Bride Danielle: Happily Married
Photo by Jenna Walcott.
It’s hard to believe that I have been married for nearly three weeks already. The time has passed quickly, but I am still on cloud nine. I’m still looking at photos from friends and family, trying to piece together the parts of the day that I didn’t see firsthand, and remembering what I loved the most about our wedding.
Tim and I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day. After a week of overcast skies, intermittent showers, and windy weather, we awoke to blue skies, bright sun and a forecasted high of 80 degrees in Rehoboth Beach. After breakfast, we kissed goodbye and went our separate ways for a few hours. I was very quiet during my hair and makeup appointment, taking some time to reflect on the day and how important it was to me. I think at one point I asked my maid of honor to just stand next to me and hold my hand. I was very Zen, but excited, as I went back to the hotel room to get dressed, with my mom and my maids in tow.
Our amazing photographer, Jenna Walcott, arranged a “first look” moment for Tim and I, and once we saw each other, it was on! That is when I got excited. We gathered the wedding party and headed to Indian River Life-Saving Station for some photos, final preparations and to get hitched. Everything went very smoothly (except for that moment of panic when I found a bug in my dress — hey, I wanted an outdoor wedding, but that was ridiculous).
Photo by Jenna Walcott.
The ceremony was just about 20 minutes long, but very personal and very sweet. Our celebrant, Tim’s “Uncle Moe,” really took the job seriously and did an incredible job. Tim and I wrote our own vows, but we kept them secret from one another until the ceremony. His were sweet and sincere and incredibly touching. Grown men admitted to shedding a tear. Our musicians, No Basement at the Alamo, were incredible and added a unique touch to the day.
After the ceremony, Tim and I snuck away for a few minutes to take some photos as the sun started to move lower in the sky, then we got the party started. The food was amazing (yes, we ate!), the service was impeccable, the toasts were really nice — and we had a great time on the dance floor, thanks to our DJ and our fun guests. I think everyone had as good a time as we did (I hope!), and I was both honored and humbled at the amazing turnout of friends and family.
I was sad when the day ended, but I fell asleep smiling, knowing that the best days were still — are still — ahead of us.
If you’d like to see more, our photographer has photos and her own account of the day on her blog. The sneak peek has blown me away, and I cannot wait to see the rest of the photos.
I will be back to share our honeymoon and surfing experience next week!
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