conscious wedding planning + our love story by meghan | 11/03/2022
One year until our wedding.
Every step of this journey has been magical. I always wondered what it would be like to plan my wedding. We are so blessed with the family + friends that surround us.
Ryan and I met in gym class, playing volleyball. I added Ryan (an upperclassman) on MySpace and we started “talking” on AIM (AOL instant messenger.. what we used before the world of unlimited texting + snapchat).
Our first hangout my Mom had to meet Ryan's Mom. LOL. I brought Ryan homemade chocolate chip cookies + we played Mario Kart. Our first date "out" was Applebee's -- classic 2 for $20 deal. Homecomings, proms, high school musicals, college hockey games, treks between Rowan and Rider.. and then South Jersey + Harlem before moving in together in Weehawken, NJ in 2019.
God has granted us the unique blessing of growing up together. Nurturing one another through each and every season of life. Thirteen years with my lovebug. A privilege to love one another every day.
We picked our venue in Moorestown, NJ last October - three months after our intimate engagement in Weehawken, NJ.
Ryan drove Asher + I to our favorite coffee shop, @cityofsaintscoffee on July 17, 2021 at sunrise. We parked at our favorite spot on the north end by the water and Ryan surprised me with the question + ring of my dreams. I was in my workout clothes - no makeup, naked nails, dog mom book bag, and all. Not a soul around. Just us, Asher and the sun sparkling on the Hudson. It was absolutely perfect.
We strolled along the water towards Hoboken - making out on park benches like we were 17 again. Snagged our favorite bagels from @obagel_family and showed Asher our old stomping grounds.
We kept our engagement a secret for a day and spent the weekend gardening + decorating our new home in Florence, NJ.
In September we went back to our spot for @kayellephotos to capture our engagement photos and my parents hosted an intimate engagement party in their backyard where we were blessed by the presence and love of our close family + friends (photos by @shilohgracephotography).
We have been one and done with so much of our wedding planning process and I know it is because God already has it perfectly orchestrated. The process has been easeful, fun, and focused solely on our vision + love.
I honestly believe my limits with screen time have been a blessing**. So much of the wedding industry has exploded due to demands, pressures, and false realities created + presented on social media. I made the conscious decision to mute and unfollow wedding-related content online. I want to trust in my gut and intuition to lead and guide the day - not the algorithm or the SJ bride's Facebook page.
We are so honored to be working with top vendors in the tri-state area - most connected directly through our family + friends. Here’s what we have thoughtfully selected so far in the process:
venue, caterer, photographer, band, florist, hair & makeup, dress shop + tux shop.
Cheers to the next 365 days of prepping, planning + praying for God to continue to bless our love and our families. Follow along on our instagram stories to see more behind the screens of the planning process.
Be well, Meghan
** Recovering from a concussion that impacted my vision causing extreme sensitivity to motion + light which limits screen time and activity for me.**
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