Day #18: Wedding Day

Our wedding day was perfect. No wedding whirlwind for us; I remember every detail of that special day. We were able to just sit back, take it all in, and enjoy the company of dear family and friends. It had an "old elegance" feel to it; no pomp and circumstance; just simple. classic. beautiful. intimate.
Why? Because every detail of the wedding was put together by family and friends. No outside vendors for us: the cake, the centerpieces, the invitations, the programs, the photography, the DJ, the videographer, the pianist, the coordinator, the officiant....EVERYONE was a family member or friend. Even such details like hair, makeup, veil, cake cutter, etc: were all provided by close friends. We were completely confident that every aspect of the wedding was taken care of by people who loved us and who wanted that day to be as special as possible. And it was. We will never forget the love that surrounded us that day.

Now onto details:
Location: The Castle Green, Pasadena, CA

Beautiful, right? I fell in love the moment I stepped through the door.

Not much decoration was needed; the place held it's own beauty.

Colors: Chocolate Brown, Cream, Green

My sweet friend Julie provided the programs, favors, and much of the centerpiece decor. 

 

 Flowers were put together by my fantastically talented cousin, Erin.

 The gorgeous (and delicious!) cake was made by two dear friends from church: Kelley and Penney.

My bouquet, bridemaids bouquets, and boutonnières were lovingly put together by my like-a-mother-to-me friend, Francine.

My hair was painstaking done by my sweet friend, Lauren.

Veil and Make-Up Provided By Kenzie

Not detail was left untouched or uncared for. To say we were showered with love would be an understatement. We were beyond blessed, in a major way.

The Wedding Party:

 The boys:
Gabe, Jesse, and Brandon
Gabe was our best-man and has literally known my husband from the womb. They were neighbors and have been best-friends since.
Jesse was Brandon's roommate for all the years leading up to our wedding and has been an amazing friend to Brandon.
Our wedding just wouldn't have been complete without these two in it.

 The girls:
Elyse, Me, Brianna
Elyse, my maid-of-honor, and I had a year we could.not.have.imagined in our wildest dreams. November of '07 we were contemplating moving to the Carolinas to start fresh, with no prospects of getting married (neither one of us were dating). Then, fast forward just eight months, and we were BOTH married (she got married two weeks after us!). God definitely worked in amazing ways that year and I was so thankful that we were able to share that together.
Brianna is my amazing cousin that has become more like a sister to me. She and her dad lived with us for  all my highschool years. Our dads (brothers) were single dads together and did an incredible job of raising us. There was no question that she had to be my bridesmaid.

The flower girls and ring bearer are the children of the man responsible for bringing Brandon to the Lord. They are the sweetest children and we were honored to have them in our wedding to share in the legacy that their dad began. 

Our officiant: Jim

Our decision to have him marry us was simple; he knew us BOTH so well and we knew if anyone could stand up and declare that marriage was the right course for our relationship, it would be him. 

He had discipled Brandon for years and knew me, my past, and my heart. 

To have him marry us was not even a question.

And we were so thankful that he was eager to do so. After all, we were the first couple he ever married!

He did an absolutely amazing job describing the biblical roles of the husband and wife and truly gave glory to the Lord through his officiating. It was gospel-centered and reminded us, so clearly, why marriage is to point back to Christ.
Thanks Jim; we were {and still are} so blessed to have you stand up and give us your blessing. You and your wife has taught us so much about Christ-centered marriages and we love you both.

Just a few glimpses into that sweet, sweet day: (The UH-mazing photographer and friend, Jason Dolbier, is responsible for all the photos in this blog.)

We walked back down the aisle to the I Love Lucy theme song, played by our friend, Ruth.

Fitting. 

 Our first dance was to "Cheek to Cheek" sung by Fred Astaire.

The only music we had during the reception was from the 20's-40's. No rap. No pop. No disco.
Sinatra. Crosby. Cole. Miller. Astaire. Etc. Classy...

Recalling this day was so sweet. There were so many more details that I have left out that added to the beauty of this day but you will just have to trust me that it is so.

Blessed to be married to this man. Blessed to have friends that loved on us and that continue to encourage us in our marriage. Blessed to have a great God that has made this beautiful life possible.

07.03.08.