Wedding of My Dreams

I'm happy to report that our wedding was absolutley SPECTACULAR! It was everything that I wanted it to be--from the gorgeous winter weather to the emotional temple sealing, and from the yummy and relaxed luncheon to the party that was our reception--it was just how I had planned. Everything fell exactly into place, even though we had a few minor mishaps. It was an incredible day and I am so happy to be Mrs. Courtney Helmantoler.

We started the day off bright and early, and did our best to make sure we looked fabulous. Cassidy did a great job with my hair, and Chris looked dashing in his new brown suit. We arrived at the temple with great anticipation and excitement, only to be totally shocked and surprised to find out that my parents' temple recommends had expired. My mom quickly began to cry, and was comforted by the kind temple workers as Chris and I were whisked away. I, myself, began to cry at the thought of my poor mother frantically calling my dad and their Bishop. I panicked for a brief moment, thinking that my parents weren't going to make it to my temple sealing. However, with a few phone calls, everything was taken care of and my mom was still able to help me get dressed.

The temple ceremony was absolutley beauiful! I started to get emotional before we walked in, and was totally crying by the time I saw all my friends and family in the sealing room. It was such a wonderful experience to be sealed for eternity to my best friend, and to know that we will be together forever!

Afterwards, we met our friends and family outside the temple for pictures. Even though it had snowed just the night before, the sky was blue and the temperature was quite nice. We spent quite a bit of time taking pictures, all the while trudging through several feet of snow--just to get the perfect shot (oh, the things I do for Christopher)! By the time we were done, my poor feet were completely numb, but I'm positive we'll have some great pictures.

Our luncheon was next, and we were able to enjoy some great food and great company. Roughly 100 of our closest friends and family were in attendance, and it was a wonderful way to celebrate with them. A photo montage video was shown to all the guests, and several people took the opportunity to say very nice things about me and Chris. It was so touching!

After the luncheon, we had a couple hours to kill, so Chris blindfolded me and drove to the Bed & Breakfast that we were going to stay in that night. Little did I know that Chris's sisters had already been there setting things up for us, so when we arrived, the room was equipped with all sorts of goodies. It ended up being a great way to kill some extra time!

And lastly, the reception was super fun! We ended up standing in a line for several hours (we must be really popular :), and were able to see and talk to many of our friends and neighbors. The decorations were incredible, the food was amazing, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. My only regret is that we didn't get to enjoy more of it with them. We were so glad that so many people showed up, and even more excited to know that they were there because they loved and supported us!

We are still waiting for our pictures to come back, so I'll post them as soon as I get them. Until then, just imagine a beautiful, blushing bride with her handsome, hunky husband :)