Week of Wedding 2: The Ceremony

Good morning!

Without further ado, your humble narrator as a bride:

AAAH, right? What do you think?! After trying on every dress it seemed like they had at David's Bridal, and never finding anything that seemed even close to "me", this dress was standing on a mannequin in the window of the Jessica McClintock store at Cool Springs Galleria. My mom and I were cutting across the second floor to look for shoes at Macy's when I saw the hoop skirt and went..."Well, I know I said I declared war on bridal dresses and am actually going to walk the aisle in a pickle barrel, but listen...I think I should try that dress on." Wasp waisted and pintucked at the bodice? Check. Ivory satin for days? Check. It looked even better when I tried it on. Who would have thought! Jessica McClintock, founder of Gunne Sax, ubiquitous prom gown manufacturer, and my bridal gown designer. I could not be more pleased. As for the veil, I kept telling my mom I wanted to look exactly like something that would sit at the top of a wedding cake-- frothy and feminine without being frou frou, ultra traditional without being tight-laced. I love it! This look is E-X-A-C-T-L-Y what I wanted.

I kept eeking out, "I look like a vintage Barbie! I am so happy right now!" Kelsey, who's been my best friend since 1997, helped me get ready, and had a "day of wedding" kit that is like nothing a non-professional wedding planner has ever seen. From granola bars ("I googled "Vegan snacks", these are good!" she said) to chalk for stains to rice paper to blot perspiring pores, this girl is like A MACHINE. And this machine freakin' nails it at weddings. She also took me to my hair appointment that morning and served as a day-long morale coach to everyone involved in the wedding. Between her and the Huberts and Rob, I kept remembering all day what an amazing group of friends I have, and that was the spark I needed to keep me not scared about the ceremony!

I assure you I'll bug you all over the place when I get my formal wedding photos back, but here are some that Kelsey took as the photographer was also taking photos. I wore a bracelet, necklace, and earring rhinestone jewelry set from the sixties' (half off day at a Michael Taylor estate sale, and looking like way more than $8), and those gold Steve Madden shoes from the shoe post I did a while back. No one could see the slippers, but they made me feel even more Cinderella (if possible).

Matthew was in our room at the hotel well I readied myself in Kelsey's room. The bride's side of the preparation involved double sided tape, last minute spritzes of hairspray, the fastening of tiny clasps on jewelry, and squeals. The groom's side looked like this:

That's bibi eating a square of Lindt chocolate while playing Mario Kart on his 3DS. He is possibly the cutest thing ever. Kelsey took a video of us seeing each other in our little wedding clothes for the first time, and it was a really sweet moment. Then we broke back into boys team and girls team of wedding attendants. Our camp drank champagne and joked about how I could probably make it from the half-balcony of the hotel room to the drainpipe to the parking lot if my nerves got the best of me. Here's Kelsey (l) and Alyx (r) and then my sister Sus and me:

After that, we took about 1,000,000 formal photos, and got ready for the main event! Here's Matthew an hour or two later getting ready to go in with Pastor Chris and his brother Noah:

The processional music we chose was "March of the Siamese Children" from the 1956 movie version of The King and I (dubbed from tv version of the scene here). I was absolutely obsessed with this movie around fourth grade, at which time I had committed the soundtrack to memory and was totally in love with Yul Brynner ("Ah...I forget...English not scientific enough for use of chopsticks"...burn, English nationals...ouch). The song from the presentation of the king's many progeny to their new governess peaks at the presentation of the number one born son, whose entrance in heralded by clanging cymbals and swelling strings. Where do you think I decided to come in? 

                                                  

The aside my dad is making to me in the photo below has something to do with the fact that it took us so long to walk down the aisle. During the rehearsal, I mentioned to everyone that in spite of having rearranged the order and length of the song professionally (thank you, producer-friend Bobby, for making this happen!), there was still a small room and a lot of music! Accordingly, we practiced walking slow but there was a good forty seconds or so to go when it was supposed to be time for the father to escort his daughter down the aisle in the actual event. It was a classic "Lisa and her dad" moment:

Dad: ((in a whisper, but over the music)) We're gonna look dumb, man! How long do wait before we walk?

Me: You know who they're waiting on, right? Us! We're the show! Let 'em wait! I ain't walkin' til I hear cymbals!

Dad: ((standing solemnly, then cracking up again)) They're all in there like, what the heck are they waiting on?

Me: I'm waiting on my cymbals!

It was totally worth it. I would also like to mention that I worried for no less than the entire walk down the aisle that my "back looked fat" as I was walking or that my bra strap was showing. Success! Neither was true!

Pastor Chris delivered a really sweet ceremony. The one hiccough was when he mentioned to Matthew, in the preamble to the vows, that "Lisa is going to have days where she's stressed out from work, or she's tired. Lisa might have bad hair days--" to which Babu immediately interjected, "She will NOT!" and we both giggled as the audience outright laughed. I mentioned later at  the reception that I don't have bad hair days, I just call out of work, sick ("SICK OF THIS HAIR!"), but it was a cute little moment. I could almost see Matthew through my veil, but it was so surreal how the whole event took place in soft-focus behind the tulle netting! Also, what a "wow this is for real!" moment when he lifted the blusher and kissed this very happy bride.

We face the guests as man and wife! I specifically asked the pastor to introduce us as "Mr. and Mrs. Matthew H------", because whatever the opposite of feminist thought on that is, that's what I subscribe to. I'm nobody's property, but to be Mrs. [Husband Name] [Last Name] is something I've been looking forward to for years and years, ever since my grandma used to sign her checks in that format. 1962, I've arrived! Here I am!

Here we are just after the ceremony, giving a hug! It was sweet because I was so giddy the entire time after the ceremony....we did it! We're wed! Matthew had a hard time letting go of me after each hug, and could you blame him? Smitten to death, both of us.

Thanks again to Kelsey and Jules for taking these photos so I could tell you about them!

So! What do you remember from your wedding ceremony, the actually nitty gritty of the event? Have you had a wedding or been to one where the ceremony was really special? Let's talk!

More on our first dance and cake tomorrow! You'll be sick of weddings by the time I'm done with this this week, haha. Thanks in advance for your forbearance, and I'll see you soon! Til then.