I Do!

Kelley and Tim tied the knot last weekend in a beautiful ceremony at the Cathedral in Rapid City. We are overjoyed to have Tim as part of the family; his presence during the last days before the wedding brought a sense of calm and humor to the last minute craziness*. Up until the wedding weekend, I had not spent much time with Tim, so I was glad to get a chance to know him a bit better. All I need to say is that it is obvious how much he loves Kelley, and they are truly great for each other.

I was honored to stand up as a bridesmaid with Monica, Megan, and Kelley's good friend Brenna. Kelley was as low-maintenance of a bride as they come; she even trusted us to choose our own jewelry and make our own bouquets! Which, if I may say so myself, turned out pretty decent. It was a fun evening putting together our flowers and deciding how to wrap them. Then on Saturday morning, we revisited a tradition we started for Monica's wedding: bagels and mimosas at the hair salon! I was suffering from a killer cold all weekend, but even standing knee-deep in Kleenex couldn't ruin the fun of that time together. 

When we got to the church, we donned our cowboy boots (for real. SO awesome.) and our dresses, and prepared to celebrate two lives joined. The bride and groom were radiant, the music was beautiful (Monica did double-duty as matron-of-honor and cantor!), and Christ was truly present there as they said their vows. Good thing we all stocked our boots with tissues... there were a couple of tear-jerker moments.

The reception was a blast: prime rib buffet, 14 individual wedding cakes (one per table), homemade moonshine from Tim's neck of the woods, amazing toasts by the matron-of-honor and best man, two gracious and glowing newlyweds, and a rockin' dance party. Lucian followed Kelley around like a puppy dog for a good portion of the evening... I think he was awestruck by her beauty. Audrey cut a rug and charmed the socks off everyone she met. Max showed off his unique dancing style and struck up conversations with everyone who crossed his path. Even with all three kids in tow, Paul and I got to sneak in a couple of dances. It was a great night. 

Congratulations, Kelley and Tim! Thanks for sharing your joy with us. We love you!

Awesome photos by Jacques Daniel, http://www.danielphotodesign.com/

Also from Jacques, http://www.danielphotodesign.com/

 

*At one point, as Maureen tells the story, everyone was sitting around the table and tensions started to rise. Tim looked right at his soon-to-be Mother-in-law and, with conviction, began repeating, "I do. I DO!" as if to remind himself (and everyone present) what we were really all here for, even if his fiance was currently driving him crazy. The tension was broken, and it became a mantra throughout the week.