Wedding Week & Rehearsal

I've had a couple lovely readers express how much they would love a wedding post! Since my Love Story Pt 1, Love Story Pt 2, and Love Story Pt 3 is not your average kind of love story; neither was my wedding week or wedding day! I can't put it all in one post either, so here's the background & wedding week/rehearsal side of it!

As a little girl, I never dreamed of my wedding day. I was more focused on being a wife and a mother. I wanted the kind of love and happiness my parents share. I wanted to be a stay at home mom like my mom was. I couldn't imagine anything better than raising my own children and always being there for my husband. I still want this! God gave me an incredible man that I get to grow old with and we cannot wait for the day He helps us start a family!

With all that being said--I always pictured my wedding outside and oddly enough I wanted it in my parents front yard. That may sound a little hill billy to some, not very religious to others, and risky to many. I got all those reactions from everyone! ha!

My thinking was: it's September, there is a good chance the weather will be perfect. I'd rather not decorate a church. No ugly pew bows.
I just wanted to let nature do most of the decorating. The Bible says "...where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." You don't have to be in a church for your marriage to be honored. God was there that day! (And just maybe in the exact moment we shared our first kiss as husband and wife! Look for how bright that picture is compared to the others in the Ceremony & Reception post.) I knew it was risky to plan a wedding outside. It could rain! The grass could turn brown! The sun could be too hot at 2 PM! I had heard it all; but I was willing to take the risk. I've never liked to conform to what everybody else does and that included my wedding day.

Last wedding dress fitting a week before the wedding!

Playing with flower arrangements. 

DIY with Tiffany! We used tobacco sticks to hang the flowers on down the middle of the isle and several other places.

Wedding Day Gel Nails done with Mom!

Post run--wedding planning!

Wedding decor and chaos during the week before the wedding! Thank you Tiffy for everything!

Watching the tent go up!

Getting our Marriage Certificate!

Picking up two of my bridesmaids at the airport! Jaime brought them flowers.

Rehearsal

I couldn't verbally say my vows, wasn't emotional till right then. You don't realize how much meaning there is behind the vows you make until you say them!

The only picture I have from the rehearsal dinner. Oops.

The week and even the day before was beautiful! The sun shined bright! The grass was green and beautiful! We got the tent up in the field beside the house for the reception. Everything was going great! 

I woke up the morning of my wedding day to a complete...

Check back soon for "Getting Ready for my Wedding Day"!