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Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Wedding Fun! {NAS Summer}



We are now fully immersed in wedding season! What are your favorite parts of a wedding? Where do you find the best dresses for the occasion? Have any unique gift ideas? Share anything and all tips and tricks with us!

I've survived already attended the two weddings I have for this year, and let me tell you, after standing up in THREE of my friends' weddings last summer, I am very grateful for the low load. Especially since I have three friends who are gearing up for 2017 summer weddings. :)

I looove weddings, but the between the travel, accommodations, dress, gift, etc. it can get to be a lot! I thought it'd be fun this month to talk about tips and tricks for a smooth and enjoyable wedding guest experience!

(though, secretly, I'm hoping to hear some advice from you!)

The Dress

I know there are some weddings you can attend wearing jeans....or at least, I know that now after my very first Minnesotan wedding! But, I will forever be a dress kind of gal. 

Having the chance to dress dress-up and dance while doing it is an exciting opportunity....but where to find a suitable garment?

There are loads of dresses in my closet, but....well...not all of them fit...and not all of them are as modest as I'd like. (former decolletage bearing self, for shame!) So I've had to do some searching and let me tell you: as a tall lady who likes to cover her chest AND butt....I am apparently in the minority.

However! Never fear, for DressBarn has me covered. Literally. I've found several cute numbers there which are suitable for more than one occasion, as well as dancing-friendly!

Since I've been a bridesmaid in most of the weddings I've attended recently, I usually don't have to think about what I'll wear. One of the weddings this summer was formal enough for me to re-use one of these dresses! Cha-ching!

I've also perused ModCloth and will likely go there for a dress next time, but haven't yet bought from them yet.

The Travel

I'm fortunate that many of the weddings I attend are held within 2-3 hours of me. Thank you, friends, for living nearby.

Yet, the two I attended this year were not only back-to-back weekends, but also were in completely different parts of the country. We drove each time, which helped cut costs in travel, but overnight accommodations are expensive!

Not sure about you, but I'm not made of money! I save, yes, but when traveling with my boyfriend, we try to find separate sleeping quarters. And unless if we wanted to book two shady hotel rooms, we'd be looking at $100/night for each of us. Annoying.

Enter Airbnb! I'm sure I'm the last person to use Airbnb, but if you haven't, seriously! Check it out!!

We found an adorable place to stay in Knoxville, TN (our half-way point) and wow. I don't ever want to stay in a hotel again.

Perhaps not everyone is as wonderful as our host Jill was, but her home was a delight. Private entrance, separate living areas, huge bathroom, Keurig, snacks, AND homemade brownies!

I'm not sure if I'd do Airbnb as a solo traveler, but for the two of us, this was the perfect option!

The Gift

Now, yes. Most people have gift registries. And yes, they've hand-selected items they'd like to receive.

However, I've always been one to go against the grain. Sure, I could get a friend some bamboo cutting boards or dish towels or a gift card....all things I've bought friends. BUT lately, I've been going the more personal route.

This might not work for every couple, as not everyone is Catholic. (shocker, I know.) But in the event that they are, I like to get a crucifix (from the Holy Land, if possible) and a book on marriage.

Many of us have heard that the first year of marriage is the hardest, but no one really knows how true that is until they're in the midst of it. So, why not try to help as much as possible?

I recently got friends Just Married: The Catholic Guide to Surviving and Thriving in the First Five Years of Marriage by Dr. and Mrs. Gregory Popcak and already I've had great reviews.

Of course, you could also do the "frame the invitation" or "create a mason jar of date nights or sweet things to do for your spouse" (also gifts I've given), but this most recent gift of that book is my favorite so far.


So how about you? Any tips for where to get the perfect wedding-guest dress? Or gift ideas?

Write a post and link up below!

---

The Not Alone Series is hosted by Lindsay and Laura!






6 comments:

  1. My husband and I got Just Married when we were engaged, and WOW! It is an incredible book. Highly, highly recommend it. A great wedding gift, but also, a great engagement gift! Definitely better than our marriage prep was!

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  2. I've heard good things about that book, I love Ave Maria Press, and Mr. Man (my boyfriend) loves the Popcaks. Coincidence? I think not. ;)

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  3. If you're at all interested in knowing . . . the Catholic Dogmas . . . that we *must believe* to get to Heaven . . .

    We list it on our website > > > www.Gods-Catholic-Dogma.com

    The Dogmas have in fact ... been hidden from you.

    The Catholic God knows . . . what we think and believe . . .

    Catholic writing of Romans 1:21 >
    "They ... became vain in their thoughts, and their foolish heart was darkened."

    Catholic Faith (pre-fulfillment) writing of Job 21:27 >
    "Surely I know your thoughts, and your unjust judgments against Me."

    The fact that "islam" is not a religion is on Section 113.1 of the site. Mohammed in the "koran" wrote exactly the opposite of the Old Testament Prophets.

    Proverbs 30:4 > "Who hath ascended up into Heaven ... what is the name of His Son."
    koran - maryam 19:35 > "It is not befitting ... Allah that He should beget a son."

    ReplyDelete


  4. Dear Catholic Crusader,

    Five hundred years ago in 1517, Martin Luther made public his 95 complaints against the Roman Catholic church. Today, we shall do likewise, with another 95 reasons. However, in this critique, we will exclusively fixate on the nucleus of all Catholic doctrine called, Transubstantiation. This teaching is built on the premise that when the priest utters “This is my body” over bread and wine that the “combustible” syllables of these four words ignite with such power and energy that, unbeknownst to our cognizant senses, the substance of bread and wine miraculously change (“by the force of the words” says the Council of Trent; cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1375). They are then abruptly replaced with something else entirely; namely, the very body, blood, soul and divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ in some mysterious form which leaves only the outward appearance of bread and wine (i.e., the color, shape, size, taste, weight and texture -- or "accidental" properties, remain unchanged in objective reality). It is claimed that the supernatural power that creates this miracle on a daily basis, 24 hours a day in Masses worldwide, “is the same power of Almighty God that created the whole universe out of nothing at the beginning of time” (Mysterium Fidei, 47). The question is: does the sacred rhetoric of Jesus lead us to conclude He intended it be recited like a magician recites his incantations? (Reason 6, 74). That at the recitation of these four words, the world is obligated to be transfixed on Transubstantiation???

    We should think that a rollercoaster of 95 reasons against this doctrine should at least pique your curiosity, let alone make you wonder if, like the calmness of a ferris wheel, you can so calmly refute them. The issue is far from inconsequential, since it’s claimed our very eternal destinies are at stake. So while sensitive to the fact that many are captivated by this doctrine, we are persuaded that the theological framework of the Bible conveys a persistent and vigorous opposition to this theory. God's word tells us to, "study to show yourself approved" (2 Tim 2:15) and we have indeed done just that.

    The almost “romantic fidelity” to Transubstantiation springs forth from the opinion that consuming the “organic and substantial” body of Christ in the Eucharist is necessary for salvation (CCC 1129 & 1355; Trent, "Concerning Communion", ch. 1 and “Concerning Communion Under Both Kinds”, ch. 3; Canon 1; Mysterium Fidei, intro). Our burden here is to safeguard the gospel (Jude 1:3). If a religious system professing to be Christian is going to demand that something be done as a prerequisite for eternal life, it is vital to scrutinize this claim under the searchlight of Scripture and with “the mind of Christ” (1 Cor 2:16). Proverbs 25:2 says, "the honor of a king is to search out a matter". We shall do likewise.

    Determined to test all things by Holy Writ (1 Thess 5:21; Acts 17:11, 2 Cor 10:5), the following 95 reasons have been compiled to an extravagant length to provoke you to consider the cognitive complexities of this doctrine which we conclude are biblically unbearable. We are so convinced the Bible builds a concrete case against this superstition, that we will not allow the things we have in common to suppress the more urgent need to confront the differences that divide us, such as Transubstantiation. We are told this issue directly impacts our eternal destiny, so it must not be ignored. The Lord Jesus came to divide and conquer by the truth of His word. He said, "Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division" (Luke 12:51-53).


    For the full essay of 95 reasons, kindly e-mail me at
    Eucharistangel@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. wooow!!!
    Your article is so attractive.I Like your post.
    Thanks for sharing.By OnlineShoping

    ReplyDelete
  6. Catholic must know Dogma > Ripped from your soul.
    If you're at all interested in knowing ... the Catholic Dogma ... that we *must believe* to
    get to Heaven, and which you have *never* seen ...

    I list it on my website > > www.Gods-Catholic-Dogma.com

    And no ... the anti-Christ vatican-2 heretic cult (founded in 1965) is not the Catholic Church (founded in 33 A.D.).

    There are over 200 heresies against Catholic Dogma ... in the "vatican-2 council" documents ...50 listed on Section 12 (followed by Catholic corections) > www.Gods-Catholic-Dogma.com/section_12.html

    Being outside ... the Catholic Church in any heresy ... leaves one with no chance of getting to Heaven.

    Physical participation in a heretic cult (vatican-2, lutheran, evangelical, etc) ... automatically excommunicates you from the Catholic Church (that is, Christianity) > www.Gods-Catholic-Dogma.com/section_13.2.2.html

    Mandatory ... Abjuration of heresy to enter the Catholic Church > www.Gods-Catholic-Dogma.com/section_40.html

    Dogma that one must Abjure to leave the vatican-2 heretic cult and enter the Catholic Church > www.Gods-Catholic-Dogma.com/section_40.1.html

    The BIBLE says ... 15 TIMES ... it is not the authority on Faith,
    the BIBLE says the Church in it's Dogma and Doctrine ... is the authority on Faith and the definition of the Catholic Faith ... www.Gods-Catholic-Dogma.com/section_6.html

    The Catholic God knows ... what we think and believe ...

    Catholic writing of Romans 1:21 >
    "They ... became vain in their thoughts, and their foolish heart was darkened."

    Catholic Faith (pre-fulfillment) writing of Deuteronomy 31:21 >
    "For I know their thoughts, and what they are about to do this day."

    Catholic Faith (pre-fulfillment) writing of Job 21:27 >
    "Surely I know your thoughts, and your unjust judgments against Me."
    Regards – Victoria

    ReplyDelete

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