Sam and I are getting hitched! It’s been a long time coming- we have been together for 10 years now. And on July 4th 2018, Sam asked me to marry him!

We knew from day one together that we wanted to be with each other the rest of our lives, and now the time is upon us to exchange our vows. I couldn’t be happier!

We did a photo shoot last fall, and our favorite photo, I like to call “The Advisor”:

Date:

The wedding date we set? June 21st. This date started to hold a lot of weight with me when I finally picked it. It’s the first day of Summer, the longest day of the year, the Summer Solstice. A little pagan? Yes. But check it out… we can celebrate our day on the date, or the solstice each year, or both! It’s the perfect date for a celebrationist like me.

Location:

Growing up, my mom always jokingly stated “You can get married in the back yard!” And from a young age, I always thought, This would be a great location, and I remember telling her so. She would reply, “Oh Erika, you will want to get married somewhere else. Maybe even a destination wedding? I think you should get married somewhere they speak a different language, because you have no idea what you are getting in to.” Haha. That was years ago, and quite a funny memory to me now.

Well, that being said, we started pondering our location.

Our short trip to Vegas this year was partially a scouting trip. We both decided, naw; let’s skip the Vegas deal, and do it local. It will be an easier travel, logistically, for our parents.

Then we thought, why not Bear Lake? It’s a local tourist area with beautiful beachside venues. We scouted around a bit for locations there, but ultimately decided; “Let’s do it in Mom and Dad’s back yard!” The celebration will be held in my parent’s back yard, where I grew up.

We’ve had countless parties over the years staged in the yard, (my parents have even roasted whole pigs!) and now we may be upon the last. Let’s make it a good one.

And of course, we are DIYing this baby. This is a total win-win, because now we have a secondary purpose to helping my parents with their massive yard. A few projects on the list:

• Fix the redwood decking
• Plant flowers
• Seed grass
• Kill weeds

And for the wedding itself:

• Build wedding arch
• Find a caterer
• Pick out flowers
• Send invites
• Pick out cakes
• Figure out seating

We’ve already sent the Save the Dates (just last week) which we created using Sam’s Club’s website. It was super easy, and cheap. They even came with envelopes! It’s such a short notice, I know. The important thing is, Sam and I will be married.

Any tips or insights you can share from your own experience would be greatly appreciated. I’ve never done this before!

With Love, Erika Nora