Al and Lash - An Unforgettable Wedding

So it is official. Al and Ashley are now officially man and wife. They were married in the Boston Temple early Saturday Morning, which my father was able to attend. My Mom would have been there in a heartbeat, but she is on-call this weekend! So if someone needed her to work, I don't imagine saying it could take 2 1/2 to 4 hours (depending on traffic) to be there would have gone over so well. But luckily, she didn't get called in so she could be there for the ring ceremony and reception at our ward's building. We all got ready, we wanted to look nice, even if casual attire was fine. It was a wedding celebration!! As we were almost ready to leave my Mom was having some trouble with her blood pressure, so she stayed with my Dad. They said they would be there for the reception. The ring ceremony was supposed to be at 6pm and then the reception would be at 7pm.

So my sisters and I booked it, not wanting to miss a thing. But once we got to the parking lot there were only a few cars. Okay Mormons do seem to be perpetually late, and the H family, you always double that! LOL! We entered the church to find the wedding party still in tees and shorts, setting up! We started helping out, making punch, putting flowers in vases to be centerpieces. Because we are the M family, we were allowed to go into the cultural hall and see how the decorations turned out. Oh my. They managed to make, what is a gym, look magical! It was so elegant and special! Twinkling lights, white tulle and brown satin interweaved and hanging canopy style over the guests during the ceremony and then as the top of the dance floor for later in the evening. It was beautiful! Tables were clothed in white with roses in vases as centerpieces, silver cutlery (plastic and disposable though, sweet!) and special napkins:

So there my sisters and I were, the only guests and it was after 6. There was also a lack of a bride and groom, but they did show up and began to get ready. And Al's aunts, uncles, cousins and Grandma began to slowly arrive. We figured out why no one else was there though. For some reason, the only people who attended the shower besides family and the wedding party, were my family, Sister A and Sister F. Sister A was there and we knew sister F would not be. Her daughter Melanee (who lost her husband to cancer 2 years ago. Her fiance lost his wife to cancer too.) was also being married today. So we were the ones to receive the offical new invites that listed the times as they were now supposed to be. Anyone who RSVP'ed on Facebook still thought it started at 7 or 7:30!! Oy vey! LOL! But it was good because there was still so much to be done and some of the bridesmaids couldn't get dressed until the last minute! Finally the groom and his groomsmen were dressed, and all the bridesmaids, maid of honor and the bride (who remained hidden of course). And I have to hand it to Lash, her bridesmaid dresses were pretty and looked comfy! And CAN actually be used again! And they all had white flip-flops, which is so summery. And the groomsmen each had a vest that matched one of the bridesmaids dresses! That was so detail oriented, I loved it! And my parents were able to get there just in time for the ceremony!

We were told to be seated and waited for the processional to begin...and waited and waited. Al, who was standing up near his father, the Bishop, was getting impatient and anxious to begin.

And the the wedding procession started. Look at Ashley, she does look like a princess! Stunning!

And Bishop H performed the ring ceremony, which was very sweet. He made them both get the other's ring and hold it and feel along the circle until it ended. Which a circle never does. And this was to be their love and life together. Aww! I know, he did great! Here is the Maid of Honor and Bridesmaids, and also a pic of Al's Best Men and Groomsmen:And here is a better look at Ashley and her princess wedding dress:And then we were presented with Mr. and Mrs. H!Then the chairs were cleared and the entrance of the food began. There was so much food! Veggie platters, cheese and meat platters, hummus platters, tuna salad, egg salad, rolls, spreads, fruit, bruschetta and toasted bread, different salads, etc. I admit I was a little upset for Al and Ashley. So many people went to the Melanee's wedding reception, that would have been at Al's, but they were both at the same time. So they were gipped in the guests department, and with all this wonderful food!! I just want them to know, as much as we love the other family too, it was never a contest whose wedding we would go to. Al and his family are OUR family. And that includes Ashley now, she is our family also. We wouldn't have missed it for anything. Look at these two, both doing the pirate patch with their spoons! A match made in heaven!
And then they obviously have wonderful friends, because they were ALL doing it!I knew Sam D, Al's best friend, would also totally be up for this kind of fun. Those two guys are like PB&J, their entire lives they have been this close. But I also got to see what a great BFF Alex (who is also Sam D's girlfriend) is to Lash. Alex is a hoot, I love her, she is quirky and funny, and she and Sammy D are so cute together. Hmmmm. LOL. She also is totally organized and things went so smoothly, with her help. She is a gem. I hope to get to know both these amazing women better and maybe get to be their friends too. Because they are so sweet and I love their witty, sarcastic humor. So a bunch of great friends celebrating was a nice sight to behold.

Then Ashley and Al did their wedding cake. Well one of their cakes. There was also a vanilla cake with buttercream, chocolate and red velvet. But this one was just for the couple to cut. And man did they smash it in eachother's faces! LOL! Lash got Al real good and I swear I think Lash was wiggling a little, because red velvet cake went down her dress.
And there were speeches by both Sam D and Alex. They were really nice, I especially liked Sam D's because he talked about him and Al, and how everyone always called Sam, Al's girlfriend. And why did HE have to be the girlfriend?! LOL! Sammy D did a great job and so did Alex.Then it was time for dances. Al and Ashley danced their first of hopefully many dances as husband and wife. What?? Don't you all dance like this??
Okay, okay, that was them being silly. Dancing " a Book of Mormon apart". Or like 3 in their case! LOL! This is a really sweet one of them! Makes you go awww.Next I give you a picture of Ashley dancing with one of her brothers, the one that walked her down the aisle. And a picture of Al dancing with his Mom. Awwww.
The events wrapped up a little after 9. I stayed to help clean up. Except for the bridal party and Al's immediate family, Lisa J. and I were the only ones to stay to help. Which is weird. Usually when an event is held at the church, a lot of people stay to make the clean up go faster and easier. I had offered my help to Sister H. last week and had no intention of letting the family down. Many helping hands makes the work, all 2 hours of it, go faster. Al and Ashley left for their wedding night, which I am sorry I don't even want to think about, unlike some people. I still see Al as a 5 year old who loved to raise his shirt and suck in his stomach until you could see every rib in his rib cage. He looked like a kid from a third world country when he did that! Aww Ally!*sniffle*

It was sad to see the canopy come down. It changed from a magical area to...the gym. Getting all the wires and lights and fabric apart was a real ordeal. The groomsmen really went to town with the staples and masking tape, when they put it up! LOL!Alex saved the satin and left it for the Relief Society, since they had a bunch of fabric in their room, which was thoughtful of her. I hope someone makes good use of it, it was really a pretty fabric. We swept, put food (SO much left over!) away, cleaned everything until it seemed like the day never took place.

But it did. Two people were joined together and sealed together for all time and eternity today. They pledged their love and are about to start an exciting new adventure together: married life. I hope that Al and Ashley have a wonderful life together, and cherish their love. I hope their love stays strong and that they become one another's most cherished friend.

To Alexander and Ashley!!

P.S. I am honest on my blog, so I do have a few words to say in this post script. Even if it is read and embarasses me! LOL! But I am nothing if not honest here. Do you want to know what is better than a compliment that boosts your self-esteem? Yes there is something better! It is one that is so unexpected. Apparently Ashley, and her Mom, and her wedding party got to read my blog about the wedding shower. And they loved it. Cheryl, Ashley's mom, told me I should be a journalist! And Ashley told me she is going to print it out and include it in their wedding album. That left me speechless. And it felt so good to have people tell me they loved it and that I am a talented writer. Especially since my Creative Writing teacher liked nothing I wrote...ever. It really made me even more tongue-tied than normal, I know hard to believe, because I was so not expecting it. I know Weezie reads my blog, but I never imagined she thought it was good enough to show the bride and her friends and family. That just made my day, for real. It was so unexpected and that's what makes it even more special.