The wedding: it happened!
In short-- likely more thoughts and pics (LOTS of pics) to come later.
The Preshow: I was awake at 4:30am. I'd been really, really sick all week, so I slept on the couch to avoid keeping Jason up all night. So my kitties cuddled me-- I woke up with Nox snuggled into my arms and the girls spooning on my feet. I got up, had a bowl of cereal, and once Tina (dagger_garnet) showed up with her camera, I started getting my hair together. My beautiful bridesmaids, Ariel & Anna showed up, and we all got tribal-ified. We were out the door to faire by 9am, but not before some serious tummy upset. I think it was a combo of the cold meds I was taking, but my body was in full anxiety attack mode the whole way there. I'm sorry if I was short with anybody immediately before the ceremony, but I was busy moving the venue, searching for the officiant, playing phone tag with people, and dealing with the combined effects of sick + meds.
The Ceremony: It poured cats and dogs. Seriously, it was 43 degrees and pouring. We had to move the wedding under the cover of the Dragon Inn Pub, which apparently brassed off some already drunk people there (seriously? at 11am?), but whatever. We took over. Our officiant arrived in the nick of time (thank you, thatliardiego!) and we had a lovely ceremony played in by The Rogues. I finally walked down an aisle! We did the Princess Bride "MAWWWWAGE" intro, followed by readings by my dad and Jason's stepmom, and then we exchanged vows. Jason teared up during his, and then it was all over for me. The kiss was-- well, I think Jason was trying to taste my brains or something because we both had my red lipstick all over our faces at the end of it. And back up the aisle to the sound of bagpipes we went.
The Vows:
Jason
My beautiful Christina, you are my smile.
Your dancing around the apartment to make me smirk, your goofy voices, your not being able to whistle yet serenading me with sounds. Your beautiful eyes staring into mine and seeing your love glow. Your breaking out in a power ballad after we’ve driven for 11 hours just to keep me awake and smiling.
Christina, you strengthen me.
You inspire me to not quit for what is right and stand up for what I believe in. You inspire me to follow my goals and to stick to my guns. To always have a thirst for knowledge and when I am confused to just consult the Encyclopedia Christanica.
Christina, you are my balance and my sounding board to bounce all my ridiculous thoughts off of. You keep me sane when I am losing my cool. You understand that the only acceptable time to use Cool Whip is on pumpkin pie.
I vow to learn every day with you, to grow, and build our lives together. I will always look forward to see your smile. I will work to finding new ways to show my love for you to keep you on your toes. I will work towards our wonderful and blossoming life by asking questions to understand and communicate. When I stumble, I will get back up and try again. I will always try to be inventive and humorous in any adventure we have no matter how goofy it seems or how many people are watching me dance for you in the middle of the grocery store. I will look forward to the next time I get to simply hold your hand simply to feel your touch. I will always aim to echo back the beauty that you show me every day with your love.
I look forward to growing old with you and counting my gray hairs. I look forward to building a family with you, whether it is kids or cats. I look forward to seeing the world with you and gaining the knowledge of our travels. I look forward to creating wrinkles from smiling so much with you.
Christina, you make me feel alive.
When I hold you in my arms it feels like I have just realized that I exist. It feels like this is always where I should have been and now where I am so very lucky to be. You bring so much joy to my heart simply when I see your beautiful smile and it excites me to know that I have so much more with you. It is at these times I feel like everything is right and I have found my true reason to absolutely cherish life: and that is you.
Christina
Jason, as you know, I really struggled with writing my vows. I couldn’t think of anything I could possibly say that you don’t already know. But then I realized that the important thing wasn’t for me to think up something to say that would surprise you. The important thing is that I say the things to you that you already know, and that I say them to you as often as I can.
I’m not someone who thinks you can ever say “I love you,” too much, and one of the things I love most about you is that you aren’t either. So let me tell you why I love you:
I love you because you are the kindest person I have ever met. You have always been supportive of me, and you have never once purposefully said something to hurt my feelings.
I love you because every time you smile, I can’t help but smile, too. I know it’s a gigantic cliché, but you really are my best friend, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life having sleepovers together.
I love you because you’re the best dad to our furry children that I could have hoped for. I love the family we’re building together, and I know you’re going to be a great dad to our two-legged children too, when that time comes.
I love you because you wear those cute little doctor pants in the kitchen when you’re cooking dinner. No seriously, please keep doing that.
I love you because you get all my goofy zombie jokes.
I love you because when I ask you to stop at the store to pick up tea for my cold, you come home with every cold medication and vitamin under the sun.
I love you because you’re not afraid to be silly, and mushy, and unrepentingly romantic when the occasion arises.
I love you because you always, always have our best interests at heart and I have never once doubted that.
Because of this, I promise to do everything I can to be a worthy partner for you. I promise to always be honest with you. I promise to work with you to resolve the conflicts that will arise. I promise to always make you soup when you’re sick and rub your shoulders when they ache. I promise to put our family’s needs before my personal wants. And, most importantly, I promise to tell you I love you every day.
The Interim: We didn't stay too much longer afterwards-- our clothes were so muddy that I had the Pride and Prejudice quote continuously running through my head-- "She looked positively medieval, her hem six inches deep in mud." That plus my fingers were literally so cold that I could not properly grip a soup spoon. Sick bride in little clothing and near freezing temps-- not quite ideal. So we ran home and I stripped all three of us ladies. I took an emergency shower. Washed and rinsed all skirts and pantaloons, then dried them just in the nick of time before 3pm reception setup. Watched the girls play Mario 3 on the Nintendo until it was time to go.
Let me tell you the good thing about being a bride. All you have to say is "I have to---" and before you finish the sentence, the thing you wanted to do is already done. We had a FANTASTIC group of people help us to set up the hall in record time. It was gorgeously autumnal.
It is also worthwhile to say that as of this point, I am high as a kite. My kidneys process meds very funnily-- no matter what I take, it hits my system twice as hard (half a Tylenol pm can knock me out for 13 hours, and the one time I was put on a morphine derivative, my parents almost took me back to the hospital because one pill knocked me out stone cold for two days). So yes, Zicam & Sudafed = totally stoned Christina.
The Reception: The reception was lovely. After we did an initial greeting to everybody who arrived, Flissy & I performed a short piece-- Ali of n.o.madic's choreography to Bassnectar's 'Ananda Enchanted,' and improv to Djinn's 'Brooklyn Balady.' Again, with the being high-- I am really happy that the mistakes I made were minimal. Dinner was superb-- served by the lovely Blake of Desert Cafe. The cupcakes were out of this world. We had two kinds-- white cake with buttercream frosting and spice cake with pumpkin cream frosting. They were decked out in gorgeous decor-- some looked like mums, some like roses, some had leaves, some had pumpkins. So pretty and also DELICIOUS, OMG. There were toasts, and the one by my stepdad made me cry. It was just that good.
We had a performance by Kallisti Tribal-- they started with an unbelievably gorgeous Indian-influenced veil choreography before bursting into their signature fantastic improv. We followed that up with a re-read of our vows for those who couldn't make it to the ceremony due to the weather or who couldn't hear them because of the weather. We had our first dance to "Your Song," by Elton John, and then boogied down to "Wouldn't It Be Nice" by the Beach Boys. After powerfisting the first verse of "Don't Stop Believin'" I tossed the bouquet and people started boogying.
We took pictures (our official photographer was autumncat, but dagger_garnet and bellybalt brought their cameras, too). It was a bit like being caught by really nice paparazzi. Overall, it was a great party with many people telling it was the most fun reception they've been to in a long time. And that was the plan.
The Aftermath: My parents and a bunch of friends stayed after to help us get the hall cleared. Special thanks to Ariel's gf Sheila, who is like TURBO CLEAN. Seriously, I love this girl so much. Also, my brother Matt's gf, Deana, is so much cooler than he is. By 11, I was Done, capital D. Like, I felt like the floor was vibrating under my feet. Done. Jason took me home, put me in the shower, and then ordered me to bed. He, tamnonlinear and a few people finished the hall until "omg you were out HOW LATE?!" o'clock.
We got up at around 11am this morning and started opening gifts. There is wedding detritus EVERYWHERE and I am about to go into Virgo Freakout mode. By the end of today, I am to have gifts stacked, table cleared, floors vacuumed, laundry started, and the tub cleaned (the mud from our skirts has stained it black). We're also going to make a Target run for essentials: Drano (see: tub), Swiffer pads, Dexter. And tomorrow, the ONLY thing we are doing is couchin' it with kitties and TV. BLISS.
The Preshow: I was awake at 4:30am. I'd been really, really sick all week, so I slept on the couch to avoid keeping Jason up all night. So my kitties cuddled me-- I woke up with Nox snuggled into my arms and the girls spooning on my feet. I got up, had a bowl of cereal, and once Tina (dagger_garnet) showed up with her camera, I started getting my hair together. My beautiful bridesmaids, Ariel & Anna showed up, and we all got tribal-ified. We were out the door to faire by 9am, but not before some serious tummy upset. I think it was a combo of the cold meds I was taking, but my body was in full anxiety attack mode the whole way there. I'm sorry if I was short with anybody immediately before the ceremony, but I was busy moving the venue, searching for the officiant, playing phone tag with people, and dealing with the combined effects of sick + meds.
The Ceremony: It poured cats and dogs. Seriously, it was 43 degrees and pouring. We had to move the wedding under the cover of the Dragon Inn Pub, which apparently brassed off some already drunk people there (seriously? at 11am?), but whatever. We took over. Our officiant arrived in the nick of time (thank you, thatliardiego!) and we had a lovely ceremony played in by The Rogues. I finally walked down an aisle! We did the Princess Bride "MAWWWWAGE" intro, followed by readings by my dad and Jason's stepmom, and then we exchanged vows. Jason teared up during his, and then it was all over for me. The kiss was-- well, I think Jason was trying to taste my brains or something because we both had my red lipstick all over our faces at the end of it. And back up the aisle to the sound of bagpipes we went.
The Vows:
Jason
My beautiful Christina, you are my smile.
Your dancing around the apartment to make me smirk, your goofy voices, your not being able to whistle yet serenading me with sounds. Your beautiful eyes staring into mine and seeing your love glow. Your breaking out in a power ballad after we’ve driven for 11 hours just to keep me awake and smiling.
Christina, you strengthen me.
You inspire me to not quit for what is right and stand up for what I believe in. You inspire me to follow my goals and to stick to my guns. To always have a thirst for knowledge and when I am confused to just consult the Encyclopedia Christanica.
Christina, you are my balance and my sounding board to bounce all my ridiculous thoughts off of. You keep me sane when I am losing my cool. You understand that the only acceptable time to use Cool Whip is on pumpkin pie.
I vow to learn every day with you, to grow, and build our lives together. I will always look forward to see your smile. I will work to finding new ways to show my love for you to keep you on your toes. I will work towards our wonderful and blossoming life by asking questions to understand and communicate. When I stumble, I will get back up and try again. I will always try to be inventive and humorous in any adventure we have no matter how goofy it seems or how many people are watching me dance for you in the middle of the grocery store. I will look forward to the next time I get to simply hold your hand simply to feel your touch. I will always aim to echo back the beauty that you show me every day with your love.
I look forward to growing old with you and counting my gray hairs. I look forward to building a family with you, whether it is kids or cats. I look forward to seeing the world with you and gaining the knowledge of our travels. I look forward to creating wrinkles from smiling so much with you.
Christina, you make me feel alive.
When I hold you in my arms it feels like I have just realized that I exist. It feels like this is always where I should have been and now where I am so very lucky to be. You bring so much joy to my heart simply when I see your beautiful smile and it excites me to know that I have so much more with you. It is at these times I feel like everything is right and I have found my true reason to absolutely cherish life: and that is you.
Christina
Jason, as you know, I really struggled with writing my vows. I couldn’t think of anything I could possibly say that you don’t already know. But then I realized that the important thing wasn’t for me to think up something to say that would surprise you. The important thing is that I say the things to you that you already know, and that I say them to you as often as I can.
I’m not someone who thinks you can ever say “I love you,” too much, and one of the things I love most about you is that you aren’t either. So let me tell you why I love you:
I love you because you are the kindest person I have ever met. You have always been supportive of me, and you have never once purposefully said something to hurt my feelings.
I love you because every time you smile, I can’t help but smile, too. I know it’s a gigantic cliché, but you really are my best friend, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life having sleepovers together.
I love you because you’re the best dad to our furry children that I could have hoped for. I love the family we’re building together, and I know you’re going to be a great dad to our two-legged children too, when that time comes.
I love you because you wear those cute little doctor pants in the kitchen when you’re cooking dinner. No seriously, please keep doing that.
I love you because you get all my goofy zombie jokes.
I love you because when I ask you to stop at the store to pick up tea for my cold, you come home with every cold medication and vitamin under the sun.
I love you because you’re not afraid to be silly, and mushy, and unrepentingly romantic when the occasion arises.
I love you because you always, always have our best interests at heart and I have never once doubted that.
Because of this, I promise to do everything I can to be a worthy partner for you. I promise to always be honest with you. I promise to work with you to resolve the conflicts that will arise. I promise to always make you soup when you’re sick and rub your shoulders when they ache. I promise to put our family’s needs before my personal wants. And, most importantly, I promise to tell you I love you every day.
The Interim: We didn't stay too much longer afterwards-- our clothes were so muddy that I had the Pride and Prejudice quote continuously running through my head-- "She looked positively medieval, her hem six inches deep in mud." That plus my fingers were literally so cold that I could not properly grip a soup spoon. Sick bride in little clothing and near freezing temps-- not quite ideal. So we ran home and I stripped all three of us ladies. I took an emergency shower. Washed and rinsed all skirts and pantaloons, then dried them just in the nick of time before 3pm reception setup. Watched the girls play Mario 3 on the Nintendo until it was time to go.
Let me tell you the good thing about being a bride. All you have to say is "I have to---" and before you finish the sentence, the thing you wanted to do is already done. We had a FANTASTIC group of people help us to set up the hall in record time. It was gorgeously autumnal.
It is also worthwhile to say that as of this point, I am high as a kite. My kidneys process meds very funnily-- no matter what I take, it hits my system twice as hard (half a Tylenol pm can knock me out for 13 hours, and the one time I was put on a morphine derivative, my parents almost took me back to the hospital because one pill knocked me out stone cold for two days). So yes, Zicam & Sudafed = totally stoned Christina.
The Reception: The reception was lovely. After we did an initial greeting to everybody who arrived, Flissy & I performed a short piece-- Ali of n.o.madic's choreography to Bassnectar's 'Ananda Enchanted,' and improv to Djinn's 'Brooklyn Balady.' Again, with the being high-- I am really happy that the mistakes I made were minimal. Dinner was superb-- served by the lovely Blake of Desert Cafe. The cupcakes were out of this world. We had two kinds-- white cake with buttercream frosting and spice cake with pumpkin cream frosting. They were decked out in gorgeous decor-- some looked like mums, some like roses, some had leaves, some had pumpkins. So pretty and also DELICIOUS, OMG. There were toasts, and the one by my stepdad made me cry. It was just that good.
We had a performance by Kallisti Tribal-- they started with an unbelievably gorgeous Indian-influenced veil choreography before bursting into their signature fantastic improv. We followed that up with a re-read of our vows for those who couldn't make it to the ceremony due to the weather or who couldn't hear them because of the weather. We had our first dance to "Your Song," by Elton John, and then boogied down to "Wouldn't It Be Nice" by the Beach Boys. After powerfisting the first verse of "Don't Stop Believin'" I tossed the bouquet and people started boogying.
We took pictures (our official photographer was autumncat, but dagger_garnet and bellybalt brought their cameras, too). It was a bit like being caught by really nice paparazzi. Overall, it was a great party with many people telling it was the most fun reception they've been to in a long time. And that was the plan.
The Aftermath: My parents and a bunch of friends stayed after to help us get the hall cleared. Special thanks to Ariel's gf Sheila, who is like TURBO CLEAN. Seriously, I love this girl so much. Also, my brother Matt's gf, Deana, is so much cooler than he is. By 11, I was Done, capital D. Like, I felt like the floor was vibrating under my feet. Done. Jason took me home, put me in the shower, and then ordered me to bed. He, tamnonlinear and a few people finished the hall until "omg you were out HOW LATE?!" o'clock.
We got up at around 11am this morning and started opening gifts. There is wedding detritus EVERYWHERE and I am about to go into Virgo Freakout mode. By the end of today, I am to have gifts stacked, table cleared, floors vacuumed, laundry started, and the tub cleaned (the mud from our skirts has stained it black). We're also going to make a Target run for essentials: Drano (see: tub), Swiffer pads, Dexter. And tomorrow, the ONLY thing we are doing is couchin' it with kitties and TV. BLISS.