Matthew and Tara's Wedding

It's official! My little brother is married! We traveled up to Solvang last weekend for the wedding extravaganza which included 4 days of festivities beginning with a round of golf for the boys in vintage golf attire...

The whole wedding theme was vintage. They did a great job in making the theme come across in the details... lace parasols and fans at the ceremony, a silhouette artist, row boats on the lake, a typewriter to write the bride and groom a note, old photos, croquette, wine glasses with their family crest (that they created), etc. The wedding was at the lake at the Alisal Ranch where our family goes for a reunion once a year... it's a very special place for our family. Here's the group of us on the way to the rehearsal dinner on the "Hay Wagon":

The wedding was beautiful and very honoring to the Lord. David was a groomsman and I was a bridesmaid... Abigail was able to be a part of it too as we held her coming down the aisle (the groomsmen walked down the aisle with the bridesmaids).

They did a foot-washing ceremony where they both washed each other's feet as a symbolic act of committing to serve each other in their marriage. During this ceremony, Tara's brother and I read scripture about Christ's call to serve and love others.

The parents served them communion and prayed for them. I was close enough to listen in and was moved to tears by the sacredness of this moment.

The Kiss...

Here we are after the ceremony...
Four generations of women...
First Dance...

A few momentos from the wedding:

-Wine glasses with the family crest (E's on top for Engle, upper left: the empty tomb, top right: books symbolizing the pursuit of knowledge, bottom right: the Jerusalem cross, bottom left: chandelier meaning light)

-A robe from Tara as part of my bridesmaid welcome package... she also gave us pearl earrings and a necklace to wear at the wedding, bubble bath, and underwear that say "Bridesmaid" in rhinestones on the rear. The robe also had the family crest embroidered on the front in gold thread. Very generous of her!

Now the newlyweds are enjoying their honeymoon in Fiji (my brother surprised Tara and actually didn't tell anyone else where it was either until the day after the wedding... of course, I had my suspicions)! Whew! What a crazy, fun, but exhausting weekend!