We Have So Much to Be Thankful For!

Well folks, it has taken me well over a week to recover from the wedding craziness and I don't even really know where to begin? How did the wedding turn out? It was incredible. Best weekend of my life. Everyone looked great, I had so much fun, the weather was manageable, and despite a few random things that I do not think anyone else noticed, it went perfectly!

We initially thought of this wedding as a "Do It Yourself" project, but after it was all said and done, it was obvious that a large community of people volunteered their time and truly came together to make it happen. We had friends and family busting their butts from early until late doing their part. I think the best weddings really allow the couple to express themselves, and every aspect of our wedding was so "Nathan and Sawyer". And while both my mother and I overspent on a few things, all in all, it was very affordable in the big scheme of things! 

So on this Thanksgiving, we want to say a special thank you to each and every one of you that volunteered your time, money and effort to make our wedding so special. We love you. We are so proud to have you in our lives. We have a billion thank you cards to write!

Here are some pictures that were taken of the wedding/reception set up (looking at these pictures makes me so happy- it turned out great).....

Nathan and I were really lucky to have both his uncle Don and our dear friend Joey take pictures of our big weekend and the special people that were apart of it. We promise to post more pictures on Facebook soon (we have about 1000 images to pick from....it might be a few days, haha).

We are truly blessed. In the spirit of Thanksgiving I decided to post a few things that some of our guests asked us to share:
1- Our Wedding Party Playlist should be available to be publicly viewed on Nathan's Spotify (you now can have a dance party this evening with your family)
2- A seasonal recipe from our wedding that people raved about:

Root Vegetables in Sage Mustard Vinaigrette (Ashley's Beet and Squash Dish everyone loved!)
Recipe makes a serving size for 4 people.

First the dressing: Get your food processor out and pulse together:
1 raw clove of fresh garlic
1/4 of a chopped raw onion
1/2 cup dijon mustard
1/8 cup lemon juice
5 sage leaves
pinch of sugar
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
gradually add 1/2 cup olive oil and a splash of water to loosen it all up.....

Roast 4 whole beets with skin-on at 375degrees in oven until tender with fork. Peel and cube.
Peel, de-seed and cut a large butternut squash into cubes, glaze lightly in maple syrup to add a hint of sweetness. Roast at 400 degrees with salt, pepper and olive oil until tender.
You can also add other roasted seasonal root vegetables if desired (cook in same manner above).
Toss warm beets and squash cubes in mustard vinaigrette. Serve with love.

Lastly, if you are planning your own "DIY" Wedding and need some guidance, let me know and I would be happy to go over every detail with you. Round up an army of your friends and family and we will make it happen! Happy Thanksgiving from the Lewis Family!

Wedding Madness!

As can be imagined, I do not have a lot of time to "write" about the current wedding planning here on my blog, namely because I am in the thick of it. But, I thought I would post a few pictures with captions in order to keep things up to date- the wedding is 3 days away- and as long as we do not have an Arctic storm headed our way, everything is looking good!

Marriage license bought and ready to go! Music playlists have been created, ceremony and our personal vows have all been finalized and are ready to go!  Let's get married! 

We had a "silverware rolling" and wedding food tasting party last weekend- while we did not get much done, it sure was fun! The food and cocktails are great- get excited! 

I spent a lot of time and money doing my food shopping at Costco and Trader Joes last night- come hungry folks! 

I am getting ready to wrap these babies in foil and get them prepped for my "baked potato bar" at the reception.

My dear friend Ashley (whom has helped me greatly put all of this together) made these amazing menu chalkboards- there are more to come, you will have to see them for yourself in person- so great! 

Bridemaids and Groomsmen gifts are ready to go! 

I am running last minute errands trying to stay calm, my mother is out shopping for outdoor heaters, while my friends and family are packing up to travel to Concan for a weekend of wedding fun! I am really hoping everything is going to turn out well (even the weather). Stay tuned, I will post some pictures from the weekend after we return from our Texas "honeymoon" in Fredricksburg next week for those of you who won't be there to share it with us! (Say a little prayer for us- hehe)

2 weeks until matrimony!

I know I keep apologizing for not posting enough- but I have not had a second to sit down and blog. At times, I am overwhelmed with a task list, a workaholic schedule (it does not matter what happens, I always seem to work more than 50 hours a week), social events and trying to find time to spend with Nathan. Other times, something clicks inside my head and I relax and realize how lucky I am, and how truly excited I am to get married to my favorite person in just two weeks!

So what has this DIY task list included?
Well mostly shopping..... I have never really been one to enjoy shopping- maybe it is my lack of decision making skills and money.
We bought Nathan's wedding suit, groomsmen's ties are bought, wedding jewelry for my bridesmaids has been purchased (went way over my budget here), and Nathan's ring is now in our possession. I have shopped around for the past few months and now have all the serving utensils, and paper goods that we need for the reception in our spare bedroom! I bought paper goods and recycled eco-friendly plates, silverware, etc. from restaurant supply stores online. My friend Ashley and I have bought liquor for craft cocktails she has designed, bought awesome cheese and meat boards and serving utensils at IKEA, and menu chalkboards at Hobby Lobby. All in all, there is a lot left to do but we have made a ton of progress.

My goals next week are to get our marriage license, finalize music and the ceremony, write our vows, buy wine, and find a dress for the rehearsal dinner. The week of the wedding we will purchase the food and do the few last minute things that will probably come up. I have done my best to manage my time in order to not become a Bridezilla- we will see how it all plays out!

What big social events have we been busy attending you ask?
Amy and Bryan Winslow's amazing wedding weekend! It was an incredibly beautiful wedding that was held at Springdale Farms in Austin. (If you are ever in Austin, check out the farm and their farm- to-table restaurant- Eden East...the food was soooo amazing.) It was so great to get to be apart of their day, we had so much fun with our friends and their families. I am so impressed with them.