Hey guys!  I am going to write this blog and tell you guys about my wedding day. It was the greatest day of my life.

I have been planning this for 10 months. On Thursday, Oct. 15 we had the rehearsal dinner. I wanted to do something different. The usual places were not very appealing to me. I chose PF Changs in Greensboro, N.C. PF Changs is a gourmet Chinese restaurant. Matt and I had previously eaten at a PF Changs while in Charlotte with his sister. We went to the restaurant about two weeks before the rehearsal to choose the food we wanted to be served that night. We had several different entrées including everyone’s favorite, the lettuce wraps. We had about 30 people at our rehearsal dinner from our families to all the bridesmaids and groomsmen. The one surprise I had planned for Matthew was that I had a groom’s cake made with the MSR logo on it. It was beautiful. His favorite flavor is chocolate so it was chocolate with a big red MSR logo. Everyone sat around and talked after dinner. We passed out gifts for all the bridesmaids and groomsmen. Cara Marie, a special friend, made blankets for all my girls. All the girl’s names were embroidered on the blankets. They turned out really nice. All of the guys got gift cards to Best Buy. I am sure they liked that.  After rehearsal we went home and I actually slept. I didn’t think I would sleep a bit but I did.

On Oct. 16 I woke up very early. I felt like I had a lot to do but all I really had to do was load my car up and go down to the hotel. I couldn’t eat a thing. I loaded my car up with my long list of things that I had to take. I walked outside thinking my keys were in my purse and they were not. I had locked myself out of the house. I was talking to my sister on the phone and she kept telling me that was a sign of me being nervous.  I found another key and got back into the house to get my car keys.

I arrived at 12:30 at the hotel to check into my room. It was room 302 at Proximity Hotel. When I got there some of my bridesmaids were already waiting on me. I told them not to be late. Ha-ha. Christy had brought drinks and food for us to snack on while we were getting all dressed up. Before the hair and makeup people arrived we sat around telling stories of how I was in denial at first that I liked Matthew.  It was hilarious.

The hair and makeup crew arrived and now it was fun time. It only took them two hours to get nine girls ready. Those girls had it going on. Let me just tell you by the time we got everything done our room was a disaster. We all were beaming with great hair and makeup. All of the bridesmaids were dressed and then it was time for me to put on my wedding dress.

My dress was absolutely beautiful and I didn’t want anything messed up. I wanted it perfect, just like my hair and makeup. We decided that I couldn’t step into the dress because it laced up the back so we were going to put it over my head. Bad idea. We got it half way on and the dress got hung on my veil. The dress wouldn’t go up or down. I started yelling that my hair was getting messed up. Everyone was trying to calm me down. My dad heard me yelling and he wanted to know what was wrong with me. Nancy, Matt’s mother, told him that I was fine we were just having a dress crisis. After 30 minutes of unlacing and lacing we finally got the dress on. It was amazing. I bet I looked into the mirror 100 times before I went downstairs.

The photographer came up to get me because Matt and I decided to see each other before the wedding so the picture process would be faster after the wedding. It was going to be an intimate moment anyway. She took me down the spiral staircase and I saw Matthew waiting for me in the courtyard with his back turned where he couldn’t see me. I started crying. This is a day that I have dreamed of since I was a little girl and I was so excited to be marrying the man I love more than anything. As the tears were rolling down my face I walked out and they told him to turn around and the first thing he said was, “Oh my, you look so beautiful.” I was still crying and we just stood there holding one another and I got to give him a big kiss. I didn’t want to leave him at this point. I wanted to stay there forever. 

Our photographer positioned us for a couple of poses and then we were separated again. I went and had photos made with all the girls and this was a bunch of fun. We did lots of crazy things. I am sure the guys did to. By this time it was 5:45 and it was time. I was standing in the hallway with all my girls and then they left me. Reality hit when my sister kissed me and said she loved me and would see me soon. I took a quick peak of the audience. It was standing room only. It made me feel very special.

I met up with my daddy and I was nervous. I was taking a few deep breaths and he asked me if I was ready. I said absolutely. The music started to play and we started walking down the aisle. I had over 100 people looking at me and I was stunned. I saw Matthew waiting on me, smiling. My daddy was crying and there were a few tears in my eyes as well. We stood up there holding each other’s hands enjoying the best day of my life. I will say that I wrote my vows down because I wanted to say everything and not forget. I was so proud of Matthew. He didn’t write anything down and it was amazing what came from him. The whole audience was crying. Then my dad’s cell phone rang and broke the ice because a lot of people were in tears. He thought I was going to be so mad at him. I wasn’t. I actually thought it was funny.

They pronounced us husband and wife and we had our kiss. We were so happy to be married. We took a few more photos and then off to the reception. We did all of our dances and then it was surprise time for Matthew. I had been telling him that I had a surprise for him that no one knew about. It was a video put together from the last two years of us racing. It was awesome. Matthew loved it. We cut the cake and I was proud of him. I thought he was going to smear cake all over my face. He played nice. After that all we did all night was dance the night away. All of the girls I work with were there. We don’t get out much so needless to say it was a party on the dance floor. Around 10:30 we did the garter toss and bouquet toss. I was tired and ready to go to the room.

Everyone lined up outside of the hotel with bubbles and we ran through. We got into the car and took a short drive around the city. We came back to the hotel and ended our night after I got me some Pringles. I was starving and had to have a snack. It was so beautiful and it was a day I will always remember. I am so glad to be married to the best man in my world, Matthew Smith.

Just like to say thank you to all the bridesmaids and groomsmen that were in our wedding. If it wasn’t for each and every one of you it couldn’t have happened. To Cara Marie…Thank you so much for coming down to see your favorite couple get married and taking awesome photos while you were here. Mark and Marshall Stockseth for coming all the way from Texas. To Mike Earle, Tom Patsis, Jason Jones and Kim Kries for coming from out of town to celebrate our day with us. To Mr. And Mrs. Sonny Leonard for coming from Virginia.  To both of our parents for supporting us in everything we do. We love you guys. To everyone else that attended our wedding thank you so much for being a part of our special day. Thank you to everyone that sent gifts. We have so many new nice things for our new home.