The Seals are Married!

My husband (!!!) and I are on our Disneyland mini-moon - currently giving our feet a rest - so I thought I'd pop in and say hello! We're spending a few days here at the Grand Californian Hotel before heading down to San Diego for a couple of nights, but I'll fill you in all the mini-moonin' details later ;)

Basically our wedding was absolutely perfect and I cannot wait to get our pro photos back so I can tell you all about it. Everything lived up to (and exceeded) my expectations and it was absolutely the best day of my entire life. I wish I could get married to Mr. Seal every weekend because, hive, we throw one hell of a party. Everyone had a blast.

Anyway, here's a little sneak peek to tide you over:

I'll check back in with you again soon, Mickey is calling our names.

xo,

MRS. Seal

Sealed With a Kiss: The Prelude

Here I sit, the morning of my wedding, amazed that these last two years have flown by so quickly. My lovely bridesmaids are getting their hair and make-up done and I FINALLY feel like it's real...I am getting married to my incredible love...Today. In a whirlwind of planning, crafting and blogging, I've come upon the day that will make me a wife...at last. The past few weeks have been especially busy, but I have sincerely enjoyed every minute of my engagement and am so ready to be married.

To my fellow blogging bees: Thank you for your shoulders to lean upon, your cheers to keep me keepin' on, and your unparalleled ingenuity that never ceases to inspire me. I am so thankful and proud to stand amongst you all and to call you my friends. Truly and honestly.

To the hive: This is going to sound trite, but I promise every word is true–I cannot express what an extreme pleasure it has been sharing this experience with each and every one of you. Over the last 8 months, your comments and stories have made me smile, cry and laugh in the best ways possible. Even now, I daily thank the heavens for bestowing such an amazing opportunity upon me. You all really are the best, and after this big shindig is over, I can't wait to share some recaps :)

To the man of the hour, Mr. Seal: You truly are my better half. Wherein I lack patience, clarity and unfailing compassion, you have an abundance. You are, undoubtedly, the sweetest man I've ever known and I am so lucky to call you mine. Through terrible times and, conversely, suffocating bouts of laughter, you have been there with your warmth, comfort and poise. Today we (finally) become husband and wife and I couldn't be any more ready—I landed me a good one.

As our good friend Katniss Everdeen so aptly said: "What I need to survive is not [...] fire, kindled with rage and hatred. I have plenty of fire myself. What I need is the dandelion in the spring. The bright yellow that means rebirth instead of destruction. The promise that life can go on, no matter how bad our losses. That it can be good again." And only you can give me that, Mr. S.

For always.

See you on the flipside, hive!

-Miss Seal

Just Breathe: Some Welcome Advice From a Wise Cousin

Howdy, Hive! Just your friendly, neighborhood Miss Seal here checking in :) The Mr. and I leave for our hotel in San Francisco tomorrow and the excitement is really building. Family and friends have started arriving from their OOT destinations and the calls are flooding in. I still can't believe I am getting married...the day after tomorrow.

So remember that calm before the "inevitable storm" I spoke of? Well, as it turns out...the storm has yet to hit. I'm still waiting for the crazy to slap me across the face, but I'm hoping it's just not gonna happen. I mean, I did get those two teeth extracted, but with the exception of a bit of soreness and eating more slowly, the swelling is gone and I feel good.

The lovely Miss Ferris Wheel (my date/city/birthday bee twin) even sent me this adorable bouquet on the day of my oral surgery. It definitely put a swollen smile on my face ;)

Anyhow, I'm writing today not so much to update you on my life, but to let you know that you can and will get through wedding planning. You will be thrown obstacles along the way, but some things (particularly your attitude and reactions to such hurdles) can be controlled within reason!

Honestly, this is something I've had to learn...and I really think a lot of this serenity I'm experiencing is owed in part to my cousin Jen. She sent me an amazing e-mail last week and it was everything a bride needs to hear.

Let me share her wisdom with you (hopefully it proves as helpful to some of you as it was to me!):

You are getting down to the the finals days. All the planning, preparation, dreaming, and expectations are about to come to fruition. That is sooo exciting and nerve racking at the same time - nerves, anxiety, pit in the stomach, sleepless nights, all the signs of a bride to be (as I'm sure you've experienced). During that final week, take each day one at a time - make your lists, delegate, and stay calm. The night before, after the rehearsal and after the dinner when you are going over all your to-do lists and making new ones, lay your head down on your pillow, close your eyes and let it all go. What will be, will be. It's as if you are on the edge of a cliff ready to free dive. Take that jump and let everything run off you like water.

There is a choice you have on the morning you wake up. You can be "that bride" - the one who is demanding, take charge, stressed, anxious, and worried that everything is or isn't perfect. OR you can be "the happy bride" - live in the moment. Look at each face as you walk down the aisle, take it all in. Look into the pews at the church as you stand before all your family and friends who love you and take it all in. There WILL be something that goes wrong - let it go. And the things that go wrong will be the things that make your day memorable. 

My flowers weren't as I ordered. As I was waiting to get into my dress they arrived and were NOTHING like I chose. "Oh well." Our wedding planner sent our girls down the aisle before the guys were in front (they were going to meet them at the end of the aisle and walk them onto the stage). "Oh well." My centerpieces at the table weren't like I planned. "Oh well." They were irises. IRISES! I chose hydrangeas. That was a big "oh well." Lol. And the morning of, as my parents were setting up at the reception, we found out our DJ didn't have a tape player, which was what we needed for our father-daughter dance (doing a salsa we had rehearsed for months). Another BIG "oh well." 

You get my point. And to be honest, I don't even remember what our centerpieces were supposed to be, or the exact flower arrangment I had hoped for. All I remember was looking into Justin's eyes, dancing in the midst of bubbles, and being the happiest and luckiest girl in the world.

The moment before the church doors open up - that final moment after all your girls have walked down, and it's just you and your daddy - all you have to do....is just breathe. That's all that's left to do, just breathe. The rest of your day is out of your hands - enjoy it, soak it in. You are the princess that day. A princess and her prince, on the first day of the rest of their lives 


Anyway, just thought I'd pass this along. I'll be back to check-in on Friday for my last post as MISS Seal ;)