Four years ago today, I got up early and realized that my only white thong was in the dirty clothes. It was my wedding day - I needed a white thong! What was I going to do?
Shortly after that occurred to me, my sister-in-law Rachel and my best friend Melissa arrived so that we could head down to Carytown and get our hair done. Our scheduled changed a bit due to my lack of a white thong so off to Willow Lawn's Victoria's Secret we went to buy me a new one. I can still recall that shopping trip in detail - each of us holding up different white thongs until we'd found the most "wedding-y" of them all.
Thong in bag, we headed off to Carytown to get coffee and bagels and get our hair done. At somepoint while sitting in that chair, one of my partners in preparation said, "it is 12:00...six more hours". I burst into tears. I couldn't believe I was getting married to such a wonderful guy.
After leaving the salon, I had also realized that I had NO CLUE where my makeup was. Now, for those of you who do not know me well...I do not wear makeup. I own it, though what I currently own is what I owned on that day four years ago...that is how little I wear makeup. So what did we do - head to Stony Point where there was a cosmetics shop that was rumored to do your makeup for a "small" fee. We got there and ran through a WINDY parking lot only to find out that the small fee wasn't near small enough. Oh well...
Once at the church things went smoothly. I even managed to have a snack!
Not sure what Amanda is doing with the bottom of my dress...maybe picking dirt out of it from pictures outside.
Anyway - things ran smoothly for about 30 minutes at a time. Every 30 minutes or so my Junior Bridesmaid, Charlotte Rich, would tell me what time it was...making me cry until it was funny.
At 5:50 (it was a 6:00 wedding) my Mistress of Ceremonies, Dana Rich, came to get us and line us up. On our way to the hall and foyer, I was told to go into the kitchen. That is where Dana told me that they couldn't find Jeff. What? You can't find the groom?
After a quick peek out the kitchen door to check the cars in the parking lot - Jeff's car? Check. His dad's truck? Check. Jerry's car? Check. Gabe's car? Check. Ian's truck? Check.
He has to be here somewhere!
"Where was the last place you told him to be? He's a good listener." I asked and told Dana. She realized that no one had ever gone to the guy's dressing room to move Jeff from there to the little room in the front of the sanctuary (where water and snacks had been waiting for him). Oops. Sure enough, he was sitting all alone in the dressing room. They quickly ushered him past the kitchen door and into the sanctuary.
Then we gals filed down the hallway to the double doors. Missy Grubbs played the intro to "This Day" (Point of Grace) on the piano and Troy Rich began playing the melody on the violin. It hit me...the moment was here! I immediately burst into sobs...the people in the back row of the church could hear me. I was so overwhelmed by the emotion of the day. I was excited.
My bridesmaids (the ones who hadn't started down the aisle) tried to comfort me to no avail.
As my matron of honor, Amanda Amos, entered the church and they shut the double doors behind her my dad got a tissue of Dana and handed it to me saying, "blow your nose and get yourself together"...which I did. The music changed to "On Eagle's Wings" and the doors opened and I walked down that aisle on the arm of my daddy.
See...you can't even tell I was weeping just moments before this!
It was a beautiful ceremony...I'm sure it was. I haven't seen it because we never have transferred it from the funky little tape it is on to a DVD...we should do that. Maybe this coming year. I do know that the ceremony went very smoothly until the vows. Jeff said his like a pro - and this is the guy who speaks so softly you can barely hear him across a table. He belted his vow out - so proud to be marrying me, I'm sure...
Then it was my turn. "I, Evelyn, take you, Jeff, to be my lawfully wedded hus..." Yep - it hit again...all the emotion of the day. All the planning, the expectations, the expensive wedding photographer (none of these pics were taken by him), the asking of friends, putting them in "order" - hate that part, but hate doing it solely by height either. All the memories of our 5 1/2 year relationship... I started to sob again and this time - NO ONE came to my rescue. My parents were down in the pew...Jeff wasn't sure what to do...my bridesmaids didn't know if I was just pausing or actually crying...and the friend officiating didn't have a tissue. Well I did get myself together and finish my vows. And then the best part of any wedding...THE KISS!
And it was a GOOD KISS!
After that - it was easy breezy. We were pronounced man & wife to cheers.
Pardon the red eye...the photo is too old to fix! I tried!
We took pictures together and with our families and then headed to the Virginia Aviation Museum to celebrate...eating, drinking (a little), and making merry!
It was a great day - one of the best in my entire lifetime. It isn't THE best, because we've experienced so much more together as husband and wife over the past four years that have topped it. Being married is challenging...we had a disagreement just last night...but it is worth every challenge.
Jeff is my best friend. He is my family. He is my husband.
He is also father of my beautiful child.
We have a beautiful life.
Happy Anniversary to my Mr. Wonderful!
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