The Morning Of...with pictures

It was my wedding day. I looked Gracie in the eyes as my head laid snuggle on the pillow. "This is okay right". Her sweet gentle voice soothed my nerves. She encouraged me and comforted me and the peace of the Lord fell upon me. Slowly the rest of the girls woke up as well. We all went into the living room to do a Bible study and drink some tea. I had bought each of my bridesmaids a special mug for the morning. We had different kinds of David's Tea to warm up the morning. Gracie brought cereal and snacks for breakfast that the girls dived into.

After the Bible study we moved into a time of worship. Kate played the guitar and began to sing out songs and we all joined in. Being in a room of woman just seeking the Lords heart first thing on a Saturday afternoon is so sweet. There was a feeling of sister-hood that I hadn't quite experienced before. As we were praying the Lord began to give me insight into Patricks heart and how sweet he is. I began to cry tears of joy as I realized the amazing man I would soon be marrying; the kind prince I'd always dreamt of. All of us girls began to pray aloud for Patrick; praying for his heart, his nerves and speaking truth over him and what the Father says about him. Valerie grabbed the guitar and we kept going. Some girls were in the Word, others of us were praying and others singing songs of praise. There was peace and serenity in the room. I was full of confidence and felt grounded and ready to make this journey.

The doorbell rang and it was our precious film maker, Natalie. She came in and instantly remarked how peaceful and serene everything was. She had never seen a group of bridesmaids so at peace nor felt such tangible love in a space. She began to set up her camera, and we kept on worshipping. I was so thankful she got there early and captured this sweet moment with my friends. Mary writes my Bible verses for my vows for me.

The door bell rings again and it's my makeup artists Natalie. The room shifts and it becomes "go time". The atmosphere switches slightly as all of us girls now need to get ready. My make up and hair is being done in the living room, and the girls are scattered throughout the bungalow curling, braiding, straightening, and twisting their hair.

Make-up brushes are out dusting their beautiful faces and my already stunning women of god became sparkling ladies of excellence. I can't believe how beautiful each of them look. We are all sharing giggles and love here and there, but mostly focussing on the task at hand. I was excited for when we would all be in the limo together and could be in prayer and intercession once more.

Another doorbell and the photographer Claire Oring comes in. And another doorbell and it's my mother, sister-in-love, and my niece and her best friend. I've never seen my mom look so beautiful before! Her face was glowing, her hair looked perfect, she truly looked radiant. My sister in love was in charge of "the details" of the day. All the little things that a normal person would forget, I knew I could trust her with and they would get done. She is very very dependable and trustworthy. She steps out to go purchase a couples massage as a gift from my mom for Patrick and I the following day at the resort.

When she leaves, there's some confusion about who is going into the limo. It seemed that everyone understood that it would be just the girls and I except for my mom. She got very hurt by this surprise. I knew on one hand I could have just let her come but it was also my wedding day, I would never have it again, and I had such little time for it to be just the girls and I. We didn't get to do a traditional bachelorette weekend, and the rehearsal dinner went so late that we only had a couple hours together in the evening. I really wanted to soak up all the time with my ladies as I could. So I shared with her what I needed.

Then it's time for photos. I go into the master bedroom and we get photos of me putting on my jewelry, putting on my veil, and then we take some photos that are for Patrick eyes only... ooooh-la-la!

The girls and I go outside in our robes to take some classic "girls in their matching robes" photos. I don't care if it's over-done, I love it!

Next we take some beautiful shots of my mom helping me into my dress, my sister clasping my necklace, and my niece lending me her shoes. It's fun getting to go through these acts with a camera because it forces you to slow down and enjoy the moment since you are literally dressing in slow motion for the camera to capture what's happening. We are all ready to go.

My sister calls the hotel and makes sure everything will be cleaned up once we leave and ready for when Patrick and I come back. All of us step outside and realize how beautiful the entry way is to the bungalow so we take a few group photos there. Some with just the girls and some beautiful ones with my mom and sister.

The girls and I hop into another escalade, and it drops us off at our limo. We all gather inside and begin to pray. As the girls pray for me I get filled with the joy of the Lord. I can't stop laughing. I'm laughing as if someone is saying hilarious jokes, but no one is. It's this pure, childlike radiance from heaven that came into the limo and filled my heart and mind. I didn't want there to be any room for anxiety, so we just kept praying every moment to settle any chance of nerves. The Lord was faithful. He truly wiped away every tear and filled my heart with his grace and joy. He felt so near, so kind, and so active.

We got out of the limo once we got to the church and flew into the bridal suite to wait. I saw the bouquets for the first time waiting in the bridal sweet for us. They were so beautiful I wanted to cry. I felt so touched by these masterful creations! I spent the time pacing back and forth in the bridal suite so excited and nervous yet calm and ready.

My friend and bridesmaid Amanda made it! Her flight kept getting delayed and she literally made it with about an hour to spare all the way from Washington DC!

My friends who would play at the reception were at the door and they prayed for me. I had a really great conversation with JC a couple weeks before the wedding about marriage advice and felt so honored that he prayed for me before the big event!

Then I cuddled up with different bridesmaids waiting with me and we prayed again all together. Then I was given the cue that it was time to step out of the suite to find Patrick.

"I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry.2 He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord."