I've collected several photos through the image search feature on Google. If any of the featured images are yours, please contact me so I can add a credit if I haven't done so already. I will also gladly remove an image upon request. And please return the favor of crediting: if you use one of my photos, please link back to me! Thanks for all the inspiration!
They may not be celebrities, but to us they're stars. So we made sure to set aside some time to dance with the two ladies that mean the world to us: our moms!
I lost my dad when I was a kid but still wanted to have that special dance at my wedding. So my mom filled in and we took the dance floor first.
Needless to say, I had to pull some major "try not to cry" faces to avoid the "ugly cry" face.
I failed.
Mom and I both realized we were in a losing battle on the cry front, so we struck up a conversation instead.
"OMG. No she DIDN'T!"
Still not convinced that we avoided the messy makeup cry, we invited some of my nieces onto the dance floor to finish up the song.
We made it through the song mascara-run-free. Then it was Mr. Lab and his mom's turn.
Twenty Years Late by Aaron Lines
Mr. Lab's sister watches on in the background.
Their dance was a little more drama-free. But it was so sweet to see them on the dance floor together. I know MIL Lab was just thinking about her baby boy being all grown up the whole time.
What special dances (other than the first dance) will you have at your wedding?
The carriage came to a stop at Whitfield Square and my younger brother hopped out.
He came around to my side to help his big sister make as much of a graceful exit from the buggy as possible in a very tight dress...
He even fluffed out my dress to make sure it was perfect for the walk down the aisle. And then we were off!
As soon as I locked eyes with Mr. Lab, it was over. There was nothing else but him. I never even noticed that one of our videographers was perched up on the gazebo!
Once we made it to the gazebo, my pastor began the service.
"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all."
Although Phillip did a good job of fixing my train before the walk down the aisle, he missed an undone clasp (I told you my horse carriage exit was "graceful"). But no worries! MOH Amanda noticed the undone clasp and she quickly fixed it.
"Family and friends, I welcome you with joy to this wedding! We are gathered together in the sight of God to witness and bless the joining together of Chris and LeiLani in Christian marriage. The covenant of marriage was established by God. With His presence and power, Jesus graced a wedding at Cana of Galilee, and in his sacrificial love gave us the example for the love of husband and wife. Chris and LeiLani come to give themselves to one another in the Holy Covenant."
"May we pray. Eternal God, our creator and redeemer, as you gladdened the wedding at Cana in Galilee by the presence of your Son, so by his presence now bring your joy to this wedding."
"Look in favor upon Chris and LeiLani and grant that they, rejoicing in all your gifts, may at length celebrate with Christ the marriage feast which has no end. Amen."
"Chris and LeiLani, I ask you now in the presence of God and these people, to declare your intention to enter into union with one another through the grace of Jesus Christ who calls you into union with Himself as acknowledged in your baptism."
"Chris, will you have LeiLani to be your wife, to live together in holy marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?
"I do."
"LeiLani, will you have Chris to be your husband, to live together in holy marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?"
"I do."
Then my pastor asked, "Who gives this woman to be married to this man?"
"Her mother and I do," my little brother replied.
I hugged my brother and then he placed my hands into Mr. Lab's.
Now it was time to get down to business. That look on my face? That's the "You're about to be mine FOREVER." look.
My pastor continued by reciting the "Hand Ceremony".
“These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow, and forever. These are the hands that will work alongside yours, as together you build your future. These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch, will comfort you like no other. These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief fills your mind. These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes; tears of sorrow, and tears of joy. These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children. These are the hands that will help you to hold your family as one. These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it."
"And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged, will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.”
Then he read an excerpt from Anne Morrow Lindbergh's "The Gift from the Sea" for our love letter box ceremony.
“When you love someone, you do not love them all the time, in exactly the same way, from moment to moment. It is an impossibility. It is even a lie to pretend to. And yet this is exactly what most of us demand. We insist on permanency, on duration, on continuity; when the only continuity possible, in life as in love, is in growth, in fluidity - in freedom, in the sense that two dancers are free, barely touching as they pass, but partners in the same pattern. The only real security is not in owning or possessing, not in demanding or expecting, not in hoping, even. Security in a relationship lies neither in looking back to what was in nostalgia, nor forward to what it might be in dread or anticipation, but living in the present relationship and accepting it as it is now. Relationships must be like islands, one must accept them for what they are here and now, within their limits - islands, surrounded and interrupted by the sea, and continually visited and abandoned by the tides.”
"LeiLani and Chris will now seal their love letter box. The purpose of this box is to include hand-written love letters explaining why they first fell in love with each other and what brought them to this very point in their relationship. They wrote these letters in private earlier this week and neither has read the other's letter. As mentioned in the reading, there will undoubtedly be hard times in any marriage. If at ever a time comes when LeiLani and Chris's marriage is in jeopardy, they have promised to open the box and read the letters to each other over a couple glasses of wine which is to be sealed along with the letters."
At some point during the ceremony, my youngest niece Morgan got a little bored. And everyone with a camera noticed. :)
I was told that she was spinning her flower around but I never once picked up on it. Like I said, I was focused on some other stuff. :)
My pastor then read a passage from the Bible that has been recited at many weddings past and I'm sure many more to come.
1st Corinthians: 13 “Love”
But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way.
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
After the Bible reading, it was time for a couple other very special readings.
We arranged for our mothers to "pop up" from their seats with readings from James Dillet Freeman's "Blessing for a Marriage". At the rehearsal, they decided to switch cards, so Mr. Lab's mom went first.
“May your marriage bring you all the exquisite excitements a marriage should bring, and may life also grant you patience, tolerance, and understanding.
May you always need one another - not so much out of weakness or to fill your emptiness as to help you to know your fullness.
May you want one another, but not out of lack.
May you entice one another, but not compel one another.
May you embrace one another, but not overwhelm one another.
May you succeed in all-important ways with one another, and not fail in the little graces."
My mother then finished the reading. She was so nervous about messing up, but she didn't miss a beat!
"May you look for things to praise, often say, “I love you!” and take no notice of small faults. If you have quarrels that push you apart, may both of you hope to have good sense enough to take the first step back.
May you enter into the mystery, which is the awareness of one another's presence - no more physical than spiritual, warm and near when you are side-by-side, and warm and near when you are in separate rooms or even distant cities.
May you have happiness, and may you find it making one another happy.
May you have love, and may you find it loving one another.”
This is me on the verge of losing it.
Next up was Robert Fulghum's "Union" read by my pastor.
“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 commitments in an informal way. All of those conversations that were held in a car, or over a meal, or during long walks - all those conversations that began with, “When we're married”, and continued with “I will” and “you will” and “we will” - all 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 that 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, even teacher, for you have learned much from one another these past few years. Shortly you shall say a few words that will take you across a threshold of life, and things between you will never quite be the same."
"For after today you shall say to the world - this is my husband. This is my wife."
And that segued right into our traditional vows.
"I, Christopher Golden, / I, LeiLani Welch
Take you, LeiLani Welch, / Christopher Golden
To be my wedded wife, /To be my wedded husband
To have and to hold from this day forward,
For better, for worse, For richer, for poorer,
In sickness and in health, To love and to cherish,
Till death us do part, According to God's holy will;
And I pledge to you my faithfulness."
My nephew Harrison handed us our rings for the exchanging. (I noticed that he didn't have the ring dish though. The dish went missing after the photos!)
"I give you this ring as a sign of my love and faithfulness in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."
But I had a little trouble with Mr. Lab's ring. My pastor warned us that putting on rings isn't always as easy as one might think. The weather and nervousness are just a couple reasons why fingers may swell...
...which may require a little more "elbow grease" while sliding on the ring.
I didn't want to just secretly slide on my engagement ring during the reception, so we included a quick engagement ring ceremony to highlight its significance.
"The engagement ring is a symbol of promise and intention. Now the intention is realized and the promise fulfilled. Please place your engagement ring on LeiLani's finger over her wedding band to symbolize that the love that brought you together will always protect and sustain your marriage."
"Chris and LeiLani, by their promises before God and in your presence, have bound themselves to one another as husband and wife. Those whom God joined together let no one put asunder. Amen."
"Chris, you may kiss your bride."
Our DJ began playing the instrumental version of Coldplay's "Clocks" and we were introduced for the first time as husband and wife.
"I introduce to you, Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Allen Golden. Go in peace, Serve the Lord."
The guests were supposed to blow bubbles as we walked back down the aisle, but they were never handed out. But I was on too much of a high to care. We were married!
After photos, my little brother and I hopped onto the horse-drawn carriage and were whisked away to a hiding spot before our guests began arriving by trolley.
The trolley had to make a couple trips to be sure no one was left behind, so guests at the square just mingled to pass time.
Unfortunately, another one of my wedding projects, the refreshment table, never got set up because I simply ran out of time. Thankfully, the weather was absolutely PERFECT, so I don't think anyone needed the drinks. (I just hate that I put refreshments on the invitation and had a table set up, because it was a dead give-away to guests that they were missing!)
I love the next photo because it shows college friends from two different generations. There's me and Mr. Lab's friends in the background, then Mr. Lab's mom's friends who happened to go to school with my pastor's wife! Small world, huh?
If you live in Panama City Beach or Hattiesburg, you might recognize Kevin or Kelly. We all met through the broadcast news program at UGA and have been buddies ever since! :)
I know these were in my last post, but gosh darnit, I loved my DIY projects!
I wonder if anyone actually used their programs as fans? Again, I couldn't have asked for better weather (even though just the week before the wedding, the forecast showed thunderstorms!).
I didn't realize that the chair rental company would require a big, ugly green "carpet" for all outdoor use, so I was kind of baffled to see it when I first caught a glimpse of the ceremony site. And I was equally baffled that my magnolia mason jars weren't lining the inside of the aisle.
But I put two and two together when looking back at the photos and realized that the DOC must have put them on the outside because she couldn't just poke through the carpet with the shepherd's hooks! She did what she could to make sure my creations were used, but I was so confused at the time!
Another "ah-hah" moment after the wedding day: As I walked down the aisle, I saw that a lot of the chairs were empty, so I assumed I had a bunch of no-shows (not a good feeling, let me tell ya!). But then I looked at the photos and realized that too many chairs were put out for the number of guests we expected!
I first thought this was a DOC mistake (she ordered all the rentals), but when I looked at the invoice, sure enough, she ordered and paid for the right amount. The rental company simply put too many chairs out, giving the feeling that half of one side was missing.
My wonderful DOC tried to move people to the seats in the front, but no one would budge because they thought the seats might be reserved. Just one of those things you don't think to go over ahead of time, so maybe it'll save someone else out there a headache!
As the final guests arrived and took their seats....
...it was time for Mr. Lab to get mic'ed up for the videographer.
And just then, the trolley showed up with my girls!
And everyone began getting into place.
Until that moment, no one had noticed the horse and carriage parked down the street. I had been secretly watching the whole time as guests arrived. But my very attentive girls spotted me!
And then, literally within 5 minutes of the ceremony start time, one of my videographers came running up to give me my Louboutins! :) :) :)
Finally, everything was in place. It was showtime.
Before you continue, click on the song below so you'll get a better feel of the processional!
First, our mothers were seated. My brothers escorted Mama Lab down the aisle.
And Mr. Lab escorted his mom.
Then my pastor and the groomsmen took their places.
After the fellas took their spots, my girls began down the aisle, with my matron of honor Amanda going last.
She made walking on that grass in heels look easy!
The bridesmaids were followed by my junior bridesmaids, aka my two oldest nieces. Autumn carried our love letter box and Abbi carried the actual letters.
My ring bearer and only nephew (I have five nieces!), Harrison, was next.
(Notice that he doesn't have the ring dish I made. It was there for photos and then vanished!)
Then my other three nieces, the flower girls, made their way down the aisle. Mary Elizabeth and Haleigh did a great job of making sure the youngest, Morgan, got down the aisle without incident.
(Looks like we had some extra "guests". I never even noticed them until I went through photos!)
Although Morgan made it down the aisle with no problem, she had a bit of mix up at the end. She was supposed to sit with her mom (my older sister), but no one got the memo. So she ended up standing at the front like a big girl! (Seriously, she did a great job and the only reason I wanted her to sit down was because I thought she wouldn't be able to stand so long. I was wrong!)
The music slowly faded out and a new song began.
"Til Kingdom Come"
by Coldplay
Steal my heart and hold my tongue. I feel my time, my time has come. Let me in, unlock the door. I've never felt this way before.
The wheels just keep on turning, The drummer begins to drum, I don't know which way I'm going, I don't know which way I've come.
Hold my hands inside your hands, I need someone who understands. I need someone, someone who hears, For you, I've waited all these years.
For you, I'd wait 'til kingdom come. Until my day, my day is done. And say you'll come, and set me free, Just say you'll wait, you'll wait for me.
In your tears and in your blood, In your fire and in your flood, I hear you laugh, I heard you sing, "I wouldn't change a single thing."
*All professional photos by Lindsi Jones Photography. The rest are by my sisters and groomsman Jimmy. Some images may have been slightly altered by moi.
Alumni Dawg.
Married.
Labrador Mommy.
Former TV Reporter.
Professional Photographer.
Wannabe American Picker.
Lover of "Shabby Chic" Vintage/Antiques.
Dream to be a SAHWM (stay at home working mom).
Planned my wedding from scratch.
In love with love.
Gown: Jim Hjelm Inspired Custom Dress from Ebay Shoes: Christian Louboutin Pink YoYos from Ebay w/ Custom Shoe Clips from Etsy Seller indulgencecouture Hairpiece: Peony flower fascinator from Etsy Seller EnchantedlyYours Jewelry: One of a Kind Vintage "Earring" Bracelet from Ebay, Earrings Forever 21, Necklace borrowed from Golden family
Invitations: Semi-DIY Invite & Info Card Designed by Nada of NKM Maps by Yours Truly Printed by Vista Print Special Inserts Printed by Zazzle Vintage Stamps by USPS
Program Fans: DIY Kit from Daisy Days Designed by Yours Truly!
