our ceremony turned out to be beautiful - literally. we get to the greenhouse and the sun came out the second my dad and i started walking down the aisle. it sounds cheesy, but i swear, the timing could not have been planned better than if you organized it with mother nature! we originally wanted to have our ceremony in this gorgeous perennial garden on the botanical grounds, but due to the weather we opted for the shelter of the greenhouse instead.
so our circle seating arrangement was a bit smushed, and with the sun, the guests were a bit warm (we were in a greenhouse after all!) , but we loved every minute of it. i'm sorry i don't have many detail shots of the ceremony... the fan programs i spent hours designing, gluing and crafting, the sheperd's hook aisle runners filled with playful wildflowers and the bushels of hydrangeas that surrounded the heart of our ceremony - but sadly, these little details did not get captured!
our ceremony focused on unity, which is why our family and friends surrounded us in a circle as we stood among them.
"let this circle be a sign that love has a past, a present, and a future, and that whenever there are sorrows, joy will come around again"
"for after you says these vows, you shall say to the world, this is my husband, this is my wife"
"remember that marriage is a shared relationship, not a matter of possession. it is a means of showing your commitment to one another, not a blind surrendering of personality. it is not an excuse to become limited in your outlook; but an opportunity for mutual growth"
we did it!