SYDNEY + JUSTIN
50
Our wedding was everything and more that we could have dreamed of. Justin is from Michigan, and though we both live in Oklahoma right now, we knew as soon as we got engaged that we wanted to get married in Michigan. When we found Glass House Creative Community we immediately fell in love with the romantic and elegant, yet slow paced and peaceful environment that Chris and Becky Marlink have stewarded there. As we said our vows, we were surrounded by our closest family and friends, and felt so beautifully celebrated by and connected to everyone around us. I will forever remember the sound of laughter echoing through the trees that day, and the joy that we felt pledging our lives to each other.
My favorite moment of the day was walking down the aisle toward Justin and my father giving my hand to him. The moment of him placing my hadn’t into Justin’s was something that I will forever remember, as it is a moment that perfectly captures the love and adoration that we hold for our families and the love and support they have shown us all our lives while also stepping into this new season as husband and wife and getting to look into the eyes of my groom for the first time that day. Seeing how much my father loves Justin and how much Justin loves him as well as finally being with my groom for the first time that day was a moment that made time like it was standing still.
To focus on creating little “moments” throughout your day instead of making everything that needs to be done a checklist. The filter that I used to pass every decision I made for our wedding through was whether or not that specific decision would lead to creating an intimate moment that we would remember for years to come. From details as small as the place cards on our reception table to the big pieces like our vendors and venue, we wanted to cultivate an environment that made our wedding feel like a sacred experience, not an event. It made our day something that we will truly cherish for the rest of our lives, and took so much stress away as the day wasn’t about a performance.
I can think of two equally important pieces of advice… the first would be to hire a day of coordinator. Hiring Lisa allowed me to take a step back on the day of the wedding, let go of the reigns, and just be present in the moment. She did a beautiful job, and our day would not have been nearly what it was without her. The second thing would be to take little moments throughout the day to make yourself stop and just soak in the details. From the joy on the people’s faces around you to the way your groom holds your hand a little tighter as you experience every moment, I’m so thankful that this piece of advice was given to me!
Not a single thing!
