You Don't Have to Call Me "Mrs. Berrie," Though

I've wanted for so long to blog about my wedding day. It was just such a happy, wonderful day that I wish I could just sit down on a big comfy couch with all of you and talk and talk and talk about every detail. Many of you got to be there, which truly meant more to me than I can say. My hope for our wedding reception was that it would be a true celebration of our happiness, and I feel like it was. The joy increased in my heart each time one of you entered the room, and I am so, so grateful that you were there.

After my sister got married, she made a top ten list of her wedding day memories. I don't think my thoughts and memories are quite that organized, so I am just going to share some of the little and special things that made me happy.

• I got married on my niece's first birthday. She was born last year when I was home for the summer, and being there for her first day was one of the happiest experiences of my life. I wished she could've been at my wedding, so I could thank her for coming into our family and for making that date so special.
• My brother and his family drove, rather than flew, so my nephews had been in the car for a LONG time by the time they arrived. They took out their pent-up energy on the Black Belt who showed them probably one of the best pillow fights they've ever seen. They were instant friends.
• My 3-year-old nephew spent most of the weekend wearing his Batman cape and Toy Story boots, no matter what else he had on.
• My mom came up a few days early, so we had a great time together. On the first day, she took me to the mall to find some earrings to wear with my wedding dress. Instead, we came out with a bracelet and a bedspread.
• On my wedding day, I really wanted a Strawberry Energizer Jamba Juice to keep me going, and had planned for days to get one after my hair appointment. But when I ran out of time, my sister and dad got one for me when they picked up their lunch, just so I'd feel better.
• When we were sitting on the couches inside the temple with our parents, waiting to get checked in, a temple worker came over and asked if The Black Belt's parents were the ones getting married! They are just so darn cute together, they still look like newlyweds!
• Entering the room to be married and seeing our loved ones there, smiling at us, was such a great moment. Then being whisked back out because the workers forgot something just added the splash of humor that makes any situation more my style!
• There was construction on the way to the reception that made the entire wedding party extremely late, including the bride and groom! But of all people, the photographer (who was WONDERFUL) took me aside and said, "No one knows we're behind schedule but us. All the guests just think the reception just started, and we'll move everything back from here. No worries." He ended up being sort of the acting wedding coordinator for the day, and I really appreciated his cool head and unwavering optimism.
• I did not get one bite of food at my reception. Heck, I didn't even get to SEE the food table. But my mom set food aside for us to take with us and eat later. Turns out the food at my reception was DELICIOUS! It was so good, that when we couldn't find the utensils my mom packed for us, we just ate it all with our hands--including the cold Asian noodle salad!
• I put together a video to show at the reception as a surprise for The Black Belt, but also for all the guests. I wanted it to show how happy I am to have The Black Belt in my life, but I also wanted to show my friends and family, especially since I was saying good-bye to almost all of them, how much they mean to me and how much I loved having them in my life.
• The Black Belt's gift to me was the song "Out of My League," which he sang with a piano accompaniment. It was beautiful, and even now, I can hardly believe that he was singing it to ME. I was completely overcome, and I still cry when I hear it.
• Everything after the moment we were married, whether it was taking pictures, changing back into travel clothes, or talking to friends at the reception--just knowing that The Black Belt and I were now husband and wife, and will be forever--there's just nothing better.