Weddings are cause for celebration!
Not only because they are beautiful, exciting, and filled with anticipation just by the nature of the event, but because it is the connection of two lives together forever. Last spring I attended a dear friend’s wedding and she has graciously shared some lovely images from her wedding as well as some advice for all of you brides-to-be!
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She’s Intentional: First of all, congratulations on your recent wedding! One of the many things I noticed about your wedding was that everything was so beautiful; there was attention given to even the smallest details that made the event perfectly memorable. From the decor, to the overall atmosphere of love and the presence of God that was evident, it was truly a special event. When you were planning everything, what was one word or feeling that you wanted your wedding to portray to your guests?
Chera Tiller Streeval: Stunning! I have always loved timeless, classy weddings and throughout the entire process, when someone would ask me my thoughts on flowers, dresses, decor, anything… my response was always “as long as it looks stunning, I’ll be happy!”
SI: Your dress was amazing! Did you have a difficult time finding one that matched your personal style and personality or did you “just know” what you were looking for?
CTS: Probably like the majority of Apostolic single young ladies out there, I found my dress before I found my husband! Then once Caleb and I were engaged, tracking down an internet picture to an actual store was a little more challenging; however, once my mother and I set our minds to it, there was no way it could elude us. I knew the minute I put it on, it was THE one.
SI: When you were envisioning how the entire wedding would take place, what was the most important aspect for you?
CTS: There were actually two. I definitely wanted the romantic atmosphere, and of course the stunning setting, but the two most important aspects of the ceremony for me were the music and the ministry. I knew we would have several guests who had never been in an Apostolic atmosphere before. I wanted my wedding to be an opportunity for them to feel the presence of God through the men of God that spoke into our lives. And although we did have a couple typical wedding songs, several of them (yes, we had 6 in total!) were God-centered love songs which were powerfully delivered by our incredible live band and soloists.
SI: Did everything go as planned or were there some weird, unexpected bloopers in the actual ceremony that you now look back on and make you smile?
CTS: The ceremony was perfect, the entire day was flawless! However, seventeen days prior to our perfect day, panic set in when our seamstress whom we had been in constant contact with over the past 3 months, informed us through an overnight letter she would not be able to make the bridesmaid dresses. You better believe my mother had the reimbursement check that she sent in that letter to the bank first thing the following morning making sure it didn’t bounce! We got online that day, ordered eleven dresses expedited, and got them two days later. After some extreme alterations to a few, they were perfect. It took some time, but we definitely smile and laugh about it now.
SI: What is your favorite memory from your wedding day?
CTS: Wow. It’s hard to come up with just one. Everyone told me to make sure I slowed down and took everything in or it would all be a blur, so I made an effort to do just that. I would have to say hearing the final announcement, that we were officially “Mr. and Mrs. Caleb Jordan Streeval.” What an euphoric feeling, knowing God’s presence had been felt and had affirmed our union before our family and friends. It was a cloud-nine moment.
SI: What kind of advice would you give to a bride-to-be who is planning her wedding ceremony?
CTS: Hire my mom and all her help! Haha! But seriously: I would most definitely advise brides-to-be to surround themselves with people who support their dreams and visions, and who can take those dreams and turn them into a reality. And be yourself. Let it be YOUR wedding, a reflection of who you are and what you want your special day to be. Breathe. Enjoy it! You are marrying the man of your dreams, the one that God has prepared just especially for you. Live your dream, live your fairy tale, because God has now made it your reality and nothing is sweeter than being in His perfect will.
As you are planning your wedding, just remember that togetherness with the ones you love the most is always a beautiful place to be.
Images by Beth Valdovinos and Christina Campbell courtesy of Eternal Treasures Photography