Two Weddings: Part One- Mikell and Matt

We had two weddings in our family this past year.  Two of MY CHILDREN are married.  This is entirely weird, but entirely wonderful and right-feeling at the same time. 

My daughter Mikell and her now-husband Matt Koster were married April 21,2012 in the Oquirrh Mountain LDS temple.  It was a beautiful, but crazy, day, fairly long in coming since they were officially engaged at Thanksgiving, and "basically" engaged long before that. 

Getting ready for a wedding was a new experience for me.  In Pride and Prejudice when oldest daughterJane and Mr. Bingley announce their plans to get married Jane's father states   "You are a good girl, and I have great pleasure in thinking you will be so happily settled. I have not a doubt of your doing very well together. Your tempers are by no means unlike. You are each of you so complying, that nothing will ever be resolved on..." 

Spence and I have joked that this quote could DEFINITELY have been written about Mikell and Matt when it came to wedding planning.  What should we do about (flowers, the cake, decorations, food, etc. etc. etc)?  I don't know, what do YOU think?  I don't know, what do YOU think?  Round and round. 

To be fair, Mikell always said that it wasn't that she was indecisive, it was that most of the details didn't matter- the fact that she was marrying the right PERSON in the right place was what mattered.  The reception was just a party, after all.

Everything came together remarkably well.  We got an amazing deal on a dress that she loved and that fit her perfectly our first day shopping.  The mother of the boy Mikell was voted "Most likely to get married" to in middle school volunteered to do her flowers at cost.  A friend who was building her photography business gave us a great deal since it was her first big wedding shoot.  My daughter Erin was working for an invitation company at the time, and was able to get beautiful invitations for a great price.  Friends and family came from across the country and world to help.  It was a beautiful day.  One thing after another just fell into place.  

That's not to say that the whole thing wasn't stressful.  Oh my, no.  I was an emotional basket-case for most of the day.  Matt walked in on my husband Spence and I "exchanging words" just before we went to set up the hall for the reception.  Oh dear.
 
And we had been up until 4:00am dipping strawberries the night before.  

I don't think I really relaxed until the reception was most of the way over.  Then, I didn't want it to end.  

If I had it to do again, I wouldn't change too much.  I'd take better care of myself, and take on less (sewing, food, decorating, etc) if I could afford to.    

That aside, it was a wonderful, fun, big-ole parental pay day, capped off by Matt and Mikell telling us that everything was "Perfect" and that they "Wouldn't change a thing". Whether that is entirely true or not, it means a lot to me that they've said it.  Click on this link to see a great video summary of the day from their photographer.

Love, love love them.  More now than I did the day they were married.  I'm excited to have Matt in our family. I'm not sure I could pick anyone that would be a better fit for my Kell-Bell.  What a good guy.  I knew it from the first time he came to our house, before they were really even dating, when he played so well with and was so attentive to my little boys.  Yep, he's a keeper.

Lesson learning:  Stay tuned for this, thinking I'll put together some kind of "Top Ten" list of things I've learned after I write about Garrett and Ashlie's big day :)

What do YOU remember from Matt and Mikell's wedding? I'd love to see your comments below.