Wedding Day Part 2: The Ceremony

I was about to walk down the aisle but I was tripping on my dress. This would not do at all. I was in panic city as Jenny left through the doors down the aisle. I can’t remember the woman’s name (she works at Riverview) but she told me to give my dad my flowers and pick my dress up off the floor. I would have to hold the front. No. I didn’t want to do that. I reluctantly gave my dad the flowers as Kelly left through the doors. My sister was next and then me. My sister suddenly turned around got under my dress and pushed the hoop skirt way up. Then, she was gone. We were next.

I remember Bradley pulling the aisle runner and hearing people laugh. I remember the doors closing. I remember the weight of my bouquet as I took it back from my dad. This was it. I was floating. Bradley had to pass me as he went to the side door and back up to the front. He gave me a smile and I think he touched my arm. Oh…my little nephew all grown up…almost grown up. The doors opened and Devon nodded for us to go. So…we went.

I wanted to look side to side to see all the people there. I thought that was what I would do but now all I cared about was getting down that aisle without tripping on my dress. My dad had told me we would get through it and go slowly. I felt like we were going slow but now…now I was totally focused on something else.

See, there was this guy standing at the front of the church. He looked so good in a tux and he was clean shaven. I knew this guy. He was the one who told me when we were in high school how he would date me if he had the chance. He told me years later that he was going to marry me someday. I fought him so hard on it. We came close to walking away from each other on windy day in November 2005 but there he was, at the end of the aisle. He was waiting for me, just like he always has, always does. Our eyes locked and I didn’t take my gaze away from him the entire time. And I could not stop smiling. No tears, just smiles. And I made it down the aisle without tripping. :o)

The ceremony began and when my dad was asked who gives the bride away, my dad happily surprised me by responding, “her Lord, her family and her friends do.” My Lord. It immediately reminded me that God was standing there, too. And my friends…they were there…giving me away. How many girls have their friends give them away? I loved my daddy’s statement. It fit me so perfectly.

During the ceremony, I was calm but I noticed every time something didn’t go the right way. Like how people didn’t stand during my favorite hymn or no one was singing together. Or when the wrong music started at the wrong time. And how I had told Kristen to only sing the first and last verse of “Nothing But The Blood” but Joey had secretly asked her to sing the whole thing (I’m glad he did).

The bouquet…as pretty as it was, was so heavy my arm was killing me. Joey tried to help hold it up. Finally, it was time to give the bouquet to my sister and let her deal with it. Joey and I went to light the candles and Dan started playing the music to “When I Sing.” I waited…and waited…and waited for him to start singing the words to the song but nothing was coming. I panicked a little thinking, “oh no. He thinks I only wanted the instrumental version! Crap…” But then, the words came. And the song was so beautiful, it was the only time I almost cried. We ended the ceremony on a happy note with a happy song and then, roll the credits. We were hitched.