Happy Wednesday! I am so excited to be back and share part two of the photos from our wedding ceremony on May 30, 2020! If you’re new around here, hello! I am a #covidbride who is one of millions of brides that has experienced wedding postponement due to a global pandemic. While our big wedding was postponed to August, we still got married on our original date in May, and it was the BEST decision ever!
Today I’m sharing more on our thought process and how we approached this situation of having two ceremonies. When we get married again in August we will be doing a full ceremony and reception. I know having two ceremonies is unconventional, but it was absolutely the right decision for us!
Why we’re having TWO wedding ceremonies…
My biggest fear when postponing and having two weddings was that one of the ceremonies would feel unnatural or awkward because of how unconventional the entire situation is. To me, a wedding ceremony is a sacred event and the seriousness of it is something that is so important to me. I didn’t want May 30th to just be a ceremony thrown together on a whim and have no meaning or sacredness to it. My pastor said it best, “the creation of covenant marriage announces the divine beginning of two lives becoming one. Such a relationship becomes a sacred model of the covenant relationship Christ has with His bride, the church.” I knew this day needed to be a full ceremony, with vows, rings, and everything included. It was too important to us to just kiss and sign a paper, we wanted it to be meaningful event and truly mark the beginning of a covenant journey together.
However, it is equally important to me that our postponed wedding in August is the real deal too. We want the full, big ceremony will all of our guests, friends and loved ones present, my dream wedding gown, the venue, the whole real deal that we have planned for and waited on for so long. This is where our amazing pastor came in and helped us to create our own story for what this wedding would look like.
When we decided to postpone, our wedding was not longer just occurring on May 30 or August 22. My fears of essentially having two weddings and doing things “the right way” were immediately dismissed after our first FaceTime counseling session with Pastor Ken once we decided to postpone. Instead of having one wedding date, our wedding turned into a 3 month long wedding journey, and as we are in the middle of it all now, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
On May 30, 2020 we made a vow and commitment to one another, thus beginning the Creation of Covenant Marriage. In the 10 weeks leading up to our next date, we will be sharing our Journey to the Celebration of Covenant Marriage and they ways in which the Lord is using us during this time to reflect on this covenant and grow deeper together each day. Finally, on August 22, God-willing, we will join our family and friends for our Celebration of Covenant Marriage. I know this is not a typical wedding celebration, but I do know that this is the path the Lord had for us and our wedding, and that makes it perfect to Drew and I. Throughout this journey we will be revisiting the meaning of important symbols of our covenant such as our vows, communion, and more, and will be sharing those things with our guests and loved ones to join in on this journey. This is not simply two weddings, but as I mentioned, a three-month long journey we are on.
I know this may sound like a lot, but this process has been prayerfully and intentionally made for us as a couple, and we know the Lord is using us and teaching us so much about ourselves, each other, our marriage, and the world around us during this time.
Now that I have written a novel… I want to share the second part of photos from our May 30, 2020 Creation of Covenant. Last week I shared our first look and photos from before the ceremony, and now I want to invite you into the ceremony.
The ceremony details…
We each had our closest family and a couple of friends each join us for an intimate and sweet gathering in Troup, Texas on some of Drew’s family’s land. This particular location is a very special one in the Evans family, and that made it even more meaningful to us! Drew’s aunt and uncle were so gracious to open up their home and beautiful backyard to us, and it was the most peaceful and serene ceremony I could have ever dreamed for.
I’ve mentioned this before, but this day was a true labor of love from our sweet family and friends. Each person took on a role and helped to make it come to life, and we could not be more grateful. Everything from the decorations, the music, the food, etc. was brought to life because of our people. Our families helped with the entire set-up, the chairs, the decorations, the arch, the tables of food and drinks and so much more. It wouldn’t have been possible without them. Drew’s sister Haley and her husband Rob provided the most beautiful music for me to walk down the aisle and also during communion in the ceremony. My best friends Natalie and Meagan created the most beautiful charcuterie board ever that I am still dreaming about. My sister Morgan and mother in law Paula made delicious homemade pies for dessert, the Evans were also responsible for the beautiful arch! And my sweet mom… she did just about anything and everything from chair rentals, decor, food, and making sure not a single detail was missed. I also can’t forget DJ Jimmy, Drew’s best friend, who was tasked with music for our mini reception after! I mean it when I say it took a village, and we are so so thankful for our family and friends and all they did to make it perfect.
Our incredible wedding photographer, Jillian Hogan, joined us for the evening to capture it all, and she did the most amazing job!
Have you EVER seen anything more adorable? Baker boy was an angel during the entire ceremony!
Following the ceremony we enjoyed some time with our family and friends, stuffed our faces with delicious pie, and then loaded up in my car and headed north for the first night of our mini-moon at the Omni Frisco!
It was the best day we will cherish forever!
More to come along the way as we continue this journey leading up to our celebration in August!
66 days to go!
xx,
Madison
