The Ceremony

I loved our ceremony!  There were many special touches that some people may not have realized were part of our ceremony.  This post is all about our ceremony and I will point out the special touches! WARNING: This is a long post!

My Beautiful bridesmaids!

Notice the beautiful lace and the "G" in the middle of the pillow?  The pillow that our handsome ring bearer, Jack, carried was made from Mrs. Debra's wedding dress.  Each of the Goetze kids have a pillow made out of her wedding dress.  We did this so one day our kids will be able to use it in their weddings!    

My photographer drove his Rolls Royce to our wedding.  We had a "Get-Away-Car" but we wanted to incorporate the Rolls Royce into our wedding day.  While my bridesmaids were standing in line waiting to walk down the isle, my photographer drove me up to the church and let me sit in the air condition!  This was GREAT!  

My daddy wishing he was in the Rolls Royce.  My photographer did offer for my dad to sit in there with me, but he declined.  We talked through the window!

Getting ready to walk down the isle!

Helping me out of the Rolls Royce.

Ringing of the Chimes!! The church bells rang before I walked down the isle!  This was important to me because there are not many churches now that have church bells.  

Getting Ready to Walk down the isle!

I LOVE MY TRAIN!

Giving of the Bride!

Charge to the Parents

You will notice, we used two pastors.  Jody Livingston was my youth pastor growing up.  I learned so much from Jody and his wife, Sarah.  Jamie has been the pastor at Stony Hill while I was going through youth.  When we were deciding who would marry us, I just couldn't pick one or the other.  I love them both too much to pick just one!     

Giving of the Rings

Unity Candle:  This is one of the more memorable moments during the ceremony.  We used the candles that were not supposed to drip.  The candle was covered with a thin metal covering.  When the wax melts, it goes down into the metal.  When I pulled my candle out of its holder, I sloshed the melted wax and it went down my arm.  I really was trying to hold it together and this is the conversation Jake and I had at the Unity Candle:
Lauren: "Ouch, Ouch, Ouch!"
Jake: "What's Wrong?"
Lauren: "Wax, Wax, Wax!!!"
So if you saw us talking at the unity candle, we were not having some loving, in depth conversation.  We were talking about the hot wax that had just spilt down my arm!  What a painful, but funny memory to have! haha  

Handsome Groomsmen

At the end of our wedding, we decided to have the entire congregation say the Lord's Prayer.  This is very special for my family.  Growing up, every time I spent the night with my Granny, everyone would get into one room and say the Lord's Prayer together.  It was precious family time!  As my Granny's sisters have started passing away, we say the Lord's Prayer at the funerals.  When we were planning our ceremony, I wanted to say it during a positive circumstance.  Also, I really wanted a prayer bench.  Jake and I have made prayer a very special part of our relationship.  If you notice in the pictures above, my Granny's pearl bible is laying on the prayer bench.  This is the bible she carried on her wedding day instead of flowers.  

AHH the kiss.  The one we waited for for six years, pronouncing us as husband and wife!  

All Smiles!

My bouquet and all of my bridesmaids bouquets were silk flowers.  I went back and forth between using silk and real flowers for my bridesmaids.  I knew I wanted silk for mine.  My mom used a silk bouquet in her wedding.  She displays it in their house and I have grown up looking at it and WISHING I could play it it.  I knew I wanted my future daughters to grow up looking at my bouquet.  I decided to use silk flowers for bridesmaids and groomsmen so they would all match.  At the reception we used fresh flowers on the table and the church was decorated with fresh flowers.

We wanted our ceremony to celebrate our relationship with each other, but also to be a worship service.  We packed out the church and I loved singing a congregational hymn with over 200 people singing.  It was the perfect ceremony!