The Lovely Bridal Shower

Jenny Miller, one of Brandi's BFF's, hosted a wonderful bridal shower brunch a few weeks before the wedding.  She did the theme all in hearts...and served just amazing food.  All sorts of muffins and quiches and yogurt parfaits  and scones.  Oh me, oh my.

Candy treat favors- yum

But my very favorite thing was that even the bacon was shaped into hearts.  Cool!

As friends- Brandi's high school friends, work friends, sisters-in-law and a few of my BFF's watched Brandi open gifts, we told our connection to her.  Almost everyone commented on her amazing kindness and example.  As one of her friends said, "Whenever we meet someone, my husband and I will describe them this way.  She's nice.  I mean "Brandi nice."...and we know exactly what that means."

Above Kami Spears Dyer and below with Rian Hunt Jensen.  Work friend Julie is smiling in the corner.

 

and Dang!  after all her good work, I didn't get a picture of Jenny and Brandi.

Gosh, it was a fun shower...and after hearing everyone's kind words, we all came away "uplifted."

That girl of mine is wonderful.  And so are her friends!

(and Sticker Bullock, if you are reading this, it was a TREAT to get to see you.  We love you still!)

(Brandi's neighborhood also did a shower for her.  I wasn't able to go but I hear it was a little wild.  Just sayin.'  So kidding ... I thought the gifts were hysterical- especially a former bishops......)

More Wedding

I already posted about Brandi and Doug's pre-wedding party.  The next day, Saturday, Jan. 12th was crazy busy.  We had spent the week packing up two houses...and when closings didn't go through as planned, two houses were packed into 4 large moving trucks.  Brandi and the kids stayed at our house...and Saturday morning Brandi realized she didn't know where her passport was!  The passports had already given us fits.  Doug renewed his passport...and they rejected it because he looked too young for his picture.  The new one didn't come until two days before the wedding!  Brandi said if his passport didn't come, she was going on the honeymoon with or without him.  So, when on the day of the wedding, Brandi didn't know where her passport was, he jokingly said, "Well, I'll see you when I get back!"  

I ran to the barn in the morning to get it open for OOMS and her sister to decorate.  When I got there, it was snowed in...and my key didn't work!  We rented it from Draper City...and being on a Saturday, no one was in the office.  By then, after a week of crazy, I was done and just had a big boo-hoo in the car.  But thankfully OOMS had common sense and went to the City offices and found a maintenance man who called his supervisor and after about an hour, we were in. Nothing can just go smoothly, can it???

After that, all went well.  The temple ceremony was beautiful....Brandi looked radiant and it was a joyous occasion.  The weather was freezing for pictures so everyone was anxious to hurry to the barn (that was a few miles away.)  Valene was there ready with Caramel Apple cider for everyone while we waited for the bride and groom.  Brandi's friend Steph found the passport in one of the boxes of personal papers that Brandi had left with her....and hid it inside the barn.  After David welcomed everyone, he said, "It wouldn't be a party with Marilyn without a game...so we're going to play a game of Hot and Cold with the bridal couple."  As Brandi and Doug circled throughout the room, all the guests shouted hot or cold until they found the passport tucked high on an air vent!  Pretty funny.  Brandi was thrilled!

We had such a wonderful time with family and all of Brandi and Doug's close friends- 90 plus people.  My friend, Linda Madsen (remember the Hollywood shower that she threw?) and her daughters did the catering and everything was presented beautifully.  

The menu:

chicken cordon bleu
almond rice
fingerling potatoes
corn pudding 
mixed vegetables
mixed salad
rolls with a variety of butters
and chocolate trifle or blueberry lemon

OOMS and her twin sister (who is in charge of all the weddings at Thanksgiving Point) recreated the beautiful decor from the party the night before.  I especially loved the lights with dangling ribbons.

We did an open mike for anyone that would love to pay their respects.  In my remarks, I spoke to Bri and Connor and welcomed them to the family....saying I couldn't wait to put their names on our staircase.  The kiddos names are in order of when they came into the family...and I have only two steps left.  I told them that I would be putting their names on the same stair since they came into the family on the same day....

and because at Christmas, another family had claimed the last stair.  I let that settle in on the Williams family.....

Tanner and Brooke are expecting!!!!  Our family is just bursting from the seams!

p.s.  Brandi and Doug got to go on their honeymoon together- whew!  Of course, there was the little drama that occurred earlier when Doug found out that Travis and Tenille were booked at the same resort in Cancun at the same time.  THAT wasn't going to happen!  Needless to say,  reservations were changed!  (but it gave us a great laugh when we saw Doug's face!)

And they all lived happily ever after.....  

Let's Party!

 I am so sorry to share Brandi and Doug's wedding with such poor pictures- all taken from my iphone.  Our scanners just aren't working and my good camera either.  Oh well, here we go:

They announced their upcoming wedding with a joint Christmas card/announcement.  It is a double-sided tri-fold.  Folds up to a 5 x 5.

 Inside are fun family quotes and pictures of all the kids and the new fam.

" Even in the most uncertain of times, which frankly is most of the time, the thing I am most certain of is you."

 The Party- the pre-wedding party was held the night before.  It was at Jordan Commons in their new conference areas (where the Mayan Restaurant used to be.)  (thank you Jenny and the Miller family for your sweet generosity!)




























The below posters greeted the guests.

As people came in, they were greeted with their first raffle ticket and their party card. 
On the front it said -

 NO MATTER HOW MANY COOKIES YOU CONSUME, YOU WILL FIND THAT LOVE IS OUR GREATEST FORTUNE.  WE FEEL SO FORTUNATE THAT YOU ARE IN OUR LIVES.  LET'S PUT ON OUR PARTY SHOES AND SPARKLE!  

BURN OFF THE CALORIES FROM THE DESSERT BAR (YUM!) GET ACQUAINTED WITH OUR HUGE NEW FAM AT VARIOUS RAFFLE STATIONS.  THOSE GIFTS MIGHT BE FOR YOU.  (RAFFLE DRAWINGS HELD AT 8:30)  YOU GET A TICKET FOR COMING (WE WERE AFRAID NO ONE WOULD SHOW...), TICKETS FOR PLAYING A MINUTE TO WIN IT IN THE FOYER (STUDIES THAT SHOW PEOPLE WHO HAVE A TITCH OF SILLY LIVE LONGER.  JUST SAYIN'...) AND TICKETS FOR YOUR MOVES LIKE JAGGER.  TRY TO OUTDO THE GROOM WHO ONCE LOST A KNEECAP DANCING. (IF YOU FIND IT, PLEASE GIVE IT BACK TO HIM.)


On the back of the card was their Minute to Win It scorecard:  As they did each event, they got more raffle tickets.

Here are two of the Minute to Win it games we played.  If anyone wants to borrow these for your own gathering, you could just put a decal over their logo at the top.  These were 24 x 18 and sat on easels by each station. (Lisa Wheat was my wonderful graphic artist.  She mounted everything for me as well.  I HIGHLY recommend her!)

 








































Again, OOMS (our own Martha Stewart- Lisa Davies) did the decor. There for 3 different centerpieces for the 13 sit down tables and lots of standing tables and the food tables.



 














Outside in the foyer were beautiful arrangements of fresh fruits and cheeses and crackers.  Two beautiful delicious tables.

 These were a couple of the tables of desserts...every kind you can imagine. Carrot cakes, chocolate lush, eclairs, pear flan cake, cheesecakes, etc.

 Outside in the foyer, we also had the raffle area.  I had a picture of each family member, with a framed statement about them....and then a raffle goblet and also a raffle prize.  As you won tickets, you could put them in whatever raffle cup you desired.  We then held a drawing and about 15 guests went home with sweet prizes.  You also got raffle prizes for asking Hallee to dance, asking Addi who her favorite singer was, if you were taller than Conner, etc.  (For instance, if you won Parker's raffle, you got a gift certificate to Winger's, Parker favorite place and also Texas Roadhouse.  Gracie's had Sweet Tooth Fairy and Coldstone.  One of Brandi's and Doug's had the restaurant they ate at before they got engaged, Cafe Molisse...and another a favorite sushi restaurant.)

It was SO MUCH FUN!!!  Brandi had a DJ who was great- all the kids requested their favorite songs ahead of time.

But the best was this:

The music started playing and Brandi and Doug started doing this dance.  (Imagine Brandi in gold sparkles.  She and the girls were all glitzed up.)  I was impressed that they had a coordinated dance.  Then other people ran in and started dancing.  My first thought was, "How rude! Can't they see Brandi and Doug are doing a special dance?"  Then more people ran in.  All doing the same dance (including Brandi's little girls)...and I'm thinking "Wow, is this a new dance like the Macarena that everyone knows?"  (I'm a little slow...)  Then all these guys ran in with black sunglasses...dancing the same dance (Travis and Tenillie, you were awesome!)...and I realized we were being flash mobbed.  Brandi wanted to surprise me!!!!!   (I'm a HUGE flash mob person! )  It was AWESOME!!!!  Thanks Heather Davis for coordinating everything and working with the kiddos and neighbors- it made my night!!!)

So while the party was going on (and before)...there was a huge snowstorm.  But we had a great crowd...rooms filled with family and so many friends who just love these guys!  Perfect!

(p.s.  I removed Conner and Parker's page because a sweet friend pointed out it had their address on it.  I laughed and thanked her...then said, "Well, auto-correct put the wrong address on it anyway!")