The specialness of having my brother, Eric, the brightest and most remarkable speaker I’ve ever known, officiating the ceremony with such grace, reverence, and style is something I struggle putting into words. Not to mention, he absolutely OWNED the dance floor for like 6 hours straight. Eric, you are my hero!

Also, the mothers of the bride were among the very first to hop onto the dance floor and among the very last to depart. Friends are still commenting about how fun, energetic, and party-worthy our Mamas are. Those are some serious bragging rights, Linda and Jennifer! 

-There was hard cider and beer served before the ceremony, which my father of course, indulged in a bit, along with everyone else who was starting the celebration in honorable fashion. Right as the processional started, as my father took my arm in his, in preparation to proudly walk me down the aisle, he looked at me and said. . . “You look beautiful, son.” And then immediately rolled his eyes as we both erupted in belly laughs. “Oh my gawwwwd, you know what I mean.” We both were thinking, where in the heck did that come from?? Nerves? Booze? Combo? This was entirely out of character, because anyone who knows my father knows that he is notorious for eloquently and passionately expressing sentiments that can bring tears to even the most stoic. So, it turned out to be a welcomed distraction from any nervous tension, and probably saved me from a sloppy, mascara-smeared, snot-flying procession down the aisle.  

– Would the butterflies (our “spirit insect”) that were released at the end of the ceremony fit in this category? They majestically fluttered around, lingering much longer than any of us had anticipated . . . Perhaps a message of their approval of our matrimony.

– The flowers and the signs were, of course, the winning decorations. Hands down. However, our family’s adorable black Labradors, Bubba and Jethro, donning festive bow-ties, were quite the spectacle and such a special addition.

Fritz Photography is THE BEST!