England, Part 2

Ack! I'm sorry that it has been over a month since my last post! But here is a little bit more about mom and I's trip to England :)

A few of the Monavale New Zealand Ladies :)

 The ceremony for the wedding was held in the dining hall at Capernwray Hall. It was really quite simple and elegant. There were lovely flowers that were on the different chairs up the aisle and the stone fireplace was just an amazing backdrop for the whole thing.

Not sure whats up with my face in this picture, but
the fact that Caitlin could probably promise that I would
make a face like this during the ceremony, and STILL
wanted me to be in her wedding just means the world to me. :)

 Caitlin did an excellent job putting the whole thing together. I was very impressed with all of it and the whole thing was very 'Caitlin and Danny'. A lot of the wedding was DIY which was super impressive. On every chair at the ceremony was a little candy favor with their names and a little bit of info on it. All of which Caitlin made herself!! :) It was kinda funny how the bridesmaids dresses worked out cause the ones that Caitlin really wanted were from David's Bridal. Usually that wouldn't be a big deal except these dresses were only available for purchase in store! One small hitch with that program... I was the only American in the wedding! Let alone among the bridesmaids. So I tried on the dress, told Caitlin about it, and then tried to figure out how to translate European sizes, into American sizes, into Bridesmaid Dress sizes. Easier said than done! Thankfully it turned out great and the dresses really are quite lovely.

It was also a huge honor to me that Caitlin asked me to pray for her and Danny during the ceremony. I really think the most beautiful thing about the wedding was that Caitlin and Danny weren't obsessed with it being "their" day. They were more concerned with the fact that the guests knew how big of a role God was in their individual lives, and how they wanted Him to be the most important thing in their future years of marriage. It was a really clear and beautiful message. 

It was also a huge bonus to get to see a lot of my Capernwray friends. :) Which of course included these two lovely ladies, Monica and Mareika. :) They are such sweet girls and it was so good to get to catch up with them. Especially since I hadn't been able to see Mareika since I left New Zealand the first time. Monica I was lucky enough to see at my brother's wedding.

It was very sweet that Caitlin was able to get a lot of the personal touches that she wanted for the wedding. I had seen this idea of the red Mini-Cooper with the Union Jack on top on her Pinterest board a few months before the wedding. As we all know, Pinterest boards are great for ideas but seldom are they all that realistic. :) So the fact that she was able to actually have this pin come true was very neat.

  Neither Danny or Caitlin were too jazzed about the idea of having a wedding 'cake'. Solution to this problem? Make cheesecake of course! :) The day before the wedding Danny (who is also a chef, btw) made three different flavors of cheesecake and then decorated them for the wedding. They were very beautiful and at one point I had to help transport them. I almost had a heart attack! They also had a variety of other desserts, including individual Banana Toffee Cups, Chocolate Cake, other cheesecakes, as well as coffee and tea. :) All very yummy.

 All in all it was a very beautiful wedding, and not because they had nice decorations, or good food, or a fun dance, or pretty flowers, or nice dresses. Although all of those things were a bonus. It was a beautiful wedding because two wonderful people, who both love Jesus more than anything else (even each other) have decided to spend the rest of their lives together, devoted to God and one another. THAT is what makes a beautiful wedding to me. :) All the best to two of my favorite people in the world! :)

So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God
has joined together, let no man separate.
Matthew 19:6