My Wedding: Before the Ceremony

No matter how many weeks, months, or years you've spent planning each and every detail of your wedding, there are so many things that remain out of your control- traffic, weather, other people, etc. I had made a decision early on in my wedding planning that no matter what happened on my wedding day, I would remain calm, happy, and peaceful so that I could enjoy every minute of the day. Yes, I could have stressed out that it was raining the entire day of my wedding with no signs of clearing up, but I just chose to smile and believe that everything happens for a reason. I really felt bad because my entire wedding party was in a state of panic about the rain because I was genuinely not concerned about the rain. I just knew that it was going to clear up. I just felt like everything was going to be perfect.

15 minutes before the ceremony began, I saw this through the window. 

The weather had cleared up, and it was PERFECT. Not only had the rain stopped, but it had dropped the sizzling Florida heat to a more manageable level and cleared all of the footprints from the sand.

Gorgeous, right?

My beautiful bouquet

Closeup of my bouquet

In my family, it's traditional for the bride to carry the family Bible down the aisle along with the bouquet. My grandfather brought this Bible from Jerusalem for my mother, and it's now been passed on to me. I think it's so beautiful, and I can't wait to pass it down to my daughter.

My beautiful bridesmaids, me, and my gorgeous mom!

Let me tell you, this girl- my GORGEOUS cousin Michelle- was my rock the entire week of the wedding. She helped me finish so many last-minute tasks and kept me calm and smiling the whole week! I love her so much, and I wish she didn't live so far away in Canada. Be on the lookout for Michelle's new blog! She's a fashion/beauty/shopping genius, so I'll be sure to post a link as soon as it's up and running :)

My mom helping me with the final touches!

Finally ready to get married!

All of the photography featured above is from the lovely Emily at Emily E Martin Photography. If you're planning a Florida wedding, I cannot recommend her services highly enough. Be sure to check out her website (Ryan and I are the first picture!), blog, and Facebook for more information. I can't wait to share the rest of my wedding day with you all! Let me know what you're interested in seeing- ceremony, reception, and details?