How Beautiful The Radiant Bride

The past few days have been so jam packed with incredible memories that it is hard for me to get them down. This post may get lengthy...just bear with me, I don't want to forget anything. Usually I blog for others...but today, it's more for me...sorry!

Natalie and Scott have always wanted their wedding day to be about more than dresses and flowers and cake. Well, they succeeded. From the time we arrived on Thursday until the time we left Sunday morning, the Lord's presence was felt.

One of the reasons I hate not living in the same city as Natalie is for the simple fact that my friends don't really know her. Sure, they hear me talk about her all the time...but they don't know her like I do. So it was a real treat to be surrounded with family and friends of Natalie for a few days. I loved swapping stories with them and meeting others whose life had been changed for the better because of her.

The festivities got kicked off with a casual dinner on Thursday night to welcome everyone to Hattiesburg. Good food and a fun board game made for a great night.

Caroline and I woke up early the next morning and drove to Jackson, MS to pick up Mikey and Laura from the airport. It cut into our sleep, but we didn't mind one bit...especially since we got to take a fun watermelon picture!

The bridesmaid's luncheon was next on the agenda. Again, the food was delicious, but the best part was just getting a chance to be around Natalie and the other bridesmaids. Weddings are so busy...most of the time we were just running from one event to another. What a treat to sit for a few hours and exchange stories. Natalie showered us with love, gifts and sweet words. Then we surprised her with a fun little scrapbook we had been working on. We made pages individually and then put them all together. It was fun to see it all will be a fun keepsake.

We got back to the hotel and had about 2 hours before the Rehearsal. Just enough time to get some a quiet time in and work on my blog. The Rehearsal was great. It was then that I noticed that the bridesmaid's would be walking down to How Beautiful. The crazy thing about that is that when I was in seventh grade, I decided if I ever got married I wanted my bridesmaids to walk down to that song. Having the chance to walk down to it this weekend only reaffirmed that decision. It is really one of the most beautiful songs. I hope you like that song, Ms. Teresa.

As most of you know, the part of the weekend I was most anxious about was the Rehearsal Dinner. Though I had practiced it countless times, I had never been able to make it through my little toast without crying. I just kept praying that The Lord would help me get through it. Well, He came through! I got through the entire toast and only teared up at the end. Now, I cried through every other toast, but I wasn't alone in my tears. What a blessing Natalie and Scott have been to so many...both individually and as a couple. I can hardly wait to see what they do now that they have become one.

If you're still reading, goodness gracious....you're dedicated...and you've made it to Wedding Day!

It was obvious from the beginning that they day had been bathed in prayer. Never in my life have I been to a wedding where the Lord was more honored. You could see Him in the faces of the family, friends and of course Natalie and Scott. I found myself fighting back tears throughout the entire ceremony...most of the time however, the tears won. Each word that was spoken, each scripture that was read, each song that was sung...everything pointed toward Christ. I can't pinpoint my favorite part of the ceremony...just too many sweet things to choose from. So, here's the short list:

• Scott's first glimpse of Natalie...They went traditional so he hadn't seen her in the dress. I always love looking at the groom when he first sees his bride and Scott definitely didn't disappoint.
  
• The singing of Wonderful, Merciful Savior...Another of my favorite songs, but I had never really thought of it as being a wedding song. I was wrong. It was perfect. Amy lead us all to the throne. "You are the One that we praise...You are the one we adore...You give the healing and grace our hearts always hunger for."
• The exchange of the vows and rings...since they were facing each other during this, I was able to really see Scott well as he repeated the vows. One look at his face and it was apparent that he wasn't just repeating what he heard. He was speaking from his heart. It thrills me to know that my best friend has found someone that can hardly wait to protect and provide for her.
• Mr. Ethan...can't forget to mention that Natalie's dad, Mr. Ethan officiated the ceremony. I can't even begin to put into words what a wonderful job he did.
• Presenting Mr. and Mrs. Scott Orr...Natalie and Scott's face was priceless upon hearing those words. Equally as fun was seeing the smiles on their face when we were taking pictures afterwards. I have been to so many weddings in my time and I can't recall a single one that the bride and groom weren't happy, but I'm telling you people...their excitement can't be put into words.

The reception was perfect. The bride's cake was DELICOUS...a pretty big accomlishment if you ask me. Though I've probably been to about 50 weddings, I can only remember two others that I even remotely liked. Since Natalie and Scott met at Starbucks they had lots some fun tributes to the coffee place. There was a station where they were making Caramel Apple Spice drinks--yum...and the wedding favors were Starbucks mugs! Doesn't Natalie have the best ideas?!

So, that's my recap....and here are the pictures!