Leading up to the wedding...

I have finally found time to sit down and reflect and write about our the day before our wedding. Time went by both slow and fast and some things are a blur and others are crystal clear. The days leading up to the wedding, the actual wedding itself, and our reception was completely surreal. Thank goodness for pictures because those moments in time remind us that we lived out our dream of becoming man and wife.

My Mom arrived in town on Wednesday July 31st which was also the last day of the Bar exam. When I talked to Jace that night he sounded exhausted, as expected, and drove home from Nashville. On Thursday Mom and I got manicures and pedicures. We ran to church and started arranging the sanctuary like I wanted, which didn't include many changes. I had ironed tablecloths the night prior and we placed those on the Lord's table as well as a table that held our unity candle and communion. We dropped off programs and the guest book. We chilled waters and sodas for us girls.

On Friday August 1st, the show got on the road! Lauren & Whitney met me for lunch at our Mexican restaurant that we used to frequent while in undergrad. We got caught up and I relished in the fact that I was having lunch with my two best friends. In my heart of hearts, I knew it would be a long time until we could do it again. I gave them their gifts and we all promised not to read any cards until after the wedding. We all knew if we let the flood gates open, they may never close.

We decided to head back to Teak's after our two hour lunch and there were so many surprises. First, Jace was there! I hadn't seen him in over 5 weeks, he had just taken the Bar, and the next day we were getting married! I was so happy to see him! And then...Aunt Karen and Sara had arrived with all the flowers for the rehearsal dinner, wedding, and reception! They put the flowers on Teak's deck and Sara & Aunt Karen worked out there arranging the most beautiful centerpieces and bouquets I have ever seen. It smelled heavenly too! White flowers everywhere with touches of green, just like I envisioned. It was during this time that I got to sit down and enjoy the calm before all the craziness ensued. I watched Sara & Aunt Karen make art and I was fascinated. Sara is magnificent at what she does and I captured some shots of the flowers and her in action.

 

 

The deck was covered with white flowers

 

Rehearsal dinner centerpieces

I  knew time was ticking and I had to start getting ready for our rehearsal. I showered and slipped into the prettiest white dress, a cherished gift given to me. It was one of those dresses that hides everything you want to hide and accentuates what you want to be noticed. It fit like a glove and honey, I felt like a bride in it! This was the dress you wear to your rehearsal.

As for the rehearsal, Jace, Jay, and Bo were 15 minutes late! Traffic was a little congested on New Circle Road! While waiting for the men to show up, we realized that the air wasn't working properly. It was rather warm in the sanctuary but we had hopes it would be fixed by tomorrow.

Joanna, our wedding coordinator, and Kory, our minister, made the evening run so smoothly. We practiced the recessional first since Joanna wouldn't be up there during the actual ceremony and tell us what to do. Next we practiced the processional and I could have gotten really emotional when Ross walked me down the aisle. Everything was starting to hit me and it is a moment every girl dreams about. I held it together because if I lost it so would everyone else.

Smiling but wanting to just boo hoo on the inside

 

 

Less than 24 hours at this point until Mr. & Mrs.

After we practiced the ceremony, it was time to eat! We all headed over to Sal's and ate in the banquet room. This night is one that Jace and I will never forget. Our friends from Lexington, Graves County, and Jackson, MS as well as our family were all in the same room together. All of our worlds collided and we were beyond blessed by their presence. I was so excited to talk to everyone and eat a great meal but I was nervous in giving my speech. How do you begin to thank the ones you love for being there and supporting you on the biggest day of your life? Where do you begin?

I had put off writing the speech for almost the entire length of our engagement. One day I finally jotted down some points I wanted to make on my phone. I looked over the speech a few times that day but hadn't completely memorized it. After we concluded dinner and dessert, it was time to turn the attention off of us and turn the spotlight on the people that raised us, loved us, have supported us, and would stand beside us on the day we make the biggest vow of our lives. We thanked them for taking off work, rearranging their schedules, and even buying plane tickets to be with us this weekend. We asked that they pray for us as we begin this new journey in our lives. We thanked them for letting us be the third, even fifth, wheels on their dates when we were multiple states away from each other.

 

MS & Lex girls! I adore this picture

We thanked our mothers for loving us as we tackle too much life in 3 weeks.

Mom had an "allergy!"

I made it through the speech just fine until I thanked Jace. I thanked him for being so patient with me, tearing down tall walls, being understanding, teaching me what it is to love, and making me so unbelievably proud. At this point, I needed to wrap up the speech because we didn't need mascara running down and getting on my fancy white dress. We cheered and raised our glasses and in that moment came instant relief! I felt like I could finally relax because what I was so worried about turned into one of the most beautiful moments.

Once the parents and grandparents left, the "kids" made our way down to Harry's for a little after dinner celebration. It was here that I saw Jace relax. The stress of the Bar and the rush that is his life vanished. With his bowtie undone and his closet friends around, I could sense that he was ready for our wedding. His life was so fast paced this summer and centered around one thing that he didn't have much time to process what was about to take place. It was in this moment, that we both knew just how exciting tomorrow would be.

 

We continue to talk about that night. We had so much fun. We loved having our MS friends in KY and visiting with them. We would have stayed out later if we could but we all knew the next day would be fun and exhausting. I got home a little after midnight and thought without a doubt I would sleep from such a fun day. Not the case. I stayed awake all night because I was so excited. This time, reality was better than my dreams and I couldn't shut off my brain. I thought back over the day and the night and anticipated what the next day would be like. My alarm was set for 5:30 AM but it never went off. I turned it off around 4 AM and started blogging.

And that is where I will end for today. I will blog more on the actual wedding and reception soon.