The best day...EVER!

June 6th, 2009, was hands down the best day of my life! Looking back on that day, it couldn't have gone any better.

It started out Saturday morning at the Ritz Carlton hotel in Dana Point. I stayed their with two of my bridesmaids Friday night after the rehearsal. Surprisingly, I actually had a good night's sleep (I think because the bed was insanely comfortable!). I woke up that morning anxious to look out the window and check the weather. To my surprise, it was a beautiful morning at the beach! My bridesmaids started to arrive to the hotel around 10:30 am. Kristen started working on my hair as I watched the girls get ready. My mom and cousins also came to the hotel to get ready with us. When my mom got their, she broke the news that it had been pouring rain all morning at her house (about 10 minutes from the church). I started to freak out thinking...I can't believe its raining on my wedding day. I tried to calm down and just hope for the best as the make-up artist finshed my make-up. After the girls helped me put my gown on, we headed out to take pictures around the hotel grounds. All my bridesmaids looked so beautiful! And my flower girls and junior bridesmaid were absolutely adorable!

We got in the car to head to the church and to my amazement, the weather was cooperating!! The sky was clear and the sun was out! We arrived at the church and I started to get nervous. All the bridesmaids and I were waiting in the bridal room until the ceremony started. About 10 minutes before the ceremony started, Andrew's brother, Jackie, delivered a note to me that Andrew had written that day. Although the note brought tears to my eyes, it also brought a sense of calmness to me and at that point, I knew I was ready to walk down the aisle marry the man of my dreams.

Words can't describe the feeling I felt when I locked eyes with Andrew for the first time that day. I think I floated down the aisle...because I certainly don't remember putting one foot in front of the other. I somehow managed to make it through the entire ceremony without crying. It was better than I could have imagined.

After the ceremony, we took all of the family pictures at the church, then headed down to the reception site. We took all the bridal party pictures outside at the train tracks, and again, the weather somehow cooperated. Then it was time to make the grand entrance into our reception site. We got to take a sneak peak into the room before everyone entered. It was just like I pictured! The centerpieces were stunning - the uplighting was awesome - the chairs were perfect! Everything came together so perfectly. It was at that moment, that Andrew realized all the hard work that went into planning that day. He was so blown away by all the details I had worked so hard on - down to the rhinestones that were on the placecards.The reception was definitely the best party I had ever been to! Just looking around and seeing all my friends and family that were there supporting us on our big day was so amazing. My dad gave the welcome toast and read me a poem that he had found. It was then, that the tears started to flow. Then, Andrew and I's first dance came. Another moment I had anticipated for sometime. We danced to David Grey's "This Year's Love" - a song that Andrew picked out for us. We were afraid that because we didn't practice anything, our dance would look like two twelve year old kids at a junior high dance turning in circles over and over again. But to us, it was perfect...a moment that neither of us will ever forget! To top it off - the roof above us opened right when our dance started.

The rest of the night was filled with the usual cake-cutting, tossing of the bouquet, tossing of the garter, and dancing the night away! I had a blast dancing with all my friends and family - especially the little ones. Who knew that Avery could bust a move! When 11:30 came, I was so sad to see the night coming to an end. I wanted it to last forever! But we said our goodbyes and Andrew's uncle drove us in his Rolls Royce to the Ritz Carlton where we were staying the night. We ordered room service when we got there because neither of us had taken the time during the reception to sit down and eat anything (even though I swore that we would be the couple that actually ate our wedding food). We sat on our balcony and listened to the ocean as we discussed everything that had happened that day.

All in all, the day was nothing short of perfection! We both felt so lucky to have such wonderful friends and family to help make our wedding so memorable. Although I am sad that it is all over, I am looking forward to the next chapter in our lives - married life! Thanks to all of you for your love and support this past year. We love and appreciate each and every one of you. Stayed tuned for pictures of the next addition to our Conners family! No - not a baby...a puppy

(Above are some pictures from our photographer. As soon as we get the rest of them, I will post a link to them)