The Bunting Bash: Making a Mini-escape

Our carriage rental included a private ride that, before the wedding, I wasn’t entirely sure if we would have time for or not. I wasn’t too worried since we could always redeem it after our big day, but once we were in the moment we wanted to take it right then. We knew our guests would be entertained in the meantime by the beauty of the park and the dessert table and refreshments we had set up for them to enjoy. And having had our family and formal photographs taken before the ceremony certainly meant we had no where to be immediately following our recessional.

 

“Do we have time for the ride?’

 

 

“Yes, yes we do.”

 

 

“See you all again soon!”

 

 

I don’t have any photographs to show you of our private and scenic carriage ride since it was just the horse, the carriage, our drivers, the two of us, and the road, but I can at least tell you it was amazing and relaxing and wonderful. We made a large circle around the area, and every single car that passed us waved and grinned and congratulated us. One vehicle even slowed and asked if they could take our picture, and there were several little girls in the nearby houses that came out to wave as we strolled past. I do have one regret… an ice cream truck passed us and we did not flag him down. Neither Mr. Bunting or I had any money on us, but I’m pretty sure he would have given us a treat nonetheless. Okay, I’m making assumptions, but in my mind we almost had free ice cream with our wedding carriage.

 

 

When we returned to the park after our little ride, we paused in the parking lot for some more photos.

 

 

Daddy Bunting had left his cowboy hat in the carriage after he removed it to walk me down the aisle, so Mr. Bunting took the opportunity to put it on. We joked that Daddy Bunting would be amused, and sure enough, the first thing he says is, “Aw, man, you take my daughter and now you’re taking my hat!”

 

When we rounded the corner to the pavilion, I was surprised to be welcomed with more applause and cheers from our lingering guests.

 

 

We mingled and chatted for awhile until more and more people left the park to head to the reception hall downtown.

 

I’m sure you’re dying to see how our dessert table turned out, so don’t worry, the next post will be all the lovely details! And boy are they delicious.

*Marked photos are copyright Bryan and Mae Photography. Unmarked photos are personal or guest photos.

 

 

Follow the adventure:

• We had a fluffing party and rehearsed.
• I woke up and got ready with my girls.
• I step into the prettiest white dress I’ll ever wear.
• Mr. Bunting recounts getting ready at the Man Cave.
• Wishin’ and prayin’ and hopin’  and thinkin’ for perfect weather.
• I received the most important Post-It Note. Ever.
• We race toward one another for our first look.
• Mushy-lovey photos ensued shortly after.
• We strutted our stuff as one big happy Bunting Bunch.
• Our guests started to arrive: welcome to our wedding.
• I went into hiding… and panicked.
• Our wedding party assembled on time, but the bride was missing.
• I arrive fashionably late in a horse-drawn carriage.
• We listen to a reading and turn to wave at our guests.
• We exchange our vows, which inspire both tears and laughter.
• Mr. Bunting slips on my wedding band, and I his.
• Collected sand and earth offer a twist for our Foundation Ceremony.
• Mr. Bunting just can’t wait any longer to kiss his bride!

20. September 2012 by lullafly
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The Bunting Bash: That Moment of Yes

It was time for my favorite part of the ceremony… our vows.

 

As we stood facing one another, hands clasped and giddy smiles plastered on our faces, our pastor started us off.

In the presence of God and before these people I now invite you to exchange your vows. Through the sacred vows of marriage, you are saying that who you are and who you want to be are best achieved through this union. Please join hands, as you exchange your vows, repeating after me.

I, Miss Bunting, choose you, Mr. Bunting to be my husband.

I promise to love you, to honor you, to respect you and to support you, as long as we both shall live.

This is my solemn vow.

 

I, Mr. Bunting, choose you, Miss Bunting to be my wife.

I promise to love you, to honor you, to respect you and to support you, as long as we both shall live.

This is my solemn vow.

 

Then it was our turn to exchange the personal vows we had written. We didn’t want to stress ourselves by trying to memorize our vows, so we each had a little cheat card that we brought out. It was pretty easy to tuck an edge in between our fingers while keeping our hands clasped, and our photographers angled themselves so you can hardly even see them.

I went first.

 

 

Mr. Bunting, I love you with every fiber of my being, and I am continuously amazed by how much my love for you grows. Just when I think I couldn’t possibly love you any more than I already do, I stretch and discover a new corner to fill.

You are the sun of my day, the moon of my night, and the highlight of my every waking moment. You know me better than anyone else and you love me for who I am: a perfectionist and a daydreamer… you love me, even though I don’t really understand how computers work.

 

 

Thank you for anticipating my needs before even I know them, I don’t know how you do it, but you do. You never fail to find a way to make me smile, especially when I need it the most. Thank you for loving me and accepting me and everything that comes packaged with me, like my two cats, even though Zoey drives you crazy sometimes.

 

 

Today, I promise to be your wife and your best friend, to love you unconditionally, to support and defend you in difficult times, and always appreciate you and all the little things you do.

I will try every single day to make you happy. I will give you my ears when you need to vent, my eyes when you need my insight, and my voice when you need a defender.

I vow to spend the rest of my life with you, laughing, sharing, creating memories, and thoroughly enjoying whatever adventures may come our way.

 

And I promise to try and play some of your favorite video games when no one else is online, but mostly, I promise to be completely and utterly yours, now and forever.

 

Then it was Mr. Bunting’s turn.

 

 

Miss Bunting… You are simply put the best thing to ever happen to me. You are my voice of reason and motivation. You keep me in check and bring out the best in me. You are my sun and moon, the earth and the stars. You are my life and love, my confidant and counselor. You are my best friend and my zombie apocalypse partner. You really are everything to me.

 

I want to thank you for the laughs. Thank you for knowing how to make me smile. Thank you for saying exactly the right thing at exactly the right time and for understanding my need for video games and every other nerdy interest I have. Thank you for being so passionate about everything you do. The care and creativeness you put into even the littlest of things serves as great inspiration to not only me, but to those around you.

 

 

I will make sure that you are always loved and that you know it. I will always anticipate your needs and do my best to fulfill them. I will be patient and compassionate, with not only you but with your cats as well. I will be your knight in shining level 30 armor, there always to protect and serve you.

I vow to always care for you, to cherish you, to love you to no end. I vow to make you smile every day for the rest of our lives.

 

 

And I promise to always be standing next to you, ready to take on whatever life throws our way. I promise to consult with you on every major electronic purchase I make. And finally, I cannot stress this enough, I promise to try to clean the cats’ litter box. Sometimes. Maybe.

 

 

Our guests giggled right along with us at each nerdy reference and cat joke. It was the perfect balance between sincerity and humor.

 

But it’s still not official yet! Next up, we exchange rings.

 

*Marked photos are copyright Bryan and Mae Photography. Unmarked photos are personal or guest photos.

 

 

Follow the adventure:

• We had a fluffing party and rehearsed.
• I woke up and got ready with my girls.
• I step into the prettiest white dress I’ll ever wear.
• Mr. Bunting recounts getting ready at the Man Cave.
• Wishin’ and prayin’ and hopin’  and thinkin’ for perfect weather.
• I received the most important Post-It Note. Ever.
• We race toward one another for our first look.
• Mushy-lovey photos ensued shortly after.
• We strutted our stuff as one big happy Bunting Bunch.
• Our guests started to arrive: welcome to our wedding.
• I went into hiding… and panicked.
• Our wedding party assembled on time, but the bride was missing.
• I arrive fashionably late in a horse-drawn carriage.
• We listen to a reading and turn to wave at our guests.

 

23. May 2012 by lullafly
Categories: Recaps | Tags: recaps | Leave a comment

The Bunting Bash: Slowdance on the Inside

After our welcome, invocation, declaration of intent, and remembrances, we asked our first reader to step forth.

 

Our first excerpt was read by one of the most kind-hearted women I know: my mom’s close friend, Jan. I love Jan dearly and was so thrilled to have her read “Union” by Robert Fulghum for us.

 

 

“You have known each other from the first glance of acquaintance to this point of commitment. At some point, you decided to marry. From that moment of yes, to this moment of yes, indeed, you have been making commitments in an informal way. All of those conversations that were held in a car, or over a meal, or during long walks–all those conversations that began with “when we’re married,” and continued with “I will,” and “you will,” and “we will,”–all those late night talks that included “someday” and “somehow” and “maybe”–and all those promises that are unspoken matters of the heart. All these common things, and more, are the real processes of a wedding.

 

The symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, “You know all those things that we’ve promised, and hoped, and dreamed – well, I meant it all, every word.”

 

Look at one another and remember this moment in time. Before this moment, you have been many things to one another–acquaintance, friend, companion, dancing partner, even teacher, for you have learned much from one another these past few years. Shortly you shall say a few words that will take you across a threshold of life, and things between you will never quite be the same.

For after today, you shall say to the world: this is my husband. This is my wife.”

 

Now let’s skip back to pre-wedding day for a minute, m’kay? Everyone had told me at one point or another to enjoy every moment, because this day was going to fly by fast. That challenge triggered my personal determination to consciously savor every single second, so when I read that Mr. and Mrs. Cardigan took some time to physically turn and acknowledge their guests, I was hooked on the idea of group offers of support. Several other bees had done the same thing during their ceremonies (Mrs. Pencils, Mrs. Sea Breeze, and Mrs. Hot Wings to name a few) and each of them described that moment as something they would always treasure. This was it. This was the perfect opportunity to pause time, if you will, seize the moment, and relish it with every ounce of our being in a slowdance on the inside.

When I first proposed the idea to Mr. Bunting, he wasn’t as easily won over. He thought it might be awkward, but when I explained that it would allow us to fully appreciate and soak in the multitude of people there, just for us, he was a bit more willing. So I ran the idea over with our pastor and he was delighted that this would bring in a level of “audience interaction” to make our guest feel even more personally engaged with the ceremony.

Mr. Bunting and I are both so, so glad we decided to do this.

 

 

With our pastor’s guidance, we turned to look over the sea of love that our guests had formed.

“At this time, after the stress of “Did we get everybody here in one piece and are all the dresses and flowers all on the right people” issues are over, we need to take a deep breath, slow down and enjoy this moment.  So, Mr. Bunting and Miss Bunting, why don’t you turn around and look into the faces of all those who have come today to witness and celebrate your wedding. Before Mr. Bunting and Miss Bunting turn their backs on you dear people, again, I’d like to ask you all here in this fellowship of family and friends this question. Will you support Mr. Bunting and Miss Bunting in the vows they exchange today and in the life they will live together tomorrow, particularly when the trials of life stress them? If so, please respond by saying ‘I will’.”

And they responded with “I will” as Mr. Bunting and I beamed at them. The amount of love, joy, and support in those smiling faces was wonderfully overwhelming. It filled me to the core, and it was so exciting to recognize face after face after face. I knew our guest list inside and out from all the planning, but to see everyone together and in person was entirely different. My smile got bigger and bigger as those faces separated from the mass, one by one, into the individuals we cared so deeply about.

Mr. Bunting and I couldn’t help but to wave and mouth “hi!” to some of those smiling faces. We were a bit reluctant to turn our backs to them again.

 

 

Next up, the vows!

 

*Marked photos are copyright Bryan and Mae Photography. Unmarked photos are personal or guest photos.

 

 

Follow the adventure:

• We had a fluffing party and rehearsed.
• I woke up and got ready with my girls.
• I step into the prettiest white dress I’ll ever wear.
• Mr. Bunting recounts getting ready at the Man Cave.
• Wishin’ and prayin’ and hopin’  and thinkin’ for perfect weather.
• I received the most important Post-It Note. Ever.
• We race toward one another for our first look.
• Mushy-lovey photos ensued shortly after.
• We strutted our stuff as one big happy Bunting Bunch.
• Our guests started to arrive: welcome to our wedding.
• I went into hiding… and panicked.
• Our wedding party assembled on time, but the bride was missing.
• I arrive fashionably late in a horse-drawn carriage.

 

 

18. May 2012 by lullafly
Categories: Recaps | Tags: recaps | Leave a comment

The Bunting Bash: Fashionably Late

Before I can explain why our bridesmaids were glancing at one another in confusion, let’s rewind back to where you last saw me.

My bridal party had rescued me after a wave of emotion threatened to consume me and I had regained my composure and was waiting patiently for my cue. Since our guests had all been seated, I was allowed to leave my room of hiding and peek out the windows. (Not that I could see much with all the trees between the building and the trellis in the lower valley.)

 

 

I couldn’t linger there for long, though. Daddy Bunting was waiting for me, and he asked if I was ready. I was. And after putting on his cowboy hat, he was ready, too.

Some of you may be wondering about the cowboy hat, since our wedding hasn’t had a hint of a southern or western theme so far. Daddy Bunting is a man of the west, and his ideal outfit includes jeans, a pair of his favorite cowboy boots, and his cowboy hat. Though the jeans weren’t appropriate for this wedding, I couldn’t imagine him without his hat, boots, and a bolo tie on my wedding day.

 

 

He helped pick up my train and we made our way opposite of the ceremony. We weren’t headed for the aisle, but to the parking lot.

 

 

And this is why:

 

 

A beautiful horse and carriage was waiting to carry us both for a particularly grand entrance.

 

 

I have always loved horses, and though I was never the type to plan my dream wedding when I was little, having a horse-drawn carriage was the one thing I always imagined having.

We discussed the idea in the early wedding planning stages, but then had to sadly dismiss it because it just wasn’t in the budget. And then something terrible happened to change that: the great BP oil spill off the Gulf coast. Daddy Bunting was sent to the coast by his company on several occasions to help with marine and water sample surveys. And you know what Daddy Bunting and Mother Bunting did with the extra money he earned from those weeks of hard work? They rented us that horse-drawn carriage. My parents are absolutely amazing.

But you want to know what the real kicker is? We kept this a secret from Mr. Bunting. For over a year. It was tough. There were moments when someone or another almost let it slip. Our DJ nearly let the cat out of the bag before the ceremony when, after taking our formal photos, he asked me, in front of Mr. Bunting, if I had seen the horse yet. He quickly realized his error and followed up by saying he saw some horses go on by, which was not entirely unrealistic since we were surrounded by farmlands and some horse stables. Fortunately Mr. Bunting was far too distracted to even notice!

And it was especially challenging at the rehearsal, since having a carriage meant I would be coming from a completely different angle (the side road versus the stairs off the pavilion like the rest of the wedding party, which was impassable by carriage). Daddy Bunting and I rehearsed on a prior trip to the park when Mr. Bunting couldn’t come with us. Our two photographers, videographer, and DJ, who was responsible for both ceremony and reception music, knew the general real plan. Even our wedding party had been clued in. But Mr. Bunting was absolutely oblivious.

I couldn’t wait to see his reaction, and I fervently hoped it would be positive… Mr. Bunting typically hates surprises.

 

 

Once we were both settled in, we were off down the road. The trees along the road kept us hidden from the view of our guests, so we crept along unseen.

 

 

Mr. Bunting, expecting me to follow the path of the wedding party, waited patiently and still unsuspectingly.

 

 

As we neared our destination, the butterflies in my stomach rolled with rekindled determination. I felt tears welling in my eyes as Daddy Bunting and I anticipated the next and final leg of our journey to the aisle. I was on the verge of becoming the bawling bride, despite how desperately I tried to contain myself.

 

 

But then something else unexpected happen, and this is the one major thing that went wrong on our wedding day. The carriage was to leave the main road and enter a two-track trail that lead into the meadow immediately behind the ceremony site. This track is normally chained off to prevent vehicles from entering the area when it’s not needed for special event parking. Our carriage driver had a key to unlock it before the ceremony started, and even though they had unlocked it and removed the chain, there it was… blocking our only path. The driver’s key was in the trailer, back down the road and in the parking lot, and there was no other way to enter the meadow because the ditch was too steep for the carriage to cross.

I could hear the bridal processional music playing, just out of reach, and I remember thinking, ‘Crap, we’re supposed to be walking down the aisle to this!’

And then I stared calmly at the chain, and thought, “Huh, well now what?”

It was at this time that some of the guests knew something was up. I believe a few of them could see the horse and carriage just between the trees, but they didn’t quite know what was going on or why we weren’t moving.

While I sat in the carriage and took advantage of the opportunity to distract and recompose myself from those nervous butterflies, everyone around us tried to find the fastest and easiest solution. Hey, I was the bride, and this wasn’t my problem to solve. I knew it would be remedied one way or another, so I wasn’t fretting. And it wasn’t long before rescue was on the way. The park associate that had made the mistake of locking the chain back up was waddling toward us with a key while my uncle (our Master of Ceremony) was darting toward us like a madman. Before the park associate could even reach us, my uncle took one look at the chain, then ripped the big eyelet screw holding the padlock out of its wooden post and threw the chain aside. It was like watching The Hulk. A very well-dressed Hulk.

Okay, he didn’t physically rip the eyelet screw out, just unscrewed it from the wood with a few good twists. But it happened so fast that I was completely in awe and am convinced he had super human strength. That screw was in there deep and that wood was not soft with rot.

With the path cleared again, we were on our way!

 

 

As the horse trotted along the slight hill overlooking the trellis, we came into full view of all our guests and Mr. Bunting.

 

 

I was still too far away to be able to see any faces in detail, but I was later told by several guests that there wasn’t a single dry eye among the women as Daddy Bunting helped me from the carriage and our DJ looped the bridal processional song to the beginning.

 

 

Mr. Bunting watched on as we approached off to the side and behind.

 

 

The majority of our guests and Mr. Bunting were completely taken aback by my entrance. Needless to say, it was a wonderful surprise that Mr. Bunting thoroughly loved.

I even consider the delay to be a blessing in disguise, because the distraction of trying to remedy the situation allowed me to regain full composure so Daddy Bunting and I walked down the aisle with full smiles and tear-free eyes.

 

 

I was torn between wanting to reach Mr. Bunting and wanting to lengthen my walk with my father. So I let Daddy Bunting set a pace that would allow us to fully savor our walk down the aisle as father and daughter.

 

 

I grinned at some of our guests as we went, but as I drew closer I couldn’t take my eyes off Mr. Bunting. There he was, standing silently, my husband-to-be. The man I had been dating and loving for over seven years; the man who grew alongside me as we aged from awkward adolescents to young adults; the man who I wanted to continue to grow alongside.

We don’t have any photographs of Mr. Bunting’s expression as I approached him except for this one guest photo:

 

 

I don’t think he minded me being so fashionably late.  I later asked him if he had been worried at all when I hadn’t arrived with the music, and he told me no. He knew that nothing would keep me from walking down that aisle to marry him.

 

Daddy Bunting and I stopped just short of the trellis. Our officiant asked who was giving away the bride and Daddy Bunting responded appropriately.

 

 

Then Daddy Bunting and I shared an emotional embrace.

 

 

And he ceremoniously clasped my hand with Mr. Bunting’s hand.

 

 

Welcome to the family, son. She’s in your care now.

 

 

With my hand tightly squeezing Mr. Bunting’s, we faced our officiant as he welcomed us, all of our guests, and God to our celebration of marriage.

 

 

After the declaration of intent, we had a brief moment of silence to acknowledge the loved ones who were no longer with us, particularly Mr. Bunting’s father. You may remember that I searched for a variety of ways to incorporate tribute to passed loved ones, but in the end Mr. Bunting felt most comfortable with an intimate and special moment of silence.

 

And just like that, our ceremony was under way.

 

*Marked photos are copyright Bryan and Mae Photography. Unmarked photos are personal or guest photos.

 

 

Follow the adventure:

• We had a fluffing party and rehearsed.
• I woke up and got ready with my girls.
• I step into the prettiest white dress I’ll ever wear.
• Mr. Bunting recounts getting ready at the Man Cave.
• Wishin’ and prayin’ and hopin’  and thinkin’ for perfect weather.
• I received the most important Post-It Note. Ever.
• We race toward one another for our first look.
• Mushy-lovey photos ensued shortly after.
• We strutted our stuff as one big happy Bunting Bunch.
• Our guests started to arrive: welcome to our wedding.
• I went into hiding… and panicked.
• Our wedding party assembled on time, but the bride was missing.

 

16. May 2012 by lullafly
Categories: Recaps | Tags: recaps | 2 comments

The Bunting Bash: Two-by-two-by-two-by-three

Soon enough, it was time for the wedding party to march down the aisle and assume their positions at the head of the trellis.

Brother Bunting led the men out of the building. Doesn’t he look so happy?

 

The couples paired up with one another, then went down the stairs and along the path that led to the start of the aisle. That’s our Master and Mistress of Ceremony making sure all is going smoothly down below.

 

 

We had subtle background music playing as our guests mingled and found their seats, but when it came time for the wedding party processional a carefully selected song began to accompany them.

 

But just before the wedding party came around the trees and into view of our guests, Mr. Bunting and our officiant proudly strolled down the aisle.

 

 

They were followed by Brother Bunting, his fiancée, and a second groomsmen. We had four bridesmaids and five groomsmen, so Bridesmaid M had a double escort. She wasn’t worried about tripping and falling with two men to catch her!

 

 

One thing we overlooked was the width of the aisle. It was wide enough for two people, but our trio had to dodge the blue jar floral arrangements. That’s definitely something to think about if you plan on tripling up at all.

 

 

The next pair followed suite. These two were married earlier in May!

 

Our third pair are also married to each other. There is so much love in our group.

 

 

Then it was our final and last pair, Bestman Bunting and my best-friend-since-childhood MOH Bunting.

 

 

At long last, the wedding party was in position and the music slowly shifted into the bridal processional.

 

 

The bridal processional music continued, yet there was no sign of the bride.

Several guests shifted in their seats as everyone craned their heads around, waiting expectantly. Our wonderful DJ looped the intro of the song, gracefully extending the length without being overly obvious. And still no bride. Our officiant cracked a good-humored joke about how Mr. Bunting might be off the hook after all.

 

 

You can tell the bridesmaids were starting to wonder where I was by the way they looked at each other.

Uh-oh…. what’s going on and where is that Miss Bunting? You’ll have to wait to find out what happened until next post!

 

*All photos, unless stated otherwise, copyright Bryan and Mae Photography.

 

 

Follow the adventure:

• We had a fluffing party and rehearsed.
• I woke up and got ready with my girls.
• I step into the prettiest white dress I’ll ever wear.
• Mr. Bunting recounts getting ready at the Man Cave.
• Wishin’ and prayin’ and hopin’  and thinkin’ for perfect weather.
• I received the most important Post-It Note. Ever.
• We race toward one another for our first look.
• Mushy-lovey photos ensued shortly after.
• We strutted our stuff as one big happy Bunting Bunch.
• Our guests started to arrive: welcome to our wedding.
• I went into hiding… and panicked.

14. May 2012 by lullafly
Categories: Recaps | Tags: recaps | Leave a comment

The Bunting Bash: Panic!

When more and more guests started to arrive, I was ushered into a small room within the pavilion building where I was to stay in hiding until the ceremony began. Taking our first look photos, bride and groom portraits, wedding party portraits, and then family portraits one after the other without much of a breather had exhausted me, and I was so incredibly happy to see a single chair waiting in my secret room. All for me!

My room even had a guard groomsmen posted just outside the door. Okay, maybe not, but it looks impressive, no?

 

 

It wasn’t quite time for the wedding party processional, so the guys spent a few relaxing moments just outside my bridal room while my bridesmaids flitted in and out. And then, for the first time, all the girls darted out and I found myself completely alone.

 

 

Nobody warned me not to be left alone at any time pre-ceremony. I remember being told by a bride who’s only moment to herself was when she made a trip to the bathroom, and I was expecting more or less the same. I was also expecting that this rare moment of solitude would be a welcome relief. A small moment to cherish and celebrate my complete euphoria without any distractions. A moment all to myself, to breathe and relax and just be. So when I found myself alone in that small room, I was expecting to breathe easy.

I didn’t relax. I was breathing, but my breaths were much too rapid and unstable. In fact, I felt the onset of a mild panic attack. I had been caught by a sudden, enormous wave of sheer emotion, and I felt my chest close up as uneasiness gripped me in my seat. It was as if all of the emotions I could possibly feel that day, both good and bad, had been released upon me all at once and I was caught off-guard by the intensity of them. I was overwhelmed. I was shaking. I was panicking.

When the door opened to reveal our photographer, Mae, I wanted to hug-attack her with my relief. One by one, my bridesmaids followed in behind her and suddenly I wasn’t alone anymore. I’m pretty sure I told them they were in lock-down with me until they had to walk down the aisle.

I’ve spent a good deal of time thinking back at my moment of panic, trying to decipher what happened to trigger such an episode of panic. It wasn’t that I had cold feet, because any fear I felt was due to the intensity of emotion and not of what I was about to do. Looking back, I realized that what had happened was simply an intense and unexpected release of all the emotion I had been carrying that day. Every moment of that morning and afternoon was filled with whirls of joy, love, laughter, nerves, and excitement. But because I was constantly surrounded by friends and family, my mind was continuously distracted from focusing too much on myself. As soon as I was alone, I found the rush of raw emotions catching up to me and was immediately overwhelmed by the intensity of it all. I have since heard stories from other brides that went to the bathroom and were alone for the first time… only to start bawling uncontrollably. And while I was certainly on the verge of a hysterical crying episode, I’m comforted to know I’m not the only victim! But for all you current brides, be forewarned. Designate a Constant-Companion if you have to, or at least just be aware that it may happen to you. I think it wouldn’t have been nearly so bad if I had been expecting it, but I just wasn’t prepared to suddenly experience so much emotion all at once!

 

 

Fortunately I wasn’t alone for too long. With my bridesmaids around me, I calmed my frantic self and soon regained my composure.

Only to lose it again moments later.

I was nervous about reciting my personal vows, so I decided to do a run-through on MOH Bunting. I started out giggling because I felt silly pledging my love to someone other than Mr. Bunting, but then I got serious. And I made it most of the way through my vows. Until I hit a particular line… and the waterworks started up again. Uh-oh, I was in trouble. If I couldn’t even get through them in a private room with my bridesmaids, how was I going to get through them in front of our 150 guests AND Mr. Bunting? Some people can cry and talk. Some people can at least choke through their words. I can’t do either. If I start crying, my voice locks up completely and I can’t even croak. Yikes.

 

But MOH Bunting had my back. Ever prepared with tissue, she was quick to reassure me with just what I needed to hear: “You’re more beautiful than Cinderella. You smell like pine needles and your face is like sunshine!” Yep. Best woman ever.

Uplifted and grinning again, I took advantage of my situation and did something I have always wanted to do.

 

That’s right. I fanned my face frantically and thanked all the little people with tears brimming my eyelids. Don’t ask me why, but that silly just-won-an-award gesture always makes me giggle and I was delighted to be able to finally do it myself with genuine happy tears. Legit, yo.

 

But seriously, those tears needed to go. Dabbity-dab-dab, until I was a happy smiling bride again.

 

Little did I know that outside, Daddy Bunting was receiving a pep talk of his own by our officiant pastor and family friend. According to Daddy Bunting, our officiant was telling him not to think about all the details of what he was supposed to be doing… standing, responding, etc… but to go slow and enjoy that walk down the aisle with his only daughter, because it was going to be the one and only time he’d get to experience that moment. And that’s exactly what Daddy Bunting did.

 

Did any other brides experience an overwhelming wave of sheer emotion when alone for the first time on your wedding day? Did you start panicking or crying like this little lady? Did you fan your face when it was over?

 

*All photos, unless stated otherwise, copyright Bryan and Mae Photography.

 

 

Follow the adventure:

• We had a fluffing party and rehearsed.
• I woke up and got ready with my girls.
• I step into the prettiest white dress I’ll ever wear.
• Mr. Bunting recounts getting ready at the Man Cave.
• Wishin’ and prayin’ and hopin’  and thinkin’ for perfect weather.
• I received the most important Post-It Note. Ever.
• We race toward one another for our first look.
• Mushy-lovey photos ensued shortly after.
• We strutted our stuff as one big happy Bunting Bunch.
• Our guests started to arrive: welcome to our wedding.

02. May 2012 by lullafly
Categories: Recaps | Tags: recaps | 1 comment