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January 14th truly was the greatest day of our lives- as cliche as that sounds. You always hear it from so many people who have been married before you, but it’s just so hard to fully understand until it’s your big day. It was a day that absolutely flew by, before I knew it we were in our car being driven back to the Inn. I think back on one of the greatest pieces of advice that was given to me at our reception- and it was to just take a moment to look around the room, and really take it all in. Look at each and every person in the room and know that they are all here because they love and support you as individuals and as a couple. Never will this group all be together again, and it’s us as a couple that brought them all there in that moment. I think back to that advice and know whole heartedly, that is the reason why it truly was the greatest day of our lives. We are incredibly blessed and January 14th was just a great big reminder of that.
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The day started off bright and early, with all of the ladies meeting at 7:45am in my parents’ suite at the Inn. We all spent the first few hours of the day getting hair and makeup done. Denise from Simplicity Salon and Spa did an incredible job on our hair, and Tiffany from Tiffany Martin Makeup did an amazing job making us feel so glamorous with her makeup talents.
Our photographers Meg and Arinn from Rodeo & Co. Photography did an amazing job capturing some awesome details from early on in the day. Including these beautiful shots of our rings on top of my fur. 
It was in the morning that I gifted my bridesmaids and Mothers some special gifts for the day. For each bridesmaid I gave them a monogrammed tote bag that included robes in my favorite color (dark emerald green), their cable-knit shawl to wear outside, a special monogrammed floral mug to use for the morning, as well as something different and personal for each of them containing their initials. The Mom’s received the tote bags pictured below, as well as a mug of their own, a bottle/can of their favorite alcohol, and an adorable little monogrammed coozie. All of these beautiful and wonderful women did such an amazing job helping me prepare for the biggest day of my life, I knew I wanted to do something just a little special for them.
And of course I had to get a special “bride” mug for myself
Not once was I ever really all that nervous while getting ready, or even really the entire day. In the morning everyone kept asking me how I was feeling, if I was nervous, excited, all the above. I felt so incredibly calm, however my stomach was definitely not going to let me eat that day- butterflies without the butterflies! That morning I snacked on a couple pieces of honeydew melon and that’s about it, but that was OK with me, I was just too excited!
The guys had a later start to their morning. They all met for breakfast in Conor’s parents’ suite at about 10:00 in the morning and got dressed and ready from there.
In the guys room hung all the balloons and pictures from the previous evening. I was so glad that the photographers caught these. Conor’s parents surprised us at the rehearsal dinner and had numerous balloons hung up all across the room and even in the entrance to the dining room all with special pictures on the bottom of the string of both Conor and I- as babies, kids, teenagers, together, apart, everything. It was a wonderful surprise and such a nice special touch.
Conor and I decided to simply just exchange letters to each on our wedding day. I didn’t realize beforehand how much this moment would mean to me, and how much I needed it in that moment of time. It was such a blessing to be able to read his words before we saw each other on this incredibly special day. In some way, it brought me a sense of ease and calmed my emotions.
A phrase that has always carried on in our relationship through the years is “it was always you,” so when I saw this card- I knew it had to be the one I gave him on our wedding day.
One of the guys’ favorite memories from the day was this one right here. Our videographer had Conor read his letter out loud, and in order for him to do that a group of his groomsmen ended up actually hiding in the bathroom in the same room. According to them, it took everything in them to not start laughing (simply just because they weren’t supposed to make any noise at all). It was one of those moments that they just couldn’t even make eye contact otherwise they’d all lose it. I’m so glad this was captured by Arinn.
Before my Mom helped me get into my dress, I had a special letter and gift I had wanted to give her. I had a bracelet made for her- a simple gold chained bracelet that had 2 sets of birthstones in the middle. It had the stones for both September and January- the two months of our weddings. It was an incredibly emotional moment for both of us.
It was then time for me to get ready. I had my mom help me get into my dress and put on my veil as all my bridesmaids and Conor’s mom waited outside the room. Once I was ready, all the ladies came in and it was such a special moment to share with them all, as the only one who’d seen my dress before was my Mom.
My “Something New” was this beautiful Allure Bridals gown
I had two very special “Something Borrowed” on my wedding day. The first was the pearled brooch on my fur- this is my Grandmothers and she wanted me to wear it on my wedding day. The second is this beautiful bracelet given to me by my very special new cousin, Lindsay. She recently married my cousin, Finn, this past June. On their wedding day my Mom and I had noticed that she had the loveliest delicate bracelet on and thought it was just stunning. A few weeks before my wedding, my Mom had reached out to Lindsay to ask her where she got the bracelet because she was wanting to surprise me with one to wear. Lindsay had told her that it was actually her “something borrowed” from her Sister who wore it on her wedding day, and that they’d both be honored for me to borrow it and wear it on our day. It meant so much to me to have this special piece of jewelry on our wedding day.
At this point, I was almost there. My amazing Maid of Honor, Hannah, helped me put on my heels, helped with last minute touch ups, and it was then that I was ready, completely 100 percent ready to marry the man of my dreams.
But first, I had to see some very important men. These incredible people- the first loves of my life- my Dad and two older brothers. This turned out to be one of my most cherished memories of the day as it truly took everything in me not to simply fall apart right then and there. These guys… they mean the world to me, and it was so special to have this private time with them before such a big moment in my life.
This picture… this one… brings tears to my eyes every time I look at it. My oldest brother, looking at his baby sister. I love this guy
After this touching moment with my Family, I was then ready to go see my soon to be Husband…
Photos by Rodeo & Co. Photography: http://rodeoandco.com/
matteahiggins 