OUR WEDDING!!!!! 12.20.14 had FINALLY arrived!!!!!

It was everything and sooooo much more than I could have ever dreamt. Rehearsal dinner was so bittersweet, at the house I grew up in for 17+ years. I was going out with a bang! We took care of all last minute errands Friday morning, including bringing Russell to the kennel; our car packed to the max, with the best “woman” in the back seat with the trash on her lap! The things you do for your friends! We grabbed a complimentary lunch at IHOP before taking off to the bank and a few other pit stops, including my parents house where my dad greeted Miss with a great big smile and said to her, “you still have time!” I turned my head and was in disbelief and laughter, “did he really say that?” “Dad! I’m your daughter!” as laughter filled the kitchen!!!  

We met her parents to set up for the rehearsal dinner, and off to the hall where we met the others to do a real dress rehearsal of the big day, One of our biggest reliefs was that the hall was not rented out the night before and we could get in there to do a practice run and more importantly set up the place! Ahhh, It was just the beginning! Everything was falling into place. The ring bearer and flower girl were running around the dance floor getting acquainted with the place, while family talked amongst themselves and we met with the manager of the hall to go over just a few last minute details. We did a few practice walks down the aisle with my parents. Mikie, her brother, wanted to practice the whole ceremony speech, which was perfect because it was the first time our families and bridesmaids heard the script, nice and intimate before the big day! And off to the delicious pasta and meat sauce dinner we went!! So much food as always, and of course many laughs, and tears to follow when we passed out cards of thanks to our parents, siblings and bridesmaids. It was great. A great pregame show! Then, the moment Miss and I had been waiting for, well one of the moments anyways… the set up! We had so much help loading and unloading everything in and out of the cars, the hall, and voila, onto the tables!!!!! I of course had to go around to every table and tweek things just like I had it pictured in my head, while Miss was directing and helping others. Everything was just so perfectly put together and it came out great. Lights hung and lit around the small cake table to the right of the head table. The blue garland hung just so even though we were worrying about how it was going to hold up with no clips since they were too small for the table. Michelle, my MOH and her husband figured it out and it looked beautiful. The garland wrapped around the bridesmaids framed pictures of them and us, the mason jars filled with blue and clear beads for them to place their rainbow swirled lollipop “bouquet” in after the ceremony, our “Tis the season to be married” sign with our wedding date, our patriots toasting glasses, and the rainbow Christmas lights stringing along the floor tucked under the white table skirt for the perfect twinkle!! Oh and Buddy the elf all ready for his big debut with his sign hung around his neck with his brand new patriots lanyard!!! The front of the hall, the main entrance at the top of the stairs was beautiful to see as we walked out of the hall, just the two of us, after sending everyone home for the night! We sat at the head table and looked out into the sea of empty chairs, white snowman painted and blue love painted wine bottles, our table numbers with a picture of each of us at the age of that certain number table… taking it all in, imagining who was sitting where and what it would be like with everyone we love, everyone who loves us, in one room!!! I am the luckiest girl in the world!!!!! We were back to the hotel by 10 or so and honestly I don’t know how I fell asleep, I was soo excited for our wedding day!

I rolled over to see that she had been up for a little while, 12-20-14 had FINALLY arrived!!!!! As soon as I was awake, and rolled over, Miss started belting out with her headphones she already had on, to an Andy Grammer song!!! Hahaha. I guess I rub off on her too, after seeing him at the Acoustic Christmas show! Pure excitement just filled our hotel room and TODAY WAS THE DAY! OUR DAY! The day we have been planning for the past year! We had breakfast together in the hotel, came back upstairs to get my wedding day bag, and I kissed my fiancé goodbye for the last time as my fiancé. “The next time you see me Bebs, I’ll be in my white dress!” She took pictures of me as I walked down the hall to go to my aunts house, where I met the girls and our moms, and my two aunts who did our hair!!

My mom was already getting her hair done, and the breakfast spread on the kitchen table was ready for us to dig into! Coffee, OJ, bagels, Danish ring, Fig squares (in honor of my Sittoo), fruit salad, hard boiled eggs, cheeses and Italian cold cut meats, and a surprise edible arrangement box of chocolate covered fruit as well. It looked beautiful and Michelle was sure to take pictures up close and personal, but not just of the food, of us too of course. My hair was set in curlers for over an hour while everyone else got their hair done. Carmen, Miss’ MOH came with my beautiful bouquet and a card that said To Lianne, My Bride!! I laughed and I cried as I read it from my soon to be wife, inside were five scratch tickets and even a penny, a 2013 penny that I failed to notice. The year we met, 2013! She thinks of every little detail possible!! I am so in love, and I love the way she loves me. We texted all morning until Carmen asked me to stop texting her! Haha.

Auntie Chris and Denise did an amazing job. Everyone looked amazing and we weren’t even in our dresses yet! Then it was my turn, round two. 11:40am sitting in the chair in my aunts hair room taking it all in, as Addy the flower girl, was sitting next to me in the other chair getting her hair curled sitting so still and giggling with her cousins, such an infectious laugh, every now and then glancing over at me through the mirror watching my curls being pinned ever gently. I could hear the rooms behind me filled with people I love and just speechless, which we all know is not a common trait of mine. Checking the clock, smiling for the camera, saying hello to cousins and my dad, and waiting for the photographers to show.

Right on the dot, 12:15pm, they walked through the doors to the hair room where I was still getting final touches. Introductions made and onto business they went! I caught a glimpse of them hanging my dress with my Mrs. Foster wooden hanger with a blue ribbon bow on my aunt’s double glass doors, and they took my blue ballet flats, and my rainbow bouquet of five perfectly dyed roses with baby’s breath and greenery for some more pictures I can’t wait to see!

I loved my hair! It was exactly how I wanted it!! The veil below the curls! It was just breath taking. When I snuck in the bathroom before getting dressed, I did a secret happy dance, brushed my teeth and stared into the mirror one last time by myself! Showtime!!!!! I walked out to the girls, and Kristie, my cousin and bridesmaid, laced the last half of my dress up while they watched. Ready to go! The dress fit even more perfectly than I remembered at my last fitting! “Get my dad!” I couldn’t wait any longer to see his face! I was in the front room of Auntie’s house, standing off to the side of her Christmas tree, and around the corner he came. “wait wait wait!!! I’m not ready,” the photographer said! Haha…Oops!

My dad came walking around the corner, through the opened glass double doors, I believe mumbling something like where’s my daughter, but to be honest, I can’t remember because that moment was just so precious. I’m his one and only daughter and I was standing in front of him in my wedding dress on my special wedding day, just hours away from marrying the person of my dreams! We hugged and he instantly started crying. We hugged some more and I started tearing up, as did my mom, my cousin and I think even Michelle. My dad walked away to take a minute and came back and looked out the window saying some silly comment about the weather to try and put himself together without all eyes on him crying. It was an incredible feeling, my words don’t do it justice. A few family pictures were taken, me and my parents and me and my brothers, and me with the bridal party and flower girl. I was getting a little antsy and started asking what time it was, I knew it had to be past 1:00 and my Broom was waiting for me at the photo spot down the street! “Ok, let’s move it out, Miss is wondering where I am!!” Haha. Into the minivan I went with the help of my mom, and two bridesmaids. We pulled up to where I would be walking out to meet Miss and they hid me in the car, taking extra precaution, pulling up the sun screen on the already tinted window and wrapping a scarf around the top of me so Miss had no way of peeking in, not like she would have anyways, but just to be safe!!!!! They got me all situated and out of the van as soon as they saw Miss was in position and the photographers were ready for me! I walked over to Miss, just seeing her backside, smiling so big but she couldn’t see me yet! When I got a little closer, taking direction from the photographers, we said “hi bebs,” I told her not to look! She said, “I can’t see but I can hear that giggle!!!” She turned to see me and the look on her face was again better than anything I could have pictured. She was in aw and so was I!! Her handsome royal blue shirt, silver tie with tie clip and all, grey golf shorts (not her usual cargo shorts, haha) and her bright blue sneakers to match her shirt, I wouldn’t have her any other way!!!!! She’s my GOY! She said I looked absolutely beautiful and I just remember her looking at me, staring at me all over and saying WOW!! I’m not sure what she had pictured me to look like on this very day, in this very moment, but I think by the look on her face, it far exceeded her expectations!! Every last detail right down to my hair and earrings and one silky side of my dress, she MORE than APPROVED!! HAHA.  I did not want to stop kissing her!!!!! It was AWESOME!!!!!!!!!! Another moment we had been waiting for had finally arrived!!!

Our families headed back over toward us and it was time to start taking pictures!!!!! It was so cool hearing people drive by honking their horns for us, while we listened to the photographer’s direction. Her name was Robin and she was great! We started off with my family photos first because it is smaller than hers. I couldn’t stop smiling and it had only just begun! It was so great and I was on my pink cloud, not letting the cold weather bother me! It could have been worse, like rain or wet snow. So even though snow would have been cool in some pictures, it was quite all right without the hassle of shoveling out the gazebo or worrying even more about frost bite! Haha. The cold weather made it a bit more organized, pictures being taken by some while others were warming up with coats on or near the gas heater Miss had thought of bringing which was a good idea. A good idea right up until our poor little ring bearer, our nephew stuck his hand on it, burning it so bad that it turned black instantly! The paramedics and police came within a matter of minutes, and soon enough the hectic panic was over. He is such a strong little boy, barely cried in pain!! We took a few pictures afterwards, finishing up with us and our bridal party! I am excited to see all of them, especially the ones with them licking their lollipops and being silly, our big one with both families, and the one with our flower girl and ring bearer holding up a frame with the wedding party posed through the frame!! It was just an awesome time, even if I couldn’t feel my pinky fingers towards the end of it! And a little bridal trot to the car to warm up, and off to the Ceremony we went!!!!!

We all hid in the room downstairs to wait for last minute arrivals of our guests. I was practicing twirling with Addy on the smaller dance floor in the room we were in, and had to use the bathroom a few times with the help of my mom and MOH haha. It went much better than I thought, incase you were wondering! Haa. It was almost show time. A quick reminder of who was standing where, to walk in to their spots, and before I knew it, I was walking up the stairs, seeing Miss ahead of me. She kept looking back and just smiling soo very big at me, as I was to her too! I was only to the top of the first flight of stairs, with my parents, and I was already starting to get teary eyed! Cue the music…my brothers walked in, Miss’ parents, then Miss and Mikie, who married us. And the ladies…Kimmy, Dawn, Kristie, Carmen, and Michelle, all before the cutest ring bearer and flower girl, who threw rainbow colored pom-poms instead of flowers, while the ring bearer held fake rings in a little blue and white nerf football! They were adorable! Before I snuck through the doors to help them out, I had to wipe away my tears. I couldn’t help but get a little teary eyed the very second I heard the entrance song, “She’s Everything” by Brad Paisley.

She's the giver I wish I could be

And the stealer of the covers

She's a picture in my wallet

and my unborn children's mother

She's the hand that I'm holding

When I'm on my knees and praying

She's the answer to my prayer

And she's the song that I'm playing

She's the voice I love to hear

Someday when I'm ninety

She's that wooden rocking chair

I want rocking right beside me

Everyday that passes

I only love her more

Yeah, she's the one

That I'd lay down my own life for

And she's everything I ever wanted

And everything I need

She's everything to me

Yeah she's everything to me

Everything I ever wanted

And everything I need

She's everything to me

We have been listening to this song and so many others for over a year, and this time was finally here! It was surreal, literally took my breath away. Her sister’s husband strung the guitar for my bridal march, and we were off! My mom on my right arm, and my dad on my left, due to his hurt shoulder, with the music in the background, and seeing a few people as I came to the center of the dance floor to head down to my Broom (Groom with a B, for bride, but since she’s more of a boy hah, she’s my BROOM!), then it was all eyes on her. The walk was nice and slow, with laughs and the biggest smiles ever!!! Hugs and kisses for both of us from my parents, and there we were, holding hands in a room full of people that we love and love us! The ceremony was absolutely perfect, a few stumbles, a few laughs, and me holding in the tears while Nick read “Soul mates” and Anthony read “Blessing of the Hands.” People laughed just as we hoped when we wrote for poorer or poorer instead of for richer or poorer, and about 8 minutes or so after I walked down the aisle to my Broom, we were pronounced two fruitcakes wrapped in tinsel for life!!! Miss high fived her brother, and kissed her Bride!!! I grabbed my flowers and fist pumped with them down the aisle to the song “Best day of my life!” After the ceremony, we went downstairs and outside, for a few private moments to ourselves as the new Mrs. And Mrs. The photographer met us outside for some shots with our props for pictures of the two of us while cocktail hour was going on! It was so much fun!! And then back inside for more private time, while we waited for the wedding party to come back and join us so we could line up for introductions into the reception!!! High fives, hugs and kisses all around!!!!!

Step into Christmas by Elton John, as our parents and bridesmaids got introduced jingling their jingle bells!! We shut the door so no one could see us, as they played “All I want for Christmas” by Mariah Carey….slow down the music a little and announced, for the first time Missy and Lianne…..IT WAS AWESOME! So AWESOME that we couldn’t open the doors, we were pounding on the door, because apparently it locked when we shut it all the way, so no one would see SANTA CLAUS coming out!!!!!!! Miss was dressed up as Santa and I had reindeer antlers on! It was SO PERFECT!!! PEOPLE LOVED IT! And her side, didn’t expect anything less! Hahahaha. We rocked out with the wedding party, while Miss took off the suit, and put on her decked out boot with a Christmas stocking on it, which of course she kept on the rest of the night, and for our first dance!! First dance as Mrs. And Mrs. To our boy’s song, “Mean to Me,” by Brett Eldridge.

If I could be the reason your hair's a mess,

The bass drum beatin way down deep in your chest,

If I could be the voice on your radio,

Then I could be your long ride home.

If mine could be the name that changes yours,

The wine in your glass,

The swing on your porch,

The dollar in your pocket,

And the peaceful in your sleep,

Then I'd be what you mean to me.

Standing here,

Watching you,

Turning every head in this crowded room,

The lights down low,

Dancin slow,

Oh, if falling's how you feel,

And perfect is what you see,

Then I'd be what you mean to me.

We did a few dance steps and twirls like we had practiced, and our eyes never left each others. After our first dance was our MOH’s speeches. Michelle and Carmen nailed them! They were perfect and they both made me cry! Michelle ended it with my blog title and Carmen ended it with Miss’s favorite word in the Navajo language, which means thank you! It was AWESOME! They are awesome awesome people and our friendships mean the world to both of us!! Bring on Turkey Dinnah!! When it did arrive, it was absolutely perfection…mashed potatoes with gravy, ham, turkey, stuffing with gravy and green beans, with a salad and fruit cup before all that was delicious!!! Family style, so we had to mingle and pass it around, like sitting at a dinner table! Carmen and a few others waited on us while we sat and took it all in, wearing our ladybug and superman bibs sewn by Auntie Dianne! People were coming up to us and congratulating us and taking pictures with us already! It was FANTASTIC!!! Nothing to be nervous about AT ALL! Michelle was sure to switch out the wine toasts for us too!! The water was just enough. I only had a few sips of soda before the reception! Like I said, nothing to be nervous about at all!

Father daughter dance was teary eyed, my dad and I were both in tears and just kept saying I love you and I’m glad you are happy! We danced to “My little girl” by Tim Mcgraw, and then of course a minute 40 seconds into it, “Brick House” came on, and dad’s shoulder sling came off! Haha. Still being very careful of his shoulder, it was an awesome time!!! Our wedding dance classic song to dance to so of course we had to on my very own wedding day! Then it was Miss’ turn… a surprise she had kept from me for about a month! Her dance with her family, her brother, sisters, their spouses, and her 9 nieces and nephews all lined up for Cotton Eyed Joe, and a choreographed dance they had practiced, all in different states, with the help of youtube!!! IT WAS GREAT!!! SOO FUN! I was VERY IMPRESSED by her dancing ability especially to remember all the dance moves! The dance floor was officially opened, and it was NEVER empty throughout the ENTIRE evening, including Limbo, which happened a little later in the evening! Limbo lasted for about 2 and a half songs, I can not wait to see the pictures of that. It was the last thing the photographer captured before ending her night with us. Oh and the cake was absolutely perfect. Sitting like a box of white presents (buttercream frosting) tied in royal blue ribbon bow, with our Santa and Ballerina cake toppers on the front of the sled, the cake display holder, with snowflakes as extra décor around the table! It was perfect!!!!!!!! So very cute and very much delicious too, especially when Miss smooshed it in my face and it went up my nose a little bit! We smooshed eachothers face at the same time!! Haha, ever since my mom gave her permission back in September, she has been waiting for it!! But she was gentle so it’s all good. We made it around to every table too with plenty of time to dance it up on the dance floor with friends, cousins and other family members. Everyone had a really great time!! They loved our photo booth, our sign in selfies, Buddy the elf cut out, rainbow lollipops, her Santa costume, our ornaments on the tree for a seating chart, right down to the personalized clip boards on the kids table with coloring pages, crayons and crazy blue silly straws for them. So many people kept coming up to us and telling us it was the most creative fun wedding people have gone to! After the wedding was over and we had people helping us pack up, me, my wife and her MOH headed to my parents house for some more to eat and hang out, and YES, I WAS STILL IN MY DRESS!!! I didn't want to take it off!!!!! We sat at the table, said hi to everyone and were still smiling! haha. cheeks hurting and all! It was time to get out of my dress, unfortunately, because we were heading to our honeymoon, and needed to leave it at my parents. I'm not sure what I'll do with it, probably have it preserved if we ever have a daughter, she can try it on like I did with my moms, and laugh at how out of style it may or may not be!! 

Everything just went so perfect. It was better than I could have ever dreamt, and so amazing to see every little detail and planning come to life!!! It truly was the most amazing day of my life!!!!! I can not wait to see all the pictures so I can keep reliving it over and over again! I am truly the luckiest girl in the world!!!!!