Dad, you married a spazz.

By request, here are some photos from our wedding.  A little over a year and a half ago, Jeff and I had planned a fabulous, peony-laden outdoor wedding at Allerton, an area state park.  Unfortunately for us, the weather did not cooperate (thunderstorms all morning, sauna in the afternoon), so a mere two hours before the wedding was supposed to start, we changed its location to our house.  Jeff and his parents scrambled to arrange the house and put up signs while I launched into a frantic series of phone calls to our guests.  The wedding's theme emerged: Kelly and Jeff are good sports.

Instead of lingering over my makeup and manicure, I searched for phone numbers and explained our house's location again and again.  I slapped on the kind of perfunctory, everyday makeup that I use to keep myself from scaring children and applied one coat of nail polish (no time for two!).  People started to arrive, including my brother and his daughter Ashley, the angriest flower girl in the whole wide world. 

Jeff got ready in that annoying "all I have to do is put on my clothes" way of his, exuding effortless movie star cool at all times. 

Mom laced me into my dress (please note the red shoes that I wore at Poof's wedding--Jeff gave me a lucky penny ordered from Ireland that I taped to the sole), and before I knew it, it was go time.  

Dad and I hid upstairs in Melissa's room--soon to become my studio.  I remember watching steam rise from the roof of the garage through that window.  It was hot up there and I promptly began to sweat.  Er, glow.

Luckily it was a small wedding, and we were able to pack everyone into our living room, including a number of my students and friends Beth and Mark, who did readings for us.  Jeff and I wrote the ceremony ourselves, and our friend James, who got ordained via some church-of-the-internet site, officiated.  We stood very close to our house's entrance, and during the ceremony my dear friend Terry (who was late through no fault of his own), pounded sharply on the door: BAM BAM BAM!  I was a tiny bit alarmed at first, but then it was just funny.

We decided to have Poof and Melissa give their toasts during the ceremony rather than at the reception.  Mel's was funny, and Poof's was so touching that she choked herself up.  It was a perfect sisterly moment.  I love you Poof!

 

After about a half hour of me unintentionally crushing Jeff's poor hands with my tense iron grip (what's the matter with me?), said hands were fasted and we kissed, hopelessly in love with each other. 

Then it was out into the steam bath for a quick photo session with our average-at-best photographer, who came up with pose ideas that were staged and stiff, and Jeff and I couldn't help but be a little smirky at his requests.

But there were a few really nice candid shots, and the backyard provided an amazing, lush backdrop.  It stole the show!

After being around people and solving problems for several hours, Jeff and I usually need some time to decompress.  But we had to throw a party for ourselves!  We drove to the reception (about 45 minutes away at a small restaurant).

 

I've always labeled the following photo "Here we go. Time to socialize. Buck up."

My sweet students.

The thing that makes the above photo special to me is my near-unprecedented lack of crazy eyes.  I just do not know how to pose.

A pensive Jeff contemplates his wacky bride.

Instead of a normal guest book, we had our guests sign some of our favorite books.  They're back in our bookshelves now, and it's fun to see these notes from time to time.

 

We put divine chocolate cakes from our favorite bakery at every table, along with a big one for the head table.  I also decorated each table with small watercolor portraits of the wedding's main players and three very important cats.  (I really should scan those sometime.)

Our rings in a peony, my favorite flower.

Git it back on meh!

After the reception, James took us out to the park where the ceremony was supposed to be held.  The heat and humidity was stifling, and my hair was a ball-o-frizz, but we took some fun photos and vengeance was ours.  And no wedding is complete without a little vengeance.

I mean, can you beat this setting?  Allerton Park is so strange and so beautiful.

 

And we are so happy.

Comments

[Anastasia]

Awwww, that Poof! She made ME cry just looking at the photo :) Your entire family is just beautiful, Kelly! You're so fortunate!

[GinaE]

Thanks for sharing these great photos with us! "Angriest flower girl" so funny. You looked so beautiful. Jeff so handsome.

[Kirsten Vanderspek]

Just one more reason why you rock: You are not a Bridezilla! It truly is all about love for you and Jeff and that's beautiful to see. That last photo is stunning.

[Kelly]

Thanks everybody! I think the key thing with me is that I'd never fantasized about being a fairyprincessdivabride. The relocation problem was more of a challenge for Jeff and me to prove to each other how adaptable we are. Jeff was a total rock star setting things up in the house and at the reception. Wedding MVP for sure. <3

[bj]

Thanks for heeding the request of a basically anonymous commentator on your blog. I do appreciate it. You are stunning in your wedding photos.
If I may make a suggestion you should consider cropping the one framed by the window (w/ your dad pre ceremony) so it's just you, w/ bouquet, framed by the light. You may like how that looks. You may even want to paint that.;-)
FYI I dabble in photography. I am strictly an amateur though!

[Kelly Eddington]

What can I say, bj?  If you comment a lot, you get what you want here!  :D  Thanks for the suggestion and kind words.

 

Im actually not wild about that photo...its nowhere near my favorite or anything Id paint, cropped or otherwise.  Those photogs were bush league, but we put our wedding together very quickly, and they were the best we could find.  They got a few good shots, though, and thats all anybody really needs.

 

[Irene]

Gorgeous pictures! you look stunning! my favorite is the last one, it's classic. I wish you and Jeff many years of happiness together.

[bj]

Hey Kelli, It's good to be a woman who knows her own mind and is confirmed in her own tastes. You certainly have good taste.
Looking back at my own wedding photos (from oh so long ago), my favs are all but one the unposed ones. The rest look like everyone else's wedding shots and serve only as a reminder of how we used to look back when (e.g. more hair for the guys ;)and that bridesmaids are real troupers for putting up w/ those dresses!
Thanks again.