Love...

Here are some things that I LOVED about my reception.

Number 1:

I love that we had cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory for my wedding dessert.  And I love how my mom decided to decorate and garnish them with fruit.  She did a fabulous job.  And I love it how we didn't get any cheesecake to eat that night - so we had to go to the Cheesecake Factory on our honeymoon TWICE to make up for it!

Number 2:

I loved my bouquet for my wedding.  It had my favorite flowers: Stargazer Lilies.  It was absolutely beautiful and some good friends from the ward put it together like they were tying their shoes.  They have some serious talent and I'm so grateful that they made it look so nice - just exactly what I wanted.  I also love it that during the day, Michal was so sick that he didn't realize that he was carrying my bouquet for me more often than I was carrying it.  Our photographer kept on having to take it from him and give to me for our pictures.  Even though he was out of it, at least he was still being such a gentleman, plus... doesn't this picture look just absolutely amazing of him with flowers?  I think so!

Number 3:

I loved the fact that I had goldfish for my centerpieces at my wedding.  For those of you who don't know, I have given Michal two nicknames:  before my mission it was "What fish" and after it was "Fishey."  It not only had a sentimental reason, but it was fun and unique, and I let those who wanted take home goldfish with them. Amazingly enough - Melinda's fish are still alive - going 2 months strong!  

Number 4:

I love that I had a harp at my wedding for my wedding music.  It just added so much to the atmosphere of being in my back yard.  It was perfect!  To me, it would have been tacky to have been playing music from a stereo, or too hard to bring a piano into my backyard, and a harp was just exactly the extra touch that my reception needed.  Even better - it was MY harp teacher who came and played for me.  I took lessons from her when I was 16 and 17 years old.  She was really fun and amazing, and I'm glad that she was able to come and play for me at my wedding.  I just loved it!

Number 5:

I love the way that the yard looked and was decorated.  My mom spent countless hours and solicited a lot of help to make sure that the backyard looked just perfect.  I took a huge risk in having an EARLY May wedding, it was almost certain that there would be rain.  But I got really lucky and had great weather (so glad I didn't have a rainy wedding in June!).  It just made for a good day to become even better.

Number 6:

I love that Michal was caught drinking a coke instead of a pepsi!

Number 7:

I loved the way we "escaped" from our wedding reception.  

My story...

You've heard the phrase that a picture is worth a thousand words.  Well, I won't write a thousand words about each picture... but there might be quite a few that I absolutely LOVE from our wedding day.  Here is my story...

Here we are walking out of the temple.  I was so excited to make "our appearance."  After we were married, I left - got dressed (which you girls know putting on a wedding dress can be quite an ordeal and take a while)... waited for Michal for a long time.  He was sick in the bathroom.  For those of you who don't know... Michal was sick on our wedding day and bought a barf-bucket into the sealing room with us.  He didn't know if he would last the day.  At this point, I was getting nervous if he would be able to escort me out of the temple at all!  But I was really excited to greet family and friends.

After you leave the temple you greet your family and friends.  I think that this is my FAVORITE photo of one of us hugging our loved ones.  This is my favorite because this was the Sister Missionary who taught Michal the gospel in Poland.  Her name was Siostra Carter (now Jennifer Kinghorn).  Michal asked her if she would sit in the waiting room with his Mom since she wasn't able to attend the sealing ceremony.  She sat there for over an hour and just carried on conversation in Polish with Michal's mom. I thought that it was so sweet of her to spend the time with her.  She could have come to the sealing, but it meant a great deal to us to have someone there with Michal's mom so that she didn't feel uncomfortable.  I am really grateful for Siostra Carter for if she never had taught Michal, this day never would have been possible.  It is because of her decision to serve a mission that I was able to get married to such a great guy.  That's why this picture means a great deal to me!

This picture describes how crazy my veil was ALL DAY LONG.  It was so windy and would always blow at just the wrong times.  As we came out of the temple, it blew across my face making it difficult for us to do our "exit kiss."  And then everytime during the day when our photographer wanted to do a "flying veil shot"  the wind just seemed to disappear.  I couldn't believe how crazy the wind was. 

These are two pictures that I like that we took while we were waiting for other wedding parties to finish their pictures on the temple stairs.  Doesn't Michal look super handsome?

Of course - you can't forget the friends either.  My friends, his friends, and all of our friends!

(I have some good candids too for those of you who are in these!)

And everyone else who came to support us!!!

Here are a few more pictures that I really like of just Michal & I...

Wedding Picture Preview

So...

I finally got my pictures back!  There are so many that I like that I want to share them all.  Here is a preview of my favorite one... or at least some of my favorite ones.

Even though Michal is sick, he still was a great sport and looks super handsome in all of our pictures.  I am such a lucky girl!