Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Our Ceremony

Dani Leigh Photography

Going into the wedding, our ceremony was not a top priority. Ironically as I look back on the day, it are those moments that I remember and value the most. Meanwhile Jay doesn’t remember our ceremony at all!!

I am so glad that we hired Laura Cannon. We were so blessed with so many great vendors that day, but she truly takes the cake. We spent by far the least amount of time with her but she surpassed my impressions ten fold.

families walking down the aisle (640x246)

As with all ceremonies, we started with the seating of the parents and grandparents. A big thank you to my cousins Jon and Andrew for escorting my grandmothers down the aisle.

bridal party (640x320)

Next the bridal party walked down the aisle. Laura has done many many ceremonies at The Elkridge Furnace Inn. When we discussed our ceremony and the bridal party’s outfits (i.e. shoes), she highly recommended having the buys escort the girls. Apparently she’s seen a few bridesmaids in heels go down (I’ll admit I laughed when she said that).

When we had a groomsmen back out last minute, Jay and I had decided that my Matron of Honor (Val) would walk by herself. I knew she could handle her heels and was more worried about trying to cram three people down the aisle. In the end, it worked out perfectly.

at the alter (640x285)

Once the entire bridal party was set, it was my time to walk down the aisle with my dad.

down the aisle (640x478)

Once we were all set, Laura started with our ceremony. I won’t bore you with all the details, but there are few finer points I would like the mention. One of the questions Laura asked us when we met with her was if our parents were both married. During our ceremony she honored them for their collective 60 years of marriage. It was a great touch that I know our parents loved.

Dani Leigh Photography

Another unique aspect of our ceremony was she read our Top 10 List about each other. After our meeting she had us both independently e-mail her the top 10 things we love about each other, then she read them in front of our family and friends. While I am pretty sure our guests loved it, I know from these pictures that we did too!

laughing at ceremony (640x480)

Jay and I also decided to incorporate a wine ceremony. As I mentioned previously, my mom was less than thrilled about this ceremony. While I am sure she was dying inside during this part, I loved it and its meaning.

Dani Leigh Photography

Next our former roommate Mary gave a ready by Mark Twain.

Dani Leigh Photography

A marriage..... makes of two fractional lives a whole,

it gives to two purposeless lives a work,

and doubles the strength of each to perform it,

it gives to two questioning natures a reason for living,

and something to live for,

it will give a new gladness to the sunshine,

a new fragrance to the flowers,

a new beauty to the earth,

and a new mystery to life

Dani Leigh PhotographyDani Leigh Photography

Next thing we knew, we were exchanging vows, rings and our first kiss as man and wife.

Dani Leigh Photography

A BIG thank you to Laura Cannon from Divine Transformation. Laura, you did a fantastic job and truly made our wedding day special. I was amazed by how many people thought we had known Laura for years when in reality we had only met her once prior to the ceremony in person.

Dani Leigh Photography

***all images are courtesy of Dani Leigh Photography***