Our Top Seven: The Wedding

I loved our wedding!!!! Our wedding and the various aspects of it would definitely be in our top seven. It was such a sweet time for us, and one of the biggest compliments we were paid was that our wedding was “us”- a reflection of our personalities, passions and loves. Here are a few of the highlights..

Reggie is a creative, gifted, Mr. Fix It. Seriously, he can figure out how to make or fix just about anything he sets his mind to (thats how he earned the nickname “MacGyver”). At some point while we were dating, I mentioned to him that I would have loved to have had my wedding dress made in South Africa. Well, while he was living there, he found a skirt that he thought I would like, and sent me a picture of it. I loved it, but it was just a skirt. Mr. Fix It had a solution – design the rest. And that is exactly what he did. Yes. He designed the rest of my dress (including adding a wrap, because that was my “signature” piece at the time). He had a friend get my measurements, had it made, and presented it to me the day after he proposed.
Every aspect of our wedding involved someone we know and love, so it was very personal. We smile when we look at our behind the scene shots because a dear friend of both of ours took them, and knew what to capture. Another friend gave us a gift to cover our “official” photographer (who was yet another friend). We chuckled after hearing the story of the cake that was stuck in traffic. This past Christmas we had breakfast with the person who made it (we didn’t know it was late because our awesome friends who coordinated the reception did not tell us!!). The singers were my nieces and nephews, my best friend (more like a sister), and a great friend of Reggie’s. Those who read Scripture over us were our mentors/disciplers. The wedding and reception coordinators, caterers, dancer, videographer, host/hostesses – all people near and dear to one or both of us. Seven years later, we still keep in touch with the vast majority of those who were involved in our special day. I am so grateful.
My sweet (no longer little) nieces and nephews

Rob (on keys), Chris (on guitar), and Erica
The ceremony was performed by both of our pastors – one from Texas, the other from Tennessee. These men love Jesus, and humbly conducted the ceremony beautifully. Neither jockeyed for a certain role. They met at the rehearsal, came up with a plan, executed it in a way that was memorable and honored God, and even kept in touch afterwards. One of the sweetest moments for me was when my pastor teared up after our friend Chris sang…
Pastor Wilson, from Dallas, TX, and Rev. Charlton, from Johnson City, TN while I am reading my vows to Reggie.
…This song.
Age with You*, was written by our friend Chris J. Eger. Reggie gave me this recording of Chris singing it while we were dating, and it remains a favorite. It is an absolutely beautiful story of commitment and love. When we started planning our wedding, we knew it was perfect and immediately agreed we had to ask Chris to sing it. So grateful that he did. I cried (again) posting this.
Somehow, the order of service was switched here. But God. Divine intervention placed Age With You immediately before we were surrounded by all of our living grandparents, for a prayer of blessing, legacy, and longevity. The beauty of this perfect timing was that all of our grandparents remained committed to their marriages until death parted them (ranging 40 – 66 years).
While reading my vows, it was such a tender moment seeing my Boo tear up. Adding to this precious moment was looking into the audience afterwards, and noticing a few of his friends with misty eyes. Sweet time.
We were amazed by the number of people who attended our wedding from various locations in the country. By the time we married we had lived in 7 different locations between us. We had postponed the wedding, only to put it back on the original date. We originally started planning it in Savannah, GA (found a church and everything), then once we realized we were moving to TN, we changed the locale to Franklin, TN. But then, we didn’t move to Franklin, TN until 3 weeks before the wedding. And yet, every single detail and cost was covered (Yes. Debt free wedding!). Family, friends (and those who were yet to become friends) cared, supported, assisted, counseled, advised, encouraged and celebrated us. It is a day we will always choose to remember as a gift of God’s grace to us.