yes to the dress

Maid of Honor duties called this weekend, and off I went with the BFF and a small posse to search for that perfect dress she’ll don come December 1st of this year. I’m happy to announce that, after a day-full of intensive gown hunting, the ONE was revealed in a bright vision from the heavens (or something like that), and then quickly snatched up at a bargain.  When does that ever happen?!  You find the perfect dress AND it’s the perfect price?  Seldom, that’s when.  The weekend was a success!

In other news, I’ve been camping out at my mom’s as Edd has taken a turn for the worse, and so happy times are peppered in with sad times, but I find myself wanting to feel the full height and width and breadth of it.  This is life… filled with both joy and sorrow; both new birth and, yes, death.  After all, “the deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain,” remember? (from The Prophet.)

We’re thinking hours or days are now left on Edd’s earthly body, but I have to believe that he’ll awaken on the other side with a new body, and that some day we’ll all be together again and all of this will make sense…

Enjoy a few pretty pictures from the weekend, and then go tell the people you love that you love them, OK? Or better yet, show them. Happiest of Mondays to you. :)

    

PS – None of the dresses shown are the ONE Megan chose—wouldn’t want to risk the groom seeing! :)

First date, re-created

To round out this week of mushy, wedding-y posts, I thought I might as well put up pictures from our anniversary dinner on Tuesday night.  Poor Matthew had a cold but took me out anyway, and we did something we’ve been wanting to do forever now—we recreated our very first date.  I even wore the same exact outfit! 

Those of you who’ve read our love story may recall that Matthew and I only met briefly before he had to fly home to California, and then we talked on the phone for a couple weeks before he flew back down to Texas for a week of first dates.

I remember our first first date like it was yesterday.  I was a weird mixture of nervous and excited as I drove to the Starbucks where we were meeting, and when I got there, I sat down inside at a table near the entrance and wondered where to put my arms and whether I should cross my legs and if I should watch the door for him or play it cool like I didn’t see him coming.  I went for the cool option. ;)

Anyway, our first date was at Paesanos in San Antonio, and this time around we were even able to sit at the same table as the first time!  It was a really special evening and we had a great time chatting and laughing about how different our conversation was on this second date.  Neither of us could have imagined all that would change in our lives and how damn hard marriage would be sometimes, but while looking through wedding pictures this week, I was reminded of an excerpt from my favorite book (The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran) I had read our wedding.  It’s taken on new meaning for me now, and it’s humbling and breathtaking all in one.

When love beckons to you, follow him,
Though his ways are hard and steep.
And when his wings enfold you yield to him,
Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.
And when he speaks to you believe in him,
Though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden.

For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.
Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun,
So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth….

But if in your fear you would only seek love’s peace and love’s pleasure,
Then it is better for you that you cover you nakedness and pass out of love’s threshing floor,
Into a seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears.

And think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course…
But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love’s ecstasy;
To return home at eventide with gratitude;
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.

 

I have a couple more Instagram pictures to share, but I think I’ll wait until Sunday. :) Happy Friday everyone! Have a wonderful weekend!

Our Wedding Day: Bride and Groom Shots

Are you sick of our wedding pictures yet?!  Well, I just have a few more you today, then I promise we’ll be done.  Here are a handful of my favorites among our bride and groom pictures, with a few of my favorite bridal photos thrown in for good measure.  We didn’t do a first look so we just had a short time for couple shots between the ceremony and reception.  Of course, all photos by Bend the Light!

And also, thank you all for your wonderful comments these past few days! I know many of us married ladies would change some things about our weddings if given the chance, but of course the most important thing is the love you take with you from the day.  And who says you can’t have a wedding do-over one day, if it’s really important to you?!  Like I said in another post, I would love to have a “celebration of love”/Valentine’s Day party at 5 years and just go all out.  Since Matthew will have just graduated from law school, I use the term “go all out” loosely because a tight budget will likely be involved, but it’s still a fun thing to set my sights on. :)

   

Here are the other posts if you missed them!

Part 1: Getting Ready
Part 2: The Ceremony
Part 3: The Reception

Happy Thursday. :)

Our Wedding: The Reception

We had our wedding reception in the back of the church right after the ceremony, and we just had hors d'oeuvres and cupcakes with coffee, tea, and champagne.  There were toasts, a bit of dancing, lots of pictures, and then Matthew surprised me with a horse-drawn carriage to pick us up before guests headed home to watch the Super Bowl—yep our wedding was on Super Bowl Sunday afternoon!  A little detail we overlooked when signing our contracts.  Oops. Good thing the groom isn’t too into sports! ;)

And as soon as that carriage pulled away from the church, I started bawling.  It was like the release of so much pressure of the last days and weeks, and poor Matthew didn’t know what to do with me for a while there. 

But anyway, I thought our reception was beautiful, and I love looking back on these pictures. Again, all photos by Bend the Light, and our venue was the Spire at Sunset Station. Enjoy!

cupcakes by Cupcake Couture in San Antonio

my grandpa had been following me around asking when we could have the cupcakes, so finally I just went and got one for him… haha! He’s so cute.

best man Jared.

  My dad.

Mom Lynne

First dance.

the BFF and her man—bridesmaids dresses from Alfred Angelo

    Mom and Edd.

 My grandparents. <3

 

More photos to come tomorrow, so check back then! And happy Wednesday! :)