Life in the Jarvis family

                           I

As men have loved their lovers in times past
And sung their wit, their virtue and their grace,
So have we loved sweet Justice to the last,
That now lies here in an unseemly place.
The child will quit the cradle and grow wise
And stare on beauty till his senses drown;
Yet shall be seen no more by mortal eyes
Such beauty as here walked and here went down.
Like birds that hear the winter crying plain
Her courtiers leave to seek the clement south;
Many have praised her, we alone remain
To break a fist against the lying mouth
Of any man who says this was not so:
Though she be dead now, as indeed we know.

                            II

Where can the heart be hidden in the ground
And be at peace, and be at peace forever,
Under the world, untroubled by the sound
Of mortal tears, that cease from pouring never?
Well for the heart, by stern compassion harried,
If death be deeper than the churchmen say, —
Gone from this world indeed what’s graveward carried,
And laid to rest indeed what’s laid away.
Anguish enough while yet the indignant breather
Have blood to spurt upon the oppressor’s hand;
Who would eternal be, and hang in ether
A stuffless ghost above his struggling land,
Retching in vain to render up the groan
That is not there, being aching dust’s alone?

Psalm 46:1-2
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.

Every girl dreams about planning their wedding. Most girls start planning their wedding at a very young age, using their barbies as their bride and groom. I grew up wanting to be a wedding planner because I thought it would be so much fun. Now that I have been planning my own wedding, the glitz and glamor that I thought surrounded the wedding planning process has seemed to disappear, and the realities of what it takes to plan a wedding has set in. Don’t get me wrong, I have had fun (mostly) planning my wedding. And in spite of all the stress that comes with finding a venue, figuring out how to pay for something or trying to find the time for the next task will get completed, planning my wedding has been very rewarding. I have learned to communicate better what I want, as well as communicate with my husband-to-be about our vision for our special day. I am nowhere near being a professional at planning a wedding, but I do know a thing or two, and I want to share what I have learned.

First, I have learned that finding a venue is very difficult. We wanted to get married outside, and had a hard time finding a venue with both the ceremony and reception outside. But another bride I spoke to wanted everything inside, and they could only find outdoor venues. What I learned was that finding the perfect venue takes time, energy, and effort. And, like we experienced, when the place you want wont call you back, be persistent in making phone calls. We also found that it was cheaper to have the ceremony and reception at the same venue. I don’t know if this is true in every case, but it was for us.

The second thing I learned was that my friends are extremely talented. Phillip and I utilized our talented friend to help us with tasks that would otherwise be very expensive. We were surprised at how many connections we had through people we know. We found an amazing photographer, cake maker, DJ and videographer just by using the people we already knew. My Bridesmaid’s have also utilized people they know to alter their dresses for next to nothing, which helped cut costs on their part.

The third thing that I learned was that we did not have to spend an arm and a leg to get the wedding we wanted. A friend told me that the most important things to spend money on was the dress and the photographer, both of which were not too expensive for us. For my dress, we waited until there was a sale, and then bought my dress, which saved us money.

With my wedding only 25 days away, we have completed almost all of the items on our to-do list. However, we still have quite a ways to go. Use your friends, bridesmaids and family. They really do help to relieve stress (and believe me, weddings bring alot of stress). But just because planning a wedding is stressful, it doesn’t mean that it can’t be fun, like you imagined when you were little. Just remember, make your wedding your own. Express your style. Don’t be afraid to tell people no. And relax. Planning your wedding only happens once. Enjoy it!

Until next time,

Jessica, Bride to be

So Phillip and I got a copy of what his Dad will be saying at our ceremony. And I am so excited. But the past few days, I have been journaling passionately and often. And I kind of want to Phillip and I to write our own vows together. I just feel like it will be so much more personal and no one will have the same vows that we will. I want something that will just capture the essence of who we are and the relationship we have to one another. Decisions…decisions….