Wedding Week: Moments Before

In the last minutes before the wedding, all of the ladies gathered in a back room of the church where we (Haley and the bridesmaids) had all gotten ready that morning. There were snacks and light lunch things to eat to sustain us all for the rest of the afternoon. Haley carefully held a platter so as not to get anything on her dress, and I played music in her ears really loudly, so she couldn't hear the orchestra practicing the piece Haley's dad wrote for her processional.

I'll never forget the frantic running around when we realized that we could hear the orchestra playing in the sanctuary from the room we were in. Haley knew that her dad was writing the processional music, but how it sounded was a complete surprise. As Coldplay drowned out any orchestra sounds, Haley sat there in anticipation of what was to come. There was so much excitement and emotion.

At last, minutes before Haley was to walk down the aisle, all the women gathered around her and prayed. Many happy tears.

We took a couple last photos to distract us all from butterflies in our stomachs, but this is the last one I got. Kyrie, my cousin and also one of the photographers, snapped a few, and then it was time to line up outside the doors.

It was such an honor to be with Haley all of those hours preceding the ceremony. Her love for Caleb and anticipation of marriage was beautiful. True joy, the kind that brings smiles and tears, shone from that room.