The Story of Us – Our Wedding Day!

I knew from our first date that I wanted to marry Ted Egly.

We got engaged, chose our day and it was here… the day I’d dreamed about my whole life.

Our wedding day: November 17, 2001.

Friends and family had gathered from all over the country, and the morning started with many of us gathered to finish decorating the church and preparing food for the reception.

After wrapping up the last minute details…we got ready and broke a “wedding day rule.” Ted and I chose to see each other before the actual wedding. I LOVED breaking this rule because it was the first most memorable part of our day.

Ted was waiting for me at the front of our wedding chapel, all by himself. I walked down the aisle alone to just Ted. No one else was in the chapel. As I walked alone down the aisle, I was so nervous I could hardly breathe. This was really happening! When I got to the front, Ted held my hands, and we got to enjoy a few minutes together before our big day. We pushed “pause” on all the craziness of the day, to connect and speak a few words to each other….our last words before becoming husband and wife. The moment with just the two of us was unforgettable, and one of my favorite moments of the day.

After that, everything happened so quickly. We were joined by our photographer and all 18 of our bridesmaids and groomsmen. Yes … 18. I have FOUR natural sisters, TWO step-sisters, TWO cousins that are like sisters, and ONE (soon-to-be sister-in-law). Add that up, and you’ll see that I have NINE “sisters.” Ted had no brothers. Thankfully, he has a lot of great friends.

We chose to take pictures BEFORE the wedding, so afterward we could enjoy as much time as possible with our family and friends.

At 2 PM on November 17, 2001…it was time for me to walk down the aisle.

Because I had just had a ‘practice’ run a couple of hours ago, I was no longer nervous or jittery!  I was relaxed and enjoyed this second walk down the aisle. I DELIGHTED in every step. I soaked it all in. I tried to look around and see each of the 200+ people who came to celebrate with us. I wanted this time to freeze so that I could fully absorb how special this day was. Walking down the aisle, surrounded by all the people I love, was the second sweetest moment of the day.

We said our beautiful vows and enjoyed an incredible ceremony. I loved every second of it, but when Pastor Randy announced us as Mr. and Mrs. Ted Egly…that was the best, sweetest part of the day! This is the moment I’d waited my whole life for, and I was the happiest I’d ever been.

We turned toward our guests, and walked down the aisle side-by-side…as husband and wife. Mr. and Mrs. Ted Egly! Our bridesmaids and groomsmen followed close behind, and we had a few minutes to celebrate with them, right outside the doors of the chapel. This was another incredibly SPECIAL moment that day.

After the ceremony, we all gathered for the reception. We had some yummy appetizers and cake, fun and memorable speeches and toasts, and then we danced and danced (another favorite part of the day)! Our first dance was to the song, What a Wonderful World by Louie Armstrong. We also took some dance lessons before our wedding, and had fun practicing some of what we learned.

It was a day for the books. A day I will NEVER forget. Though so many things were ‘perfect’ that day and I loved SO many moments, there were a few things that went wrong…

The Pastor who married us wasn’t registered in our state and could not sign our marriage certificate. Thankfully, we were in Tulsa, OK, which meant that half of our guests were pastors. Pastor Hagin signed our marriage certificate.

We also ran out of drinks. (Where was Jesus in that moment?) But I’m not talking about wine. We ran out of all liquids. Jake Blonsky, our Best Man, gave a speech and toasted us with a pitcher of salsa. Since many of my guests and I would choose a good salsa over water, we survived.

As we were leaving our reception, I realized that I had barely eaten anything all day. I grabbed an hors d’oeuvre and put it in my mouth. “Crunch” – I bit into a raw onion in that first bite of food. We walked out to the car as our guests were shouting: “Kiss! Kiss!” Ted did kiss me and got to taste the onion I had just eaten! Mmmm…WELCOME TO MARRIED LIFE, sweetie. He still remembers that moment with “delight!”

Our wedding was one short day, but marriage is a lifetime. Though our wedding was fun and had many memorable moments, the most important part was the person I married. That’s the ONE part of the wedding you do NOT want to mess up. I’m thankful I married a man of faith, honor, and integrity. I’m grateful for my husband.

Thank you, Ted Egly, for loving me through thick and thin, good and bad. Fresh breath and onion breath.

Happy 17 years!

And if you are interested, here’s an open letter I wrote to my newlywed self.

If you were at our wedding, leave a comment with a memory you have of the day!

PS – Sorry for the blurry pictures. When I get a chance to upload the original wedding photos…I’ll include those!