Last night after receiving a disk of images from our wedding from our photographer in the mail, all I wanted to do was blog, blog, blog about our special day.
I’ve been waiting for the pictures for five weeks (not long by wedding photography standards) and have SO much I’ve been longing to share with you!
I’ve decided to break my wedding recap up into a few posts, so let’s get started with post numero uno… the “Getting Ready” post!
Those of you who were following my blog on our wedding day know that I wasn’t exactly in top form on the day I was to say “I do.” The Thursday before our big day, I was puking non-stop, and then I woke up the day before our wedding with a crusty pink eye.
A visit to an emergency care clinic informed me that I had pink eye, but my bridesmaid Michaela, who is in her final year of optometry school, said that it looked more like a virus that likely traveled to my eye. I didn’t know viruses could do that, but apparently they’re mobile little buggers.
Equipped with antibiotic eye drops and anti-nausea medication, I was ready to get married!
I woke up at 6:45 a.m. on the morning of our wedding to give myself time to shower, assemble my bridesmaid gifts and pack a bag for the wedding night. My mom, sister and I met my bridesmaids at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort and Golf Club to get ready at 8 a.m.
We had one lady to do all of our hair and one lady to do all of our make up and rotated around until we were all done. I was second to last for both. 
How beautiful is my sister? 
She gets her beauty from our mama. 😀
As I waited for my turn, I was surprised at just how calm I felt.
I wasn’t nervous. I was ready. Ready to walk down the aisle. Ready to see Ryan. Ready to be married.
I think feeling so sick two days before our wedding and praying to simply be healthy enough to walk down the aisle helped put things into perspective and made me realize that flowers, dresses and logistics are not important in the long run.
I told my family and my bridesmaids that all I wanted was to be physically well enough to walk down the aisle and become Ryan’s wife.
While everyone got their hair and makeup done, we had quite a few friends and family stop by, which was wonderful. I loved having our room open to others and spending such an exciting time with not only my immediate family and my bridesmaids, but some of my best friends from college, my aunts and my grandma as well, was amazing.
I will forever cherish the time I spent on my wedding day simply talking with my bridesmaids. I’ve known four of my bridesmaids since elementary school and they live several hundred miles away, so having them there to support me meant the world.
During the time spent getting ready, Ryan and I also exchanged our wedding gifts to each other. Though we didn’t see each other before we walked down the aisle, we had my dad and one of Ryan’s groomsmen deliver the gifts for us. We both surprised each other with a watch! Apparently we were on the same page. (You may see a close-up of my watch here. Love it.)
Before I knew it, my turn with the hair and make up ladies arrived. I was nervous about how it would go, as I wear minimal makeup and didn’t want to feel like a clown. Plus, Ryan prefers me without makeup, and I didn’t want him thinking Bozo was walking down the aisle to become his wife!
Let’s just say that once my makeup was done, I wasn’t overjoyed with the result. I felt a little flustered and went into the bathroom to “fix it.” My bridesmaids and sister did an amazing job of helping me feel a million times better and assured me that I looked like myself. (Note to future brides: Be 100 percent satisfied with your makeup trial or find someone else. If I could go back I actually would have done my own makeup, though it ended up okay in the end.)
It was at the end of the makeup drama that my dad arrived. 
He couldn’t have come at a better time.
He made me laugh and told me I looked beautiful. I finally felt beautiful.
My mom, sister, dad and I then shared a private moment in the hall that I’m so grateful our photographer captured. 
We were telling my mother how amazing she looked.
If I remember how one person looked on the day of my wedding other than Ryan, it will be my mother. When she walked out in her dress, my sister and I started crying. Tears filled our eyes because we couldn’t help but think about how far she’s come in the past two years in her fight against breast cancer. It was such an overwhelming moment and I will always treasure that memory and the intense gratitude I felt for being able to share my wedding day with my mother.
And then it was time for me to slip into my dress. 
I wore an ivory James Clifford strapless gown with a sweetheart neckline. The dress had a scalloped re-embroidered lace bodice with an Empire waistline, matching scalloped lace hemline and a chapel length train. The dress itself had a mermaid silhouette, but I had the hips taken out a bit to give it an A-line shape.
My “something old” was sewn into my dress. 
My mom and sister surprised me with a piece of my mother’s wedding dress embroidered with my initials and wedding date in baby blue (my “something blue”). My mother sewed it into my dress on the spot.
My “something borrowed” was my sister’s delicate pearl bracelet. 
My mom and sister helped me into my gown and I could feel the excitement rush through my body. 
I was about to get married!!!
After slipping on my blush pink wedding shoes, fastening my veil and and pulling up my garter, I was ready to walk down the aisle.
To be continued…
(All photos courtesy of the amazing Gina Leigh.)
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Gorgeous! Loved the recap 🙂
so beautiful!! You, your mother, your sister, and all your bridesmaids looked just gorgeous. I can’t wait to see the rest of the pictures! This totally makes me wanna get married, lol 🙂
I love everything!!!! I love how you and your hubby are always in sync with each other! 🙂 And I LOVE the “something old” sewed into your dress. Just brilliant. You are a gorgeous bride 🙂
i thought that was so creative, too. they did a wonderful job!
WOW! Holy gorgeous! Love all the pics and you look stunning. I love the picture of your shoes and garter….it was just a cool look.
Absolutely breathtaking! I can’t wait to read more posts! Thank you for sharing your special day with us. 🙂 I feel honored.
You’re dress is my dream dress. It’s exactly what I have imaged having, so I may have to write down a few things for the future 😉 You looked beautiful and thank you so much for sharing all of these with us.
thank you so much. i actually REALLY struggled to find it and changed the overall shape of the dress to make it exactly what i wanted. 🙂
Well it was definitely well worth the struggle! You honestly look better than the model on the website!
Julie, that photo of you looking off to the side and smiling is so beyond gorgeous!
Drop.dead.GORGEOUS!! So amazing, all of it! Glad you got the little make-up mishap straightened out, too. Professionals really know what they’re doing..but sometimes their work just doesn’t fit your opinion. Ahhh you look so excited!
I had tears reading this post! I can’t believe this will be me in 4 months!! Congrats again 🙂
congrats!!!
Julie, you were seriously the most BEAUTIFUL bride. I love every single element of your dress, hair, bridesmaid’s dresses, etc. Will you be my wedding planner????? 🙂 🙂
hahaha i LOVED every part of wedding planning! it is so fun to be creative and finally have your vision come to fruition!
Amazing photos!! Everything is so beautiful!! 🙂 LOVE YOUR DRESS!
What beautiful photographs! I just watched the wedding video you posted – so sweet! You and Ryan seem like you’re great together, and it seems like you had a fantastic day to celebrate that. Your dress – and shoes! – were gorgeous, I love how you did your hair, and your bridesmaids looked fantastic too! Congratulations!!!
Oh Julie, you looked beautiful. Thank you for sharing those moments .
WOW Julie! These photos are simply stunning! I can’t wait for my big day. You look so happy and excited in all of the pictures! I can’t wait to see more!
Aww yaaaay wedding pictures!! Love them!! I just had to go back and look at mine again….makes happy tears stream down my face everytime 🙂
YAY!! I am so excited we get to enjoy your perfect, wonderful, amazing day through pictures 😀 You look amazing in all of them and it looks like it was such a beautiful wedding!! Congrats again 🙂
Beautiful photos!
I actually had the same thing happen to me with my makeup on my wedding day. I should have known better, but I had someone else do it for me and I ended up hating it. I’ve been doing my own makeup for years, so I promptly went into the bathroom (after semi-freaking out) and fixed it myself.
I agree…DEFINITELY know that you’re 100% happy with the makeup BEFORE the big day! 🙂
i feel ya on the semi-freak out!
Wow! Stunning is the only word I can say!
I’m so nervous at my wedding they will catch me at all my bad angles! lol
and your sister is ridiculously gorgeous! I’m super jealous!
the good news is wedding photographers take a billion pictures, so you can simply thow away the “bad angle” photos. 😉
thats good! lol I’ll need that! and yeah I’m sure they take 30 just about ever minute! lol now that i come to think of it. You make me so excited for my wedding!
Truly beautiful pictures! I’d have to say my favorite is actually the one pre-dress in the tank. And your sister’s eyes are stunning in the makeup pic. Glad everything turned out’
everything is sooo gorgeous!!!!!!!!!!!!! you’re wedding was beautiful!
Great first recap! I feel like I’m actually there and I’m about to see you “get married”!
Love, Love, Love! Your sister’s blue eyes are amazing. Your dress is gorgeous. And your shoes – Amazing!
It’s so wonderful how you took time to cherish your mom on your wedding day. My father passed away before I was even engaged, and I missed him terribly on my wedding day. I was a daddy’s girl, so it was incredibly hard to not have him there to celebrate with us. I love reading about the close bonds you share with your family – family is so precious.
You Looked soo beautiful your wedding was so amazing !! I Will be compulsively reloading your site checking for more wedding pics ! It Must be so fun reliving each part while you write the recaps !
Julie, you are BEYOND stunning!!!
Wow you have an amazing photographer. I love how carefully you planned (and remembered) the details. Won’t it be fun to look back on these posts in the future? Like 50 years from now!!??
Ahhh lovely my dear! So lovely! And what a wonderful family you have. So happy for your love!
All your photos are gorgeous! I get teary eyed just looking at them. It’s so wonderful how you and Ryan are just perfect together and seem to be on the same page as each other, all the time! You are lucky! 😉
Congratulations again.
i know i’ve said it a million times, but your wedding was STUNNING. your dress was perfect, your hair, makeup, everything. can we time travel and you can plan my wedding for me in 2007? 🙂
Great photos – thanks for sharing!
All so beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
you picked a winner of a photographer – stunning!!
Beautiful post. More tears, but wonderful ones! xo
love you, mama! 🙂
I am so happy you are doing this. You will cherish these memories forever and how awesome that you have a place to relive these memories. Can’t wait to see more!!!!
Stunning! Really, what beautiful photos! You must be thrilled. Thanks for sharing, Julie! 🙂
I love your pics! My husband and I got married at the Vinoy almost 2 years ago. The venue is absolutely breathtaking!
Amazing, beautiful pictures!!
This photos are BEAUTIFUL and made me so teary-eyed. Weddings are such an incredibly special thing…I wish you and Ryan all the happiness in the world!!
Beautiful pictures! I love that your mom sewed your intials into your dress! So thoughtful! I really like your shoes too! 🙂
Julie, your pictures are beautiful, and you my dear are elegant!
I’m going to be the 20th person to say this, but I love the part of your mom’s dress sewn into your dress. That is unbelievably special
This is my favorite post you’ve ever done! Your photos are absolutely beautiful, as are you 🙂 I wish I had read this at home so I wouldn’t have gotten all teary eyed at work!!
Congratulations, Julie! You were a beautiful bride! Thanks for sharing your pics and your special day with us. It is truly a day to treasure, especially when you marry your best friend. I have been reading for a while, but this is my first comment. Keep up the good work 🙂
-Kim
WOW! You and your family are so beautiful! Thanks for sharing on your special day!
Those are seriously gorgeous pictures. I really regret not hiring a photographer and just using my uncle for our wedding. He shoots food…not people. Pictures, that is. LOL
love, love, love, love, love it all! this all looks so beautiful. i love the moment with your family!
I’m crying at work now!!! The part about your mom really got me. :’ )
Amazing post, amazing photography!
You look so beautiful in all of those pictures Julie! I love looking at them! It takes me back to that amazing weekend :).
ps you know I’m not a fan of that lip stick picture 😉 haha
ah! i know… but i think you look gorgeous in it!!! seriously! 😀
oh my goodness Leslie! Your ridiculous to not like that photo! I think it is beyond gorgeous and stunning!
Love the pictures! You’re gorgeous :).
Love, love, love the shoes. Pink shoes is a really nice way to add a little color.
Your photos are lovely!
beautiful!!
You look absolutely gorgeous! – great photos and a great recap!
ps. i watched your wedding video last night and totally started bawling. it was amazing.