And with this ring, I thee wed

So, today marks three years since Jason and I said, "I do." Crazy - it doesn't feel like three years and it feels like forever all in one. I don't know how to explain it. I'm sure that sometime I will tell the story of the first date, proposal, etc., but today I will bask in the memories from three years ago.

Hehe, I remember when I started planning the wedding, Jason said he wanted to be involved. I was sure to include him in EVERY SINGLE decision that I was making, and very quickly, he decided to just fill him in on what I had accomplished :) Worked like a charm... Anyway, the day was perfection.

You see, I tend to stress - and I mean STRESS over alot of things. The night of the rehearsal, I was stressed out about things going smoothly. There were alot of people coming, what if I tripped, what if no one came, etc., etc., etc. There was a long list. In fact, I darn near killed Shannon, Alison, and myself on the way to Pineola Farms. I had never in my life seen Jason nervous, and he was really nervous that night. That alone freaked me out! Once we finished the rehearsal and dinner, I actually calmed down.  Since Jason and I were "living in sin" (haha), he stayed at the hotel with the boys that night while Shannon, one of my oldest friends, and Alison, my soon-to-be-sister-in-law, came to the house to spend the night. This happened after we attended the Beer Mile, mind you. If you don't know about the Beer Mile, take a second to google it. There is an official website dedicated to the event. So, Alison, Shannon, and myself stayed up late, and after getting only about 2 hours of sleep, I awakened to the big day.

At the rehearsal

Beer Mile Participants

The first thing I did on the morning of the wedding was take a peek outside. You see, the wedding was outside, and I was stressed about the weather. It was GORGEOUS. Suddenly, a calm came over me, and I stayed that way the rest of the day. In fact, I was so calm, I had multiple people ask me if I had taken medication ;) Nope, but it was surely strange. We got beautified, had a last meal as a single woman at Krystal (yes, Krystal) and headed on to Pineola Farms. If you are from Macon and ever went to the Krystal on Vineville Ave., you are probably familiar with the group of old men that ate there all the time. They were there that day when me and my bridesmaids came in with full hair and makeup. One of the men came over to ask who did our makeup because he needed to send his wife in to see our makeup artist. You know what? He did send in his wife. We found out months later when that same makeup artist did our makeup for another wedding :)

All the pretty ladies at Krystal - that's how we roll :)

I am still amazed at how everything all came together. You spend soooo much time planning, and it all comes down to a few hours on one day. The team of people that I had that day could not have been better. Add to that, our family and friends in one place to witness us saying our vows. Perfection, I tell you...

My one freak-out moment for the day occurred right before the ceremony started. I looked out and didn't see very many people. One of my biggest fears about the wedding was that no one would be there. Crazy, I know, but it was a true fear. Delise Knight assured me that alot of people were there but were simply gathered under the trees waiting to sit down. Whew!!! Crisis averted.

I will never, ever forget how Jason teared up when he saw me walk down the aisle. I never stopped smiling long enough to tear up. He also loved that I wore the necklace that he surprised me with on our wedding day. I think that we were both relieved to finally see each other.



Although I didn't tear up on the wedding day, seeing this picture gets me every time.


I also think we threw one hell of a party. At least, I had a wonderful time :) From the cake, to the friends and family, to the sweet words my new husband whispered to me while we danced, to Jason's Michael Jackson tribute, it was a perfect night. For us, anyway. I know that it all went by quickly, and it still cracks me up that Jason and I were among the last to leave. We truly were having a great time. We talked about it all the way home. After getting home, Jason helped me get the 104 pins out of my hair, then we had a picnic on the floor of the office back at the house. We didn't leave for the honeymoon until Monday morning. Again - great decision. Sunday was all about saying goodbye to family and friends, hanging out, and for me, getting a haircut! Here are a few pics from the day.

The gang

The sweetest man

Ummm..yeah, he really went for it - haha. The Oklahoma Sooners garters surprised him for sure.

And still one of the most "commented on" parts of the day - The Beat It dance

Tonight we will watch our wedding video as we have for the past 2 anniversaries. The wonderful Mark Foley is a true genius when it comes to videography. Jason and I have agreed many times that it was money well spent. It is one of favorite things from the wedding day.

I am blessed to have Jason. We have a great little family, and hopefully soon will be expanding. But for today, I will think about where we were three years ago and smile.