Our Wedding - The Ceremony

For months leading up to our wedding, I was nervous about the ceremony and whether or not I would do the ugly cry.  Let's face it...crying in front of people has never really been my thing.  Crying is something I typically do in the bathroom at work or behind the privacy of my bedroom door.  But seriously, the older I get, the more of a freakin' basketcase I become at weddings.  I find myself getting emotional at people's weddings I barely know (cut to me on our honeymoon watching an older couple get married on the other side of the beach whilst holding back tears).  So you can only imagine what I was worried about come my wedding day, not just for myself but also for my fiance who seems to have amnesia over the fact that he did indeed shed some tears the night he proposed. 

So, having cried at my bridesmaid luncheon, and cried (a somewhat ugly cry) at the rehearsal dinner, and cried when my sister gave me a card from my her and my brother-in-law before the ceremony, I had almost made peace with the fact that my ugly cry down the aisle and during my vows was imminent.

My brother walking my mom down the aisle

Mother of the Groom

By the time our outdoor ceremony started, it was pushing 106 degrees....the second hottest day on record.  I was secretly thanking the baby Jesus that the boy and I had collectively decided to have a short and sweet ceremony lasting about 20 minutes.  Luckily, the humidity was not in as full of effect as it had been the night before at the rehearsal, or we might not have made it down the aisle.  I could feel my heart beating out of my chest as we all peaked through the door of the welcome center and watched our guests make their way out to the ceremony seating, and I felt it even stronger watching my fiance and all the groomsmen clear out to take their walk up to the front behind our pastor.  After the boys took their leave, me, my Dad, and my bridesmaids hustled our way out to hide behind the shrubbery and listen for our cue in the music.  I stood behind there listening to Miles sing "The Luckiest" so beautifully with Jeanie on the piano and felt chills run up my arms. 

Once the solo was over, my heart jumped as I heard the first few notes of "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri begin to play.  This was the cue for Brian (our pastor) to lead out the groomsmen to the front and begin the bridal processional.  When picking out the wedding music, I knew that I did not want to walk down the aisle to something completely traditional, but rather something that expressed my feelings in that moment.  When I first heard that song over a year ago, it gave me chills and the boy and I both agreed that we would have it in our wedding.  We had timed it out perfectly for the groom and groomsmen to enter followed by each bridesmaid, and me and my Dad at the crescendo at the end. 

Heart beats fast
Colors and promises
How to be brave
How can I love when I'm afraid to fall
But watching you stand alone
All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow



One step closer....

I have died everyday waiting for you
Darling don't be afraid I have loved you
For a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more...

Time stands still
Beauty in all she is
I will be brave
I will not let anything take away
What's standing in front of me
Every breath
Every hour has come to this...

One step closer...

I have died everyday waiting for you
Darling don't be afraid I have loved you
For a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more

And all along I believed I would find you
Time has brought your heart to me
I have loved you for a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more

One step closer...

I have died everyday waiting for you
Darling don't be afraid I have loved you
For a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more

And all along I believed I would find you
Time has brought your heart to me
I have loved you for a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more.

As soon as I started walking down the aisle, I didn't cry.  I didn't even have the urge to.  I don't know what, but this weird feeling came over me like this was total normal.  I remember smiling a lot and looking at my future husband as I walked towards him.  When I got to the rows of seats, I remember looking and trying to remember everyone there and making eye contact with a lot of my friends.  It just seemed so crazy to have been to so many weddings and been in weddings and all of a sudden this was my wedding.  It was like I was surprised that all these people turned out for 'lil old us! 

When I got up next to the boy I remember looking at him a lot and trying very hard to concentrate on what Brian was saying so I didn't miss anything.  At one point, I heard him ask "Who presents this Woman..." and heard my Dad reply, "Her mother and I."  He kissed me on the cheek and sat down.  I took my love's hand and he whispered, "You look so beautiful."  That part I vividly remember. 

When we were planning our wedding ceremony, I wanted to have moments that I would remember clearly years from now.  We spoke with our pastor about having an opportunity to turn and face our guests during our ceremony while they all agreed to help lift us up and guide us on our journey of marriage...a moment it will be hard to forget. 



In all the months of planning and pondering on what our ceremony would include, I read through scores of bible verses trying to find the one that would best encompass all the thoughts and feelings and expectations we had regarding our marriage.  For some reason, nothing seemed quite right.  I moved on to love stories and poems and again fell short.  It wasn't until I came across an excerpt from "Union" by Robert Fulghum that we felt we had found exactly what we were looking for.  I asked my bridesmaid and dear friend Miranda to read it for us right before we began our vows.

You have known each other from the first glance of acquaintance to this point of commitment. At some point, you decided to marry. From that moment of yes, to this moment of yes, indeed, you have been making commitments in an informal way. All of those conversations that were held in a car, or over a meal, or during long walks – all those conversations that began with, “When we’re married”, and continued with “I will” and “you will” and “we will” – all those late night talks that included “someday” and “somehow” and “maybe” – and all those promises that are unspoken matters of the heart. All these common things, and more, are the real process of a wedding.

The symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, “You know all those things that we’ve promised, and hoped, and dreamed – well, I meant it all, every word.”

Look at one another and remember this moment in time. Before this moment you have been many things to one another – acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, dancing partner, even teacher, for you have learned much from one another these past few years. Shortly you shall say a few words that will take you across a threshold of life, and things between you will never quite be the same.

For after today you shall say to the world –
This is my husband. This is my wife.

Everytime I read that, it gives me chills....for us, these words so perfectly explained everything we felt during our engagement and everything we wanted to remember about our wedding ceremony.  After the reading, we exchanged the traditional wedding vows, knowing that for us, that was enough. 

 After our vows, we exchanged rings as I clutched my great-grandmother's handkercheif that my mom carried on her wedding day and my sister carried on hers, and I waited to wipe tears that never came.  I just felt really, really happy.  And after we exchanged rings, we held hands, knowing that one day our hands would be old and wrinkled, but we would hold them together just the same. 

And then came the point we had been waiting for...those words that start with "I now pronounce you..." and end with was kiss.  And it's still amazing to me that after a million kisses with this man, it felt like the first kiss.  And it was...our first kiss as husband and wife. 



Our Wedding - Getting Pretty!

After a long week of last minute preparations, family arrivals, scorching heat, and many festivities, it was finally our wedding day.  I woke up on Saturday morning and was immediately grateful that I didn't have to rush anywhere or be anywhere for several hours.  Throughout all the planning process, the one decision I was firm on was that I was not planning to be anywhere on my wedding day until it was time to be at the venue.  I just wanted to relax with my bridesmaids and drink champagne!  With all the girls scheduled to arrive at my parents' house to get ready around 10:30am, I had enough time for a nice long run with my sister and a relaxing shower. 

We set up a little "getting ready" area off the kitchen and changed into the robes I had gotten everyone from Pretty Plum Sugar to get ready in.  Tiffany from Joseph Salon showed up right at 11:00 to do my hair and make-up.  I was lucky enough to have Tiffany do my hair 2 years earlier at my sister's wedding, and she did an awesome job.  I knew I had to have her do my wedding day look as well.  Our dear friends Deb and Benham showed up not long after that to bring us Champagne and brunch from Paul's Deli.  It was delicious! 

Lots of tools...and mimosas :)

YUMMY!

delicious...thank goodness for Deb and Benham!

Tiffany working her magic

Spacing out...

Some of the gals

Lil nugget...he played so good while we got ready!

Eyelashes.

Hair from the back

Whit helping Kenzie get ready

DeAnna :)

Maid of Honor

The other man in my life

Just tease it and make it look like a blonde football helmet

Whit and Miranda getting gorgey

Brynn and me

All the gals in our robes I got them!

Last step...lips!

Glad we have a pic of this...we may not see the boy ironing again...umm, ever.

Best man, boy, bourbon

Signing the card he got me.

Looking very handsome...

Tyler helping my brother with his boutonniere

My gift to my husband :)

My wedding gift to the boy was a custom canvas I did of "The Luckiest" by Ben Folds.  This song has always had special meaning to us in our relationship, and we had it performed during our wedding ceremony.  I thought it would be a great surprise!  If you haven't heard the song....you must go right now to YouTube and listen. 

Next up...our very hot, but still wonderful ceremony!

When life hands you color...Run it!

Last Saturday, I had the best time participating in my first color run!  For those of you who don't know, the Color Run is self-proclaimed to be the "happiest run on the planet."  It is a 5k that has color stations scattered throughout the course where you get blasted with different colors.  The only real requirements are to wear a white shirt and to have fun!  When I heard that the color run was coming to Louisville, I knew immediately that I wanted to get involved.  What a great opportunity to log another 5K AND have a freakin' awesome time too? 

Along with the 4 color stations throughout our course, we also recieved a special packet of color that you save until the color throw after the race.  Our color stations throughout the actual run were Orange, Yellow, Pink, and Blue.  Once we finished, we headed over to the the color throw area after snapping a couple photos.  I was a little disappointed at this point because I felt like everyone else had a ton more color than me.  That was all about to change!  When I opened my packet, I realized that my extra color was none other than my favorite color....purple!!  Clearly I was meant to be in this color run.  It goes without saying that I was completely color-covered after the throw too!

Running with me on the day was my mom and our friend Misty.  We all had an absolute blast running like idiots, getting messy, and of course stuffing our faces with brunch in our full Color Run get-up at North End Cafe.  I highly recommend checking out one of these runs when they visit your town...it's a great workout that doesnt feel like a workout, and it's such a great thing to do with those that are close to you. 

Before the race...still white!

After the main race!

The Color Throw!!

Color, color, everywhere!

Misty, Me, and Mom (and Olive, of course)

Me and Mom

Olive....Color dog.

Arms looked like splatter paint!

From the back

Before I showered...all the color bled through my shirt and it looked like I got repeatedly kicked in the stomach! 

Color Run, bitches....