This post may bring a few tears if you are prone to crying at weddings!! My Aunt Diane married Chester Williams in a beautiful country wedding. A beautiful bride and a handsome husband……..is there anything else I can tell you? Of course there is because you know I am long-winded!!!
The Cakes
These cakes!!! OMG!! My mom, Tonya, made both cakes. She spent lots of hours making and decorating the cakes. Italian Cream Cake with cream cheese icing and Chocolate Cake with a chocolate ganache layer covered in chocolate buttercream icing. We made plans to transport the cakes, then we changed the plans, and changed them again! Driving the cakes to the wedding was a major thing that we had to do just right. It was a 3 hour drive on a day that had a big enough chance of rain to make us nervous about driving!! We crammed and stacked all of our bags into one seat and floorboard and folded the other seat forward in order to make enough room for the cakes in my SUV!!! Luckily it was a tight fit so it kept the cakes from shifting around on the trip. We rode with the AC on high at 60-65 degrees for the entire 3 hours. For those of you who know us, you know my mom was in heaven and I felt like I had fallen into a frozen lake!! But, I suffered through the chill bumps and chattering teeth in order to keep the cakes cold on the way to the church!! I was never so happy to step out into Texas humidity as I was when we got to Arkansas!! It only lasted for about 27 seconds and I was completely thawed out and starting to sweat! Texas!!
Before the Wedding
My aunt was married to my wonderful Uncle Dennis for 40 years before we tragically lost him in 2014 to a blood clot. Aunt Diane was lucky enough to find another great man who makes her happy!!
Isn’t this beautiful? The ferns, the sunflowers, the saddles, the boots, and the lace come together to create a gorgeous, and country, alter for marrying your best friend. Aunt Diane told us that when they brought the ferns in to set it up, they didn’t realize until it was too late that one of the ferns was COVERED in grasshoppers!! Can you only imagine!! They were able to get most of the grasshoppers out, but I did catch a glimpse of one sneaky grasshopper clinging to the window like Tom Cruise filming a Mission Impossible movie!
We all got ready together in a couple of hotel rooms, that thankfully had an adjoining door so it gave us a little bit more room. 4 women (including the bride), 1 young man, and 1 toddler trying to get ready in a short amount of time in 2 hotel rooms with only 1 shower that worked correctly would have been a nightmare for a lot of people. Not my family!! We showered, fixed hair, did our make-up, and talked with some visitors that came by without a single moment of stress. In fact……… we sang, we laughed, we reminisced, and we danced all in the few short hours that we had! The above picture is Aunt Diane and Matthew dancing just before we left the hotel. Look at her face!! Pure bliss!! We didn’t have the best floor or space for dancing but those are minor details. Remember this…… the minor details should never keep you from enjoying exactly what you have with the people you love.
And speaking of………here are a few pictures of the people I love!!
Squeezed into this picture is Deanna, Miranda, Michael, Dillon, Drew, and my mom. You can barely see Drew in the back by the window but he definitely knew I was getting him in the picture!!
Me, mom, Traci, and Kynlee. Heaven knows that Kynlee, my neice, is a mover and shaker. She hates being still and I am shocked that I was able to get a picture with her in it!!
Me and Matthew, sitting in the front and cutting up before the wedding began!! You can’t see her because of my big ol’ head, but Hannah is sitting right behind me.
My Aunt Sue! She is actually my Great Aunt and she is the last living sister of my Grandma Lou.
My cousin, DJ.
Unfortunately, my cousin Dedi was not able to be here!! A mishap with plane tickets prevented her from being here. It wasn’t funny for her, but it will be a funny story to tell in the future!! Dedi bought a plane ticket, packed her bags, and her husband, Daniel, dropped her off at the airport. She then found out that her ticket was for 3 weeks in the future and she would not be able to make it to the wedding!! She frantically called Daniel to come get her so she wouldn’t be stranded at the airport and then made the call to let Aunt Diane (her mom) know that she couldn’t make it. I wasn’t there when she called but I was told that her anguish and tears could be heard by the people standing near Aunt Diane when the call came in. She watched the wedding via a Live Facebook video made by Hannah, her daughter-in-law!! Family will do whatever has to be done!
Here Comes the Bride
Aunt Diane’s son, DJ, walked her down the aisle and gave her away after an emotional speech. Look at the smile on her face!! You can see how happy she is to walk down the aisle to Chester and become his wife.
Just look at the loving looks they are giving each other as they say their vows!! And the little cutie here on the left is Jillian…… DJ and Deanna’s youngest child.
Mr. and Mrs. Williams
I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Chester Williams.
The Reception
There were many, many tables to sit at and enjoy food and cake. There was no assigned seating and we treated this as we do all of our family events. We ate, we laughed, we table-hopped, we cracked jokes, and we enjoyed each other on this glorious day of celebration.
This random picture means so much to so many of us at this wedding. This is a picture of Drew, Aunt Diane’s oldest grandson. The cufflinks he wore belonged to Uncle Dennis. I almost cried when Drew showed me! I absolutely love how my family brings everyone with them to these occasions!!
After Party
After the reception, we went back to the hotel to change into our “home” clothes. You know the ones…… the raggedy t-shirts, baggy shorts, and flip-flops!!! We all have them and they are usually the most comfortable clothes we own! Once we got comfortable, we jumped back in the car and went to Matthew’s house to hang out and play games. Me, mom, Matthew, Drew, Hannah, and Dillon sat at the table and played Phase 10, repeatedly skipping each other and cackling each time. Matthew made coffee and we sat around laughing and singing while we played. Around midnight, we were all getting tired so we said our good-byes and went back to the hotel.
Look at the dog!! His name is Teddy. Isn’t he absolutely adorable?!?! That tongue. He worked and worked until he finally got comfortable in a position where he could watch the game!
Breakfast with the Newlyweds
The next morning, we got up and had breakfast at the hotel. We were extremely happy to see the newlyweds coming down to have breakfast!! We had the opportunity to have breakfast with them before they left on their honeymoon and we were so thankful.
I finished packing and loading my luggage so I kept Kynlee busy while mom and Traci finished packing. She never stays in one place for more than 15 seconds…. but, amazingly, she was content “surfing” and she stayed on this cart for a really long time.
We loaded up the cars and got on the road. We stopped in Texarkana for a cup of coffee at Starbucks and then got back on the road again.
It was a quick trip to Arkansas to celebrate a joyous occasion with my aunt. I love spending time with my family!! Congratulations Aunt Diane and Chester!
Thank you for following this wedding journey with me. Remember to always cherish your family and friends. Take advantage of all the little moments you can get because when those moments become memories, they will bring you happiness for years to come.
