When Lea and I first started planning the wedding ceremony we knew that we wanted to include lots of different elements, one of those being video. Of course with my job being so closely related to creativity and video we knew this would be a highlight of the ceremony. Just about two weeks before the wedding Lea and I spent an evening video taping the entire thing (about 4 hours worth of video footage) in our back yard. We had a lot of fun switching back and forth, I would man the secondary camera for b-roll then Lea would take a turn while we used a stationary straight-on shot to get the rest of the footage. We took time to discuss many of the highlights and even the challenging times of our relationship, the resulting video was about 8 minutes long. We knew the video was a little long but hey we were covering almost 4 years of dating and engagement combined!

So how did we do it? We used two cameras a Canon XHA1 and a Canon GL2 video camera along with a softbox light kit and four hours of miniDV tape. The footage was imported into none other then the Mac where the footage was edited down using Final Cut Studio. We used two songs the first was “Go Do” by Jonsi (lead singer of the band Sigur Ros). The second song “When I say I Do” by Matthew West provided us with two great music tracks to help set the mood and feel for the video. So enough with the boring technical details here is the video!

After our wedding on June 12 we spent the night at the Lancaster Arts Hotel in downtown Lancaster. We highly recommend this spot, the hotel has character, a great atmosphere and it’s right in our own town! In the morning we woke up and headed to Harrisburg International Airport for our flight to Jamaica. Although we made the plans back in February the anticipation of getting away had built to an all time high. Lea and I had been doing so much hard work in the weeks leading up to the wedding that we were ready for some rest and relaxation. After a long long long layover in Atlanta thanks to a weather delay we finally arrived at our Sandals resort in Montego Bay. We had a wonderful experience, one that we will soon not forget. The weather was hot every day and the humidity was also pretty oppressive but it was so easy to cool off in the ocean or in the pool. We ate a lot of awesome food and tried many new things, after all it was all inclusive! Some of you have been asking for the photos so here they are. Special thanks to my Grandparents who allowed us to experience such a wonderful honeymoon and start to our marriage! Keep posted we have more updates coming to the blog soon!

After these crazy snowstorms, I have become more and more eager for warm weather. And this eagerness has made me think many times about my next tropical adventure-our honeymoon! Jeremy and I realized that we have not blogged about the honeymoon yet, although it was one of the first big decisions we made during our engagement.

In early December, we started thinking about where we should go on the honeymoon, because, let’s be honest, it’s one of the best parts of wedding planning. Jeremy’s only input was that he wanted a very relaxing trip. I had dreams of snorkeling again, because that was my favorite thing we did in Hawaii. However, our finances made it look like we would be taking a short trip to the mountains or a local beach. But…Thanks to a generous gift from Jeremy’s Grams and Gramps, we will be venturing to Sandal’s Royal Carribean Resort in Montego Bay, Jamaica!!!

Our friends Adam and Melissa told us about their incredibly relaxing, fun and pampered honeymoon at a Sandals resort, so we decided to pursue an all-inclusive resort. We met with our friend Sherry, who is a travel agent and owns her own business Jenkins Travel. And I definitely recommend working with a travel agent, because they take care of all the details and hook you up with some serious perks. All that Jeremy and I have to do for our  trip is pack our bags and show up at the airport-the rest is taken care of. And Sherry hooked us up with some free spa cash…I will be loving the massages!  Plus we were informed that we will definitely be able to snorkel, and have lots of relaxing time!

We are both very excited for our first vacation together to celebrate our marriage. And we feel so blessed to be able to have another tropical adventure together!!

Oh yeah, and today is officially 4 months until the BIG DAY!

More fashion decisions made this yesterday…My three bridesmaids met me at Alfred Angelo to shop for their dresses. It had been a bit of a challenge for me to settle on the exact color I wanted. I knew I wanted green dresses, but David’s Bridal did not have any exciting shades of green. They were either too pastel-easter-eggish or they looked like a pine tree. I was hoping to find more of a fun, vibrant, light green. So I expanded my horizons to Alfred Angelo and found this lovely shade they call “kiwi”. It is just what I was looking for!

Last night was just as successful as the night we shopped for my dress. (I need to take these girls shopping with me more often). I decided a while ago that I wanted all my bridesmaids to be able to choose their own dress style. I was able to do this when I was in Ashley’s wedding, and I loved it. So we attacked Alfred Angelo looking for 3 uniquely flattering dresses-with my restrictions of shorter length and the shade of “kiwi”. One hour later, each of the bridesmaids had a beautiful dress that fit their style and personality.

I haven’t formally introduced the bridesmaids on the blog, so here you go:

Lynnea is my maid of honor. We first met when I went on a trip to Nicaragua with her church 2 years ago. God built a strong bond between us on that trip, and we’ve continued to grow closer since then. I love her because she is passionate about serving and worshiping God. She is so encouraging to me and never fails to keep me laughing. She has already been so excited and dependable as she helps me plan for a wedding and marriage.

My sister Emily is also a bridesmaid. I cannot imagine growing up with a better little sister. She has the best personality out of any person that I have ever met. She is joyful, carefree and creative. When I think about our childhood, I always remember her putting everyone else before herself (and she is the youngest!) We have a blast together, and she helps me relax and see the simple joys of life. As I plan the wedding, she has been a positive and honest person to bounce ideas off.

Ashley is also a bridesmaid. Ashley and I met when she was a youth leader at Mt. Nebo’s youth group. Since then God has consistently used her as a mentor in my life. She has taught me about developing a pure and passionate heart that pursues God first before all else. She also gets the credit for being me and Jeremy’s matchmaker. Without her help, I may have never heard of a fellow named Jeremy Denlinger! Ashley has  been giving helpful and honest advice for the wedding and marriage, since she is the most experienced bridesmaid.

And I can’t forget to mention my almost bridesmaid Melissa! If it weren’t for the exciting arrival of her little Alexis just weeks before my wedding, she would definitely be a bridesmaid. God blessed me with Melissa’s friendship just a few years ago. She is so encouraging and such a faithful friend. I depend on her often for prayer and honesty. She is helping me and the bridesmaids as we prepare for the big day. She has also been teaming up with Ashley to offer me practical and truthful advice for the wedding and marriage.

So that’s my team to help me through the next 5 months! I love these ladies, and I feel so blessed by their friendship and commitment to helping me with this celebration and preparation for a new stage of life.

One more fashion “issue” solved…there are many more to come. Has anyone noticed that I have no idea about topics such as hair, make-up and fashion? If you have any tips on those topics, feel free to share!

I (Lea) began the hunt for the wedding dress this week. Now, I must admit that this is the scariest part of the wedding day for me…I know that sounds funny, but I am most stressed and confused about what to do with myself (hair, dress, make-up) for the big day. I have planned events before, but I have never experienced getting so dressed up for all the attention to be on me! It is quite intimidating…especially since I don’t wear make-up and have minimal fashion sense.

Nevertheless, I decided to take the plunge and begin searching for a dress on Monday. While I know most people suggest to bring one or two friends/family to try on dresses, I decided to make it a major event and invite 6 people! In fact, when I made the appointment, I was told that I was a “brave woman”.  Along with me were my mom, Jeremy’s mom, my three bridesmaids (my sister Emily, Lynnea and Ashley) and my friend Melissa. It was quite the adventure. We made the trek up to David’s Bridal in Harrisburg.

I chose 6 different dresses to try on. After some research, I had a few ideas of style and things I definitely didn’t want on the dress, which helped me narrow down the search to a few dresses. I had a fantastic consultant lady, who helped me get into the gowns and then offered some opinions when asked. …But the opinions came flowing from my panel of judges who were eager with “oohs and ahhs” and important things to consider with each dress. I am so grateful that they were willing to offer their fashion sense, practical advice and honest opinions.

After trying all 6 on, it became quite clear which dress was “the one”. Number 4 was the winner in my eyes…and all of the ladies agreed. I felt so beautiful (in fact, more beautiful than I knew I could ever feel). It was the most comfortable dress and really just stunning! While I can’t disclose the details of the dress (because I would like to keep it top secret from a certain someone), feel free to ask me and I can describe it more….  I am so excited that another major choice has been made for the wedding, and it makes me even more eager for June 12th!!

I knew I was going to marry Jeremy about four and a half years ago…And for those of you who are mathematicians, you would be able to figure out that I knew I was going to marry him even before I even met him. …Crazy, you say?  About four and a half years ago, I was enjoying a fun girls’ night with my friends Ashley and Sarah-we spent some time praying for each other, and also enjoyed the typical “girl talk”. Of course we talked about guys and how we each hoped to someday meet one and marry him. I briefly mentioned how I am oddly attracted to fellas who are “techies”, make videos, and play the drums…Immediately Ashley blurts out: “Oh my gosh! I know who you are going to marry! I can’t believe I didn’t see it before!…Jeremy Denlinger is perfect for you!”  I responded with a laugh and commented that I didn’t even know who Jeremy Denlinger was! Ashley assured me that she would introduce us soon. ….And by God’s providence and her cunning matchmaking skills, I indeed met Jeremy just a month later at Creation music festival. I spent a few months after that with my eye on him as I observed him with his friends and serving at church. (I have to say that seeing him on the drums at church was a major selling point!)  At that same time in life, God challenged Jeremy and I (separately) to end the frustrating pursuit of finding a “mate” and just focus on God, and trust His timing….oh the way God works when we place things in His hands! And how amazing that He was teaching us the same thing at the same time!  So just about a month after this decision, Jeremy and I found ourselves enjoying fireworks in the city (with Ashley along). Ashley insisted that Jeremy and I pose for a photo (and “get closer together”) ….and that is the first photo we have together. So, just a few days later, “some man” calls my house (a very strange event for my family). Jeremy sneakily got my number, and called to ask me out on our first date. The rest is  an exciting blur of learning about each other and growing to love each other deeply.

So since that first date, we’ve had MANY conversations about getting married and what it would look like to spend our lives together. For  the past two years, I have consistently asked Jeremy, “When will you propose to me?” His response: “soon”. “But when is soon??” …And he smiles that sneaky smile.  …I admit, just a few months ago, I began to have some mental breakdowns, fearing we would never be engaged. But then the day came…

I can honestly say that I had no idea that Jeremy was going to propose to me on November 6. I did not see it coming that week, and I had no idea that day. He bought a new camera that week, and the plan was for us to have a fun hike/photo shoot to try out the new camera and enjoy the end of the fall colors. When I got to my house, Jeremy was already there talking to my Dad. Not a big deal, since I was running a little late. My Dad said, “I hope you have fun hiking…uh..um…maybe you weren’t supposed to know that…maybe Jeremy wanted to surprise you.” …Now this may seem like an obvious hint, but if you know my Dad, you know that he would say something like this on a normal occasion when we  went on a date somewhere. (But you also understand why Jeremy chose to ask my Dad just an hour before we went hiking! My Dad is not the best at keeping surprises, but I understand because I am not good at that either).

So we got to the park and enjoyed a beautiful day. We spent lots of time playing with the new camera and taking some fun photos. We were beginning to get to the point of turning around and heading back, when Jeremy suggested we climb a hill (mini-mountain) to “get some more light for the photos” since the sun was setting. While we were climbing the hill, I thought to myself, “Man! He’s making me climb this hill all for a stupid photo!”  When we got to the top, Jeremy set up his tripod for us to take some photos.  And this is how the conversation went as I can remember it: “Lea, do you know what day it is?”  “Oh yeah, it is the 6th–and we started dating January 6th. ….(my brain doing fast calculations)…that means we’ve been dating for 46 months!…Ugh! That is a long time! I hope someday we can celebrate a real anniversary. You know, like a wedding. I hope soon we can figure out when we will get married (in a sarcastic tone because I am always bugging Jeremy about not being engaged).”  Jeremy says, “Well, I was hoping we could figure out that date soon. I was hoping we could pick that date today.”  …Jeremy proceeds to get on his knee and pull out a ring. I make a shocked face, and say things like, “shut up!! …you’re kidding! …oh my gosh!”  Jeremy says, “Will you marry me?” and I say “YES!!”  Then Jeremy jumps up in excitement…we hug, kiss, cry.  Then we remember that he didn’t put the ring on my finger yet!  So he takes off my glove and puts the ring on. We are engaged!!

We spent some time getting photos. Jeremy tells me about the ring. We slowly walk back the hiking trail. …I sporadically yell, “We are engaged!!!!” at the top of my lungs.  Jeremy had a dozen roses in my car. We spent the rest of the night spreading the amazing news with our family and friends…and dreaming about joining our lives together. …I am still on the celebration high! However, there is much work to be done as we anticipate beginning our life together and throwing the biggest party you’ve ever experienced… in just 7 months….You can read Jeremy’s version of the engagement by clicking here.

Welcome to our website! We are just getting the site under way as we prepare to officially begin our lives together when we marry in June of 2010. We plan to use this website to update our family and friends on our progress in planning our upcoming wedding. This blog will also serve as a record of this wonderful journey. We are bound to have great stories and memories along the way. We hope to share those memories with photos, videos, and words. Feel free to leave comments on the blog. We love to hear from you, whether it be a helpful tip on wedding prep or just on life in general, we are excited to share this journey with you!

Feel free to follow our blog through email updates delivered automatically to your inbox. You can subscribe by clicking here or by using the links above. You can also subscribe to our RSS feed through your favorite reader by clicking here. If you have no idea what any of that means, just keep coming back to our site for the latest news and updates on our wedding!