Fruitcake Wedding: The Ceremony

I've already written about our ceremony, and I can't say enough how many people commented, complimented, and have shared in the words we chose to live by.  I think the one thing I'm most proud of is the script to the ceremony, and I've felt honored that people have chosen to use it, in whole and in part, in their own weddings.

The actual ceremony went by so incredibly fast.  One minute I'm freaking out behind closed door about not tripping and falling and the next, Mr. Fruitcake and I were walking back up the aisle...married!

My dad walked my down the aisle, and I don't have words for how proud my daddy was when he put my hand in Mr. Fruitcake's.  He stood with us while Mr. Fruitcake's Man-Wife read our opening prayer:

(Did I mention that it was about a million degrees?  It wasn't SUPPOSED to be, but in South Alabama, the first weekend in May is always a crap shoot.)

My best friend read her reading, which I had tailored specifically for her:

I was so proud of her--she was so afraid that she wouldn't be able to make it though the reading without crying, and while she visibly struggled, she managed to keep it together.

Niecey, on the other hand, had never been to a wedding, had never been in a wedding, and...well, let's just say that she didn't really see the point in having to stand up for a ceremony when there were so many other things to do...

Did I mention that the Reverend looked like ZZ Top?

We had decided that we wanted to say our vows together, rather than reading them one at a time.  When it came time to say them, we...well, we both forgot the words.  And had ourselves a good laugh standing in front of all of our family and friends.  All we could think was that everyone knew at that moment that it was truly a Mr. and Mrs. Fruitcake kind of wedding...it was so typical of something we would do.

I had promised myself that I wasn't going to cry, and i ALMOST made it though the ceremony.  Until, near the very end of the ceremony, when Mr. Fruitcake caught my eye and mouthed, "I love you."  Aaaaand, I lost it.  Predictably.

And when I lost it, so did Mama Fruitcake:

But guess what?  The next few seconds were the ones where the Reverend pronounced us Mr. and Mrs. Walters--and the tears?  They vanished :-)

 

We were MARRIED!  And it was officially time to celebrate!!

I had one more little trick up my sleeve--Mr.Fruitcake had been a part of all of the wedding planning, but I had saved a trick for him.  I had arranged for fireworks to be set off as they pronounced us husband and wife, and for the fireworks to go off over the lake.  Unfortunately for me, I had undercalculated what time the sun would go down, so the fireworks were somewhat lost in the setting sun.  But Mr. Fruitcake was surprised, nonetheless, and he'll tell you that he loved being halfway up the hill and turning around to see them.

Party time!