Our fabulous photo shoot...part 2

When we were finished shooting at the sponge docks, Mr. Buttons, Chad, and I drove a mile or two down the road to a local park, where we were meeting up with our canine children (come on...those of you who own pets KNOW this is an accurate description...haha). For those of you who aren't familiar with Florida weather; summer is rainy season. Every afternoon, the sky opens up and it rains for a few minutes. Then...poof! It is gone...but the humidity left behind is horrendous. GREAT situation for e-pics, right?

I tried to not let the rain get me down, and quickly hopped into the back seat of Mr. Buttons' car for a wardrobe change!

All photographs are by Chad Pilster, Pilster Photography (here are his blog and website)

Thankfully, Mommy Buttons and FMIL Buttons were waiting with umbrellas! Side note: can't you immediately tell which one is my mommy? We are twins.

Now, it was time for Theo and Lucia to join in on the e-photo fun! For those of you who are wondering, Lucia is an Australian Shepherd, and Theo is a Maltese/Yorkie mix!

It was time for a close up…

And a few sloppy kisses…

Yikes, the bottoms of my shoes look horrendous after walking around in the rain...ignore them!

Mr. Buttons had to mug for the camera…

I love Lucia’s face on this one!

Mr. Buttons and I aren’t the only ones who love each other; our pups couldn’t resist a smooch either!

We found a great tree for me to sit on! And Lucia wanted to steal the spotlight a bit...

Theo was right at home sitting on the tree branch…and we had to get a tooshie shot!

Get me down!!!

Lets take a walk…

Its a bit of a tangle...

The sun decided to come out for the last few minutes of our shoot, and Chad brilliantly took advantage of the reflection in the water!

I was so glad that we were able to incorporate our fur babies in our engagement photos! They were responsible for Mr. Buttons and I meeting; how could we leave them out???

Did you incorporate anyone other than yourself and your fiance in your engagement photos?

Our fabulous photo shoot...part 1

Once we booked our photographer, it was time to schedule an engagement session. Mr. Buttons and I had to plan ours quickly, as we were about to move to Virginia at the time! Our shoot took place in two different locations, which allowed for two different looks (yay!).

To start, Mr. Buttons and I met up with our photographer, Chad Pilster in Tarpon Springs at the sponge docks. It is filled with shrimp boats, touristy shops, and TONS of Greek restaurants.

Before we even left the parking lot to start walking, we had to get a shot in front of this mural on the side of a building!

Then it was off to the shops! Mr. Buttons and I had some fun trying on silly hats (or...I put them on him!).

We had to have a little fun in the rowboats we found!

Check me out...rocking the shades!

I love this store; it sells handmade soaps, and you can smell the aroma wafting out of the doors!

I'd been hitting the gym hard in preparation for the arm wrestling competition that ensued during the shoot...I'd even been working out those thumbs...can't forget thumb wrestling!

I may or may not have cheated...

One of the waiters at this restaurant wanted to get in on the action of our photo shoot - apparently my reaction was to stick my tongue out at him!

By the way...sharing an ice cream cone is hard to do!

Then, I proceeded to hang on a lamppost to hopefully sneak a kiss...

But, apparently something was funny to me?

We walked down by the docks where the shrimp boats are tied up, and I thought I'd show off my balancing skills.

After our stroll down the sponge docks, it was time to head over to the park to meet up with our pups...whee!!!

All images by Pilster Photography

Stay tuned for more pictures...as requested, Mr. Buttons' dog Lucia will be making her Weddingbee debut!

Did you have a fun time at your engagement shoot if you had one?

A very special birthday dinner

So, after Mr. Buttons and I went shopping to find my perfect ring style, I got my stinky nose out of it (as much as I possibly could)! I kept wondering how long it would take for him to make a purchase, and I kept thinking of the most opportune moments in which he could propose.

One thing about Mr. Buttons that I absolutely love is that when I ask for something, he somehow manages to get it. Seriously, he is a great listener (GASP! What?!?! Crazy…I know!); he remembers all of the little clues that I drop, and even picks up on hints I’m not aware I’m giving! Case in point: I was looking for a new bikini online one day, and was oohing and ahhing over one in particular. And, wouldn’t you know it? That little beauty arrived in a box a few weeks later! Good job, Mr. Buttons! Anyway, being the control freak that I am, I did mention to Mr. Buttons that if I could have the perfect proposal, I would want to be dressed up and look fabulous.

My birthday was right around the corner, and Mr. Buttons suggested that we get gussied up and go to our favorite restaurant (and, consequently, the location of our first date: Casa Ludovico…seriously, if you are in the Clearwater area, you need to make the trek to this restaurant, it is phenomenal) to celebrate. I spent a few hours going through my closet, unable to decide on the perfect outfit. I had a feeling that it was “the night,” so I wanted to make sure I was picture-ready in the event that I was right (even though Mommy Buttons assured me that he had not yet asked Daddy Buttons for permission yet…and I knew that he wouldn’t propose without doing so. Mommy Buttons LIED!). I landed on a pretty turquoise Calvin Klein dress with a pair of Betsey Johnson heels, and Mr. Buttons and I went on our merry way.

In the car, Mr. Buttons pointed out my birthday card that was sitting between the seats. He informed me that I had to wait until dessert to open it. When we arrived at the restaurant and began to eat dinner, I couldn’t help but notice that Mr. Buttons was inhaling his pasta at an incredibly fast rate. He had polished off his plate before I knew it, and I began to scoop some of my own dinner over to him. I guess he wanted to get on to dessert as soon as possible!

One of my favorite things about Casa is their tiramisu. Oh my goodness, I DREAM of their tiramisu…it is that good. I dare you to look at it and NOT drool…

(Ok, this is picture from a different event, but its the only photo I have of the dessert...yummm)

We never go to Casa without ordering dessert, and this night was no different. I told Mr. Buttons to go ahead and order it while I ran to the ladies’ room. When I returned, I noticed a group forming around the kitchen doors. Every single staff member was converging there, and they began to walk to our table, carrying a plate of tiramisu. One of the waiters was holding a bouquet of roses that he presented to me. The light bulb switched on over my little button head. Mr. Buttons prodded me to open my birthday card. It read:

“Miss Buttons – I enjoy every day that I get to spend with you. From the first time we met on the beach to the many times we get to just hang out and watch movies. I couldn’t imagine being with anyone else at this moment…”

I looked up from the card, and Mr. Buttons had produced a small black box (which the bartender had been hiding behind the bar). I stared at the ring in surprise…it was exactly the one I had been eyeing. I am pretty sure that something like “SHUT UP!” escaped my mouth (how classy)…and I was so excited that I missed the rest of what Mr. Buttons had prepared to say to me.

I tuned back in to hear him say, “Miss Buttons, will you marry me?” and promptly began to kiss him. At this point, the entire restaurant’s attention had been drawn to our table, and everyone was waiting while Mr. Buttons was giving his speech. Some guy yelled out, “did she say yes?!?!” before he even officially asked. Did I actually say yes though? I’m not sure! I suppose it was an implied yes. When he put the ring on my finger, the entire restaurant broke out into cheers and applause, and I’m not going to lie, I really enjoyed being temporarily the center of attention. Restaurant patrons kept asking to look at the ring, and I was more than happy to show them of course!

With that, we were officially betrothed! The phone calls began on the way home from dinner, where Mommy and Daddy Buttons had some champagne waiting for us when we returned! Best…birthday present…ever…

Was your proposal a public event or a private affair?

A Whirlwind Romance

DistrictofCharm.wordpress.com

Mid-October marked the one-year anniversary of the Buttons' first date. Ah, so if you begin to do the math you realize…Mr. Buttons and I have only been together for a little over a year at this point, and we’ve been engaged for 6 of those months. So yes…we dated for only 8 months before he proposed!

I suppose you could say that we had a whirlwind romance, but nothing about it was rushed. From the very start, Mr. Buttons and I clicked. Conversation came naturally, we share core values, and we were fortunate enough to have a lot of time to spend together because of our work schedules. Marriage came into the consideration quicker than I would have normally expected, but it felt right, and we both knew that we'd found each other for a reason. And hey, when you know...you know!

In comparison to many of my friends/acquaintances’ relationships, I realize that this is a rather brief amount of time. I have had a good deal of skepticism pass my way since our engagement was announced, and I do try to take it in stride. My favorite is when people congratulate me/us and comment how much they can tell that we are in love, etc…and then they ask the inevitable question…

“So, how long have you two been together?”

“Just a little over a year now…”

A look of confusion/surprise crosses over their face, and I typically hear something like, “oh…wow!” or, “you didn’t waste much time, did you?”

Sigh.

So, this begs the question…how long is long enough to “know” that someone is the person you are meant to be with? Is there a specific amount of time that must elapse before you officially are bequeathed with the ability to determine this? Is there a little alarm clock that suddenly “goes off” in your head to let you know that enough time has passed, and you are officially allowed to consider marriage? I think not. Some couples are together for years before a proposal, some just a few months. My parents had a shorter courtship than Mr. Buttons and I, and they have been happily married for years! And, on the flipside, I know other couples that were together for years before they were married as well! That is the beauty of life, right? At least, I’d like to think so! Love comes in so many shapes and forms, and what is right for one person isn’t necessarily right for others.

I’d like to just throw it out there that I personally focus on how much my fiancé and I are in love, not the amount of time we’ve had together. If you have been with your significant other for years, and you are still as madly in love as the first time you met, that is fantastic! Or, if you have only been together for a short time and you are still feeling the butterflies…that is wonderful as well! I know I still get them when I see Mr. Buttons.

So…here’s to love, in every way, shape, and form it comes in! J Enjoy it.

How long have you been with your SO? Did anyone else have a whirlwind romance like Mr. Buttons and I?