By Marlee Cardon
Tyler asked me to marry him on March 11, 2011 while dancing to Ray Charles in his living room. With zero expectations we entered Southern Utah Bride Magazine’s giveaway contest, and much to our surprise, won! We were ecstatic about the idea of a destination wedding in St. George, and could not wait for our special day in June.
I wake up at 4:00 AM, which means it’s still dark outside and my rooster of an alarm is nowhere near making its daily squawk. What made me think I would need to set that again? I realize that my stomach is in knots, and there’s not even a chance of going back to sleep. My thoughts wander to Tyler and whether or not he’s also experiencing this newly acquired insomnia. I send him a text, and decide I might as well get up and start getting things ready for the day. Our wedding day. Except…there’s really nothing for me to do. The remarkable thing about wedding planners, is they not only do all of the planning, but the finalizing and arranging. The bride and groom are left to do little more than make sure their outfits are in order, and my outfit has been in order for some time. Jessica May Bridal made sure of that. After I shower I realize even my make-up and hair aren’t my job today, and so I resort to just sitting. I glance over the itinerary Forevermore Events provided me. It’s strange how quickly this day came, but how slowly these minutes are passing. I’m not nervous, not scared of something going wrong. I’m only excited.
When I get to the salon I’m greeted by Jaclyn Lamoreaux, my hair and make-up designer. Because she’s sweet, she doesn’t even mention the bags under my eyes or the fact that I’m totally antsy today. She just smiles as she takes out brushes and mascara and lipsticks of every color. I feel like a total princess. When she’s finished I look at myself for a long time in the mirror, feel a smile grow on my face, and think seriously about giving her a hug. Okay, no. That would be weird, but somehow a mere “thank you” doesn’t seem enough. It’s exactly what I’ve always dreamed of, and accomplished even with Tyler calling my phone every thirty minutes or so to talk.
As I drive to the ceremony I stare admiringly at the breathtaking bouquet Bloomers has arranged for me and smile at the thought that it’s here. I’ll see Tyler soon, for the first time today. I get out of the car and take a deep breath. When he sees me he smiles and as soon as I’m close enough he whispers a sweet compliment into my ear. It makes me feel wonderful. The ring ceremony officiated by the humorous Steve Masefield of Zion Weddings is beautiful–not too lengthy or short–and every word spoken I note, because I want to remember. Occasionally I look away from Tyler, only to feel overwhelmed with love and support from all of the family and friends that traveled to be here for this.
Beautiful string music by Zion Belles plays as we make our way to the lawn of Entrada and my jaw literally drops. It is without a doubt the prettiest wedding reception I’ve ever seen, and it’s mine! Pale pink and white flowers cover the tables along with antique crystal. Fresh balls and bales of cotton litter the scene, and give the whole celebration a Southern Dixie feel. Custom designed menus, courtesy of Hey Hay Designs, lay beautifully on every table. Beautiful gold frames that hold our engagements by Gideon Photography, scatter the area, accenting the color scheme and complementing shiny gold dinner plates. I take it all in, and a flood of thankfulness to the design team of Forevermore Events comes over me. It’s more than I thought it would be. Every morsel of food by Entrada was to die for and the rest of the evening unfolds flawlessly. The sun sets and hanging lights illuminate the party. I dance until my feet hurt, to all of our favorite songs. Everyone laughs when the “daddy daughter” dance proves to be a mix of serious and silly hits that Festival Sounds so graciously put together at my fathers request. I get teary eyed and overwhelmed when the tribute-to-my-father video begins to play. Castlebridge Films has created this as a surprise for my dad. I eat with family and friends the picture perfect wedding cake Sweet Cakes crafted especially for us. I laugh when I think that tomorrow, I will be sound asleep, Mrs Tyler Cardon, with my husband at 4:00 AM.
