Sam was sweet enough to take a moment before her honeymoon to write this about her wedding day. It's incredibly sweet, and the readings kind of make me want to cry, in a good "wedding-y" sort of way. I actually did cry, BRIEFLY at the wedding. One solitary tear. It was very lady like. I then continued to get my kleenex all caught up in the zipper of my purse, I made a big mess because I was in such a hurry to "blot". Regardless of my tissue mess, everything was beautiful. I'll let Sam tell you all about it~

On a mild, moody and overcast day last weekend, Dave and I got married. The day was filled with preparation. It was surreal to think that later we would be looking each other in the eyes in front of our friends and family and saying our vows. The evening approached and my dad got more and more tense ordering people in and out of the house. My mom (cool as a cucumber) collected the boutonnieres she and I arranged earlier. Erin took some photographs of me and my grandmother and dog in the yard. We drove to the wedding and I waited in one area while Dave waited in another. I was told he was really nervous. Earlier that day he told me he was having stage fright. I told him to take deep breaths, that it’s not a performance. When the moment came to walk down the aisle I thought I was calm but I could hear and feel my heart thumping in my chest. As I walked down the grassy path the wind rustled the leaves and the grey sky looked beautiful and peaceful. Everything brightened as Roland played the violin I drew nearer to Dave’s big glowing smile. The ceremony was beautiful and our friends did their readings with aplomb. Everything after that flew by as if to take place within a moment. It was spectacularly fun to salsa dance, eat cupcakes, watch the slide show and drink mojitos in the company of everyone I love and everyone my new husband loves. It is difficult to express how moving the whole experience was for us. I hope some of these photos help paint the picture.


Two of our favorite readings from the ceremony:

"The Blessing of the Hands," revised by Reverend Daniel L. Harris:

These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of
love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as you
promise to love each other today, tomorrow, and forever.
These are the hands that will work alongside yours, as together you
build your future.
These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you
through the years and, with the slightest touch, will comfort you like
no other.
These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief fills your mind.
These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your
eyes; tears of sorrow and, as in today, tears of joy.
These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children, the hands
that will help you to hold your family as one.
These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it.
And lastly, these are the hands that, even when wrinkled and aged,
will still be reaching for yours, still be giving you the same
unspoken tenderness with just a touch.

From "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" by Louis de Bernieres:

Love is a temporary madness; it erupts like volcanoes and then
subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have
to work out whether your roots have so entwined together that it is
inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is.
Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the
promulgation of eternal passion. That is just being in love, which any
fool can do. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has
burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Those
that truly love have roots that grow towards each other underground,
and when all the pretty blossoms have fallen from their branches, they
find that they are one tree and not two.

Dancing at the reception...




photos are by Erin Gleeson and chad nicholson
davesam.com has a flickr stream with lots more photos if anyone wants to see more.