Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Wedding Bells

Grow old with me!  The best is yet to be.  
Robert Browning

We had a wedding. Boy, did we have a wedding. Family and friends from all over the country came and we had us a good time. After running on adrenaline for a couple months, a few weeks rest finds me able to muster some words. Please indulge me as I share our fun.

May I present the bride and groom. Middle son, Jordan and his lovely bride, Leigh.




But, before that happened, we had all this other stuff going on. A week's worth. It started when the Bama Sous Chef boy flew in from New York City and we had a family dinner to start the festivities.



Then the rest of the family and the college roommates drifted in from Denver, Sheboygan, Warba, San Diego, Flagstaff and Seattle and some real cooking started.

Smoked pork butts going on.
Northern Arizona University boys gathered less one still to come.
Bride taking a breather.

And the dock started to fill up.



Take that fish off for him, Pete.
We don't know who this is.

And the table got busy.


We had dinner for 10 on Wednesday. Dinner for 38 on Thursday. Chef Ian of New York City, with assistance from Chef Ryan of San Diego, put on a feast.

Pork Butts ready. Ring the Dinner Bell.
38 people gathering for a blessing before dinner.


Burk hung out under the table waiting for scraps.
Then we had 67 for dinner the next night for the Rehearsal Dinner. We had planned to cruise Lady Bird Lake aka Town Lake, but due to the flooding going on, the lake was closed. Had a good view of downtown Austin, even though we weren't moving. Saw the bats take off in the distance.

Happy son.
Groom's Dad, Bob. Bride's Dad, Bob.
Friends and family
Uncles and cousins
Old neighbors, dear friends, and the Godparents.
No fun going on.
Bride dancing with an old uncle.
Aunts and cousins
Groom, dad, uncles, and a godfather.
Brother
Another brother and wife.
Collection of new relatives.

Finally the wedding day. All I had to do was show up.

I'm so glad I did.

"Really Mom?" Jordan refusing nice stationary to write his bride a letter. "What's wrong with notebook paper?"
Hanging with the godparents and friends.
Jacob and Bob waiting. Neither one sits well.

Beauty parlor time for the bridesmaid, flower girl, her mom and the mother-in-law to be.
I'm taking the photo.


  Finally to the wedding venue.
My four sons. I really have six. Each of my three boys all had a special one we called one of our own. Here's Jay, Jord's bud since they were 4.


Bob and his brother and sister.
Ian doing the Best Man thing.

The bride's  beautiful mom. Penny for her thoughts.
Bob and Uncle Frank ready to get the show on the road.
So it began.

Mom trying not to cry and keep up with her 6'3" son.
Oldest son, Jacob and wife, Chelsea (plus baby-to-be any day now.)

Youngest son, Ian, and bride's sister, Andrea. Perfect example here of the tall Andersons and petite Carvers.
Note the pretty flower girl, Miss Miranda, coming down the stairs behind them.

The groom ready.
The bride and her proud daddy.


Married

The Party
I can add this. I know the bride likes this one.
The bride's grandmother and mom. Lovely women.

Suchas and Andersons
Uncles and Aunts
Andersons
The Groom's Cake. Jordan chose this. It is the cabin we stayed in for years at Park Lake Resort in Spicer, Minnesota. I first went when I was two years old with my parents and Jordan started going when he was 15 months old. Sucha family -- my parents and brothers and their families -- gathered there every year in the summer. Freedom and fun always had. Was also an amusing surprise for many of the wedding guests on our side who had joined us there as well.
Anderson Clan including the cousins and little ones.

Dodging the lavender

And then there were those 45 people for brunch the next morning.  






My pregnant niece, Michelle. Felt good to put her feet up. Aunt Julie can do hammocks.


As many of you know from past posts, getting myself ready for these events is quite the chore. As previously reported, it takes an army.

As to that dress -- I PICKED IT OUT ALL BY MYSELF! Hard to believe, I know.


Special thank you to Cleo (aka Denise) for doing my makeup even though I wouldn't sit still for more than a minute. For Julie W. and Kris, for helping decide on the color and size of my dress. Linda R for telling me the dress would do and going with me to try on 1400 different bras so it would look like I had boobs.

I also chose how I wanted my hair to look.


This was at the end of the night and after an hour ride back to the lake. But, you can imagine. Picked out forty pins before I went to sleep.

A week after the wedding, all the company was safely back in their homes and I collapsed into my hammock. Haven't moved since.

After a honeymoon driving around Scotland, the now old married people are back home and beginning their new normal as married folks.

Congratulations, Jordan and Leigh. We love you so.

Have an incredible life together.



Special thank you to Jonathan McClogan for sharing his wedding photos with me so I could share them with you.

As you know, these photo essays wear me out. I just looked at the clock and six hours have gone by. So much for reading in my hammock today. Ha!

31 comments:

  1. So fun to see these Julie! I love Leigh's dress but it was not what I imagined she would choose. Everyone looked great, including you! Glad you are rested up now! Onward to grandmotherland.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Julie. Was such a fun time. And,yes, now on to the next adventure.

      Delete
  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  3. We had so much fun celebrating with you all! We can't wait to visit the lake again. Your writing is inspiring, Aunt Julie. Hugs and kisses!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Taren. Was so fun having all of you here. Yes, come back soon.

      Delete
  4. You have a lovely family. I was in this years ago with my daughter and had lots of fun.Great share

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you and, yes, it truly is a fun time. Bet you enjoyed walking your daughter down the aisle.

      Delete
  5. Absolutely beautiful wedding. I'll bet you are tired out, but it was so sweet to see and experience through all the photos. Thank you! :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! Yes, I was spent by the time everyone went home. But such sweet memories of a great gathering.

      Delete
  6. What lovely photographs to treasure for the rest of your life. All happiness to the happy married couple - may they have a long and happy life together.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you. I, too, wish them a long and happy life together. So glad I get to a bit of a part of it.

      Delete
  7. What a wonderful event. Thanks for inviting us. A long and lovely life to your wonderful son and his new bride.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are welcome. It was most fun, yes? I will pass on the good wishes.

      Delete
  8. Julie, thank you for sharing the gift of your family with all of us watching from the sidelines. - Anne Marie

    ReplyDelete
  9. Awww how beautiful. Congratulations to your Jordan and his gorgeous bride, Leah. Julie, you look absolutely stunning and full of pride.

    Your family sure does know how to party.. what a great series of gatherings and celebrations. They're all lovely photos but I especially love the portrait of the mother of the bride. There's just so much emotion in her face.

    Congrats to all. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, that photo is a favorite of mine as well. Thank you.

      Delete
  10. Congratulations! What a happy occasion, it looks like everyone enjoyed the time together--you did such fun things in a beautiful spot.
    And your family--all of them, even the adopted and legally-linked--look gorgeous. If I didn't know this was an actual blog, I'd think it was a magazine or catalog ad. Dang.
    Your dress and hair were stunning.
    Well done. And whew, the work on this photo post! (Gotta acknowledge that--they are a pain to format)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Indeed a pain. Thank you for the compliments. Was truly a fun time.

      Delete
  11. What a lovely post! Congratulations to all! So many wonderful photos you've shared of such a special time. You will look at these images over and over again...trying to recapture the day with your loved ones, and the happy time you had. Enjoy!!
    Debbie
    xo

    ReplyDelete
  12. Wow!!!! What am amazing week! And what a gorgeous wedding! I love all of the pictures. Just beautiful. I can also understand why you are so exhausted. My goodness that is a lot of people! And you had someone in from Sheboygan? That's where I am!
    Anyway CONGRATULATIONS on the beautiful wedding! I wish the couple many happy years together. And I wish you some much needed relaxation and down time. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, I knew you were Wisconsin, but I didn't know Sheboygan. Been all over that town for years.

      Delete
  13. What a wonderful family experience, extended over several days. Love your dress and hair!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Nancy. Takes quite a bit of work to get me out of my gym shorts.

      Delete
  14. Congratulations! What a lovely couple and ceremony. You must be very happy.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Beautiful people and event. Congratulations to all....:)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Such a happy time in your life! A new daughter and grand-daughter. :) The pride and joy on everyone's faces is so heartwarming.
    Gosh, what are you doing for an encore? :) Have you been able to settle down?
    Thank you for putting together the 2 posts of your new family members. I've enjoyed both... to the point of imagining a growing future family of my own.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Catching up with your news! What an exciting Summer you've had! Congratulations to the two lovely couples on the marriage and the new baby girl and, of course, to you and your husband You must be so happy! All the best to the rest of your family. Thank you for leaving your kind comment on my blog. Much appreciated and I'm glad to say life is improving again day-by-day. Linda:)

    ReplyDelete

Let me know what you think. Every word you write, I appreciate.

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails