You know, people kept asking Sean & I in the days leading up to this if we were nervous. And we both kept saying the same thing, tht we weren't nervous at all, just excited and anxious for it to actually happen. We'd been planning and looking forward to it for so long, and known this day was coming for even longer, we were just beyond ready for it to actually happen at long last!

When I got out of the shower, I laid down on the bed and gave Buffy a cuddle to wake her up and then hopped downstairs to see if any of the other princesses were stirring.

Meanwhile Tracy and Marcie had arrived to do our hair, and Tracy started the long long process of putting my hair in lots of rollers! JenV and Amy came back with the news that the drive through coffee was closed so they had gone into Starbucks in their jammies. After my hair was rolled, I went downstairs to get my non-fat coconut mocha (my new coffee addiction) and it didn't taste right at all, it tasted like a latte. Turned out JenV was drinking mine! So there was like 1/3 left and I was ready to go to the Starbucks in my dressing gown and rollers, but the driveway was full of cars, so I decided it was God telling me I didn't need that much coffee.

Buffy, and JenV, and Susie all got fancy hair-dos while Amy took pictures. Tracy took my rollers out and my hair promptly started wilting. So she rolled it all up again and then I started on my make-up. I was beginning to worry about time at this point, but tried to just remind myself that if I was late I'd be late, and so be it. I was still praying for the sun to come out, it kept sort of peeking through, so I was hoping. Meanwhile, knowing that over on the other side of the lake, Sean was getting ready too and probably feeling as emotional as me was making my heart all fluttery!

Pam the photographer arrived, with her assistant Deana in tow, and Deana had also brought her husband (who is a photographer too), so the three of them took pictures of the rest of the preparation process. After a minor eyeliner crisis (I couldn't find my budgeproof deep plum eyeliner. Luckily I bought a second one to take on the bunnymoon, so I was able to just dig it out of my suitcase - just goes to show you always Be Prepared!) I got dressed in the living room (good lighting), while Pam took pictures. I got laced into my corset, Amy put my garter on, I stepped into my pink sparkly shoes, and I was ready to go!

We were already about 10 mintues late, and the detour to DQ would take up more time. And it was raining. But there was nothing I could do at this point, so I decided just to accept it and try to focus on the fact that I was about to get MARRIED to the total love of my life, the man of my dreams. That helped.

We arrived 30 mintues late, which gave me only 10 mintues to do everything I needed to before Sean arrived. It was heavily overcast, but it wasn't raining and they still had everything set up to hold the ceremony outside which was my biggest concern, I didn't want to have to move it indoors. And it wasn't too cold, even in my strapless dress. So I told myself how much better the photos would come out without the funny shadows you get from overhead sunlight, and that the guys wouldn't be overheating in their suits, and accepted the weather.

I had arranged to have a table by the doorway set up as a little tribute to my mommy, they had made a floral arrangement for it, and I had brought 3 framed photographs of us together, and a memorial candle. I set everyone else doing what little things needed to be done and went to put these things out on my own. It was very emotional for me, I miss her so much and wished so badly that she could be there with me. I just stood for awhile and looked at her beautiful face and took deep breaths and thought of how happy she would be, and how much she would have loved Sean, until I felt like I was in control again.

Shortly thereafter, I was told that my handsome groom was in the parking lot, so I scampered upstairs to hide out. I was so so excited knowing that he was downstairs and that we were only about 30 mintues away from this wedding that we have been anticipating for so long. The DJ was playing romantic WWII era songs like Imagination, The Way You Look Tonight, Apple Blossom Time etc...and I was pacing back and forth willing the clock to go faster! The photographers that weren't taking pictures downstairs took me out on the balconies where I couldn't be seen from the downstairs area and did some pictures to keep me occupied, and some of my friends came up to see me before the ceremony. Shortly before we were due to start, Mamma Darlene came up to see me and immediately started crying when she got a look at me, which of course set me off, and we hugged and talked for a bit before I sent her back down to be with Sean before we got the ball rolling.

I heard the beginning of Cosmic Dancer by T. Rex and took a big breath, because it was almost upon us. JenV and Buffy came upstairs and I knew that waiting at the bottom would be Amy and Susie with Sean, and Sean's parents and Uncle Rudy all waiting for me. As Cosmic Dancer ended and Classic Girl by Jane's Addiction started, I began to tremble like a leaf. I had imagined this moment for so long, and everything was exactly how I'd pictured it, it was just dream-like. Buffy descended the stairs, and then JenV. I stood there alone for a moment, just enjoying the feeling of knowing I was about to start my life with the person God meant for me.

I slowly walked down the stairs, seeing everyone come into view, and right at the bottom was Sean with his back to me. I stood on the pedestal at the base of the stairs, took yet another deep breath, and nodded to Susie & Buffy, who told Sean to turn around and "Go get your girl". He turned around and our eyes met, and it was just a breathtaking moment for both of us. He came over and hugged me, and we stood there both fighting back tears of joy and looking into each others eyes and grinning.

The instrumental 18 by Moby began, and Amy escorted Mamma Darlene down the aisle to her seat to begin the ceremony. Susie went down, then Buffy and Uncle Rudy, then JenV and Dad. Sean and I stood back there alone for a moment, and I asked him if he was ready for this. He said he'd been ready forever. We held hands, and walked through the ballroom together, pausing at my mommy's tribute so I could put a gardenia in front of her photo, and then down the aisle to the arbor we went.

It was misting a little, but not cold at all, as Reverend Callahan performed the ceremony. Susie read "I'll Be Your Mirror" by Lou Reed, and Amy read 1 John 4:7-12, then the song Llorando by Rebecca del Rio was played while Sean and I stood and looked at each other, just contemplating the enormity of what was about to happen. As the song ended, Reverend Callahan led us through our vows, and then the ring exchange. As Sean put the ring on my finger, after the traditional "with this ring, I thee wed" part he grinned at me and said "You're my girl, Lily". So after I did the same, I said "I'll always be your girl" which is an exchange we do often in conversation. It really made the ring exchange even more personal to us.

We went upstairs with JenV, Dad, and Reverend Callahan to sign the certificate, and then they left us alone for some quiet time together, which was lovely, to have a moment to just sit and have a cuddle and relax for a bit before going down to the reception.

We went downstairs and headed for the buffet! Sean had chosen the menu; we had fruit and veggie platters, cheese plates, caesar salad, stuffed mushrooms, phyllo squares with spinach and cheese, garlic roasted new potatoes, turkey, roast beef, and stuffed shells. It was all delicious! We also had peronalized Jones soda in Blue Bubble Gum and Fufu Berry to drink, with our picture on the label and a message to our guests on the back.

Afterwards, everyone assembled in the ballroom and the Best Dad gave his toast, which we followed by our first dance, to Yellow by Coldplay. It actually really was our first dance together, despite my best attempts, Sean and I had never danced together before! It went better than Sean had led me to believe, in that he can actually dance, which is contrary to what I was told :)

Afterwards, I danced with Dad and Sean danced with Mamma Darlene and everyone else danced with everyone else to "What a Wonderful World". It was nice to have such an intimate wedding with only our closest family and friends there, as we got to spend plenty of time with everyone during the reception. It was just so much fun.

Sean made a toast thanking everyone for coming to be with us, and then he started to make a toast to me, but was just overcome with emotion and got all choked up, which got me started crying again, so I just took him in my arms and we stood there holding each other for awhile. He was embarassed about it, but honestly I think it was perfect, it was the sweetest thing.

I'd been working on my toast in the car for absolutely months, but I was still nervous about it because I had never written it down, so it changed a little every time. It went just fine though, if you want to read approximately what I said, you can click here. Buffy had told me her toast wouldn't make anyone cry, but she totally lied! It was so wonderful and precious, it totally got me right in the heart.

After her toast, the girls had a surprise for me! At my college, there was a little cheer that people would sing for other people when they did something good or got into a club or whatever. I hadn't even thought about it in years, and Amy secretly taught Susie, JenV, and Buffy to sing it & they did it for us. It totally cracked me up, it was so incredibly cool!

Once we were done with the toasting (who thinks I should send these pictures to Jones for an ad?), we cut the cake (which was white chocolate with raspberry marscapone cream filling, so not only pretty, but yummy as well!) and fed it to each other, with no squishing in the face action. While the cake was being served, Sean and I took some more time to talk to everyone, and get more pictures as we knew we'd be leaving soon for the bunnymoon. Me & the girls also had to have a picture with OK Magazine so that we could be in the magazine for reading it at our special occasion!

At one point, the DJ played Fernando by ABBA, and the next thing I knew I was singing and hamming it up on the dancefloor with my 4 fellow princesses while Sean stood by laughing at us. It was one of those magical moments in life where everything is perfect and you feel so good and happy you think your heart is going to burst.

Shortly thereafter, we had the last dance (to Staind's Epiphany) and then headed upstairs to toss the bouquet and garter. Vicki caught the bouquet, which was great since it was her anniversary weekend (if a married woman catches it, it means they will have a long successful marriage) and Roby caught the garter, which he promptly put on his girlfriend Chrissie!

We got our stuff together and then headed out through a shower of bubbles, hugged everyone good bye, and set off in the limo to the Four Seasons start our Bunnymoon Adventure!

back to the pre-show
to The Bunnymoon pix(Story coming soon!)