The wedding!

The wedding...

I’ve wanted to write about the wedding now for a while. I think that there’s something really wonderful about being able to write about the day. Partly because when telling someone about your wedding day you don’t tend to tell people that moments before walking down the aisle your hands were so sweaty that they were slippery, and that you couldn’t drink coffee all morning because your stomach was in knots and you felt like it was doing some kind of intense marathon dance party or something. My stomach WAS in knots, I DID avoid coffee all morning, I barely ate anything until dinner, and I felt like I might die of nerves before I walked down that aisle. All eyes on me, because it’s MY day right?

Haha, wrong. It was our day, a day to glorify God in the presence of those we loved. Yet I had focused so much on it not being at all about me that the thought of people focusing on me was a terrifying prospect. Everyone was there for us, to celebrate with us, and whether we liked it or not we were kinda the centre of most of the attention. Except for when our niece toddled down the aisle, I’m pretty sure she stole the show for a while with those chubby cheeks of hers. 

I had been convinced I’d be one of those calm brides for our whole engagement. But boy was my heart and mind telling me otherwise at 1:30, 2:00, 3:30 and 4:00 the night and morning before. I was a mess, hungry, tired, frustrated and excited all at the same time. I went pee probably 7 times that night...TMI? I was a mess of emotions. And as I lay there in bed just wanting to sleep and my stomach was having a wild party, I realized I was NOT going to be one of those calm, relaxed, unaffected brides. 

So I started off my crying for the day early, and my wonderful friend (the same one who makes monkey noises with me on canoe trips) woke up and hugged me and then obliged me in getting some crackers from the kitchen. 

Don’t get me wrong I was happy, I was excited, I was in love (and still am!) but I was also a mess of nerves. 

I sat in that hair dressers chair, commanding my leg to stop jiggling and my heart to stop beating so fast. I tried to stop gallons of hair spray from getting into my champagne and orange juice, I eventually gave up. I ate a quarter of a bagel and a strawberry and I was done, no more food was going in that butterfly filled stomach of mine! 

(I know I know gorgeous picture...)

I loved watching all the girls get their hair done; they looked gorgeous, and well rested (darn them). My hairdresser and I commiserated about getting no sleep. Getting your hair done professionally is great fun, I enjoyed not having to worry about it, and my hairdresser did a wonderful job.

On the way to the Yantzi farm we drove past my dad on the highway. There I was driving the car, veil in, country music playing, mom and best friend smiling and waving at my dad as we drove by! If only we had a convertible, that would have been a scene from a movie.

Ah, the Yantzi family. I don’t think I could ever find the words to explain to them how grateful I was for them that day. Especially Lisa, she was there when we needed her, and when my mom needed her. When Rob and I were standing around near the end of our pictures and getting ready to walk into the reception she went and lugged a bench over for us so we could sit down. She got my sandals for me. She told my mom what to do during the day when my mom was a little at a loss for what you do on your daughter’s wedding day. They served their own coffee when our caterer forgot and served their own food when our caterer was there late and we had no refreshments.

I think my favourite part about weddings are speeches, dances, and baby/growing up pictures. I love speeches because they are often a time where the bride and groom are praised and blessed, and you get to hear more about them through stories and jokes. As for dances the father-daughter dance gets me pretty much every time. It’s just a beautiful moment, I can’t help but sigh happily. And baby pictures...do I really need to say more? Babies are adorable (though there are a few exceptions), and your friends as babies are even better. And then you hit the awkward stage  pictures that everyone hits and it’s just nice to be reminded that you were not alone. 

I remember when my dad and I were dong our father- daughter dance thing I asked him “What do people normally talk about here?” He laughed and shrugged. Our conversation was not particularly deep or touching, we laughed, we smiled, and we swayed to the country music. But it was us and it was fun. 

Rob and I were greatly blessed on our wedding day. We were surrounded by people we loved and who had contributed to our growth as a couple and our growth as adults. We laughed, I bawled. It was great. I’d do it again in a minute, partly to wear that dress again.