vows, my pictures - day 6

you can never have enough cameras snapping - the different angles, the difference a second can make, the difference in what one person will take a picture of compared to another and on and on, right?  so the following pictures are from my camera, with mark at the helm.  thank you again, mark, for witnessing it all through the view finder.  thank you thank you thank you!  i still have the professional ones and several hundred (i think she said around 700) from ben's aunt jeanette, oh, and my uncle jeff captured some great ones too.  from mark's 560 photos, i'm only sharing a few favs.

with just weeks to go, i figured i should whip something up for our guests to clarify time and place.  

most were staying close by, but you know how people like things in writing...

 one of our two wedding favors  

notice the cute little biodegradable pots!

plantable seed paper confetti

 i had big plans for these.

beautifully crafted hand kites!

i had daydreams for weeks, thinking of these in our family's hands, waving them in the maui breezes.

i spent the hours before our renewal, writing my own vows.  the night before, ben recited a few lines of his vows.  he had me cracking up and spilling tears in the same sentence.  i had written my vows over and over in my head but had yet to put them in writing.  i was mindful of my length though.  i asked ben how many sentences do you have? to which he replied i don't have any punctuation.  

{i'm the yin to his yang.  always and vice versa.}  

so i tried to remember his lines, but we just agreed on 5-7 "sentences."  also, you'll notice his ring.  this was something i surprised him with - i actually wanted to surprise him during the ceremony, but i ended up showing him on his birthday.  he was speechless.  when we were married in 2007, we picked out simple gold bands.  while my fingers sparkle with diamonds, i wanted him to have his own shine.  tungsten carbine with a half carat.   

 our group

my boys

and i just have to say, i DID have an adorable outfit all picked out for jb.  

he matched his papa frank.

i even made him his own silk flower. 

and i told him he could even wear his hat...

but camo and his ak starfish shirt were what HE was going to wear.

i pick my battles.  

my man ♡

notice ben's flower?  

i made one for my father and the 3 adorned to the sash of my dress.

 entrance

 greeted by my #1 fan

 benji reading his vows

 and mine

 the minister told ben 

you better kiss her 

after all my tears...

 exchanging rings, more vows

 pronouncing us...

again!

ok, so can you tell that it's windy?  and i'm not talking, like, a slight breeze, either.  i'm talking like serious trade winds, where more than a few times, i had to reach out to ben so as not to fall over!  so it made pictures, saying our vows, dealing with a veil, all the tulle of my dress and pretty much everything else, just laughable.  the photographer was great at improvising - thank goodness - and was able to come up with some fun ideas.  my hair was a mess within minutes, but as a mother, i've learned you just roll with it, right?!

if i had been paying more attention, i would have taken a picture of all the little details.  but.  i was too wrapped up in living out all the moments!  my uncles glenn & jeff, my girlfriend's husband matthew and cousin blaine, took to the grills.  we skewered chicken and jumbo shrimp with yellow & red peppers and pineapple.  then, we made 4 bite burgers (sliders) with lettuce, pineapple and teriyaki glaze all between sweet hawaiian rolls.  there were fruit trays, chips and salsa, homemade coleslaw and baked beans.  and to really treat our guests, we served shave ice - cherry, orange and fruit punch flavors and margarita, pina colada and mai tai for the adults.  perfect hawaiian touches.    

the night's coming to an end...

so we jumped in our town & country minivan...

and stayed at a nearby hotel for a little night away as ben and annie, 

 husband & wife!

ok, see?!  look how cute he would have looked!