Sunday, September 16, 2012

Bridget and Matt's Wedding

My youngest daughter got married yesterday. What a beautiful day we had. The wedding was outdoors at middle daughter's house, overlooking the river. For weeks and weeks every moment has been filled with wedding preparations, but it was all worth it. My son Jim and I walked her down the aisle (lined with 30 shepherds hooks and jars of babies breath.) to the sound of "Brown Eyed Girl".Yes, Jim wears his kilt at every opportunity. My dress was brown and sparkly, bought just a few days ago after B insisted I wear a real Mother of the Bride dress.
Tess was the perfect little flower girl. She skipped down the aisle tossing autumn leaves into the air with abandon. It was so cute. Cass, however, had to be carried down by one of the ushers. But that worked too.
Here they are being officially wed. This was a big day. They have been a couple since they were in college--over 15 years ago!
All the nieces and nephews. Matt's niece Avery and Bridget's niece Lindsey were junior bridesmaids. They loved it. The boys all helped, moving 200 chairs from the wedding side of the yard to the giant reception tent on the other side. We also had  small tents for the "Sweet Treats", the gifts, and guest book. With all the lights, and the tents, the banners,the flowers, and the 100 yards of tulle, it definitely looked like a party.
As with every occasion our family has, there is the bitter along with the sweet. The grandkids set up these chairs for Grandpa Jim and Uncle Rich and made "Reserved" signs for them. Rich's Irish hat and a can of Budweiser were included. Our tears on this special day were mostly happy. Today was clean up day. That's when I could have cried! But all the months of preparation were worth it. I'm sure Meghan and Jack are glad to have their house back! How lucky I am to have such generous, close, and loving children who all worked so hard to make this happen.