The Story of Us (Part 2)

Where did we leave off?  Mr. B and I were on a path to become more than friends, but was it worth it?  Could I deal with the divorce and the kids and the age difference and the baggage?  My friends were generally supportive but they were also very cautious, with good reason.  They didn't want to see me get hurt.  Some also thought it was so funny that I was dating someone with kids, considering my borderline fear of them.  It was pretty casual, though, and we didn't make plans for the future.  We just had fun and enjoyed spending time together.

In February 2011 I flew to NYC for the weekend for my sister's birthday.  When I booked the trip I told my friend Brad that the only reasonably priced flight option was going to have a 4 hour layover at the Atlanta airport.  During the Superbowl.  Not ideal.  He joked that maybe I would meet the man of my dreams at the airport bar and we would get married and it would be fate.  Superbowl Sunday came and as I was preparing to go to brunch before leaving town, I texted Mr. B to ask how his first half marathon went.  It went very well and he was resting up before heading out on a work trip - a work trip to Atlanta. 

(paraphrasing...)
Miss B:  What are you doing for the Superbowl?
Mr. B:  I guess just watching it in my hotel room.
Miss B:  OK to say no (I say that a lot) but do you want to meet me at the airport and we can watch it together?
Mr. B:  Yes!  I'll let you know when I get into town and we can coordinate from there.

And the rest, as they say, is history.  I got to the restaurant first and had the most amazing waiter - he was half Hispanic and half Australian but all American, if that even makes sense.  He would say things like "You doing OK, mate?" followed by "No problemo!"  I texted Mr. B about him and he started making up hysterical nicknames for him along the lines of Crocodile Diego - I was laughing so hard and he wasn't even in front of me!

Bicycles on a plane!  (Personal photo.)

We spent a few hours watching the game, talking, and falling in love without even realizing it.  I got back to Tallahassee and told the friend that picked me up from the airport that everything just changed.  I could learn to love his kids because they were an extension of him.  I could overlook the divorce because everyone has a past.  The age difference never bothered us because we don't even notice it.

So there we have it - I did end up meeting the man of my dreams while watching the Superbowl at the Atlanta airport.  Anyone else find love in an unexpected place?

The Story of Us

Picture this - In 2005 I was a 22 year old, fresh out of college and diving head-first into a new job as an aide to a State Senator.  I divided my time between the senator's district office in Central Florida and the state capital, Tallahassee.  The office of a State Senator is a busy place - constituents and lobbyists come in and out all. day. long.  It is easy to gloss over the people and just concentrate on the work that needs to get done but every now and then you are fortunate enough to develop a relationship outside the confines of the Capitol. 

Mr. B was essentially just another lobbyist.  At the time he worked for a firm that did contract work so he had a lot of clients.  He was in and out of our office quite a bit and we started to develop a friendship.  Eventually we would have lunch on days I could break away and I even met his wife and kids one Saturday after a triathlon we both completed.  Mr. B and the kids came with me to breakfast with some friends, where his daughter proceeded to play Rock, Paper, Scissors with us - waiting until we threw our symbol before throwing hers, letting the other person win.  It was seriously adorable. 

This friendship continued for a few years and it was so nice having a friend who could give me advice on politics and life.  Without realizing it, he (and another friend of his if we are being honest) became the last person I would have lunch with in Tallahassee before going back to the district for the summer. 

Personal photo.

Flash forward to the fall of 2010 - my boss moved up the ranks and I was promoted to a position that required me to move to Tallahassee permanently.  Mr. B and I kept trying to make plans to catch up but life was busy and it took a few months for us to really connect.  One night we finally made it work - we grabbed some pizza and beer while watching the end of a Saints playoff game (and I think the end of their season that year...).  I will never forget the beer he drank that night - Smuttynose Old Brown Dog Ale.  We talked for a while about my new job, about his new job, about life...  And about the fact that he and his wife were getting a divorce.  This wasn't a surprise to me - things hadn't been great for a while and I had a feeling it was only a matter of time. 

We ended up meeting up with some friends later that night and it was the first time we really hung out with our guards down.  It was wonderful and I spent the next few days wondering if this was really going to happen.  Did I really want it to happen?  A 45 year old man in the middle of a divorce?  With two kids? 

(Spoiler alert: it did happen.  But you'll have to stay tuned to hear how!)

Cake!!

Figuring out what to do about the cake was the planning item I was most excited about.  Although my favorite dessert is ice cream, I was still really excited about picking out a cake.  I had a few visual ideas that I liked but I set out with no specific flavor desires.  Mr. B's son told us we couldn't have coconut so that was out, but we had endless possibilities aside from that.

First up, I pinned some "cake-spiration" photos - I knew I wanted something white and simple.  No fondant, no elaborate designs, probably no flowers, potentially no cake topper.  I love simple, white, buttercream, classic.  Here are some of the cakes that caught my eye -


Image via Style Me Pretty/ Photo by Jill Thomas Photography

I don't want the cake to look messy and I fear the option above could look a little messy if not done right.  Next option...




Image via Martha Stewart Weddings / Photo by Sabine Scherer Photography

 This is probably my favorite cake photo.  I think I would remove the flowers, though.

Image via Martha Stewart Weddings / Photo by Dana Gallagher Photography

I like the look of this but I don't know if it is too... well...  I don't know.  Too something.  Too casual?

An easier decision to make was where to buy the cake.  Our photographer got married in Savannah and she sent me a ton of information about vendors she used.  She recommended Baker's Pride and their reviews were really good.  I contacted them and they got back to me pretty quickly with a reasonable quote.  They also told me I could let them know when I would be in town and they would give me a box of different flavored cupcakes for me to try.  Ummm, yes!  I shared this image with Mr. B - the two of us sitting in Forsyth Park, eating cupcakes, drinking champagne...  And he told me that sounded like a trip to take the girls on.  Oh well - the girls like champagne more than he does anyway!

Some of Baker's Pride's Cakes that match my vision -

Image via Baker's Pride

Image via Baker's Pride

Although I am still finalizing the look, it is nice to know we have a bakery booked.  Now to schedule that tasting! 

Will it look to casual or plain with no flowers?  Who wants cake now?  Sorry!

Flowers

I really like flowers but fortunately I do not have a crazy list of floral demands.  I've heard horror stories of brides becoming obsessed with a certain flower (pink peonies, anyone?) and then being devastated after finding out they either aren't available or don't fit in the budget.  This is one area where Mr. B has an opinion - he hates bouquets that look like a "head of broccoli," as he calls it. 

Image via Seattle Flowers

A bouquet that doesn't look like that?  The first thing that came to mind was this -


 

Image via Seattle Flowers

 

This kind of bouquet can be done beautifully but it has this hint of 80s wedding that I can't shake.  I wanted something timeless and classic - not a throwback to the decade I was born.  I did learn a useless fact during this search - those bouquets are called cascade bouquets and they seem to be making a comeback.  Google image search them and you'll find some interesting options.  Back to what I do want.  During one of my bouquet-searching dates with the internet, I stumbled upon calla lily bouquets -

Image via Style Me Pretty / Photo by Julie Mikos / Floral Design by Julie Stevens Design

I. Die.  This is seriously perfection!  I don't think this is too broccoli-ish, is it?  This would be perfect for me and my ladies could have something a little simpler -

Image via The Knot / Image by Broxton Art Photography / Design by T'da Design

How beautiful will these look against navy dresses?!  Ahh, I am so excited just thinking about it!

Both my MOH/sister and a bridesmaid have done wedding flowers before so I plan on having them help me and we will do everything ourselves, aside from my own bouquet.  Tying calla lilies together can't be that difficult, can it?  We will also do the centerpieces but I am still trying to decide what to do there.  One image that struck me:

Image via Style Me Pretty / Photo by Andrea Polito

I like white flowers and candles.  I don't want anything too high, though, so that option might not work. 

The flowers are definitely a work in progress.  My sister was kind enough to do a trial run - living in NYC gives her access to a magical place called the Flower District.  Here are her trials:

Personal Photos

Personal Photos

I love square vases so the short option definitely appeals to me.  I like the pop of color in the tall version, but maybe with more of a blue to match our colors.  So now for some help!  What blue flowers could we use for the pop?  Which of these would look better surrounded by some candles?  Any suggestions for good (inexpensive) flowers to use?

Hair!

One of the few many subjects Mr. B had an opinion about is how I will wear my hair.  He will not know anything about my bridal look and he trusts me completely, but I know what he likes and doesn't like.  He told me he didn't want me to wear my hair all the way up, even though he knows I love getting up-dos.  He wants to marry the woman he proposed to in the Tallahassee airport, not some woman from a bridal magazine.  I get that, I really do.  I decided that I would do a half up/half down situation as a compromise.  Here was my original inspiration for how I would wear my hair: 

Image via Style Me Pretty / Photography by Chris Bailey Photography / Event design by Keely Thorne Events

I think this is beautiful and polished but also still "me."  OK, one decision down!  Wait, not so fast...  I went dress shopping and everything changed.  As I tried on every dress, I would put my hair up with my hands to see how it looked.  My consultant kept offering me her hair band but I kept insisting that I couldn't wear my hair up.  As soon as I stepped out of the dressing room in what would become THE dress I grabbed her hair band and knew my hair would be up.  It just had to be!  Everyone agreed that Mr. B would get over it and that I would look beautiful (great friends, right?!).  Fortunately, he has since pointed out a few up-do options as "It would be OK if your hair looks like that."

Well, as much as I am relieved I get to wear my hair up, I am now almost overwhelmed by the amount of choices.  I want something simple and not too "bridal," because I really do want to look like myself.  I know I want something low and centered on my head.

I can always look to The Duchess of Cambridge for some inspiration.

Image via Daily Makeover / Photo by Getty Images

Why is she so pretty?? I love the part, the enough-but-not-too-much volume, the placement on her head. This is a definite keeper.

I don't know if that back is exactly what I had in mind, though.  I was thinking more along the lines of a low, simple crossed bun situation.  Something like this:

Image via One Sweet Wedding

 

Oooh, yes.  I think that could be exactly what I want!

For the ceremony I plan on wearing a veil attached to the top of the chignon.  I need something simple enough that we can get the combs from the veil out for the reception without ruining my hair.   



Image via Project Wedding / Photo by Kelly Zhang

I think before I spend too much time deciding how I will do my hair, I first need to decide who will do my hair.  This is one of the problems with a destination wedding - I have very few resources for things like this.  I will also run into trouble trying to do a trial since every time I go up there I am with Geoffrey.  Maybe I will use the cupcake tasting/champagne drinking trip with the girls as a chance to get some hair and makeup trials in.  For a hot minute I actually thought of having my usual stylist and someone else from the salon come up to Savannah for the weekend but I quickly realized that would be a super ineffective use of money.  Ugh.

While we are talking about Kate Middleton...  I had my hair done for our engagement party and I asked my stylist to style my hair like hers.

Nailed it!  (Personal photo)

I can still look like myself with a simple up-do, right?  How did you decide on the perfect hairstyle?

Dressing the Ladies

As soon as we settled on our colors, I knew I wanted navy blue bridesmaid dresses.  I quickly fell in love with this dress by Adrianna Papell -

Image via Nordstrom

I became obsessed within seconds.  I am partial to dresses with one shoulder and I absolutely loved the lace.  This had to be the dress!!  I emailed it to my bridesmaids and within hours my dream died.  The dress sold out in some sizes, including smaller ones that I knew we would need.  Argh!!  (Of course it now seems to be available in more sizes.)

In my quest to recreate this dress, I stumbled upon the Watters Camellia dress -

Image via perfect bridesmaid dresses

 I could create it in all navy on the Watters website and it looked beautiful.

Watters Camellia / Image via Watters

No store in Tallahassee carried it but fortunately I had a bridesmaid dress shopping trip already planned in Jacksonville with my bridesmaid (and fellow bride!) BOC.

Bridesmaid Runner met us at the store and she and BOC tried on dresses I liked.  While we were there I narrowed it down to four dresses.  I did take pictures of the gilrs in each dress but I will refrain from posting them on the internet, as none fit them correctly.  The Camellia was a front runner but I liked three other similar styles as well -


Watters Posey / Image via Watters

Watters Heather / Image via bestbridalprices.com

Watters Gardenia / Image via Watters

I was fine with my bridesmaids wearing mismatching dresses as long as they were very similar, which these were.  I decided to poll the group and see where people were leaning and there was a very (very!) clear winner - the Camellia!  8 out of 10 preferred this dress and the other two liked it, too - decision made!  I ordered through the store where I bought my wedding dress, Vocelles, and my bridesmaids received 10% off. 

I like these dresses so much that I am thinking about buying one in ivory to wear to the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner.  I will probably go with Posey since it seems the most classic.  I love Heather but it is a bit more expensive than the others.

I somehow got 10 women to order their dresses on time and they should be here in a few months.  I can't wait to see everyone in them!  Was anyone else planning on allowing their bridesmaids to choose their own dresses, only to discover they all liked the same one?  Am I crazy for thinking/hoping my girls wll really want to wear these again?

Greetings From The Bicycles!

Oh, hiiiii(ve)!  I promised myself I wouldn't do it but I can't help it - I am so excited to bee here!  I am quite honored to be joining such a wonderful group of creative and inspiring brides and I hope I don't let you down!  So, who are The Bicycles??

I was born and raised in New York/Connecticut and moved to New Orleans to attend Tulane University.  Hurricane Katrina forced me to evacuate to Florida, where I have been ever since (taking a major piece of NOLA with me in my heart).  I've worked for the Legislature since I moved and that is how I met Mr. Bicycle.  (Shall we call him Bike?  Mr. B?  Other suggestions?)

We were friends for years and in the fall/winter of 2010 everything fell into place when I moved to Tallahassee permanently just as he was ending his first marriage.  He has two amazing children, ages 10 and 12, and we have two pets (well, 3 if you count our turtle, Sheldon).  Tabasco is a Vizsla who is a bit prematurely grey and Tchoupitoulas is the sweetest cat in the world.  Tchoup was left behind by her owners during Hurricane Katrina and I was lucky enough to adopt her almost a year after the storm.  (For those who are wondering, she is named after a street in New Orleans.)

Tabasco photo courtesy of Ashley Daniell Photography, Tchoupitoulas photo - personal.

We are both endurance athletes.  Mr. Bicycle has completed a lot of triathlons and a full marathon.  I have done quite a few triathlons, multiple marathons, and a Half Ironman.  The Bicycle is a perfect symbol of our hobby!

All photos personal.

We do quite a bit of traveling, which made it difficult to not pick Jet Setter or Road Trip.  Some of our travels are for weddings, some for races, and every now and then we throw in a trip just for fun.  We love sports of all kinds, especially football (New Orleans Saints for me, Gators and Tampa Bay Bucs for him) and baseball (NY Yankees for me, Tampa Bay Rays for him).  Unfortunately, we get to go to more games for his teams than mine, but we will make it to the Superdome for a Saints game one of these days!

All photos personal.

We spend a lot of time at Florida Gator football games in the fall, since Mr. Bicycle has season tickets.  All of our friends tailgate before and it is so much fun experiencing the one thing Tulane didn't (really) offer.

All photos personal.

I can't wait to share the details of the beautiful wedding we are planning in Savannah, Georgia.  It will be classic and uniquely us, filled with fleurs-de-lis (yep, that's the pluralization!) and fun. We are looking forward to involving Mr. Bicycle's children as we take this important step to start our new family. 

So hop on!  The Bicycles are ready to roll!