this week that she had cancelled plans with her fiancé. She knew he was getting upset, but she didn’t have any choice. Their wedding was coming up in less than 7 months.

You, dear bride, have surely been in Sophia’s shoes before. You are overwhelmed with wedding decisions and are overcommitting your time. Have you realized that it is often at the expense of your relationship?

The day will be a whirlwind of people, dresses, cameras and a very important kiss with your new husband. You are promising the most important person in the world that you will love and support him for the rest of your life. It is such a deep and powerful commitment. Arguably the most important decision you will ever make.

This is your wedding and you are the princess. You deserve the best and you should make sure that you’re creating a day that will be one of the most beautiful days of your life.
That does not mean that you have to become a mean, unpleasant person for your groom to be around. Of course, problems will arise and you should make sure that you get them resolved. Be strong and assertive to get what you want. You are not going to make everyone happy but you and your groom should be happy. You have the power to make this process an enjoyable experience!

1. When you act out or lose your temper, apologize. Sometimes admitting that you are wrong can be calming and bring peace back into your life. Saying sorry gives you the ability to step back and analyze the situation more objectively.

2. Take time every day to nurture your relationship. Send an encouraging text on Monday morning and make a home cooked dinner on Thursday night. Do something to make sure he knows that he is the most special person to you.

3. Take some time talking not talking about the wedding. When you first started dating you used to talk about the books you were reading, or the music you love. You would talk about a work project, a place you wanted to visit, or a new restaurant you wanted to try. Take a day trip somewhere, or if you don’t have that much time, make a dinner reservation and talk about why you love each other.

4. Ask yourself one question: When this wedding is all over, how do you want to remember it?

I want you to remember the excitement of planning a glorious party. Remember the joy of spending time with your friends and family planning this huge celebration. Most importantly, remember the love that kindled this fire. You have forever to spend with your favorite person. Make sure that forever starts now.

bella vita // Cory & Treslyn

September 11, 2014September 11, 2014Leave a comment

The most wonderful thing about Treslyn and Cory’s wedding was the picturesque Beaver Creek locale. No, it was the Eden-like floral arrangements. Wait, it was the glow on the faces of their guests as they danced the night away…
Thats just the thing. There were so many incredible moments its hard to pick just one! The fairytale like ceremony, glamorous reception and even the months of preparation leading up to the big day all made up the beautiful mosaic of the Jost-Roberts wedding.

Father’s Blessing – Never have I heard a more caring and wise speech. Paul Jost shared some of his precious insight with his daughter and new son-in-law that night. As he talked about raising Treslyn, his sweet love for her was enough to warm every heart in the room. He wrapped everything up by giving the newlyweds three bits of marriage advise, no doubt from his own experience with his sweet bride Jill.
Say ‘I love you’ to each other every morning and every night.
Edify each other.
Finally, keep God as the center of your lives.
And really, what more could possibly be said about marriage?

Sister’s Toast – Treslyn’s little sister brought a tear to all of our eyes with her toast…including her own. You could hear the love in Alisha’s words and see the excitement on her face. As an older sister I know that nothing is as sweet as knowing that your little sister looks up to you and is proud of you. Alisha shared moments from their childhood that reminded of my own relationship with my dear sister. Its a beautiful thing to be able to look back with laughter and to look forward with anticipation with someone who means so much to you.

Renewed friendship – Reconnecting with Treslyn was quite possibly the best part about this wedding for me. She and I skated together throughout high school and then didn’t see or speak to each other for about six years! Seeing her again throughout this spring and summer to talk about the wedding was so much fun. We got to catch up and talk about ‘real life’ after college and laugh about the old ice skating days. Its so special to be able kindle a new friendship with an old friend.

The Mother’s Smile – Of course absolutely none of this would have been possible were it not for the hard work of Treslyn’s lovely mother Jill. She poured so much of her time, talents and energy into making this one of the most perfect and beautiful days of her daughter’s life. Seeing Jill glow with pride and love that evening was an unforgettable moment. Her attention to detail in every facet of the wedding was perfect! From organizing all the vendors to making sure the gold monogram “R” (for her daughter’s new last name) was in the perfect position at the reception, Jill did everything to ensure that their family and friends would remember the magic of that day.

So here’s to Cory and Treslyn
and the power of their strong love,
devotion to each other and passion for life.
Dance every night away and don’t ever stop smiling.
Ciao!

glow

May 13, 2014May 13, 20142 Comments

Recently I got to celebrate at not only one but two showers with Maria. At both parties all of the essentials were present: tasty snacks, a pile of gifts and doting friends and family.

There was much talk over cakes and coffee about what Maria and Andrew mean to us, and many pieces of
invaluable advice were imparted to the couple.
Between the two celebrations there was one common denominator – one thing stood out and made an impression in my heart.

It was their love.

Her eyes sparkle when she hears his name; she can’t keep a smile back when she gets a text from him, and she talks about his super-human greatness to every person she meets.
When two people truly love each other, you can see it in their eyes even when they’re not together. It is one of the most beautiful things on earth.

At the second shower, I was minding my own business and piling my plate high with candy and cupcakes when something shocking happened! I never imagined this happening but lo and behold, Andrew walked into the room!
Andrew! Everybody knows that the groom isn’t supposed to be at the bridal shower!
I’m not sure why he was there, but as I topped off my lemonade on my way back down to the party, that picture of his nervous smile and her giddy glow stayed with me.

I remember sitting on a ski lift over a year ago with Maria talking about her special man and thinking to myself, I really hope that they work out. It would be such a fairytale come true.
I see now, a year later, that true love isn’t really a fairy tale. It’s a lot of blood, sweat and tears. They both work all the time, Andrew is still in school and they don’t get to see each other much, but all their trials have only made them stronger. THEY are each others priority in life, bound together by their love of Christ.

This verse reminds me so much of Maria and Andrew because of their Godly focus, their passionate pursuit of each other and their fearless love.
“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’ Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.” -Hebrews 13:5-7

This is the couple that proves that true love always finds a way.

Nothing is as strong as that bond,
nothing is as hard to find,
and nothing is as beautiful.

So here’s to the radiant and powerful love that Maria and Andrew have found and the lifetime that they get to spend enjoying the blessing of their Godly relationship.

here’s to traditio…

April 24, 2014April 24, 20144 Comments

Before we delve into every nook and cranny of wedding plans I want to set the stage by going over all the rules.
Rule number one: you need a groom.

Thats pretty much it!
Granted, there are pages and pages of traditions in the books of weddings past, but following those traditions are absolutely not essential. Maybe wearing the dress your mother wore is something that you’ve always dreamed of or walking down the aisle of the church you grew up in might be the only location you can even imagine getting married at. Just know that if you don’t particularly want to serve a cake or if you can’t stand the thought of having a veil covering your face, don’t do it!

The most important question to ask yourself is, when you look back on your wedding, and all of the planning, what do you want to laugh about? Nothing is ever a sure thing, but set a benchmark for yourself. Search your heart for what really matters.

Remember that some of the things that seem so important to you now may not be the memories you end up cherishing.
So get out there and throw a party for all of your friends and family (or don’t!) just keep everything in perspective. You have found the person that you can’t live without. In 50 years you’ll be sitting on the couch together reminiscing about that time your car broke down in a blizzard, your first dog together, your ten grown children (or whatever floats your boat) and the support you’ve given each other for the last half century. The color of the bridesmaid’s dresses in the wedding pictures will likely be faded to gray anyways.

And in the spirit of weddings (and tradition) I’ll end each blog with a toast. Here’s to love, commitment and not getting caught in the weeds! Salud!