Our Wedding Day

In honor of our 2 month wedding anniversary (and before I forget), Id like to share the behind-the scene details of our wedding. This may be a long one... Enjoy!

Night Before:
We attempted to have a rehearsal at Space 301 the night before the wedding, but Im not so sure we actually rehearsed. We spent much more time trying to decorate the little house structure in the middle of the gallery.

After said "rehearsal" we headed to Bike Shop. The Bike Shop was the PERFECT place for our rehearsal dinner. It was super casual, and the food and drinks are incredible.

We had a four course dinner: Chips, Guac & Salsa to start, a delicious Mexican-style salad, an entree of Chicken Empandas, Fish Tacos & a beef burrito, and to finish- the most delicious mousse Ive ever had. It was "chocolate chili mousse." Yummm!
Plus the margaritas were phenomenal. It was a perfect evening.

Morning of:
I was so excited I woke up at around 6. I tried to lay in bed and be quiet until 7, but that didnt happen. I finally just got up, got a shower, and ordered room service. ((We were staying at the Battle House)).
After Chris got a shower, and we had breakfast, I gathered all of my stuff and headed to get my hair done.
Pam, at Image Salon, did a great job! She started my morning off with some wine & a great hair do. I love my Pammie. I was so calm, nothing bothered me the morning of my wedding.

Lunch time:
Around lunch time, my bridesmaids/man, my grandmothers, and my mom all gathered at the Portier House to have some lunch, and start getting dressed before the photographer arrived. Well, we were all supposed to anyway. William was such a sweet heart & he skipped lunch to finish setting up the wedding space.

Let the Count Down begin:

Melinda Mercer (photographer) arrived right at 2:00 to start photos. WE TOOK SO MANY. Getting in the dress,

my garter, rings, vows, letter, shoes, and every other small detail.

I know I will be so glad I have those to look back on one day. Melinda is amazing. & So is her husband, David. They are an incredible pair.

After my bridal portraits, and photos with my bridesmaids/man,

I was so ready to see Chris... and he was OVER AN HOUR LATE. So I was getting really grouchy. When he finally called and said, Im outside, the real fun of the day started.

There are simply no words to describe the emotions I had when I saw Chris for the first time. I wanted to be mad that he was late, but I was so OVER JOYED, and anxious, and overwhelmed with love. It was one of my favorite moments of my life. It went something like this...

Chris called and said he was outside. A few people rushed to the windows to cover them, and make sure I didnt get a peak.

Lauren ran outside to see Chris. She wanted a front row seat. & When the door opened for me to go outside, I was so SO excited! I could see Lauren from the reflection in the mirror, and she had the BIGGEST smile on her face. I practically ran outside- with the silliest grin on my face- and straight into Chris's arms.

We both cried. And cried. And Kissed. And cried. And hugged. I finally started laughing, and Chris just kept crying. It was the sweetest moment probably ever. I wanted to just hug him and never let go. I was SO happy.
From there we took 10,000 more pictures. With each other, with the bridal party, with our families, in the ambulance. Everything.

Speaking of ambulance- that was one of my favorite details of the day. I requested our "get away car" to be the 1953 Pontiac Ambulance that Chris's uncle restored. I thought it was beautiful & special to have.

An hour before:
About an hour before the wedding, Chris's sister, Debbie, offered to let me wear their mothers pearls. Oh Dear God. I was such a mess. Throughout the whole wedding planning process, every time we talked about Anne, he cried, I cried, we both cried. I know Chris wanted his mother to see him on his wedding day. And it was so special for me to have something of hers on our wedding day.

After that, Chris and I separated so we could still have a special moment walking down the aisle. I waited & waited. And asked about 1000 times "What time is it?" "How many minutes do I have left?" "OH MY GOD DO WE ONLY HAVE 5 MORE MINUTES?"
About 20 minutes before walking down the aisle, I started to FREAK OUT. All of my nerves from the past year and a half decided to come out at that moment. I walked in circles. I sat down. Stood up. Drank some water. Had to pee a bunch of times in my large dress. I was nervous, but I was ready.

Walking down the aisle:
Walking down the aisle was another favorite moment of the day. After everyone left Portier House, it was just my dad and me. And I was in full on freak out mode. As soon as we hit the steps of Portier House, Dad and I had this conversation:
Dad: I love you baby
Me: I love you too, Dad. I think Im going to cry. FOR REAL DAD IM ABOUT TO CRY. OH GOD IM GOING TO CRY
Dad: Its okay, baby, you can cry.
And then I cried all the way to Space 301. I wasnt sad, I was just experiencing every emotion imaginable at once. Overwhelmed is the best word I have.

But once I entered Space 301, I took a big deep breath, and walked down the aisle.

Prior to that, I had never had an experience where I literally saw only one person in a room full of people. It happened on my wedding day. I saw Chris, and focused on him, and we could have been the only two people in the whole world.

The Ceremony:
Chris and I were so beyond blessed to have my grandfather preform our ceremony. He did such an exceptional job. He talked about marriage, and the commitment it entails. He talked about love, and how it never fails. He even talked about what happens "When A Man Loves A Woman".

When it came time for our vows (which you can find HERE if you missed them) I was shaking. I was so excited to hear Chris's vows, and so nervous to say mine. I was so scared that mine wouldnt be as good as his. Fortunately for both of us, the vows were so beautiful. It was the highlight of the day.

After vows we exchanged rings, and put letters in our wine box to open in 10 years. We were pronounced Husband & Wife!, had our first kiss, and got ready to party.

Reception:
We entered our GORGEOUS reception space, and went straight in to our first dance- "Crazy Love"- Michael Buble. After dancing, we grabbed a small bite to eat, and mingled with our guests. This was really our first opportunity to see who was there, and chit chat a little.

After everyone got something to eat, and got a few drinks, it was time to cut the cake. And Oh my gosh, not only was our cake beautiful, but it tasted good too!

Then it was time for the toasts. My dad talked about how lucky our family is to have Chris, and how I'll always be his little girl. (I cried). Suzanne told the story of how Chris and I met. (I cried, agian). And Justin gave such a touching speech that ended with "I hope today, your wedding day, is the day that you two love each other the least" (And I REALLY cried).
Right after toasts, Dad and I danced to Steven Curtis Chapman's Cinderella. There was more crying. From me, and Dad. And Mom. And Chris. And Im pretty sure anyone else who listened to the song probably cried too.

Chris threw the garter, I threw my bouquet. We played the 'shoe game'. And we danced and drank and danced some more. And before I knew it, it was time to leave.

And by the time we were leaving, I was kind of tipsy. So I recruited everyone to go to The Bar.

We literally left our wedding in an ambulance, and got dropped of at The Bar. Perfect.

After the wedding:

We went to The Bar with a bunch of people. But I couldnt tell you who. We had a really good time, from what I understand. I think we only stayed a few minutes. When I started to read the Lagniappe in The Bar, it was time to head back to the hotel.

Our wedding was so perfect. I loved every minute of our special day. But as much as I loved our wedding day, I love our marriage more.  I am so lucky to have Chris as my husband! And these past two months have been incredible. Our love is growing stronger every day.

Honeymoonin': Part 2: Punta Cana, Dominican Repbulic

So our first 5 days in Cabarete were AMAZING. & Action filled. The last 5 days we relaxed on the beautiful beaches of Punta Cana & recovered from all of the billion things we've had going on these last few months.

Day 6:
We drug ourselves out of bed, had breakfast & got in the car to start our what-I-thought-would be 5 hour journey to Punta Cana.
The first 3 hours were easy. Chris read, I journaled, and napped. I also spent an obscene amount of time staring out the window debating on if it was beautiful because of the beaches & mountains or sad because of the rampant poverty.
Anyway. About half way there, we went through *another* toll with scary looking men with machine guns & as soon as we were on the other side, our driver pulled over, told us to get out & we switched cabs with some other random couple. Hmmm. Thankfully this wasn't the first time that this happened to us, so I was a little prepared.

Taxi-man numero dos offered to stop somewhere so we could eat. YES. He stopped at a weird gas station/cafeteria place. Whatevs. We ate. It was on the water, & the view was nice.

A bunch of hours later when I was getting restless, I also started to get car sick. I was really close to vomiting in the van. Maybe I shouldnt have eaten at the gas station....

But, we finally arrived at the Hard Rock. Our check in was WONDERFUL. It only took a few minutes, and we were served drinks within 5 minutes of walking in the door. Outstanding front desk service.

& when Chris asked if there were any upgrades to the concierge level rooms the man said

"I cannot upgrade you to the concierge level. But. I will put you in a presidential suite." WHAT. PARTY AT OUR ROOM. I was excited then, but I was REALLY excited when I saw our room!!!

& this was the view from our balcony!

After I took in every bit of our room, we took a walk around the property to check out the beach & find some dinner.

That night we ate at a Brazilian Steakhouse. Yum.

Day 7:

Tuesday we woke up early and hit the pool... and beach... and bar...

After a few hours of sun, we showered & headed to the spa. I loved loved loved my pre-massage experience. Steam room. Sauna. Weird Shower. Ice Room. Mud Room. Shower. Snacks. Then massage. It was perfect. & Chris made a lady friend named Awilda. Uh-wil-DUH. Ask him about her.

& when we made it back to the room, they had us a honeymoon cake & champagne waiting. Holllla.

After more showers & getting ready, we attempted to go to a hibachi dinner. I say attempted because we showed up at 8, and they wouldnt put us on a waiting list because "they close at 10." Well, lady. You dont know who youre dealing with. After I threw a little pity party, we walked across the street to the Italian place. It was fine. We ate veal. & drank a bottle of wine.

Day 8:

Ohhh day 8. What a bitter sweet day.

Chris & I got up EARLY to go to the Eden pool. I really really wanted to snag one of those fancy little swinging beds... So we did. & when the bar opened at 10 am, I was first in line. Caipirinahs will be the death of me.

By noon I was passed out in the swinging bed. Chris woke me up to eat, I napped some more, and then we hung out in the pool all day. & since we didnt have any small bills & noone would give us change, the bartenders were like our bffs.

I stopped drinking after lunch, because I was so hammered that I could ride out the rest of the day with no problem. Chris however.... lets just say by 5:00 we had to get out of the pool because I was scared he would drown.

I promised some other honeymooning couple that we would meet them for hibachi at 6:30.... we barely made it...

So we start eating our sushi app, and it was delicious. & then someone asked "Does anybody want mine?" OH YES. US. DRUNKS IN THE CORNER!! RIGHT HERE.

We made it through dinner, found our way back to our room & called it a night.... Or so I thought.

20 minutes later, I started to feel realllllly bad. I was pacing around & sweating. About the time I yelled loud enough for Chris to wake up, I was vomiting everywhere.

I though I would feel better afterwards, and then I could go back to sleep... I was wrong. GOD I WAS WRONG. I threw up every few minutes for the next 5 hours. Sushi was probably a bad idea.

Chris was so sweet though, he made me us a pallet on the floor so we could sleep next to the potty. Around 3:30-4:00 we were able to go back to bed. Ughh. It was a long night

Day 9:

6:50AM: *RING RING RING RING* "Excuse me, sir, your honeymooners breakfast-in-bed is being delivered" *CLICK*

7:00AM: *BANG BANG BANG BANG* *!#$%

I finally dragged myself out of bed and made it to the table ((liars- they said it would be in bed... they were probably repulsed by the smell of our room and threw it down at the closest available spot)).

Breakfast was salmon & cream cheese bagels, an egg, bacon & ham omelet, fruit, bread, juice & champagne.

Normally, Id be like YEAHFOOD! But I mostly just pushed my food around & tried not to puke anymore.

I went back to sleep until lunchtime & then we headed to the beach.

That evening we had our honeymooners dinner. It was okay. The shrimp were good. I almost punched the waiter when he asked Chris how I wanted MY steak cooked. Excuse me, but I can order for myself. I am not a child.

Day 10:

Our last day in Punta Cana we decided to go on a snorkle/party boat. It was pretty much awful. But we made the best of it. We got to meet a few other couples who were also making the best of it. & a few people who had clearly never been on a boat and or see a fish.

We also met some people FROM MOBILE. & it was some crazy ass story about it being the girls wedding day & calling off the wedding & still going on her honeymoon & "Mami" was beyond toasted. But no matter how hard I try to relay the story, it will never be funny to anyone who wasnt there.

We did end up partying with them that night though.

Day 11:

Saturday we spent the whole day traveling home. We had a super long layover in Miami, but it was all good. We were both ready to be home & see Mobley!!

Punta Cana was great, but I have to say, I enjoyed Cabarete more. Our resort was very, very nice, but we didnt get to see any of the "real Dominican Republic" there.

Although, I DID enjoy the all-inclusive part of it.

I think we had a perfect honeymoon. I know we will cherish these memories forever. :)

Paradise: Take 1: Cabarete, Dominican Republic

Our honeymoon was the most amazing experience of my life. We stayed in beautiful resorts & ate (mostly) great food. We were able to do things I never imagined I would do in my life, but the best part was hearing Chris call me his "beautiful wife". It was a dream come true.
I've already shared some of my photos, but Id like to share some of our favorite moments, and stories.

Day 1: Getting There
On the first day of our adventure, we flew from Pensacola to Miami to Puerto Plata. & We arrived early enough to enjoy our first day.... Except that American Airlines lost Chris's luggage... I was SO PISSED OFF. It wasnt the best start, but what can you do? I eventually said Screw It. & we headed to our hotel.

As we drove down the streets of Cabarete, I was nervous terrified. I kept thinking, What the hell did I get myself into? It was an extremely poor area, with children/people running around barely clothed and many didnt have shoes. A few times, people approached our car trying to sell us whatever they had collected on the beach, or some fruit.

But when we turned into our hotel, I was amazed. It was beautiful. At first, I was relieved, then immediately I felt like I needed to adopt some babies. I stopped worrying about the luggage...

The first night we watched the sunset, and had drinks at the beach bar. Perfect ending to our first day!

Day 2: Exploring Cabarete
We had nothing planned for day 2, so we hung out by the pool & ate breakfast at the beach bar.

After a few hours of enjoying the pool, we decided to take a walk on the beach. I loved watching the kite boarders & wind surfers! On our way back to the hotel, we decided to stop somewhere to grab a bite to eat. & When I saw a giant sign that said ceviche, I was in!

Lunch was delicious! & the owner of Cabaha, John, was so pleasant to chat with while we were eating. & I when I mentioned I wanted to try Stand Up Paddle boarding, John offered to take us himself!

SUP was easier than I thought it would be, but was super difficult to paddle over those damn Lilly pads. :)
When we got back in from our paddle, they had organic snacks waiting for us- coconut water, sugar cane, fruits, and sun baked almonds.

When we returned from our SUP trip, we found that they AA had delivered our luggage!

Day 3: White Water Rafting
At 6:30 AM we were picked up for a 2+ hour drive into the mountains of Jarabacoa to white water raft.
It was such a great experience. I'd never been WWR before & I thought FOR SURE that we were going head first into a boulder more than once. But it was exhilarating. I loved the class IV rapids. FUN.

That evening, we had an AMAZING dinner at a placed called Bliss. & we passed out early. WWR was exhausting.

Day 4: Hiking & Zip lining
At 8:30, we went on a hike through El Choco National Park. We went into several caves, including one that our guide had NEVER BEEN IN BEFORE that we were lead to by some local man living in the park. Not joking. Probably one of the worst ideas we had. But the hike was okay...we survived.

After the hike, our guide took us to an AUTHENTIC Cabarete place to eat. It would be a giant stretch to call it a restaurant. It was a small, open air place on the side of one of the poorest streets, where they were serving food cafeteria style. The 3 of us got more food than we could finish for less the $4 per person. It was quite the experience. I wish I had photos, but i didnt want to be rude.

When we finished lunch, we headed to Monkey Jungle. BEST EXPERIENCE EVER. I LOVED THE MONKEYS. They didnt like to be pet, but they loved to jump all over you and play in your hair. I need a monkey.

Ziplining was fun too. But I couldnt get past the monkeys, really.

After zip lining, we went back to Cabaha for dinner. That ceviche, and those fish tacos were too good not to eat twice.

Day 5: Canyoning Supremacy/Big Bastard/Hardest thing Ive ever done in my life

A few minutes after 8, we were picked up by our guide, Alejandro, to head to start our waterfall tour. We suited up in wetsuits, life jackets, harnesses, and helmets & began our tour.

It was crazy, intense, gorgeous, difficult, exhausting, insane, and just amazing. Our highest jump was almost 60 feet. INSANE.

But the craziest part of our tour was the hike out. Literally the hardest thing Ive ever done in my life. It was almost vertical. We may as well have been rock climbing. I knew that eventually id have a donkey to carry me out the rest of the way, but making it 30 minutes to the donkeys was nearly impossible. At one point I offered to sell my body for a donkey. I was joking., but it was actually that bad.
I know they fed us after we made it back to base camp, but after we got back to the hotel, i was ready to eat again.

After we ate, we kind of half ass packed our things up & got ready for part 2 of our honeymoon!

Overall, Cabarete was an INCREDIBLE experience. I am so glad we got to see some of the real Dominican. It made me so grateful for all of the things we have.

Our Vows

Our wedding day was the most beautiful, wonderful, amazing day of my life! & the only problem I heard about was that a few people sitting towards the left, couldnt hear our vows.
Chris & I wrote our own vows, and didnt know anything about the others until we heard them, for the first time, at the ceremony.
 & Since we both spent so much time, and Chris's vows were so moving, I wanted to share them, again.

Chris's vows:

Whitney Nicole,

When I first met you, I had no clue what I was getting into. 

I couldnt take my eyes off of you. 

You are the most amazing person I've ever met, and youve changed my life.

You are the perfect combination of love, kindness, strength and beauty. 

You've filled voids in my heart that I didnt know existed, and everyday, you make me want to be a better man. 

I promise to always be open minded and understanding. 

I promise to try to be on time... for most things 

I promise to make you feel special everyday and to hold you above all others. 

I promise to always be by your side through anything we may face. 

I will be forever yours.

My vows:

Chris, 

From the moment I met you, youve been my partner. 

In the past 4 1/2 years, youve supported me, believed in me, and loved me. You've made me your equal in all things. 

Because of you my heart is so full, and as we stand before our family and friends today, I pledge to you all of my hearts love. 

I promise to never forget this moment. 

I promise to encourage you and to fortify your dreams. 

When times are hard, or we are faced with a difficult decision in life, I promise to remember that Love is Stronger Than Fear.  

There is nothing that we cannot accomplish together. 

I promise to be a true & loyal friend to you. 

And above all other things, I promise to try everyday to be worthy of your love.  

Today, and everyday, these are my vows to you.

Lately// Wedding Drama.

So I havent posted in WEEKS. But it hasnt been for lack of things going on in our lives. Its been so busy I've barely had time to think/study/function much less blog. Heres a little glimpse of what's been going on.

My first shower!

Kickball:

*By the way, in the game pictured above, I was the MVP. First time ever. It was a special moment. haha

Celebrated Social Work Month!

Had an AMAZING Craw fish boil!

Mobley went boating & kayaking

Finally picked a first dance song...

...well we've narrowed it down to two... "Crazy Love" or "Everything"  both by Michael Buble.

Booked our rehearsal dinner...

BIKE SHOP here we come!!! Seriously, what could be more perfect for Chris & I? Thats like OUR spot!

Planned our whole honeymoon!

...Check out our wedding website, here, for details!

Booked my bachelorette party!3 days & 2 nights at Three Gables cabin over looking Little River Canyon! I am SO EXCITED to go on this little get-away with some of my best friends.

& lastly, we got a preview of the art that will be displayed at Space 301 during the wedding...

I thought it was going to be the Holocaust. It was not. Thank God. But it wasnt much better... At all. i mean its the second worst thing I can think of. (Holocaust being the first.) ITS THE F***ING KKK! NOT JOKING.

This particular piece takes up one whole wall...

I stressed about it all day yesterday. I mean, Im not going to have a fucking KKK rally wedding. We havent quite decided what to do, yet. But we are either going to have to pay to have it taken down $$, or have it covered $$$. Or move the wedding $$$$. Mom has suggested Cathedral Square. But we've already sent out invitations. So stay tuned. If you show up at the wedding and theres a note on the door- you know whats up.
If anybody has any suggestions other than me FREAKING OUT on the people at Space 301, Id love to hear them. Im at a loss.
I know at the end of the day all that matters is that Chris & I are husband and wife. & while that is so true & I keep reminding myself of it, I also cant help stress the art. Our wedding is a CELEBRATION of our LOVE. KKK should never be celebrated. All I can think about when I see that painting is hate, racism & closed mindedness. Not the ideal setting for our wedding.
SHIIIITTTTT. </end rant>

Fired Up! - For Students with Disabilities

Last Tuesday I walked into my 11:00 class, unpacked my things and got ready for class. Then my professor walks in, directs us not to unpack and to "gather our things for a fire drill". Fantastic. Right after 11:00, the alarm bells rang, and the both 3-story Humanities buildings were evacuated.
I don't know why, or how I noticed it, but as we were being pushed a "safe distance" away from the building, I looked around and saw an absence of handicapped students. On a regular basis, I see 3 familiar faces in wheelchairs, and even more that require the use of walkers and personal aids. I also frequently see 2 blind men on campus. Im sure there are many, many more, but these are just the ones I see for the brief 2 hours I am on campus 4 days a week. 
When we reentered the classroom, this horrifying discussion took place.

Me: What happens if a student in a wheel chair is on the second or third floor during a fire?
Dr. D: You dont want to know the plan for disabled students.
Me: ... Okay?
Dr. D: The plan is to get everyone else out of the building, and then it becomes the professors responsibility to get the disabled students into the stairwell, and leave them there.
Me/Everyone else: LEAVE THEM? WTF?! This is BULLSHIT.
Dr. D: Well, if it was a real fire, then I would get some of you to assist your fellow classmates out of the building, but I would get in trouble for it and the school would probably get fined.

After hearing this, I couldn't pay attention for the rest of the class. & Its been on my mind for a week now. Usually when I hear something that really rattles me to the core, I get super upset about it, and then I let it slowly escape from my mind. But for some reason, this is really sticking with me. I feel like I need to do something to fix it. So, in the past week, I have read the full 30 page fire plan for South Alabama, read the entire 'services for disabled students' web page & researched other universities fire plans. & I don't have any answers but I do have some ideas and some facts I want to share.

Facts about the fire plan:
1. South Alabama's fire plan is to evacuated all* students, faculty & staff to at least 500 feet from the building. The exception to this rule is if you have a disability. Then the plan is to leave them in the stairwell until "help" can arrive.
2. It is suggested that blind people carry a whistle at all times & blow the whistle to acquire help. Deaf students should be notified to "calmly evacuate". The only instructions given to non-ambulatory students is to "not block the stairwell" and move to a place of refuge, and "call for help until help arrives"
3. The only responsibility placed on other students, faculty and staff is to notify the police/firemen that someone is trapped inside.

Facts about Disabled Student Services:
1. The rights of a disabled student at South Alabama includes "receiving assistance from the Disability Services office in removing any physical, academic, or attitudinal barriers", and "receiving reasonable accommodations that provide provide equal opportunity" among others.
2. A goal of the DSS is to ""be sensitive to the individual personalities of students, whether it be in communicating their needs or an attempt to maintain dignity with a very difficult issue.


Okay, so what does all that mean? It means that even though there is a service at South Alabama dedicated to Disabled Students, that they are still be discriminated against in the worst way. Disabled Student Services is able to provided "extended testing time" for students with ADD/ADHD, but they cant find a way to evacuate non-ambulatory students in a FIRE?! & while the stairwell may be the safest place inside, I am 100% sure that OUTSIDE a burning building is safer than ANYWHERE inside a burning building.

Plus, while firefighters are trained, we are forcing them to put themselves at a much greater risk. & imagine this horrifying scenario. The building is burning, and there are 4 people trapped inside. You have 2 firemen doing a sweep through the building to make sure no one is inside, and they find 4 people. Who do they take first? Who gets the better chance of surviving? Because sure, the firemen can probably get one/two people down 3 flights of stairs. But what about the others? What if it is too dangerous to go back inside? Do you send the firemen again and risk all of their lives? Do you LEAVE students there? I dont know. You tell me. What do you do?

My only idea is to gather support from my fellow students and demand a change be made. My only reasonable idea is to demand that students with physical disabilities have their classes taught on the first floor if requested.

I dont know the answer. I just know a change needs to be made & I would be interested in hearing your ideas if you have any.

Call me crazy; call my naive; hell, call me liberal. But if there is ever a time in your life that you need support, I hope someone will fight for you and stand up for you and your rights.