I'm not sure if it's seeing the bride all dressed up and ready to marry her man, or all the beautiful wedding party, or all the beautiful flowers just there for the wedding, or seeing the parents cry and sniffle, or watching everyone walk down the aisle. But I have been to three weddings this summer and have cried or atleast teared up at every one of them.
The first was my future-brother-in-law's and I cried when I saw his mom and stepmom crying. It was bittersweet for them to let the baby go. The bride was beautiful and Alex looked so handsome.
The second was one of my best friends from high school, and I was a bridesmaid. I cried, like tears-rolling-down-my-face-and-having-to-have-a-tissue-for-my-nose cried, at the rehearsal, the rehearsal dinner, before the ceremony, as I was walking down the aisle, during the ceremony and at the reception. This wedding I know that seeing her dad walk her down the aisle was the kicker. She and her dad are very close and they joked the whole weekend about how he couldn't cry otherwise she'd turn into a bawling mess. Of course, he cried, but she held it together some how. :) It was also seeing her in her wedding dress, looking absolutely radiant and so happy to see her husband. I've known both of them so long and Molly has been there for me so many times. I was just so happy to see them finally get married and to be there through everything.
The third was this past weekend. Alex's best friend since forever married a wonderful woman whom I've known for almost a year. The groom is a friend of mine as well (since high school) and has been with Alex and me through SO much, and I've gotten to know the bride really well over the time we've had together and she is so dear to me now. I just knew that I was going to cry. But this time it was because of more than just the outward things that go with the wedding (dress, flowers, etc). The day was beautiful. No clouds in the sky, barely humid during the late morning and early afternoon, the sun was warm but not blazing. When I heard Jon the night before at the rehearsal, I just knew I was going to cry. He was so serious and honest and genuine by his tone of voice and the way he looked at Lizzy. There was a wave of beauty over the whole thing. Lizzy was so beautiful and each one of the bridesmaids looked beautiful and happy and natural. Jon was handsome and so were each of the groomsmen. I think most of it was the smiles that everyone had on their faces the whole day. I cried because Jon had the biggest smile on his face when he saw her walking down the aisle to him. Again, the smiles!
Of course, I couldn't help this whole summer but get more and more excited about my wedding after each wedding that I went to. I tried my best to completely focus on the people who were getting married and to make it about their day. But what's a wedding if it doesn't remind you of your own vows you've said or will say? Since Alex didn't have to rush back to camp after this last wedding, we had a lot of time to discuss our's. He was so taken back by how beautiful the ceremony was at Jon and Lizzy's. I don't think he expected to feel that way, and it made me so happy because it made me realize he's ready and he's excited about wedding planning now! We talked the whole way home about our's and what we want to do and what we don't want to do. I've never been this excited to get married!
