This post is going to be picture overload, but I am not apologizing because Chris and Kelci's wedding was so beautiful, it cannot be contained. The bridesmaids and Kelci met at a salon where Kelci's friend Amira has a booth. Normally, I would have struggled getting up before 5 AM, but Amira was so wonderful and happy, that it wasn't difficult. Not to mention, my brother was getting married so I was pretty excited.
After coffee and getting our hair done, we headed over to the church. Kelci had gone a little before us so she and her mom could have some alone time while her mom helped her into her dress. Oh what a sight it was to walk in and see the beautiful bride!
We had some time before the ceremony to get some bridal party pictures (without Chris and Kelci seeing each other). After the bridesmaids got pictures with Kelci, and Kelci was hidden in the back, I went out to see Chris before the ceremony. He was pacing the room, and sweating a bunch. It was super sweet. (Don't hate my for saying that) Right before the ceremony started, we all prayed over Kelci. Moments like that are something I will never forget.
By the time the wedding started, it was like blizzard conditions to this East Coast girl. I have never seen snow like that. Because of the weather, the turnout was a little less than expected, but it was perfect. Chris and Kelci didn't do a first look, so Chris' first time seeing Kelci was as she walked down the aisle. He got a little choked up. The ceremony was so Christ-centered, and exactly what Chris and Kelci wanted.
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| She was so calm before the wedding. |
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| Mother and daughter-in-love |
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| Groom and his best man (Dad) |
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| Crazy friends. |
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| Love her so, and love my Carolina blue dress. |
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| I accidentally got makeup on his jacket. |
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| Family |
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| Deb in our going outside get up. Stylish huh? |
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| Wedding party |
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| The fam |
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| Siblings |
After the ceremony, we headed over to Big Horn Resort, where the reception was located. Kelci's family had prepared all of the food. I have to say, the baked beans were the best baked beans I have ever had. It was a very relaxed and intimate reception.
People started trickling out because the snow was getting worse and worse. By the time the garter and bouquet were supposed to be tossed, it was pretty much family and some of Chris and Kelci's friends from ultimate and the hospital. Although there weren't very many people for the tosses, it was still great that they got to do it. For their exit, we decided to do a human tunnel. You know, like the ones we did when we played rec soccer in elementary school. I loved that we did that.
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| Kelci's dad and flower girl dancing. |
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| Love my hubby and our Carolina blue clothes. |
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| First dance |
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| Father-daughter dance |
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| Kelci and Chris with Amira. She is wonderful, and I love her accent. |
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| My parents. Love them. |
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| Bridesmaids |
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| Kelci and her mom |
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| Our impromptu send-off. I love it. |
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| Helping his WIFE into the truck |
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| Sending off Chris and Kelci |
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| The most snow he's ever seen... and the coldest weather. |
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| Parents of the bride and groom. Notice how the men are already changed. |
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| Mother of the bride and groom |
God answered our fervent prayers, and Chris and Kelci were able to make their flight out of Billings the afternoon of the wedding, unlike the rest of us. Mom, Dad, and Oba (released from the hospital after the wedding) were able to make their first leg of their flight at 6 AM on Sunday and get home early Monday morning.
Brett and I found out Saturday evening that our flight was cancelled. We supposed to leave at 6 AM too, but our plane never reached Billings from the previous night. Mom drove me to the airport at 8:30 Saturday night after I had been on hold for 2 hours with the airlines. Unfortunately, the check-in lady cut off the line right before me.
The airline rescheduled our flight on THURSDAY! Yes, five days later. Neither Bret nor I could wait that long, as Brett was in the middle of recruiting (without cell phone coverage in Montana), and I had some deadlines for work. We decided to go to the airport at 4 AM Sunday morning to see if we could switch our flight. Thankfully we were the second in line so we could walk right up. The ticket counter lady was on the phone for us for 1.5 hours! Something is wrong with the system if your own employee has to be on hold that long.
Anyway, we were able to get out of Billings Monday evening, with a layover in Denver, a 1:30 AM flight to Philadelphia, and finally a 9 AM flight home, arriving home by 11 AM on Tuesday morning. It was a long night with very little sleep, but we made it. When we landed, it was single digits in North Carolina!! I don't know if I have ever seen that before. Because it had been so cold for so long, our car battery was dead. We called the parking people at the airport and only had to stand in the single digit weather for about 20 minutes. Apparently, it had been happening to a lot of people. Very thankful the parking people were so fast at the airport. After a long day of traveling, standing in the cold was not what we wanted.
Well, that is my recap of my brother's wedding. We love you, Chris and Kelci, and are so glad you found each other. God orchestrated your lives so you would meet each other, fall in love, get married, and further His Kingdom together. I am so excited to see what He is going to do in your life and marriage.
