How Sweet It Is: Our Wedding Ceremony

When I first arrived at church, my girls all got out of the limo and our driver told me to wait until all our guests were inside before I got out of the car. I sat in the limo and had a very large overwhelming feeling of love wash over me. I started crying (a good cry!) feeling so very loved by my husband, my family and my friends. I felt truly blessed. I rolled the window down just a tad- enough to call my Dad over, who was standing right by the church doors. When he came over I was so overwhelmed I couldn't get out the words I wanted to say, I love you so much. I only looked at him and tilted my head sideways. He reached in and said "time to go get married". The picture above is of me, Dad and my super amazing limo driver. The limo driver walked me all the way into the church library, holding my train the entire time. Such a sweet guy.

Our wedding ceremony took place at the church in which I grew up. It couldn't have been any more perfect.

We are so very blessed to have such wonderful family and friends, who all contributed to making our wedding so perfect. However, I do have to say that our ceremony was made by my pastor. He added in such wonderful surprise touches that John and I loved, such as reminding us to stop for one minute and look at each other. He said "this really is your wedding day". Amazing. All in all, this post is best told in pictures, with a few memories inserted. In case you missed it, you can read more about the start to our wedding day here.

When we arrived at church, my girls, dad and I gathered in the church library to ensure our guests had time to get seated. I was overwhelmed at how beautiful everyone looked. The picture above is of me, the first time I saw my flower girls and junior bridesmaid for the day. They looked so cute.

As my wedding party gathered in the hallway before heading down the isle. I had a moment to reflect on what was about to happen in private. I kept thingking "this is really happening... my Daddy and I are going to walk down the isle in a few moments and I will become a Mrs. to the best man in the world". ::tears were flowing in a good way::

Dad and I waiting in the hallway. He was so comforting and so calm. This was exactly how I pictured my wedding day would be.

Meanwhile... Hubs and my pastor, Brad, were getting into position for the ceremony and our mom's were lighting our unity candles. Hubs looks pretty calm!

As Scottish tradition calls for, we had a bagpiper at our wedding. The piper marches the father and the bride down the isle to meet the groom then at the end of the ceremony, he marches from the back of the church to meet the bride and groom and marches them out. Below is a shot of the piper with Dad and I as soon as the church doors opened followed by a shot from the back of the church of the piper marching down the isle to meet my husby and I. I love these photos.

We decided to have Dad and I stop at the top of the isle to lift my vail, this way John and I could see each others faces while I walked down the isle. I also wanted Mom to be able see my face too. Below is a picture of that moment.

We met my mom at the end of the isle and my parents gave me away together. I wanted to ensure both my parents gave me away as they are equally my parents and I equally wanted them to share in the significance of giving me away to my husband. Trust me, I still need them just as much as before June 11th. :)

Our ceremony started with words of welcome, statement of the gift of marriage and a prayer. Our pastor did a wonderful job of explaining what the day truly means. Next we declaired our intent to marry!!! Following our intent, we had a reading by my dear friend, Chip, followed by a prayer and another reading by my cousin, Billy. Below is a picture of Chip reading to John and I.

The reading we chose for Chip was "Union" by Robert Fulghum. It reads:

You have known each other from the first glance of acquaintance to this point of commitment. At some point, you decided to marry. From that moment of yes to this moment of yes, indeed, you have been making promises and agreements in an informal way. All those conversations that were held riding in a car or over a meal or during long walks - all those sentences that began with “When we’re married” and continued with “I will and you will and we will”- those late night talks that included “someday” and “somehow” and “maybe”- and all those promises that are unspoken matters of the heart. All these common things, and more, are the real process of a wedding. The symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, “ You know all those things we’ve promised and hoped and dreamed- well, I meant it all, every word.” Look at one another and remember this moment in time. Before this moment you have been many things to one another- acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, dancing partner, and even teacher, for you have learned much from one another in these last few years. Now you shall say a few words that take you across a threshold of life, and things will never quite be the same between you. For after these vows, you shall say to the world, this- is my husband, this- is my wife.

I LOVE that reading so much. I might have it framed.

The reading we chose for Billy was “Love” by Roy Croft . It reads:
I love you, not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you.
I love you, not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you are making of me.
I love you for the part of me that you bring out.
I love you for putting your hand into my heaped-up heart and passing over all the foolish, weak things that you can’t help dimly seeing there, and for drawing out into the light all the beautiful belongings that no one else had looked quite far enough to find.
I love you because you are helping me to make of the lumber of my life not a tavern but a temple; out of the works of my every day not a reproach but a song.

I love you because you have done more than any creed could have done to make me good and more than any fate could have done to make me happy. You have done it without a touch, without a word, without a sign. You have done it by being yourself

Next, Husby and I said our vowels...

Our vowels were traditional and beautiful, they read:

I, "Husby", take you, Caitlin, to be my wife; and I promise, before God and these witnesses, to be your loving and faithful husband; in plenty and in want; in joy and in sorrow; in sickness and in health; as long as we both shall live.

I, Caitlin, take you, "Husby", to be my husband, and I promise, before God and these witnesses, to be your loving and faithful wife; in plenty and in want; in joy and in sorrow; in sickness and in health; as long as we both shall live.

Following our vowels, we had a scripture reading, a lighting of our unity candle, a wedding prayer and a congregational vowel.

And now....