Gratitude | Our Wedding Story, Pt. 1 | #CullenItLove

The night before our wedding, I stayed with my Mom in her hotel room. Jeremiah and I had decided not to do a first look, but for sentimentality’s sake, we wanted the first time that we saw each other on June 22, 2019, to be at the altar. That evening, before I left, I hurriedly packed a small bag — toiletries, makeup, hair products, jewelry, pajamas — and placed it by the front door, next to my already-hanging wedding gown. While I wish I could say that I paused and embraced the moment fully — my last few moments as an “Edwards” in our apartment — instead, I hovered anxiously. My soon-to-be husband, Jeremiah, was still cleaning up.

Our rehearsal dinner — which had started in our apartment complex’s rec. room, then moved to the pool — continued to shift and grow legs. By 10 PM, guests were only beginning to finish their drinks and trickle out into the hallway. By 10:30 PM, my bag was packed, but Jeremiah was still gathering empty cups, ashtrays, and plates.

I remember asking him if he was okay. We’d had a long day — final appointments, haircuts, and errands, then the church rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, and entertaining for hours. He pulled me in for a hug and confirmed that, yes, everything was fine. I could and should leave and get some rest before our big day. I made him promise to get to bed as soon as possible and then stepped out into the night air. Tomorrow, I’d be a married woman.

In the morning, I woke up next to my Mom (of course we shared the same bed, haha) filled with excitement and anticipation. We drove over to my bridesmaids’ Airbnb where we’d be getting ready together for the ceremony. My four bridesmaids — Ayanna, Bella, Caroline, and Shenel — had set up a little breakfast buffet with mimosa supplies, bite-sized snacks (so helpful for when you’re trying not to ruin your dress!), and fruit. My sweet Caroline also surprised me with a photo book, in which she’d added pictures of my individual memories with each bridesmaid and photos from the rehearsal dinner. (Yeah, she’s quick!) It was truly such a sweet way to start the morning!

Then it was time to get ready, which took a lot less time than I’d expected. I’d already showered and curl-sponged my hair at my Mom’s hotel room, so it was simply a matter of putting on my makeup (4 steps — eyebrows, highlighter, blush & lipstick!), dress, shoes, and headpiece/veil. My bridesmaids had also voted to do their own makeup/hair, so we were all prepping in tandem. The majority of our getting ready time was spent laughing, reminiscing, taking Polaroids, and — when there was a slight miscommunication with scheduling — a hug circle in which I cried in the middle. (Everything ended up working out perfectly).

Finally, it was time to get into the car and head to the church, Saint Thomas More. My Mom helped me with the last touches — headpiece/veil and shoes — and then we piled into her car to head over.

The drive to Saint Thomas More was short and when we arrived, we were taken into a separate room to wait until the Ceremony began. We were all full of jitters, laughing at just about everything, and counting down the minutes.

About an hour prior to the ceremony, I stepped out for a few moments to do a “first look” with my Dad.

I won’t share much here because I love that it was a moment just for me and my Dad, but it was incredibly meaningful. I’m my Dad’s only daughter and his first child to be married, so there were plenty of reasons to feel emotional & blessed.

When I returned to the waiting area, I was basically like, “Okay, can I get married now?!” It felt like we’d been waiting forever! Finally, my beautiful Ayanna led us in a guided meditation exercise. It was the perfect segue into calming our nerves to get ready for the ceremony. What felt like only moments later, my Mom and bridesmaids were being pulled for the opening procession.

Our wedding was about to begin…