Anything but typical

Well, unless we're talking about the music.  That was totally Catholic, totally typical.  Believe me, I didn't want but in the end, I don't remember hearing any music at all during walking down the aisle or walking back up the aisle.  So let's pretend there was a different song playing, the one that I had picked out since 2005: Finale B from Rent. I prefer the movie version but if you know it at all, you get a big hug from me!

So we left off where my mom was handed kleenex from Nicole as she started crying.  Somehow, she got it together as we walked through the doors.  

Let's be honest here.  All I saw was smiling heads.  I didn't know who exactly they were while looking at them but I knew they were smiling at me.  Close to about halfway down the aisle, I thought omg, look at Richard!  When I did, I didn't see any one of those smiling heads but him.  All I saw was him.  Mom, Dad...can we walk a little faster?  

Here's a fun point in our ceremony.  You know how the bride and groom hug her parents?  I hugged my dad first, then my mom.  And my mom wouldn't let go.

It's not because she didn't want me to get married or anything, she just said she didn't know what was happening to her, she was just overcome with emotion.  When she did let go and we made our way up to the kneeler (that we did not use, thanks to Richard!) our priest said "Welcome and thanks Mom for letting go."  

I handed my bouquet off to my little brother who placed it on the pew.  He wasn't going to hold that thing.  :)  

Our friends Tracy and Jillian read the readings and Fr. Manny read the gospel.  Before he began his homily, he waved us over to the pew in front of my parents.

As for his homily, I've never heard one so personal.  I still haven't.  During our last meeting with him, he asked us to write him a letter about why and how we knew the other was meant for us.  He referenced those and read out some of the things we said.  I don't remember much of it and I'm glad that it came from those letters that we still have.  I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

It's a really good thing when people are talking about your ceremony, people.  Among the comments I heard were that they loved our priest, how personal it was and that they were so happy to know that love like ours existed.  Those are pretty high compliments, don't you think?  Words cannot express how grateful I am that we had Fr. Manny as our officiant.


Coming up next...vows are exchanged & everyone hears me whisper something. :)

xoxo