Denise and Franz

Monday, November 12, 2007

Snapfish link is up for Wedding Photos!

http://www2.snapfish.com/share/p=215101194751541858/l=318501384/g=111176349/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

Monday, November 5, 2007

The Wedding Pictures have arrived!

We have been married a month, so we celebrated with the rest of the wedding cake (mocha filling - sooo good) and coffee and looking at the pictures that finally arrived this week. Amazingly, the golden sacredness of the day seemed to come through and we are so happy to share it with you. We have uploaded the photos to snapfish and I will be working with my friend Tanya (who did such an amazing job setting up this incredible blog for me) to update this page with more pictures and the snapfish link. Check back soon . . .

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Wedding Pics!!

Hello everyone, Tanya here, Denise's friend and blog helper. I have some photos from the wedding to share. Of course these are not "the official photos". Denise is still waiting to get those back from the photographer. I can't believe tomorrow will mark two weeks since Denise & Franz's beautiful and sweet wedding. It was such a thoughtful, heartfelt and sentimental ceremony. Each of the children read a passage or something from their own heart while the blissful couple watched proudly. The minister gave testimony to the sincerity of the bond between Denise and Franz and was genuinely pleased to be presiding over the ceremony. The happiness and adoration just poured out of the couple and it was obvious to all that this is a well-matched couple.

The reception was beautiful, with roses everywhere. The couple danced their first dance to Allison Krauss's "When you say nothing at all", a perfect lovesong, as everyone looked on. The dinner was delicious and the tables were beautiful...very "Denisey". After dinner Franz and Denise had fun while cutting the cake and feeding it to one another and actually went back for seconds because it was so good. Denise and Franz danced a dance with each of their children, begin with the eldest...very sweet.

When the family dances were everyone had fun on the dance floor...but it seemed that the kids definately enjoyed it!

It was a gorgeous wedding and I hope that they will be very happy for a long, long time.

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

We are so close to the big Day!! We went to Freedom park in Charlotte to take our engagement pictures - it was a lot of fun!

A romantic story . . .

Franz and I met in February 2007 online - we were both decidedly adamant about meeting a quality person or no one at all. I have to say I was trying to scare off guys with my profile, but Franz took a chance anyway - Thank God!

After several emails and phone calls, we quickly found out we lived very close to each other and even that our kids shared a class at school! Zach and Christina were a little mortified to find out that their parents were considering dating. We finally had a first date - it was pouring rain and we met for lunch on a Sunday afternoon. He was such a gentleman coming to my door with his umbrella. We were both somewhat speechless with the great chemistry we felt immediately and we made plans to meet again.

It didn't take long for us to be completely head over heels, crazy-in-love, despite all of our intentions to take our time and be careful. I certainly recognized the absolute jewel of a man I met, and he melts my heart every day with what an amazing person he is.

We introduced the kids at a dinner for Zach's 16th birthday - it was like a family reunion, with everyone getting along so well. Franz has 3 daughters: Christina 16, Diane 14 and Samantha 8. I have Zach 16 and Madison 11.

We had a lot of adventures, starting with my furnace breaking at Easter for 5 days during a cold snap, when we moved in to the Foster house for a few days- we really found out how everyone got along - great!

I really knew that he was the man for me when I came down with the flu. He brought me kleenex, made me rest, and then came back from church and told me that he decided he couldn't live without me (even when I looked like that!) - he would ask me properly, but declared his intentions, and I of course said yes!

In May, my parents came to visit (I'll admit, I begged them to come to meet Franz and his girls). Franz asked my parents for permission (so old-fashioned and proper!) and Dad was so okay with it, he actually was telling people I was Franz's fiance before the official question was asked (I didn't know your dad could speak french!)

We scheduled a vacation so we could visit Siesta Key Florida and meet Franz's mom June. It was so nice to see the house where he grew up and his mother is wonderful. Our first night he showed me the beautiful beach and got down on his knee to ask me to be his wife! YES!!! Such a beautiful ring he chose, and it was the most beautiful sunset ever. His mom and the kids were very excited and our trip was wonderful.

So planning a wedding begins - and the plans take on a life of their own. We decided on a very small wedding, with just immediate family and children. Still, small takes just as much planning, and along with working full time and kids summer schedules, it kept us very busy.

We planned our wedding for Friday October 5th at 6pm at Colonel Beatty Park in Matthews North Carolina - a local park with a beautiful arbor and hall on the lake.

The girls shopped for a dress for me and for them - we were all so excited! My girlfriend Tanya was also planning her wedding in August, so the two of us were little girls constantly on the phone sharing details. She was an incredible help to me and I was so happy to be able to help her a little too. Her wedding to Alan was so sweet.

So the big event arrives much faster than you anticipate. Lots of details get addressed and then others lost in the rush. I really wanted to send out an announcement, but best intentions don't always play out - sorry!

So our big day/week arrived, with family flying in, many last minute errands to do, meals to serve, rehearsals, flowers, clothes to press . . . you get the idea.

Suddenly it seemed, I was in my dress, flowers in hand, pictures being snapped (or being "made" as they say here in the south). Such a beautiful golden day, with leaves just beginning to turn, water reflecting an impossibly Carolina blue sky, and my handsome fiance and family waiting for me to walk up the aisle. It is a golden moment set in forever, with smiles, laughter and tears, the smell of roses and fall leaves, and love embracing all.

The celebration continued with dinner, a most wonderful cake, a talented guitar player, and much dancing. It really was everything I planned and dreamed and I am still on cloud nine!

I can't wait for our pictures to arrive to share with you!
With so many family members coming in from out of town, we stayed on Saturday to visit, barbeque, and open gifts. We even got a chance to go to Christina's marching band competition together - East Meck came in 2nd - good job Christina!
On Sunday, we all went to church (1st time as husband and wife for us!!!) and we all came home to cook a whopping breakfast for the crew (great eggs Laura!)

Then the rose-petal send-off to Savannah! What an amazing honeymoon we had! Savannah and Charleston have such beauty and history, and of course lots of romance. We enjoyed spending such sweet time together.

I can truly say that as great as the honeymoon was, it is better to be home and we are now in the process of combining households - another job in itself. Lots of tasks to get to and get through, but all of them more enjoyable with a great husband!

So we can't wait to show you all the special wedding photos and maybe even a few from our honeymoon, which hopefully be able to be added soon.

Thank you for all your love and support through it all.

Love,
Denise and Franz Foster