Love Under the Moon: Final Touches

While Mr. Coyote and the dudes headed over to Franklin Plaza, I remained in our hotel suite, adding a few final touches to my ensemble.

Momma Coyote helped with me my bracelet:

I popped in my earrings:

And my two maids of honor helped me with my shoes, which led to some very goofy photos!

As soon as I was all accessorized up Brenda (our photographer) sent the bridesmaids over to Franklin Plaza to meet up with the guys. The mommas stayed behind as well as MOH D who assisted me with my dress. We had a few minutes to relax before it was time to head over for the first look, but after all of the nerves from earlier in the day I really just wanted to see Mr. Coyote. I was pumped and ready to go! Thankfully we didn't have to wait too much longer and soon enough it was time to head out. I was giddy with excitement and could not wait to see my groom.

We opened the door, started to head down the hallway and what I saw made my heart melt. No, no it wasn't Mr. Coyote... It was my grandfather.

Hive, my grandfather -- my wonderful, fun, happy grandfather -- is currently fighting a difficult battle against dementia. If you have never had a loved one suffer from this disease, I can only hope you never will. It is true when they say that it is hardest on those surrounding the person who is suffering from it. My grandfather no longer recognizes any of his grandchildren and he often does not know where he is or who he is with. His moods change with the wind and in the weeks leading up to our wedding we were unsure if my grandparents would be able to make it. My grandfather's health was deteriorating and my grandmother, in a true testament of love and sacrifice (or just plain ol' stubbornness, I'm really not sure), refuses to leave his side.

And so, I feel incredibly blessed to be able to tell you that my grandfather improved enough to make the journey to our wedding. Seeing him standing there at the end of the hallway immediately stopped me in my tracks.

Rationally I know that he did not recognize me, but ladies, I swear to you his eyes lit up when he saw me. I hugged him as tightly as I could and once again, the tears began to flow. I never told my photographer about my grandfather or about his dementia, but when she noticed how I reacted she realized something big was happening and snapped the most poignant wedding photo we have. Many of our photos bring out a variety of emotions, but I am flooded with memories when I see this particular shot. It is the only one that still brings tears to my eyes every time I look at it. It is a true testament to her skill and ability as a photographer to be able to capture a candid moment like this:

Unfortunately my time with my grandfather ended too soon and it was time to head outside to meet my groom. I dried my tears (again) and headed for the door.

*All photos are by the fabulous Upstate Photographers, unless otherwise noted.*

Miss a recap?

• I babble about being married and share our wedding video.
• We finish up some last-minute wedding tasks and pre-wedding jitters set in the day before the wedding.
• We practice getting married and then head to our rehearsal dinner where I shed my first tears of the weekend. We later wind down with our families back at the hotel.
• My bridesmaids get pretty and I get a special message from Mr. Coyote.
• I try to cope when things don’t go quite as planned, but thankfully I quickly bounce back and then it was time to become a bride. Meanwhile, Mr. Coyote was calm as a cucumber as he got ready with the dads and groomsmen.