The Golden Unicorn

A wedding dress is both an intimate and personal for a woman - it must reflect the personality and style of the bride.

~Carolina Herrera

The Dress.

        There is nothing like seeing yourself in a wedding dress for the first time. It is like stepping into a whole new world where the ground is a combination of silk and tulle and the clouds are made of lace. Also seeing yourself once you step up onto the pedestal all clipped into the beautiful pieces really makes you realize that you are "the bride."

     I had always planned for my mom and sister to be there to help me choose my wedding dress, it is the most special time, and to have them both there was exactly what I always hoped for, pure joy! They helping me envision walking down the isle with my dad to my future husband in each dress. With Henley knowing that she will have a very busy schedule next semester finding time for all three of us to meet in one spot was going to be a difficult challenge to coordinate. So we decided to plan a weekend when Henley was on break to start looking; it turned out that his week was the best for all of us so I packed up and headed to Denver. This trip was to try on dresses in order to find out what shape I liked most on my body… I mean we are a whole year away I DID NOT need to find "the one" this weekend!

A&B

     I made three appointments for Friday and Saturday at different shops that so that I could get a feel for what I liked. The first shop was A & B, a great little boutique dress shop with lots of different shapes and styles in many designer's lines. I went into the experience with no preconceived plans of what I wanted to wear so I started by trying on one of every shape, I recommend this for everyone because you might surprise yourself! My stylist, Bre, helped me try on about eight dresses narrowing down the styles that i felt best in and that Henley and mom said fit my shape the best- these turned out to be a fit and flare, and …wait for it…. a ball gown! I know I was surprised too!! I felt that the two were so different that it was going to be hard to nail down the type I wanted for our wedding day. I liked that the ball gown was fun, playful, and that it offered the "bride look." You know the one that makes you really feel like that bride, the one that you saw on tv for many years as a little girl. The fit and flare was sophisticated, elegant, and gave me a womanly figure-- I have never seen that before. Within the two styles we narrowed it down to two dresses and left the store. I felt great narrowing things down and knew that I was making progress in my selection process, and did not feel discouraged walking out without a dress because I wasn't there to find one this weekend!

Little White Dress

     The second shop was called Little White Dress, a little bigger shop but not one like Kleinsfield where you feel overwhelmed! My Stylist Sara was darling! She wanted to keep going on the progress we made at A & B, so she pulled ball gowns and fit and flares with lace, bedding, tule, and anything else she could find. She also told us that we came in at a great time, because they were having a sample sale of three designers. This made it fun for her too because all the dresses had been delivered the night before so she had not even seen some. She showed us the section of the dresses and mom, Hen, and I picked our favorites, and she pulled them into my fitting room along with the ones that she found. I was really good at knowing when I didn't not like the dress or when it was beautiful but not MY dress, so the turn around in some of the dresses was very quick haha! I had fun being the first person to try on most of the dresses because they were in beautiful condition; I found three that I really liked and they were once again the two different spectrums. Sara helped us narrow the selection to a fit and flare because it gives a timeless, classic, and iconic style that will always represent elegance never be trendy. This grace and elegance is what I wanted to resemble going into my new life with Zack and it fit our day perfectly as well. 

IF you have not caught onto my subtle hints in previous posts by now our wedding date is

 December 31, 2016!

     What Sara did not tell us until I was about half way through with my selections, was that within some of the dresses were ones that were "Signature, and one of a kind dresses" mixed within the sample dresses. These "were designed but could not be mass produced because the materials were either too expensive to use in large quantities or the materials were not available for more than one dress." I of course had narrowed my selection down to one that fell within that description! Since the dresses came in the night before AND I was the first to wear them they had not placed prices on the dresses yet… Sara knew that the original price of the dress was $8,000 but the within the sample sale she estimated the price of the dress was $2,800 for the next two days. This was already over my $1,500 budget I set for myself. As I was standing in the dress, in the exact time of day and light that we will see a year from now, Henley snapped a picture of me. She had had done with all the favorites of the day, and handed it to me so that I could see myself in each dress; expecting another normal picture I did not expect the reaction that followed. As I saw myself in the picture I instantly started crying… NEVER in a million years would I have thought I would have been a girl that cried in a dress!! This made the rest of the store tear up as they knew that this was my dress.

     I instantly remembered the price tag on the dress and that we were still a year out still from our wedding date. This made me start coming up with reasons not to like the dress and hesitate saying, "Yes this is my dress." The only thing was that the dress I had on was perfect and Henley and mom knew it, but they let me say that I wanted to wait and go see the chapel in person to know if I saw myself in the dress there. Sara even agreed that I needed to see the chapel and know for sure that this was my dress. She also warned me that she could not hold the dress for me because it was a one of a kind and in the sample sale, and that if I left and another girl walked in and chose it that she would have to sell it to her. As I was changing out of the dress and getting dressed, I heard Sara say that she thought that she lied to us about the price because they had not tagged the dresses yet... this of course made me sad knowing that it was probably closer to its original price. I could see my mom and Henley were thinking the same thing when she finished her sentence with, "but in a good way! I'll be right back!" I continued to get dressed and put on my shoes, stealing glances at the dress hanging on the door. As I left the room Sara came back over beaming. She told us that she had fantastic news that even gave her "goosebumps on her cheeks," the dress was on sale for the weekend for $1000...(!) So if we back track this would make a $8000, one of a kind gown, that fit me almost perfectly, and now in exactly what I wanted to pay- Sara said that they called these brides unicorns because it never happened!


     Needless to say this girl took her unicorn home and I could not be any more excited about it!! The icing on the cake is that they were able to squeeze me in for my first fitting the next day so that I would not have to make a special trip back to Denver. During this appointment I was able to FaceTime with Tammy and Allison, Zack's mom and middle sister, so they were able to be a part of the special time as well! :) This made me very happy being able to share finding my dress with all the girls I love so much! Special thanks to Sara Bearrs at Little White Dress for helping me find the dress I will walk into my future in!

* Stay tuned for new updates on #TheRoadToRoberts *

The "I Do"s and I Don'ts so far

This week has been a little less wedding planning and a lot more work so we have only figured out a few more details, and with that...

"To Do" or not "To Do"...

     This is our question! We have just begun on the planning front and for only being engaged for a month I feel like I have exceeded the timeline that websites like The Knot and Southern Brides has laid out for me -  #OverAchiever. The speedy time line is my own fault because I have a goal to have most of the big things figured out by the end of this month because I am studying for my licensing test. Actually I found out this week that I passed my first test!! I am applying for the next two to take in April so (hopefully) I can be fully registered by the end of the summer & more importantly before I change my last name! ANYWHO back to the reason y'all read this thing hehe.

     Colors.

     We have chosen our colors! We are going for classic and elegant in our "theme" 

     The main colors will be gold and white, but to give a little depth we are adding indigo/dark navy instead of black for a modern twist to the classic pallet. We would love to have not only a wedding reception but a celebration into the new year with our closest :) We would like a black tie wedding for a more formal feel and true NYE traditions-- BRING ON THE SPARKLES!

The Reception.

     I am currently on the hunt for a caterer for our reception. We are looking into a small cocktail hour while we are taking pictures at the church so that our family can get to the lantern House and enjoy each others company while Zack and I are finishing up the group family photos and a few of us as a newly married couple (yay!). I am hoping that we can get the separate family photos before the ceremony so that we can get to our reception without making everyone wait too long! I don't know a lot of what we want but I do know some things that I know we can live with out:

Don'ts

1. Cake- We will not be having a traditional brides cake. I don't particularly like cake, especially wedding cake so we will be doing something different for the traditional cutting of the cake. This is not to say that there will be no dessert, that's just silly! We will be doing something that we both like for a little sweet ending to the night.
2. Stuffy wedding food- I am hoping to find something that is either with a caterer there in Denver, or a restaurant that we like so we don't have to have the normal steak, chicken, asparagus, and mashed potato dinner.
3. Come one Come all- to keep the numbers down we are not inviting the whole family on either side. Although neither of us have a large families we do have large extended families, and as I said in a previous post, to make sure that we are sticking to our gaol of 50 people we will not be extending invites to everyone. 
4. Bridesmaids & Groomsmen- Zack and I will only have two people standing with us during the ceremony, I have chosen mine to be my sister Henley and Zachary is still choosing which person he wants to stand by his side. 

Do's

1. Family style food- We are thinking of having a more family style serving for dinner more than the buffet or plated dinner. This way those who don't know each other can mingle a little easier, although I feel like most of the people will know each other pretty well :)
2. Breakfast for dinner- This is something that I have been considering the past week or so. Zack and his family have big breakfasts when everyone comes together and gathers around the table to talk. I think that it would also be a nice change from the traditional holiday dinners!
3. Toasts and Dances- I would love for our night to consist of people telling stories or saying what they feel and dancing into the new year. Zack is not the biggest fan of this part of the ideas, something that him and my father are way to similar in, but I am hoping that he will come around. 
4. Love. Laughs. & Light- This is just what it sounds like, I believe that if we focus on these aspects of the day there will be only memories of what a magical night that we all share.

Stay tuned for news and updates on #TheRoadToRoberts

Ruth it is!

Ruth said, "Entreat me not to leave you, or return from following you: For where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge: your people shall be my people, and you God my God."

Ruth 1:16

"I do"

Ruth Chapel

     The verse above is the exact reaction Tammy, my future mother-in-law, had to the pictures that I sent her of the chapel that we found to hold our wedding ceremony. This reaction was more priceless and perfect than I could ever imagine, because the name of the chapel is The Ruth Memorial of Parker. She went on to tell me that that verse was one that was part of her and Mike's ceremony almost 30 years ago; we instantly knew that we were meant to say, "I do" in this chapel!

     Last week while frustrated with venues in the area, I wanted to research places that we a little more traditional- I know this shocked me too, I never thought of me as a traditional bride growing up!! With my research I remembered passing a little chapel in the town square of Parker while on our carriage ride last year at christmas; a beautiful, intimate, white painted chapel with Christmas lights and covered in snow. 

     My mom and I decided to set up a time for her to go view the chapel and FaceTime me to get the feel of the space- thank you technology! The instant that she took me into the chapel I could feel myself walking in the space a year from now looking down the isle to my new life. The only other thing we needed to make sure of was that the date we had in mind was still available, and to sign the contract if it was; We are happy to announce that on Monday we will be signing contracts to hold our wedding at Ruth's special chapel!! 

    

     The interior is as simple and charming as the exterior with its wooden floors and pews that seat our exact wedding party size. It could not have been more perfect if it were planned for us over 100 years ago. The day that my mom took these pictures it was overcast and cloudy, but the light that shone through the windows made it seem like it was the middle of summer! 

     We are able to to rent the chapel for 4 hours on the day that we have been talking about for years! Needless to say we are so excited!! The next step was to find where we could hold a small reception to celebrate after, because the chapel is just a chapel not a church like we have today where there are other spaces attached. We wanted something that felt as intimate and special as the chapel that we found so the search started! 

     

     My mom and I started talking about places that we could rent that was not a formal ballroom... so not me or Zachary! I got so frustrated last Sunday that I was ready to run away and elope!! Zack called me dramatic, gave me a pep talk, a big hug, and told me to calm down and that everything will work out as it is supposed to- naturally he was correct (yes I realize that this is is writing). During my minor freak out I spouted off saying that I was just going to plan the reception in my parents neighborhood pool house. My mom, the always problem solver, quickly turned that into an actual solution by suggesting that we plan it at the next sub division over's Club house, "The Lantern House."

The Lantern House

     The Lantern House is the club house for the Stepping Stone Community, which was still being built the last time I was there. The building in general is architecturally interesting right off with large picture windows and vaulted ceilings with clearstories, that make the center of the building look just like a lantern candle holder when lit at sunset. The views from these windows are as beautiful inside as they are out. 

     The lady who spoke with my mom told us that the same day the chapel is available the Lantern House was available, our own little Christmas miracle! My mom toured me through the space via FaceTime once more and while we went through the space I think her face lit up as much as mine! 

     The interior of the Lantern House has a full kitchen, two large living/sitting rooms, and an office (that we can transform into a bridal suite), a dance floor, and dinner area. The space also has a beautiful fireplace and outdoor deck with a fire pit that we can use- yay! I have actually always dreamed about a fireplace in the winter to bring more life to the space. There is something about the Christmas lights outside and fire inside that makes Christmas and winter feel more warm and full of love, the perfect theme for a wedding if "I do" say so myself- pun intended! :)  

     We walked the space, discussing which area could be what, while Karen, the HOA director of the Lantern House, talked about how we could use this and that or they would move everything out so that we could use the space as we chose. We spent a good ten minutes talking about what we saw and how we could turn the cozy little, almost house, into our reception space! 

     Finding these spaces took taking a step back from what a "traditional" wedding has come to be i.e venues and all that they offer. By doing this I feel that Zack and I are happier and more excited to create a day that truly speaks to us and the start of our marriage. By going back to what weddings were like traditionally I feel that we are starting our marriage like both sets our parents, which have been happily married for 30 years and have set the best example for both of our families! We are so blessed and excited!

*Stay tuned for more stories and developments on The Road to Roberts*

The Search Is On

"Do not store up for yourselves the treasures on earth...For where your treasure is, there your heart will be." Matthew 6:19-21

Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe

     This week while visiting my family in Denver we were fortunate to look at four venues. These were beautiful places that enticed the inner designer in me, and made my mind fill with visions of what these places could transform into. The fun part was that the places were all completely opposite from the other, so we could really get the feel of where we saw ourselves saying, "I do!"

V e n u e s 

Villa Parker

     The first venue had a Tuscan feel, intimate spaces, and friendly staff. I loved a lot of what this venue could offer for our day; the main space has wooden floors, venetian plastered walls, wooden beams, sky lights, and french doors. The main room would be used for the ceremony as well as the reception; off this main room is the bridal suite in one direction, and a living room like "cocktail hour" space equipped with a bar and fire place. One thing that we liked about the Villa is that we would not have to do a lot of renting for decorating the spaces, because they included beautiful items in the base rental, but of course all of their packages do require some rentals. 

                     

Villa Parker

Villa Parker

     

    

Cielo at Castle Pines

     The second venue we visited was incredible in a completely different way. The drive up is through the woods and gives you that true "Colorado vibe" while traveling. Once you enter the venue you are greeted by enormous wooden doors the take you into a ball room with an impressive fireplace, dancing floor, and a grand staircase that leads up to the bridal suite. The outdoor patio has a stone gazebo and waterfall that almost makes you want to plan an outdoor wedding in December haha! Like Villa Parker the venue requires packages that you would have to purchase on top of renting the venue, but unlike the Villa Cielo would require more renting for decor and logistics. We ultimately felt that this venue would be too large for our wedding party but recommend the space for those looking!!!

Cielo at Castle Pines

                       

Cielo at Castle Pines

     

     These two venues made me really start to think about what we wanted for our wedding. I honestly did not expect the types of things that were not listed under the "included" package for venues that we would have to rent separately. I also did not know that a lot of places have "preferred vendors" so to those of you who are looking at venues be very careful with what you are signing onto and ask lots of questions. These vendors include everything from barware to DJs... in my opinion this goes against what most of the places kept saying was their key charm, to "offer a completely customized wedding for each couple." It might just be me, but telling me who I must use does not seem like I get to choose what happens on my wedding day...!

Anyways :)

Moss Denver

     On Saturday we were able to visit Moss, a new venue that is making its way into Denver's wedding market. The venue is still under construction but the owner allowed us to come and view the space! The space was a mix between traditional elegance and industrial- super cool and I totally saw all the possibilities! The brickwork and availability to rent their handmade tables and chairs instantly appealed to me. We definitely are keeping this as a consideration!

Moss

Moss

   

     We also went and "checked out" a few places without reservations hehe! We did a little reconnaissance so that next week my mom could go speak with the representatives at the places we thought were worth looking at. We found two other places that we really liked and feel that we could see ourselves getting married at, these were the Barn at Raccoon Creek and Hudson Gardens. The great part about getting to go view these venues during this break was that we got to see what our day would look like weather wise most likely :)

     While going through the process it has made me feel that it is very easy to get off track on what is important in your wedding day. This day is supposed to be the start a marriage, not the start of multiple credit card payments... I have been very fortunate that my parents are willing to give Zack and I a beautiful wedding, but I am making it a point to only have things that are needed to make our day special not needed because it would take it a step up in the realm of weddings.

     That also being said we were horrified in some of the rates for the day that we had our minds set around so that will no longer be our day... so glad I didn't make it officially known to anyone! I do not mean to offend anyone who works in or around the wedding industry but I am officially peeved at what this has come to be... this will be all I say in writing but will be happy to step on my soap box for anyone who would like to chat!

F a m i l y + T h a n k f u l n e s s

     With this being Thanksgiving week, and being thankful and grateful are things you are supposed to be reflecting on, I want to take a second and make known what I am grateful for. Most importantly this week we got to spend time with my unbelievably wonderful and generous parents. Zack and I are so thankful for your giving and blessings for us both that we still do not have the words...! We also got to spend four days with my sister and her boyfriend Blaine who made the trip full of laughs and hugs! The four of us spent Thanksgiving helping Henley finish projects, watching football, and drinking wine! :)

     I have been reminded multiple times throughout these first few steps of our wedding planning of how lucky I am. I am grateful for my parents who have reminded Zack and I that this is about us and what we truly want. This is not always the case with parents, especially mother-of-the-bride and bride around this time in their life. These two people are amazing and I am blessed to have them as my parents. I am also grateful for a blessing I received 21 years ago that turned into a best friend, and now a beautiful Maid of Honor! Henley agreed to help me marry my man next year and we both could not be happier-- Zack even tried to steal her for his best man but I beat him to her haha!!

     I also have received the unwavering love from my fiancé, even when I thought that he was not paying attention. He keeps me true to myself and what is important to us, and does not let my brain stray too far down the daunting path of spreadsheets and cost of the world. I am also thankful for the wonderful family that I get to soon marry into. My future in laws (truly second parents) are the best; I honestly am the luckiest person to have found someone who I love, and who I also love their family as much as my own. I have never felt that I was an outsider and am grateful that the stories that I have always heard about "once you become the daughter-in-law that you become the enemy" remain just that. Stories. And I am so fortunate that I have the exact opposite! At the end of the day I get to remember how blessed I am and that God has  answered my prayers beyond measure! :) 

Budgets, and Photographers, and Venues- Oh My!!

     Down the Rabbit Hole I Go!

     Have you ever felt like you are stepping into a dream? Everything is calm with an etherial glow and then all the sudden the dream flips upside down and you feel like you are falling? Well they say that is what happens when you go from fiancé to wedding planner. My feelings are not that extreme--yet. I would like to have a talk with Pinterest though, and find out where the fine print is that they never gave girls like me. The one that states that they really don't help you plan anything ;)... because no matter how many pins you have on that secret wedding board, it will never prepare you for actually planning a wedding!

Planning.

     Zack and I have talked about getting married for a couple years now and what we thought we would want for a wedding-- weeell to be honest I have talked about it while he just smiles at my craziness! We had narrowed down the time of year to the winter because Zack is so hot natured; He "begged" to not pick a time a year that he would have to sweat on our wedding day, I thought this was totally fair ;) With his school schedule it actually worked out perfectly to plan a winter wedding because over the winter break is the longest time off; planning it in that break from school means that we can have a wedding and a honeymoon, without having to wait for his next break. So we have decided to set the date some time around the holidays in 2016.

Venues.

     The craziness of picking a date and a venue has not been too extreme, except for the fact that we are planning to get married in DENVER surpriiiiiise!! With this being a big factor we are trying to go and view some of our top picks we have found while we are with my parents for Thanksgiving, that way if we do like them we can book it for the day we are hoping for-- stay tuned for that piece of info ;)

     We are also looking for a place that will support our party size, and one that does not have a corporate feel to it. This has narrowed my search margin quite a bit, but that can be viewed as a good thing as well. Something that also narrows my search , if I want it to, is the distance from my parents house. A couple weeks ago Denver had a huge snow storm that closed all of the roads in Denver, so with our plans being in winter we are trying to stick closer to Parker.

Photography.

     I have started the search for photographers, probably my most daunting task because I have a specific vision in my head! My key "want" in the wedding would probably be the photography, especially with the wedding being small. The photographs will be the way that we can share our day with those that are not there with us, and hopefully make them feel like they were there. This was my rabbit hole for sure!! I have found a few candidates for our wedding day that I am in talks with, and feel like this will be the first thing that needs to be figured out.

     I can officially say that I found who will be taking our engagements for us!!! I wanted someone that I could trust to do a good job and be flexible with Zack's weekend schedule, and after thinking really hard and contacting a few people whom my friends have used for their weddings, I knew in my heart what I should do. I talked with my mom and Zack we decided it was best to have someone in the Austin area do our engagements, so that we do not have to figure out the travel involved with going to Denver, and have another photographer to shoot at our wedding. I seriously suggest this for anyone who decides to have a wedding in a place other than where you live!

     Anyways I am pleased to announce that the FIRST thing that I have booked is my wonderfully talented friend Haley Ottmann with Haley Ottmann Photography!! :) You can visit her page here!
Zack and I are so excited to share this road with her and are looking forward to getting one step closer to Mr. + Mrs. Roberts!

Family + Friends.

     The plan is for a small intimate wedding with our closest family and friends that have been a part of our relationship from the beginning. This has been a detail that I have wanted in my wedding for about 10 years. I am a designer and know that if I planned a larger wedding it would make me focus more on what others experienced on our day, and not on the fact that I am there to celebrate the day I become Mrs. Zachary Roberts. This detail means that the wedding will consist of about 50-75 people; This doesn't to mean that we don't want everyone to be there to share in our celebration, it's just the only way to keep our guest count from raising exponentially! So if you are reading this and are not there please know that you still mean the world to us and will be in our hearts :)

*  Hope you are enjoying the tid-bits and insight into our plans! Stay tuned to hear more about  *

#TheRoadToRoberts

   

Happy Tears

     *THANK YOU*

     The days following our engagement have been some of my happiest days and I hope to say the same for Zack! We spent all day, and I mean ALL day, Sunday calling family and close friends to tell them of our engagement "in person." We were congratulated and received so much love it was almost overwhelming; my favorite conversations included those that spent time reliving days that people felt were special, that were also a special part of in our relationship.

     Monday, November 16, 2015 Zack and I decided that it was time to tell the rest of the world. I can honestly say I never imagined the response we received and that Zack and I were beyond humbled, thank you to everyone!

     The only "downside" to this whole week was that I had to give my ring back Monday morning at 10 am; this was so that it could be resized by the time we left for my parent's house on Tuesday the 24th. At the risk of sounding like "that girl"I will tell you that the days without it on my finger were probably the hardest few days, especially to stay focused at work! It is hard to explain the weird feeling, it was like my hand instantly recognized something was missing even though I have worn a ring on my ring finger for years! Luckily my ring came in early and it is back on my finger where it belongs :)

Celebrations with Friends 

     We have loved going to celebrate with those who have asked us to join them for dinner or drinks! We first went out with some amazing friends of ours, Rosalyn + Christian, the night after we decided on our forever. We have claimed these two in the last year and are never letting go. :) This was a very fun evening talking about our "plans" for our big day and hearing some marriage advice of course! These two have been married for almost 3 years and you can truly see how they feel about each other, which is so inspiring while planning a wedding. Rosalyn and I met at work so naturally we are in constant talks about plans and all that I need to do; Ros + Christian recently had a big wedding to celebrate with family and friends that were not at their private ceremony, so she is a gem to have for questions! I have also absolutely loved gushing with my girl friends at work like any bride-to-be would do!

     Actually, I did not even tell anyone I work with when I walked in on Monday, hehe, I wanted to wait and see how long it took until someone noticed. Four people came and talked to me without noticing until Mika and Katie, who somehow had a feeling that I was getting engaged, came straight over looking at my left hand. I have no idea how those two guessed when I was completely in the dark!!! Katie's birthday was actually Saturday and she said it was her birthday wish, we can all go, "Awwww" in unison now :) She texted me Saturday night and Sunday morning asking how our date was, and everything except straight out asking if we were engaged- naturally I ignored her so that they could know in person. My whole interior team even signed a beautiful card for us that touched my heart forever!

     On Friday we were invited over to have a cook out celebration at Mindy + Lukas' house. I have known Mindy for 11 years and we have been best friends for about 10 1/2 of those; Lukas came into the picture our senior year when they started dating. Three years later they were married and Zack and I were invited to be a part of their special day! :) Mindy was the first person I called on Sunday morning, her response can not be typed with enough expression so I will leave it in our hearts! They invited us the their house to come, celebrate, and enjoy ourselves without being rushed. They also asked us to bring our pup, Sir, too so he could have a play date with their two, Jenna + Valor. Needless to say it was a wonderful evening!

     Saturday night Zack's friends Anthony, Kristin, Emily + Sarah, that he has met through his graduate school invited us to go have drinks and hear all about how the first week of engagement. The girls were more interested in my left hand and knowing all about how he asked! All of the girls sat there with intent looks on their faces, while Zack sat there half smirking about how everything unfolded and the other half hoping that Anthony showed up soon so that the testosterone level would raise at the table! haha After we had our fill of chips, queso, fajitas, and tequila we all parted so that everyone could get up for school the next morning.

                          *  Needless to say we have not started the Wedding diets yet ;)  *

We have truly had a magical first week and are looking forward to the next 58!! :)

The Proposal

"He has made everything beautiful in His time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end." 

Ecclesiastes 3:11

       November 14, 2015 was the day that our lives began and ended all at once; it was the end of our separate lives and the beginning of our lives together. The whole process started about two years ago according to my sister and 3 weeks ago according to Zack. My wonderful fiancé had asked my sister Henley about two years ago to spend the rest of his life with me and from that day she has been waiting patiently (if you know Henley you know she is as patient and subtle as a gnat) for him to ask my parents, which leads us to when Zack called and asked my parents for permission to marry me three weeks ago. I'll let you choose which started it all ;)

*The following events were told to me by Zack after I interrogated him about how he managed to surprise me after 8 years*

   

Fall 2015

     Zack knew that getting to Denver to ask my parents in person without me catching on would be impossible, he is soooo correct in that, so he was forced into the modern age of FaceTime. Once he asked my parents my mom immediately bursted into tears while my dad sat and lowered his head, then raised his head and said,"Can I sleep on it? ...  just kidding I had to give you a hard time in some way." Of course he chose this moment to pull the "Dad Card" and cash in all the times that he had not given Zack a hard time when we first started dating; my dad then teased that there were no "give backs" which Zack gladly accepted ;)

     The next few weeks were spent looking at rings online; Zack knew that he liked settings with halos and that I wanted something that looked unique, so he searched until he found a few that he liked enough to go see them in person. To get a woman's perspective Zack was sneaky enough to get his mom into town, under my radar, with the cover of overdue license plates. So with that is what he went in looking for. They went to a few stores and looked at selections that matched the pictures he had and the description that he gave, but nothing was "the ring." After walking out of the second store  they went into at The Domain, Zack told his mom that since they were out there he wanted to just go look in Tiffany's to see what they had. *I would have told him to turn around*

     The two of them walked into Tiffany's and were greeted by Clinton, or my forever friend as I now refer to him, and shown two rings that fit Zack's wants. He took a look at both and instantly knew that "This was the ring." Being the best confidant ever , seriously, Tammy suggested lunch before purchasing and to come back if he still felt as strongly. Zack said it took about 20 minutes for him to walk back in to pick up the symbol of our future. The next steps were to plan the day.

The Plan.

     Most of you know that Zack in currently a student studying for his doctorate in physical therapy, so his time is very limited. What some of you probably do not know is that he has class every other weekend all day long, which gives him even less time ESPECIALLY around finals. He knew that his finals would start the week right after thanksgiving, which coincides perfectly with our anniversary. Over the years we also decided to stop giving each other presents for our anniversary, and go to a nice dinner instead. This being the norm, I did not think much of him asking me to celebrate our anniversary the last weekend before he turned into a hermit. I accepted the invitation to dinner and it all started to fall into place.

The place: Steiner Ranch Steakhouse, Austin, Texas

     This steakhouse has held most of the important dates now that I look back on it. A couple of Zack's birthdays including his 21st birthday, and both of our graduation dinners in the past 5 years. I had previously told him that I would like to go back to even just drink wine by the fire pit. Zack knew that he would have to keep the day as normal as possible or I would catch on, so for me to have suggested this must have made it felt like the stars were aligning for him. 

The plan: Get a yes!

     Zack's plan was to arrive early at the restaurant and have them seat us near the fire pit to drink wine and enjoy the beautiful weather of the hill country. While we waited for our table to be ready he would tell me that he got me a present even though he knew he was not supposed to, and give me a small gift sack. I would roll my eyes as usual and start to open the present only to find a little blue box with a little white bow, knowing what was about to happen I would start to cry as he took the box out of my hand and got down on one knee. He would ask me to marry him and Henley would be in the background to capture our special moment and be a part of the celebration.

The Reality.

     November 14, 2015, the day started like our usual Saturdays do, Costco and Starbucks! After snapping pictures of our infamous red cups and stocking up at Costco, we made lunch and watched the Longhorn... lose. A completely normal Saturday right?!?... I know Longhorn fans, it's been tough! After the game I decided to start getting cleaned up so that we could be ready to go at 4pm. I did the normal girl routine of shower/hair/make up and then changed into my favorite emerald dress- one that I have not had a good enough excuse to wear yet because it was too nice to wear just out and about. Flash forward to Zack getting ready...OKAY CONFESSION TIME! Up until Saturday I had thought (like any girl after 8 years going on nice dates) that this could be THE date night. I quickly put that out of my mind once Mr "I love to wear suits and look nice" told me he did not know what to wear and that he needed help. I helped him pick out a nice button down and slacks that matched the dressiness of my outfit for the night and we headed out the door- me completely convinced that I was once again crazy and he was NOT proposing.

     While on the way to the restaurant I am riding as usual, singing along and making interpretive dances to the music while on snapchat, and Zack is quiet while his phone is blowing up in his pocket. With him in a group chat with his classmates I chalked it up to that but asked if I needed to text anyone for him to get them to stop. He said no and just kept driving to the restaurant; on the other line was my sister who was frantically trying to tell him that all his plans were about to take a major twist and that she was working really hard to make sure that things worked out-- you are the best Henley! 

The place: Steiner Ranch Steakhouse, Austin, Texas

     As we walked into the restaurant we check in at the receptionist and made our way to the bar to get our wine while Zack stepped away to call my sister back- he told me he had to go to the bathroom. Once he returned to the table the manager came over and introduced himself and asked how our evening has been so far, I never thought anything into this because they were a little slow and the staff has ALWAYS been exceptionally friendly. As we sat there talking to him I noticed that the band was taking their equipment down and tearing down their set due to the rain that had started. The manager told us that we looked very nice and asked if we were celebrating anything, I responded with, "Our 8th anniversary!" and quickly asked if the patio was still open, a girl has her priorities(!) We were told that if  we did not mind a little rain we could go out until they completely closed the patio. We both agreed it was okay and started out the door.              

  

The plan: Get a yes!

     As I walked out the door headed to the fire pit Zack quickly redirects me down the ramp instead of the stairs and tells me "No! Delaney this way!" I turn and follow, thinking he is completely crazy and thinking that "There are two ways down to the stupid fire pit." Noticing that the chairs had been pushed out of the rain near the pit, I decided that I did not want to move the chairs back and forth and suggested that we go sit over at the little tables overlooking the lake. Zack knowing that if he tried to get anything back to his original plan would tip me off so he went along and started to think. About the time we go to sit and enjoy our wine the manager comes to check on us and make sure we were not getting to wet, and then asked if we wanted a picture. ---I wish I would have seen Zack's face at this point because I am sure there were daggers in his eyes as his original plans had been completely derailed at this point--- I quickly accepted and asked Zack for his phone to take the picture. As I unlocked his phone and got it to the camera app to set the manager up for the picture, my sweet soon-to-be fiancé has to quietly tear into the gift sack, unwrap the ring box, and make it to my side by the time I turned to take the picture with him. I thought that he was going to come and stand on the right hand side of me like he usually does, but instead he dropped to one knee.  I instantly said, "O-mi-gosh" knowing what would be the next words spoken. He smiled up at me and asked, "Will you marry me?" I bent down giving him a kiss and told him, "Of course I will!"

     The next thing I hear is, "Awe yay!" I knew that voice! I turned to see my sister there smiling. I shrieked and ran over to greet her, leaving Zack---with the ring--- standing shaking his head and smiling. The manager q
uickly announced to the small group of people that had gathered on the patio with us, "Don't worry y'all she said yes!" It hit me instantly that I had just left my new fiancé waiting for me to place the ring on my finger--- guess as Brad Paisley says, "He will always be waiting on a woman" hahaha! Zack replaced the ring I have worn for years, with a diamond ring more beautiful than I ever imagined. 

     To this point I had not cried... If you know me you are probably just as baffled as I was! Do not worry, those came moments after when a woman approached with champagne and said, "Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Roberts." We spent the next 3 hours having dinner with Henley and her boyfriend Blaine laughing and enjoying the most perfect evenings of our lives, starting our "Road to Roberts."

As Julie Andrews once sang, "Let's start at the very beginning."

Zachary and I officially met in Mrs. Lollar’s mixed chorus, I was in 7^th grade and he was in 8^th, while practicing in preparation for the “All City” and “All Regional” vocal competitions in Odessa, Texas. During this time I found the trouble maker in the corner was the reason that the long rehearsals were actually fun and entertaining. We both placed, which officially allowed me to try out for the few spots available the next year for the All-Freshman“Mixed Chorus.”

The following year we had choir class together and my intrigue grew to a crush, not that I let on of course(!)

Zack started dating someone that year but he always seemed to make his way over to talk to my group of friends. We spent the year as friends and then he went off to high school, I still had another year in junior high so we didn’t keep in touch.

The following year I walked into my sophomore chemistry class and low and behold, who was sitting in the seat right next to me as the bell rang? Mr Roberts. We were placed in a group with 3 others as lab partners for the semester where not only the class but our new rekindled friendship had chemistry. It didn’t take long for my close girl friends to catch on that this was something, so in true high school form my friend decided to put a game night together and invited him to join in—to this day I am grateful she did!

A group of us spent a Saturday evening playing Twister, Dance Dance rRevolution, and apples to apples until curfew struck and my friend’s mom told everyone to go home. I was convinced that he had no interest in me because he was always on the opposing side, until he offered to drive me home (around the block) where I lived. I immediately told my friend’s mom that I no longer needed a ride and happily accepted his offer.

During the ride home we were met by two very drunk men who pulled up beside his truck at a red light and insisted that I get out of the car. Zachary immediately locked the doors, rolled the windows up, and told me to not make eye contact with them until we drove off. The light turned green and both cars advanced but they were not leaving, Zack told me that he was not taking me home until they left us alone-- in that moment I not only knew I could trust him but that I felt safe with him-- we traveled on for another 5 minutes until we got caught at another light with the drunks right beside us. I naturally thought I was going to die, "goodbye cruel world" and all that jazz but Zack kept his cool, which infuriated the dynamic duo enough for one to chunk a beer at his truck before speeding off, covering Zack's truck with a coating of beer!

We pulled up in front of my house, 15 minutes past curfew and smelling of beer, GREAT first impression right?? Luckily my parents were more impressed with the guy with the quick thinking that kept their daughter safe than the guy who brought their daughter home late and smelling of alcohol at 15.

After that night Zack and I talked almost every night and in the classes that we had together throughout the day, we still we in choir together and my fiance (yea I said it) is still a wonderful singer. We spent time at each others houses getting to know the families- Zack claims to this day that the fact that I came in and gave his mom a hug while inducing myself made all the difference and I like to think the same! We even spent 30 minutes of his sister's birthday with his family but didn't even have time to eat cake so that we could make my parents (accidental) curfew. Still interested? Ask my mom for the full story haha! We went to friends birthday parties, went to watch each others games, and met during class changes in the hallway. Our friendship grew to a real like for each other, I had actually declined being his girlfriend once at this point, because had told Zack I didn't want to just rush into a relationship without establishing a friendship. I told him that he had to wait until after Christmas first....

November 30, 2007 came and after a movie date while, walking him out to his truck (sister spying from the window) I told him that, "Christmas came early" and I would love to be his girlfriend if the offer still stood. I think we all know his answer and we shared our first kiss that night, the first of many more to come unbeknownst to either of us.

Powder Puff Game 2010

Prom 2010

Mom's Birthday 2011

Zack's Graduation 2013

My Graduation 2014

Henley's Parents Weekend 2015

The 8 next years grew from like to love, we traveled to Austin, Texas, withstood my crazy freshman year (some of you might know what this means-- to those I apologize), endured long distance, and that brought us to November 14, 2015 "The Engagement".