The Mahoney Wedding – April 26, 2014 (Part 2)

I understand people hate reading blogs in a million different posts, but I couldn’t really cut out just parts of my wedding days, and the posts were getting really long, so I figured this was the best way to go about it. Thank you to those who have been sticking around for it!

I was surprised that I wasn’t nervous to walk down the aisle. Well, until a minute before when I remembered I didn’t have my shoes on! We were standing in a room to the side of the chapel when I realized I was barefoot! I hadn’t put my heels on because they were way too painful for me to have on when I didn’t need to. My MOH rushed to put them on before they motioned for her to walk down the aisle. 

I stood there with my daddy, waiting for our turn. It was nice to have a moment alone with him. I felt so grateful that he was there. 

I had no worries at that moment. I thought I would be nervous. That I would be freaking out because there were so many people with their eyes on me. But I didn’t. I was calm and excited to walk down the aisle. I looked around at all the people around me as we reached the end of the aisle where the pastor asked my dad if he gave my hand in marriage to Thomas. We had practiced it differently, but my dad caught on and agreed. I think he told Thomas to treat me well and shook his hand before I took Thomas’ arm and walked up to the pastor. 

Although we had a rehearsal the night before, we hadn’t met with the pastor so it was all new and fresh at that moment. We didn’t know how long it would last or what he would say. We knew it would be religious in part, but what the vows would be? Not a clue. Actually I don’t even remember what they were. This part is really just a blur. 

What I remember clearly is that at one point the pastor stopped and so Thomas thought that was the time to give me our first kissed as a married couple. Everyone laughed at that. We had to take the candles our mom’s had lit before the ceremony and light the unity candle. I asked the pastor “do I turn the candle off, now?”, which caused quite the uproar from the guests. That was probably the most embarrassing moment of the ceremony. 

After the ceremony ended, Thomas and I walked out followed by our bridal party. The pastor, Thomas, I, and his best man along with my MOH went to the office so we could sign the marriage certificate. We posed for some pictures there and then returned to the chapel to take more pictures. 

We spent quite a while taking pictures in the chapel. Unfortunately they aren’t the best photos. Although we paid over $1k for pictures for the day, the photographer was not as professional as I would have hoped and it seemed as though she kept the camera on automatic. I could have paid someone a lot less to do the same. You live and learn. Luckily I had friends and family who took some nice shots. 

Trying to get the photos was interesting. Thomas has a huge family.

Initially the photographer told my family to get on my side and his on his, I told her that it wouldn’t work – his family couldn’t fit on just his side as you can see. My entire family numbered 13, including myself! 

After everyone left (and man, everyone was in a hurry to be done with pictures and leave) we took some more individual shots. Since the service took less time than we thought, Thomas, the photographer, and I waited around for the limo to arrive. We took some extra pictures during this time. 

The limo was very nice and included alcohol – unfortunately neither of us liked the alcohol they had. We enjoyed some time alone as husband and wife and took some silly pictures. 

When we arrived at Thomas’ parents’ home for the reception we had to pull to the side and wait because our entire bridal party and family weren’t there for us to make the entrance into the party. After a few minutes they finally arrived and we were able to come in. 

This is our immediate family - siblings, parents, and grandparents.

Here is our ENTIRE family - both sides. Okay. Not really, this is just HIS entire family and my immediate family.  

This is my entire immediate family - except for my sister who was in the hospital at this point.

The pastor had us take this picture. I thought it was amazing! The best picture ever! 

Thomas with our fathers.

Me with our moms.

Our siblings - my sister missing.

Next time I’ll talk about the reception. There will probably be a lot of pictures in the post and not a lot of words – I think. 

Week In Review

This will be done in bullet/list form – mostly because it is a bunch of mumbled thoughts.

• While I enjoy learning and appreciate getting new information that will help me advance in my job. I hate having to sit and listen to the same thing over and over. That’s especially true when it’s something I already know. This was a problem during the training I had this week. I understand that it is because not everything in the training has been around for as long as others, and they need to make sure we all know how to do things – but it drives me insane to listen to. 

• If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook you would know that I acquired a pet fly over the last week. Last Friday night there was a fly buzzing around my bedroom. It kept getting near my head and then landing on the TV screen. I went to sleep and the next morning I saw it on the window. When I went to kill it, it fell into the window sill (and no, I didn’t throw it in the trash). Then on Monday night I was home with my niece and a fly kept buzzing around our heads in the kitchen and then in the master bath. It would bump into the mirrors over and over again. Out of curiosity I went to check the window… the original fly was no longer there. We have named him Norman. 

• Wednesday was employee appreciation day at work. Let’s say I didn’t feel appreciated. We’ve had a lot of negative things going on in our office over the past few weeks and having the management serve us some cold food (that I wasn’t even fond of, although many did enjoy) was not really showing appreciation. Other offices throw big parties for their employees with lunch and dessert, music and decorations. Ours was in the conference room, no music, no decoration, and the managers just passing out boxed up lunch. Last year we had some music and the atmosphere was better. 

• We have some plumbing issues at home. They aren’t severe and they don’t require immediate remedies, but I do want to take care of them sooner rather than later. I had a plumber come out last week to take a look. This week he told me that it would be $545 for everything. My jaw dropped a little bit. I asked him for a run down on labor vs. product costs. He didn’t give it to me. So instead I’m going to give my brother a hundred dollars and have him fix the things (which include the washers in the bathroom faucets, replacing the kitchen sink and master bath shower head, and fixing the shower/bath mixer). 

• Lastly, but most importantly, Thomas came home on Friday after 2 weeks of not seeing him! He’s not a texter, but on Thursday morning I got a text that said "I was just thinking... I can't wait to see my wife tomorrow!" 

Wedding Wednesday: The Mahoney Wedding - Saturday, April 26, 2014 (PART ONE)

The day is here! Or it was. But I’m here to tell you about it!

Saturday was, of course, another early morning followed by a long day.

The hairstylist and make-up artist were supposed to arrive at the condo by 7am, and I woke up a little bit before that. I was really not wanting to get up and start getting ready when I got a text saying they would be about half an hour late. I guess that put some spring on my step because I was able to get up, get the girls up, and head to Starbucks for a mandatory Bride run.

We got back to the condo just as my mom and brother, along with Jonathan, had come over. We started prepping the house for hair and make-up and the hair/make up girls arrived shortly thereafter. They started working on us after setting up and after they had prepped my hair I finished doing my nieces’ nails.

My mom and brother left with my nephew after a while and I called my mom later to come back when it was her time.

My hair and makeup were the last to be finished… and I was in awe. Okay, at first I freaked out a little bit because I looked so different, but as I look back at all the pictures I cannot help but smile at how gorgeous I looked (narcissistic much?).

While the hair and make – up was being worked on my photographer had arrived.

The photographer went about her business of taking pictures of my dress, shoes, and basically our getting ready. After she was done she headed over to Thomas' parents' house to get pictures of him getting ready. 

Lauren had the busiest day of all of us. She had to haul over the jello shots to the reception and also be there in order to get the tables set up. My sister and brother in law met her there as well. She was also in charge of picking up all the flowers and taking some to the reception location and the rest to my house.

All during this time I was pretty relaxed. I was not stressing out like I had been the previous months. Which, looking back, made the day so much better. It also makes me realize that any worries I had before hand of getting married were normal and not serious. I did not have cold feet whatsoever that day.

Lauren and I headed out to the chapel along with the girls at around noon with a quick stop at Walgreens for emergency lipstick for later. 

I was forgetting two important things at home, which I wouldn't realize were missing until nearly 2 hours later. 

Once at the church we checked out the chapel that my co-worker/friend had decorated that morning. It was then time to get my nieces, nephew and maid of honor ready for the wedding. 

The photographer, a different one because the first one had a different wedding to go to, was already at the chapel and had taken some pictures and then continued to get pictures of us as we prepared ourselves. 

When I was finally ready to get myself into my dress... I realized I didn't bring my petticoat or bra to go under my wedding dress. Things my parents had spent a lot of money on purchasing for me. Luckily, because I am large in the bust, the dress stayed up and no one could tell a difference... although I could. By night time I was tired of pulling my dress up, something I don't think would have happened if I had the undergarments. (Now I will try to sell them since they still have tags on!)

The ceremony started promptly at 2pm. I didn't get to see any of beginning of the ceremony with my family walking in or my mom and mother in law doing a candle ceremony (although this might be on video somewhere). I've been told that my nephew did an amazing job as ring bearer walking down the aisle. I wish I could have seen him.

Next I'll talk about the actual wedding ceremony, and in part three I'll go over the reception.