I had the pleasure of co-authoring the first two stories of the “Journey Down The Aisle” series with Reporter Dillon Carr. On Saturday, July 5, my journey officially finished with a smooch. After taking time to process that day, I still don’t think I can quite wrap my head around what all happened, but I’ll do my best in Part III of “Journey Down The Aisle.”
Leading up to my nuptials with Jon Dech, we both were busy renovating, cleaning, and moving into our new home in Ontario. One minute we’d be talking about what color we wanted to paint the walls and another minute we’d be talking about what songs we’d like to have played at the reception.
Needless to say, it was a little hectic.
The morning of our wedding I wondered, “Is this really happening—am I really going to get married today?” The several weeks of planning and prepping seemed endless, and so to finally have a day that I could just relax and have fun was a little strange.
My excitement woke me up a couple hours before my alarm clock, leaving me with plenty of free time. As I sat in anxious anticipation, ‘what-if’ scenarios began to play through my head: “What if I forget my vows? What if I trip when I walk down the aisle? What if I spill food on my dress at the ceremony (I don’t think I’ve ever managed to keep a white outfit clean),” I thought.
I could feel my heart begin to race and my head start to spin, so I escaped to my front porch to take advantage of the beautiful morning air. I closed my eyes and listened to the chirping of birds and the whisper of leaves blowing in the wind. After having a moment to breathe and relax, I felt a peace and calming confidence rush over me, assuring me that the day would be amazing.
Upon arriving to the location of the ceremony and reception at Light and Life Christian Camp, I felt even more joy and enthusiasm from my bridesmaids, who gushed over my waterfall braid hairstyle and shared their excitement for what was to come with whooping and belts of laughter.
Every five minutes, there was a “Woooo!” or “Yaaaaaaaaaaay!” yelled from one of the girls. Having that spunky energy surround me while we were getting ready was just what I needed to help calm my nerves and boost my excitement.
They made me feel like a queen, always asking how they could be of assistance. Thank goodness that they were much more versed in the art of applying makeup. All I had to do was sit back and watch as they went to work on helping give me the simple look I wanted.
For you brides out there, I recommend that if you’re like me and aren’t confident with hairstyling or applying makeup, schedule an appointment or have a friend help you—the less you have to stress about, the better.
The beautifying process went smoothly, and when I finally stepped into my gown, that was when I felt like it was really happening—I was getting married. After carefully treading down the stairs so that I wouldn’t slip, I could hardly wait to see Jon.
I was eager for the “big reveal” when he would see me for the first time all “decked out” in my wedding gown. We decided that I would sneak up on him while he waited outside where we were going to take pictures and then we would have a moment together, just the two of us.
As I tiptoed through the grass to where he was standing, I chuckled to myself because Jon was standing in a funny position like a mannequin—“and that’s one of the reasons why I love him,” I thought. I tapped him on the shoulder and when he turned around, it was all smiles from there.
We proceeded to take pictures and finished with enough time to refresh and relax before the ceremony began.
I initially wanted to take pictures after the ceremony because I didn’t want all the mystery to be gone by the time I walked down the aisle. My favorite part of every wedding ceremony is watching the groom as he sees his bride walk down the aisle—his face is always priceless—and so I thought that I wouldn’t be able to wow him a second time if he already saw me. Fortunately, I was wrong.
Linking arms with my grandma, I stepped onto the aisle way to meet my groom. The flashing of cameras and mixture of emotions blinded me for a second, making me forget what I was doing until I saw him.
He was waiting for me with a big grin on his face and tears welling up in his eyes. “Yes!” I thought. “I was able to ‘wow’ him!” – Is it wrong to say that I was excited to see my husband about to cry? – I, too, was fighting back tears (waterproof mascara is a good investment).
People all the way in the back of the room could probably see my molars because I was smiling so big when I finally joined Jon at the end of the aisle. Together we walked up the stairs and onto the stage where we stood before our officiant, Gunther Stahlke.
In my mind, it was just us three up there. A battle between elves and leprechauns could’ve broken out at the camp and I would have been completely oblivious to it. The first time I really thought about others watching us was when we turned to face the crowd as Mr. and Mrs. Dech.
It’s hard to say what exactly was my most favorite part of the wedding—like I mentioned earlier, the whole day was a lot to process—but there were elements that I’m glad we could incorporate. I’m glad that we chose to include a time of worship; after all, it was the Lord’s leading that brought us together. I’m also happy that our friends and family graciously agreed to lend their talents so that we could have awesome pictures, delicious food, beautiful decorations, melodic live music, and stunning artwork.
Although my journey down the aisle is complete, I’m looking forward to this new adventure known as marriage. I’m also excited to cheer on my friends, Dillon Carr and Cailtin McCue, as they take their final steps in their journey down the aisle. Be sure to check back next month for their wedding story in the fourth and final part of the “Journey Down The Aisle” series.
