Our 12th Anniversary

I am going to warn you right now, this is going to be a very long post with lots of pictures. Today is our 12th anniversary. It really seems like just yesterday. I remember it so vividly. I was soooo blessed that day. Yes, because I married my knight in shining armor but also because I had a fairy tale wedding that every girl dreams of. My dad had given me $2,000, hubby and my mom pitched in as well. I honestly don't know the total cost because a lot was borrowed etc. But, I would guess it was less than $4,000 total. I only mention the cost because a beautiful wedding doesn't have to break the bank!! Enough of money, let me tell you the story . . . daddy and I had been dating for about 5 years. It was time to get married ;) We got engaged in November and set a date for April. Over the Christmas holidays while my mom was here we spent a ton of time trying to find a place to get married. We didn't have a lot to put down on a deposit but yet we wanted someplace unique. During the Christmas festival that year we happened to go to the LeMoyne Art Gallery at dusk. It was a historic home filled with local art and in the back was a beautifully sculpted garden with a gazebo at the end of a winding brick pathway. The trees in the garden and along the pathway were filled with thousands of white lights. It was spectacular. The decision was made. We would get married there at dusk and have the reception there as well. Thank God the deposit and rental were minimal. Because my husband and I had been in the area for quite some time, we had lots of connections for flowers, music, and food. A good friend of ours (who happened to be a chef) made us an ice sculpture for free! We put lots of shrimp around it. Our caterer was someone who our friend the chef had worked with, the flower lady was a friend of my mother-in-laws etc., etc., etc. The biggest expense was probably all of the Christmas lights we had to buy!!

Like any bride I spent lots of time looking in magazines for a dress. I had found one that I felt was perfect. It was cut close and FULL of beads! I am sure it was worth about $5,000 itself. Of course, I knew that would never happen. But God intervened again. I was down visiting my mom one weekend. She had taken it upon herself to go and look at a gently worn dress she had heard about. She had brought it home with her so I could see it. When I got home that weekend she showed me. I do not tell a lie, it was the exact dress I had seen in the magazine but for a couple of hundred dollars. It was gorgeous. It was perfect. It was my dream dress!! I have never felt so beautiful in my life!! We bought a very long train and veil. I truly was a princess!

But the most spectacular things of all was my mom and all of her wonderful friends. My mom has a wonderful gift for decorating and one friend has the gift of coordinating. They came from down south with cars full of tulle, candelabras, flowers, an archway and all kind of wedding decorations. By the time my mom and her friends (and hubby) were through with the LeMoyne it was a fairy land in white, lights and vibrant flowers. Every piece of art work and statues were covered in tulle and flowers. Words cannot describe how it looked just before dusk. Lights glittering and flowers blooming.

We have a ton of nieces and nephews and all of them that were old enough participated in some way or other. The little guys were ushers and all of the nieces were flower girls. We had a small wedding party mostly family except for a good friend of mine. Sissy was my maiden of honor. I think she was 12. My mom said she took her job very seriously. They were dressed in a rich purple. My dad graciously allowed my stepdad to walk with us down the isle. Right before the gazebo where hubby and the preacher waited, my stepdad stepped aside and my father gave me away. The man who married us has dedicated most of our children. The singers were church members. It was a small, intimate affair with close family and friends. It truly was a celebration!

After much eating and drinking and dancing, hubby and I left for our hotel. This story wouldn't be finished if I did not tell one last tale. As I have mentioned my sister who is 17 years younger than me was my maiden of honor. When I have been with her she has always been at my side. We were inseparable when we were together. She would cry when I had to go back to school after visiting for a weekend. Well, you can just imagine what she did when I left for my honeymoon without her. According to my mom she cried hysterically. She couldn't understand why she wasn't going with us. She did not rest well that night.

I have tried to pick some pictures and use words that would do the day justice but it is sooo hard to do. It warms my heart for so many reasons whenever I look at them. I believe that hubby is my match made in heaven. I use our wedding as an example to young women nowadays who are trying to work it all out. It really was such a wonderful way to start our life together. . . .