The wedding was lovely...

I know I've been neglecting my little blog here, but life has been so very busy!  It seemed like no sooner did we get back from camp and then it was time to jump into getting Chris & Sarena's wedding cake made and their gift finished.  I realize that I never took a picture of the pillowcases I embroidered for them, but that's what my gift was... 

The newlywed couple requested their pictures not be put online, so I can't rightly share most of the pictures I took while helping with wedding prep. on Friday and Saturday, but here are a few I don't think they'd mind me sharing.

I baked the wedding cakes (and 160 cupcakes) on Thursday and crumb-coated them.  Friday morning, my dad helped me pack up the Pacifica with all my icing supplies and the cakes/cupcakes, then I picked up Lauretta and drove to the church near Almont.  It was a sweet little church---a very old church actually, one of the very oldest in ND.  There were a few wasps in the sanctuary when we first arrived, but many of them were swatted down and the few remaining just stayed up on the ceiling where they didn't bother anybody.  :)

After Lauretta and the groom's mother helped me carry everything down to the church basement, I started whipping up the buttercream icing and occupied the kitchen for a few hours...

 The groom's sister and sister-in-law assembled lots of bouquets for the reception tables.   Here are a few of them...

 Lovely roses for the head-table...

 Looking at the headbands or necklaces or something...  (That's Lauretta and I.)   That night, after rehearsal everyone there ate supper together in the basement.  One of the ushers was confused for a bit and thought I was one of the bride's sisters, so I guess we kind of look alike?  :)

 Several of us stayed at the church overnight.  Lauretta and I had a bit of a cold yet, so we occupied the basement.  The green/white afghan there is the one Lauretta's been working on for several months and just finished Saturday morning----just in time to give to the new couple.  :)

 Friday night, Lauretta and a couple of her sisters and myself stayed up until 2:00am working.  We made sure that Sarena got to bed early (11-ish) so she would at least be fresh for her wedding day.  We baked several pies; mixed up gallons of punch and froze punch rings; one sister hemmed pants while Lauretta worked on her blanket present; they practiced walking in high-heels; and we wrapped presents.  We decided we'd best get some sleep then and slept for 5 hours. 

 Some of the gifts...

 The next morning was also full of activity!  Some of Sarena's cousins came to do the bridesmaid's hair and makeup, which took a good deal of time---getting everything just so, you know. Sarena had asked me to do her hair, so I did.  She has such lovely long hair that it took a long time just curling it, but when at last it was finished and I set her jeweled tiara on her head, she truly looked like a princess!  I wish I could share a picture with you all, but you'll just have to imagine it.  :)  They also asked me to do Sarena's mama's hair, so that was special.

My parents and Andrew arrived a couple hours before the ceremony.  Andrew was asked to tape the wedding, so he had a camcorder going (my dad helped with that) and a camera too, getting lots of great shots!

 My dad...

 Jacob stayed home to do the chores (he was feeling pretty sick still), but the rest of my family helped me set up the cake when the time came and then helped a lot with serving and clean-up too.

 My dad had a nice talk with the groom's dad.  While Chris and Sarena opened their gifts, they were sitting beside each other.  I sat by my dad and then Chris's sister, Danelle came and sat by her dad.  Andrew snapped this picture of us.  :)    I'd never met Chris's family before, but they all seemed very  nice and were pleasant to work with.

Here is what the cake eventually looked like: 

I hope there are some pictures somewhere of the cake by itself with the topper on it, as the topper was a horse, pulling a carriage with a bride and groom in it.  So cute!

We stayed until about 8:30, helping with cleanup and visiting some more. 

It was a lovely wedding!  It is such a wonderful thing when a young man and young woman who love God marry and start a new family!  May there be many more such wonderful occasions in the near future.  :)