It was beautiful and thrilling and crazy and a mess. It was perfect. My garter fell off as I first stared the bridal walk and my brother threw it on the trunk of his daughter's car. (YES a garter because hubba hubba!) The cake was crooked, wasps were forming gangs in the roof of the tents, the punch wasn't ready and we almost forgot the cake. My sister locked her keys in her car the day before. I was 15 minutes late. We underestimated the seating for the wedding. And after writing that here, I won't bother with it again. Those things are just funny little anecdotes now.
My husband's daughters were beautiful. I mean wow beautiful. They were everything one needs at a wedding. Helpful, supportive, caring, patient and oh so funny. My mom and her husband did more than I even could have imagined. They made it better than magical. My brother's family did anything and everything I needed. My new SIL and her husband pitched in and lifted and cleaned. The oldest Baker child's boyfriend, Elliott, stepped in and stepped up and helped create some of the most touching things at the reception. My sister ran errands and adjusted my Spanx and zipped my dress. My SIL Shannon did hair and makeup all morning long while keeping us laughing. One of the best things about our wedding was how much of a family event it was. Before, during and after. I'm so very grateful for all of them. They are each a precious gift.
The support online I received was beyond what I could have imagined. I got messages and texts and calls, comments and reactions and so much love and well wishes. I won't forget it. I was surrounded by love and nothing but. And all that wasn't even the actual ceremony.
We decorated Saturday morning with the help of those named above. My Shannon (Boy Shannon as my nieces and nephews call him) and I decided we would see each other the day of the wedding but not after we were all fancied up for the actual ceremony. So we spent the morning working together. I had a meltdown early on and stood in my mom's house and cried. And then after a few minutes with my Shannon, everything was better.
We finished early and he and I were sitting outside admiring how beautiful everything was and talking about how grateful we are for our families when he asked if I wanted to go for a ride on the golf cart. He drove me down the lane where we'd shortly walk toward the wedding site. We drove past the paintings made by our families at one of my bridal showers and the signs marking our day given to us by friends. We sat for a moment quietly admiring the wooden pews and beautiful trellis he'd built for us to marry under. Then he drove me past the barn and the chickens wandering in the yard to the spot where my dad's ashes are buried. It's marked with a small stone that says "Dad's Garden". Standing there I could look back and see clearly the site where we'd soon stand and say the words that I now love more than any. He had a clear view of me and I of him.
The ceremony was short and oh so sweet. The cat wandered in and made himself at home. There was a breeze and bright sunshine. I was shaking and my brother cracked wise as he walked me down the aisle. Honestly it's as if everything but Shannon is a blur. Just he and I. And the words. When I said "take you Shannon as my husband" it took a moment to say because all the happiness and love tightened my throat and again ran down my face. When he said "take you Lisa as my wife" it was as if something wrapped around he and I and we were quite simply married.
Then it was done. Kiss your bride, back down the aisle. Lots of hugging. We sat at a table at our little reception and let it go by. We danced our first and held onto each other. To use a tired by appropriate cliché, we danced like no one was watching because in the moment it was just the two of us.
I hope as you read this you can feel some of the love I felt. Even a small measure, because it was shooting out of the ends of my hair and my fingertips*. I'm still floating on it.
Then it was over. We left. It felt different the leaving with him. It felt stable, peaceful and calmer. It felt like suddenly the world was safer for both of us because we had each other. A signed paper didn't do that. The long veil and the beautiful flowers and leaning cake didn't do that. The words did. The promises did. Our hearts did.
Thank you for being part of it. You were. I felt you all there as I was waiting for my turn to walk down the lane that was our aisle. I hope you understand that after a few steps I felt only my brother and then my father and my family, the one I came with and the one we created that day. And then I only felt my husband. My husband. And then I felt like his wife.
* Paraphrased from It's a Wonderful Life. Because it is.
Photo credit to my new SIL Chris.
No comments:
Post a Comment