Wedding Date on Oct 10, 2018

WEDDING STORY - Despite everything I did leading up to our wedding day to avoid it, I still got one of my debilitating migraines just 3 hours before I was supposed to walk down the aisle. It was extremely upsetting to wonder if the ceremony was even going to happen. I have suffered from migraines since I was 10 y/o & this was my WORST NIGHTMARE coming true! It was over whelming just how much care, kindness, & support, I felt that day... my loved ones were fighting for me! So, after about 3 hours of rest in bed, lots of prayers, & by the grace of God, I was able to will myself out of bed & married my best friend. You see, usually when I get a migraine I am out for the count, so this really does feel like a miracle when I look back at it. I stayed optimistic & tried my best to just enjoy the night surrounded by our closest friends & family, but, if I were to be honest, I really just felt cheated out of my wedding day due to my illness. I was on a lot of medication that day, it made me loopy & out of it. I was really having a hard time accepting what had happened. So, for me, THIS VIDEO IS EVERYTHING! You see, Taylor from Oak & Cypress not only gave me a beautiful video but he gave me my wedding day back! This video allowed me to finally have all the special moments from that day - the video he created allowed me to finally hear our vows, the sweet, thoughtful, words from my husband (Words that I know he spent months trying to perfect!). This video allowed me to see my husband's face when I walked down the aisle, it helped me realize that all of our guests still had a super fun time, & most importantly, this wedding video helped me come to peace with how everything unfolded that day. It reminded me to appreciate the real purpose behind our wedding day - remembering that despite adversity (adversity that will undoubtedly happen throughout life) unconditional love, commitment, & support will always prevail & should be at the center of any successful marriage! FIRST DATE STORY - "So, how long does it take before I can officially call myself a yogi?..."- JP "I hereby deem you official!" - Olivia *an excerpt from our first Tinder conversation. Yep, that's right, we swiped right! We are a "Tinder Match" and our story is my favorite! It was only two days of witty banter back and forth before we went out for our first date on a Wednesday night. We met up at Uncle Julio's, our local Mexican Food joint, for drinks. I was a bit nervous since it was my FIRST EVER in-person Tinder date, while JP, on the other hand, was quite the pro by the time we met up for our date. ;) He immediately knew exactly how to calm my nerves with some silly joke that made him laugh at himself, which, of course, made me smile from the inside. Our conversation was flowing, we spent close to 4 hours together that night, and everything felt super organic. We covered every topic. We talked about our families, our faith, and I even found out about his love for heavy metal music! "I just remember being super excited, but I didn't want to get my hopes up. I called my best friend, Sam, as soon as I got in the car to tell him how great the date went. While I was debriefing him I got a call on the other end, I looked down at my phone and to my surprise it was Olivia..." -JP I had to call him right away to let him know just how much I appreciated our time together, mostly because I remember the two of us lingering at my car in the parking lot. I could tell he was maybe trying for a kiss, but I told myself "I'm not 'that' kind of girl," even though I really did want him to kiss me. I thought I blew it, so I had to make it known that I was interested. Over the phone, we made plans for our second date that following weekend. #Tinderloveisreal ENGAGEMENT STORY- I knew I always wanted to incorporate some element of surprise for the engagement and it went off, with the help of family and friends, better than I ever thought it would! The plan started when my best friend, Sam, and I got together for a brainstorming session over breakfast at Anita's about a month before the proposal. We devised a plan to have a "best friends" day at the winery with Olivia and planned to convince her that Sam needed to be out there for "work", which is why he would have all his camera gear with him. My mission was in full swing, but I still had a lot of work to do. First on the list was to get Liv on board with the story. About a week later, she was coming home from the yoga studio and I had Sam call me right before she opened the door to make it appear like we were having one of typically late night catch-up phone calls. I put him on speaker and, naturally, Olivia jumped right into our conversation and started talking to Sam. After some banter back and forth, Sam casually suggested that we should all hang out soon. He told her that he had to be in our direction for work in about a week or two and that it might be a good opportunity for us to plan a hangout session. Liv happily agreed and didn't think twice. In the background of all of this, I contacted our families to let them know of the plan. I wanted to invite everyone to be there the day of the proposal. I knew it was a far journey for most of her family, but I knew it would be special for us, especially Olivia, to have them there. I also reached out to Olivia's best friend, Shelby, who lives in Australia, to get her approval/thoughts on the plan. While she kept me supported and sane throughout the whole planning process, she also informed me that it was a MUST for Olivia to have her nails painted in time for the proposal. The nails were next on my checklist, and while I had no idea how I would suggest her to get them done, let alone, keep them intact with all the yoga she does, I was able to brainstorm an idea while recruiting some help from my mother. It was the week of the proposal and all the stars aligned. Ironically, the week of the proposal, Liv reached out to my mother to let her know she missed her and that, although we had been super busy, that we haven't forgotten about her, that we loved her very much. This was the golden opportunity for my mother. She suggested that they have a "girls day" and get their nails done (this was a common outing for the two of them so Olivia didn't think twice about it). When they went to their appointment, my mother suggested that Olivia gets the gels because they would last longer, and she did! Fast forward... 10/20/17... it's the day of... I can't eat, I'm nauseous. I can't believe this day is finally here. All week I felt normal, but never anticipated getting as nervous as I am. That morning I was a ball of nerves, cautiously trying to act like it was just another day. It was time to leave and I was panicking about where to hide the ring. It was a hot day, so it would look too suspicious for me to hide it in a jacket. No, it had to be on me, but where? And that's when I decided to hide it in my sock, right side, of course, because I would be getting down on my left knee where I could have easy access to my right leg. The ring box was secure, set, and ready to go as we embarked to the winery. It only amplified my nerves, I felt like there was a bomb strapped to my leg the whole time! Sam was there early to scope the place out. He found a nice spot to post up at overlooking the vineyard. We arrived and met up with Sam, grabbed some drinks and let the conversation flow like it was any other day. After about an hour, I was constantly looking at my watch, and then back up to Sam...we needed to figure out a way to go somewhere secluded and I could tell Sam was getting antsy. I, too, was on pins and needles. And right then, just as I was about to suggest we go explore the vineyard, Olivia inserted herself and said "hey, we should all go walk down there to the pond and check it out" Sam and I looked at each other, and happily agreed! Great idea Liv! We walked down toward the pond and when we got there, Sam whipped out his camera and started "checking the lenses". He asked us to be he's subject and started taking photos. I knew this was it, this was the moment. After a few rounds of posy couple photos, I turned to Liv and told her that we should "reenact our wedding day. Our first look photos", to which she gave me a weird look but obliged. With our back turned to one another, I switched back around, got down on one knee.... after what felt like eternity, she eventually turned back around, feel to the ground, and the rest was kind of a blur, but I did hear her say YES! After a few screams, kisses, and tears, we regrouped ourselves. Liv started to put the pieces together and we slowly retold all the planning that went into this...well, most of the planning because the next surprise was still coming. Shortly after I popped the question, Sam gave the Garza family the green light to come into the winery since they had been waiting for us to finish up. The three of us went to the bar and I suggested that we get some water and drinks to celebrate and relax before calling the families. I strategically walked Olivia over to the side of the bar so that her back was to the door because I knew her family was coming. Olivia then proceeded to tell the bartender that she just got engaged and would like some glasses of wine. As soon as she said that, a familiar voice said, "Excuse me, we are going to need a few more glasses here." It was her Mother. Olivia spun around and, in shock, saw the rest of her family right there, in Virginia! After even more tears and kisses we found a nice spot upstairs where we could spend quality time together. A few hours passed, but the celebration wasn't over. We headed home where we found our main living area transformed into a beautiful party that my parent's put together for us. My brother and sister-in-law also dropped by for the party. we celebrated into the night with support and love of our families surrounding us. It was a memorable day that we will cherish forever, and we are so grateful for all of those that worked so hard to make it so special for us!