Looking Back: The Ceremony

The guest were steady taking their seats as the clock kept time and we were all still playing "hide the bride" but the moment the prelude music began to start I knew it was time, time to pee... no seriously after hours of getting all dolled up/taking pictures and being what seemed like being vaccum sealed nice and tight in a Ziploc baggie, it was in that very moment in time, my bladder decided I had to pee.. What is this a funny Hollywood wedding film, I thought?!  It's really funny though thinking back to that moment because I knew for certain my sister in law would always be there for me  no matter what after she non-hesitatingly took charge of the situation and grabbed up several yards of my gown just so I could  pee, thanks sil. Whew, now it was time.

The music to be played during the ceremony was a major detail for me, above the shoes, the special somethings, the cake and so on, because my heart was born embedded near it ever since I can remember, I really wanted my guests to feel my hearts inner core through the music that I chose for each portion of the ceremony and I pray they felt it at it's very best. The sweet soulful solo harp version of Ave Maria had just began to play in the distance, which meant our grandparents were just being seated. While it is more of a catholic worshiping tune, I have always adored it's beautiful sound, and I couldn't think of a more beautiful song for our grandparents to walk down to.

I wasn't around to watch as my groom to be, his mother and dear sister lit the memory candle for his Daddy but I can only imagine what that moment felt like for them. It also was a major detail, I do hope Garrett felt his daddys reassuring presence beside him that sweet day. After the memory candle was lit it was time to seat our Mothers and then on to the bridal party. Clair De Lune was this moments song, it is a song that sends chill bumps down my very spine every time I hear that first note played smoothly, it is pure poetry but without a need for any words, and even the adjective: beautiful does it's title no justice. I had originally planned to walk down the aisle to this song because of the great impact on my heart it does, but I decided I would use it for my girls to walk down to. The idea then was perfect, why had I not thought of this before?! It's simple softness would capture them so well, it would be as if they were walking on Heavens stepping stones, I had visioned it's imagery in my mind and I also prayed it was as beautiful as a moment as I had imagined.

 At this point I was standing beside my Daddy waiting for the notion to move forward. I was beginning to get teary eyed already thinking of how my Dad must feel giving his last daughter away. Our relationship had, regretfully had it's days and we were not completely mended but everything was fine. I knew he was happy with my choice to marry Garrett that day. Inner intuition has it's way of easing the soul. I chose the Canon in D harp solo version for my presentation. There's just something about the sound of the harp, it's so angelic there's just nothing like it for me, anyway. I held my daddys arm as we rounded the corner to my concrete aisle. I saw numerous smiles and sweet gestures noting that I was in that moment, but I hadn't yet seen Garrett. Everyone stood at once as I made it to the beginning of my special walk, I lifted my head to my destination and there he was. I had seen a many of his smiles, but his smile was one of a kind that day and I could already see that he had a glitter to his eyes as well. Everything seemed so quiet during that walk toward him, the world seemed to drift back from us and all I saw was him, and all I felt was love, Gods love surrounding us. We took each others hands and listened as the preacher gave Gods word to us, to everyone. We did our best to repeat each vow that was expressed, but emotions overtook our hearts. And as you will see in pictures to come, tears were overflowing so that I had to wipe my eyes during our vows but I just let them go because I felt that was how they were meant to fall. It was the most emotional moment I had ever lived so far, many told us afterwards it was the most heart felt wedding they had ever witnessed, I'm proud to say that our hearts were open even past it's inner lining that day.

    

We took each others token of love along our fingers and listened to the song I had pre-recorded for Garrett. I have always wanted to sing in my wedding, I had sang in numerous weddings before but it was my turn now and this was my hearts desire to sing to my groom. I chose the song "It Feels Like Home" by Chantal Kreviazuk because I just knew as soon as we were pronounced "Husband and Wife" it would be a feeling of home like no other. And it was, We were now one, Praise God what a feeling, the comfort in that title now expressed was so much a "Home" as I had previously sang to my Groom.

We took each others hands and made our way down the porch steps, past our crowd of friends and family, and I don't know about Garrett but a deep breeze came right over me as we reached the end of our wedding march. After six months of planning such an event, this beautiful feeling was the end result. I couldn't possibly feel a feeling no greater than if I had climbed to the top of the tallest mountain, I was so high above the clouds in love. It's true. Love had grown even deeper in my heart than before, my valves were rooted to it's ultimate potential now and I could not wait to see what life had in store for us.

Want to hear this bride sing to her groom?

Listen below and Enjoy!