show us your life: your wedding

i decided to join in on kelly's "show us your life" blog carnival and this week the theme is your wedding...flowers, dresses, music, etc. sometimes it's hard to imagine that we've been married for almost 8 months and then other times, it feels as if we've been together forever...i almost don't remember what it was like NOT to be married. it's such a gift and the most amazing thing (i think being single since until i was 30 has really caused me to cherish and appreciate this gift...i don't ever want to take the awesome opportunity of being mrs. alley for granted).

okay, no more seriousness or sappyness...on to the pictures and some incredible memories! (note: these are pics friends and family shared with us...i don't have my professional pics on the computer, yet.) before joel and i were engaged, he asked me what my dream wedding would be like and i didn't hesitate to describe it because, like any little girl, i had been dreaming about my wedding for most of my life. i had always wanted a wedding in december mostly because i always loved how my home church was decorated at christmas. i always thought the sanctuary looked beautiful and i just love christmas....the music, the time of year, etc.

so, we were married on december 6, 2008 at parkwood baptist church. parkwood holds such a special place in my life and in my heart because i grew up attending there and all of the significant spiritual milestones of my life happened in that sanctuary. i came to know the Lord there, i was baptized there, i made my true love waits commitment there, and i accepted the call to full time ministry at that altar.

i love this before the ceremony picture. you can't see that there is also garland draped along the balcony and we had candles lining the center aisle pews.

joel and i felt strongly that a wedding ceremony is a worship experience and it was our desire that everything in our ceremony clearly declare that we were there to worship the Lord. we believe that becoming man and wife is a holy moment before the Lord and wanted our ceremony to honor and glorify Him. one of my favorite songs in the ceremony was sung just after the bridal party was in place and just before my entrance. our friend and amazing musician jason lanier sang travis cottrell's "forevermore". i loved that the song was all about the Lord and that we (joel and i) were in that place to be married only because of the Lord's graciousness and lovingkindness toward us and that we will sing His praise forevermore! we also had a family blessing where both sets of parents came forward before my father gave me away to pray a blessing over us and the beginning of our family. we practiced reading through the prayers because i just knew that when i heard my daddy pray, i would lose it! thankfully, i was able to hold it together :). after our family blessing, jason and our friend meredith (hello, incredible voice!) sang "the prayer" and it was simply amazing.

here we are exchanging our vows and rings.

after the exchange of vows and rings, we took the Lord's supper together for the first time as a married couple. it was such an intimate and incredible moment. jason sang "o holy night" and i remember being so overwhelmed at that moment at the goodness and graciousness of the Lord that He was allowing me to marry such a Godly man.

you may now kiss your bride :0)

the entire wedding party

up close of the wedding party

i loved my bridesmaid dresses...i thought they were flattering for everyone and very elegant. i also loved my flowers. the bridesmaids carried red roses and i carried a bouquet of ivory roses.

i had the best attendants a girl could ask for. everything about that day literally was absolutely perfect. we had the best time together getting ready before the ceremony while the girls were having their hair done and then i had the opportunity to just be with my mom, dad, sister, niece, and aunt while i was getting ready. it was such an amazing day!