Down the Yellow Brick Road Part XI: Man & Wife

After the Chocolate & Wine Ceremony, we did the exchange of rings:


Mr Ruby Slippers really struggled to get my wedding band on! By the way, I left my engagement ring on my left hand and just had Mr RS put the wedding band above it. I switched them over later that night.

Still struggling... I'm loving it!


Finally on, with a flourish!

My turn! Mr Ruby Slippers' was easier, because it was a bit big. I made sure to do it slowly so we could get enough photos of it, though:



The officiant then asked us to join hands (which we were doing already) - and by "asked us" I mean "read off the script that he had forgotten to look at, ever"- to do the Blessing of the Hands. My googly-eyes make a reappearance!


I think this was the bit where he made some quip about the husband going first in the wedding ceremony (first to say the vows, put on the ring, etc) because after the wedding the wife would always come first. I was turning around to go, "I told ya!" at my girls:

The Blessing of the Hands is yet another thing we stole from somewhere. And this time I don't even know where! I'm pretty sure it was on Weddingbee as well.

BLESSING OF THE HANDS
These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow, and forever.
These are the hands that will work alongside yours, as together you build your future. These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch, will comfort you like no other.
These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief fills your mind. These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes; tears of sorrow, and tears of joy. These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children. These are the hands that will help you to hold your family as one.
These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it.
And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged, will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.


I'm not sure at exactly what point in the ceremony these next two were taken, but I really like them, so I've put them in here:

Actually I think that one above might be right before THIS point:
At which point the officiant asked Mr Ruby Slippers to do what he had never been able to do before: Kiss his wife.

I just love this next series of pictures, how I look like I'm trying hard not to cry from happiness (because I was):

I love that Tanja caught this. It was a one-second "Oh my gosh, we did it!" break from the kiss. Look at Mr Ruby Slippers...so darn cute:


And we're kissing again:Then it was time to sign the register. I think Mr RS was admiring my dress at this point:

Actually signing:


The officiant also made us sign our vows with the date and place, so that we could look back on them as a "binding" document of sorts. I don't know why I look so unimpressed here! I think I was just kidding around about something:


One of the photographers snuck in a shot of Sister Ruby Slippers hugging her husband:

My parents leaving the chapel to wait outside with everyone else:
Mr Rs and me leaving the chapel to be pelted...


...with petals from all the petal cones I made over the previous months:


Walking out of the chapel and being pelted with rose petals was probably one of the top three "I am loving this so much I could laugh, cry and die from happiness" moments of the day. (The other two being walking into the chapel and kissing Mr Ruby Slippers for the first time as man and wife). So I have a TON of these photos. Plus I went a little photoshop nuts on some of them...


I tried to make this one look like an olde newspaper picture:

I cannot describe how gorgeous this was. It was all set to the theme from Love Actually (the Prime Minister's Love Theme, that is), but because the music was playing just inside the chapel it didn't pick up on the recording very well. But it's such a great, triumphant piece of music. I was torn between laughter and awe that it was US it was playing for.

We stood to one side while some people threw everything that was left at us:

And then we started greeting everyone....

I love this one - I am a sucker for shots from an odd angle, with selective focus...(or whatever it's called. I promise to learn that stuff soon!)


Previously:

Part I: The Night Before
Part II: Salon, Supermarket & Judy Garland
Part III: Setting Up
Part IV: Prettifying
Part V: All Bridalled Up
Part VI: For the Boys
Part VII: Going to the Chapel and We're...
Part VIII: Meanwhile, Back at the Chapel...
Part IX: Down the Aisle
Part X: Readings, Vows & Tasty Treats