Most of the following was written a day or two after the wedding as I recaped the big event for some friends who couldn't get there and were dying for details. I am so glad that I did this right away because I really did forget almost everything that happened. When my photographer sent me the pictures I said a lot of "oh yeah, I forgot about that". It's amazing that the old cliche of it all being a blur is 100% true, and here I was thinking that I had been stopping to savor moments. Below you will find part 2 you can start with part 1 here.
I'd like to add here that we had the most beautiful weather imaginable on August 24th. We attended a wedding about a month earlier where the humidity was so overwhelming I thought I might die. The week before saw more record setting temps followed by scary rain storms. The following weekend was also a complete wash. To say we lucked out is the understatement of the century.
The Beef got a head start leaving my moms house and we followed him to his father's where the ceremony was taking place. Thankfully, there was a parking spot waiting for me when we got there and the front yard was cleared out just as I had requested. I showed up fashionably late on purpose because I was doing a first look with my father and didn't want it interrupted by guest who were arriving a few minutes late.
Moments after we arrived my brother appeared in the front yard and I started to get really emotional, he told me I looked gorgeous and gave me a hug and it dawned on me just how far we've come as siblings. It was a really special unplanned moment that I don't think I'll ever forget.
He went around back to let my father know I was ready and I waited. It seemed like it took a million years for him to round the corner out of the garage and then there he was, he stopped, he smiled and I started to get all choked up again.
Even now seeing the change in his body language gets me all choked up all over again.
He told me how happy he was and how beautiful I looked as I tried not to disintegrate into a large pile of emotional tears.
We snapped a few pictures, waved a guilty looking guest who showed up late a bit late and then suddenly it was time to go.
We were at the back of the garage at the top of the deck and I could see the whole yard decorated, everyone waiting down below and the beef in the distance and it didn't scare me. I was ready to book it down the aisle but my dad held me back for a minute and told me to take it all in, I'm really grateful for that because I can hardly recall the walk down the aisle, I probably wouldn't have broken an ankle anyway.
I don't remember a single face in the crowd, I just zeroed in on The Beef and somehow managed to make it all the way to him, despite hiking over stone and uneven grass in not the most practical heels.
My dad handed me off to the beef after saying something about making sure he took care of me (and someone in the background shouting "or he'll shoot you") and then the ceremony started.
This part gets kind of blurry in my mind. I know I was very aware of the fact that our friend the Reverend who had never done a wedding before was absolutely shaking like a leaf, he seemed to be vibrating though spending years working in radio left him with a calm and smooth voice.
I was vaguely aware of the people with cameras circling us but mostly I was focused on The Beef, the little winks and hand squeezes were keeping me in the moment. Time had hit warp speed and all of a sudden we were saying I do. Then the Reverend leans over and asks me where the rings are. I freeze and The Beef smiles and pulls them out of his pocket.
Speaking while exchanging rings was so incredibly difficult for me, because at this point I got really emotional and keeping my voice steady seemed to take tremendous effort. I'm not sure I could have managed a single word more at that moment.
This is what was said during the ceremony:
Good Afternoon everyone. Thank you for coming. My name is Rev. Anthony -------. This is a very special moment for me, not only is this the first marriage ceremony I’m performing, but I have the honor of marrying my best friend to the love of his life. I love you both. Now let’s get started.
An Ladies and gentlemen, family and friends, we are gathered here today to witness and celebrate the joining of Brendon --------- and Christine -------- in marriage. With love and commitment, they have decided to live their lives together as husband and wife.
Love isn’t practical. It isn’t meant to be easy. It doesn’t appear on command, and It doesn’t let you fall for whomever you’d like. It surfaces neither at the most opportune moment nor in the most convenient. It’ll pair you with someone you might never have expected. It’ll put you face to face with endless obstacles. But in the end, none of that will matter because it’s how you overcome its obstacles that will define your love. It may not be practical but love is ultimately the best thing that will ever happen to you.
True marriage begins well before the wedding day, and the efforts of marriage continue well beyond the ceremony's end. A brief moment in time and the stroke of the pen are all that is required to create the legal bond of marriage, but it takes a lifetime of love, commitment, and compromise to make marriage durable and everlasting. Today you declare your commitment to each other before family and friends, your yesterdays were the path to this moment, and your journey to a future of togetherness becomes a little clearer with each new day.
Brendon and Christine, today you choose each other before your family and friends, to begin your life together. For all the tomorrows that follow, you will choose each other over and again in the privacy of your hearts. Let your love and friendship guide you as you learn and grow together. Experience the wonders of the world, even as patience and wisdom calm the restless nature. Through your partnership, triumph over the challenges in your path. Through the comfort of loving arms, may you always find a safe place to call home.
No other human ties are more tender and no other vows more important than those you are about to take. Both of you come to this day with the deep realization that the contract of marriage is sacred as are all of its obligations and responsibilities
Please join hands
"Do you Brendon choose Christine To be your wife? To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward, to infinity and beyond?"
Brendon: I do
"Do you Christine choose Brendon to be your husband? To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish from this day forward, to infinity and beyond?"
Christine: I do
You have for each other special rings – symbols that love is the most precious element in your life together. The ring has no beginning and no ending, which symbolizes that the love between you will never cease. You place these rings upon each others fingers as a visible sign of your vows this day, which will make you husband and wife.
Brendon you may now present Christine with her ring and repeat after me.
I give you this ring,
as I give to you all that I am,
and accept from you,
all that you are.
Christine you may now present Brendon with his ring & repeat after me.
I give you this ring,
as I give to you all that I am,
and accept from you,
all that you are.
Anthony: Before I pronounce you husband and wife, I have just one more thing I want you to say. Your wedding day is one that seems to fly. It’s a day filled with emotion, friends, rings and dances. Many people remember how fleeting their own wedding day was. So I want you to take a few seconds to look into each others’ eyes. Think about the happiness that you’re feeling in this place, in this moment. Really let that feeling register in your heart and your mind.
Now, I want you to think about your life together in twenty years. Where are you? What are you doing? We all know that your visions of the future are not identical, but always complimentary. A dream you dream alone is only a dream, a dream you dream together is a reality. That new reality starts now.
Therefore, it is my pleasure to pronounce you husband and wife.
Brendon you may smooch your bride.
Ladies & Gentlemen I present to you Mr. & Mrs. --------!
And then we kissed and it was done!
We turned to triumphantly face the crowd and then separated for a moment to hug our moms.
We made our way back down the aisle and took a moment alone to let it all sink in and say omfg we're married now!!
Then we turned around and the crowd seemed to swallow us whole. Though I do remember being handed a bottle of Jameson by our friend Kyle at this point and taking a much needed mighty swig from it. I'm not one for so much attention being paid to me and being the bride at a wedding doesn't allow for you to hang in the background. I feel like I set some kind of record for how many hugs I gave in such a short period of time, but I suspect that that's normal.
Then it was time to bang out a million family pictures which wasn't nearly as awful as I'd imagined because Katie is a machine.
Though it was difficult to get the beef to keep his shirt on, thankfully my brother was up for the job.
We kept the bitches ring picture tradition alive which was one of my absolute must have pictures that I wanted from the wedding.
The Beef and the Rev were more than happy to show off the wedding socks I bought for them.
Then it was time for the party to start, people were playing games, food was coming out and drinks were flowing. I started making rounds trying to make sure I spoke to everyone and kissed all the adorable babies that showed up.
I approached the Beef early on and jokingly asked him if he remembered to pick up the cake at noon. The bakery was 5 minutes away and I thought it was stupid to pay a large delivery fee. To my horror he froze and looked ill and assured me that he wasn't joking around with me. Thankfully it only took 15 minutes and help from his Uncle to fix the problem.
Around this time the beef brought me up to the house and presented me with flowers, a card addressed to "wife" and a charm for my bracelet to commemorate our wedding. It was a nice quiet, adorably sweet moment amidst the chaos of the party.
To Be Continued...
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