Here Comes the Bride

It is time to recount my FAVORITE part of the day. Mike and I both agree that the ceremony was what made the day so special. We felt like it was a true picture of our relationship, and it was certainly a testimony of God's glory and providence and sovereignty. Only He could orchestrate something so beautiful.

My Daddy and me.. right before I walked down. What a precious moment. This photo depicts an opportunity in time that I have always dreamed of. I praise God that he has given me this man to raise and love me and to provide an example of a man that I could choose as my husband. I respect and love my dad so much, and I felt truly humbled and honored that he would walk me down the aisle.

St. Marks church.. with bows. It was in this sanctuary that Mike and I were baptized as infants, on the same day! And it was in this sanctuary that Mike and I entered a relationship together as husband and wife.

Mike's aunt and cousins played music (violin, viola, and piano) while my dear friend Laura Neff (MD) lit the candles. She's a surgeon, so I figured she would have a pretty steady hand.. thanks Laura for doing such a great job!

Mike and his gentleman! Isn't he so adorable? We were both so nervous at that point.. he was waiting for me to walk down, and I was so anxious to get to him. I love that he looks so confident in this picture. (Not to mention good looking.. nice tux babe!) Standing next to him are best man Frank, and groomsmen Steve Schuster and Dax. Carson (ring bearer) is such a big boy standing up next to daddy. Not pictured are Ryan and Steven (my brothers) who escorted my mom down the aisle.

Jill (my beautiful mom) and Becky (Mike's beautiful mom) lit the 2 sides of the unity candle before the ceremony. We liked that symbolism.. the 2 families light each side, and Mike and I join together in union (hence lighting the center candle).

The bridesmaids wore 'eggplant' (I LOVE the way the color turned out), and they processed in to Canon in D by J. Pachelbel.

I included a 'blurb' of information on each of them in the program, so I've copied and pasted here for you to read how wonderful they are as well!

Chelsea Salinas is a friend of Heather’s from high school as well. Chelsea has had a huge year. In May, she graduated with her PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She is currently working for a non-profit tissue banking company that focuses on improving the lifetime of transplanted tissue. Two months ago today, she gave birth to Siena, a beautiful baby girl! Congrats Chelsea!

Kim Dodson has been a friend of Heather’s since their freshman year of high school. Kim has spent the last 2 years traveling the world and was able to visit all seven continents. Her zest for life is unmarked. Recently, she moved to Boulder, CO, and began work as an adventure specialist for an ecotourism travel company called Natural Habitat Adventures.

Kim and my brother Steven sang a beautiful duet of 'Be thou my vision' while we lit the unity candle. It was beautiful, and I felt so blessed that they graced us with their talents!

Lindsey Nieders is Mike’s sister. She has been a great support of Heather and Mike and has also offered amazing wedding planning help. She is the mother of cute Carson and Olivia, and she is a wonderful role model whom Heather really looks up to.

Claire Willard is Heather’s great friend and roommate from Mizzou, and she is a newly wed herself! On June 21st, she married Adam Willard. Heather has really appreciated being able to plan her wedding side by side with Claire. Claire is a speech language pathologist, and she works for the Columbia Public School system in Columbia, MO.

Britt Sanborn is a wonderful friend of Heather’s from Mizzou. Britt’s day job is working as a post partum nurse at Northwestern Hospital in Chicago. Her ’night’ job is acting and performing improv. She is a recent graduate of Second City’s Conservatory, and she recently starred as the lead actress in the new NBC pilot, ‘In Betweens’.

Sophia, my god daughter was the older of the 2 flower girls. She totally had her job down, and she did a GREAT job!

Olivia, 2, ran down the aisle and greeted guests just as sweetly as she could. She is just precious.

My dad and I walked down to Prince of Denmark’s March by J. Clarke. I had tears so big in my eyes that I wasn't able to pick out anyone in the crowd. I was just trying to maintain my composure as best as I could! My dad did a great job, I was so proud of him.

My friend Ali Francis (from Mizzou) read from
John 15:9-17 : 9:

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. 11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command. 15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 17This is my command: Love each other.

Our friend (Amazon) Dave (from Seattle) read from

1 John 4:7-16

7Beloved,let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him

The message was delivered by Rev Kurt Stone (see his blurb below):
Reverend Kurt Stone is connected to both the Wade and Cooper families. His ties to the Wades go all of the way back to Fort Branch, Indiana where his family knew Becky Wade’s family. The Coopers know Kurt from both St. Mark’s United Methodist Church and Troy United Methodist Church in Troy, IL.

We felt very blessed that he was able to be an active part of our ceremony; he worked SO hard to deliver a personal message for us, and he was extremely engaging. Mike and I actually remember what he said too! (We were worried that it would all be a blurr). Turns out the sermon was so good, I wish I did have a videographer so that I could listen to it again.. oh well!

I, Heather, take you Michael, to be my lawful wedded husband.

As you can see, the vows weren't easy for me to get through...

What a joy to be in this beautiful place of God.

I love this picture.

You may now kiss the bride!

Announcing Mr. and Mrs. Michael Wade!

We recessed out to Wedding March by F. Mendelssohn

Mike's uncle Bill took this pic.. I like how we are sort of focused but everything else is a blur, yet the colors are still bold. I promise I could relive the ceremony all over again. It may have been the most moving, humbling, touching, meaningful, amazing 40 minutes of my life. Thank you, Michael Wade, for taking me as your wife. I promise to love, honor, and cherish you all the days of my life.