StinkyLemsky: A Child of the 80s Grows Up

525,600 minutes. Plus 1,440 because of Leap Year.

Most people celebrate their one year anniversaries on a Sunday (assuming, as I do, that most people get married on a Saturday). However, because of Leap Year, my anniversary is on a Monday. Darn February 29th, messing with my 365 days and weekend celebration.

Anyway, Mitch and I are celebrating in stages this year - we had a fancy dinner on Saturday night (at the very same restaurant where I first gave him the bedroom eyes). Then, we went to the St. Louis Zoo to see their Wild Lights light display. We grabbed a bottle of wine on our way home and watched Christmas movies until the vino made me sleepy. Though, who can really sleep through Chevy Chase's antics in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, right? It's Mitch's favorite Christmas movie, so I humored him. I still cringe when I see the tree go up in flames, though. Maybe I'll force him to watch Miracle on 34th Street next - that's my kind of Christmas movie. Not to mention that we watched it on our first date...

Tonight, we'll be eating a steak dinner at home - complete with a wedding cake topper for dessert. We're going to pull out the original piece of cake from the freezer for tradition's sake, but Mitch (he's such a sweetie) also ordered a small anniversary cake from our wedding caterer as a gift to me. That's on top of the gift he gave me Saturday - the anniversary band to go with my engagement ring and wedding band! I am rocking some serious bling right now ladies and gentlemen! I seriously couldn't stop staring at my left hand this weekend - the set looks amazing.

Sorry, I started gazing at my ring again and got sidetracked. Where was I? Oh yes, our plans for tonight. We'll have dinner, light our unity candle, eat some cake (old and new), and then pop in our wedding DVD. We didn't have a professional videographer, but I will always be grateful that we decided to set up a camcorder on the alter. You can't see much - it's just Mitch and I in the frame (we were really limited in where we could place it so it wouldn't be visible to our guests) - but it's all we really needed anyway. My sister Beth was in charge, so we also got some hilarious footage from the morning of the wedding - when she and another bridesmaid snuck into the garage to do jello shots. I thought they seemed awfully giddy on the way to the church...

I've already gone back through my Wedding Story Archives (I just love the photos from that day!) and if you're feeling nostalgic yourself, check out the sidebar over there ---> and you can do the same.

    

It really was just such a magical day.

Mitch, I love you and happy anniversary! Here's to many more!

A Wedding Story - Part 22: The Epilogue

After the last dance of the evening was over, Mitch and I said our final goodbyes and headed to our hotel suite. Walking through the hotel lobby in my wedding dress felt so surreal! As we got on the elevator, Mitch and I looked at each other in disbelief. We couldn’t believe the night was over & we were (finally!) husband and wife. The day, though not without its obstacles, had been absolutely amazing and we really didn’t want it to end.

Our guests must have felt the same way, because they crashed our venue's other wedding reception! Well, I guess it wasn’t technically crashing, because the groom had been standing in the hallway, inviting people in. The snowy streets had forced nearly all their guests to go home early and their dance floor was completely empty. Since they had already paid for the bar to be open until midnight, they figured somebody should take advantage of the music and drinks! After that, there was another after-party in Katie’s hotel room, which went on late into the night (early morning?) and only stopped when security intervened.

Luckily, Mitch and I were in a suite on the highest floor, cocooned from the noise and festivities. We had opened the window curtain and were sitting on the bed, staring out at the blanket of snow and enjoying two pieces of cake the catering staff had boxed up for us. I leaned my head on his shoulder and we talked about our day, how happy we were, and how excited we were for our honeymoon. Though it had taken us three years to get to that moment, I know our journey was truly just beginning.

A Wedding Story - Part 21: Time to Party!

After navigating through snow-covered streets, we finally arrived at the reception venue. I was so excited to make our grand entrance – to the “Buckeye Battle Cry,” of course.

 

We immediately cut the cake and drank a champagne toast to each other. Mitch was a perfect gentleman and didn’t squish any cake in my face, thank goodness. I had been adamant about making him promise not to, mainly because I didn’t want to get chocolate cake with cherry filling on my dress!

The entire bridal party was starving as snow delays had made us arrive later than expected. Luckily, our reception staff members were very efficient and served our salads almost right away. Then, before the servers opened the buffet, Katie and Zach gave their toast together. Katie had been SO nervous about speaking, but she and Zach were hilarious! They were funny and touching, sweet and humorous. It was definitely a highlight of the evening.

Next, it was time to open the buffet. The food, oh my, the food was delicious. Cranberry stuffed pork loin, risotto, freshly baked breads, and a carving station. I was definitely not one of those brides that goes the whole night without tasting the food - I made sure to get a little bit of everything. As soon as we finished eating, Mitch and I did the obligatory table walk-around to greet our guests. I was a little sad that so many members of my family needed to leave because of the weather, but of course I understood. I was also starting to get nervous, Mitch and I would be revealing our big surprise shortly, and I couldn’t wait to see everyone’s reactions.

As the staff quickly removed the last of the buffet tables, Mitch and I headed to the dance floor. This was our moment, our big chance to reveal our surprise…The fact that we had been taking dance lessons for the past six months!

It couldn’t have been more perfect – when we first started dancing, everyone was pretty much doing their own thing, not really paying attention. Then, next thing you know, we hit one of our presentation moves and suddenly people started watching. After another verse of the song, people started cheering and clapping – and by the time we hit the grand finale (complete with a dip at the end) every single person applauded! The best part was that only a few family members had known we were taking lessons - everyone else was totally surprised.

I have so many fond memories of our reception, from Mitch’s dance with his mom, to the crowd shouting O-H-I-O during Hang on Sloopy, to the moment when Andy & Katie did their infamous “guitar” dance, it's hard to pick just a few to highlight.

Before I knew it, the DJ was announcing our last song of the evening. Everyone crowded onto the dance floor as the opening bars of “All I Want for Christmas is you,” started to play, (the version from Love Actually). Everyone was dancing, singing along, and having the time of their life. It was the kind of moment you can’t plan or arrange; where joy is infectious and everyone is caught up in the excitement. It was everything I could have hoped for, and more.

A Wedding Story, Part 20: Some Favorite Photos

Prior Wedding Story posts can be found here.

*** Professional photographs by Bernie Elking Photography ***

After Mitch and I walked out of the sanctuary as husband and wife, we quickly hurried downstairs. The bridal party followed us, and there were hugs all around. Our wedding guests were departing for the reception site to enjoy a cocktail hour (we had decided not to do a receiving line) so we had a little more time for photos. It was such an exciting moment – Mitch told me that I looked absolutely amazing, and we both had huge smiles on our faces as we accepted congratulations from our new in-laws.

Three of my favorite photos were taken after the ceremony. This first one shows the whole bridal party - I just love the amazing color contrasts. I had been worried that the chocolate brown bridesmaid dresses would clash with the black tuxedos, but everything just looked incredible together!

 

As we were lined up for that photo, there was a moment when both sets of doors to the church were opened and it was exactly like that scene in White Christmas - the one at the end where the barn doors open and snow is pouring down! It looked like a winter wonderland, and it was a vision I will never forget.

Next, we got some pictures of Mitch and I. We didn’t have a Christmas theme to our wedding, but the church decorations were just so amazing and I love how beautiful the tree is in this photo.

Then I convinced my photographer that we just had to go out on the front porch and get a picture with snow in the background. I didn’t realize exactly how hard it was snowing! Luckily, our photographer was amazing, and was able to get some great shots in the short time we were outside.

 

As we toasted with champagne on the limo bus, I was hoping everyone would be safe on the roads. Only a few guests had cancelled due to the weather, and luckily our reception site was attached to a hotel (a large majority of them had already booked a room and wouldn’t need to drive home). As we charged up the snowy hill, I grinned in anticipation: Mitch and I had planned a surprise for the reception and I couldn’t wait to reveal it!

A Wedding Story, Part 19: The Main Event

Prior Wedding Story posts can be found here.

*** Professional photographs by Bernie Elking Photography ***

As we were ushered upstairs and left waiting outside the sanctuary doors, I turned to my mom and smiled. This was a big moment for us. After all, as a child I had promised her that I would never grow up and get married; I just couldn't imagine moving away from home! But, as my mom would say, it was time for the baby bird to find her own nest and fly away. I wish my dad could have been there - I know he would have been so proud.

Of course, before I could walk down the aisle, it was the ring bearer's turn… Grant was a little hesitant and had to be persuaded by our usher, Jason.

 

As the string quartet played "Trumpet Voluntary," the sanctuary doors opened and I was so excited to finally see Mitch! He looked incredibly handsome in his tuxedo and didn’t seem nervous at all. I tried to take my time and soak up the moment; I felt so calm and happy.

 

 

Our pastor opened the ceremony with a touching and personal greeting to our families and friends, and then he gave us his blessing. If you click on this photo and look closely, you can see our wedding rings on his index finger.

 

Then it was time for us to recite the traditional wedding vows. Our pastor had told us, in our pre-wedding sessions, that this was the moment we would be stamping our name on each other’s heart forever. I was proud to be able to speak loudly and clearly (I had been so worried that I would cry).

Next we exchanged rings and my sister Ellen read a few verses from the wedding hymn “When Love is Found.” It took me a long time to find the right reading for our ceremony, and I was really pleased with it.

When love is found and hope comes home,

Sing and be glad that two are one.

When love explodes and fills the sky

Praise God and share our Maker’s joy.

Praise God for love, praise God for life,

In age or youth, in husband, wife.

Lift up your hearts, let love be fed

Through death and life in broken bread

 

Finally it was time for what I felt was the highlight of the ceremony. We had a soloist (accompanied by a string quartet) perform “Silent Night” during a candle-lighting ceremony. Everyone had received a vigil candle with their program, and our usher passed the flame down the pews as the church lights were dimmed. It was completely magical.

 

The ceremony was about an hour long, but it felt much faster – before I knew it, we were kissing as husband and wife! After a year of friendship, a year of dating, and a year of being engaged, it had finally happened... We were married.

   

A Wedding Story Part 18: Goin' to the Chapel

Prior Wedding Story posts can be found here.

*** Professional photographs by Bernie Elking Photography ***

Though the snow had slowed us down a little, we arrived at the church as scheduled. We were greeted by Pete, my Father-in-law. (It was his job to make sure that the doors to the sanctuary were closed so Mitch couldn't catch a glimpse of me).

(Click to enlarge photos)

We hurried downstairs because we only had thirty minutes before we would be needed in the church for our professional photos (I had planned to take as many photos beforehand as possible because evening weddings don't allow much time between the ceremony and the reception). Our first order of business was to get the ring bearer dressed.

Then it was time (finally) to put my dress on! Are you ready for the big reveal?

   

Before I knew it, we were called up to take our formal photos.

   

Just as suddenly, it was time to head back downstairs because our guests were starting to arrive. It's hard to describe exactly how I felt as I waited for the ceremony to begin. I was calm and excited, happy and relaxed. After being so upset on Thursday and worrying about Gavin's health, I knew that the only appropriate emotions for my wedding day were happy ones. Mitch and I had made it to the church and would be married shortly - that was the only thing that really mattered. It was truly the happiest day of my life.

   

A Wedding Story – Part 17: A Groom's Eye View

Prior Wedding Story posts can be found here.

*** Professional photographs by Bernie Elking Photography ***

While I was getting pampered at my mom’s house, Mitch had his own list of things to accomplish on the morning of our wedding. After a trip to the gym (yes, he ran six miles that morning, can you believe it?) he went to Target and picked up a new undershirt and then headed to the hotel to meet his family and friends. His buddies from Ohio decided to take him out to lunch in style - and dragged him to Hooters, of all places!

Back at the hotel, after dressing in his tuxedo, Mitch headed down to the lobby to meet up with his groomsmen and take a few impromptu pictures.

After that, it was time for them to go to the church for some professional photos. I have to say, the boys were very prompt all day and even arrived early! Here they are, riding on the limo bus:

One of my favorite photos from that morning was taken outside. The photographer told the guys that he wanted to go for a "Rat Pack" look. I love how you can see the snowflakes... and isn't the church just beautiful?

Next they went inside for some more formal portraits. Here's Mitch with his parents, Pete and Sharon:

 

After their photo session, the boys had to hide in the church library and wait until the ceremony. Here’s a tip for any prospective brides out there… tell the Best Man to bring a pack of playing cards to pass the time! Mitch told me that he wasn’t nervous while waiting; but that they did get a little bored (they were in the library for over an hour). At least someone remembered to bring a camera...

While the boys were killing time, I had already arrived at the church and was changing into my dress…

A Wedding Story – Part 16: The Wedding Day is (finally) here!

Prior Wedding Story posts can be found here.

*** Updated to Add - All photographs by Bernie Elking Photography ***

The first thing I did on the morning of December 15th was jump out of bed and run to the window. The weather forecast had called for a snowstorm, and while I thought it would be just beautiful if it snowed on our wedding day, I didn’t really think that it would actually happen. So when I pulled back the curtain and saw big puffy snowflakes raining down onto the lawn, I couldn't believe it! It was a completely magical moment.

After a quick call to check in with Katie, I hopped in the shower. I was expecting my cousin and her friend (our hairstylists) to arrive shortly and I wanted to be ready for them. As we set up an area for my bridesmaids to do their hair and makeup, I wasn’t nervous or anxious at all. Everything was planned and prepared – I was ready. On top of that, I had talked to Susan and she had said that Gavin was doing well and she would be able to attend the wedding while her husband stayed at the hospital.

Here's Susan, with Grant (her older son and our ring bearer)

 

As my bridesmaids arrived and we got down to the business of getting pretty, the atmosphere was festive and relaxed. I was so pleased Mitch and I had decided on an evening wedding; my bridesmaids and I were just having fun and didn’t need to rush at all. My cousin said that it was the most enjoyable wedding party she’s ever worked with!

One of my favorite memories from that morning was opening my gift from Mitch - a beautiful diamond necklace to wear down the aisle. I have to be honest though... I helped him pick it out!

   

As morning turned into afternoon, we started to pack our things and get ready to leave for the hotel, where we would be meeting the limo bus. My dress was waiting at the church, but otherwise, I was ready to go! I was also thrilled with my hair and makeup – it was exactly what I had wanted and I have truly never felt more beautiful.

With everything packed into my mom's trunk, I ducked under my umbrella and ran to the car (the snow was really coming down at this point). I realized it would be a matter of hours before Mitch and I would be husband and wife, and Katie was more nervous than I was!

To be continued...

A Wedding Story – Part 15: Wedding-Eve

Prior Wedding Story posts can be found here.

Friday morning was a bustle of activity. Once I had checked-in with my sister and knew that Gavin was doing well, Katie and I got down to business. There were many errands to run and not a lot of time to run them in! We dropped my dress off at the church, stopped by the jeweler for a quick ring cleaning, and managed to arrive on time for my pedicure appointment.

While Katie and I were sprinting around the city, Mitch was entertaining our house guests downtown with a trip to the St. Louis Arch. I wish that I would have been able to spend more time with him in the days leading up to the wedding, but I knew that I only needed to wait for the honeymoon and we'd be alone for seven days.

That evening, as we rode together to the church for the rehearsal. I was nervous, emotional, and very excited. I couldn’t believe that I was finally going to get the chance to walk down the aisle with my bow-bouquet.

   

The whole evening seemed surreal. I had imagined myself in this church, walking down this aisle, for months - it was almost too much to take in. The sanctuary was decorated just beautifully for Christmas, much more extravagantly than any décor we would have been able to provide. There’s something serene about being in a church at night - I think the soft lighting reminds me of the Christmas Eve ceremonies I attended as a child.

After the rehearsal, we headed to dinner. We had invited all of our out-of-town guests to Ozzie’s, the sports restaurant where Mitch and I had been on our first date. The food was delicious! My sister Susan had warned me that the rehearsal dinner would be chaotic, but I didn’t realize how true that statement was! I was bouncing from table to table, thanking people for making the trip to St. Louis, spending time with relatives, and trying to avoid “the choke” like crazy! There were speeches from my in-laws (who were hosting the dinner), gifts to hand out to the bridal party, and an amazing photo slideshow – all prime opportunities to get choked up.

 

After all, how many people get to marry their best friend’s twin brother?

Before I knew it, it was time for dessert. With Mitch’s Ohio State Buckeye obsession, we knew exactly what kind of groom's cake to order …

I really don’t think that I sat down once! Grant (my ring bearer and Gavin’s older brother) had the right idea when he decided to crawl under the table.

It seemed like time was flying by – I wanted to press the ‘pause’ button and slow the evening down. We had been planning the wedding for a year, why was the weekend speeding by so quickly?

Back at my mom’s house, I sent Mitch a text message before going to sleep (we had decided we weren’t going to communicate after midnight, as part of the ‘don’t see the bride before the wedding’ superstition). I just wanted to thank him one more time - for all of his help and understanding, his support, patience, and love the last two years. I wanted to tell him I loved him, and that I couldn't wait to spend the rest of my life with him.

I was ready, and my wait was almost over...

A Wedding Story – Part 14: Everything Changes

When you’re planning a wedding it can sometimes be difficult to focus on what’s really important (and, no, I’m not talking about whether your tablecloths match the bridesmaids’ dresses). The really important things are your relationships with your husband and both families. After the wedding craziness dies down, after the final photo is taken and the last piece of wedding cake is boxed up, it’s the people that matter.

I used to be an event planner, so I knew one thing for sure going into the final week. Some things will go wrong. They just will, and that’s okay. I had seen WAY too many clients have a panic attack over circumstances that couldn’t have been planned for, altered, or fixed in advance. Sometimes, things just happen. I knew that at the end of the week the only truly important detail was that I was going to be married to the man I loved. Everything else was just an added bonus.

The Thursday before the wedding I was finishing some errands with Katie and Sharon (my favorite mother-in-law). Life couldn't have been more perfect. I was done with work for two weeks, the details had been confirmed with our vendors, and people were starting to arrive in St. Louis. I was so happy. I literally couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. My wedding weekend was finally here and all I needed to do was enjoy it! We were at the mall, shopping for my “something blue,” when my phone rang.

And, suddenly, everything changed.

My younger sister, Beth, was calling to tell me that our 6 month old nephew, Gavin, was in the hospital. He had spinal meningitis, a very serious bacterial infection of the meninges (the membranes that line the brain and spinal cord).

I was totally and completely devastated. Gavin was just a little baby – how could he be so sick? What did we need to do? How could I help? What did they need? Would he be okay? I guess most people would be able to hope for the best in that situation. Most people would say, "everything is going to be fine." But it's not that easy for me. I know that bad things happen to good people. I learned that lesson when we lost my dad to cancer in 2002. Sometimes hope and love and prayer just isn’t enough.

As anyone who’s ever had a loved one in the hospital knows, the worst part of the process is waiting. The doctors told Susan (my older sister & Gavin's mom) that it was crucial for his fever to break within the next 24 hours. I didn’t know what to do. We had twelve people arriving in St. Louis that evening (six of whom would be staying at my house) and I was a complete basket case. I felt so helpless. I spent most of the evening crying in my bedroom and calling my mom and younger sisters for updates and reassurance while Mitch entertained our house guests.

The next morning, after a sleepless night, Beth called with the good news – Gavin’s fever had broken and he was responding dramatically well to the antibiotics! He would need to stay in the PICU for at least another ten days, but things were going as well as they could possibly be going. Susan wanted me to enjoy the weekend and would try her hardest to make it to the ceremony. Of course, I would understand if she couldn't be there.

I made a decision that morning – there wasn’t anything I could do to help Gavin heal. There wasn’t anything I could do to help Susan (the rest of our family was taking care of everything). Crying wasn't helping anyone. Though it was difficult, I gave myself permission to just be happy and enjoy myself the next few days.

In the meantime, a piece of my heart would be in the hospital, with Gavin.