Continuing on with my wedding day series – after getting ready came the ceremony. What can I even say about this moment? It only lasted maybe twenty minutes, but will be one of my most cherished memories until the end.
Getting into the actual details of our day, there were a little over forty of our closest friends and family there to share the moment. From the beginning, it was a huge thing for Michael and I to keep the day small and intimate. With that number of invites? Mission accomplished.
When it came to the music, like everything else, we went away from tradition. Michael and his groomsmen walked out to “Her Majesty” by the Beatles.
It’s a short, sweet, perfect little song that says it all:
Her Majesty’s a pretty nice girl,
But she doesn’t have a lot to say
Her Majesty’s a pretty nice girl
But she changes from day to dayI want to tell her that I love her a lot
But I gotta get a bellyful of wine
Her Majesty’s a pretty nice girl
Someday I’m going to make her mine, oh yeah,
Someday I’m going to make her mine
After that, the bridal party, followed by me, came in to “Like Real People Do” by Hozier. It’s a beautiful song with romantic lyrics and a gorgeous chorus backtrack – aka perfect. When we were deciding on songs, we knew immediately that these were the ones.
My step-dad officiated the wedding, which was very special to me. He’s known me forever and has known Michael since we began dating. Because of this, he was able to make the ceremony personal and pertain only to us. There were jokes, laughs, and some incredible advice that I know we’ll always cherish and follow. Michael and I both gave the vows we wrote ourselves (mine were better, duh), and then – quickly and happily – rings and a kiss were exchanged and the marriage was official.
“Wouldn’t It Be Nice” by the Beach Boys played as we were announced as husband and wife, and we were both embraced by our family members – old and new – with love and congratulations. All in all, it was a perfectly special moment.
Photography by For Love & Light