I will never forget the first time I received flowers (sorry Mr. J, but they were not from you). It was a lush bouquet of peach roses lightly tinged with pink. Even after they wilted, I picked off all the petals and kept them in a jar (hmm, maybe this story is more about the boy who gave them to me and less about the flowers themselves). Anyway, flowers have always been meaningful to me and I knew they would play a special role in our wedding. It was a challenge, however, finding a floral designer who shared our vision and worked within our budget.
We were so lucky to have Eddie of Commerce Flowers. Our online research returned glowing reviews of Commerce and the proposal they provided was well within our budget. The best part, however, was working with Eddie. He went above and beyond to make me and Mr. J happy– I truly felt as though he cared about our wedding. Even with the vague and constantly shifting guidelines I gave him, he produced magic on our wedding day.
My wedding bouquet: pure white peonies tied in thick white satin. I’m so glad I went with an all white bouquet. It didn’t compete with the rest of the florals or the colors in my lengha. The soft peonies just shone all on their own.
But I recently made a small exception for the newest issue of Martha Stewart Weddings…
Hello bees! I know, it’s been far too long. I have to admit that I’ve been hibernating in our Chicago apartment, thoroughly enjoying married life. I spent the weekend devouring the Martha Stewart holiday issue, cooking from my new Indian cookbook, and snuggling with Mr. Jasmine. For all of you in the midst of wedding planning stress, take heart: a relaxing, blissful married life awaits you!
Last week, I took a big (belated) step: I finally changed my name. It was very strange to see “Jasmine Married Name” on my social security card, but I was also overjoyed. That is, until I realized what a pain it is to make sure your maiden name and your married name are “linked up”. For example, I was updating my resume with my new name when a thought occurred to me: what if a prospective employer does a background check? They won’t find record of a “Jasmine Married Name” at any of my previous schools or jobs. I finally decided to add “formerly Jasmine Maiden Name” to my resume, so hopefully that solves that problem. But it’s still confusing for work matters where I started a case with one name, but will now go by another name.
For those of you that changed your name, how did you connect your maiden name and married name in your professional life?
By the time our honeymoon in July rolled around, Mr. J and I were exhausted. We’d gotten through our wedding, plus a second reception. We’d also attended two out-of-state weddings and I finished moving into Mr. J’s place. We were SO ready for some rest and relaxation and luckily for us, Hawaii was just the place for that.
Here are some highlights from our vacation:
Kauai Highlights:
Captain Andy’s Tour:
Sailing along the Napali Coast in a beautiful catamaran was definitely one of the high points of our trip. While the water was sometimes choppy, the views were absolutely incredible. I also had the opportunity to snorkel for the first time—although I was kind of a wuss about it. They also served an incredible dinner, and we met some really fun people (and fellow honeymooners!).
Now that I share a shower with Mr. Jasmine, he’s become privy to my dirty little secret: an unhealthy obsession with beauty and bath products. Our shower stall overflows with shampoo, conditioner, various scented body washes, scrubs, etc. But I have to admit that despite the frightening collection of bath products, I loyally stick to Product Body every time I get in the shower. I’ve posted about my obsession with Product Body before and months later, I’m still a happy devotee. The “champagne Crush on You” scrubbed my skin into glowy submission before the wedding and honeymoon. Months later, I’m still thrilled with its satisfying consistency, dreamy scent, and unbelievable softening properties.
Read more…
Hello Bee readers! I want to apologize for the temporary lull in the “Jasmine Wedding Story“. Mr. Jasmine and I are off on a big trip tomorrow:
Read more…
Previously in this series:
A Jasmine Wedding Story: A Reception to Remember, Part One
A Jasmine Wedding Story: Cocktail Hour
A Jasmine Wedding Story: We Do
A Jasmine Wedding Story: Beauty and the Bride
A Jasmine Wedding Story: The Mehndi
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Dancing works up an appetite, so after a couple hours, our wedding guests were ready for a sweet treat. Enter a delightful confection courtesy of For the Love of Sugar. Our red velvet wedding cake was charming and delicious — did I mention Mr. J and I already ate the top tier!?!
I’m interrupting the Jasmine Wedding Story to ask the Hive for some help. Mr. Jasmine and I want to order one large wedding print to frame and hang in our home. We might order several smaller prints, but we want one large one to baby (custom frame, mat, and hang in a place of honor). But we can’t decide which one to order! We’ve narrowed it down to these– which one would you choose?
Number One: The Nuzzle
Previously in this series:
A Jasmine Wedding Story: Cocktail Hour
A Jasmine Wedding Story: We Do
A Jasmine Wedding Story: Beauty and the Bride
A Jasmine Wedding Story: The Mehndi
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Mr. J and I lined up outside the ballroom doors for our grand entrance. My heart beating wildly, I was still feeling a little overwhelmed from our rushed cocktail hour. I took slow, deep breaths as Mr. J’s parents, my parents, and then our brothers were announced to the joyful applause of our guests.
Finally, it was our turn. As our DJ spun a pumped-up remix of U2’s Beautiful Day, Mr. J and I burst through the ballroom doors to thunderous applause and ecstatic yells from family and friends.
Previously in this series:
A Jasmine Wedding Story: We Do
A Jasmine Wedding Story: Beauty and the Bride
A Jasmine Wedding Story: The Mehndi
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**
For what felt like the first time in years, I exhaled deeply. The ceremony was a blur of nerves and anxiety; I couldn’t help feeling relieved that it was over. I was finally Mrs. Jasmine and as I looked gleefully into Mr. J’s eyes, I knew that the best was yet to come.
Mrs. Jasmine
Mrs. Jasmine, Chicago/LA
Age and Occupation: 25, Attorney
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Attorney
Engagement Date: March 24, 2007
Wedding Date: June 7, 2008
Blogging Since: September 20, 2007
Venue: Hotel on the westside of Los Angeles
About Me: I'm a happy-go-lucky, imaginative spirit trapped in the body of a lawyer. I love reading, shopping, dining out, and exploring my beloved adopted city of Chicago with my fiance. We're planning the wedding of our dreams in my hometown of Los Angeles and we're excited to incorporate our cherished Indian/Pakistani customs and traditions.
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