Will You Be My....?

Everyone always asks how the wedding plans are coming along and my answer is usually, "Slowly"....there is a lot to research and plan and decide!

But one of the things I am most excited about with this whole process is having my best friends with me throughout it. I know some girls DREAD being asked to stand up in a friend's wedding, but I LOVE to be a part of wedding planning and feel honored when I am asked to be in a friend's wedding....and I think my friends feel similarly!

I am going to post here about asking my bridesmaids. Sister-Erin is going to be my Maid of Honor and I will post separately about asking her

I thought long and hard about how I was going to ask the girls to stand up for me because I wanted to do something creative and also meaningful. I turned to my other best friend (the Internet) for help and found some GREAT ideas!

I found a poem online that I really liked and tweaked the words until they worked for me. I am by no means a poet and could not come up with all of the rhyming words myself, however, I did want to change them to fit me. I also added a verse (that I wrote) to each of the poems. I will include those near the pictures below.

I printed these poems on cards with our colors (black and white and pink).

The day, the dress, the bride, the groom,
the joy, the tears, will all come so soon.

Professing true love to my husband-to-be,
With family and friends all watching me.

Because to me you mean so much,
I have one thing which I will phrase as such:
Nothing would give me more joy and pride,
Than to have you with me right by my side.

You’ve stood by me through thick and thin
And I want you to be there when I marry him.
Many great memories I have shared with your smile,
So I want you to meet me at the end of the aisle.

There are many pieces to planning this day
And that is why I have this to say:“Put together this puzzle
And you will see
The question I am asking thee!”

Love, Stephanie

I LOVE pictures and knew I wanted to do something with photographs as well. I found a cute idea online to make puzzles out of pictures, but then what would they do with the puzzles? THEN I found an even cuter idea where you can turn photos into MAGNETIC puzzles and I was sold. Dad helped me use a current photo, insert the oldest photo I had, and design the picture to use. I used this website, Puzzlematic.com to make the puzzles and they turned out awesome.

The poem with the wrapped "present"

A pile of pieces.

Putting it together
______________________________

My girls!

Meghan and I have been best friends since I was 3 years old and she was 2 years old. We grew up next door to each other and although she preferred to play at my house on my computer and I preferred to play at her house on her Nintendo, we have still managed to stay friends. She now lives in California with her fiance Derek and will be getting married next summer as well! She was in town a few weeks ago and I was super excited to be able to ask her in person! Although we live across the country from each other and don't get to talk near as often as we would like, when we get together it was like we were never apart.

Her verse in the poem:
In life there are old friends and those who are ne w,
We have known each other since we were 3 and 2.
From singing songs on the tape recorder,
To playing together at one house or another.



I have known Amy since she was born (I was 5) and we have grown up like cousins. I call her parents Aunt and Uncle and she does the same with mine. Our moms went to college together and we grew up across the street from each other. Growing up I always felt a lot older than her and more like cousins, but now she is also a close friend. I definitely couldn't do all of my gardening without her and you may notice our crazy clothes in the pictures because she is always involved in my programs at church! (Sorry we look gross, I asked her after working and sweating ALL DAY!)

Her verse in the poem:
We grew up as sisters, cousins, and friends.
We used to play 3 Little Pigs way back when!
From 5 years apart and leading different lives,
To being unable to imagine you not by my side.



I met Bridget first when she was student teaching and I was working as an assistant at our old school. Then she got a job there and a year later so did I. We became fast friends and now we are working together in our new district. We see each other 4/5 days of the week and there is ALWAYS something to talk about. We spent a couple VERY fun and adventurous single years together and are both thrilled to be married and getting married to Mr. Right.

Her verse in the poem:
Teaching together has been a joy,
And also each of us finding the right boy!
From BluRazz to Sox games and Toby Keith too,
I have found a true friend in you.

I met Kristin and Katie in college.

Kristin and I were on the same floor freshman year. One of my first memories was when she came and knocked on my door one of the first days of school to invite me to go work out (I had just finished blow drying my hair so I said no). We quickly became friends and bonded over getting our nails done and going tanning. We spent most weekends freshman year at her boyfriend's apartment (now husband!) and then lived together in an apartment the next 3 years. Although she now has a family and we are all very busy, I feel like we have grown together in our friendship and we are closer than ever.

Her verse in the poem:

From roller blading, tanning and doing our nails,
To babies, houses and teacher tales.
Beginning with our days at NIU,
I have found a true friend in you.

Katie and I were in a Psych class freshman year together, but I don't remember it because I slept through the whole thing. She was also in another class with Amanda from my floor and that is how we became friends. Katie and Amanda lived together and spent much of their time at our apartment. Senior year they lived across the hall from us and we thought we were the new 'Friends'. Katie and I have only grown closer since college!

Her verse in the poem:

From sleeping in Psych to talking on the phone,
My friendship with you has only grown.
Beginning with our days at NIU,
I have found a true friend in you.

Katie

Kristin

Well that may be the longest post ever, but I know Mommom and sister-Erin will get a huge charge out of it! I love my girlfriends and I CANNOT imagine my life without any of them!