Family and Friends Day weekend

I think we must have had something to do every weekend in May! Saturday we had our annual Family and Friends Day picnic and yesterday we had our annual service. It was also dress down Sunday  . Each family represented during the service conducted the service with another family member. Marc's friend Scooter preached that morning.  

The newlyweds!! 

That afternoon we were invited to a second service! 

I can't get over the fact that it's been one week since they got married!! But my body still feels it!! Later this week I have oral surgery and then right after that (eventfully) our schedules get back to crazy lol!!

Day after the wedding

The Gloucester Institute staff were amazing and pretty much allowed us to take our time checking out on Sunday (we managed to get everything loaded up and packed by 3 pm. But it took several cars and my girlfriends van to collect all of the many supplies I had accumulated over the last year). 

My view that morning!! And yes it was still raining! 

Our friends from Alabama left that morning (the girls wouldn't let me take a pic lol), but we are traveling with them in July to New Orleans to  see their son get married so our goodbyes are only temporary! 

When they left my mom, my daughter Quisha, my son TJ, my girlfriend Teresa, Marc and I went to meet the newlyweds for breakfast at our favorite spot in Gloucester!! 

We then headed back to the house to open gifts and eventually we packed up everything and headed to my moms to drop off some stuff we couldn't get in the bride and grooms and our cars because there were so many gifts!!! lol 

They got lots of kitchen stuff so Nicki has no excuse not to cook!! lol 

The drivers got cold while transferring things from the car to my moms house so we had to get coffee (well they did because I don't like coffee lol) before leaving for church where we dropped off a billion cupcakes for the church to use next weekend for Family and Friends Day! 

Family and Friends!!

This event would not have been possible without the help of some really wonderful family and friends!! 

My mom and my sis not only contributed financially to the wedding but they worked their socks off the entire weekend! 

Everyone was concerned with the fact that I couldn't possible run things the day of the wedding (and they were right), but what they didn't know was that I had two of the best day of coordinators/friends a girl could ever have! I knew with them in charge it would go according to my plans for the day! Minus things I couldn't be in control of....like the weather!! 

I'm so proud of these two young ladies!! Everyone has commented on how polite and poised they were. It can all be contributed to the upbringing their parents instilled in their lives!! Not once did they complain, they were available to do what ever was needed and they did it with a smile!!

I have to give a big shout out to their dad, one of my husbands very good friends Mike who drove his family all the way from Alabama for this occasion!

Marc and I have been blessed in the friends dept. Several of his buddies attended with their wives to show support!!

I've said for years that God blessed me with a great core group of ladies who not only pray for me but would be there in a minute if they were asked!  The fact that most of them were able to be there to celebrate our daughters big day means the world to me!! 

To my sister cousins who worked nonstop this past weekend, and to my male cousins who aided our guest in parking their cars....thank you so much!! I don't know what I would have done if I didn't have this village of family and friends for support! 

To all of the guest who took time out in the wind and rain and who were wiling to sit in the damp cold to see Nicki tie the knot...thank you! 

To our officiant Pastor Todd who came from Ohio to fulfill a wish he made to my daughter a long time ago....thank you! 

To Nicki's godparents and God siblings who made sure both Nicki and I were pampered this weekend....you just don't know how much that meant to us as a family! 

To the photographer Clara Anne....the few pics I have seen so far are amazing!! Thank you for your patience and your persistence in getting the best shots you could under the circumstances under which you were working! 

I will have a special post on my Treasured Creations blog dedicated to our outstanding vendors later!! 

Although we had some ups and downs, and what seemed like major bumps (literally) in the way I can honestly say now after a few days of rest and reflection that our children's wedding day turned out to be extra special because of the people that God placed in our lives! Without you all this day would not have been the success it was!! 

Highlights from the wedding day!

I won't have any professional photos for a while but I thought I would highlight some of the pics I've been able to snatch from my camera and the cameras of friends and family!! lol

The photographer getting a shot of the happy couple being prayed over!! 

The bridesmaids all together!! Photo courtesy of our cousin Andy of GStokes Photography! 

Nicki and Byron waiting to take photos! ( Courtesy of Gstokesphotography ).

Our lovely hostess who greeted guest!!

The parents and grandparents waiting to enter for the reception! 

The bridal party waiting to come in after the ceremony and photo session! 

The bride dancing with her dad!

The groom dancing with his mom.

The newly married couple!!

The chef presenting the happy couple with a gift and their meal! 

My sister and Nicki after she changed into the gown she made her for the reception! 

My BFF Teresa finally getting to enjoy herself after all of her hard work!! 

Yes!!! Even the mother of the bride made it out in the floor before the night was over!! lol 

Tossing the bouquet !

And look at who caught it!! I'm going to need her to wait a few years so her dads pockets can recover though!! lol 

Nicki wanted a party and a party is what she got!! 

The morning of the wedding!!

My mom got up early that morning to begin setting up breakfast for all the guest staying at the cottage. 

Some of the bridesmaids folding the last of the wedding programs.

When your a youtuber and a make up artist it's important to you that your bridal party looks as good as you! 

The wedding gown waiting to be steamed.

Some of the bridal party filled out the "message in the bottle" before the crazy day began! 

My mom, my sister, my cousin and my girlfriend Teresa helped me set up the tables for the reception. We had to do some rearranging since the ceremony would now be taking place under the tent .

My niece and goddaughter prepping before stepping in to help as hostess!! God bless them because they came all the way from Bama to help us and didn't arrive until 4 am Saturday morning! 

Thank goodness I had enough sense to lay out my attire in advance before we started working! 

The brides hair being done by her college friend Rachel!

Her god sister Maya tending to her as she got her hair done!

The bridesmaids taking a photo in their robes which were a gift from Nicki. Nicki's robe was a gift from her friend in Florida who got married last year. 

My goddaughter doing my make-up! I had to hold back the tears because she is so grown now and is no longer my little baby!! 

Meanwhile the men got to enjoy a leisurely morning getting dressed (well at least the groomsmen because the men staying at the cottage had to work lol). 

The following photos you will see were taken by our cousin Andy. He was the best man, and it was while at my cousins marriage to him two years ago where Byron met and fell in love with Nicki! 

The men's gift from the groom! Nicki said there were two things that attracted her to Byron...one was him saying he prayed for her (a great line when your sincere lol), and the other was how much he reminded her of her dad. That I can see especially when it comes to being generous to others. Both of these men would give their life for their family and the shirt off their back to friends! (Photo credits go to GStokes Photography)

Some of the groomsmen! (GStokes Photography)

The groom at the hotel before leaving for the wedding! (GStokes Photography)