It is hard to believe that Mike and I have been married for
a year already. It is amazing how fast time flies when so many wonderful things are happening.
The wedding day
came and went but it is one of the happiest memories I have!
Since I just started this blog I thought I would recap our
wedding day here. Its such a hard
post to write because it is hard to write about all of the emotions and
feelings that went on… but I will try my best.
Our rehearsal dinner was the night before in the hotel we
were getting married at. We had a
family style dinner at SecondHome, which was fun and memorable. The food was great and the company and
atmosphere better! The families
decided to stay the night at the hotel for the simplicity of it. Mike and I parted right before
midnight.
I couldn’t sleep a wink that night. I kept going over my vows over and over
again. I finally got out of bed and went to the coffee bar only to be surprised
by my mom already in there. It was
nice having that quiet morning with her before all of the chaos of the day happened. After awhile we went back to the room
and found my sisters and niece up.
We all sat at the dining table drinking more coffee and talking.
All of the “getting ready” wasn’t going to start happening
until 11 so I decided to go out for a run. It helped keep my nerves at bay. When I got back, brunch was set out for us. All of my family was there and it was
something I always had dreamt of.
The day was starting to drag though and all I wanted to do was marry
Mike. But, finally things started
happening. The weather forecasted for
a very gusty day. I kept checking
my weather app and the wind speeds kept getting higher and higher. I was nervous about it but I knew there
wasn’t anything I could do about it.
I kept saying, “at least it isn’t rainy.”
My mom and I decided to have hair and makeup stylists come
to the suite so that we weren’t rushing around town. It was a lot of fun and I felt like a celebrity getting
ready for a movie role.
Our fantastic photographer, Michele Hart, arrived just in
time for hair and makeup. She is
seriously the best photographer we could have asked for.
Cynthia, was our makeup person and she did a great job. I hate wearing makeup and usually don’t
but she had a light touch and made my eyes pop! She made everyone look their best!
Audrey did everyone’s hair. She had told me at our consultation that she doesn't usually
do weddings anymore because of the criticism… but not from the bride, it’s
usually the mother of the bride.
This mother of the bride did not disappoint. Audrey was great though and listened to my mom’s concerns
and fixed it right up. I loved my
hair.
I had joked with Mike that I was going to forget our
marriage license when we were packing… as I was getting my hair done I
remembered that I had actually forgotten it! My sister volunteered to fetch it from our house! I thanked her a hundred times.
When it was finally time to put my dress on… I couldn’t find
my family. My parents were
downstairs trying to get everything situated for the ceremony and my sisters
were in their room still getting dressed.
I finally found one of my moms and had her bring up the other one and
had my niece hurry my sisters up.
It zipped right up but I wasn’t done yet. It took another 20 or so minutes to fasten all the
buttons. It allowed for some
amazing photos though.
After the dress was all zipped and buttoned, my moms flew
downstairs again, Michele left to take pictures of Mike, and my sisters
finished getting ready. And I was
left to a moment to myself.
Reflecting on how our life was going to change forever. I was going to be a wife in less than
45 minutes.
Michele and my sisters came back to the room and we got to
take some really great photos. I
love them so much!
I finally got to pose with my mom in a photo when she came
upstairs to wait with me until I was set to go downstairs.
My sister put my veil on; my jewels were set, and shoes on….
I was just waiting for a phone call from downstairs to let me know they were
ready for me. RING…RING. We headed downstairs.
This is when my heart started to thump HARD. Waiting in the room downstairs, was a
glass of champagne and I gulped it when I saw it. The wedding coordinator at the hotel came in and asked me if
I was ready and I said “Yes”
It was extremely windy and my veil was flying everywhere!...
At least it wasn’t raining.
I started walking down to the ceremony tent and I stood in
the entry way. No one was standing
up, my song wasn’t playing, and even though my eyesight is not the greatest… I
could tell Mike was not up on the stage.
I kept thinking there was a joke going around but I looked behind me at
the coordinator and asked where Mike was.
She said, “Oh, Shit” (sorry for the language) and told us to run back
inside. I had no idea what was
happening until she came back to the room and apologized profusely saying that
she had forgotten to walk the flower girls, ring bearer, and MIKE into the
ceremony. She said everyone was in
place now and told me they were really ready this time. I wish I didn’t have to write about
this part, as I really want to forget about it. But it wouldn’t be the true day and I want to share the best
and worst parts of everything here.
This was by far the worst part of the wedding day… the only bad part.
Second time around… I walked to the ceremony entrance and finally everyone
stood up and my song… “Such Great Heights” was being played by the string
quartet. There isn’t anything much
like it… walking down and seeing all the people you love at your sides and seeing
the man you’re going to marry steps away.
It’s pretty spectacular and something you should only experience once in
life.
Once at the stage, Nancy, Mike’s Aunt, asked who is giving
this woman and both of my moms said, “we do.” Mike walked down the three steps that separated us and
together we walked up to get married.
The wind was whipping the tent around but at that point I
didn’t care, I don’t think I would have cared if it were down pouring rain. I was only focused on Mike.
Nancy did a fantastic job of officiating our marriage. She gave us a great ceremony with so
many thoughtful and inspiring words. I am not going to share our whole ceremony here as I want a
part of our wedding day to be only for ourselves and those who were there but here
is a small excerpt from our wedding.
This reading is my favorite of the wedding (besides our vows) because it
suited Mike and I so well.
“You have known each other from the first glance of acquaintance
to this point of commitment. At some point, you decided to marry. From that
moment of yes to this moment of yes, indeed, you have been making promises and
agreements in an informal way. All those conversations that were held riding in
a car or over a meal or during long walks — all those sentences that began with
“When we’re married” and continued with “I will” and “you will” and “we will” —
those late night talks that included “someday” and “somehow” and “maybe” — and
all those promises that are unspoken matters of the heart. All these common
things, and more, are the real process of a wedding.
The symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying
to one another, “You know all those things we’ve promised and hoped and dreamed
— well, I meant it all, every word.”
"Look at one another and remember this moment in time. Before
this moment you have been many things to one another — acquaintance,
friend, companion, lover, dancing partner, and even teacher, for you have
learned much from one another in these last few years. Now you shall say a few
words that take you across a threshold of life, and things will never quite be
the same between you. For after these vows, you shall say to the world, this is
my husband, this is my wife."
In Colorado, only a priest, minister, army general, or self
can proclaim marriage. Our last
words at the ceremony… I’ll admit jittery words… were “We now pronounce
ourselves Husband and Wife” We kissed and walked away as Mr. and Mrs.
Robertson.
We signed our marriage license that my sister so kindly
fetched for us. And we were off to
take our wedding pictures with family and then with just the two of us. Here are some of my favorites.
We got to get a glimpse of our reception before anybody
arrived and it was my dream of the perfect wedding. I couldn’t have asked for anything more amazing… from the
flowers, to the cake, to the linens.
It was breathtaking.
After we were announced at the reception, we sat down to a
toast my mom had prepared which was the poem… “I keep your heart, in my heart”
by e.e. Cummings. A poem that is special to the both of
us.
Afterwards, dinner was served. Mike
and I actually got to eat. It was
delicious and tasted just the way it did at the tasting!
After eating, Mike and I went around to each individual
person and thanked him or her for coming.
We got some advice, some kisses, and a lot of love.
We then had our first dance. About six months into our relationship, Mike played a song
for me and told me that he was waiting a long time to be able to that song for
someone and really mean it. The
song was “The Luckiest” by Ben
Folds.
We then cut the cake, threw the bouquet (which my friend
Renee caught… and her time should be coming up pretty soon!), and did the
garter toss. All of the girls
wanted to catch the bouquet, but none of the guys even flinched for the
garter.
Then more toasts… My sisters, Mike’s best friend, Mike’s mom
and dad, and my other mom. They
were great toasts. My sisters’
made me cry, Mike’s mom’s toast won the show with laughs, our best man poked
fun at Mike and made me look like a princess, and my mom’s was the kind that
could melt your heart.
Then it was dancing time. The night slowly came to an end and we said goodnight and
thanked everyone again for coming.
After all the months of planning songs, invitations, cake
designs, flowers, and dress fittings… We were finally married and off to our
happily ever after!
Happy One Year to the man of my dreams. You make me feel safe and more content
than I ever have been. I love you
and thank you for all that you do for our up and coming family!
 |
| Cheers to us! |
Hair done by Audrey Gerhardt
