The Ceremony

Dustin and I put a lot of thought into our wedding ceremony. We had a specific vision for the ceremony and wanted to make sure the entire service was pointed towards Christ.  

We married in the same church my sister and brother-in-law got married in, Covenant Presbyterian Church.  

We asked the 3 Taylor Girls (my 2nd family in NYC) to be the greeters and guest book attendants.  It was so sweet and so special to have them be a part of the day.  

Before the ceremony we had the opportunity to pray with our bridesmaids and groomsmen.  It was such a special time to be prayed over as we entered in to this covenant of marriage. 

We had specific music we wanted played at our wedding.  We had a piano player (our worship leader at Oak Mountain) a guitarist (one of Dustin's friends), and a violinist play together.  The music was beautiful!  

The bridal party walked down to a song that I have known since I was 12 years old that I wanted played at my wedding.  It was a rendition of Canon in D with Seek Ye First mixed in.  It was more beautiful that I could ever have imagined. When I heard it being played in the sanctuary as I was standing with my dad outside chills came over me realizing that years of dreaming, hoping, and praying for this day had finally been answered and I was standing in this moment.  It was so powerful for me.  

After a bell was rung from the balcony 5 times I walked down to "In Christ Alone", the words of which are so incredibly powerful and true for Dustin and I.  

In Christ alone my hope is found

He is my light, my strength, my song

This Cornerstone, this solid ground

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm

What heights of love, what depths of peace

When fears are stilled, when strivings cease

My Comforter, my All in All

Here in the love of Christ I stand

These are the words that Dustin have sought to build our lives on and desire to build our marriage on. 

We asked our pastor at Oak Mountain (who also married my sister and brother-in-law), Bob Flayhart, to marry us.  I have always wanted my dad to be a part of marrying me, but also wanted him to be able to be my dad.  As Dustin and I thought through it we decided to ask him to do our vows.  

It was so special to have him walk me down the aisle and then turn around to do our marriage vows with us.  

 After Bob shared a Gospel message, Jason played and sang a song we had picked out, "Sovereign Over us".  This was a song that I've clung to for many years in my singleness and one that Dustin and I both love.  We knew it would be a song we wanted to be a theme of our lives and sung at the beginning of our marriage.

"There is strength within the sorrow

There is beauty in our tears

And You meet us in our mourning

With a love that casts out fear

You are working in our waiting

You're sanctifying us

When beyond our understanding

You're teaching us to trust

Your plans are still to prosper

You have not forgotten us

You're with us in the fire and the flood

You're faithful forever

Perfect in love

You are sovereign over us"

To hear the full song go here

We spent the moments of this song being played to pray together as a couple.  

So many years of waiting, so many prayers, so many moments of wondering what God was doing, and learning to trust him more than anything else.  and we were finally in this moment.  Powerful words for a powerful moment!  

We exited the church to "Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee" with SO much joy in our hearts!  

Officially HUSBAND and WIFE!  

To walk down the aisle and see the families and friends who know and love you most gathered together to witness this important covenant is just so incredibly surreal.  

It was the ceremony we had both prayed, hoped, and dreamed about and was perfect in every way!