Hello, 2012! New year, new life---- new WIFE!

First- Happy New Year!
Second- How in the world is it 2012 already?  

The fact that my last blog post was in August- nearly 5 months ago, indicates that the end of the year was a *little busy.  2011 was a sweet year- full of wonderful memories & milestones. Going into 2012, I'm more aware than ever that I have much to be thankful for.  First & foremost:


My HUSBAND, and our new life together as Mr. & Mrs. Porterfield.  

There is nothing else I would rather write about in my first blog of the new year, than the best day of my life: October 29, 2011.  The day I married the love of my life & best friend.  


To be perfectly honest, our wedding day (& weekend) exceeded my dreams & expectations.  The days leading up to our wedding were filled with a calm & type of happiness I'd never felt before.  The day before our rehearsal & dinner was full of laughter as my & Doug's families worked to decorate & transform the reception venue with all our personal touches.  The ladies stopped decorating long enough for a leisurely lunch at the Park Bench, and finished off the day with manicures & pedicures- it was quality time at it's best.

It's hard to describe the joy Doug & I felt the night before our wedding, as we shared our rehearsal dinner with over 60 of our friends, parents, siblings, aunts & uncles- sharing stories, laughter, and of course the thrill of the Cardinals World Series title.  (Literally- our entire group crowded around the one TV in the restaurant to watch the end of the game & everyone was cheering & exchanging high fives when the Cards clinched the title!)  It was heart warming to see my aunts & uncles meet Doug's aunt & uncles, and our different circles of friends come together.  Everyone hit it off & it felt like we were all one big family.   

It's hard to describe the happiness & peaceful anticipation I felt getting ready with my mom, sisters & girlfriends the morning of our wedding, or how humbling it was to stand at the back of the church and see every last pew filled with people who have shared in our lives; people who care so much about us that they traveled to my small hometown to share our day with us.  

It's hard to describe the awe I felt as I stepped outside with my bridesmaids to walk over to the church & took in the beauty of the day God had blessed us with. 

Most of all, it's hard to describe the love I have for the man I now call my husband.  The man who promised to love, support, honor & cherish me every single day for the rest of our lives.  The man who makes me laugh, challenges  & supports me.  The man who tolerates my (rare) irrational behavior, knows me better than I know myself, and is an answer to my the prayers for someone incredible to share forever with.

Nothing could have prepared me for all the feelings I felt on that beautiful fall day in October- but one thing is for sure, I'll never forget them.  Today more than ever, I am grateful for the way God's plan for my life has unfolded over the past 28 years, and optimistic for all the future holds for us in this sweet new life together.

Our wedding day was absolutely stunning.  Crystal clear blue skies, crisp fall air... and sunshine.  Lots of sunshine.  Thank you, Lord for blessing us with such a beautiful day!

There were lots of meaningful "little details" incorporated into our wedding day.  My sister (& Matron of Honor) Jen made these letters that hung on the doors to the church.  I love simplistic details like this!

My Groom & his Groomsmen- Mike St. Cin, Andrew Reilly, Eric Terwelp, Doug's brother Jeff Porterfield, Brian Greene, and my brother Ethan Koch.  

A very dapper looking group!

Another little detail I loved were the Grandparent Candles we had at the church.  We took this idea from Jen, who made them for her & Tim's wedding last year.  Though only one of our eight grandparents was able to share in our wedding day with us, all were represented & honored through these candles.  Jen made these for us, too, using photos from each of our grandparents' wedding day.  My mom & Doug's mom lit their candles at the beginning of Mass from these (which Doug & I in turn used to light our unity candle together).  

The four Grandparent Candles.

Praying with my bridesmaids & mamma before going over to the church for the wedding Mass.  Such a special (emotional!) moment to share with these wonderful women.

Our ring bearer, Carson & flower girl, Gia weren't sure about their jaunt down the aisle, but in the end, with a little coaxing- made an adorable (mad) dash!

Walking down the aisle with my dad.  All morning, I thought I might be able to hold it together for our walk down the aisle...

Until it was just him & I waiting in the back of the church.  Between the anticipation, beautiful music, a church packed full of friends & family, being on my dad's arm & the excitement of seeing Doug, I absolutely crumbled within seconds of the doors opening.  Definitely the most emotionally overwhelming moment of my life- but in a good way!  

The beginning of our Mass, surrounded by our dearest friends on the altar, and 300 friends & family members behind us!  It was humbling to be loved & supported by so many special people.  Fr. Chuck did an unbelievable job making our Mass such a sacred, meaningful celebration.

I'm blessed to have married such a chivalrous man- during our Mass he was so careful to escort me from place to place.  His thoughtfulness insured that neither of us tripped & fell... or that my veil didn't catch on fire.  :)  It's very endearing to watch in our wedding video.

I love this picture our photographer snapped from the choir loft.

Being introduced as Mr. & Mrs. Porterfield!

Our b-e-a-u-t-i-ful bridal party! (They also happen to be a lot of fun).  :-)    

The ever-expanding Koch family- the ratio of men & women in our family seems to become more balanced each year.

My wonderful in-laws- Doug's parents Gary & Nancy, and brother Jeff.

Our flowers were at the top of my list of favorite details from our wedding.  I LOVED the stunning fall colors our florist used.  They were absolutely perfect.

For as much as the flowers were at the top of my list of favorite details- our getaway "truck" was at the top of Doug's.  He tracked down this stretch F-350 to transport our wedding party from the church to the reception.  It would suffice to say a good time was had by all!

I.Adore.These.Ladies.  

I'm truly fortunate to have friends like them, and appreciate that each of them holds a special place in my heart, from different times in my life.  They all inspire me to be a better woman every day!  It was an honor to have them (Sarah Clancy, Anna Koch, Jennah Jackson, Amy Wort, Lisa Brake & Sara Terwelp) by my side & share in our wedding day.

Our photo shoot at my parents' house- in front of our barn.  Even little Harrison (the calf) jumped in for a couple of shots-- -he's hanging out on the left.

I especially love the pictures taken at my parents' house- such beautiful backdrops & an abundance of sentiment.  This one was taken by our pond.  

Strolling down the road in front of our house.  

 I wasn't blessed with crafty or creative talents, but thankfully my sisters were!  While Anna spent hours on the video to show at our reception, Jen worked with my parents to construct these beautiful centerpieces.  They gathered branches from our farm, painted them gold, arranged them in vases and hung candles from the branches.  They were stunning & created a really elegant, romantic feel for our reception.    

We wanted our wedding favors to be something to be purposeful & personal.  Since Alzheimer's is a disease that has impacted both of our families, Doug & I chose to make a donation to the Alzheimer's Association in honor of our Grandmothers as our wedding favor.  We set these favor cards at each guests' seat at the reception.

A little surprise for Doug... his groom's cake- a golf bag & titleist clubs!  

(Chocolate, of course).

Our cake- simple, elegant.... and delicious.  Each tier was a different flavor- vanilla bean, chocolate fudge, lemon raspberry & pumpkin.  :)

My dad, who's incredible toast at our reception brought many of our guests to tears. He ended with a quote that will forever be one of my favorites: 

"To Christy & Doug, may your faith in God, your trust in one another & the love of everyone assembled here inspire you to everlasting love."

I have to be honest- I cry each time I watch the video of our first dance.  

We surprised everyone by taking lessons for months before our wedding & danced to Ray Lamontagne's "You Are The Best Thing."  It was so much fun, and we were surprised (& encouraged) at the applause & cheers from our guests throughout the dance.  :)  Definitely a favorite memory.

Speaking of favorites- I love this picture of me & Grandpa Koch, dancing at the reception.  It's a framer.

Last shot of the night- in front of the Ambiance, outside of our reception.

I hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into our incredible wedding day.  If you're looking for the perfect little summary, our videographer put together a wonderful 4-minute summary of Our Wedding Video (Summary Version), and is the second file on the right (Christy + Doug).

Here's to all that is to come in this new year---- Cheers to 2012!