This post may contain affiliate links. This means I may receive a commission if you click on a link, or make a purchase using the links in this post. All opinions are my own.
Wow 2019 was such a good year and it flew by. I really can’t believe how quickly 2020 has arrived. Looking back on my #TopNine, my heart swells with all the wonderful memories I’ve collected this year. Let’s take a look back at a few special moments that stood out in 2019.
Wedding
Between wedding planning and the actual wedding itself, 2019 was the year of all things wedding! I promise to work on wedding posts, spilling all the beans on our wedding. It really was the perfect day.
As far as wedding planning, highlights included finding my wedding dress, designing our custom rings, and cake tasting. My wedding dress fit like a dream and was so me that everyone thought it was custom. While I did have it altered and embellished, it was originally off the rack!
The actual day itself was nothing short of magical. Clouds literally parted, rain stopped, the sun came out, just for our outdoor ceremony and reception, before starting back up again as soon as soon as the party was moved inside. Looking back, it was an absolute dream.
Bachelorette Party
I almost forgot and left this off the list because there were so many fun things that happened in 2019! My bachelorette party was epic. I got the greatest group of gals and we spent a long weekend in Vegas. There was oodles of dancing, lots of pool partying, brunches, and limo rides. It was everything a bachlorette party should be and more! I was blessed with not one but two maids of honor, my best friend, who planned the bachelorette party, and my sister who planned my bridal shower.
Bridal Shower
My sister planned the best bridal shower ever! I will be totally honest, I don’t love traditional bridal showers. Sure mimosas and finger sandwiches are great. But, it doesn’t feel super special. And, I think the whole sitting in a circle, watching one person open gifts trend has got to go. That is fun for no one. No one wants to sit, for a hour, and watch someone else open gifts. And then ooo and ahh on cue as though anyone cares about the tea pot your great aunt gave you. I will repeat, no one wants to do that.
My sister, knowing my feelings on bridal showers planned an amazing shower for me. Sans gifts entirely. We had a tea party picnic in the woods, fit for a fairy princess, complete with mimosas and handmade white chocolate horses. And, then we went on a trail ride through the woods and up a mountain. Pure amazingness.
Minimoon
Because of scheduling conflicts with The Handsome Hunk’s work, we haven’t taken our actual honeymoon yet. It’s one of the things I’m most looking forward to in 2020! However, right after our wedding we went on a little minimoon to Oregon and it was a blast! Check out all my minimoon outfits! If you are looking for a getaway, I can’t recommend the North Umpqua area enough. We drank too much wine, swam in a crater, hiked beautiful mountains, rode horses on scenic trails and ate some of the best food I’ve ever had.
Boating
We got not only one, but two boats this year, and spent oodles of time boating. Talk about spoiled. One boat is a cruiser, perfect for weekends away in the islands. The other is a small fishing boat we took out and caught lots of crab. Tom has always been an avid boater, so getting to see him in his element was such a treat. I have come along, and while I am still working on my knot skills, I’m feeling more and more confident every time we go out.
We took trips to Lopez Island, Friday Harbor, Port Townsend, Orcas and more! It was such a treat. We would go out with my family, or sometimes just do dinner on the boat while tinkering away. Because, the sayings are all true, and there is always something to tinker on a boat.
Florida Trip
Last spring, two of Tom’s best friends from high school got married to each other. So, of course, we had to go to Florida and celebrate with them! It was the perfect time to escape the rain in the Pacific Northwest, and trade it in for a week of beaches and mai tais.
The Handsome Hunk is originally from Florida, and it is always a treat to get to spend time with his old friends and family. Plus, any getaway where I get to pack an entire suitcase of flowy dresses is a good one for me!
Weekend Getaways
Usually we do a large vacation every year. But, between the wedding, and Tom’s work schedule, we didn’t get to take a long vacation this year. But, we did have quite a few shorter getaways. Our last one of 2019 was to Leavenworth Washington. Leavenworth is a little Bavarian themed village, tucked away in the mountains outside of Seattle. And, it is 1000% a must add to your bucket list. We spent a long weekend in tasting rooms trying new wines, eating delicious food, hiking up mountains, and laughing the night away in hot tubs into the wee hours of the morning.
We also spent a long weekend earlier in the year visiting my sister and her husband in Spokane, Washington before they moved. It was very cold, we were lucky that we didn’t have any snow or we wouldn’t have been able to make the drive. The guys went hunting, the gals drank wine and gossiped by the fire. Perfection.
What has become an annual trip is girls getaway weekend. My mom, sister, and brother’s girlfriend all went to Women’s Weekend at Camp Huston, where for a long weekend woman from all over the greater Seattle area, and further, come to congregate in the woods, to craft, laugh, and enjoy each other’s company.
We also spent my birthday weekend in wine country, Chelan Washington. We got a big Airbnb that we shared with a large group of friends, many of whom moved away this year. It was really special getting one last hurrah with that group.
Holiday Season
I am always a sucker for the holiday season. And, just to set the record straight, it starts whenever the hell you want it to start because you’re an adult and can live your life however you want. Now that the before or after Thanksgiving debate has been settled, we can go take a look back at this holiday season.
We hosted Thanksgiving and had a blast. Last time we hosted Thanksgiving we had bought a new home and moved in a month before. So, it was chaotic to put it nicely. Other’s might call it a cluster-f*ck. I had lofty goals of having the entire house unpacked. Very funny Jane. We had to buy new dishes because I realized a week before that we didn’t have enough. Everything was in boxes. It ended up being lovely but was also a bit of a hot mess. This year, it was much more relaxed. We did our traditional 5k Turkey Trot in the morning. Then had my parents over for dinner and football. It was small, intimate, and very fun.
This was also the year of holiday parties! I had two work holiday parties, Tom had a work holiday party, and a holiday party for his volunteer fire station. Lots of fun party outfits. Then we made sure to enjoy the season by trying to do all sorts of Christmas-y activities. We went to a Christmas bar a couple times, explored a professional Christmas light display, participated in our town Christmas tree lighting, ate too many cookies, and focused on quality time together.
What were the highlights of your 2019?
Want to check out past years? See 2018 in Review, 2017 in Review, and 2016 in Review!
Melissa says
What an absolutely spectacular year! Truth: I just found your blog. This means that I’ll clearly be spending the first week of 2020 binging on your beautiful content and exciting year of fun and adventure! I can’t wait to start 😉
Cheers to a beautiful new year!