WORDS CAN NOT ADEQUATELY DESCRIBE THE EVENTS OVER THE PAST 16 YEARS, BUT I WILL TRY~IN 1998, MY HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEART, ASKED ME TO MARRY HIM. WE WERE SO YOUNG, NIAVE AND INSEPARABLY IN LOVE. A FEW MONTHS LATER MY FIANCE JOINED THE MILITARY AND INFORMED ME THAT HE WOULD BE GONE FOR ALMOST A WHOLE YEAR. I WOULD STAY BEHIND AND FINISH MY LAST YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL AND PLAN A WEDDING. HE WOULD SECURE A WAY TO PROVIDE FOR US ONCE WE STARTED OUR LIVES TOGETHER.
WHEN I SAY THE FIRST FEW MONTHS APART WERE EXCRUCIATING, I'M BEING KIND. I THINK I WOULD HAVE PREFERRED DEATH. THIS WAS BEFORE CELL PHONES AND EMAIL SO WE WOULD WAIT ANXIOUSLY EVERYDAY FOR THE NEXT LETTER TO ARRIVE. EVERY WORD REREAD OVER AND OVER. BUT SOON THOSE LETTERS STARTED TO COME LESS AND LESS. THEN THE PAIN LESSEN TOO. WE WERE GROWING APART~
EVERYONE AROUND US CONTINUED TO PLAN A WEDDING. EVERYTHING FROM THE COLORS, THE FLOWERS AND INVITATIONS WERE BEING DECIDED. I REMEMBER THE DAY WE WENT TO PICK OUT THE WEDDING DRESS. AS THE LADY PULLED IT OUT A LITTLE FOR ME TO VIEW, IM SURE THERE WAS A LIGHT FROM HEAVEN SHINING ON IT, AS IF IT HAD ALREADY BEEN CHOSEN FOR ME. IT WAS THE FIRST AND ONLY WEDDING DRESS I TRIED ON THAT DAY.
UNFORTUNATELY, I NEVER GOT TO WALK DOWN THE ISLE IN THAT DRESS.
I MESSED UP, HE MESSED UP, WE ALMOST LOST EACH OTHER~
ONLY BY THE GRACE OF GOD, WERE WE ABLE TO RECONCILE AND STAND HAND AND HAND TODAY 16 YEARS LATER.
JUNE 14, 1999 IN WAUKEGAN IL , WE MADE IT OFFICIAL. I DIDNT HAVE ANY FAMILY THERE BUT SOME OF MY HUSBANDS FAMILY DID COME. I THINK THEY WERE GOING TO TRY TO TALK HIM OUT OF IT AND I DONT BLAME THEM.
OH, THE TEARS I CRIED OVER THE PAST 16 YEARS. HOW I WISHED I COULD HAVE A DO OVER. HOW I WISHED OUR LOVE STORY DIDNT HAVE SO MANY ROCKY SPOTS. HOW I WISHED MY FATHER COULD HAVE WALK ME DOWN THE ISLE AND HOW I WISHED I COULD HAVE WORN THAT DRESS.
BUT GOD SAW EVERY TEAR AND CAUGHT EVERYONE OF THEM. EVEN THOUGH MY OWN SINFUL BEHAVIOR HAD LED ME NOT TO HAVE THAT PERFECT WEDDING. GOD WAS GOING TO SHOW ME HIS LOVE AND REDEEMING GRACE THROUGH THIS.
FAST FORWARD TO SEPTEMBER 28TH 2013~
AFTER 14 YEARS OF MARRIAGE, MY HUSBAND AND I REALIZED THAT WE HAD ONCE AGAIN LOST SIGHT OF OUR LOVE FOR EACH OTHER. SO, WE DECIDED TO RENEW OUR VOWS. WE DROVE TO OURAY CO AND ON A MOUNTAIN WE PRIVATELY AND MORE LOVINGLY THAN THE FIRST TIME, EXCHANGED OUR VOWS AGAIN. THIS TIME ALL OF NATURE STOOD AS OUR WITNESSES.
SEPTEMBER 25TH 2014 (ALMOST ONE YEAR LATER) AFTER DRAGGING MY FEET FOR SOME TIME I HAD FINALLY DECIDED TO START MY OWN PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS. WITH A WEDDING BOOKED, I KNEW I WOULD NEED A SECOND PHOTOGRAPHER. SO, I COMMISSIONED MY SWEET HUSBAND. THURSDAY MORNING, JUST 2 DAYS AWAY FROM THE WEDDING, MY HUSBAND ASKED ME IF HE COULD TAKE SOME PICTURES OF ME WHEN HE GOT HOME FROM WORK. HE WANTED TO PRACTICE USING THE NEW CAMERA AND LENS. RIGHT THEN I KNEW THAT I NEEDED TO BE IN A WEDDING DRESS FOR HIM. WHAT BETTER WAY TO PRACTICE FOR A WEDDING, RIGHT!
SO, I STARTED CALLING LOCAL BRIDAL BOUTIQUES. IM SURE THEY ROLLED THEIR EYES AT MY REQUEST. HI, IM A PHOTOGRAPHER. I'D LIKE TO BORROW A DRESS FOR FREE. TODAY! I KNOW THAT THIS COULD ONLY BE GODS DOING AND HIS PLAN BECAUSE ONE LADY SAID, YES! I QUICKLY GOT READY AND HEADED DOWN TO THE BUSINESS.
(NOW STAY WITH ME FOLKS, IT'S GETTING READY TO GET GOOD)
WHEN I ARRIVE AT THE BUSINESS I CHUCKLE TO MYSELF AND TEAR UP A LITTLE THINKING ABOUT HOW THIS WAS THE SAME PLACE I HAD COME TO GET MY WEDDING DRESS 16 YEARS AGO. THE SWEET ELDERLY LADY GREETS ME AT THE DOOR AND USHERS ME OVER TO THE WEDDING DRESSES IN MY SIZE, WHICH I HAD STATED TO HER OVER THE PHONE. SHE BEGINS TO PULL OUT THE FIRST DRESS HUNG BEAUTIFULLY IN ITS PROTECT PACKAGE AND I CATCH A GLIMPSE. IMMEDIATELY I KNOW, THERE IT IS! THERE IS MY DRESS! THE DRESS I WAS SUPPOSE TO WEAR 16 YEARS AGO. I WOULD GET TO WEAR IT AFTER ALL. I TRY TO KEEP MY COMPOSURE BUT MY INSIDES ARE FLYING. I DIDNT WANT TO GO INTO A LONG TEARFUL STORY WITH A LADY I JUST MEET SO I HOLD IT TOGETHER. WE CASUALLY CHAT FOR A MINUTE AND THEN I SLIP ON THE DRESS. I WALK TO THE PLATFORM AND STEP UP ONTO IT. IT WAS DE JA VUE! ONLY THIS TIME I SEE MYSELF MUCH OLDER, WISER AND SO MUCH MORE APPRECIATIVE OF THIS DRESS. THE SWEET OWNER OFFERS TO LET ME TAKE MY DRESS AND ANOTHER HOME FOR OUR PHOTO SHOOT. I THANK HER AND WE LOAD THE DRESSES INTO THE CAR. I SIT IN THE CAR FOR AWHILE WITH MY DRESS IN THE BACK SEAT AND JUST CRY TEARS OF JOY AND THANK THE LORD FOR HIS LOVE FOR ME.
NOW TO MAKE THIS OFFICIAL I WOULD NEED A BOUQUET SO I HEAD DOWN TO A FLORIST SHOP AND AGAIN THIS COULD ONLY BE GOD. HI, IM A PHOTOGRAPHER, I NEED A BOUQUET FOR FREE. TODAY!
( OF COURSE IT WAS SAID A LOT NICE BUT THAT WAS THE JEST) I OFFERED TO REFERR THEIR BUSINESS IN RETURN. SHE SAYS YES! THEY ASK ME WHAT I WANT THE BOUQUET TO LOOK LIKE. (SUNFLOWERS ARE MY FAVORITE FLOWERS) SO, I SAY MAYBE JUST A FEW SUNFLOWERS AND SOME GREENS. THEY QUICKLY WHIP UP A SMALL BOUQUET AND I HEAD HOME TO SURPRISE MY HUSBAND WITH ALL OF THIS.
WHEN I ARRIVED HOME I TELL MY DAUGHTER THE WHOLE STORY AND SHE WAS EVEN AMAZED. SHE THEN HELPS ME GET READY SO HER DADDY COULD SEE HER MOM IN THE DRESS SHE WAS SUPPOSE TO WEAR ALL THOSE YEARS AGO. WE TALK ABOUT HOW WE WILL BE DOING THIS WITH HER ONE DAY AND WE BOTH TEAR UP AT THE THOUGHT OF THAT. SHE TELLS ME I'M BEAUTIFUL.
IN THE MEANTIME DAVID HAS NO IDEA. HE HAS NO IDEA I HAVE THE DRESS. HE DOESNT EVEN KNOW WHAT THE DRESS WAS SUPPOSE TO LOOK LIKE OTHER THAN WHAT I TOLD HIM ABOUT IT 16 YEARS AGO. I'M TEXTING HIM THE WHOLE TIME ASKING HIM WHEN HE WOULD BE HOME SO I CAN BE STANDING AT THE DOOR WHEN HE WALKS IN. WE SEE HIM PULL INTO THE DRIVE WAY AND I POSITION MYSELF SO I WILL BE THE VERY FIRST THING HE SEES WHEN HE OPENS THE DOOR. I PLACE THE VEIL OVER MY FACE. THERE ARE NO PRECIOUS STONES OR GOLD THAT COULD COMPARE TO THE PRICELESS LOOK ON HIS FACE WHEN HE SEES ME. I TRY TO KEEP FROM CRYING. HE LIFTS MY VEIL AND KISSES ME AND THROUGH A SMALL CHOKED VOICE I SAY, THIS IS THE DRESS I WAS SUPPOSE TO WEAR TO OUR WEDDING 15 YEARS AGO. HIS MIND IS SPINNING. ARE YOU SURE? HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE? I SAY, I'M 100% SURE AND THE ONLY WAY ITS POSSIBLE IS BECAUSE OF GOD. WE EMBRACE AND CRY OVER THIS AMAZING GIFT.
EVEN RIGHT NOW AS I WRITE THIS, I AM AMAZED. AWE STRUCK. THAT THIS STORY IS TRUE AND ITS MINE. HOW GOD CAN TAKE A SINFUL UNDESERVING HUMAN AND REDEEM HER AND BLESS HER. HOW HE KNOWS ME AND MY PAIN. HOW HE LOOKS FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO SHOW ME HIS GRACE AND MERCY. I THINK THAT THIS IS WHAT THIS STORY IS ALL ABOUT. SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO WAIT. TO WAIT FOR THE TIME WHEN IT MEANS THE MOST. TO WAIT FOR THE TIME WHEN GOD REVEALS HIS UNENDING LOVE FOR YOU. AND THIS TIME HE GETS ALL THE GLORY!
SO NOT ONLY DID MY HUSBAND GET TO SEE HIS BRIDE IN HER ORIGINAL WEDDING DRESS THAT DAY. HE ALSO GOT TO BE THE PHOTOGRAPHER TO CAPTURE HER IN IT! HOW AWESOME IS THAT~
