The Ultimate Wedding Week: Before the Ceremony

Welcome to the third installment of The Ultimate Wedding Week featuring the "Before the Ceremony" events.

I'm linked up with Valerie at Along the Way with V & J today for this link party.

*Warning: This post is loaded with pictures! 

Our wedding day started bright and early on Sunday May 29, 2011. For one reason or another, I had lost my voice over the day or so before the wedding. I'm not quite sure why that happened, but it made for an interesting time. Needless to say, I sounded kinda like a man when we were saying our vows... Good times!

But my mother, being the wonderful woman that she is, ran to Wal-Mart before she came to the hotel that morning, armed with a bunch of cough drops and throat lozenges and things of that nature. None of them really helped my throat/voice problem in the long run, but they were good short term solutions.

The day started with all the girls taking their turns getting their hair done. My wonderful cousin, Tricia, came to do everyone's hair and did an amazing job. 

My mom getting her hair done

My turn.
Bailey keeping me entertained while getting my hair done.

Bailey doing my make up

For the three months before the wedding, I had kind of been keeping a journal and I had been writing the whole thing to Trent. Each time I would write, I would write about the thoughts I was having coming up to the wedding, what we had done that day or disagreed about, I would write about how excited I was about our future, how I couldn't wait to be his wife, and things like that. I wrote the last entry on the morning of the wedding and gave it to him later in the day. (I'm pretty sure he still hasn't read the whole thing, but I guess it might be good for me to read later. And he might get to it someday, too! haha. Good try, I guess)






My mom asking for any final instructions before she headed to the church



The girls gathered around.



My beautiful mother-in-law





Precious

Trent at the church getting ready



I love this picture.
My niece standing by her mom while she's getting her hair done.



Isn't he so handsome!



Just hanging out.

 The morning just flew by. I don't know how I could have done it differently, but I wish I could have slowed down the time a little so I could really have soaked in the way I felt while it was just the girls getting ready at the hotel. But before I knew it, it was time to head to the church. Trent and I didn't see each other before the wedding, but we did exchange gifts. Here he is giving me my gift.

 This picture was taken right after they told us to kiss through the door. I thought it was pretty funny.

We didn't kiss through the door, just in case you were wondering.

 Opening my gift from Trent.

 Trent wrote the sweetest things I have ever read in my life in my card. I didn't make it very far before I lost it. That was the only time that I cried during the day (until the DJ made me cry, I guess, but that's a different story) The part that made me cry was when he had said he had prayed for me for many years. It was such an amazing realization and feeling that someone as wonderful as Trent had prayed for me to come into his life and that I actually fit the mold of that person from his prayers and am lucky enough to be his wife. I am so incredibly lucky to have the best husband in the world.

My mom and MIL watching me open my gift.

Trent's mom helping him with his flower.

Love this picture! Our ring bearer sneaking a picture after I got my dress on.

My sister and Trent

Trent and his parents

I have a feeling my brother was a little jealous of John Paul's DSI :)

Giving Trent my gift to him (the journal I had been writing in for the past 3 months)

My beautiful cousin, Jocelyn

And here are some of my favorite pictures. I love these of our ring bearer and flower girl just being silly for the camera. They are so cute!

Our wonderful parents :) Aren't they cute!

Like I said, the day just went so fast! I feel like there was so much that I wanted to do and take in and have happen that just didn't happen because everything was just happening so quickly. Everything went great, but it's just crazy how fast it all goes! By the time we were done with all the pictures, guests were arriving and it was time to get in our places so the wedding ceremony could begin. 

Check back soon for the ceremony pictures and recap!

Check out:

Our Engagement Pictures

The Rehearsal