Save-the-Dates

Well, the first step in our wedding has officially begun!  The save-the-dates are being sent out!

The Engagement Picture / Save-the-Date

After trying to get some engagement pictures taken (to no avail, thanks to what was a crazy work schedule) I finally settled on using this picture, taken just a few hours before Ben proposed.

For those who haven't heard the story...

It was Christmas Eve 2008 and Ben, having left for his Army training that August, was home for the first time since.  First we went to a Christmas church service with Ben's parents, where this picture was taken.  Almost immediately after, we went to another service with my family.  I remember thinking something was going on, because Ben was very fidgety through that second service, and when it was over, I found out why.  On our way out, we went over to the church's Christmas tree and that's where he proposed!  (Of course, when we walked over to the tree and my sister Madelyne began taking pictures of us like crazy, I had a feeling that he was going to propose, but I was ecstatic all the same!)

Dimly lit attempt at pictures...

Beastly hair not hiding my face, yay!

When I went over to show the ring to everyone, I found out that very few people hadn't seen it yet, and that I really was the last to know...  Even more so when I was then told that we were going back over to Ben's parents' house for a little engagement celebration, complete with tons of Christmas goodies!

(The ring, by the way, was absolutely perfect!  A fabulous blend of traditional and more "artsy" styles, not to mention it is gold and silver, and it fit perfectly as well.)

And that's the story!

More to come as the wedding gets closer...