Our Memories in Marriage

This week I've had a couple of pleasant surprises arrive in my mailbox! First, on Thursday, I received a package from John, which included videos he made for me of himself talking and a beautiful glass rose crossing a heart.
Second, on Friday, was our wedding album! It took me six months to get back to the photographer about our "must have" photos for the album, but he is so patient and has amazingly fast turn around:

I was looking through our wedding photographer's website this evening and saw that he has used one of the photos he took at our wedding on the main wedding page! Click here to see the page. You have to scroll down a little bit to see it, but I took a screen cap in case he ever changes his website:



I'm glad that he chose that photo of us, it is one of my favorites!

The wedding reception followed immediately after the ceremony a few yards away under a 40'x40' tent. The catering was all done by the UofI, including our beautiful cake. Unless otherwise mentioned, all the photos were taken by the professional photographer.


My mother and I spent a whole year visiting antique stores looking for tea-related items for the centerpieces (such as teapots, teacups, cream and sugar bowls, and serving trays). In the weeks leading up to the wedding, I created arrangements with all the items and my friends put everything together on the day of.


Photo taken by my aunt Sue. The wedding cake was three tiers, the bottom and top layers were white cake with strawberry filling and the middle layer was yellow with chocolate truffle mousse. The baker went a little bit overboard with the decorations to go with my gnome cake topper, but it turned out wonderfully!


My brother gave John a toast in place of John's best man. It was such a sweet gesture and I am so grateful he agreed to toast! John's dad, my mother, and John also gave toasts, it was our favorite part of the reception!


Our first dance was to "Fly" by Sara Groves. You can see John's bullet cufflinks in this photo!


My father and me. We had a parent-child dance to "You Raise Me Up" sung by Celtic Woman.


John and his mother.


John's parents' friends were willing to let us use their 1969 corvette as our "getaway car". We only drove to my house where we swapped out for a different one to drive to Spokane.


All in all, it was the best day of my life thus far and each time I look at these photos and think of all the memories I get so excited for our future together.

The wedding was June 13th on the University of Idaho's Administration Lawn in the Presidential Grove (named so for the presidents, such as Teddy Roosevelt, who planted trees there). Today I thought I would share some of the highlights of the wedding ceremony. Unless otherwise mentioned, the photos were taken by the professional photographer.


The ceremony began at 2:00 when the bells chimed. My maids held parasols instead of bouquets and used them to "conceal" my entrance..


John's hometown pastor traveled all the way to perform the wedding ceremony for us.


My brother (also the groomsman) sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" in the style of Israel Kamakawiwo'ole. It was beautiful.


Photo taken by my aunt Sue. My bridesmaids were John's younger sister Hannah, my cousin Becky, and my sister Kimberly.


My sister's husband Caleb played the guitar for the ceremony. Only a few days before the wedding he cut part of his thumb off!


Instead of a unity candle or sand ceremony, we used honey to represent our commitment.
"Honey is a symbol of the sweetness in life. And so, with this jar of honey, we proclaim this day as a day of great joy and celebration. A sweet day to remember.
As together you now share this honey, so may you now share perfect love and devotion to each other, share your lives together, and thereby may you find life's joys doubly gladdened, its bitterness sweetened, and all things hallowed by time, companionship and love."


"You may kiss"!


Photo taken by my cousin Amy. Unfortunately, John's best man wasn't able to make it to the wedding. He is also in the army and circumstances arose and he couldn't come. We missed him!

We met at church camp, he joined the army, we got married, he was deployed for the second time, and now we have a blog. This is to let family and friends know how we are doing and what we are up to, enjoy!