Joy: Our Wedding – List of Vendors

Written by Sara on May 18, 2011 – 2:31 pm -

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{Click here to catch up on our wedding recaps:

Hair appointmentsPicking up flowersGetting readyThe GownOur First LookGirls & Guys AttireMore PhotosJitters and CommunionCeremony DecorOur DIY Ceremony Programs, Prayers, Readings and MusicWalking Down the AisleMore Ceremony ShotsThe Getaway CarReception Table CenterpiecesWishing Tree & Photo DisplaysPhotos From Our DIY Photobooth!Analysis of our iPod Wedding and Our Honeymoon}

I’m finally nearing the end of my wedding recaps, which is fitting, since Jordan and I have been married almost one year already! I can hardly believe that ten months have already passed by; what a blessing it is to have someone by my side each and every day. While our first year of marriage hasn’t been a walk in the park, this year (so far) has been full of blessings.

I wanted to share with you today a list of the vendors that we used throughout planning our wedding, so that any of you local SD brides will have all of these resources in one place! Also, stay tuned for a full list of Etsy vendors that we used – that’s the next post that I’ll write! Also coming up is a final list of the DIY projects that we completed for the wedding, so if you don’t see something listed below (i.e. the boutonnieres or my garters), don’t fret, because it was either purchased from Etsy or DIY!

Materials for Invitations:

Cards & Pockets (ordered online)

Sioux Falls Rubber Stamp, Sioux Falls, SD

Map of Sioux Falls – Wedding Invitations:

Designed by a friend of the bride

Printing:

Brown & Saenger, Sioux Falls, SD

Wedding Rings:

Sara’s Engagement Ring and Wedding Band: Riddle’s Jewelry, Sioux Falls, SD

Jordan’s Wedding Band: Helzberg Diamonds, Sioux Falls, SD

Photographers:

Creative Kindling, Brandon, SD

Florist:

The Flower Shop, Sioux Falls, SD

Sheet Cakes (Remember, we DIYed the Rice Krispie Cake):

HyVee on Sycamore Avenue, Sioux Falls, SD

Manzanita Branches – Wishing Tree:

Save-on-crafts.com (ordered online)

White Shutters – Photo Display:

Purchased from a seller at Benson’s Flea Market (Sioux Falls, SD)

Fabric – Wedding Napkins:

Hancock Fabrics, Sioux Falls, SD

Classic Car:

Borrowed for the day from a friend of the family

Hair and Nails on the Wedding Day:

Hair: Salon Ne-Zhoni, Sioux Falls, SD

Sara’s Manicure: VIP Nails, Sioux Falls, SD

Sara’s Pedicure: Radiance Day Spa, Sioux Falls, SD

Wedding Gown:

Purchased from Happily Ever After, Sioux City, IA (gown was by Alfred Angelo, and has since been discontinued)

Veil:

Purchased from French Door Bridal in Sioux Falls, SD (veil was by Signature Bridal)

Tuxedos:

Rented from Evelyn’s Floral and Formalware in Sioux Falls, SD, a business which has since closed its doors (the tuxedo was by Calvin Klein)

Groomsmen/Ushers Gifts:

Flasks – Brown & Saenger, Sioux Falls, SD

Socks – Express (ordered online)

Ceremony Helpers Gifts:

Wine purchased from HyVee Wine & Spirits, Louise Avenue, Sioux Falls, SD

Bridesmaids Dresses:

The Dessy Group, ordered online from www.bridesmaids.com

Ceremony Site:

Augustana College Chapel of Reconciliation, Sioux Falls, SD

Organist:

Kyle Quanbeck, Sioux Falls, SD

Vocalist:

Sister of the Groom

Catering, Reception Site:

Washington Pavilion, Sioux Falls, SD

Wedding Weekend Accommodations (Guests):

Holiday Inn City Centre (Downtown), Sioux Falls, SD

Wedding Night Accommodations (Jordan and Sara):

ClubHouse Hotel & Suites, Sioux Falls, SD

I also wanted to make sure that I made a list of places that I shopped for a variety of materials for all kinds of projects:

Hobby Lobby, Sioux Falls, SD

Michaels, Sioux Falls, SD

IKEA, Minneapolis, MN (votive candles)

I think that’s it! In terms of whether or not I would use these same vendors again if I were to do it all over again, the answer is a resounding yes. I was so pleased with all of our vendors, despite some last-minute stress from HyVee regarding our cakes. But, everything couldn’t have been more perfect, and we think back fondly on our wedding day and all of the vendors that made it happen for us. Cards & Pockets is a fabulous online resource for those of you who plan to DIY invitations in the future, and I couldn’t recommend the ladies at Happily Ever After in Sioux City, IA, any higher. The Flower Shop did an extraordinary job realizing my vision for the flowers, and the staff at the Augie Chapel and the Washington Pavilion couldn’t have been more helpful. Brown & Saenger also played a huge role in pulling off our wedding in terms of satisfying all of our printing needs, and our day wouldn’t have been chronicled in such a meaningful way without Creative Kindling. We couldn’t have been more blessed!

If you have any questions, please let me know!

[Photo by Creative Kindling]


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Posted in Adornments & Embellishments, Beauty & Polish, Budget Weddings, Cakes & Cuisine, Decor, DIY, Eco-Chic, Fashion, Flowers, Honeymoon, Inspiration & Insight, Music & Entertainment, Our Wedding, Personal, Photography, Stationery, Venues, Vintage Beauties, Wedding Recap | 1 Comment »

Joy: Our Wedding – Honeymoon Review (With Pictures!)

Written by Sara on May 5, 2011 – 12:24 pm -

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{Click here to catch up on our wedding recaps:

Hair appointmentsPicking up flowersGetting readyThe GownOur First LookGirls & Guys AttireMore PhotosJitters and CommunionCeremony DecorOur DIY Ceremony Programs, Prayers, Readings and MusicWalking Down the AisleMore Ceremony ShotsThe Getaway CarReception Table CenterpiecesWishing Tree & Photo DisplaysPhotos From Our DIY Photobooth! and Analysis of our iPod Wedding}

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Jordan and I spent six days in Jamaica for our honeymoon. In terms of deciding where we wanted to jet away to for our honeymoon, we both wanted to go somewhere warm with a beach and an ocean, and we felt excited (and anxious) about going abroad. It was the first time being outside of America for the both of us, which truly was an experience in itself. We’ve never before been herded like cattle through customs (which, apparently, is an all-too-common experience in other countries), and that was a bit of a disarming experience.

In terms of actually booking our vacation, we utilized the expertise of a family friend who has been in the travel agency for quite some time. We booked our six-day stay at Breezes Rio Bueno in Rio Bueno, Jamaica. While we had a good time overall and made the best of our vacation stay there, it wasn’t the ideal honeymoon locale for either of us, for the following reasons below:

1. Our first time overseas was completely overwhelming; looking back, for our honeymoon, we would have rather stayed stateside.

After finally arriving at our resort after a full day of flights and sitting around in airports, we were exhausted, and I (Sara) was completely overwhelmed by the airport experience of going through customs in Jamaica, and also by the car ride from the airport to the resort. (Note: I (Sara) felt like the car was going to run off of the road countless times; plus, we were offered illegal drugs not only in the airport, but also when we were driving – passengers in another car shouted to us and (I’m not kidding) dangled a little baggie of “goodies” outside the window.)

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2. Our room was underwhelming, to say the least (despite the fact that Jordan looks super comfy above!).

We stayed in a total of two different rooms during our stay at Breezes; our first room was, to put it lightly, not comfortable. We found ants in our room crawling on the floor, and our bedsheets were stained. There was barely any furniture in the room, and we were quite unsatisfied. So, we asked to move to a different room, which the resort staff granted us on the second day of our stay. While this room had more furniture, no bugs and clean bedsheets, it still was not what we were expecting. We were hoping for a cushy bed with many, many pillows and soft linens, but the bed linens made us feel more like we were staying at a motel than a resort that we shelled out many pennies for. Also – no bathtub. Boo.

3. We couldn’t get room service.

If we had known this prior to booking, we probably wouldn’t have booked at all. Who wants to go somewhere where you can’t order food to your room on your honeymoon?!

4. The atmosphere of the resort was geared more toward families and young single people than to couples on their honeymoon.

From the games and activities (think: wet t-shirt contests, dance contests, and the like, along with your regular water volleyball games, which Jordan enjoyed) to the other people staying at our resort, we came to realize that the beach getaway we had wanted originally was what we received (and, to the credit of Breezes, the beach and the ocean were fantastic), but wasn’t what we wanted. Now we know that if we ever embark on a trip overseas to an all-inclusive resort again, we want a couples-only resort with cushy linens, room service and a bunch of yummy food.

5. Jamaica is, well, a third-world country, which made it scary (for us) to leave the resort.

Despite the fact that Jordan and I were well aware of this before leaving, the disparate divide between poverty and wealth is so obvious when you’re driving beside shanties, and just down the road, you see a mansion. It was certainly eye-opening. But, in light of the fact that our surroundings were so unfamiliar (and, to us, rather scary), we never left the resort, which probably was a detriment to the fun we had on our trip. But, we just didn’t feel comfortable leaving the resort.

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What We Liked

What we will say, however, is that we really appreciated the staff of this resort. They were always kind and accommodating. We also liked the food, too! We ate at a French restaurant one evening, and at a Japanese hibachi restaurant another evening, both of which were quite delicious! The other restaurants, however, left quite a bit to be desired, although Jordan sure enjoyed his omelette every morning, and we both still crave the fresh orange juice! Lastly, the beach was seriously insanely beautiful. The weather was a bit rainy when we were there, but the sun always came out eventually, and it was wonderful to lay by the beach and read, drink in hand. We also took a glass-bottom boat tour (the bottom of the boat was glass, which allowed us to see the sea life swimming around below us) that was fun, too.

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So, here’s a recap of what we learned:

- We aren’t really all-inclusive resort people. We love nothing more than to make our own experience together by choosing to go to this shop or that restaurant to eat, and we found the all-inclusive environment rather limiting.

- We like a comfy room, complete with cushy soft linens and room service. And a bathtub instead of a shower!

- If we ever do an all-inclusive resort vacation again, we’ll stay at a couples-only resort. And, we would probably be open to going to an all-inclusive resort with friends (though, not Breezes) – that actually might be a good time!

- If we do go to a third-world country again, we will know what to expect in terms of the poverty level, among other things.

*Interesting fact: when I went to the Breezes Rio Bueno home page today to link to their site, I found the following disclosure:

“Please note: Breezes Resort & Spa – Rio Bueno will be closed as of April 30, 2011 indefinitely. For reservations after April 30, please see our other Breezes Resorts & Spas in Jamaica and in other destinations.”

Quite interesting, since we certainly felt that the resort was lacking the comforts that we wished for and expected.

In looking back on our honeymoon, we feel grateful for this experience, because it taught us what we want (and what we don’t) in a vacation. In fact, this summer, Jordan and I are embarking on a bit of a honeymoon-redo to…SEATTLE! That’s the best part about a honeymoon; you learn what you really want to do together on vacation! We’re so excited to experience a part of the United States that we’ve never been before, and we’re especially excited to enjoy all that Seattle has to offer.

Where are you headed on your honeymoon? Are you staying stateside or going abroad? What’s on your must-have list for your honeymoon destination?

[All photos by Jordan and I]


Posted in Budget Weddings, Honeymoon, Inspiration & Insight, Our Wedding, Personal, Venues, Wedding Recap, Weddings | No Comments »

WE’RE FEATURED: A Practical Wedding!

Written by Sara on April 14, 2011 – 7:13 am -

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Hello readers! Just a little note from me to tell y’all that we’ve been FEATURED on A Practical Wedding today! Jordan and I are so excited to share our wedding with Meg’s wonderfully smart and sassy readers – it’s a great community over there! Feel free to head on over and check it out.

Lots of love (and promises of more wedding recaps soon), Sara

[Photo by Creative Kindling]


Posted in Adornments & Embellishments, Beauty & Polish, Budget Weddings, Cakes & Cuisine, Decor, DIY, Eco-Chic, Fashion, Flowers, Honeymoon, Inspiration & Insight, Music & Entertainment, Our Wedding, Personal, Photography, Stationery, Venues, Vintage Beauties, Weddings | 2 Comments »

Joy: Our Wedding – Food & The Cakes!

Written by Sara on January 16, 2011 – 2:09 pm -

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{Click here to catch up on our wedding recaps:

Hair appointmentsPicking up flowersGetting readyThe GownOur First LookGirls & Guys AttireMore PhotosJitters and CommunionCeremony DecorOur DIY Ceremony Programs, Prayers, Readings and MusicWalking Down the AisleMore Ceremony ShotsThe Getaway CarReception Table CenterpiecesWishing Tree & Photo Displays and Photos From Our DIY Photobooth!}

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The food at our reception was super yummy! The Washington Pavilion has an adorable little cafe inside of it called Leonardo’s, and they catered our reception for us. We requested a taco bar with beef and chicken, and all the taco fixin’s we could ever want – and they delivered! We couldn’t have been more pleased with the delicious spread.

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While the taco bar was outstanding, one of my favorite parts of our wedding reception were our wedding cakes! After seeing inspiration for an awesome rice-krispie tiered cake online, my parents and I agreed to try and tackle making our own! My parents took the brunt of the work on themselves in the few days before the wedding, and I couldn’t have been happier with the finished product!

We also ordered three half sheet cakes from HyVee, a local bakery inside a grocery store. We ordered red velvet (my favorite), vanilla, and strawberry (Jordan’s favorite). I’m sad to say that I didn’t even get a chance to have a piece that evening, but I heard wonderful things about how it tasted! Many thanks to my aunts for cutting the cake for us.

And now, for the pictures!

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We also had a bunch of fun cutting the cake together, using a cake knife from my great-grandmother Sophie!

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Up next: A look at our iPod wedding dance!

[All photos by Creative Kindling]


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Posted in Budget Weddings, Cakes & Cuisine, DIY, Inspiration & Insight, Our Wedding, Personal, Photography, Venues, Wedding Recap, Weddings | 1 Comment »

Joy: Our Wedding – Photos From Our DIY Photobooth!

Written by Sara on January 7, 2011 – 9:40 am -

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{Click here to catch up on our wedding recaps:

Hair appointmentsPicking up flowersGetting readyThe GownOur First LookGirls & Guys AttireMore PhotosJitters and CommunionCeremony DecorOur DIY Ceremony Programs, Prayers, Readings and MusicWalking Down the AisleMore Ceremony ShotsThe Getaway CarReception Table Centerpieces and Wishing Tree & Photo Displays}

I was totally bitten by the photobooth bug early on in my efforts to make our wedding enjoyable and fun for us and for our larger community that supports us day in and day out. My father-in-law helped me to build our photobooth from plywood, wallpaper, crown molding and a picture frame; I love the way it turned out!

Here’s how it worked: we set up the photobooth after the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding, at the same time that we were decorating the reception space. My father-in-law made the photobooth collapsable by sawing the plywood in half hot-dog style and attaching hinges, so that the photobooth was easy to transport. We set up a digital camera on a tripod in front of the photobooth, so when our wedding guests utilized the photobooth, they also brought up another friend to take the photos for them. We also provided props for our guests:

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Here are a few shots from our photobooth from our photographers, Creative Kindling:

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Up next: Our reception food + our wedding cakes!

[All photos by Creative Kindling, our talented photographers]


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Joy: Our Wedding – Wishing Tree & Photo Displays

Written by Sara on December 30, 2010 – 8:11 pm -

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Hello readers! After taking a break for the holidays, I’m back with more recap posts! Click here to get caught up on our wedding recaps:

{Hair appointmentsPicking up flowersGetting readyThe GownOur First LookGirls & Guys AttireMore PhotosJitters and CommunionCeremony DecorOur DIY Ceremony Programs, Prayers, Readings and MusicWalking Down the AisleMore Ceremony ShotsThe Getaway Car and Reception Table Centerpieces}

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Today I’d love to showcase two personalized touches that made our wedding reception feel more “us” – our Wishing Tree display and our photo features!

Wishing Trees are certainly making their way around the blogosphere, but I knew that the majority of our guests had probably never encountered one before at a wedding reception. It’s really, really important to remember when planning your own wedding that the majority of your guests don’t spend time stalking the most popular wedding blogs, so it’s perfectly fine to utilize the trends that resonate with you, regardless of how popular or played out the trend seems!

While in retrospect, I wish I would have had my Dad or our friend Chuck (who both took turns at acting as MC for the evening) announce that the Wishing Tree was available and where it was located (on the way into the reception space), we did have quite a few wedding guests make their wishes for us.

Here’s a look at our adorable Wishing Tree, which my bridesmaids and I put together utilizing manzanita branches from here, a flower pot purchased locally and some moss. We also utilized a wooden crate box purchased locally to hold our slips of paper tied with twine for the guests to hang their wishes:

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We also included a variety of photo displays of both our engagement pictures (flanking the bar) and some pictures of us as children and us while dating. These photo displays were a lot of fun (and super easy!) to put together, especially since we already gave our parents framed engagement pictures for Christmas the previous year!

I found these two adorable white shutters at our local flea market in Sioux Falls; I just love them, and I want to try and find a way to incorporate them into our decor in our home!

Here’s a few pictures:

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Up next: shots from our homemade photobooth!

[All photos by Creative Kindling, our awesome photographers]


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Posted in Adornments & Embellishments, Budget Weddings, Decor, DIY, Eco-Chic, Inspiration & Insight, Our Wedding, Personal, Photography, Venues, Wedding Recap, Weddings | 4 Comments »

Joy: Our Wedding – Reception Table Centerpieces!

Written by Sara on December 8, 2010 – 10:46 am -

{Click here to catch up on our wedding recaps:

Hair appointmentsPicking up flowersGetting readyThe GownOur First LookGirls & Guys AttireMore PhotosJitters and CommunionCeremony DecorOur DIY Ceremony Programs, Prayers, Readings and MusicWalking Down the AisleMore Ceremony Shots and The Getaway Car}

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Here’s a look at the centerpieces that we utilized at our wedding! We used the following items for each table, as well as the cost per item:

- 1-2 birdhouses (depending on size) from my mother’s collection. We did purchase a few birdcages (my Mom mostly has birdhouses, and I love cages!), so I would say that we spent $50 max on 2-3 birdcages.

- A picture of our relatives on their wedding day. While we borrowed many, many picture frames from family members, we needed to purchase a few frames; I would estimate that we spent no more than $25 total.

- Mason jar, tied with ribbon, with a candle inside. We brought these from the ceremony site to the reception site (yay for reuse!), but we needed to purchase one set of jars (my mother had the others!), candles and the ribbon. I would estimate about $25 for this project; we purchased a ton of candles from IKEA for super cheap!

- Letter ‘G’ to represent our last name, Gillis. I purchased these at Hobby Lobby, painted them ivory and distressed them with sandpaper. Total cost for this project: about $15.

- Square of burlap, which acted as an anchor of sorts for the centerpiece. I know that we purchased a large bolt of burlap from Joann’s Fabric for 50% off one day…I’m sure it didn’t cost more than $20.

Here are a few more pictures, including our cootie catcher favors, a note for our wedding guests, our DIY fabric napkins, and our DIY photobooth tickets!

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Up next: More reception decor – the wishing tree and our photo displays!

[All photos by Creative Kindling, our lovely photographers]


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Posted in Adornments & Embellishments, Budget Weddings, Decor, DIY, Eco-Chic, Inspiration & Insight, Our Wedding, Personal, Photography, Stationery, Venues, Vintage Beauties, Wedding Recap, Weddings | 3 Comments »

Joy: Our Wedding – The Getaway Car

Written by Sara on December 4, 2010 – 9:31 am -

{Click here to catch up on our wedding recaps:

Hair appointmentsPicking up flowersGetting readyThe GownOur First LookGirls & Guys AttireMore PhotosJitters and CommunionCeremony DecorOur DIY Ceremony Programs, Prayers, Readings and Music, Walking Down the Aisle and More Ceremony Shots}

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For our getaway car, I really wanted to rent or borrow an old classic car to ride away in. Luckily, one of my father’s coworkers restores cars, and he allowed us to borrow his classic Chevrolet free of charge (actually, all he requested as payment was a photo of us with the car, looking overjoyed – how sweet is that!). It was so much fun to ride away in it. My lovely father drove us from the ceremony to the reception; here are a few pictures!

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The only downside to the car was that being a classic car, it lacked air conditioning. Since we were married on literally the hottest day of the year, it was quite miserable inside the confines of that car. However, our emotions were running at an all-time high, so we were too overjoyed with the variety of people honking at us in celebration to care much about the heat!

For those of you that are curious, our “Just Married” sign came from Etsy seller Earmark – it was whimsical and perfect!

Up next: the centerpieces at our wedding reception!

[All photos by Creative Kindling, who we couldn't recommend higher!]


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Posted in Adornments & Embellishments, Beauty & Polish, Budget Weddings, Decor, Fashion, Flowers, Inspiration & Insight, Our Wedding, Personal, Photography, Venues, Vintage Beauties, Wedding Recap, Weddings | 2 Comments »

Joy: Our Wedding – More Ceremony Shots

Written by Sara on November 27, 2010 – 1:35 pm -

{Click here to catch up on our wedding recaps:

Hair appointmentsPicking up flowersGetting readyThe GownOur First LookGirls & Guys AttireMore PhotosJitters and CommunionCeremony DecorOur DIY Ceremony Programs, Prayers, Readings and Music, and Walking Down the Aisle}

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Here are some more shots from our wedding ceremony, which took place at the Augustana Chapel in Sioux Falls, SD:

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Up next: Our Getaway Car!

[All photos by Creative Kindling, our lovely and talented photographers]


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Posted in Adornments & Embellishments, Beauty & Polish, Budget Weddings, Decor, Fashion, Flowers, Inspiration & Insight, Our Wedding, Personal, Photography, Venues, Vintage Beauties, Wedding Recap, Weddings | 2 Comments »

Joy: Our Wedding – Walking Down the Aisle!

Written by Sara on November 20, 2010 – 9:28 am -

{Click here to catch up on our wedding recaps:

Hair appointmentsPicking up flowersGetting readyThe GownOur First LookGirls & Guys AttireMore PhotosJitters and CommunionCeremony Decor and Our DIY Ceremony Programs, Prayers, Readings and Music}

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After communion, my father and I spent a few moments alone in the pastor’s office. I was a nervous wreck – I knew that the moment had finally come to walk down the aisle, and that made me nervous! I wasn’t nervous at all to marry Jordan, but I was nervous for everyone to look at me! Silly, I know, and looking back, I overreacted, but in the moment, I was taking in and living my authentic emotions.

While my father and I were waiting for our turn to walk down the aisle, Jordan escorted my grandmother and our mothers in, and then he took his place with my Uncle Rick for the ceremony:

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This picture below is one of my absolute favorites from the entire wedding; it makes me so, so proud to call my father mine, because he’s such a wonderful man:

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He was a complete gem that day, so calm, telling light-hearted jokes to make me giggle and smile and forget that in a few moments, everyone in that church would be watching me walk down the aisle. He revealed the next day, at our gift-opening brunch, that he too was nervous to walk in front of the 130 guests in attendance, but I never would have guessed it. Both of my parents were so wonderful on our wedding day; they both had joy in their eyes that I won’t ever forget. My mother was with me the majority of the day, helping me to get dressed – it was an emotional day, and it was wonderful to have my parents with me.

After our groomsmen and our bridesmaids took their places, and our flower girls graced the aisle with yellow rose petals, it was finally our turn.

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With my sister-in-law singing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” as I walked, I felt goosebumps take over my arms. I clutched my dad’s arm, and when I saw Jordan, I grew so, so excited. Today was our day; it was finally here.

Up next: More photos from the ceremony!

[All photos by the outstanding Creative Kindling]


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Posted in Adornments & Embellishments, Beauty & Polish, Budget Weddings, Decor, DIY, Fashion, Flowers, Inspiration & Insight, Music & Entertainment, Our Wedding, Personal, Photography, Venues, Vintage Beauties, Wedding Recap, Weddings | 5 Comments »