Well, we're all married off and back from the honeymoon! Requests have been flooding in for details about the wedding (for those who could not attend) and the honeymoon in beautiful Kona, Hawaii, so here are some details (perhaps too many) about these events. Unless otherwise noted, Steve did the writing - keep this in mind when you see the words "I" or "we." Also, be sure to see the "Photos" page for pictures of everything.

Pre-Wedding Events
The wedding on Saturday was a continuation of what Andrea and I considered to be a perfect week of pre-wedding events.

(Andrea) Wednesday night was mint-making. Teather Campbell (bridesmaid) organized this night with a co-worker who makes mints and who had volunteered to make ours. We spent three hours dipping the molds into the sugar/mint substance, and when we were done we had over 1000 small roses, wedding bells, and doves. Cristina Moore (bridesmaid) and Lindsey Bard (Matron of Honor) had come in from out of town to help with this event. They both stayed with Andrea and were very helpful with last-minute events like arranging seat assignments and tying ribbons on programs. In fact, everyone got in on the action - even Steve's dad and Andrea's brother were roped into tying bows!

Bachelorette Party (Andrea)
This is a night I will never forget. Lindsey Bard, my Matron of Honor, planned the evening. Most of my bridesmaids were able to come along with dear high school, college, and Lincoln friends. My mom also came and I loved having her be a part of the everything. Lindsey made a fabulous meal for all of us and then she asked everyone to share a story or a word of encouragement to me. We cried and laughed a lot, and boy was I encouraged and blessed. I have so many dear friends and I'm so thankful for each one of them. Then, there was a definite change of tone as the lingerie shower began. Lindsey had asked Steve some questions about our relationship, and if I guessed the correct answer, I could open a gift.

Bachelor Party
For the bachelor party on Thursday night, Merrill (Best Man) organized an evening of eating out at BW3 (buffalo wings and beer) and then car racing at Speed Indoor Racing (which has the largest indoor track in the nation). I was surprised and humbled to see over 20 friends and relatives show up - and this didn't include some people who couldn't make it to Lincoln until Friday! As I told people over and over again, I can't remember having a smile on my face for so long in one day - it was so fun! Many thanks for Merrill, Brant, and Christian for making sure that I was taken care of and that I was having a good time. After the racing, I was glad to have some quality time with Jeff Miller (Best Man - yes, there were two), Jon (Andrea's "little" brother), and Christian (my brother-in-law) at the Holiday Inn.

Friday - Ladies Tea (Andrea)
On Friday afternoon, my mom treated the ladies (friends and relatives) to a tea at the Atwood House Bed & Breakfast. They served small sandwiches, tarts, and two flavors of tea. This was another good time of sharing and being together.

The rehearsal on Friday showed me precisely why there is a rehearsal because it didn't go completely smoothly. People were crying left and right, people were upset, and last-minute questions and preparations meant that we stayed much longer than anticipated. But then it was on to church for the rehearsal dinner, which was spectacular. Because the rehearsal went so long, Andrea and I didn't have as long to speak and tell stories about the people in our bridal party. I keep remembering things I wish I had said, but that's probably true for just about any big speaking engagement. We gave out gifts, had a delicious meal, and enjoyed the open-mic time of sharing by friends and relatives about the bride, groom, and couple. It was an emotional evening - very intimate and special.

Wedding Day
What Andrea did
9 am - Andrea, her bridesmaids, and her junior bridesmaids gathered together to get their hair done. We had the place to ourselves. It was a great time of fellowship before the busy day. Then Andrea went back to her house to get dressed. Cristina and Emily Stuntebeck (Andrea's personal attendant) helped. Then Emily brought Andrea to Hazel Abel Park for pictures. I was so excited to see Steve and to have him see me!

What Steve did
Believe it or not, I got plenty of sleep and was awake early. My roommate was in the process of moving out, so I doubt I could have slept anyway. His movers came and took all his stuff, which left me in an empty house from 9:00 to 11:00. It was a nice time of quiet before the wedding day events started. Merrill, my personal chauffeur for the day, came at 11:00 and we had a good time. Nerves were starting to show on my part, and he did a good job of keeping my mind off the wedding and keeping me relaxed. The video crew came and interviewed me and Merrill right before we left to go take pictures at Hazel Abel Park. This was the first time I got to see Andrea in her wedding dress. I was glad I was able to see her in her dress before the wedding because I don't think I could have handled seeing her walk down the aisle without breaking down if I hadn't. Andrea looked terrific and was all smiles. After pictures of the two of us in the gazebo and by the blooming Redbuds, it was off to church for more pictures with family and the bridal party. My smile muscles were starting to get tired by the end of this necessary ordeal, but I'm only getting married once so I enjoyed it even though it was tedious and a lot of standing.

The groomsmen and bridesmaids were separated and had their own last-minute quality time right before the wedding. Go here for more information about our bridal party. Pastor Brian Edwards came to both rooms and said prayers with each group. I was surprised that I was only a little bit nervous.

The Ceremony
The weather had been decent in the morning but started to look more and more like it wanted to rain all afternoon. I was disappointed that it started raining as guests arrived, but the outdoor picture time was dry and that was the only crucial period. The music started and the ceremony began. My grandmother was already seated, but Jon sat the bride's grandparents. Then I sat my parents and Jon sat Andrea's parents. I went to join the pastor and groomsmen off stage right while Andrea's mom and my mom lit the candles for the unity candle. The music was excellent - in fact, the quality of the music and musicianship was one of the things I received comments on the most. We are blessed to have such talented friends who were able to sing and play in our wedding. We had a trumpet player, french horn, piano, and organist in addition to two singers. The only glitch in the ceremony was that Parker, my nephew and ringbearer, was too shy to walk down the aisle by himself in front of so many people. After a few seconds of encouragement by his father, Christian, Parker enjoyed "walking" down the aisle on top of Christian's shoulders, much to the delight of the crowd.

Believe it or not, but I, a male, have dreamed about what my wedding would be like since I was little. About the only thing I have consistently wished for was to have an organ play The Wedding March as the bride was introduced and walked down the aisle. I don't know if I was completely overtaken by the sight of my bride walking to meet me or what, but I didn't even hear the music!

Andrea and I had decided that we would be facing the crowd so that our guests could see our faces during the ceremony. However, we didn't go up to the stage until after the first song, so this allowed us to settle our nerves facing away from the crowd while the pastor welcomed the guests and prayed and the scripture readers read their passages.

The first song was "I Love You Lord," Andrea's favorite song. During this time, Andrea said she closed her eyes and sang the song with her whole heart to get focused on worshipping the Lord during the marriage ceremony.

I have heard Brian Edwards give many biblical orations, but I can honestly say that he was at his best while delivering his message. Maybe facing away from the guests and only toward the bridal party settled his nerves, too, because he spoke so well and with perfect confidence and clarity. After the message, Andrea and I lit the unity candle and served each other in communion. We came back to stand and face the crowd, and I was able to enjoy looking out and seeing the faces in the crowd. The first thing I noticed was that Parker was sleeping like a brick on Christian's lap - it was really cute. Later, Andrea informed me that she was afraid to look at faces for fear of becoming emotional, so she only looked at Brian or the clock at the back of the sanctuary.

Vows, rings, pronouncement, walking down the aisle as a couple, making sure the license got signed by the witnesses, and then it was off to the balcony with the bridal party to watch the video Andrea had made of the two of us. This was the other main comment-getter of the ceremony. Andrea and I have seen it several times, but it was special to watch it again at that time and place. It was also neat to hear where people laughed - some were expected and some weren't! We raced back downstairs to hide while guests were dismissed and waited to blow bubbles as we and the bridal party went by to our ride, a friend's 1955 Chevy.

The drive down Holdrege was fun, too. Christian and family seemed a little "horn happy," but it was still a time to cherish. They pulled up along side at a red light and Parker was shy from just waking up, but smiling about what he must have thought was all the silliness and noise around him. We made it to the Lincoln Train Station and the rain prevented the entire wedding party from getting on the caboose for pictures, but Andrea and I were able to climb aboard for a few shots.

That was the ceremony!

Go to the reception page next or
Click here for details about the honeymoon (what we can talk about anyway), or
Click here for pictures from the ceremony, reception, and honeymoon.