June 3, 2000

I have very vague memories of that life-altering day 8 years ago today.  

I remember having my hair done and shellacked with more Aqua Net than I thought humanly possible.  I remember the 80 bobby pins holding my hair in place all day.  

I remember sandwiches.  At the church there was this little room where my bridesmaids and I hung out, and a tray of sandwiches materialized when we were just starting to get hungry.  

I remember my dad looking more nervous than me.  I thought he might just throw up.  But he didn't.  We both made it down the aisle.  There was this hot man at the end of that aisle.  That I remember.  

What I do not remember are any of my vows or anything the preacher said that day.  No recollection at all.  I could have promised a lifetime of frisbee-golf playing or video game tolerance for all I know.  I do not remember most of the other people at my wedding.  

I do remember my sister-in-laws both whining about the shoes I made them wear as bridesmaids.  My 4'11" sister was my maid of honor, and my SILs (at 5'8"ish and 5'10"ish) were also bridesmaids.  They were appalled that I made them wear flats in my wedding so that everyone would fit in the same picture.  Little did they know, I was merely being fashion-forward.  

I also kind of remember my ring bearer.  I had babysat this little boy from the time he was 4 months old until he was almost 5, when I got married.  He was our ring boy.  Kids are always a bit unpredictable in weddings, but Jonathan was in a league of his own.  While the preacher was saying words I don't remember, Jonathan had thrown the cute little ring pillow on the floor and decided it was nap time.  He put his little head on that pillow on the floor and would not get up.  Then he rolled around on the floor, and started chewing on the pillow, just for good measure.  Honestly, short of setting the church on fire, he could have done anything and it wouldn't have bothered me that day.  I WAS GETTING MARRIED!  After 3 years of dating and a year long engagement.

Recognize these people?  

We are cutting the cake that I don't remember eating.  I should explain my appearance in this picture.  At no other time in my life did I look like I did on my wedding day.  Not only was I inhumanly tan (I was a bit nervous about my naturally boo-white skin blending in with the dress), but I was also in nursing school full time, working part time, hitting the gym 5 days a week, and had gotten mononucleosis (incidentally, the Best Diet Ever) a month before my nuptials.  So I was never doing anything like eating or sleeping, and for the first and only time in my life, could not keep the weight on if I tried.  I got so thin right before my wedding, that I had to have my gown re-altered and even had to wear little falsies that looked like chicken cutlets to help me fill out the top of my dress.

Definitely a once in a lifetime experience in my book.  The wedding and the chicken cutlets both.
So how did we celebrate the big 0-8?  In true Brandon and Mandy fashion.  We hit the Chili's after a 12 hour shift at the hospital with both boys in tow.  Ever the romantics.