The next morning, I awoke to the sound of Chris’ voice gently rousing me. On my first look out of the window, I caught my future husband in his Buckeyes pajamas, sneaking behind the garage to take a leak—something all men enjoy doing at the camp. After a cup of coffee, I excused myself from the morning hustle and bustle, and took a glorious lavender- and cedarwood-scented bath, which was exactly what I needed. From that point on, the day progressed like a dream.
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| Our wedding bands |
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| Our wedding feet |
The local salon I hired showed up with donuts and mimosas. The bridal party, mothers, and Irene were treated to a day of hair, nails and makeup for everyone. A friend of mine did my makeup, settling on a flowerchild mixture of greens and purples to match my red hair, pale complexion, and hazel green eyes.
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| Erin, scrapbook and makeup artist extraordinaire; and, Michelle, owner of A Cut Above in Pulaski |
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| My "something blue" nail polish and freshly touched up Steelers tattoo |
The hairdresser said she’d never seen a bride so calm. I think it was a combination of the mimosas and four months of exhaustion catching up with me—that, and the fact that nothing about marrying Matt scared me.
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| The bride, all put together |
It wasn't just me who had to get ready - our Dads and
friends and Alans were putting out chairs, measuring the aisle runner,
trying to finish the last minute lists, and squeezing in showers at the
last minute.
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| Matt and Joe are ready, but Topher, in the background, is definitely not ready for the ceremony... |
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| My two Dads |
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| Matt and Wyllie |
After a few laughs getting me dressed and pulling together my accessories and shoes, I deposited myself into the freshly detailed golf cart, and Chris drove me down Chipman Lane to a neighbor’s Narnia-like garden. Matt was faced away from me, and Lesley, my cousin/photographer extraordinaire, instructed him to wait for my hand on his shoulder. With months of emotion stored up, I walked up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. When Matt turned around, I think we fell in love all over again.
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| Our "escart" |
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| It was like our first kiss... |
The next few hours were filled with “first look” photos in the garden, a trip to the beach for some wacky wedding party photos, and a family circus group of shots back at the house. I will always remember learning the uncomfortable but necessary: “weight on your back foot; lean forward with your chest; face forward; chin down.” I must say, Lesley is a real pro at her craft. She knows exactly what to do to capture moments without making them overly fabricated or totally unreal.
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| The "first look" in Hilde's garden |
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| Wedding peeps at the Henneberger family beach |
After the last of the photos, we cleared everyone out of the house for a few moments of calm before the ceremony. Unfortunately, after we all took a deep breath, our calm was destroyed by a stereo malfunction. After five minutes of tearing apart our pile o' wedding supplies for the spare music CD, and then programming an iPod, we eventually found a solution, but it definitely shook up the pre-ceremony environment.
Once the music situation was solved, it was time to get started. Our wedding party paired up; my aunt Dana stood ready at the door; and, Dad and I waited at the rear of the line. I heard the first strains of our processional song—“In My Life” by the Beatles—and then the ceremony began…
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