To be honest, the whole thing is nothing if not unreal to me. I've been dreaming of my wedding my entire life, planning everything for the past eleven months, and now, in one day, it was over in an amazing blur.
The day started out with me and my bridesmaids heading over to the hair salon to have our hair and make-up done. Andrew went with us as personal driver and photographer to the bride and her attendants; he did a fantastic job with everything. In fact, the girls at the salon couldn't believe how great he did, what with being surrounded by feminity. He was such a great help and a great reliever of stress, along with all the girls.
When we were done with our hair...it was RAINING quite hard. So we opted out of our outdoor photos at my parents' farm and headed straight over to the church. We spend the next several hours getting ready and helping one another get our dresses on and the bouquets laid out. We almost had a minor mishap with my dress (oh boy....), but everything turned out wonderfully in the end.
The day continued getting busier and crazier. The girls and I were constantly going back and forth from the sanctuary getting photos taken by our amazing photographer, Saee
d, as well as my Aunt Jen. He did a FANTASTIC JOB with everything, and Jen was able to get a great bunch of photos as well! I did photos with the guys (not Jon), and the girls were able to get pics with the guys AND Jon pre-ceremony, which was a great time-saver. My dress was super long and flowing, which did make things a little hard to manage during photos; however, everything went off without a hitch!
d, as well as my Aunt Jen. He did a FANTASTIC JOB with everything, and Jen was able to get a great bunch of photos as well! I did photos with the guys (not Jon), and the girls were able to get pics with the guys AND Jon pre-ceremony, which was a great time-saver. My dress was super long and flowing, which did make things a little hard to manage during photos; however, everything went off without a hitch! My time with my sister and mom that day was very special. We had a lot of photos taken together, and a lot of special moments in private. The only thing was that, every time one of them started crying, I lost it too! My sister and I shared a very special dance at the reception (more on that later), and my mom and I were able to have some very sweet mother-daughter moments all throughout the day. I love you both very much; thank you for all the work you did to make that day so amazing. You are two of my very best friends. Thank you for preparing me to be a bride, as well as a wife, to Jon.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternal moment in time and space, my family and bridal party arrived at the brides' room in order to have a time of intimate prayer as a large group. We then managed to avoid breaking down crying (for the most part...) to have a time of family prayer. It was such a special time for me with my family (including my biological family).
The ceremony went by in a blur for me. I remember standing in the wings, clutching Ian's arm as if life depended on it, and hearing the music drifting out of the closed church doors. I remember the doors opening and seeing the crowd of people all waiting for me to enter. I remember walking into the church with Ian, the transfer from Ian to my daddy, David, and breaking down BAWLING before I hit the back of the aisle. One of the hardest things for me was the realization that my life with my family would be so much different. The very thought of leaving my sister, my mom, and my daddy is still an emotional thing for me. When Daddy walked me down the aisle, it was one of the most intimate moments I had with him that day, aside from our dance together at the reception. I love my Daddy very much; thank you for being such a great father to me, Poppi! You prepared me for this so well....you will always be the first man that held my heart, and I will always be your baby girl. 
I remember a few brief details...and then, I remember Jon lifting my veil and dipping me down for the most amazing kiss of my life. I was, from that moment on, his wife. Mrs. Haas! Jon, you have made my life complete. Becoming your wife was such a blessing to me. I am so happy and honored to have been chosen by you to spend this life as your exclusive partner, lover, and dearest friend. I love you, my husband, and I will until death do us part and beyond.
(More coming soon.....for more pictures, visit my Aunt Debbie's photography blog,
stu-diod.blogspot.com)
