And then a beautiful wedding.

On a wedding morning, there are many details to be taken care of.  First and foremost, there's breakfast to think of, which is how my day began:  At Wegman's with a cart full of bagels and coffee.

I arrived on location just as the bridal car arrived,
and we got down to business.

Sarah, our friend & spectacular stylist arrived and sat me down,

for a good chat and a bit of important work.

The matron of honor prepared her toast,

Amanda steamed our attire,

 the bride wrote thanks to those participating in her day.

But business was not all that we were there for.
It was, after all, a day of celebration.
With time long and luxurious,

 we celebrated friendship

both long and long-term.

We celebrated the excitement of the occasion, with joyful leaping:

[Part 1]

[Part 2]

[Part 3]

The men celebrated too,

especially that the work they'd been put to all morning was over,

and that the groom is so charming.

But as the day drew on, the details were dealt with, and the quality of our anticipation changed from preparation into expectancy.

 The room was set,

 the groom was dressed,

I was dressed,

the men were dressed.

 Shortly thereafter,
the bride received a love note from her waiting groom,

and wrote him back with a grin on her face and peace in her heart.

 With joyful step, I carried said note

and delivered it to its intended as the men got themselves photographed in honor of the event.

 [Lookin' good men, lookin' good.]

 I returned to the ladies quarters, and found the cutest flower girls, ready to go.

The bride was almost there too,

and we oohed and aahed her because we knew:

Beautiful she was, beautiful she is.

And so, the wedding began.

 We processed toward the groom, our hearts glowing with love for the man who has caused our Amy's heart to sing,

 and took our places.
We watched as he wept so sweetly,

as his beautiful bride approached.

 We smiled, wiping away our tears,

 as these two friends committed for life: I do.

And then?
We hooted and hollered at the man and his wife,

 we laughed and rejoiced,

as we followed in their wake.

Then, time to party:

 There was dancing,

 fun and free.

There was dinner,

 and quality time

 with new friends

and old.

There were special bonding moments with the bride,

including a very tiny bathroom, a very voluminous dress, a brief excursion skating across the barn floor on a rather long and slippery train,

and her man.

And then there was the sending off,

 into the night,

 as Mr. & Mrs. 'til death do them part.

A beautiful couple,

a beautiful day, a beautiful moment to be a part of,
a beautiful friendship to continue to unfold.

First we had a beautiful day

Saturday morning dawned bright and fair,

just in time for a rehearsal by the stream.

We gathered together in the beauty of the location, 

happy to be reunited,

and then took our places

when it was time to begin the business we were there to perform.

We walked down the 'aisle' to the waiting groom,

as beauteous music poured from the musician's corner,

and as the groom waited with tears for his bride.

We practiced with flair,

before sending the bride and groom closer to their actual day.

Then, our duty over, it was time to play.

The boys took the groom and treated him well;

we took the bride and proceeded into an afternoon full of delight.

First, a classy lunch,

with pretty gifts 

appropriate for the occasion.

Then,

the requisite nail salon visit,

where our bride chose her wedding colors,

 in order to get pampered by the people

and relaxed by the [rather intrusive] massaging chair.

 So relaxed in fact, we realized we needed some sustenance once our beautification was finished, 

 and took our bride for a caffeinated treat.

 We paused for a moment, to rejoice in her

and in each other.

Then, we scooted back to Amy's house to get ready for the next installment of wedding fun,

and to pick up my date.

Together we headed over to Caleb's parents house,

to reunite with the beauty of the outdoors and to partake in the wonders of pulled pork,

enjoying each other's company in the process,

while allowing Caleb his last night of boyhood.

Then, we climbed into our cars and headed home, to get a good night's rest and to wake with excitement.  For even though our day had been one of unparalleled beauty in so many ways, we knew nothing could compare with the next:  Wedding Day!