Our Wedding: The Ceremony

All of our guests entered the doors of this red brick church. The church in which I grew up, sang, and spent every Sunday morning for just over 10 years straight. You heard that right. Perfect attendance in Sunday School at Marion First Assembly of God until the age of 13, for this girl. (And my brother as well).

Here, I developed the foundation for the faith within me and the character about me. Here, I recited John 3:16 at age 3 about the ultimate love and everlasting life...and here I would marry the love of my life.

The rain shower came just as we gathered to walk around the front of the church. My bridesmaids held my umbrella and my dress. I held my breath.

All guests had taken their seats. Our families were escorted down the aisle to the music of Ave Maria, in angel voices.


My bridesmaids walked down the aisle, to an instrumental of Dancing by Elisa, followed by my flower girls in their bare feet, carrying my hand-made pinwheels with ribbon streamers.

No one was left in that tiny room but my Daddy and I. There was no time for fear. Panic. Nerves. And no need or want for it either. It was unknown at which exact second those doors would open to the gaze of 200 sets of eyes. To explain what I felt is a waste of breath. There are no words to combine every emotion with no emotion. Every thought with no thoughts. The strangest state of being. All that matters is I heard a whisper..."I love you, baby," and we were ready.

"Can't Help Falling in Love" on piano played as we walked slowly together. I realized about halfway down why I was walking. I got caught up in seeing all the people I had known all my life like it was a red carpet event and I forgot to look at my groom until then. Woops. Terrible bride. But once I saw him, I never looked away.




Pastor Brian Mize welcomed our guests and we prayed over the ceremony.

The first reading I selected to be shared was, to me, an ideal wedding ceremony scripture. When I hear it, I feel like it is God's step-by-step instructions for a husband and wife on their wedding day and each day following.

12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.

Colossians 3, 12-17

10 A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than jewels. 11 Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. 12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.

Proverbs 31:10

Sean's Mom sang "If It Wasn't For Your Love" by Heather Headley in honor of my Mom. I chose this song to dance to the year after she passed away. I knew it would have a place in my wedding, because I always pictured myself as a bride when I listened to it. And Mrs. Pam was the brave soul who took on the challenge. And soared.




Would I be standing here
after all these years
among the stars above?
Maybe not,
If it wasn't for your love

Smiling faces all around
like when the king has just been crowned
A battle has been won
that I'd have lost
If it wasn't for your love

A fairytale unfolds
More true than stories I've been told
At last my chance to shine, and all in perfect time
a life I once dreamed of
Who'd have thought
If it wasn't for your love

And oh the wonderful surprise
to have a light so bright it blinds my eyes
But finally I see, how it feels to live a dream
But would I have touched the sky?
Ever flown so high?

Not I,
If it wasn't for your love
Your Love.

Next, we were asked to place our hands together as the preacher read the hand ceremony.

"As an expression that your hearts are joined together in love, will you please take one another’s hands, so you may see the gift that you are to one another"

These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow, and forever.

These are the hands that will work alongside yours as, together, you build your future.
These are the hands that will love you and cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch will comfort you like no other.

These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children.

These are the hands that will help you to hold your family together as one.

And these are the hands that, even when wrinkled and aged, will still be reaching for yours,
still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.

Let us pray:

Dear Father, bless the hands that you see before you this day. May they always be held by one another. Give them the strength to hold on during the storms of stress and struggles. Keep them tender and gentle as they nurture each other in their love.

Help these hands to continue building a relationship founded in your grace, rich in caring, and devoted to reaching for your perfection.
We ask this in the name of our Lord and Savior who lives with you now and forever.

Amen.

I, Katie, take you Sean, to be my husband, knowing that you will be my constant friend, my faithful partner, and my one true love.
On this day, in the presence of God, I promise to stand by your side as your wife in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow. I promise to love you, comfort you and cherish you for as long as we both shall live.

I give you this ring as a symbol of my vow, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit

Just after we vowed these promises to each other, my best friend and matron of honor...and second brave soul...sang a soft, slow ballad version of Gavin DeGraw's Follow Through.

Oh, this is the start of something good
Don't you agree?
I, haven't felt like this in so many moons
You know what I mean?
And we can build through this destruction
As we are standing on our feet

So, since you wanna be with me
You'll have to follow through
With every word you say
And I, all I really want is you
you to stick around
I'll see you everyday
But you have to follow through
You have to follow through

These reeling emotions they just keep me alive
They keep me in tune
Oh, look what I‘m holding here in my fire
This is for you
Am I too obvious to preach it
You're so hypnotic on my heart

The words you say to me are unlike anything
That's ever been said
what you do to me is unlike anything
That's ever been

This song, done this way, was so unique. And I mean that seriously. I always sang this song slow and serious in my head and knew it would be perfect for playing just after our vows. The problem was, the song done that way, did not exist. There were a couple of youtube videos of short acoustic versions, but nothing I could download and play at our wedding.

I know Lindsay didn't think I was serious when I first asked her amidst crafting fabric pew flowers at my dining room table . Then like a true best friend, sister, and maid of honor, she said "Well just tell me what you want me to sing."

That is Lindsay and I singing together in that same church. You can barely see him, but my Dad is on the far left side smiling (or laughing...) while he listens. We appear to be singing a version of "The Itsy-Bitsy Spider"...but considering the aforementioned foundation for my faith, I would assume it is Jesus Loves Me, or something to that effect...

After brainstorming musicians and running into a few rejections, I thought of a great high school friend who I knew could do ANYthing I asked him on piano. He and Lindsay also knew each other and were able to work together to create an original rendition just how I heard it in my head. Not even her enemy of the wedding week, E. coli, could get her down. Truly amazing.

After breathing a sigh that we had made it through everything, we were pronounced husband and wife.

Sean, you may now kiss your bride!

For our recessional, we chose Amos Lee's Sweet Pea. Light and skippy for a happy summer day!

We did it!


And as if on cue, the sun beamed once again as we exited the church as newlyweds.


Our guests and party mingled just outside the church doors.





We assembled back into the church for pictures...which you will see soon!

Visit our wedding page for more.

Until next time!
Katie Gray

PHOTOGRAPHY BY: Canon Reed, The Wedding Belles

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Kitchen Update: White Island

I was so happy with the way my kitchen cabinet makeover turned out that I almost didn't even notice the hideousness of the island while I was waiting for a chance to complete it. I painted all the cabinets in "Frozen Vanilla" and glazed them, which I showed you here.

It sucked so much steam out of me...and time...that I needed a bit of a break before redoing the island. I originally planned to go dark with it, but a quick glance at Paula Deen's kitchen one day while watching her show sealed the deal that all white was the way to go for our kitchen.

It was bright and airy and all looked like one, seamless unit, as opposed to disjointed.

Disjointed, like...this:



This is what the kitchen looked like with the largest part, the cabinets, completed. I didn't realize just how bad it looked while it was waiting for me to finish it all! It took a while to carve out the time...and muster up the motivation to get back to painting...but I'm absolutely tickled at the FINAL, final results.

Here's what the kitchen looked like BEFORE the cabinet project was started:


Even Oliver had to mean mug at the ugliness of those cabinets.



Here's the...

AFTER!



Another BEFORE:



Halfway done:



And AFTER:


It finally looks like it is the way it's supposed to be.

In comparison, the island was obviously a MUCH quicker process, but the steps were the same.


Remove the drawers, doors, and hardware...sand until you go numb...prime...paint...glaze...reassemble...seal.


...Revel in the beauty.
The last step is always my favorite.



In the above pic, you see how nicely the cabinets flow into the new board and batten treatment I added to the sitting area.




I actually had run out of the Ralph Lauren Smoke glaze I borrowed from a friend for the cabinets, so I used brown paint I diluted with a little water. The same principle applied...brush on and wipe off, brush on and wipe off, until you get the look you want. It worked great!

Of course, and as always, there's still a few things I have up my sleeve for this room. Is it ever done? No. And that's the fun in it.

I picture pendant lights over the island and still have plans for re-stained dark hardwood floors and new appliances. But the hard work is DONE SON!


Hope you enjoyed:)

~The Grays

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Kitchen Board and Batten

On my quest to up the architectural ante of our house, the walls of our eat-in kitchen were my next victim. I've already added shadowbox molding to our dining room, which...I know...you haven't been shown yet! I hate that it's taken this long to share a dining room update but there's one last piece I'm waiting to find before I can reveal. So, for now, I've got a super easy and cheap (for me, really cheap) update to our kitchen with adding faux board and batten that added a cottage coziness and architectural interest. I was able to do the whole shabang in just a few hours, most of that spent waiting on paint to dry.

This is what our eat-in kitchen/sitting area/breakfast nook looked like before we moved in...

And after we got ahold of it...

BEFORE:




And here it is...

AFTER:



It reminds me of a little cafe!


I can't wait to see how the white board and batten pops against the floors when we have them refinished and stained dark chocolate.

To complete this project, I used:

About 60 feet of lattice, cut in 25.5 inch pieces
1 quart Behr "Linen White" Semi-gloss paint
1 quart Kilz Primer
finishing nails
paintable caulk, 1 can
caulking gun
painter's tape
Level to ensure vertical placement of lattice
tape measure

For the battens, I purchased pieces of lattice from Home Depot, found in the trim and molding section. I eye-balled the room before I went and knew I wanted roughly 30 25.5 inch pieces placed 14-16 inches apart, depending on the outlet placement and corners. So, I just bought how ever many 12 foot pieces I needed to make that work and had the guy cut it, free of charge, to the right length of 25.5 inches for me.

Somehow the checkout girl miscalculated the length and charged only $3.75 for ALL the wood when I estimated that it would be about $25. But we bought so many other things that trip so we didn't notice until we looked over the receipt after. See what I mean by really cheap?!

Traditional board and batten is composed of flat pieces of board, separated by long, thin battens. But when you just place the lattice pieces of wood, or battens, on the wall and paint it all white, the wall serves as the board without actually adding all that wood.

And usually, the board and batten has a little shelf chair rail and a flat baseboard. Most tutorials you find will feature adding all of that to create a board and batten effect on the wall, but I already had chair rail molding and baseboard molding so I just placed the lattice pieces between the existing woodwork. The lattice was thin enough as not to stick out beyond the baseboard or chair rail at all.

First, I painted the wall below the chair rail a shade of creamy white in semi-gloss finish.



Then, I used Liquid Nails on the back of a piece of lattice and placed it on the wall vertically between the two moldings.



I used painters tape to hold the lattice to the wall while the Liquid Nails dried and measured about 16 inches in distance, placing a small piece of tape to mark the spot for the next lattice piece.

After all pieces of wood were placed, I went to each piece to fix any gaps that remained between the wood and the wall.



I used paintable caulk (or painter's caulk) to fill in along the gaps for a seamless finish.



The distance between each piece varied some to accommodate for outlets and corners. No exact science was needed. Lastly, I hammered a small finishing nail to the top and bottom of each board for secure placement and painted all the pieces with the same white paint.



The caulk made even the pieces that were off a tad in length fit perfectly. It's not traditional board and batten, but it's EXACTLY what I wanted! I think continuing the white from the cabinets into the sitting area made it all more cohesive.



If you're interested in adding board and batten to your home, Centsational Girl, The Nester, My Blessed Life, and Decor Chick have all given great tutorials on their room projects. But if I can do it, anyone can!

Thanks for stopping by...Leave me a comment so I'll know you were here!

~Katie

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Hopes for a Happy New Year...All Year Long!

Happy 2012!

Sean and I celebrated the coming of this new year in our "across-the-bridge" hometown...heart of the delta...home of the blues...Memphis, Tennessee.

We had dinner at Rum Boogie Cafe (Barbecue sandwich and a BLT Po' Boy with fried green tomoatoes...MMMmmm) while listening to the live music.

We picked a spot on Beale to just hang out and take in all the excitement.

Would you believe that people bring their newborns and small children to Beale on New Year's Eve? I wouldn't if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes...left and right.

Street blues bands, party horns, and drunken chatter harmonized into a lullaby for this baby.

Devin and Nina met up with us after a Tiger win at the Forum. We grabbed a table at Rum Boogie to ring in midnight.





Me and Joe Cool.



Much better. Me and my husband.

Chris and Amy made it through the mile-long line to enter Beale just in time to celebrate!

And celebrate they did with Lemon Drops.

Amy, Me, and Nina


HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I don't think there is a more nostalgic or sentimental song than Auld Lang Syne. Hearing that electric guitar riff evokes memories of the joy of celebration with friends and loved ones as everyone smiles, laughs and kisses. But then I look around at whatever new scene surrounds me for this night and hear the song, thinking..."Weren't we JUST doing this? Like yesterday?" The fleeting nature of time still blows my mind and makes me a little sad. But, is all the more reason to celebrate life and live in a meaningful and memorable way.

His Unfailing Presence

Another year I enter
Its history unknown;
Oh, how my feet would tremble
To tread its paths alone!
But I have heard a whisper,
I know I shall be blest;
"My presence shall go with thee,
And I will give thee rest."

What will the New Year bring me?
I may not, must not know;
Will it be love and rapture,
Or loneliness and woe?
Hush! Hush! I hear His whisper;
I surely shall be blest;
"My presence shall go with thee,
And I will give thee rest."

--Unknown Author

I have great hopes and dreams for the year to come. And I share these hopes for anyone who has taken the time to visit us and read this post, as well. Thank you for stopping by!

Of course, I have toyed with a few standard resolutions...
To run in the mornings before work. To keep up with housework and organize every closet. To motivate myself to use patience without the use of strong coffee in the mornings at the school on the east side of town.

But these are trivial. My true hopes for the new year are these:

It is my hope that everything good in the year that has now become our past always remain with us. And it is my hope that everything that was bad in it be left behind.

I hope that any fears or worries we harbor about a regretful past or an unknown future be harnessed into bravery, allowing for peace day to day.

And I hope we find the wisdom and fortitude to accomplish any goals we have in front of us. May we be honest with ourselves about what we want and find our way to it.

Many blessings in 2012!
The Grays

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