Our Wedding: the ceremony

I should preface this with a clarification...once I posted pictures of our invites, I realized I left out the best part of marrying Jantz (ok it's definitely not the best part). I didn't have to change my last name. Apparently I'm pretty lucky - I don't know what that means since I didn't have to go through the process haha. Don't worry, I didn't marry my cousin (that would be gross). We're not related (i mean, just look at us. opposites), just a weird coincidence :) And if your thinking I'm now going by "Gardner-Gardner", well, your pretty funny, and original ;)


Everyone made there way out the door and then it was my turn (yay!). And it was looking to go perfectly.....until my dad and I left the front door. Just as we rounded the corner where everyone could see us, I realized I had. forgotten. my. bouquet. How you ask? I honestly have no idea. I guess I was occupied with something else...like getting married. haha. I stopped mid-walk and whispered to my dad that I forgot my flowers, to which he ran back in the house to get them, and I got to stand there awkwardly as everyone watched (and filmed). Somehow we didn't get any pictures of it, but the video's pretty great. Once I had my beautiful bouquet in hand, we kept moving :)

The walk to the altar began at the front door (around on the left) and wound down around the house

to stone steps (next to a waterfall, gorgeous) that led to the lawn, 

which then led through the chairs and up to the middle of four trees where Jantz was waiting. It was long, but it was a beautiful walkway. As my dad and I walked down the steps I could begin to see Jantz. He's not one who cries much, but I was hoping for at least a smidgen of tears on our wedding day. I watched him as we left the steps and I promise I saw him get a little choked up (I don't think he's denies it, but in case he does, I say that it happened), and of course I was getting all sorts of teary-eyed. It was precious.

Once we made it down the aisle, I hugged my dad and took my place next to my future husband. 

I don't really remember what the bishop said (except that Jantz should always be "dating" me, which is a-okay with me). Jantz repeated his spiel and said "i do" - or maybe we said "yes" . . . I seriously dont remember. and then it was my turn and I totally said "yes" before I was supposed to . . . I hope no one heard me haha. Then we kissed and everyone was happy.

The one awkward thing about the ceremony was that Jantz and I hugged several times. I mean, they were good hugs, but it was awkward because kissing just seems like more a "wedding ceremony" type of action. Plus, hugging in front of a big group of people who are all staring at you is just weird.

Anyway, after we were "man and wife", we weren't really sure what to do (i promise we walked through it, but it was really brief and we didn't so much pay attention to the end part haha). So once we walked back down the aisle we sort of just stopped and everyone came over for hugs and such.

Then we started with the pictures.