Honeymoons are the best! Ours especially!!! Since I pretty much planned the entire wedding (which is the way I wanted it), I let Matt take the reigns on the honeymoon and WOW what a honeymoon we had! After a couple days of relaxing at the St. Regis Monarch Beach, we packed up our suitcases and hopped on a plane to Park City, UT.
Our accommodations were top-notch! Matt found us this amazing new hotel in PC called The NewPark Resort. Our room was huge. We felt like we were living in our own little apartment. And the best part? Our balcony had it's own private hot tub! And oh did that feel good at the end of a long day on the mountain.
Of the five days we were in Park City we spent 3 of them on the slopes! Wednesday and Thursday we boarded Park City and Saturday we rode through our old stomping grounds at The Canyons. And wouldn't you know that The Canyons was hosting their Annual Pond Skimming Contest that day. Those guys are INSANE! But wildly entertaining.
Anyway, enough dialogue already. Check out the video we put together of our fantastic week in this snowy paradise they call Park City!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
{ For Time And All Eternity }
We're MARRIED!!!! Can you believe it? And what a perfect wedding day it was! We were so afraid the rains would pour and ruin our beautiful day, but such was not the case. The day was practically perfect in every way! The morning began at the Los Angeles LDS Temple, the same temple where my parents grandparents, and great-grandparents were sealed. Needless to say, choosing the LA Temple was an easy choice!
Our temple sealing was beyond words. Although we had never met our sealer before, we felt as if he knew us perfectly. His teachings, counsel, and advice were everything we needed to hear and more. The spirit was undeniable and we knew the Lord was pleased!
After the ceremony we LOVED being introduced outside the temple as Mr. & Mrs. Matt & Aubrey Laidlaw, then greeted by all of our loving family and friends. We truly could not wipe the smiles off our faces. And good thing because for the next 2 hours we were followed around by the amazing Courtney Winnie and Ryan Southwell. We can't wait to see what images and video they captured as we sat in trees, frolicked through beds of ivy and danced around the temple grounds!
Following the photos we caught up with our guests at the most fabulous luncheon hosted by The Laidlaw Family at Bistro Santa Monica where we had the whole place to ourselves. What a treat! The food was to die for too! Your choice of Salmon, Chicken Picatta, or Pumpkin Ravioli, proceeded by a chocolate lava cake. YUMMO!!!
Later that night we had the time of our lives at our reception in my parent's backyard. Everything was just as I had dreamt it up in my head. I loved every detail! From the beautiful cake, to the exquisite flowers, to the time spent on the dance floor. Everything was truly PERFECT!
As the night came to an end, we changed out of our wedding attire and into something a little more comfortable for the most "epic" send-off we could think of. As sparklers lined the driveway, we powered through the crowd on Matt's Harley and rode off on our way to the St. Regis followed by the most romantic honeymoon ever. Get ready for a little video of our week in the snow!
Our temple sealing was beyond words. Although we had never met our sealer before, we felt as if he knew us perfectly. His teachings, counsel, and advice were everything we needed to hear and more. The spirit was undeniable and we knew the Lord was pleased!
After the ceremony we LOVED being introduced outside the temple as Mr. & Mrs. Matt & Aubrey Laidlaw, then greeted by all of our loving family and friends. We truly could not wipe the smiles off our faces. And good thing because for the next 2 hours we were followed around by the amazing Courtney Winnie and Ryan Southwell. We can't wait to see what images and video they captured as we sat in trees, frolicked through beds of ivy and danced around the temple grounds!
Following the photos we caught up with our guests at the most fabulous luncheon hosted by The Laidlaw Family at Bistro Santa Monica where we had the whole place to ourselves. What a treat! The food was to die for too! Your choice of Salmon, Chicken Picatta, or Pumpkin Ravioli, proceeded by a chocolate lava cake. YUMMO!!!
Later that night we had the time of our lives at our reception in my parent's backyard. Everything was just as I had dreamt it up in my head. I loved every detail! From the beautiful cake, to the exquisite flowers, to the time spent on the dance floor. Everything was truly PERFECT!
As the night came to an end, we changed out of our wedding attire and into something a little more comfortable for the most "epic" send-off we could think of. As sparklers lined the driveway, we powered through the crowd on Matt's Harley and rode off on our way to the St. Regis followed by the most romantic honeymoon ever. Get ready for a little video of our week in the snow!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
{ Ryan Southwell Films }
The wedding day is almost here! I truly can't believe it. Where did the last 3 months go? Matt and I are truly so excited for our wedding this Saturday, and rain or shine, it will be a perfect day!
In preparation for the big event there have been tons of things to check off the to-do-list. From addressing invitations, to dress fittings, to cake tasting, and more. There has just been so much to do. But one of my favorite "to-do's" happened this last Monday in Glendora with our wedding videographer, Ryan Southwell.
Let me tall you, this guy is AMAZING! He wanted to give our wedding day video a little special edge so he asked if we could get together before the big day and do a little shoot on the Harley. Ummm, let me think about that one for just a minute? HECK YES!!!!!! Here's my favorite still from the day. You can tell Matt was REALLY getting into here. Hahaha! Oh how I love this man!
We had SO much fun hanging out with this crazy talented guy and can't wait to see how our video turns out. In the meantime, you should check out some of his work by visiting his blog Ryan Southwell Films or by clicking HERE. The guy's a master at what he does and I'm sure you'll agree!
In preparation for the big event there have been tons of things to check off the to-do-list. From addressing invitations, to dress fittings, to cake tasting, and more. There has just been so much to do. But one of my favorite "to-do's" happened this last Monday in Glendora with our wedding videographer, Ryan Southwell.
Let me tall you, this guy is AMAZING! He wanted to give our wedding day video a little special edge so he asked if we could get together before the big day and do a little shoot on the Harley. Ummm, let me think about that one for just a minute? HECK YES!!!!!! Here's my favorite still from the day. You can tell Matt was REALLY getting into here. Hahaha! Oh how I love this man!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
{ TMB :: The Salt Lake Tribune }
For many this is old news, but I thought I better document it here for the sake of our posterity. Matt and I made it on the front page of the LIFESTYLE section in THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE. How cool is that? We were pretty excited to say the least. To read the article, click HERE.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
{ Matt & Aubrey :: Our Story }
"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding; in all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:5-6
While some may call it luck, I call it love. The love of a Heavenly Father who has always been there, guiding and directing us, leading us one step closer to each other until the day we finally found our other half. That day was Monday, September 20, 2010.
As some may already know, Matt and I found each other through a crazy idea my friends and I had called The Mormon Bachelorette. Finding little success in dating, my girlfriends and I found a way to "cheat the system" and give complete control of the dating scene to a girl, ME! The idea was that over the course of 31 days I would have the opportunity to go on 22 blind first dates, and then 8 second dates, which would hopefully lead me to the one man I would want to bring home to meet the family! But who knew that one man standing would later become my fiance, and on March 19, 2011, my husband and companion for time and all eternity!
I still remember the day of our first date like it was yesterday. I heard the sound of a motorcycle pull up to the house, followed by a strong knock at the door. It was Matt Laidlaw, clean cut, bad boy biker, and was looking GOOD! Our first date was nothing short of amazing! We went for a ride down Pacific Coast Highway on his Harley Davidson and enjoyed a romantic dinner overlooking the harbor at The Rusty Pelican. Everything about the date was picture perfect, including our first kiss at the doorstep.
So when did I know I wanted it to be Matt in the end? Believe it or not, I knew well before our second date! One Sunday, just before my scheduled afternoon TMB date, I got up early and made the 60 minute drive out to Glendora to watch the morning session of General Conference with Matt and his family. It was there on his parent's sofa while holding his hand and listening to words of inspired leaders that I knew he was the one. And not just the one I would pick at the end of The Mormon Bachelorette, but the one I wanted by my side for the rest of my life.
After The Mormon Bachelorette ended, we spent every weekend we could together. I would drive out to Glendora on Fridays and he would come see me on Saturdays and Sundays. We spent the next few months enjoying the holidays together, meeting one another's families, and falling madly in love!
On December 19, 2011 there was a terrible storm that hit southern California and the pool at Matt's new home was on the verge of flooding. It was a Sunday so normally he would drive down to spend the day with me at church, but with the unforeseen circumstances he was forced to stay home and make sure the pool didn't flood his home. I was really disappointed with the news because not only had I planned a great meal for him that night, but I was singing in church for our Christmas program and really wanted him there.
But the day went on without him and I sang my song and ate my dinner alone and awaited his call before bed. Little did I know that after the rains had calmed, Matt drove down to my house and was hiding upstairs with a ring in his pocket, waiting to propose. So as I got ready for bed he snuck downstairs and had my roommate deliver a computer to me with a video for me to watch. I watched the video as Matt walked me through the last few months of our life together with pictures and little clips from our first dates. At the end he asked me to meet him downstairs for a special surprise, the best surprise of my life. A ring!!!
That night, December 19, 2011, I walked downstairs and turned the corner to find Matt on bended knee with the most beautiful ring I had ever seen! As he looked into my eyes, the next words out of his mouth were simply "Aubrey, will you marry me?" My heart was so full of joy that I cried as I said yes and put my arms around his neck and told him how much I loved him!
It's so amazing to me the blessings I have received in the short time that Matt has been a part of my life. He truly is my other half. My better half. I feel like a princess living in a fairytale and my prince charming has finally found me! "FINALLY!" as my little brother would say. I just feel so incredibly blessed - we both do - to have found each other and we can't wait to live happily ever after.
While some may call it luck, I call it love. The love of a Heavenly Father who has always been there, guiding and directing us, leading us one step closer to each other until the day we finally found our other half. That day was Monday, September 20, 2010.
As some may already know, Matt and I found each other through a crazy idea my friends and I had called The Mormon Bachelorette. Finding little success in dating, my girlfriends and I found a way to "cheat the system" and give complete control of the dating scene to a girl, ME! The idea was that over the course of 31 days I would have the opportunity to go on 22 blind first dates, and then 8 second dates, which would hopefully lead me to the one man I would want to bring home to meet the family! But who knew that one man standing would later become my fiance, and on March 19, 2011, my husband and companion for time and all eternity!
I still remember the day of our first date like it was yesterday. I heard the sound of a motorcycle pull up to the house, followed by a strong knock at the door. It was Matt Laidlaw, clean cut, bad boy biker, and was looking GOOD! Our first date was nothing short of amazing! We went for a ride down Pacific Coast Highway on his Harley Davidson and enjoyed a romantic dinner overlooking the harbor at The Rusty Pelican. Everything about the date was picture perfect, including our first kiss at the doorstep.
So when did I know I wanted it to be Matt in the end? Believe it or not, I knew well before our second date! One Sunday, just before my scheduled afternoon TMB date, I got up early and made the 60 minute drive out to Glendora to watch the morning session of General Conference with Matt and his family. It was there on his parent's sofa while holding his hand and listening to words of inspired leaders that I knew he was the one. And not just the one I would pick at the end of The Mormon Bachelorette, but the one I wanted by my side for the rest of my life.
After The Mormon Bachelorette ended, we spent every weekend we could together. I would drive out to Glendora on Fridays and he would come see me on Saturdays and Sundays. We spent the next few months enjoying the holidays together, meeting one another's families, and falling madly in love!
On December 19, 2011 there was a terrible storm that hit southern California and the pool at Matt's new home was on the verge of flooding. It was a Sunday so normally he would drive down to spend the day with me at church, but with the unforeseen circumstances he was forced to stay home and make sure the pool didn't flood his home. I was really disappointed with the news because not only had I planned a great meal for him that night, but I was singing in church for our Christmas program and really wanted him there.
But the day went on without him and I sang my song and ate my dinner alone and awaited his call before bed. Little did I know that after the rains had calmed, Matt drove down to my house and was hiding upstairs with a ring in his pocket, waiting to propose. So as I got ready for bed he snuck downstairs and had my roommate deliver a computer to me with a video for me to watch. I watched the video as Matt walked me through the last few months of our life together with pictures and little clips from our first dates. At the end he asked me to meet him downstairs for a special surprise, the best surprise of my life. A ring!!!
That night, December 19, 2011, I walked downstairs and turned the corner to find Matt on bended knee with the most beautiful ring I had ever seen! As he looked into my eyes, the next words out of his mouth were simply "Aubrey, will you marry me?" My heart was so full of joy that I cried as I said yes and put my arms around his neck and told him how much I loved him!
It's so amazing to me the blessings I have received in the short time that Matt has been a part of my life. He truly is my other half. My better half. I feel like a princess living in a fairytale and my prince charming has finally found me! "FINALLY!" as my little brother would say. I just feel so incredibly blessed - we both do - to have found each other and we can't wait to live happily ever after.
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