marriage.matthewthornton.info

Jess asked me to write a blog entry about what the engagement was like for those that weren’t there.  While this is generally her blog, I figured I’ll write a little something about it.

To give you a bit of context–I had made the decision over Christmas that I was going to propose to Jess.  I went through the conversation w/ Mom and Dad discussing the plan, etc.  At that point, I started thinking about how to propose.  In mid March I had decided a general plan and felt it was time to ask my to-be Mother-in-Law for Jess, to which she had no problems, so I went about some of the details.  I had decided on May 19th as the date I’d propose.  (It was our 1 year anniversary of dating, as well as Jess’ graduation day, so both families would be down in Athens to celebrate.)

Jess had one time told me that her view of reaching a particular level of accomplishment was to own napkin rings.  So, her anniversary present was going to be napkin rings…with a little something extra.  Her engagement ring, which I had chosen from Blue Nile.  The plan was to head back to Blacksburg to celebrate our 1-year anniversary.  We’d take a walk over to Virginia Tech’s campus to War Memorial, where we ended our first date and open our presents.  At that point, she’d open her present, see the ring, at which point, I’d propose.  ("Awwww……..")

In Athens during the day, everyone wanted to visit and spend a lot of time together.  We went back to Mom’s apartment and we visited.  It went on for longer than I anticipated; everyone knew what the next step was and I figured people would excuse themselves or suggest we get on the road so we had time to be by ourselves for the evening.  No such luck.  On the way back to Blacksburg, we were exhausted.  We had been all over the place that day.  I was rather quiet on the way back and Jess was worried that something was bothering me, but I just dismissed it as being tired.  By the time we got back to the apartment, Jess was saying "no" to the War Memorial trip, and I acquiesced.  We opened up presents at the apartment.  (She gave me an incredibly sweet gift–a hand-made throw blanket and a journal that she had written stuff about us in over the past 6 months.)  At that point, I gave her her present.  At first she we really just plain excited about the napkin rings and I don’t remember for certain but I think I had to sort of direct her attention to the box in the middle.  She looked at it and thought it was a pretty jewelry box and opened it up and saw the ring.  She just said "Oh my God." and put her face in her hands and started sobbing.  I think at that point I mumbled through a whole "I love you more than anything" speech and asked "would you marry me?"  She grabbed the ring out of the box and put it on her finger.  I asked "Is that a ‘yes’?"  And she giggled and said "Yes!".  At that point we started to make the calls.

I’m sure Jess has a different view of the night, but this is what I can piece together from my recollection.

Matt Matt

Good news, everyone!

I FINALLY FOUND MY WEDDING DRESS!!!!

Some people may see this as just another task on the to-do list for a wedding, but this was the one thing that was plaguing me. Let me try to explain a little bit better.

Many of my friends know that I’m a planner… I like to know what I’m doing, and I like to know it in advance (for the most part).

Other things about our wedding are already planned, or on their way to being planned. All the little details that other brides’ sweat (like decorations for the reception, or what to register for), I have no concern about. Matt and I are very thorough and we’ve gone through and discussed and/or planned most of the aspects of the wedding. With that being said, the one detail, and one of the more important ones to me, I had not been able to get or even really find. I think I had been to try on wedding dresses- not once, not twice, not three times, not even four times, but FIVE times by the time that I had gone with my Mother this past weekend.

I was starting to think that I’d just have to settle for some dress that I didn’t particularly like, just as long as it didn’t cost over 500 bucks.

My mom had talked with a friend who had mentioned this department store in a town called Sharon in Pennsylvania. It is where the friend’s daughter had found her wedding dress for cheaper than she had found anywhere else. On the off chance that we might find SOMETHING there, my mom and I took an adventurous road trip to find it (and believe me when I say that it was an adventure… full of conversation, getting lost, and even watching the Amish "drive" by in their carriages that have no heat!).

Once we found the store (and then finding the bridal section of it), I chose three dresses that had caught my eye. None of them worked. I was feeling a little bit disgruntled at that point, but then I figured that I really didn’t expect that much out of the trip. The sales lady came to check on my mother and I, then went and got a different dress in a larger size that I hadn’t thought of. I put on the dress, looked in the mirror and told my mother "This is my dress". We went to the three way mirror out in the dressing area of the store, and I looked at it fully. The dress looked like it was MADE for me. It had all of the things that I had wanted in a dress: embroidery, a romantic looking overlay, the possibility of straps, and a nice sized train. This dress also has a matching wrap and an absolutely perfect headpiece that my mom bought for me.

I am so excited, I can hardly stand it! I’m almost tempted to let Matt just see the thing so I can show it off!

Well, I guess that’s enough rambling for right now. I might have more next weekend, after I see the florist. Keep your fingers crossed!

Matt Jess

Hello again!

This post might be a little bit rambling, but by the end of it, you should be up to date on EVERYTHING that is going on.

I feel like we’re ahead of the game on a lot of these things (for once!). Like I’ve said before, we’ve reserved and put a deposit down on both the chapel and the reception hall.

On top of that, this past weekend, Matt and I have met with a caterer and with the local priest. Both Matt and I agreed, as soon as we walked out of the meeting with the caterer, that they were the ones that we were going to use. Their prices are reasonable, the manager (or whatever his title is) was very honest and open with us, and the food, it seems, would be genuinely good (most of it is home-cooked). They’d be willing to help us with rental items such as dishware and flatware for the reception and they’d also be pretty autonomous in set up and clean up during the event. We liked the “vibe” we got from the guy we met with and it is pretty much settled that we’re going through them.

Along those lines, Matt met with a baker this past week as well, and we’ve gotten price quotes from them, and we’re pretty sure that this is the baker we’ll be going through.

Yesterday we met with the priest here at the church I attend. In the Catholic faith, it is customary to go through a series of pre-marital “classes”. Matt has agreed to go through these with me. It should be an interesting journey. The classes start on April 11, but we have a list of topics to discuss until then.

Matt’s mom has been so good to us by finding things and purchasing them for us. For instance, centerpieces for the reception was something that I hadn’t been able to get yet (budget stuff) and she found some at a GREAT value, so she went ahead and got it for us.

It is so helpful to know that there are so many people supporting us. Both Matt’s and my Mom have been great as sounding boards and as idea generators. They’re both helping Matt and me in different ways, and I don’t think that we’d be able to have such a nice and little stress as possible event. I will eternally be grateful to them!!

The things that will be our next obstacles as far as wedding plans will be (for me) finding a dress, (for Matt) deciding on a tux, and for the both of us, we will be ironing out some details about the actual ceremony and reception.

If there are any questions, please leave a comment, or email me! At this point, we have about 10 months to go!!

Matt Jess

Since this is combining the previous few month’s updates, I’ll try to keep it as brief as possible.  First, we’ve got the reception hall booked (we may have said this already but it’s been a while.).  We also have the chapel booked.  We are meeting with the Priest for the first time on the 9th (Matt’s birthday!).  I still don’t have a dress but I’m going to go with my Mom to go dress shopping in February.  Hopefully, I’ll find something then.  We’ve got some of the reception details worked out and thanks to Momma Thornton for purchasing the centerpieces for the reception and the materials for getting started on the reception favors.  Matt has been researching caterers and bakers and we think we may have found the baker we’re going to use.  We’ve asked a friend to do the photographs and she’s agreed.  We’re all excited about that.   

Matt Jess