Six Years Ago - A Wedding Story

I woke up that morning, six years ago today, filled with excitement and anticipation. It was my wedding day! July 12, 2003.

My sister, Anna, and my best friend, Toni, had spent the night with me the night before, and we had all three piled into my king size bed sometime late in the evening. It was my last night as a single woman, and I loved being able to spend it with them. We laughed, told stories, had a few drinks, and at some point, we finally went to sleep! While I was in the shower the morning of the wedding, the two girls went out to get me a lavish breakfast... BURGER KING!

After breakfast, we all loaded up into my car to go to the salon for hair and makeup. My other bridesmaid, Elizabeth, met us there at the salon along with my Mom, my Grandmother, and my to-be Mother-in-law. This salon was well known for being the best in the area for wedding day up do's, and they specialized in air-brush makeup, which was the newest thing at that time. We were not disappointed!
Once we were all looking beautiful, it was time to get dressed. I was so excited to put on my wedding gown... it was the most beautiful dress that I had ever seen! And the train... it seemed to just go on forever. I remember my sister thinking that I was going to start getting really nervous around this time, so she made me a special drink that she called "The Hulk." I still to this day am not 100% sure what was in that drink, but it did make me feel all kinds of relaxed and happy! I put on my gown and just stood in my living room basking in the moment of everyone oohing and ahhing. I didn't want my Daddy to see me until I was completely ready, and it was a very special moment when he walked into the room.

Ryan and I had decided to not see each other before the wedding, but I wanted to make the most of my time with the photographers that day. We went ahead to the formal gardens to take some shots with my family, while Ryan was simultaneously taking shots with his family at a different garden.
We didn't just do family shots... we took some fun shots with our bridal party as well.
When Ryan and I were dating, he used a really cheesy pick-up line on me one night that went something along the lines of "I could get lost in your eyes." I teased him endlessly about it, and I even went as far as to buy a really big pair of sunglasses to have on the next time that I picked him up from that airport when he came for a visit. I told him that I needed to make sure that I had my eyes covered so that he didn't get lost! It seemed only appropriate that the girls and I all wore a pair on our wedding day!
And what would the Knopp boys do without hockey? They even play hockey on the golf course!
After only a few minutes of pictures, it started to rain. And I don't mean that it started to drizzle. It was a down-pour unlike anything I had seen in Langley ever before. It was raining like crazy! We ran back to the car as fast as we could. In my big dress, this was no easy thing to do! As a matter of fact, my Dad had rented a super big Expedition just so that he could transport me and my big dress around that day. I climbed into the back through the tailgate and rode in a squat position (a great leg workout I might add) with my dress spread out behind me so that nothing would wrinkle. I look back now I realize what a primadonna bridezilla that I was being. I would die if any of my bride's tried to act that way with me! However, everyone who was with me that day acted as if I was asking for nothing at all... they let me have whatever I wanted!Once we arrived at Newlands, where we were getting married, I quickly began to realize that our plan of getting married outside was not going to happen. I was disappointed, but I decided that I didn't care. I just wanted to walk down the aisle... any aisle... and marry Ryan. So, that is what we did. Newlands moved the ceremony indoors, and everything else went according to plan. My dad walked me down the aisle, and then gave me away to be Ryan's bride.
We had a bit of a laugh as we literally shoved the wedding rings onto each other's hand.
Once we were officially married, we were able to take the rest of the formal pictures as a couple!
Our wedding party was made up of those who we love the most. Pictured here from left to right are: Elizabeth, Toni, Anna, Tiff & Ryan, Kyle, Craig, Reece and Jeremy.
It's a little obvious that we were all A LOT more relaxed once the ceremony was over. It's also a little obvious that even though Ryan was now my husband, he was also still the ladies' man!
And then, the fun really began! It was time for the reception, and everyone had a blast. Ryan and I enjoyed our first dance as a married couple...
My Dad and I showed all the Canadians how to shag like we do in South Carolina...
And Ryan gave me (and the audience) quite the thrill when he removed the garter to toss! Be sure to notice my mom screaming and cheering him on in the background along with all of the bridesmaids!
The bridesmaids weren't the only ones making some noise that night. Here's a great shot of the guys singing the classic "Sweet Caroline"...
This picture of me with my sister is one of my most favorite shots from the evening.
I am amazed that even though we got married over 3500 miles away from where I grew up, I still had many people that made the trip to be with us that day. I will be forever grateful to my parents and my sister, my Grandmother Marie Smith, Toni Branson, Elizabeth Johnson, her son Kaleb & her parents Mickey & Betty Anne Miles, Bobby and Dorothy Zimmerman & their grand-daughter Bailey, Gerald and Jean Reeves, Lorraine and Jenny Hamilton, and Ralph & Lou Sasser.

It's been six years, and yet it seems like it was just yesterday. I am even more in love with my husband now that I was then, and I didn't think that it was possible to love him anymore then. He is an amazing man, an adoring father, a best friend, and a loving husband. Every day with him is a new adventure... some of them good, and some of them bad. But I wouldn't trade a single day of the last six years because they are what got us here today. Now, I'm just looking forward to what all of our tomorrows will bring.