The Long Dirt Road: Mr. & Mrs. Secrist

September 12, 2015 ~ Today was the big day for my cousin Stephanie Daly and her super cute hubby-to-be, Justin Secrist! After a really fun engagement and lots of planning then it was time to see this wonderful wedding come together!

The morning started out with getting our hair done!

(Of course after some beverages and a toast to a perfect day!)

So during the rehearsal dinner Justin gave me a gift that he wanted Stephanie to open on their wedding day in front of her girls. I thought this was such a sweet thing and was excited to see her open a gift from her future husband!

Oh he did good! A beautiful David Yurman bracelet!

One more group photo to remember this morning!

With all this hair, hair spray and bobbi pins it was time for Ashley and I to head back to the hotel to pick up momma, pops and Jaxon!

So we went to Applebee's to grab a bite to eat. Jaxon was showing Papa how to play some games then he showed Granny what it does when you finish the puzzle correctly! Ha!

Stephanie and Justin would get married at The Guild in downtown Kansas City, MO. It was a beautiful location and a perfect day for a wedding! We got here a little early and it was hard to believe they would transform this outdoor area into a beautiful wedding location!

(They had a wedding here last night and we loved the look of the alter and just decided to remove the "C" and leave the greenery since it still looked great!)

So my role in Stephanie and Justin's wedding was their coordinator. Although Stephanie did an amazing job planning her wedding she asked me to help make sure it was perfect! When we got in the building it was amazing to watch this place transform into a beautiful venue as everyone jumped in to get things done! (When you get in the building at 1:00 PM and the wedding starts at 5:00 PM it means "all hands on deck" to get it done!) I couldn't have done it all and I am so thankful for everyone that helped make this day perfect!

I was able to catch a quick picture with Stephanie. Although this was taken with an iPhone it doesn't show how beautiful she was! The dress was amazing, her hair was beautiful and that smile was the icing on the cake!

Sadly, I would not get a chance to take photos (or very many photos) as I was trying to make sure everything was done as Stephanie wanted it while trying to keep everything on time. Thank goodness I had comfortable cowboy boots on or my feet would have been dead a long time before this!

A quick couple photos with my hubby... I love this man!

It's hard to believe that tomorrow would be 18 years since we walked down the isle!

The wedding was perfect!

Their officiant, Curtis Phipps was spot on with these two love birds!

Mr. and Mrs. Justin Secrist!

Justin and Stephanie are huge Kansas City Royals fans (and y'all know I'm a huge St. Louis Cardinals fan) but to help make their wedding a little more special for Justin we decided to do a KC Royals grooms cake (little side note... it was a red velvet cake so I think deep down he loves the Cardinals) and wedding baseball favors! (One of the few pictures I did get)

I think the bridal party is having fun taking pictures!

While the bridal party jumped on a bus to go take photos around Kansas City I had to recruit a couple strong boys (my hubby and my brother-in-law) to bring in the decorations to add to the wedding reception! Thanks guys!

Once the bridal party got back from pictures it was time to eat but before we could eat Justin's grandpa wanted to give a prayer. Such a sweet man and wonderful words he gave to the bride and groom! (He and his wife had been married 74 years)

ONLY because I love these two crazy kids I had Sluggerrr (Kansas City Royals Mascot) come to their wedding as a total surprise and I think Justin couldn't have been any happier! I gotta say... Sluggerrr knows how to get a party started!

Sluggerrr even jumped in the Photo Bus with them!

I loved this picture of Stephanie and her momma! Stephanie's dad was killed in a car accident when she was 2 years old and her dad wouldn't be here today to walk her down the isle so her mom did. This was so fitting and so touching to have at their wedding. Thank you Judy for raising a wonderful woman who is thoughtful and caring. Thank you Stephanie for allowing your momma to be a special role in your day!

After a whirlwind day and so much celebration we realized the marriage license wasn't signed! Eeek! Thank goodness for a picnic table and a little light (lots of laughter) we got everything signed and official! Shew!

Stephanie and Justin -

I couldn't be happier for you both and wish you a lifetime of happiness! Just as your wedding day went by so quickly the years seem to go quicker. Remember to love unconditionally, forgive easily and never give up on each other. Marriage takes a lot of work but it's completely worth it when you enter into this new chapter of life. Don't let the drama weigh you down and always make time for each other. Thank you for allowing me to have a special place in your day!

I love you both!

Companies That Made This Wedding Really Special......