This Texas Life: June 2010

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

This Texas Wedding: We're Married!!

After one more prayer...

It was time to kiss the bride!

And walk back down the aisle.
(Apparently we were worried about the rocks too!)

One more kiss!

Maid of honor Rebecca, Best Man Rance and Matron of Honor Melanie

Bridesmaid Shannon and Groomsman Brad

Now that the ceremony is over it's time for pictures! I will break the pictures up into several different posts, we have a lot!

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

This Texas Wedding: Ceremony - Unity Candle

Before you start reading this post I want you to go open this page in a new window and press play on the music player. You can also hit play on the below YouTube video, but the sound quality is much better on the page I linked to above. This is the song we had paying during the unity candle ceremony so while reading this post you will feel like you were there!

Robert mentioned early on that he wanted to have some sort of ceremony within the ceremony, sand blending, unity candle, whatever. We finally decided on unity candle, I am not sure why, but we did. Robert made this amazing candle holder for all the candles, I'll get to better pictures of it during the decor posts, but for now you can see it in the below images.

Robert's mom and my mom lighting the outside candles.

Robert and I lighting the main candle.

I posted this one, cause it makes me chuckle. Since our photographer was taking pictures from the back of the candle they later went in and removed the lighters and turned the candle around so you could see the M on it.

The whole ceremony took a lot less time than we expected it to, so we were just kind of standing there giggling to each other about how there was still soooo much song left!

So, now that you have listened to the whole song, here are the words:

Wrapped For Me
Zack Walther & The Cronkites featuring Claire Cunningham

Your energy is so contagious.
Your smile lights up this room.
My love is so outrageous if you want it, I’d give you the moon.
What’s left to give after the moon?

You’re the smile on my face every morning and the sweetest dreams at night.
You’re the rush that comes without warning.
And the tenderness after the fight.
Yeah, I think you’re beautiful when we fight.

Here’s my love I give to you.
This one thing is better than two.
You’re more than I could ever dream.
True gift from God, wrapped for me.

She says: your lips are full and soft and I never want to let go.
And I look forward to the days way off when our kids might say, “daddy’s home.”
Like I used to say, “daddy’s home.”

And I can’t wait for our first kiss as husband and wife.
You’re the happiness in my heart and my soul.
And the happiness in my life.
I can’t wait for the rest of our lives.

Here’s my love I give to you.
This one thing is better than two.
You’re more than I could ever dream.
True gift from God, wrapped for me.

You have inspired me in everything you do.
Your skin is baby soft and I’m forever touching you.
Now and forever touching you.

Here’s my love I give to you.
This one thing is better than two.
You’re more than I could ever dream.
True gift from God, true gift from God, true gift from God, wrapped for me, wrapped for me, wrapped for me.

Sigh, it's just beautiful right? And I loved how the "True gift from God" tied in perfect with the scripture reading (Two are better than one) and the reading my aunt did (For two will always be stronger than one). Robert always tells me that we work better together and no matter how much more I might think we can get done when we work on separate things I can not deny that he is right, we do get a lot more done when we work together, plus we have fun doing those things!

Up next, the ceremony's over!

Friday, June 11, 2010

This Texas Wedding: Ceremony - Reading

We always knew we wanted my aunt Anita to have a part in the ceremony. She is a beautiful singer, but we never found a spot or a song for a soloist. So instead we had her read this beautiful passage I found. The passage is from Dante Alighieri, yeah the poet who wrote The Divine Comedy! I still have never found if this passage came from another one of his poems or what.

Remember tonight, for it is the beginning of always.

A promise, like a reward, for persisting through life so
long alone. a belief in each other and the possibility of love.
A decision to ignore, simply rise above the pain of the past.
A covenant, which at once binds two souls and yet severs
prior ties. a celebration of the chance taken and the
challenge that lies ahead.

For two will always be stronger than one, like a team
braced against the tempest civil world. and love will
always be the guiding force in our lives.

For tonight is mere formality. only an announcement to
the world of the feelings long held. promises made long ago.
In the sacred spaces of our hearts.

Man, it's got me going even now. It just gave me goosebumps when I first read it and I knew it fit Robert and I perfectly. The opening line is where I got the inscription for the inside of Robert's watch.

Almost as soon as she stared reading she got teary-eyed.

I tried to not follow suite by smiling.

It didn't work to long!

Remember how I mentioned Susanah provided some humor during the ceremony? Well at this point she has realized that her mommy is crying, so she says "mommy, are you crying?" and "mommy, are you ok?" It kind of gave every one who could hear a good chuckle.

I think this is one of the most memorable parts of the ceremony for me. That quote just spoke so much to me and it tied back into the scripture reading from earlier in the ceremony and ties into the song we played during the unity candle ceremony.

Next, the unity candle and the best wedding song ever!

This Texas Wedding: Ceremony - Vows

I am going to break the ceremony up into a few different posts. Lots of pictures and I don't want to overwhelm anyone!

Once my dad and I got up there we stopped while the preacher said the welcome.

He must of said something funny, or this could of been when I said "I do" before it was time. That was the only thing that bothered me about the order of the ceremony, Robert and I said our "I do's" while I was still standing next to my dad. It was really strange and seemed off to me, but I guess I did not notice it during the rehearsal or else I would of asked to change that.

My dad giving Robert a bit of advice before handing me over.

I love this picture of Susannah. I was nervous about how she would do standing up there the whole time. I was totally fine if during the middle of it she had to go sit with her parents. But that never happened! She did fantastic and even added a little bit of humor later on in the ceremony.

I love this picture, just beautiful.

We only had one scripture reading, but it was a beautiful one:

Ecclesiastes 4:8-12 (New International Version)

⁸ There was a man all alone;
he had neither son nor brother.
There was no end to his toil,
yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.
"For whom am I toiling," he asked,
"and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?"
This too is meaningless—
a miserable business!

⁹ Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:

¹⁰ If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!

¹¹ Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?

¹² Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

I really think this reading ties into the reading my aunt does later and the song we used during the unity candle ceremony. Hopefully when you read those other two, you will see what I mean.

Exchanging vows

More vows

Sigh, I love the way Robert and I are looking at each other.

I had a hard time getting Robert's ring on! I was super shaky and didn't want to force it on, so I kind of left it sitting at the knuckle and Robert finished pushing it on later. He still loves to tease me about that.

Up next is the reading!