The Finale...

Day 7 Part Two...

June 16, 2001

Every little girl dreams of the perfect wedding. The dress. The shoes. The church and colors. Honestly, not really my forte. I have the design sense of a wet sponge. God just didn't bless me with a sense of style. So, I enlisted my girlie-girl mom for help. I told her what I liked and she went to work. She was a woman on a mission. She could have had her own reality t.v. show, the way she worked those vendors. The woman could work a hot glue gun like nobody's business. Frankly, she has impeccable taste that I simply did not inherit.

2001 was the height of Ebay, and my mom was the ebay queen. Every week I'd receive phone messages from my mom, "Hi sweetie! You'll never guess what I bid on and won for your wedding! Remember how you wanted tulle? Well, I just won like 5 bolts of it!" or "I just won a huge box of white Christmas lights! They will be perfect for the reception!" She was definitely in her element, and I was happy to oblige. We affectionately referred to our wedding as the 'Ebay wedding'.

We went dress shopping, cake tasting, poured over colors and samples. We Picked music, selected flowers and invitations and did everything on a budget. It was an exciting time. But, it didn't compare to the excitement Brent and I had anticipating becoming husband and wife.

The big day arrived and I was beyond excited to begin getting ready for the day. The day was gorgeous. I got ready at home with my family, taking all precautions to guard my dress from any accidents I was prone to. Then it was off to the church. Things moved along so quickly that before I knew it, it was time to walk down the aisle. Right before it was time, my dad pulled me aside and prayed for me, for us, and our future as husband and wife. The he kissed my forehead, lowered my veil and said, "Let's get this show on the road kiddo." and gave me a wink.

I waited with my dad and watched as one by one my bridesmaids walked down the aisle. My heart was pounding. Then, the doors swung wide and I heard the music begin to play softly. My dad took the first step and all I kept thinking was, "Don't trip, don't trip, don't trip." But, then I caught a glimpse of Brent waiting for me at the end of the aisle, and my thoughts changed. It was him. I think at that point a huge smile came over me and I just couldn't wait to get down that aisle. My dad placed my hand in Brent's. We looked at one another and whispered, "I love you." We exchanged vows and then rings, whispering "forever" before placing our rings on. We chose communion as our first act of marriage, and then our dads came forward to pray a blessing over us and our marriage. The pastor pronounced us husband and wife and then Brent turned to me and kissed me...