Wedding bliss

My little sister is married :)  And what a wonderful wedding.  It was perfectly "her" in just about every way.  Little r and I flew to Virginia so we could help my sister with all the pre-wedding craziness.  If you don't know my sister, she is extremely crafty and imaginative.  True to form, she made quite literally everything.  That also meant that she was in need of a few extra hands to be sure all was completed before the big wedding day.

Just to highlight a few, she made programs that were fans because Virginia can be a little warm in June...

she made center pieces...

and homemade candles in baby food jars for party favors...

She even made her wedding dress from my mother's and it was so beautiful and perfect.  The best theme to describe my sister's wedding would be NATURE.  She included an element of mother nature into everything.  Her bouquets and decorations were all herbs (lavender) and grain (wheat), and the centerpieces were made of pussy willows.

She considered nature in her every decision as she used reused or recycled materials whenever possible. Although it poured during the rehearsal, the weather was absolutely stunning on the wedding day.  My sister said she likes to think it was a gift from mother nature for being so kind to her.  Somehow, I think she's right :)

The festivities started with a little debauchery. I headed up the crew of ladies to give my sister a great bachelorette party. Even that was completely fitting for her as we dressed to the nine's, did a little pre-party shot at the hotel, dined on some fine Ethiopian food (and lived to tell about it, haha), and partied the night away at Off the Hooka. I even made a bachelorette appropriate cake that turned out a little too good to be able to post here.  I'll let your imagination run wild here...

The wedding venue was up in the Shenandoah Mountains of Virginia, just north of Charlottesville in a sweet little Inn called the Rosebrook. My sister wasted no time getting us all to work to create her image.  She is a perfectionist in the most literal sense of the word, and she left no detail untouched.

We pulled her away from preparations so that she could enjoy her bridal shower with many of the important women in her life.

The Bride and her Bridesmaids

Three generations!

Then it was time to rehearse... Rehearsal is serious business...

We all had to practice...

But mostly we all just had fun...

The fun continued through the rehearsal dinner as we munched on some insanely good BBQ prepared with love by the Groom's family (mostly his mom - she has some serious culinary talent!), and we danced the night away over karaoke.

little bride and groom duet

Some "Summer Lovin" wedding party style!

Even the little ones couldn't help themselves...

The sun set behind what was ready to be the prettiest wedding...

The ladies got their hair and nails done and got the bride ready, while the gents fought with dishes and other details to make sure the wedding would be perfect.  They must have done everything right because all the details came together.  Here are some pictures to highlight the beautiful day...

The ring bearer awaiting his entrance...

"We are gathered here today..."

My grandparents did a reading during the ceremony - not a dry eye in the house

The vows. The groom cried, so you know I was a mess!

You may KISS the bride :) 

Big R was looking especially dapper for the wedding!

Little r did a great job giving all the grandparents equal attention

Speech time - I somehow held it together through my whole speech  (ok, I might have teared up a little)

Dad wrote a poem this time to help keep himself focused - it was beautiful, my sister cried 

Ahhh, the first dance...

The cake is good, but the kisses are better...

They crack me up

Dancing with grandpa

My little sis and my man

This blog hardly does the wedding justice.  A great time was had by all.  I can't wait to see the professional pictures.  My sister has been dreaming of this day since she was a little girl, and you could see her dreams unfolding in every detail.  She even had the poses for her pictures laid out perfectly in her mind.  Well, little sis, you did it.  You found an amazing man that you love and that loves you  more than life itself, and you created the perfect day for the two of you to start the rest of your lives together.  Thank you both for letting us be a part of your day and all the memories that got you here.  We can't wait to be a part of your lives together.

Congratulations!  We love you!