WEDDING!!!

Wow! Even if you are the groom’s parent’s, there is a lot to do to get ready for a wedding.

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But I’m glad they got married in June, as early as they could. Short engagement is good, and then it doesn’t drag on all summer. Getting the invitations out was kind of a mess. But hopefully we keep that list updated for when we have the next wedding. And then there’s the stress every time an invitation comes back. Do you try to find the correct address and send it again? Do you just email the person, or do you figure they are lost forever and you don’t need to try to track them down further?

As the groom’s mom, I decided I wanted to host a family dinner the night before the wedding at our church. That way I could decorate and do some of the fun and creative stuff, and we could invite a lot of family and still keep the costs down. My friend, who’s daughter got married in May, pointed me to a fabulous local caterer, and I was very happy with how the food turned out.

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Even though the location was simple, we tried our best to make it pretty. I was going for a garden theme, so I brought all my plants, watering cans, and cute garden decor. I also arranged with a few neighbors to borrow some of their plants.
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When we went to set up, I wondered what we should do with the blackboard, and I think Ryan said, “Oh, it’s just like their announcement,” So, we got Megan started in copying the writing from the announcement on the chalkboard.

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On each table there were bird cages filled with greenery. I had snipped a few branches from my laurel bushes, and also some clematis. It looked nice. We set each place with a plate, fork and knife, napkin, cup and a temple cookie in a cute bag.

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It was a nice evening! And it was wonderful that so many friends and family of both the bride and groom could come. I think we had 78-80 in attendance.
DSCN1280 Of course, when it was over, we had to take everything BACK that we had borrowed. We had more help cleaning up, so the tear down was quicker than the set up, but we were also tired. We had lots of silverware and plates to wash, too, and had to wait for the caterers to finish washing up all their dishes before we could start in the kitchen. Thankfully, I have some dear friends who helped me clean up. We were there until nearly 9:30 washing dishes, while Ryan took a few loads of plants and other garden things like our wrought iron bench back home. They plopped all the plants on the porch, after returning the ones they had borrowed.

After I was home and finally in my pajamas, Cole remembered that he needed his white pants hemmed for the temple. That will just have to wait until morning, I told him. Emily invited all her bridesmaids to sleep over at her house, so the girls grabbed some pajamas, and went over there. So fun.

In the morning, we were trying to get hair done, sew up those white pants, get the girls’ hair done, etc. 10:00 came quickly and we got in the car. Megan was going to drive herself, Natalie, Jenna and John and meet us at the Draper temple at 11:30, after the wedding. One friend called me on the way and said that they just realized the wedding was in Draper, not American fork, and they might be late. No worries, though, somehow they made it on time.

They let the parents go up to the sealing room before everyone else, and we wait quietly. It’s so beautiful!! After a few minutes, friends and family start to come in. Wow! After everyone was seated, they brought in the bride and groom. Cole was seated by me. The sealing was so special, so touching. During that ceremony, I remembered my own wedding, and I looked across to see Ryan. And so many of our families were there to show their love to Cole and Emily.
It was beautiful.
I cried.
It’s come full circle. We were just two stupid kids when we got married almost 24 years ago. Look at us now. We have 5 children, and our oldest son is starting his own family with a girl he adores.

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Here’s my first picture of them as man and wife. They come out of the temple to a large group of family and friends who are there for them. To show love and support to both of our families. It’s overwhelming the amount of love we felt.

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Then there were pictures. So many pictures.

This is my new family. Six kids instead of five. Isn’t it wonderful how a family is constantly growing and changing, all while staying the same?

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One of the smart things we did was purchase and bring 5 large umbrellas. They aren’t expensive, just from IKEA, but it helped to have some shade during the picture taking. And we could even use them as props.

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The reception that night was also beautiful. Yes, it was long, but it was so amazing to have So many people come in support of us and Cole and Emily and the Beus family. Wow. It was overwhelming. So many people came through the line to tell us how much they love Emily, how special she is, and how much she loves Cole. Such a fun evening full of love. I don’t have a single complaint about the reception, and I hope Emily and her mom feel the same way.

Wow!

Now the bride and groom are on their honeymoon. Today they spent the day in Disneyland. And the packages and cards keep arriving.

Gratitude.