5.15: me and the b-maids getting ready

{From Top Left, Clockwise: Me, Laura, Hannah, Danielle getting beautiful under the hands of Sara & Kayla.}

Waking up on my wedding day felt...uneventful. Uneventful in the sense that the biggest thing to happen to me ever wasn't only 1/2 a day away. I decided that throughout the whole day, I would just think about the next thing. So, I woke up thinking: "I'm going over to Chad's parent's house to eat breakfast and do my hair."

I did think about the significance of the day when I was leaving my parent's house and my mom gave me a hug and started to cry. I was overwhelmed with her love for me at that moment. I was her second daughter to leave home. I was her first daughter to leave home and get married on the same day.

When we arrived to the in-laws house, I was greeted with so much happiness. Everyone gave hugs and my sweet soon-to-be sister gave me a pink rose along with her hug. That morning was a perfect way to ease the jitters--having my bridesmaids around me and laughing with me was so wonderful. Sara sat me on the chair and got to work. I wasn't nervous about how my hair would look at all. Sara has been in the hair-stylin' business for a couple years and I trusted her completely with my look.

There are a few things that make me smile when I remember the first couple hours of our wedding day:

01. Eating my mother-in-law's yummy breakfast food
02. Watching a wedding show on WE and then watching America's Next Top Model
03. Debating about whether or not Jay Manuel from ANTM is gay...and going on the computer to check {He is in case you were wondering}.
04. All the b-maids and I painting our toenails bright, cheery pink. And how we rooted Danielle on when she told us she hadn't painted her toenails ever. {Danielle, we are so proud.}
05. Hearing Jane talk to Steve {my father-in-law} about the cake and how Chad was on the other side of that phone. I wanted so badly to talk to him, but we wanted to wait to see each other until I was walking down the aisle.
06. Looking out the window and seeing the gorgeous sunshine and thinking "Thank you God for giving us the perfect day to get married."

That couple hours was wonderful...being surrounded by some of my favorite people who I knew all supported me and loved Chad and I. That time was so close and intimate, we all just sat together and talked and laughed. The butterflies were starting to form when we were leaving to go to the church...

Photo Credit: my MIL :)