The Wedding

Thursday, December 3, 2009. Steve and I took the day off work and went out early that morning to get our pictures taken. I also got my bridals done. My sister Rachael was in town already - she came and acted as our photographer and friend Katrina's right-hand man. Rach took care of my bouquet, my train, and assisted Katrina. She was great to come and help out! The pictures were so much fun! We went to the temple first, then to an alfalfa field in Chandler, and last we stopped at Fulton Ranch for some park and waterfall shots. The entire morning was fun! Steve and I got to pose, kiss, and anticipate our wedding the next day...

 Friday, December 4, 2009. The weather was cool and breezy - cooler than we'd been expecting, but it was December. My sister Rachael and I were up early at my hair appointment. Everything went smoothly the entire day - while I got my hair done, Steve and his best friend Brent hung out at our house getting ready and talking sports :) What a perfect morning, eh?

Our sealing was at 10:30 AM in the Mesa Arizona Temple. I can't even begin to describe the experience. Joy...peace...contentment...excitement...relief :) It was a sweet experience, one I won't ever forget. Our family and friends that joined us there were so kind and supportive. It was quite surreal to realize that Steve and I were actually married after the ceremony!

We spent some time afterward taking pictures with family and friends. Katrina (our friend and photographer) was amazing! Somehow she managed to run around getting all of the shots we wanted and those she knew would look terrific...in a short amount of time! Everyone there were good sports about the cool and breezy weather. What am I saying?? Most of them traveled from places like Canada, Nebraska, Utah, Wyoming, and other cold and snowy locations. They were probably thrilled to be in Arizona during December :)

That afternoon, we had a luncheon for those who were at the temple with us. I also had a good friend and old college roommate fly in for the luncheon and reception! It was so special. The luncheon was perfect! The decorations were tastefully done, the food was delicious and the staff who assisted were friendly and helpful. My dad was the MC for the luncheon. Our good friend Jeff had made a wedding video for us, and it was playing on the big screen tv as we ate and chatted.

When most of us were done eating, the program began. Our close friends Heather Anderson and Jeff Anderson (no relation) spoke first. They told funny anecdotes about the two of us and described our friendship. The words they spoke were sweet and heart-felt - we were so-o-o glad Heather was able to fly out from Oklahoma for our special day.

Next our parents spoke. They shared stories from our growing up years, expressed their love of us, and welcomed each of us into our new family. Hearing what my parents had to say was a special experience.

The luncheon was intimate with our families and closest friends; the food was a delicious buffet; the decorations were elegant and classy, just how we wanted it. We were so thrilled with how everything turned out!

That night was our reception. Again, the food was tasty (so I heard...it looked pretty anyway...I didn't actually have a chance to try it...). We did taste the cake - Yum! It was an interesting experience ~ the entire day ~ to be the center of attention; to know that everyone was there for us...wow. Unbelievable! So many of our friends and co-workers came to celebrate with us. It was a special night.

My family is so funny - they had decorated our car in and out. They had also gone to our house and written little welcome home messages on all of the bathroom mirrors with expo marker. It was a fun little surprise to find when we returned from our weekend honeymoon :)

Our friends Blair and Katrina had left us a honeymoon basket on the back seat of our car - it had snacks and drinks in it. That basket came in so-o-o handy that weekend! It was a fun and thoughtful idea.

The next morning, we did some grocery shopping and drove up to Sedona to stay for a few days. My parents have a condo there, so we had a place to stay. The weather was cold, rainy, and windy all weekend! In fact, we had a trip planned to ride the train to the Grand Canyon one day, but as we headed up, the rain turned to snow in the higher elevation and we had to turn around and go back to Sedona :( It was very sad...but we were glad to be safe and we'll still plan that excursion another time!

It sure was hard coming home Tuesday and knowing real life had to start again the next day. But everything was better in real life because we were married now :)