Our Wedding - Part 2: The Ceremony

Just in case you missed Part 1, you can read all about it here.

I wanted to start this post with a picture of what the arbor we got married under looked like BEFORE the rain:

My mother and I spent the last week before the wedding making all of the paper flowers, so I was a bit bummed out when they didn't look this good for our wedding pictures. The best part about these though was the time my mother and I spent at my kitchen table talking, laughing and enjoying each other's company. It's a memory I will cherish and hold dear to my heart for the rest of my days.




Wendell and I are blessed to have a group of incredibly talented friends; from musicians to bartenders, their talents added plenty of spice to our special day. We were fortunate enough to have our ceremony graced by the musical talents of Eddy & Heather Green. I walked down the "aisle" to their rendition of Billie Holiday's 'There is no greater Love'. I wish I had an audio sample for everyone to hear (and for my ipod).



My sisters have always been my best friends and completely spoiled me growing up. My little brother was my partner in crime and we were the best of friends, practically attached at the hip until my early 20's. Kristen is one of the very few friends I've ever had that I can actually say is a BEST friend. I loved having them with me for the few days they were here. The only thing missing was my other sister Maribel who unfortunately wasn't able to make the trip. I would've loved for Wendell's family and the rest of our friends to have met her as she is such an essential part of my family and who I am (as is the rest of my family).



Despite my father's horrendous allergies I must say that I could see how happy and excited he was on this day. While we waited for the heavy rain to pass he kept everyone warm and entertained with shots of tequila and his comedic prowess.

I love the fact that my Dad used the umbrella to keep himself dry, haha. I'll never forget the look on Wendell's face when he first saw me. At that moment nothing else existed. I couldn't feel the rain; all sound was muffled nor did I see anyone else. For that moment it was just me and Wendell and the sound of my pounding heart in my ears.

A few final words from my Dad before "giving me away".

Carl was the most perfect officiant. There was a window of time where we weren't sure if he was going to be able to make the trip to marry us. This was one of the things that I was really stressing over. I just kept thinking that there wouldn't be anyone else that could fill his shoes. Luckily, he was able to make it. Wendell may have written the ceremony, but no one else but Carl could have delivered those words with such eloquence and sentiment behind them.

My Dad hugging Wendell, this was HUGE for me. My Dad didn't like any of the guys I dated, ever. Then he met Wendell, and hugged him on the very first day that they met. I should've known then that he was "The One".

It rained through the entire ceremony. It was a warm, light rain with dime sized raindrops. The air smelled of dewey grass which was only intensified by the humidity.

Before exchanging our rings I had my Mom and my "maids" bless Wendell's ring. A few extra good vibes are always a good thing. The best part about that was when my sister handed my Mom the ring. A HUGE clap of thunder rang out, almost as if the gods were stamping the blessing with their seal of approval.

Wendell wrote our vows and ceremony. It was something we had planned on writing together, but he called me back into our computer room one day and had written everything out. It was perfect, I didn't want to change a thing. My favorite part was a line from a song he had written for me that he included in our vows....le swoon!

We handed out maracas for everyone to shake in celebration during our first kiss as Mr. & Mrs. Wendell Hess. It was a perfect touch for our Mexi-themed day.

Oh, the aftermath of bright red lipstick!

I've heard so many horror stories on in-laws, but I couldn't have gotten a better deal. It's like having two sets of parents!!! I absolutely adore this woman!

I loved that we kept our ceremony short and sweet. It allowed us more time to enjoy moments like the one captured in this photo, as well as time celebrating our union with our loved ones. Which of course is never enough time.

Finally, we have (most of) the extended family in one shot. I absolutely LOVE this photo!

Part 3: The Reception coming up!!!

Our Wedding - Part 1: Getting Ready

The wait is over! After two months of anticipation I've decided to end my procrastination streak and you're finally getting the rundown on our special day.

We had some stressful moments during the planning process, but I was nicely surprised on the day of our wedding at how relaxed I was. I know having my Mom with me was a huge influence. Since we had an evening wedding I didn't have to get up too early; something I'm NOT a fan of doing. Wendell on the other hand was already gone when I awoke.

My Mom and I had the morning to ourselves. We talked and laughed as we began our preparations for the day. I was even able to have a relaxed breakfast with both of my parents. I had missed breakfast with them. It wasn't something we did together often since my Dad works early in the morning and I couldn't remember the last time the three of us had sat down and not only enjoyed breakfast, but each other's company as well.

After breakfast and running a few last minute errands I picked up Kristen; one of my bridesmaids (and best friends) for some pampering time. We headed out to a local salon to have our nails done; something else I hadn't done in quite some time. The lady that tended to us was really sweet. Unfortunately she worked rather slowly and I wasn't able to make it to the MAC counter and have my makeup done as I had planned.

We had a rather small budget for this wedding and I didn't really see the need to spend hundreds of dollars on makeup for one day. Granted it was one of THE most important days of my life, but I still couldn't bring myself to spend that kind of money, especially because I'd only be getting charged that much because it was my wedding day and not because some magical technique was going to be used on my face. And besides, I've always liked how my makeup turned out when I would visit the MAC counter (well, with maybe one exception). And the bonus, I'd end up with some new makeup. Alas, I didn't make it. So, I just opted to paint my own face.

This was also the point I think I started to stress out a bit. I had left Kristen at the salon because I had to get home, do my makeup, gather my belongings and get to the cottage to have my hair done. I foolishly told Kristen I'd be back to pick her up and take her back to her hotel so she could get ready. I hadn't realized exactly how late it was. It took me a long time to accept the fact that I wasn't going to be able to do what I had promised and I felt bad leaving her to taxi it up to get around. Turns out I stressed out for nothing as she made it to the wedding.

Finally at the cottage I was able to relax again. Having my hair played with has always been soothing for me. Getting my hair done was a definite highlight! Our friend Eddie did an amazing job. I couldn't have asked for a better stylist.

Apparently Wendell was stressed out more than I was. He kept having people check up on me, pacing and most likely biting his nails. Luckily he had Carl, one of his best friends and our officiant there to calm him down and get him to laugh.

I enjoyed a couple of margaritas while hanging out with the most important women in my life: My mom, my sisters and my friend Kristen. I was also taking care of a few last minute details; like putting together our playlists. And of course I was indulging my ego and enjoying having my picture taken, especially with my mom.

After the beautification process was complete, it was time to put on the dress. The dress that my mom had made from scratch by a seamstress friend of her. Aside from having my family with me, it was THE best gift I could've gotten that day. I had found the dress of my dreams online only to find it had sold two months prior to finding it. I simply sent my mom the pictures and VOILA! I had my dress!

My parents brought a gift for Wendell too. A guayabera. It was perfect for our mexican themed wedding. He looked so handsome in it and it complemented my dress so well.

The ceremony was set to start at 6pm but it started to rain. And not just a simple rain, it POURED! There was plenty of thunder and lighting that came along with it. It was decided to have the ceremony moved indoors but I really had my heart set on an outdoor ceremony. So, with the help of the magnificent Danielle, wife of our friend and officiant Carl, we had everyone move back outside once the rain lightened up enough. At this point the awesome mexican paper flowers my mother and I spent the previous week working on had withered during the downpour.

The sun had started to peek out. After eight months of planning and a couple of freak out moments I was ready to walk the walk. I, along with my Maids of Honor and Bridesmaid were ready to go.

To be continued..........................Part 2 coming up tomorrow!