{the ceremony}

for weeks the weatherman told me it'd rain on my wedding day. and, after a few minor panic attacks, i was totally fine with it (it's good luck, right?). on the big day, i woke up to a dramatic, threatening sky, but instead of worrying about my poor guests getting soaked during the ceremony (we didn't really have a plan b; it'd be outside no matter what!), i thought about jeff. i thought about how today i'd marry the love of my life, the father of my beautiful baby girl. i thought about how my guests might have to sit in the rain to witness it, but darn it i would marry jeff today. outside. under a beautiful, colorful tree. and it'd be perfect.

well, the local weatherman was wrong. by 3pm the sky opened up and the sun was warm on our backs. we couldn't believe it. also around 3pm, my stomach began to churn. not at the thought of getting married, but at the thought of getting up in front of 175 people and reciting my vows. (public speaking is scary.) time flew and  suddenly it was 4:30, and our wedding planner was telling us to hurry and get outside because everyone was waiting and the music was playing and it was time to get married.

time to get married.

i was drowning in emotion. i was happy and scared and excited and nervous all at once, and i knew no other way to show it but through tears. for some reason, looking at my dad made me cry even harder. i didn't feel like i was leaving him (i'd already transformed from a daughter to a grown-up and responsible parent when evelyn was born), but there's just something about girls and their dads. i can't explain it. 

i don't remember much after that. everyone says the wind was enchanting (not kidding, there was a mini tornado happening during the ceremony). one of my bridesmaids told me a huge leaf flew out of the sky and slapped her in the face, and everyone chuckled. i don't remember that either. while jeff and I promised to love and honor each other, our guests snuggled under wool blankets and sipped big glasses of red wine. they were cold, but it was perfect. just like I knew it would be.

it started pouring 15 minutes after this photo was taken, after the ceremony was over. thank you, guardian angels.

{the details}

the dress

made with love by my incredibly talented mother

the bridesmaid dresses

the only requirement: they had to be yellow. two were handmade by moms, two were from modcloth.com, and two were from forever 21. 

the rings

jeff's belonged to his maternal grandfather.

mine belonged to jeff's great-grandmother (married in 1902).

the hashtag

go on, check it out!

the wishing stones

while we exchanged vows, each guest held a small stone in their hand and took a moment to silently send well wishes and happy thoughts to us. after the ceremony, the guests put their stones in a pretty glass vase that we now display in our home. every day, it reminds us of the vows we took and the love that was present on our wedding day.

the favors

homemade jam (thanks to our parents for putting in the long hours!): strawberry, blackberry, raspberry and triple berry

the cake

october calls for pumpkin everything. so we served pumpkin, hazelnut, carrot and tollhouse chocolate chip wedding cake. something for everybody! 

the star of the show

baby evelyn (10 months)

*  *  *

Photos 1-14, 24-28, 30 and 32 by vic garcia photography 

the day *before* the big day

today, my friend and bridesmaid liz sent me some photos of our wedding rehearsal and dinner (she's so stinking good with her camera!), so i thought i'd share them with the world. 

so, the wedding! jeff and i got married on a farm. in october. in oregon. sounds like a recipe for disaster when you're planning an *outdoor* ceremony, doesn't it? well, on the day of the rehearsal, the weather was beyond compare. warm and sunny without a single threatening cloud. (the wedding day is a different story. stay tuned for that one!) 

my bridesmaids and i kicked off the big day *before* the big day at oasis nail and day spa in nw portland. before everyone arrived for manis and pedis (and mimosas), i put a bridesmaid's gift on every chair. the gift? a bottle of champagne, a new pair of nike shoes, a handmade makeup bag (in our wedding colors, of course), a silly wedding-themed book (titles included "an accidental wedding" and "always a bridesmaid"), and a gift certificate for a manicure and pedicure—all tucked in a canvas bag with the bridesmaid's initials embroidered on it. 

^^i'm getting married tomorrow! wheeee!^^

later that afternoon, with fresh nails and a good buzz (i swear those mimosas were all champagne), the girls and i checked in to the hotel where we'd be staying that night and changed for the rehearsal. 

^^love this rehearsal dress^^

^^my maid of honor. (not really. but pretty much.)^^

^^this girl slept through the whole dinner. (how do babies do it?)^^

^^the greatest friends ever^^