There's something that's almost intoxicating about air that's filled with anticipation. Especially anticipation that surrounds the wedding day of one of your dearest friends.
There was a buzz around the bridal boutique, as bridesmaids and friends alike floated around from room to room with mimosas in hand and and their hair done up. The bride looked beautiful without any makeup; her skin tanned by the summer sun, and topped with a wedding day glow. Our Linds could have rolled out of bed, walked down the aisle, and still been able to gather whispers of how stunning she was, because she really is that beautiful.
Having the opportunity to be a part of the wedding day of a dear friend is something to be cherished. They're days filled with victory. Where true love has won, and God is at work, solidifying another piece to the puzzle of life. Being able to witness such an event, and share in the joy and commitment that is so meaningful to the people involved, gives my heart the opportunity to beat in its fullness.
I've been a part of a lot of day 1's. Where euphoric smiles are passed around from family to friend to pastor to bride. Where bridesmaids and groomsmen stand tall in support of their loved ones, and where two people who have found the love of their life become husband and wife. I've seen each marriage take its own unique path, yet each from the same starting point of faithful vows, and a "you may now kiss your bride". Each route with both the expected and unexpected. With times that really test the strength of two becoming one, and times with newfound joy, that not even the best of dreams could stir up.
I've always been a rather experience driven person. Always looking forward to the next event that has the power to break up the day to day. It can be a spontaneous outing on a week night, a week long trip with my best friends - 10 years in the making, or in this case, celebrating a momentus day with my dearest friends. I thrive on promise filled events. Weddings are always filled with hope. Always a celebration. and Always give back more than you give. And when you mix that into wedding days that belong to your nearest and dearest friends, you can't lose. I want to call it bittersweet. But there's not too much about them you can really claim as "bitter". I think it's moreso the realization that with a limited amount of close friends, means a limited amount of the monumental celebrations that weddings are. So the anticipation of those weddings build for weeks, and months, and even times years; to play out in these individually cherished days.
For Linds and Zach, all us girls from college watched their relationship grow from afar. And as time passed, Linds made sure to bring him alongside her on trips back home, and shared with him, her love for all things Michigan... especially 240.
And as we celebrated with the newly defined, Mr. and Mrs. Mosayebi, we took it all in. It's amazing really, what happens between the day to day that creates a moment like a wedding. Because even though they had a trip to Hawaii, shared experiences with TFA, owned a house, and already had a godson together, it was all those little inbetweens that made them what they had become that day. Husband and wife. Toasts were given by family and friends. Moments were discussed of interesting emails and first encounters. And in the midst of it all, loving glances went back and forth between bride and groom, as the lines of their love story were retraced for all to hear.
dances were danced, and glasses tipped. And as the bells that were rang for the new couple to kiss chimed less and less frequently, and people started to filter out of the beautifully decorated canery, a new antisipation started to build. This big night was ending, but the celebration of husband and wife, and what that meant for the next chapter of their love story was just beginning. The travels they would take, the challenges they would meet, the family they would grow! A future together so big, you couldn't successfully predict it if you tried. So as the clock struck midnight, and the last of the party goers were guided out the doors, we sent them off with a glowing multitude of sparklers...
almost as bright as their future as husband and wife.