Our Love Story...part 5 The Wedding

 We have only 1 wedding pic scanned and I already posted it...so these are some pics throughout our years together instead :)  So where was I....Oh yes, it was 6 weeks before the wedding when I flew over to meet up with my fiance and family.  So what is the first thing you do- go out and buy a wedding magazine of course to check out what to do when, hints, tips, etc.  Well, that was a JOKE!  Why?  Because there was no way we had that kind of money first of all, and because the list included all kinds of things- but there was only show up to the wedding in the last 6 weeks.....YIKES!!!  he he he

I won't say it wasn't stressful trying to plan a wedding in 6 weeks, but it was AMAZING!  No stressing for a year over the cake, dress, etc.  NO people telling me they didn't like the dress I picked at the store!  No silly spending on things that really are NOT going to make you happy on your wedding day no matter what the tv shows or experts say.

Jason was working still so I was hanging out with the family waiting for him to get home, and helping out around the house :).  First thing- wedding invitations.  There was a guy from the church who does graphic designs for signs etc.  He volunteered to do our invites for us for our wedding gift.  Of course the family had to give me a little fun surprise and welcome to England gift.  As we are in the car on the way back from the airport they show me a copy of the invite- let's just say there were a bunch of sillies going on with the invite :)  mustaches on the picture, from the nut house, yep- this is my family!!!  Of course after laughing at the fun, they handed me a copy of the real invite :)

Then onto the dress- my mum made my dress for me- by hand!!!  We went to the store, picked out the pattern, picked out the material, and she made it!!!  Of course there has always been a joke about the dress because it was supposed to have a bow.  I made it clear to mum- NO BOW!!  Nothing to accentuate features that did not need it thank you :)  So whenever something happened she would tease just wait until you see that bow on the dress.  he he he......  Well, the bow did appear- in the nice van that drove me from Jason's sisters house to the church with my dad- draped across the back of the front seat- The bow complete with puffy painted smiley face!  :)  Still have that......of course right now in storage somewhere. 

Oh one more quick story about the dress.  Mum had it all laid out awaiting my final fitting.....when she walked upstairs to her room where it was spread across the bed....with coffee in her hands.....and tripped.....yep it's true, THANK THE LORD it didn't get on the dress :)  WHEW.........

 We had a very traditional wedding in lots of ways- we had marriage counseling, we got married in the church Jason grew up in, My father walked me down the aisle and gave me away, we did traditional marriage vows, and we waited to see each other (in my dress that is) until that day. We had one bridesmaid- I told her to bring a few nice dresses and we picked on for her to wear for the big day, one best man- my younger brother Scott- Jason and Scott wore matching pants, tux shirts, and vests with bow ties and fun cuff links.  We had cream and silver as our colors.  We had eucalyptus and cream colored flowers that fragranced the chapel.  The eucalyptus was free- from a neighbors tree.  The flowers a gift from the pastor and arranged as a gift from someone in the church.  Our cake traditional- English style with rolled icing- made for us by a member of the church as a gift.  Our wedding pics were done by 2 people as a gift from the church.  We had a reception under tents rented and put in the back lawn of the church.  We split after the service to a nearby park to do pics.  The food was catered by friends in the church at cost.  The dance afterward was in the hall at the church (awww....shucks no alcohol allowed I guess everyone will have to remember our reception he he he- I am NOT against people who drink alcohol, just a choice we made) with music by my brother - the best man- who happens to love to dj   :)  Are you noticing a theme here?  Yep, our wedding was cheap!!!  It's true!!  We didn't want to spend lots on a wedding....we wanted to spend it on a great honeymoon.  We did everything within a couple thousand pounds for real!!  So if money is a reason to wait to get married- not for us!

The wedding itself was also NOT traditional in that:  our pianist did an original piece that he wrote for me to walk down the aisle with.  We had a skit during our ceremony about the different kinds of love.  We both gave our testimonies during the service (hey for some it is the ONLY time they go to church).  We sang a song to our parents- Thank You by Ray Boltz.  Of course when we went to sign the registry - which you typically do during the ceremony in Enlgand- my mother in love, my brother Scott the best man, and Juliette Jason's sister, and my father in love- played and sang Buddy Holly songs.  As you do right?  My mum and dad also performed after that for us a worship song.  We had a sermon about marriage as well as worship songs such as Shout to The Lord.  It was GREAT!!!  It wasn't so short that you were there for only a few minutes.  We figured if we were getting dressed up and going to all the trouble make it a bit longer :) 

For the honeymoon we rented an English Cottage in the south countryside, visited a castle, went to the beach, relaxed...oooh yeah.....and Jason got sick and had to drive himself to the doctor.  We borrowed our parents car and it is stick shift- wrong side for me I can't shift with my left hand :(  -poor sweetie. 

Ohh......the miracle that happened- well we got married earlier in the summer than planned.  Well, what we didn't know is anything about immigration :( UGH!!!  They said it would take 6 months to get approval for Jason to come Home with me (we had 6 weeks to get back for my job).  Are you serious...I can't handle that!!  I was going to go back to teaching in my wonderful small town and being a volunteer EMT.  :(  Sad days.  Well, Jason's dad is a builder- he paints, puts in cabinets, fixes toilets, retiles, lays flooring, etc.  He had done work for someone who works in the US Embassy.  So he gave him a call and explained our situation.

With LOTS of PRAYER!!!  He made sure the papers went from person to person with no hold ups!!!  PRAISE JESUS we had an embassy appointment the day before we left to come back to the US!!!!!!  Another big WHEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Of course when we hit immigration in Canada I had to go on by myself....I totally worried and fretted as I waited until the FINAL boarding call for Jason to walk through the doors.....

Once we were home we had a reception in the US too at my school gym of course.  Our pastor there did a marriage blessing, we wore our wedding wear again, danced the night away, walked to and from our home in our wedding outfits down a couple of blocks, and had a great time........  and look at us now :)  LOVE how God orchestrated everything :)