Wow, what a year! I can’t say much else about 2014 other than the fact that it was amazing, incredible, magical, unbelievable, perfect, and went by way too quickly. It was seriously the best year of my life, and I can’t let it get away without recapping all of the unfathomable things that happened (like getting MARRIED!!).
We’re in our first full week of the new year, and usually by now I would have written about my new year’s resolutions and promises to myself. This year, however, I am going to do something a little different. Instead of a post of new year’s resolutions that I most likely won’t even stick to, I am going to reminisce on what was sure to be the most unforgettable of years.
So without further ado, here are some of my favorite memories from each month in 2014:
January 2014
It was our first full month being engaged! What a great way to start the year.
February 2014
We got to celebrate our engagement with our friends and family! My parents hosted a fabulous engagement party for us, and Jimmy’s parents even made the trip down from Chicago. (You can read about it here, if you’d like.)
While his parents were in town, we thought it would be the perfect time for our parents to get to know one another. His parents had already met my mom and step dad a few times, but my dad and [almost] step mom hadn’t met them until the party. We all enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Cap’s on the Water, and it was just such a great night.
March 2014
I said “yes” to the dress! I fell in love with the first wedding dress I tried on and just knew I had to have it. Even though I changed my mind about it throughout the next few months and fell in love another, I am so glad I stuck to my original choice. It was perfect. (You can read all about my dress shopping adventure here, if you’d like.)
We secured our wedding venues! This was so much fun, and one of my favorite parts about the wedding planning process. (Click here to read about our search for the perfect rehearsal dinner venue.)
Two dear friends of mine and wonderful people, Adam and Lisa, tied the knot on March 29th. They had a beautiful wedding, and we got to spend time with my Jacksonville Landing family!
April 2014
We took our engagement photos! (You can see all of the photos here.)
And sent out our Save the Dates!
My friend Beth got married to her soul mate on April 26th. She was a gorgeous bride, it was a beautiful wedding in Jacksonville, and the two of them are so special to me.
May 2014
I started at Peak Physiques! I decided to start working with a personal trainer at a nearby gym to get in shape for the wedding, and have never been so happy about a decision. They have completely transformed the way a treat my body, and I am excited to continue working with them this year.
My mom and step dad threw a Cinco de Mayo party, so we all wore mustaches, sombreros and drank margaritas. Oh, and my step dad drank the worm from the bottle of Mezcal!
June 2014
My friend Beth (the one who got married in April) had a celebrity-themed costume party, so J and I dressed up as 90’s Justin and Britney. It was so much fun!
July 2014
The 4th of July is one of Jimmy’s favorite holidays, so we always try to do something fun and all-American. Last year, we spent the morning at the pool, then spent the evening at the Jacksonville Suns baseball game with some of our favorite people and holiday buddies!
August 2014
Jimmy and I celebrated five years on August 29th! We spent the weekend in Savannah checking items off of our wedding to-do list.
September 2014
I had the honor of posing as the Real Bride for the latest issue of Bridal Beauty Magazine! I still haven’t seen the issue, but the photo shoot was a lot of fun. (Feel free to read about it and see all of the behind-the-scenes pictures here.)
We sent out our wedding invitations!
October 2014
My mom threw us a Jack-and-Jill tailgate wedding shower on the day of the GA/FL game. Everyone wore their team colors, we watched the game, had yummy football food, opened gifts, and took lots of pictures by the photo booth. It was so much fun!
I had not one but TWO bachelorette parties in October! The first one was in Savannah, and I was able to celebrate with all of the girls who couldn’t make it to the destination one. (You can read about it here.)
The next weekend, 12 of my girlfriends joined me in Nashville, TN for the most epic weekend ever. (I haven’t finished that recap post yet, but I did post the pictures from our photo shoot here.)
For Halloween, Jimmy and I dressed up as old-school comic book/pop art characters. It was so much fun doing the make up for this!
November 2014
My bridesmaids Whitney, Brittnee and Heather threw me the most adorable Breakfast at Tiffany’s Bridal Shower! They went all out: decorations, breakfast food, a mimosa bar, accessories and more. So cute and so much fun!
Our family holidays and get-togethers are always wonderful, but this past Thanksgiving at my dad’s was just so nice. Perhaps it was because I knew I wouldn’t get to celebrate Christmas with them, but I really enjoyed it and loved having the whole family together.
December 2014
WE GOT MARRIED!!!!!! 12-13-14 was by far the happiest and most amazing day of my life. I can’t wait to share all the details about that perfect weekend here on the blog! (Make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss it.)
Jimmy and I honeymooned on an eight-day cruise out of Fort Lauderdale, FL. We cruised on Princess Cruiselines, stayed in a beautiful suite with a balcony, and traveled to Princess Cays, St. Thomas and St. Maarten. It was very different but a lot of fun spending Christmas in the Caribbean with just the two of us. We had the time of our lives. (That post is coming soon, too!)
And then, when we got off the ship and decided we weren’t ready to be done yet, we stayed the night in West Palm Beach, where Jimmy caught this lobster from a claw machine! (Then the restaurant cooked it for us to eat.)
Somehow I managed to find time to send out Christmas cards, and they are my favorite ones yet. Only because the timing was so perfect and we will never get to send another like this again!
We continued our Christmas dinner at Maggiano’s tradition and enjoyed our first date night as husband and wife.
And then, on the last day of 2014, we celebrated such a phenomenal year with fireworks, champagne, and lots of happiness in downtown Jacksonville.
Oh, and I lost 22 pounds and a lot of inches. And I can do push-ups, pull-ups and flip tires!
See, told you it was a fabulous year :).
2015 will be much different (not planning a wedding and all), but I know it’s going to be another great year. I have several friends getting married, some I know will be expecting their first (or second) child this year, and Jimmy and I will get to enjoy being husband and wife!
So, what can you expect from me this year? Personally, you can expect that I will be doing everything I can to live a better, healthier and happier life. I plan to do that by just being responsible and doing less. Saying “yes” less, spending less, doing less, drinking less, and eating out less. But also by doing more. Making more time for myself, going to the gym more, eating more healthy foods, sleeping more, traveling more, and saving more. Oh, and being the best wife I can be! For my blog, you can expect a lot more posting (including a lot of post-wedding posts. I have a lot to recap and advice to share with future brides!).
Thank you to everyone who helped make 2014 so amazing: my husband (hehe, I like saying that), my friends, my family, my co-workers and my blog readers. I love you all and can’t wait to share 2015 with you.
CHEERS, and happy new year!
Xo,
Mrs. Vinicky
