this is the place

in my completely biased opinion, the las vegas temple is the prettiest. definitely my favorite. it is beautiful! so adding a bride and a handsome groom to the scenery just makes everything as beautiful as it possibly could be. agreed?
if not, let me persuade you with pictures.

here are some faves taken at the temple: 

 

 

(... i couldn't help it)

i love that place.
i am so glad that scotty and i were worthy temple recommend holders, allowing us to be sealed for "time and all eternity." we couldn't have made it without our loving parents and supportive bishopric. being married in the temple is the biggest blessing in my life, i am thankful for the covenants and promises that we made inside of it, and for the adorable pictures that we took outside.

the reception

i've seen a lot of receptions. 

a lot of ugly receptions, along with a lot of beautiful receptions. 

now... correct me if i'm wrong, but i think our reception definitely falls under the category of beautiful receptions. maybe even "extremely beautiful receptions."

but i can't take credit for it. 

yes, i picked out the colors and tablecloths. 

but as far as the hard work goes, i have no one to thank but the one and only mrs pam hales, our outstanding decorator, and my mom. and let's not forget the friends and family who helped make our center pieces & tie ribbons on picture frames.

did you know i love cookies? 

because i do. 

in fact, recipes containing cookies are the only ones i have memorized. 

so naturally, when my mom and i saw a cookies and milk bar idea on pinterest we practically squealed with joy. i complied a list of only the BEST cookies for our caterer to bake:

snickerdoodle, m&m, ginger snap, pumpkin chocolate chip, and chocolate chip. 

when you eat cookies, you need milk. 

and when you drink milk, you need adorable pink striped straws. 

the cake wasn't as important to me as other things, but even with my constant lack of attention it turned out lovely. i only had a piece of the red velvet tier, but it was absolutely delicious! 

after the mingling, hugging, and cake cutting were done, it was time for the dances! my dad and i danced to "reflection" by christina aguilera.

... yes, the song from mulan.  

i'm still not entirely sure why he chose that song, but i do know that we once belted it out while driving to utah together for a family vacation. it was the middle of the night, just my dad and myself. i think he was getting a little loopy from lack of sleep :) he kept making me laugh and telling me jokes. i remember he made me laugh so hard that i was crying, and i was so scared because he was letting me drive the lexus and i didn't want to crash it. then this song came on and we both sang it with our whole hearts. tender moments. 

here is a tender picture to go along: 

then my dad handed me off to my new husband, and we danced to michael buble's "some kind of wonderful." a beautiful song. 

scotty and kim shared a dance to another michael buble song, "home." 

so special.

after the dances, the night moved on to the classic reception events:

the boquet toss and the garder toss!

to end the most magical party of my life, 

my husband and i needed a grand exit. 

two words: sparkler sendoff.

so thrilling!

what a perfect conclusion to the most perfect day in the history of perfect days!

the bridal party

one of the hardest parts about getting married is narrowing down your vast assortment of friends (and if we're going off of facebook, i have almost 700) to 3 or 4 that make the bridal-party cut. such an emotional task. i love all of my friends so much. but once that was over, the outfit-searching began. 

and you all know how much i love shopping! 

i love shopping so much, in fact, that i actually bought two sets of bridesmaid dresses (one of which i kept secret from my mother for a few weeks...). men are a little easier to dress. but then again, these four guys can make anything look good. thanks bryce, todd, and devon for being a part of our special day! 

keeping it so fresh. 

i freaking love my girls. 

leah, katherine, and kristine. 

i am so lucky to have such amazing people in my life! all three of these girls have helped me grow and become the person i am today. i'm so happy that we had our 6 best friends be in our bridal party.