Legally Wed: Falling For You: And I Saw Him Standing There

There has been a lot of buzz on the Bee about first looks. Some bees prefer them as a way to calm their nerves, while others are firmly against them. Since we had a rather late ceremony start, our photographers suggested early on that we have a first-look beforehand, to allow more time for pictures. We didn't even need to discuss it; the answer was a resounding "no". I'm not knocking the concept of first looks in general because they can produce some gorgeous photos and they certainly have a lot of logistical advantages; it just wasn't right for us.

For as long as I can remember, I've been dreaming of that moment when I would walk down the aisle toward my future husband, on my dad's arm. I even shared some of my concerns with the hive! And while many bees swear that having a first look didn't take away from that moment, I'm not convinced it would have been the case for Mr. W and me.

One by one, the members of the bridal party processed to the front of the church, until there was nobody left in the vestibule but the coordinator (Angelique), Papi Waterfall, and myself. Angelique fanned out my beautiful train, smoothed out my veil, and asked if I was ready. I took a deep breath and nodded yes. The music changed from Canon D to Wagner's Bridal Chorus. (Again, some of you might be rolling your eyes at my super-traditional music choices, but I had always envisioned walking down the aisle to this song, so that's what we went with. Feel free to listen along anyway for the full effect!)

The doors started to open, and my dad squeezed my hand. I took another deep breath. It was time!

The doors finally opened, and I saw him standing there, at the end of the aisle, looking more handsome than ever: Mr. Waterfall, my best friend, my rock, my everything. My heart started to beat out of my chest...

These black and white photos are some of my favourites from the day, so timeless and elegant!

As we got closer, I got a better look at his face. He was crying! Mr. Waterfall and I spent the night apart and had zero contact after our cutesy good night texts, which really built up the anticipation. I especially recommend this if you're already living with your S.O.! I will never, ever forget this moment, for as long as I live. And now that it's all said and done, I wouldn't change a thing, even if it did mean sacrificing some extra photo time.

The best reaction I could have ever hoped for!

I always thought that I would be the one to cry as soon as I saw Mr. W. (I'm a huge cry baby, and I have all the feelings), but I just had the biggest smile on my face!

See those pomanders? I made all twenty of them myself. It took me months of painstakingly gluing on every little flower, occasionally burning myself in the process... and I didn't even notice them on my way down the aisle! I was too busy checking out my soon-to-be husband! ;) To tell you guys the truth though, I really wish I had been able to lock eyes with Mr. W. and focus only on him, but I was distracted by friends and family waving hello and taking a million pictures as I walked by.

The aisle was incredibly narrow and my dad was super concerned with not stepping on my dress, which was quite likely considering it took up about 2/3 of the aisle. It's also really hard to walk in a ball gown! When I tried walking around in it during my fittings, the fabric kept bunching up between my legs, almost making me trip. My solution? To kick the dress away from me with each step. I'm sure it sounds ridiculous, but my dress was so poofy that you couldn't really tell what I was doing under there! (Ball gown ladies, kick!)

Despite all of this, the walk down the aisle is definitely one of my favourite wedding-day memories! As cliché as it sounds, it was as if time stood still. I felt like I was floating! It was a total out-of body experience! We eventually made it to the front of the church and Papi W lifted my veil, gave me a peck on the cheek, and shook Mr. Waterfall's hand before placing my hand in his.