We got married!

It's official! We got married on Saturday, November 8, 2014! The Mrs & I tied the knot at a farm in Brenham, TX, and it couldn't have been more perfect! I have to just say, my lovely bride did an amazing job of planning a simple, country chic, yet beautiful wedding ceremony and reception. There will no doubt be a write-up coming soon on all of our favorite vendors, tips we learned along the way, and of course our official Wedding Photo reveal, but for now, I am going to leave you with this...

Our awesome wedding video done by the team at RethinkVideos.net.

Bryan & Haley Martisek// November 8th, 2014 from Chad Herold on Vimeo.

One of our decorative signs

Our Ring Bearer, Jacob

Haley & Her Dad

Lord's Supper Table

Entering the Reception

Wedding Update :: 6 Weeks To Go!

Wide shot of the barn / Reception Site 

With only 6 weeks to go until our wedding, we are in full-on Wedding Prep mode around the house. Our time is being split between work, wedding showers, bachelorette parties (for the girls) and DIY craft projects to complete all of the wedding decor. Its a lot of work, but we are enjoying it!

Fortunately, Haley's grandmother has been a huge help in getting A LOT of work done on many of the items Haley wanted to incorporate into the wedding and reception. Their team effort on design and crafting has been awesome!

As we try to finish up most of our projects, two sets of items yet to be completed are directional signage & lawn games. While some may say we are going overboard and are being too detail oriented, one of our goals is to provide a guest friendly environment at our wedding. We are so excited to celebrate with so many of our family and friends, but we know that keeping them entertained and occupied will help us find the time to mingle with more of them. Hence our desire to communicate well via signage, and to provide a fun, festive atmosphere with plenty to do.

These 2 items are easy DIY type projects, and have found there way onto my to-do list this weekend. If you are in the process of planning a fun, outdoor event. Consider making some signage like this to help communicate with your guests. The cost was relatively low, and this is definitely a beginner level project.

I used 6' fence boards, each cut into 35" lengths (2 signs per board). I applied a MinWax stain to "pretty" the wood up (stain color: Driftwood), and then used cheap stencils from Walmart, along with simple white acrilyc paint to add the detailing and words. A quick coat of clear spray to protect against the rain, and I think these signs turned out great! We will be attaching them to 4' stakes and placing them around the farm to help our guests know where to go!

Stay tuned for an upcoming post on how to make a Giant Jenga game!

MinWax Stain :: "Driftwood" on 35" long fence boards

2" Letter Stencils :: Walmart.com

A Wonderful Wedding Shower

This weekend Haley and I were blessed to be the recipients of a wonderful wedding shower thrown by my family. My aunts, cousins, and more extended family & coworkers did an absolutely fantastic job hosting a shower that made Haley feel loved and welcomed into the family, for which I am extremely grateful. Below are a few pictures from the festivities. As you can see, the decor and goodies were undoubtedly pinterest-worthy! Many thanks to all involved!

Me & Haley

Me & my sister, Laura

Me & my sister, Laura

Drink Station

Drink Station

Haley's Mom, Grandma, Haley, My Mom, Grandma, Haley's sisters, Jessica & Brooke (front row)

Haley cutting her cake

Haley with both of our moms

The amazing cake from Memorial Bakery (Houston, Tx)

Tasty treats abound!

An End To The Summer...

As  Labor Day Weekend is upon us, I'm pausing for a brief respite from a busy summer. Over the last 2 weekends, Haley & I have been fortunate to spend time relaxing with her family. First at Lake Conroe, TX for an annual family summer trip, and this weekend in Surfside, TX, just west of Galveston Island. We are beyond blessed to have these opportunities to rest and spend valuable time with loved ones. As we head into the fall, our schedules are quite full of wedding planning, showers, work, and other "stuff." Our goal is to spend time with friends and family whenever possible, so if you fall into one of those groups, let us know when you are available, and we will try to find some time just for you!

Until then, enjoy these photos we captured during our last two weekends of the summer!

--Mr B.

Sunrise on Lake Conroe

Me & Haley tubing on Lake Conroe

Me & Haley headed to the beach

Sunset at Surfside Beach

Sunset at Surfside Beach

Sunrise on Lake Conroe

Fancy Meat & Potatoes

This past week, I made a simple, tasty new meal that I hadn't ever made before. Haley and I are in wedding prep mode, so we are eating at home more, healthier, fresher foods, etc. As I walked through our local HEB grocery store, I saw some chicken-kabobs sitting in the meat market counter. I had never had these particular kabobs, so of course, why not try them.

And we also made some yummy roasted red potatoes! All I did was cube the potatoes into 1-inch chunks and boil them until fork tender (about 8 minutes). Then I drained the water, and tossed them in a large bowl with olive oil, garlic salt, black pepper, and parsely flakes. Lay them out on a baking sheet and roast at 425 for 25 minutes. Yummm!

If youre looking for an easy, tasty meal, give this "Fancy" meat and potatoes option a try! (We paired it with a bottle of Plush Chardonnay)

Wedding Planning Update

I shared with you a few months ago that Haley & I got engaged, and we haven't shared much since then. Life has been pretty full of wedding planning, college graduation for Haley, bus driving, the start of my new real estate business, and overall life. As I sat down today and thought about what would be the most important & interesting thing to share about from the last 5 months, I felt like you might be interested in our wedding venue. Of course, who doesn't love to talk about wedding plans, right??

We have been blessed with the opportunity to have our ceremony & reception at a family friend's farm in Brenham, TX. The 160 acre plot of land is gorgeous, and as Haley says, it is a dream come true. Now, not being a traditional event venue, we have had to customize some of our plans, and make alternative arrangements for some things (ex: restrooms for 200 people). As decorations are being made and vendors being finalized, we are excited to be in the double-digits countdown stage to the wedding.

You can rest assured, there will be a blog post mid-November about the most awesome wedding ever to take place in Texas! Until then, enjoy these views and just image what this beautiful property will be transformed into!

--Bryan

#GettinHitched

Over the weekend, Haley & I experienced a pretty big step in our life together.... We got engaged!

For those of you who know us already know, we have been dating for just over 18 months at this point,  but have actually known each other for years. It wasn't until July of 2012 that we reconnected, comparing notes on cameras and photography. One thing led to another and I asked her on a date, which she initially said "no" to, but I was able to win her over, and boy was she glad I did. (Or so I like to think!) Our relationship has been full of God-moments, and we couldn't be more glad to say that. They have not always been easy things to deal with, but we have both grown as individuals, and in our faith, through them. We have been taught grace, forgiveness, and love throughout this time, all of which stems from our relationships with Christ. Apart of that God-centered foundation, we would not be where we are today.

So, you probably want to hear about the proposal, which makes sense, so here ya go...

It all began when I invited Haley on a "surprise" date on Saturday, March 22. This is something we try to do every few months, just as an opportunity to be romantic and do something different for each other. On this particular occasion, I told Haley I was running late for our date and that her brother would helping out by giving her a lift to our "date spot". This began a 45-minute adventure around town, including stops at memorable locations from our relationship and each of her family members swapping out as the chauffeur.

Ultimately, her destination was the home of some friends of ours. They have a charming, well planned outdoor space, complete with a treehouse. With the help of friends and family, we decorate the yard with candles, lanterns, song lyrics & a fire. The atmosphere was welcoming and full of warmth.

As Haley entered the back lawn, stepping down from the deck onto the pathway, I began to tear up, knowing what an exciting, important moment this was for both of us. I led her to the treehouse where the ringbox was waiting, along with a handwritten card and some of her favorite flowers. After some laughter, tears, and hugs, I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me. I was quite glad when she said "yes", not because I doubted she would, but because I have seen far too many proposal stories where long, awkward pauses find their way into that special moment, and boy was I glad that didn't happen!

Immediately following the "on-the-knee" moment, we climbed down from the tree & were greeted by Haley's family. We took lots and lots of pictures (which I love) then head to Grimaldi's Pizzeria to celebrate with them. All in all, it was an amazing night. I am so fortunate to have such an amazing fiancé, and can't wait to see what God has in store for us as we head into our future together!

Stay tuned for more updates on our story!