Photo: Christina Lilly Photography
Introducing our new real bride blogger Amber Herring, accessories editor at SELF! Over the next few weeks, the editor is chronicling every last detail of her wedding planning process — from getting into shape to managing a gigantic bridal party (she has 13 bridesmaids!). For her first installment, Amber reveals how she met her fiancé and shares her romantic Paris proposal story.
For lack of a better intro to our love story, I am marrying my best friend. Even though my fiancé, Rajiv, isn't a fan of that phrase, it's a good starting point for us as we begin as just that. Friends all through the crazy ride that was college at Syracuse University, we ended up in New York City with about a thousand of our other classmates and friends. In the midst of figuring out our adult lives, we finally realized that we were perfect for each other almost six years ago.
He shares my love of dogs, cheesy (but amazing) rom-coms and traveling. So, naturally, we adopted our beloved dog Carter, spent many nights in our Upper West Side apartment watching Just Friends, and traveled a lot. The most notable trip of ours was a year and four months ago to France.
Rajiv and I were dating for five years by then and despite what my friends and family told me, I didn't want to get my heart set on an engagement in Paris. But after a quick go-around on the carousel in the Tuileries Garden, he popped the question.
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Along with a few surprised obscenities, I said yes and celebration ensued. Back in the States, the full court press was on to find a venue for a September 2014 wedding and we fell in love with Stone House in Warren, New Jersey. I saw the year-and-a-half engagement spread out before me and was content after booking other major things like the photographer and DJ. It's true it's a long time to plan a wedding, but with my busy job as an accessories editor at SELF and his as research manager at Yahoo, we welcomed the leisurely pace.
Now there's two months to go and slight panic has started to set in. First and foremost, I'm thinking about getting in shape. I work out regularly, so my goal is to tighten up and clean up my eating so I feel my best in my amazing, very slinky, Marchesa gown. Working at a fitness magazine, I can't say I don't have access to all the right tools. So I'll be documenting my "Sweating for the Wedding" on SELF.com as well.
Then there's all the "little" things left to do: planning a ceremony that reflects both our faiths, planning my Mehndi party and, of course, accessorizing the big day. And remember how I mentioned NYC being full of Orangemen (that's the Syracuse mascot)? We are still close with all our friends from college, so we have a gigantic wedding party: I'm talking 13 bridesmaids and 14 groomsmen, including two maids of honor and three best men. So there's that ...
All and all, the panic is mostly excitement that the big day is almost here. I'm so thrilled to share my journey to the altar and random thoughts and advice with you. I will try to keep it together for all of our sakes.