Anna and Mike get married!

Yesterday marked Anna and Mike's two week anniversary, so this blog post is way overdue, but things have been hectic here to say the least.

Yard decorations

Anyways, the morning started at seven thirty when Karen, Caitlin and I woke up and got ready at Caitlin's. Caitlin's dad cooked us a huge breakfast of eggs, toast, and bacon, which was nice because we weren't sure when the next time we would eat would be.  Around 8:30, we headed over to Anna's where she was getting her hair done by her cousin.  It was kind of chaotic, but it was a lot of fun.  Chelsea came like ten minutes after we got there and we all got dressed.  There were bagels and cream cheese that we grabbed for later and by 10:15 the photographer had arrived and it was time to get Anna in her dress.

bridesmaids getting ready

love these hangers! Thanks etsy :)

getting her hurrrr did!

Anna's shoes....her something blue :)

natural beauty 

After everyone was ready, we took lots of pictures!  Pictures in the backyard. Pictures in front of the trolley. Pictures in the front yard.  It was a full blown photo shoot and it was a complete blast.  The trolley picked up  Anna, the bridesmaids, and Anna's extended family at her house and drove us to the church.  Anna had burned a cd of wedding songs to play on the way to the church, so we sang "Going to the chapel" about ten times, as well as "She's in love with a boy" and "The Way You Look Tonight."  It was so much fun!!  About halfway there, someone said, "Where's Anna's veil?" and of course, the answer was "at the house."  Luckily, her uncle was following us in his car and turned around and got it.   Close call!!

trolley ride!

Luckily, we got to the church pretty early.  We had plenty of time to relax and regroup after a fun trolley ride. We also beat the boys there, so we didn't have to sneak around in fear of Mike seeing Anna before the big moment.  I think it was good to get there and just take a moment to calm down before the ceremony started.  The photographer took more pictures, the bridesmaids ate more bagels, and we all cried a little bit more (including Anna who hardly ever cries).

Mike is one lucky guy <3

one last rendezvous with the parents before the ceremony

Father and daughter.  Both a little emotional!



Getting the veil on just rig'ht!

One of my favorite pictures that the photographer took was the "First Touch" picture.  Mike came over and stood on one side of a door while Anna was on the other. They couldn't see each other, but were holding hands and talking to each other (Anna was crying!!).  The photographer stood so that she could capture both of them.  I definitely want this picture taken at my wedding because it was such a special moment and I'm sure that it will be an awesome picture. 

Anna holding hands with Mike on the other side of the door.

Once all of the pictures were done, the veil was on and our makeup was touched up, it was time to head upstairs.  The chapel had a little room off to the side where Anna, the bridesmaids, and Mr. Degenhard went while the boys walked in.  The groomsmen ushered people in and walked down the aisle before we did, so we were the very last ones to go before Anna.  We stayed in the room and Caitlin just kept Anna asking questions so she wouldn't start crying. I've probably seen Anna cry a total of four times before her wedding day, which is why seeing her so emotional is kind of heartwarming.  Once everyone was seated, the bridesmaids headed down the aisle.  It takes four minutes to walk down the aisle, so it took a while to get down there.  Once we were down the aisle, Anna and her dad walked down.  I looked at Mike who was standing by me.  I have always heard that you should look at the groom when the bride walks down the aisle, and I'm so glad I did.  If I had any doubts about how much Mike loved Anna (which I didn't!), they were all cleared up then.  Tears filled his eyes and a huge smile shown across his face. The ceremony that followed was perfect for Anna and Mike.  We laughed, we cried, it was perfect. 

After the ceremony, we headed back onto the trolley, this time with all of the guys and headed to the reception.  The boys definitely added a lot of energy to the trolley ride, doing flips, singing, and dancing (while everyone drank a lot of champagne).  We stopped to take a few pictures along the way before the party.



The sword arch coming out of the church as a married couple!




Hogan trying on Anna's veil.  He blames Mike for doing this to him, but he secretely enjoyed it.



Once we arrived at the reception, time seemed to fly.  Anna and Mike did their first dance, Anna and her dad did their dance, as well as Mike and his mom.  We had a buffet style lunch and an open bar.  The DJ was great and played awesome music to dance to. They also did this "game" where they had all of the married couples come to the dance floor.  They asked everyone who had been married for less than five hours to sit down (Anna and Mike).  Then one year, five years, and so on and so forth.  Anna's grandparents were the last ones left, having been married for over fifty years.  They are both in wheelchairs and were pushed around by Anna's cousins, but it was so cute.  Everyone clapped and cheered them on as they danced around.

The bride and groom's first dance as a married couple. 

Anna's grandparents!

Anna and her dad.

Mike and Anna walking into the reception! We're married!!

Bridesmaids toasting the newlyweds

Some of Anna's students came to her wedding!  I loved it!

Anna and Mike's getaway car leaving the reception!

After the reception, Karen, Caitlin and I went back to the hotel where we were going to be staying that night and got ready to go out.  Because the reception ended at six, everyone (including the bride and groom) was going out downtown that night.  We hung out at the hotel for about an hour and just re-energized for the night. 

When we got the bar, a lot of people were already there.  A lot of the guests from the reception had gone straight there, so we were one of the last ones to get there besides Anna and Mike.  Anna's parents and relatives were there too and it was a blast.  It was a lot more relaxed than the reception and I actually got to see and talk to people (like Anna and Mike).  It was very casual and a ton of people came.   We were at the bar that all of the boys had gone to when they were in the academy, so they were loving it.  It was such a fun night and a great way to celebrate Anna and Mike!

I am so happy for Anna and Mike.  I can't think of anyone more perfect for the two of them than each other.  There are not many people who are as lucky as Anna and Mike are, and I'm glad that they found each other. I love them both and can't wait to watch them embark on this great journey. Congratulations Mike and Anna!   Here's to a lifetime of happiness.