I know I’m not southern yet… heck, once I’m down there, I know that folks will only be too happy to remind me that I am just a YANKEE in their midst, but I feel a Y’ALL comin’ on and it needs to be allowed.
Y’all, words cannot do this whole wedding thing justice. Cannot.
That doesn’t mean I won’t TRY, but I’m just SAYING. I will not be able to capture even a tenth of it all, not even if I allow myself to be as cheesy as possible. It can’t be done. Because on the one hand it was enormous and huge and now things are DIFFERENT and on the other hand it was so much just what was happening in the space between the two of us and so logical and natural and everything is just the way it was, only moreso.
So. You can see the problem with trying to describe it. Also, when I’m not busy marveling at the superfantastical wonderfulness of it all, I’m busy dying of tuberculosis.
(What? You didn’t think I was going to get to have a wedding and honeymoon completely free of problems, did you? On the grand spectrum of things that could possibly go wrong, I’d have to say that having a really bad cough is actually not such a bad way to go. I mean, I might’ve preferred being able to breathe freely and not sounding like a three-pack-a-day smoker, but whatever.)
Anyway.
For those who want the short version: We got married! Is neat! Went to the mountains, spent a lot of time saying “Hey, we got married!” Then we came back, picked up the kids, took Otto to the airport, said goodbye, and now I’m home. Just like before.
For those who want the longer version: Pull up a chair!
But first… a few pre-wedding highlights!
Mother of the Year… for diversity! After several test-runs of curling Chickadee’s hair the night before, and forcing her to sleep on lumps in the name of beauty, I threw caution to the wind and curled her hair with a curling iron the afternoon of the wedding. The results were exactly what she wanted, so that was great. On the other hand, the afternoon of the wedding also brought out some attitude and defiance from Her Majesty that had the two of us locking horns in that special way that renders the rest of the room silent. I had an interesting moment where I stood outside myself and watched as my parents, Otto and Monkey all tried to pretend they were somewhere else while I informed Chickadee that the next misstep on her part would result in me calling a babysitter so that she could stay home during the wedding. Yes. I lovingly spent the day with my daughter, taking her for a manicure and along while I had my hair done, styling her hair, and then threatened to leave her out of the wedding. From the heights to the depths. Let’s hope that little detail fades from her memory, I guess.
And that’s why I married him. While on our way to the salon midday, I told Chickadee we should probably stop for gas so that Otto and I wouldn’t have to do so later as we rushed to get to our destination before it was too late to check-in. And then I saw that I had a full tank of gas. And later noticed that my car was really clean, too. Oh, THAT’s why it’s good to have a man around! Magic cars!
Ready for… not a lot, as it turns out. You may recall I have a long history of packing for trips as though I’m leaving for a month regardless of the length of my time away. You’d think that for something like a 2-day honeymoon I’d be ALL OVER that, given that what I ACTUALLY need and what I can fit in my suitcase are vastly different, but you’d be wrong. Somehow I managed to forget about packing until about an hour before the wedding, and as a result I ended up with things like sneakers but no socks and one flimsy cardigan that I wore pretty much the entire time because HI, it’s colder in the mountains and you betcha, I was colder. Also, I had exactly $8.14 on my person. Now that’s planning ahead.
Fathers of the Year… both of them. Monkey happily spent the day immersed in Legos and Pokemon, with my dad and Otto pretty much playing along as instructed, which is his idea of Nirvana. He didn’t even mind when Chickadee and I went out at lunchtime for my hair appointment (our second outing of the day), leaving him at home. All was well, until we were assembled at the church and about to begin, at about 3:45, and Monkey came up behind me and tugged on my dress. “I’m hungry. When’s lunch?” I told him that DINNER would be right after the ceremony and— I stopped and looked at my father and Otto. Had they ever fed him lunch? Guilty looks were exchanged. Excuses were made. And relentless taunting commenced as Otto’s brother very kindly took Monkey for a trip out to the Van O’ Snacks to fetch him some sustenance. (Okay, in reality this one is my bad as well; I should’ve checked when we got home. But still.)
The wedding itself… what can I say? It was a short and simple ceremony. We stared deeply into each others’ eyes and tried not to giggle while Otto’s young nephews commenced with what appeared to be a very anarchic version of “Marco Polo” in the pews behind us. Chickadee did a marvelous job with the bible reading. Monkey stood on one leg for much of it, flamingo-style, but kept the twirling to a minimum and never once said “I’m boooooored!” The pastor told us to remember that as tempting as it might be to view this as a conclusion, it’s merely the beginning. We kissed. The kids hugged us.
Then we went outside to take some pictures, which was when I apparently started hitting everyone with my flowers. Remember how I didn’t want a bouquet? Well, that was partially because I knew I wouldn’t know what to DO with it if I had it.
To the florist’s credit, the bouquet itself was beautiful and looked like it had been tailor-made to match my dress. The problem was that I currently have a disc with about 50 wedding pictures on it, and I appear to be either growing flowers out of my cleavage or beating someone with them in about 49 of those pictures. Niiiiiiiice.
Gah. I was going to tell you about dinner (chocolate truffle bomb cake!) and the honeymoon (snakes! snakes on a dock!) and coming back to spend Mother’s Day with the kids (cards! books! hugs!), but I am bone-weary and must go cough myself to sleep for a bit. So, the rest of this will have to wait.
But! I do have a few early pictures to share.
Remember how I wondered if my hair should be like a flock of goats? It turned out a lot more like a flock of poodles.
First I smacked Chickadee around with my bouquet, and then later I used it to scrape Monkey off of me. (Do you see what I mean about the flowers?)
Come to think of it, all of the flowers pretty much had minds of their own. At one point we snuck a kiss during pictures, and it turned out to be a sweet picture… if you overlook the fact that Otto’s rose did a nosedive just beforehand. (Or maybe it was just trying to look down my dress. Who knows.)
Thanks so much to everyone who left such kind wishes on the previous couple of posts. I promise, more details are forthcoming after sleep and perhaps a visit to the doctor for some good drugs.
(P.S. Empirical research shows that even tuberculosis does not diminish how shiny my ring is, how much I like referring to Otto as “my husband,” or how annoyingly happy I am right now.)
WooHOO!!!! Happy days! So very, very happy for you.
Congrats, Mir! What a stunning bride you were!
It looks and sounds lovely! The cleavage-peeking rose is cracking me up – it’s too much!
Beautiful. Beautiful dress, beautiful flowers (if unruly and willful), beautiful kids, beautiful husband. Beautiful.
Congrats!
Great photos! Congratulations and get better soon.
Beautiful. Congrats!
Call me a cheeseball, but totally crying happy tears for you, dollface. Congrats to Mr. Mir as well!
xo
Oh! Oh! And feel better!
Delurking to say congratulations! Your look just gorgeous (love the dress!), and I never would have noticed the downward rose if you hadn’t mentioned it.
I am so happy for y’all! :) Get some rest and come back to give us the rest of the details!
I am all teary. Congratulations and much love to both of you.
CONGRATULATIONS!!
You look stunning in your dress!
Happy Mother’s Day…
You look beautiful! I adore your dress! Congratulations!!
Better flower malfunctions than a wardrobe malfunction, right??
You look amazing — and over course the best part, you look HAPPY.
Congrats to you the new Mrs. Otto — did you tell him “I told you so” in your vows?
Yay! Congratulations!
I’m pretty sure a bad cough is a sign of a good wedding. Isn’t that some sort of old wives tale?
You are so pretty! and skinny! and gorgeous!
You look so beautiful! Congrats again! And, get well!
You are pretty pretty pretty! Oh how wonderful! YAY! I didn’t even think of tape…
Ok… I just have to say, other Heather and I are cosmically aligned… I am always the post just one or two after her.. ALWAYS. Maybe I’m really posting with both my personalities.
Look how pretty you look!!!!! Awwwwe. I wanna see more pics :) (it’s all about ME ME ME!)
Congratulations and Happy Wedding Day to You Guys! I wish you a lifetime of happiness!!!
that dress is sensational! and you look perfectly natural with that damn bouquet. i will send you a silk version promptly so you can carry it around the house everyday.
Mir, you are stunning. I love the dress, the shoes, the hair, the flowers. Thanks for sharing a peek into your day with us. Why am I crying? Sniff!
Yaaaaaaaaaaaay!!! Congratulations!!!!! And I’m happy for you, and giddy that you are giddy.
You all looked gorgeous, and even better- deliriously happy. Congratulations!
congrats! your dress was phenomenonally beautiful!
Beautiful photos of a beautiful day. Congratulations! Love the bouquet/dress combo.
And on the “y’all” thing: I loved that when I lived in the south. The economy of words, the genderless, numberless, perfect summation.
You look so beautiful! Congratulations!
I am so happy for you!!!!!
May the road stretch out ahead of you and the wind be at your back.
Smiles for everyone!
I’m a manly man, so I don’t like to admit when I get a little choked up, but this post made me get a little choked up with happiness. Don’t you tell anyone about this! My reputation of a manly man will be ruined.
Congratulations to you and Otto!
Hooray! Congrats!
Y’all look just gorgeous. :)
Congratulations! The pictures are wonderful!
Oh My, Mir. You Are Simply Stunning. Speechless. GORGEOUS dress! Beautiful kids! Lovely kiss. :) Yummy man.
You look SO gorgeous and happy :) Congratulations!!!
Congrats to you!
You look beautiful in every one of those pictures. Just beautiful.
Every single one of those photos just took my breath away! You looked absolutely stunning. Beautiful hair, beautiful dress, beautiful flowers. And Otto looked so handsome! I’m so happy for the two of you-Congratulations!!!
You were GORGEOUS! Hubba Hubba! Congratulations to you all. I am doing my funny happy dance for you now! Yipee!!!
gorgeous hair, dress, shoes, mir, otto, and kids. all of y’all! congrats again. sounds like it was lovely. can’t wait to hear more. did i tell you how pretty you looked? stunning i tell you. getting married agrees with you. :)
WOW….what a beautiful dress! And your hair looks great. Congrats! Truly a beautiful bride and an awesome family. I am so happy for you.
wow, you both looked gorgeous, congratulations, and the flowers don’t look like they were doing anything dangerous or kinky, but its ok to be a little paranoid about the way your photos come out.
Congratulations! Stunningly beautiful! Thank you for sharing pictures :) WOW the dress and your hair does NOT look poodle-ish…wow!
The cough is from the stress of your big day. It will go soon.
Delurking to say you looked stunning. Your dress is beautiful. I ADORE the shoes. Congratulations! May your days be filled with happiness. Feel better soon…
Congratulations! The photos are beautiful. Your dress is gorgeous, and I think you hair looks darling! Those are the kind of curls I dream of as I’m wrestling with unruly afro each morning.
Hope you feel better soon, and here’s to a wonderful beginning for the new family.
Ah! You look lovely, and the kiss picture is adorable! Congratulations!
But you failed to answer the driving question: did the boob tape work????
You looked beautiful! I liked your hair – no poodles for miles. Seriously!
Congratulations to you and Otto!
(Now where do I send the congratulatory Dale & Thomas popcorn? Umm, cuz it’s on sale! :) )
Married! Happy! :-D Congrats, you two. You looked gorgeous, of course, and so wonderfully happy. *clink, clink* To many happy years to come! And so much joy that my use of the word “happy” in this comment won’t seem the least bit extraneous!
Congratulations Mir from wet and windy Scotland. You looked lovely. So did Otto (although now I have to stop imagining you marrying the school bus guy from the Simpsons!)
So glad you are now Mrs. Otto – Congratulations! I’m so happy for you! And you looked so, so pretty – that dress is perfect! (And I can’t stop using exclamation points!)
I was so busy looking at your happy face, I forgot to check out the outfit! Glad the tape worked and the cough didn’t kick in just as you were diving in for the “I-now-pronounce-you-man-and-wife” (I’m making assumptions here, since you didn’t mention severe disasters in those areas).
Congrats!
Oh, I’ve got tears in my eyes – how lovely! You look so happy, and what a gorgeous dress!
Congratulations to all of you!
Congratulations and thanks for allowing us to be at your wedding via pictures. Hurry down to Georgia!!
I’m crying and smiling along with everyone else. :D I hope you get some good cough meds and feel back to the new normal, which is both cough-free and blissfully happy, very soon. (P.S. You look so pretty! Great pictures – thanks for sharing those!)
You looked GORGEOUS (love the dress and the hair!) and I’m so happy for you! Congratulations and much happiness to you!
Annoyingly happy?? LOL!!
Love the dress! The flowers – I still wouldn’t know what to do with the flowers!!
xo
LBC
Congrats….you look beautiful!! Thanks for sharing :)
Yeehaaa, Y’all! Happy, happy, happy for you. Beautiful.
Congrats! And really, not being able to breathe at weddings is normal… I was at the ER on Christmas because I couldn’t breathe and Hello! I’m getting married in less than a week! Turned out to be walking pneumonia. Oh, is that all? Fortunately I was breathing much better by the time Wedding Day arrived.
Congrats Mir and Otto!! I’m pretty sure that I wasn’t the only one who was all excited to check your sites this morning to read some wedding stories! And gorgeous photos to boot…you really spoil us! The day looked wonderful. The boob tape must have done its job because you really look stunning. Not a curly hair out of place.
Now, get yourself to a doctor and get some drugs!
Congratulations! Thanks for the pics!!
The pictures are terrific, can’t wait to hear about the snakes on the docks :)
Wow! Otto has a head! LOL
Congrats – looks like you got a beautiful day for it! Maybe living in the south will stop all of the colds – germs hate southern humidity!
Congrats!!!! I’m so happy for you, can’t wait to see pictures. May you have tons happieness in the years to come.
Oh Mir, you look stunning!
It looks like a perfect day and everyone looks wonderful.
Congratulations Mrs. Otto! We couldn’t be happier for you! Now heal up, sell that house, and go join your hubby, y’all! ;)
Congrats! And you wield your flowers like a pro.
SOOOOOOOOOO PRETTY!
Congratulations, Tulip! You did good.
Oh my dear you look amazing. Double — triple. It sounds like a wonderful, well-deserved day. Living as I do with curly hair I see not poodles but High Fashion. Mir it all looks so full of joy and love — just what you deserve.
You look absolutely amazing!!! Your dress is so beautiful (one of the best wedding dresses I’ve seen). Here’s to a happy and long life as Mrs. Otto!!!
Congratulations!! Sorry you were a bit under the weather, but you’d never know from the pics…and wow, you looked lovely!!!
Congratulations! And I’m so happy to get to see a picture of the beautiful dress and the pretty flowers.
Congratulations!
Thanks for sharing all of this. I’m the ninety-eleventh person here to say you looked stunning. And nary a stray boob in sight!
Hey! You know how you tell us, your loyal readers, to tell you that you are pretty? Well, you are! Just gorgeous! Your hair looks great, I must point out, too. And I like the untraditional approach to the wedding dress and rings. Why, that’s such a good idea that I did that myself.
Otto fed the car but not the kid? Ah well, he’s learning.
Congrats and thanks for sharing the photos. Y’all.
You are gorgeous. Looks like the tape did its job well!
Oh Pretty One!!! You look so amazing! More so than you usually do, and I didn’t even know that was possible! I’m pretty much the billionth comment this morning, but I just had to say how completely overjoyed I am for you and Otto and the kiddos. Don’t worry about the flowers, I think we all have pictures that look like we’re about to lop someone’s head off with our beautiful stealth weapons of pollinated doom…
Gorgeous! Absolutley gorgeous!
All brides should be as annoyingly happy, as you are – but, I also believe that no one deserves it more, than you – pretty, pretty, shiny, shiny, happy, happy.
No need for sugar in my coffee, today.
Congratulations, Mrs. Otto – hugs to the hubs – and I’m glad you went with the flowers.
““I’m hungry. When’s lunch?†I told him that DINNER would be right after the ceremony and— I stopped and looked at my father and Otto. Had they ever fed him lunch?”
Hon, in the south dinner is lunch.
yay!! your post gave me butterflies. so very, very happy for all of you. congrats, mrs. otto, indeed. :)
Beatiful Mir! Congratulations! And I know what you mean about the magic man who fills and cleans the car. Someday I am going to run out of gas, because I never ever look at the gas gauge, because he always fills it up.
You! Are! So! Pretty! Love the dress, love the shoes, love the fact that you’re so happy. Congratulations!
Congratulations, Mir! You look wonderful, and so happy too. I love your dress and your shoes. Happy wedding!
Beautiful. I’m speechless. The tears.
So wonderfully HAPPY for all of you.
Beautiful! Thanks for the pictures!
the flowers look perfect – and so do you! Congratulations!!
picture perfect of a stunningly happy couple. get well soon, not that I think you’re missing out on the hugs and kisses ;p
It’s all just so damned sweet. I need a tissue.
Congratulations, you four!
Mir,
Congratulations to you and Otto (and the kids)! You looked stunning and the flowers do not look out of place — everything is gorgeous. Is that the first time we’ve had the pleasure of seeing a photo of Otto? :O)
Hope you get to feeling better soon! Best wishes!!
Congratulations. You looked BEAUTIFUL. I LOVE that dress. It is gorgeous.
In fact, can I have it? Just kidding.
Its wonderful that you are so happy. You deserve it. Also, happy belated mother’s day.
Congratulations! It sounds like the perfect day.
Ah, bliss…
Oh, Mir. Blessings, blessings and more blessings to you and your Otto. And blessings to your kiddos, your family, the florist, even the snakes on the dock.
Raising my coffee cup in a toast to Mr. and Mrs. WSC. May each and every day be sweeter than the next, global warming and Bush Administration notwithstanding.
Always your fan and friend,
Grace
xoxox
BEAUTIFUL! Killer flowers and all! :)
Congratulations!
Now I see why Otto calls you the pretty one! Mir, you looked phenomenal! Congratulations!
You look beautiful! Congratulations!
Gorgeous pictures! BEAUTIFUL (non-poodle) hair, stunning dress, elegant EVERYTHING!!!
I am SO happy for you.
You ALL looked beautiful, and you— missy looked stunning! I love the dress ( I own it too!). Congrats and best wishes. It’s been a weekend of Internet weddings, you and betheboy.blogspot.com got married too!
shorn puppies or not, this was clearly ALL it was meant to be and more! blessings on you all!
CONGRATULATIONS Mir! What beautiful pictures!
Congratulations Mir!! Your photos are beautiful. I loved seeing the happiest day. :)
Congratulations Mir! What a lovely dress, and pretty shiny shoes, and gorgeous (if slightly naughty) flowers.
I’m glad you all had a good day. Best wishes on many more in the future!
Congratulations, my lovely!
Ohh! I read about everything seperatly but never pictured it all put together – the shoes (the SHOES! I LOVE the shoes!), the dress, the hair, the flowers, the man, everything looked beautiful! Congratulations! My wish is that you stay this deliriously happy forever!
You looked gorgeous Mir. Now get better so that you can really enjoy being married… eventually.
Blessings to you all in your days to come.
Gratz! (as the online gamers like to say)
You look so pretty! Congratulations.
Wahoo! But so sad he had to go back home so quickly :(
Lovely.Pretty.Lady. And your boobs stayed in!
Many many happy times together!
Congratulations!! You look gorgeous, the dress is gorgeous, and I like your hair (even if puppies had to die for it).
you all looked wonderful!!! your dress is amazing.
congratulations!
YAY yay YAY yay YAY yay YAY yay YAY yay YAY!!!
Love the dress! SO PRETTY! And the hair! Well, I love everything!
Congrats! and Feel better soon!
Oh happy-happy and many congratulations. You did it!!!!
:)
Your abbreviated recap was, as always, very funny.
And the photos are gorgeous. You are gorgeous. The flowers are gorgeous.
And your hair does NOT look like a flock of poodles.
Nicely done. Bravo.
Can’t wait to hear more details – so get well soon!
De-lurking to say that I’m grinning from ear to ear while reading. So very happy for you! How beautiful.
The pictures are awesome. You look beautiful. I am SO happy for you. Get better soon and get down there to that man!
Oh, you two look fabulous, I love your dress! Congratulations!
I read this whole post with a big cheesy grin on my face. Absolutely lovely. Congrats and best wishes.
I can hardly wait until your move to the south and you go to a restaraunt, order a “Coke” and the server asks you “What kind of Coke would you like? Pepsi? Sprite? Dr. Pepper?”
Mazel Tov and a big L’chaim too!
Gorgeous! And one little cough – pshaw – it is better to lewk gewd than to feel gewd, dahling! Congratulations!
Congrats, Mir! Beautiful pictures – you are simply gorgeous. I’m so happy for you!
weepy and beaming and so so happy for the gorgeous NON-poodle-looking bride and the man clearlty in love with the entire woulda brood.
Pretty. Just darned pretty, all of it and all of you.
You do give one reason to hope, you two.
All the best.
Ahhh, I love a good wedding.
**sniff**
Thank you for the pictures
How pretty! What would you have been doing with your hands had you NOT had flowers? See….they do have a purpose! Thanks for sharing your special day, it looked so wonderfully perfect!
“…and I appear to be either growing flowers out of my cleavage or beating someone with them…”
Well, I guess it is better than appearing to beating people with flowers in your cleavage.
Congratulations! Best of Luck! And other cheesy cliches that are supposed to be uttered here, but can not think of at the moment.
So gorgeous! So happy-looking! Hooray!!!
Awwww, Mir, you look beautiful. And that very lucky guy does too. Wishing you joy and the entire family all you deserve — xo L
Congratulations! You look beautiful. I esp. love the photo with your monkey – so, so sweet.
Congratulations again! You look so beautiful. I love your dress! Thank you for sharing the pictures. :)
So so so so very beautiful. Otto too. And those sweet spawn. I am verklempt. Yay for all of you!
Congratulations! You looked lovely.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, you look lovely. The flowers are gorgeous, the dress is beautiful, your hair is superb. I’m so glad it was wonderful. (And I’m sorry about the TB)