Wedding Week: Our Wedding Ceremony

Our wedding ceremony was maybe -- MAYBE -- 12 minutes long.  I know it sounds like I am exaggerating, but I am really not.  We did not want a long ceremony, but we did want it to be a "concentrated" version ... full of love and meaningful vows.  We recited traditional vows.  Our marrying minister said some really nice words about us and what he'd observed about our partnership.  We had countless people come up to us at the reception and rave about how they loved the short and sweet ceremony!

I did have one little surprise for Ian.  As you saw, Ian and his two best men were in kilts for the ceremony.  I'd hired a bagpiper to play at the entrance of the venue so it sort of set the mood as people walked up.  (Ian knew this part.)  We both knew we'd be busy getting ready while the bagpiper was playing, so it was no shocker to either of us that we'd miss that part of the day.  Well, Ian's late father was very proud of their Scottish heritage, and so as a special surprise to Ian, I asked our minister to put in a moment of silence into the start of the ceremony to remember those that were no longer with us.  On cue from my wedding planner, when our heads dropped and eyes closed, the bagpiper -- who was hidden all the way down the hallway -- started playing "Amazing Grace" on the pipes.  It sounded distant and dreamy.  It was a great moment.

Anyway!  Back to the ceremony.  Enjoy!

The view from the back of the room.  The decor was simple and understated with live topiary trees at the front. 

The chairs on either side of the aisle had rosemary from our lakehouse's garden tied to them with grey grosgrain ribbon.

I'd hired a harpist to play for the ceremony music. I walked down to "Trumpet Voluntary" and my bridesmaids walked down to "Canon in D."  Classic, tried and true.

We repurposed some of the arrangements from the prior night's rehearsal dinner to decorate the window sills for the ceremony.

Ian escorts his mother down the aisle

Right before they walked down the aisle, our photographer snapped this great picture of our mothers.

Almost time!

Exchange of rings

Sealed with a kiss!

It felt wonderful to be pronounced man and wife!  Tomorrow's Wedding Week post will all be centered around the reception decor, including some things that were DIY projects.  Thanks for joining along!