remember your wellies

on june 16th, 2012 i had the privilege and honor of marrying my best friend. of promising that we will be together for the rest of our lives and it was amazing. emotional. overwhelming. and such a blessing.

i started the day with a short run on my favorite route. i have a tradition of running on mornings of important events, i figured this day deserved it! i then walked to Cherie Inn for breakfast with my dad. he was teary-eyed already which was certainly a preview of what was to come! after breakfast, my best friends were waiting at my house to get our hair done. after all of this, we got into my matron of honor’s car and headed up to Camp Roger. thank goodness for my right hand lady who asked, “do you have chris’ ring?” to which i realized, i indeed did not. after a few frantic phone calls to friends still at my house, all was resolved…

this past summer was hot, one of the hottest summers on record and june 16th proved to be no different. we put our crisp clothes on and they were not so crisp moments after. we put lipstick on, and felt like it melted on our lips. but all of this didn’t matter, chris and i were getting married!

we took pictures, lots of pictures. chris and i climbed the lifeguard stand on little bostwick lake. it felt wonderful and a bit weird getting married at a camp where i spend thousands of hours playing with kids in the dirt! i put my wedding dress on in cabins that saw dirty, sweaty, and laughing kids most days. but that was perfect – just how i wanted it.

i couldn’t wait for the ceremony to begin, i was ready. we were ready. all the planning for the day and beginning our lives together was finished. all of the questions we had to ask one another had been answered. i kept peeking out of the window of the cabin and seeing people we love trickle in, find parking, and walk up the burlap lined path to the chapel in the forest where the ceremony was. waiting, ready.

when most everyone had filed in, it was just me and my dad left in the cabin. i looked at the sky and told my dad it was going to storm, he assured me it wouldn’t. i didn’t believe him.

and finally the moment arrived when we snuck from the cabin where we were hiding and waited behind the  curtain my dad and mom had build, waiting for our friends and ushers to pull the curtain open. it was time. my dad and i walked in to Hoppipolla by Sigur Ros. chris had arranged the piece with all the parts and pieces that our musical friends could make.

i had heard some wise advice from a friend to have the ceremony taped because chances are there are so many emotions that you won’t remember a thing. she was right. i remember seeing chris’ face, knowing i was to be with him, ready to make this commitment, excited to take the bread and wine of communion together, and overjoyed at all of the friends and families sitting on the benches, happy for us in this moment.

chris had arranged the service and it was perfect. just the right amount of wisdom from our pastor, prayer from another pastor, and singing together. we said vows that were filled with promise and emotion. it was a delicate balance of knowing the weight of what we were committing to and standing there wanting nothing more than to make that commitment. and we did.

after all of those words, all of those commitments, and all of our friends and family gathered round, we were wed! i will never forget the feeling of knowing that chris is now my husband, we did it! we held hands and danced on out of the chapel. danced and skipped down the burlap path to what we had planned for awhile – our scooter getaway.

i have long since wanted a scooter with a sidecar, it’s been my dream. we went out on a limb and found one on craigslist and i was so excited to drive away in it. we donned our black and white helmets, chris gave it a little gas, and away we went, friends and family cheering in the background. pure exhilaration.

we drove away feeling like the two most blessed people in the world. we hooted and hollered, waved and exclaimed to everyone we drove past that indeed we were married. our photographers found us and stuck their bodies out the window of their car and it felt like we were famous. the paparazzi was chasing us down!

we stopped at our house because it was near the reception venue and had a moment with our wedding party and a few friends. our dear friends paul & marty had a surprise for us: custom beer brewed just for us! paul is a fantastic brewer and marty a great designer so we drank every drop of this delicious beer. again, it was simply wonderful, blessed, and just plain awesome.

the best part? the party was just getting started. all of our family and friends were waiting for us at the local art gallery. all of them stuffed into a space that was too small for all the people that we invited. all of them smiling, clapping, and sweating in the 100+ degree weather. chris’ mom had made all of the food: gourmet burger bar. turkey feta, beef, and quinoa almond burgers were waiting. fresh asparagus, bean salad, and sweet potato chips just ready to be eaten. and founder’s beer, lots of it, ready to be drank.

we had a travel theme to the reception – each table was named after a place we had been and loved. we had globes from my mom’s school and vintage liter pitchers for water. there was burlap, cedar trucks, and flowers adorning the tables. and people were filled – the food was awesome, the spirits high, and everyone was together.

everyone says your wedding day is the best day of your life. our day was great. it was awesome and amazing. but, we have years to celebrate together. decades to rejoice in each other. we have an amazing day of family and friends, love and celebration to look back upon. and when things get hard? we will do just that. we’ll flip through the photos, watch the video, and remember that day. the beginning of a most wonderful journey.

all photos taken but the wonderful, Michael Newsted .