We do have wedding albums of our photos, but I thought I would just post a couple of our favorites here.
Friday, March 25, 2005
Wedding Photos
We do have wedding albums of our photos, but I thought I would just post a couple of our favorites here.
The Wedding Ceremony
Since our temple wedding ceremony was private, no cameras were allowed inside. So I will tell you about the ceremony and how wonderful and special it was.
Before heading to the sealing room (where the ceremony was held), Will and I both met with the temple sealer who happened to be my Grandpa - Derrell Lindsay. Well, it didn't just "happen" to be my Grandpa, we asked him to be the one to perform the wedding and it was a priviledge. Grandpa Lindsay had performed my older brother, Michael's wedding. And he was also going to perform my younger brother's wedding next month too. Just the very fact that he has made it alive to our wedding is a feat in itself - as he has battled some big health problems over the past couple of years.
Grandpa talked to us for a few minutes and made sure that he had both of our full names correct on his paperwork, and gave us some instruction on how we would enter the room, and which one of us would be on the right/left side.
Will and I then walked down a long hallway towards the sealing room where we would be married.
I wish I could describe the inside of the temple sealing rooms to you adequately, but they are so beautiful I know my words won't do them justice. But think of whitest, most purest room you've ever imagined. And at the center of the ceiling is a beautiful chandelier that is right over an alter, and on all sides of the room there are mirrors, and on each of the tables there are beautiful flowers.
Right before we entered the room, we told each other "I love you" and I said "Honeybucket". That has always been our little inside joke - its a word that, when used after you proclaim "I love you" means you love them the most. And there is no higher word with a higher amount of love. Whomever says "honeybucket" has claim on the most love for 6 hours, and then someone else can "claim" Honeybucket. It has turned into a competition between us to see who can claim it the most.
I was happy that I claimed it inside the temple on our wedding day. :)
Then right as we turned to enter the sealing room, Will stepped on my dress and we both almost tripped!! What an entrance!! But luckily we made it inside unscathed.
As we entered the room, our families and closest friends were there all seated around the room. Will and I went and sat down on a beautiful long bench, while Grandpa then gave us some advice and "words of wisdom" about marriage. I don't remember everything that he said because Will and I were just so excited about getting married, but I do remember one piece of advice that he gave was to "Never say anything negative about your spouse in front of other people. Always speak highly of them and lift them up."
Will had worn a ring for 10 years that his mom had given him that had the letters "RWH" engraved on it. It stood for "Return With Honor". He gave that ring back to his mom right before we both got up to go to the alter, and he whispered into her ear that he had kept his promise and "returned with honor" to the temple. That about sent her into tears right then and there!
After Grandpa was finished, he instructed Will to come take me by the hand and lead me to my side of the alter, and helped me to kneel down. Then he went around to the other side. We knelt down across from each other, face to face, and held hands. As we looked in the mirrors on either side of the room we could see our reflections go on and on...and on. The mirrors represent an eternal marriage.
He then performed what was a short few ceremonial words and then told us that we could now kiss over the alter as husband and wife. Wow - just like that - we were married!
Afterwards, we stood up and exchanged rings.
And then as our family and friends exited, we both stood at the door and quietly, reverently and peacefully gave everyone hugs and accepted their congratulations as they exited.
Eventually we both went back to our "bridal rooms" seperately so that we could get ready to go outside and get our wedding pictures taken. After the pictures, we had a wedding luncheon planned for all of our family and close friends.
I remember being ready way ahead of Will and waiting for him. Somehow he had lost a button on his tuxedo and needed a last minute sewing job from his mother to fix it. But we eventually made our grand exit from the temple to all those waiting for us outside and this was one of the first pictures taken of us as we left the temple. We look so happy!
Before heading to the sealing room (where the ceremony was held), Will and I both met with the temple sealer who happened to be my Grandpa - Derrell Lindsay. Well, it didn't just "happen" to be my Grandpa, we asked him to be the one to perform the wedding and it was a priviledge. Grandpa Lindsay had performed my older brother, Michael's wedding. And he was also going to perform my younger brother's wedding next month too. Just the very fact that he has made it alive to our wedding is a feat in itself - as he has battled some big health problems over the past couple of years.
Grandpa talked to us for a few minutes and made sure that he had both of our full names correct on his paperwork, and gave us some instruction on how we would enter the room, and which one of us would be on the right/left side.
Will and I then walked down a long hallway towards the sealing room where we would be married.
I wish I could describe the inside of the temple sealing rooms to you adequately, but they are so beautiful I know my words won't do them justice. But think of whitest, most purest room you've ever imagined. And at the center of the ceiling is a beautiful chandelier that is right over an alter, and on all sides of the room there are mirrors, and on each of the tables there are beautiful flowers.
Right before we entered the room, we told each other "I love you" and I said "Honeybucket". That has always been our little inside joke - its a word that, when used after you proclaim "I love you" means you love them the most. And there is no higher word with a higher amount of love. Whomever says "honeybucket" has claim on the most love for 6 hours, and then someone else can "claim" Honeybucket. It has turned into a competition between us to see who can claim it the most.
I was happy that I claimed it inside the temple on our wedding day. :)
Then right as we turned to enter the sealing room, Will stepped on my dress and we both almost tripped!! What an entrance!! But luckily we made it inside unscathed.
As we entered the room, our families and closest friends were there all seated around the room. Will and I went and sat down on a beautiful long bench, while Grandpa then gave us some advice and "words of wisdom" about marriage. I don't remember everything that he said because Will and I were just so excited about getting married, but I do remember one piece of advice that he gave was to "Never say anything negative about your spouse in front of other people. Always speak highly of them and lift them up."
Will had worn a ring for 10 years that his mom had given him that had the letters "RWH" engraved on it. It stood for "Return With Honor". He gave that ring back to his mom right before we both got up to go to the alter, and he whispered into her ear that he had kept his promise and "returned with honor" to the temple. That about sent her into tears right then and there!
After Grandpa was finished, he instructed Will to come take me by the hand and lead me to my side of the alter, and helped me to kneel down. Then he went around to the other side. We knelt down across from each other, face to face, and held hands. As we looked in the mirrors on either side of the room we could see our reflections go on and on...and on. The mirrors represent an eternal marriage.
He then performed what was a short few ceremonial words and then told us that we could now kiss over the alter as husband and wife. Wow - just like that - we were married!
Afterwards, we stood up and exchanged rings.
And then as our family and friends exited, we both stood at the door and quietly, reverently and peacefully gave everyone hugs and accepted their congratulations as they exited.
Eventually we both went back to our "bridal rooms" seperately so that we could get ready to go outside and get our wedding pictures taken. After the pictures, we had a wedding luncheon planned for all of our family and close friends.
I remember being ready way ahead of Will and waiting for him. Somehow he had lost a button on his tuxedo and needed a last minute sewing job from his mother to fix it. But we eventually made our grand exit from the temple to all those waiting for us outside and this was one of the first pictures taken of us as we left the temple. We look so happy!
Wedding Morning
The morning of our wedding finally arrived! And we both couldn't have been more excited. I could barely sleep the night before and when the clock struck 6am I was up promptly to shower and get ready and make sure I had plenty of time to do my hair and makeup.
My best friend Dawn (and Maid of Honor), and Stephen's fiance, Ileana, also spent the night. So after I was finished with the bathroom it was a fight for the shower between the other two girls. We had to be at the temple by 8:30am.
The night before, my family had been over to "our" new apartment. My mom and Grandma put the bridesmaid bouquets together while I worked on my own bridal bouquet. I had originally wanted to make a "Cascading bouquet" but in order to do this I needed a specific hand-holder for it, which I was unable to locate due to the fact I was using fresh flowers. So the bouquet ended up being a normal hand-held bouquet. But I think it turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself. :)
Will also stayed up late as he was getting some last minute wedding preparations finished, and also catching up with his brother Luke (who spent the night at his apartment).
Will came over to pick me up and take me to the temple. We were so excited! (I guess we didn't do that whole "the groom can't see the bride before the wedding" thing).
(Above: One last unmarried kiss before the wedding)
(Above: Jenni carrying her wedding dress out to the car before heading to the temple for the wedding)Thursday, March 24, 2005
Jenni's Temple Day
The day finally came in my life where I had the opportunity to go through the temple. For those who don't know about the Mormon Temples, they are sacred beautiful buildings for worship - but you have to be a worthy person to enter. You also have to go through a series of interviews with your bishop and stake president beforehand.
Will and I worked very hard to make sure that we kept ourselves clean and worthy so that we could be married in the temple - which meant we saved ourselves for our wedding night. It made the whole experience of the temple and the wedding so much more beautiful and worth it.
It was also really neat to have my parents there, two of my brothers, my grandparents (mom's parents), my best friend Dawn, and of course Will - the man I was going to marry for Eternity. There is a room in the temple called the "Celestial Room" and it is very white, clean, and pure with a big chandelier, and it so beautiful. Being there with my entire family brought tears to my eyes and I truly felt like I was in Heaven.
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Bridesmaid Party
I wanted to have a "Girl's Night" with all of my bridesmaids. So I threw a bridesmaid party!
Above: Sandy (Will's mom), Tessha, Bridgette, Dawn, Alisha, me, Elizabeth, and Grace
We got our nails done, ate ice cream, watched chick-flicks, and I also gave them all a gift - which was matching necklaces for them to wear with their dresses for the wedding.
My good friend Dawn - whom I've been close to since attending Ricks College - was able to come all the way to Portland for our wedding. (She lives in Virginia and is married with 3 kids).
Will's Graduation Party
Will graduated from Portland State University!
Will has been hard at work for the past 6 years in school (8 years if you count that he took a 2 year break to serve a mission for our church). And he graduated just one week before our wedding.
His degrees are in:
Bachelors of Business, emphasis in Finance
Masters in Real Estate Development
To say the least, he has been really busy and really tired. He didn't want to walk in the graduation ceremony, but I figured he needed some sort of credit, so we threw him a graduation party tonight at our soon-to-be new home. Since both of our families were in town for our wedding, we got to celebrate with everyone. We had lots of pizza, ice cream, balloons, etc.
Congrats Will! I'm so proud of you!
Saturday, March 12, 2005
Jenni's Bridal Portraits
I had my bridal portraits taken this weekend at the Pittock Mansion in Portland. My photographer was Sarah Balmer. The following are a few of the favorites... 
Only 2 more weeks until our wedding day!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)