Proofs

I think it's safe to say that I can reveal our save the dates.

Besides the fact that it appears as though I'm missing a thumb, I adore them.

I was flattered when my mom called to tell me her girlfriend mistook it as a magazine promotional, setting it aside for hours.

A fun sartorial fact: Colin Meloy of The Decemberists and Adam own the same shirt! Scroll to the bottom of this page to check it out.

Our original plan was to be budget-conscious and save on postage by sending postcard save the dates. Those 16-cents really add up, ya know...

I must admit that I was so excited to buy postage and get this train rolling, that it wasn't until I was in the post office parking lot that I realized I had bought 44-cent stamps.

Hmph.

The post office does not offer cash back. Therefore, while I was able to exchange most of the booklets for smiley-faced polar bear postcard stamps, I still came home having spent the same amount of money.

Fail.

Oh well,
BTB

P.S. - Again, kudos to Wedding Paper Divas. I highly recommend them.

Outtakes

I've decided to share a few outtakes from our impromptu save the date session with my bestie Sara-- only because it's Monday AND a snow day AND the best day ever.

This all came about while visiting Virginia over Thanksgiving. After running around D.C. eating giant pizza and ogling over Anthropologie jewelry (sorry, Adam), we decided to take a few photos in Sara's neighborhood.

I stepped in dog poop 5 minutes later. Of course.

Here's my initial reaction. Sara was laughing so hard she couldn't focus the camera.

I tried to brush it off (literally & figuratively) and still look charming. However, Adam had a harder time masking his disgust.

Adam got me back for dragging him around Anthropologie and swinging my poo-covered feet in his face.

Whether it be the smell or my bashfulness, I couldn't keep a straight face during the serious photos. Luckily, Adam had his Blue Steel down!

Once the save the dates hit doorsteps, I'll post some more of our favorite photos!

-BTB

You've Got Mail

Hi. It's been a while, I know.

I'm disappointed in how little I blogged over the holidays. It was a restful time with more than enough space to jot down a few happenings/feelings, however, I felt as though it would still interrupt my (last single) Christmas.

Luckily, I have something that will hold me accountable to writing in the new year!

Pictured above are our sweet little save the dates. Pictured behind the save the dates is an all important mailbox.

It's true, Adam and I mailed our save the dates yesterday! The implications are huge:

1. We're getting married
2. We finalized the guest list (!!!!)
3. We have faith in the United States Postal Service

With plenty of blood, sweat and tears poured into those little guys, I was about to hand deliver every single one of them. I was sad and jittery to see them disappear into a cold, rusty mailbox. But I must trust that they will arrive safely at your cozy homes in the coming days.

And when they do, they will direct our guests to this very blog.

So, friends, I must keep writing. For you, for me and for the sake of July 16, 2011.

Type, type, type,

BTB

P.S. - In the moment, it was Adam's idea to take a picture as we mailed the save the dates. How cute is that? As a news photographer, Adam's great at spotting the defining moments while I tend to roll right through them. I'm thankful for his perspective!

Pin It!

I am forever indebted to my dear engaged friend Amelia.

She introduced me to the fabulous Pinterest, and it's a bride's dream. I will sing its praises from the hilltops (and down the aisle).

Pinterest acts as a virtual & personal bulletin board as you browse the internet. When you find inspiration bits, you "pin" them to boards you've dedicated to encompass your vision - tablescapes, flowers, attire, etc.

As a life-long, die-hard collage enthusiast, this is an absolutely beautiful & utilitarian gift.

No more emailing myself links and filing them under "Brimer Wedding."

But this is not just a gift to brides - it's incredible for anyone who wishes to keep a visual library. Check it out, request an invite and wait anxiously for its arrival.

Happy Holidays,
BTB

Newsies

I apologize for the delay. A week or so ago I mentioned that Adam and I combined forces to create something for the wedding. Well, here is it... hot off the press!

We submitted our love story to Smitten Photography's 4th annual LOVEstory contest with the hope of winning a wedding photography package from one of our favorite photographers with Knoxville roots.

The parameters of the competition allowed us to be creative, and so we gave it our best shot.

Drawing on our newspaper roots, I wrote an article to tell our (well, more so my side of) our story while designing a front page to truly illustrate it. Adam did a fantastic job making the spread, as well as his photos, look old and wrinkled.

(I'm working to figure out how to post the full size .pdf so you can actually read the text... until then, the copy is at the bottom of this post)

Sadly, we didn't make the final cut, but it was such a fun project for Adam and I to share as a newly engaged couple and as a writing/photography team that we're thankful to have entered.

Please visit Smitten Photograhy's website on Sunday, Dec. 5 to vote for the lucky couple who will win a dream photography package!

TGIF,
BTB

P.S. For my newspaper friends, we were REQUIRED to keep it within 8.5" x 11"

----

by Bride-to-Be

Hot off the Market
Knoxville photographer and Virginia writer set deadline for wedding

I fell in love with Adam in a beauty salon.

To clarify, I was not daydreaming under the dryer or gushing to the stylist over highlights.

Rather, I was running late to a four-hour hair and make-up makeover I was covering for the newspaper.

As I barreled through the salon’s door full of apologies with reporter’s notebook in hand, I was told the contestant was already in the changing room, and invited to take a seat.

I turned around and there he was unpacking his lighting equipment: Adam, the new staff photographer I’d rarely seen in the newsroom.

Little did I know he would be on assignment that day, let alone on my radar.

As I hurriedly took notes on bobs, bangs, and bronzer, I took note of Adam.

He was politely witty; he could carry a conversation about music; he was a pro at the name game. Moreover, he was resoundingly confident n what he was doing. I could smell Jesus on him.

My nerves, frazzled from work anxiety, fell into a peaceful sleep; in their place sprung a bewildering and steadfast attraction to “sweet, calm, generous, funny Adam,” as he was coined in my journal the same night.

“My full range of emotions is exhausting. I don’t even know the kid and I’m positive that I like him,” I wrote. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt like this. It’s like going from zero to 60 without him even in the car.”

And so it began.

While I admit to always chomping at the bit, our story is slow and steady.

We forged a friendship across cubicles and behind cameras, dodging questions from coworkers while concealing our blushing faces over the copy machine.

I learned the true meaning of patience and pursuit as I waited for something that actually wouldn’t begin until I dated someone else and Adam ended a relationship with another.

Our story has proven that when the perfect comes, the partial will pass. When I met Adam, my limited understanding of love began to shed- how it sustains, how it remains, and how it gains in fullness.

I caught a glimpse of something eternal in the salon- something stronger than the ammonia fumes: Love has perfect timing, but adheres to no deadline.