Tonight's Gonna Be a Good Night (Reception)

1-2-3 JUMP! Photo Credit: Themba Imagery

While our guests enjoyed cocktail hour, the bridal party was out taking pictures around the White Water Center. Once we were finished flashing our smiles at the camera, it was time to make our grand entrance as newlyweds into our reception. Our bridal party hammed it up and were introduced to the song "Jump Around". Soon after, everyone got on their feet and watched Jeremy and I do our thing as we got down to P.Diddy's song "Hello, Good Morning". Ahhhh, good times. I can't help but chuckle when I think about it.

Breakin' it down :) Photo Credit: Themba Imagery

We got right to it and went into our first dance. I almost shed a tear but Jeremy started singing the song lyrics to me, replacing a smile instead. I didn't want everyone to see me break down and cry so I silently thanked him for that in my head. Once we got through the first few phrases of the song, we invited couples to join us so that we could end the dance surrounded by people we loved and care for. For those are wondering, we danced Jason Mraz's (duh!) "Beautiful Mess".

I love him so so much :) Photo Credit: Themba Imagery

There is so much happiness in this one image. I love it! Photo Credit: Themba Imagery

Jeremy created a slide show which was shown. It messed up since it was shown on a PC so we hope you take a look at what it was supposed to look like below. Little Asha (ha) and Little Jeremy are featured! I must say, we were some cute babies!

Food was finally served and I was very grateful for that. I hadn't eatin all day! A buffet of BBQ, herbed chicken, mashed potatoes, and veggies were served. Oh. Em. Gee. So delicious!

You should know from our Save the Date DVD that Jeremy and I love to dance so it was a MUST to break it down at the reception. Our DJ, Mike, even got out on the dance floor to show us some moves. Everyone joined in and wanted more. One memorable part of dancing was the Soul Train line. Two lines were split and couples got to strut their stuff going down the middle of the isle. Jeremy and I went first and we spur of the moment decided to do the worm. Yes, I did the worm in my wedding dress and it was AWESOME.

We had to break out the worm :) Photo Credit: Themba Imagery

Jump on it! Photo Credit: Themba Imagery

Reuben and Nickie then presented their speeches. We had videographers so now we can listen and take it all in whenever we want! Reuben's speech was lighthearted but really sweet and my sister expressed warm words of love and encouragement. I know she was really nervous to speak in front of everyone so I'm really proud of her for finding the courage.

Reuben! Photo Credit: Themba Imagery

Nickie! Photo Credit: Themba Imagery

Cake cutting, along with the garter and bouquet toss, mother/son, father/daughter dance were up next. Jeremy tossed my lovely Appalachian garter by football to the lucky bachelor and I actually had to throw my bouquet twice to a hungry pack of bachelorettes. The first time the bundle of flowers hit the ceiling so we had to do it over to make it fair. Sairy was DETERMINED to get that bouquet and that she did.

Cake! Photo Credit: Themba Imagery

Man down! Photo Credit: Themba Imagery

This is awesome. Photo Credit: Themba Imagery

Woo Hoo! Photo Credit: Themba Imagery

This is SO cute! I love it! Photo Credit: Themba Imagery

One thing that's great about weddings is the fact that you have everyone that you love in one place! I wish I could just keep everyone together and put them in my pocket :)

App gang. Love these people! Photo Credit: Themba Imagery

Our final exit before leaving for the honeymoon was done none other than the ZIPLINE! It was a steep walk to the top of the tower, but we managed to buckle up and face our fears. What a great way to start our married life together :) It was really fun and we encourage everyone to try it!

Ready?! Photo Credit: Themba Imagery

Not so sure about this :)  Photo Credit: Themba Imagery

Weee! Photo Credit: Themba Imagery

I will end this post with what Sairy left to Jeremy and I. Sairy also had a speech prepared but didn't get to share it, so guess what, I'm going to share it with you now! I hope she doesn't mind :) She handed the speech to me before we left for the honeymoon so I was able to read it in the car on the way to Florida. Her words brought tears to my eyes but it was a great way to reflect and end the evening.

To Asha and Jeremy on their special day:

For those of you who do not know me, my name is Sairy. For the last 15 years I've had the pleasure of having Asha as my best friend.

In elementary school our friendship was based on countless games of Red Rover, Red Rover...which somehow gave us the nicknames of Teddy and Pickles!

In middle school we were separated, but that's where our passion for running began, as we were rivals on the track but still friends nevertheless.

In high school we were inseparable. We dressed alike, we had the same boy crushes, and even ran on some of the same relays during track season.

While all of this seems like the relationship between any two girls, looking back over the past 15 years, only one phrase can sum it up: Unconditional love. That is what Asha has given me throughout all the years.

My first day of class in the 5th grade is a perfect example. I was not only the new girl in school but I was the new FOREIGN girl in school. I spoke no English and wore awkward headgear. Regardless of that, Asha befriended me, no questions asked. Unconditional love.

In college, we were hours apart at separate universities and we didn't talk often enough, but when we did it seemed like no time had passed at all. Unconditional love.

During times when I needed help and had no one else to turn to, Asha was there. She would do whatever it was that I needed with no questions asked. Unconditional love.

So Jeremy, I have to say that you are probably the luckiest guy in the world. I know you have already experienced a piece of Asha's unconditional love during your dating years. But trust me when I say that if her love hasn't run out over 15 years for me, it won't run out over a lifetime together as husband and wife. Congratulations and best wishes Asha and Jeremy!

Love, Sairy

For more photos of the Reception, please visit http://thembaimagery.zenfolio.com/ashajeremy

Stay tuned for a one last wedding post on all things that were DIY!

If you like it then you shoulda put a ring on it...

I had lots of anticipation about the wedding day. I didn't reeeeally know what to expect, I just knew I was ready to get it over with. That sounds bad but what I mean is I was ready to just be married. I grew very tired of making payments for venues, repeatedly answering the question, "so are you ready to get married?" and I was also tired of saying, "my fiance, Asha." It was just too many syllables.

I had the majority of my groomsmen staying at our house the night before the wedding. I was a little nervous about that because we have a tendency to stay up entirely too late doing nothing whenever we're together. I assumed I wouldn't be able to sleep due to excitement and nervousness...

Wrong. I had no trouble catching my Z's.

I remember the wedding day being fun. I smiled a lot too. The morning FLEW by. I honestly don't remember much between waking up and getting dressed just before the ceremony. It was nice having my best friends there with me for my big day. I had the feeling all day of just happiness, knowing my best friends were there to just enjoy the moment with me - very underrated. I couldn't have asked for better guys there to usher me into the next chapter of my life.

Our pre-ceremony pictures were actually way more enjoyable than I thought they'd be. Becky (photographer) was the lucky winner who got to hang out with the guys and take our mug shots. It was nice seeing us all dapper and cleaned up. It was also pretty special having my dad come and take some pictures with me too. I'm looking forward to seeing those pictures years from now and reminiscing about such a great day.

Photo Credit: Themba Imagery

Photo Credit: Themba Imagery

Best moment of the day - seeing Asha walk down the isle. It was exactly what I pictured, but at the same time, it was more beautiful than I could've ever imagined. Excuse my lack of detail on this part of the day, but it was a moment that literally left me speechless. So I won't ruin it by trying to find the best adjectives to use. Just know that Asha looked absolutely amazing.

Photo Credit: Themba Imagery

The actual ceremony was a blur. I remember Jeff leading a wonderful ceremony and being able to turn around and see everyone's smiling faces (and vise versa). Reciting vows and finally kissing my wife - lemme tell ya, kissing a girlfriend or fiancee... not nearly as good as kissing a wife. Fact.

Photo Credit: Themba Imagery

I'm glad the day was recorded and photographed because there were so many things I didn't notice, see, hear, etc. throughout the day. I'm glad it finally happened and so many friends and family were there to share the day with us. Once we stepped out and were showered with rose petals, it was time to take pictures and get our party on!

Photo Credit: Themba Imagery

With this ring, I thee wed...

I can't help but smile while I start writing this blog. Problem is, I don't know where to start. I guess the best place is the beginning.

Sleep came easy to me the night before. I had done all that I could do to make the wedding unique and fun. I awoke the next morning to a tweet that my lovely husband-to-be left on twitter:

"Thought I woke up with butterflies - false alarm, just gas. #weddingday"

It was going to be a great day. I could feel it.

The girls and I got our hair done at Carmen! Carmen! Salon in Ballantyne. I got there a few hours earlier than the rest since I have a lot of hair and we wanted it to look perfect for the big day. For those of you wondering, I had it straightened the night before and then that morning my hairdresser made big curls and pinned it all up. I must say she did a FABULOUS job! My hair was fixed and ready before my girls even got there! All I could do was wait for them to finish so we could head to the church!

Photo Credit: Themba Imagery

Next, I got my makeup done by the talented Latisha Ross. She did an absolutely stunning job! She made me look and feel beautiful! She is beyond awesome and I love being around her.

Photo Credit: Themba Imagery

Once I got into my dress it was Go time! My heart was pounding but there was no nervousness to be found. I was just ready to head down the aisle and marry the handsome man that would be waiting for me.

Photo Credit: Themba Imagery

Photo Credit: Themba Imagery

Photo Credit: Themba Imagery

Photo Credit: Themba Imagery

As I took my Dad's arm and walked down the isle, my only focus was Jeremy. Everyone else was a blur (sorry people). I didn't even hear the music. I just saw the smile on Jeremy's face which made me feel golden in return. I was too happy, too excited, too joyful to cry.

Photo Credit: Themba Imagery

Jeff did an awesome job leading the ceremony. I'm sure our family and friends appreciated the fact that he turned us around so they could actually see the front of us instead of staring at our back the entire time. He then stepped to the center of the isle and explained the history and the liveliness the unusual church still holds.


My favorite part of the ceremony was revealing my vows to Jeremy. We each wrote what I call "love notes" to each other, expressing our love and commitment to one another. Afterward, we repeated the traditional vows. And then you know what happens. We kiss and are officially husband and wife! Woohoo! I couldn't help but giggle when we repeated "til death do us part". It made me think of the blog :)

Photo Credit: Themba Imagery

We danced and celebrated down the isle to Stevie Wonder's, "Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours". We then got showered with yellow and white rose petals as we made our formal exit before taking a TON of pictures by the wonderful Themba Imagery team, Sunny and Becky.

Photo Credit: Themba Imagery

Once done with pictures, we headed to the White Water Center in our freshly decorated car to have some FUN (and take more pictures)! We unintentionally proceeded to litter Sunny's car with  decorations that flew off our car while she followed us there :)


To avoid making this particular blog extra long, I'll write about the Reception in a separate post. You're welcome :)

Photo Credit: Themba Imagery

For more photos of the Wedding, please visit http://thembaimagery.zenfolio.com/ashajeremy

Summer Eating Tour has BEGUN!

So this summer, after much deliberation, Asha and I finally decided on what we're going to focus on. As many of you already know, last summer we dined on some of the best BBQ Charlotte has to offer. I have to admit, it was quite a delicious summer. And with all of that yummy BBQ consumed in 2010, we were left wondering "what's next?"

"What's next" was finally answered! - Local Joints! Despite popular belief, Charlotte (and surrounding) does have plenty of local places that have been serving the many stomachs of Chalotteans for years. So with that said, we needed to check out what was available.

Our first stop was technically a "local" joint. We ventured over to Kabob Grill in the Stonecrest shopping center in Ballantyne. Now, some of you are may be questioning the "local" aspect of a restaurant in Ballantyne that's only been open for... a couple of years. Well... you'd be right to question that, but we only know of one of these restaurants and well that's good enough.

From the outside the place looks like a not-so-big spot, no bigger than a "Five Guys" restaurant. Some seating outside, nothing fancy. We walk in and the mood changes just a bit. It's quiet, smells a little different and we don't hear much English being spoken. We expected to see a menu posted on a wall, then place our order and have a seat.

Wrong.

A waitress approaches us speaking some broken English and politely seats us at a table. Great, now we're trapped. We reading over the menu with blank stares on our faces. We might as well have been trying to read the menu cross-eyed. Kabob Grill is a Mediterranean restaurant and that was very new to me. On the menu, I only understand the words, "shrimp kabob", "chicken kabob", and "steak kabob". Everything else looked like this:

"klswelkjasf;lkjmumbojumboasdlfjkoiaeslrjkla."

After asking the waitress, "what's this?" I ordered the shrimp kabob plate and it came with fries and some stuff I couldn't pronounce.

Shrimp Kabob

Overall, it was pretty good. Their fries were excellent! I guess I'm not a huge fan of the Mediterranean food, at least not there. I didn't know if I was supposed to use silverware or use my hands. This was definitely a pricey place. Like... much more than we really wanted to pay for. Sorry I don't have much to actually say about the place because I wasn't a huge fan. But don't let that stop you from having a taste!

Rehearsal + Dinner

Alright, about time I get to blogging about the wedding! I can't believe we have been married for over one month already! The month of June FLEW by.

The Rehearsal ended up meaning a lot more to me than I thought it would. At the time it was just another scheduled thing to get out of the way before the wedding. It ended up being so much more than that. For those of you who know me, you know it takes a lot to make me cry. I'm not a public crier by any means. I'm not a happy crier either. I had no intentions to cry on the wedding day.

You want to know what happened during the Rehearsal? I end up crying. Haha. The atmosphere felt so intimate and the room felt like it was bursting with love.

Beautiful stained glass windows throughout the church (photo credit: Themba Imagery)

Amazing lighting! (photo credit: Themba Imagery)

For those of you who don't know, I walked down the isle to the song, "Home" by Dave Barnes. Once I heard his voice on the overhead speakers in the church, I almost lost it. Butterflies started swarming in my stomach and I had to hold back the tears. I had imagined that very moment for over a year and it was about to REALLY happen in mere seconds. The song lyrics remind me of the strong relationship Jeremy and I have.

This shows my nerves. (photo credit: Themba Imagery)

This shows my happiness and excitement. (photo credit: Themba Imagery)

Many of you don't know about my Dad. It was a real blessing for him to escort me down the isle. Long story short, he has had not one, but TWO failed back surgeries, leaving him unable to walk, sit, or stand for very long. He is most comfortable laying down. The fact that he was even there to witness my wedding day means THE WORLD to me and I was so glad he was willing to give it a try. I was originally going to walk down myself and have him meet me. In the end, it felt right to have my Dad walking me down the isle to Jeremy, the man I would spend the rest of my life with.

Special moment. (photo credit: Themba Imagery)

We had two attempts at walking down the isle. The first round was a little messy. Normally the bridesmaids walk into a different song than the bride but I was using one song for everyone. I had it all worked out in my head, but no one really knew the details of when to walk and where to stand.  It was all about timing and how to walk SLOWLY so that we weren't just standing there listening to the track finish. The second round was where everyone lost it. That's when my dad did a trial run of walking me down the isle. I mistakenly looked at my sister and two best friends who were crying which in turn made ME cry. Geeeeeeeez!

Once we were done with the practice runs, our pastor, Jeff Gardner, pulled my Mom, Dad, and I aside to talk to us. Guess what. I lose it and the tears start rolling AGAIN! Jeff has pretty much seen me grow up. My family started going to his church while I was in middle school. We know each other pretty well since I spent a lot of time with his family over the summers watching their kids. Although there was an 8 year gap of no contact, I knew Jeff was the one to marry us. It felt like no time had passed when we were reunited. In that moment that made me cry, Jeff explained to us how important it was that he was there to marry Jeremy and I.

After the Rehearsal, it was off to Jeremy's parents house for the Rehearsal Dinner/Cookout. Jessie and Millard (Jeremy's parents) were gracious enough to open up their home and cook for us! To be honest, I was expecting to go in and it just be the normal Singleton home that I am used to. I was totally wrong and SURPRISED. Jessie and Millard went above and BEYOND. They transformed their home into an Asha/Jeremy fest. The room was filled with black and yellow decor. Newspaper clippings of App football headlines, pictures of us, and awards Jeremy had gotten throughout his life were hanging on the walls. It was amazing. I was blown away and felt so loved by everyone in the room. Such an amazing feeling.

The walls of the room. And this was only one side!

Not only were the decorations great, the food was AHHHHHHMAZING too. Good ol' southern cooking! Fried chicken, mac n' cheese, green beans (one of my favorite things Jessie cooks), potato salad, and a TON more were offered. Oh and did I mention the Grooms cake?! Coolest cake EVER!!! Jeremy didn't even cut it for 2 weeks. It was just too perfect to mess up. It was tasty though!

Grooms cake! (photo credit: Themba Imagery)

Grooms Cake! (photo credit: Themba Imagery)

Grooms Cake!

Speeches were given my Jessie, my Mom, and my BFF Greg (he and his wife couldn't make it to the wedding so they came to the Rehearsal/Dinner). I wish we would have recorded what they all said! I want to replay it over and over and over again. They spoke kind words of inspiration, hope, and love.

Mama S! (photo credit: Themba Imagery)

Mama L! (photo credit: Themba Imagery)

Greg! (photo credit: Themba Imagery)

The Bride and Maid of Honor, Nickie (photo credit: Themba Imagery)

The Groom and Best Man, Reuben (photo credit: Themba Imagery)

As a thank you to everyone, Jeremy and I put together a little video thanking them for making us who we are today. They seemed to enjoy it and we hope you do too! Take a look at the video below!

There you have it! Sorry this was such a long post. I really hope you were able to read it all because it means SO much to me. We thankfully had a day in between the Rehearsal and the Wedding. I don't know how most couples do the wedding the next day because I was EXHAUSTED afterward! Thank goodness for the run-through. I was able to get all my crying and nerves out. It was almost just as good as the wedding! ALMOST. 


For more photos of the Rehearsal, please visit http://thembaimagery.zenfolio.com/ashajeremy

The End (Honeycruise Day #7)

Yessssssssss. We got to sleep in today! It was fabulous. Almost missed breakfast though. We've been waking up fairly early each morning for each of our excursions. Today is a "Sea Day" so that means it's time to relax, eat, and sleep all day!

We've been married for exactly one week today (this was written 3 weeks ago)! We've seen a lot of couples on the cruise celebrating 10,20,30, and even 50 years of marriage. We have a lot of catching up to do. It's something we're looking forward to, that's for sure.

There isn't really much to write about today.  We just rested up from our thrilling week and for our ride back to Charlotte. We're ready to get back to Apollo (and you all too). We are NOT ready to go back to work. *sigh*

We caught the sunset across the ocean tonight. It's pretty remarkable how fast it set. It was quite the ending to an amazing trip. Afterwards, we went back to the ship to watch one last show. We thought they were going to end with a bang and do this big dance number. We went all early to get a good seat. The directors kept asking the crowd who they were there to see and we just didn't get why they kept asking these type of questions (mainly because people were responding with names like Madonna and Elvis). Turns out all week they had these singing/dancing competitions for guests to try out for the final talent show. And that's what we were there to see. We were kind of disappointed. Oh well. ("Kind of disappointed" does not fully describe how I felt about this last show. It was bad enough that we didn't think the employed singers for the ship were very good, but for our last show to be some karaoke?! We weren't even drunk to semi enjoy it. I was just... sad. This was worse than getting my parasailing excursion cancelled.)

Sunset across the Caribbean

Last night on the ship :(

I'm going to interrupt our blog for a few words of my own.  I feel really lucky to have gone on this cruise and experience the things that we did. Jeremy did an awesome job picking out the cruise, room, and organizing this entire trip. It was the perfect, adventurous, romantic vacation we've had yet!  Best husband in the wooooooooorld!! (haha, husband...that still sounds weird, but I like it!)

Well there you have it folks. We hope you enjoyed following us along our first vacation as husband and wife! You only honeymoon once, so we took advantage of our options. Cozumel, Belize, Mahogany Bay, and the Cayman Islands will always be in our hearts. Keep checking back for details of our wedding day! We kind of went backwards in telling you about everything. #oops

Towel Stingray. I think they were tired of making animals at this point. (They got lazy)