Our Wedding, Part V: Reception at Fox Hollow

Alright, I'm sure you are all sick of the wedding recaps, but I promise this is the last one! And the eye candy is worth the wait because Charolette Winder did an incredible job of capturing our final wedding event--the reception in my hometown.

My mom did an amazing job hosting the party, with the help of some very sweet and talented friends (thank you!). It all came together beautifully.

(The best family in the world. Just saying.)

(My mom designed and sewed these dresses for my sisters. She's superwoman!)

(My baby brothers are the cutest!)

Lastly, my favorite quote about marriage from a man who truly knew:
“The trick, my brethren and sisters, is to enjoy the journey, traveling hand in hand, in sunshine and storm, as companions who love one another."
-President Gordon B. Hinckley

Our Wedding, Part IV: Backyard Reception in Brigham City

Matt's parents' backyard is a pretty significant place for the two of us.

After all, it's where we first met as litte kids at Dave & Monica's reception.

(Can you find Matt? He's right in front of the bride. My parents are to the right of the groom.)

Years later, it's where we first said "I love you," and not too long afterward,
where Matt proposed.

It was fitting, then, that our Brigham City reception was held there -- exactly 17 years to the day after that first serendipitous reception in the same backyard.
I don't think we can ever thank Dave & Monica enough for bringing us together. They sure started something! It's amazing to see how much the Davis family has grown in 17 years--from half of the group in the first picture to the entire picture below:
Remember how I (as a 4-year-old) thought Matt was good-looking back then? Holy cow, I don't think I could have ever survived that crush had I known just how handsome he'd become. My Matthew definitely grew up to be quite a looker.
Although, sometimes I wonder if we'll both ever really grow up.
And I'm okay with that.
In fact, I'd be perfectly content if things stayed just the way they are now.
Well, plus a few of these that are all our own.
But we're getting just a little ahead of ourselves there, now aren't we? :-)
PS-That would be Matt's big brother Nate and his awesome band, Lokalgrown, playing at our reception. His wife, Laci, is responsible for the beautiful Brigham City reception photos as well as our post-wedding groomals.

PS again-Aren't our nieces & nephews adorable?

Our Wedding, Part III: Bridals & Groomals

Did any other brides else feel extremely awkward with the idea of taking hundreds of "wedding" pictures of just yourself? I was all for the whole groomal concept... if only it didn't require sacrificing the traditional not-seeing-the-bride/dress-before-the-wedding ritual. The solution? I took regular bridals before the wedding for the mommas and the poppas and groomals afterward for, well, us.

See, we didn't want all of our official wedding pictures--coming out of the temple, with our families, etc.--to scream "military" on the off-chance that we don't stay with the Air Force for very long. (Hence Matt wearing the classic black suit for that occasion.) At the same time, though, the military is a big part of our lives and the Air Force tux (ironically called "mess dress") is so timeless and meaningful that we still wanted to have a few pictures with it at the temple. Groomals fulfilled that need quite nicely.

Pre-wedding bridals by McKenzie (our wedding photographer):

Post-wedding groomals by Laci (our sister-in-law):

Our Wedding, Part II: Wasatch Room

Our dinner was held that evening on the tenth floor of the
Joseph Smith Memorial Building in the beautiful Wasatch Room,

which has incredible views of both the city and the mountains.

A few of the details:

(My bouquet was wrapped with a handkerchief my dad's grandmother made for me,
and accented by a gorgeous brooch that belonged to my mom's grandmother.)

(Each table was named after a place that was meaningful to our courtship.
The seating chart led to the tables, and then each guest had a personal note as their place card.)

(The Wasatch Room has a large alcove near the entrance, which we used to display
our parents' and grandparents' wedding pictures.)

Our lovely guests after dinner:

The groom singing to the bride:
(Check out the pretty view behind him!)

Cutting the cake:

Dancing with my dad:

Our first dance:

Last but not least--the Arch of Sabers:
(A military officer tradition that symbolizes safe passage in married life for the couple.)

***The iconic picture of the Arch of Sabers is of the kiss with the last set of swords crossed in front of the couple. Our photographer didn't catch it, so if any of you did, PLEASE let me know! You'll be my hero forever :-)***