M&J are one of those couples that have just always been together, or so it seems. I do distinctly remember one night freshman year in Studio 12 when I joined them in a sitting area to study... to realize about 20 minutes later that this was no normal studying situation. All of a sudden they were laughing... and touching.... and flirting...! Color me a deer in the headlights. After that it was all over. M&J have been going strong and with the help of their new sacrament the adventure has only begun.
The wedding was at St. Mary's in CS. Our jam. We were seated in the back two rows of M's side (we came in as friends of both.. no discrimination here) which ended up being appropriate as we were behaving like bad school kids sent to the back of the classroom. The CUTEST little boy sat in front of me and we chilled the whole wedding. We're buds now.
I saw M before the wedding when I ran back to get kleenex. I always forget them, but I also always start crying before the wedding starts so I should probably remedy this situation. Anyway, M was beaming. He was so calm and peaceful yet overflowing with joy. I even caught a glimpse of his beautiful bride before her main entrance and knew the waterworks were there to stay.
For some reason though I FREAKED out when I got to the back and thought it was too late for a kleenex run so I returned to my pew empty handed. Luckily Baby Mama Kalina was sitting behind me and was of course packing. Oh to have a baby bag of supplies.
Then Michael made his entrance. The bridal party followed as they tend to do. And then we stood.
J was radiant. M's expression was perfection. If someone looks at me the way M looked a J someday, I'll be a lucky lady. Oh, and he cried. Which made me cry... more.
Father Charlie rocked the house with his general adorable-ness only to be trumped by his radiating holiness. I'm pretty sure I become a better person by being in his presence. And he brought Jesus. Overall he wins.
But this is about M&J. They vowed. They knelt. They Jesus'd. They prayed. They kissed.
THEY ARE WED!
then I stopped crying long enough to snap some shots...
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| I warned you! |
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| "oh, let me stare loving into your eyes..." (i'm. not. bitter) |
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| EPIC priest kissing altar shot! |
LOVE!
Now it was time to party... don't mind if I do.
The reception was at the Bravos Valley Expo Center...so off we went. Before the bride and groom arrived I had ample time to check out the room. BUT I did suck at taking pictures of everything and I am kicking myself in the butt over it. I now offer you the following as an opportunity to use your imaginations.
When you walked into the building they had the table set up with engagement photos along with a frame to sign and my favorite, an heirloom wedding dress that her grandmother and mother wore (er, i think)
Then through a set of doors you were in the reception hall. We planted ourselves at a round table near the dance floor, I also strategically place myself in a chair facing the head table so I could see them whenever I wanted without straining and also have an epic view of the dance floor for the first dance and parent dances. Doesn't everyone think about these things ?
She had a photo booth set up (LOVE IT) complete with props that we took full advantage of in the back corner. Their favors were s'more packets stuffed in a M&J wedding koozie (LOVE IT) . But my favorite touches to the reception (besides M&J, duh) were these little guys ...
STAR WARS CAKE TOPPERS !!
I love them. I love them. I love them.
I think it also shows how much J loves M too. But mostly I just love them. I think they are beyond fantastic.
The rest of the cake was beautiful too. It was so feminine and elegant... with just a touch of fiction.
M's groom's cake was pretty sweet also... alas I guess I was too Star Wars struck to think to take a picture of it. Let me paint a picture for you... It was a chocolate iced round surrounded by chocolate covered strawberries and topped with a giant A&M seal molded out of chocolate. I'd say... sounds like the perfect amount of chocolate, eh?
M&J made their grand entrance which quickly moved us into the next phase of the reception... the grand march. Say what you will about grand marches... I think they're great. You gotta make it awesome, and it will be awesome! So I grabbed myself a partner (like a lady) and marched we did. This was my favorite grand march because it included concentric circles (boom, take that geometry) and a tunnel. Everyone likes themselves a good tunnel every now and again. OH and grand marches are also an EXCELLENT time to ham it up and make it on the wedding video. My goal of wedding receptions is to make it on the video as much as possible. Especially when I don't really know the bride and groom super well. Because its funny. Laugh with me here. But I know M&J ... so hopefully in 20 years when their kids are watching their wedding video they won't say "oh that girl, the one who won't stop jumping in the camera.... we don't remember who she is."
Moving on. I also got a boyfriend for about 45 seconds during the couples dance. I refuse to sit down during them. So technically were weren't in a relationship. Meh. I don't need another reminder that I'm single while at a wedding.
not. bitter.
Then we danced the night away... I also danced with my new bff... you may remember him as the cutest kid ever in the pew in front of us...
I let KTC borrow him too
And then took what I'm pretty sure is the first picture of me and Sister Rafaella. This woman should be a saint just for what she put up with from me in the 3 years she was my Spiritual Director.
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| Can you see the angels around her? I can . |
We danced. We laughed. We were jolly.
In
a surprise turn of events M&J changed clothes before making a break
for it. J put on some super sassy jeans and blazer with even SASSIER
and dare I say SEXY red heals. Go. Michael. She put her garter on over
her jeans for the garter toss, which alleviates some of the reservations
people have around that whole situation. So I thought it was a super
creative solution. Don't know if that's what they were going for. But
that's what I took away from it ! And he put the garter around a
football before throwing it which is my new favorite idea. And then through a pathway lit by sparklers they were off ! Driving away into their new life as man and wife.
CONGRATULATIONS MICHAEL AND JOHANNA!
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