Pat's Unofficial Wedding Blog

Well, it is official. Kim and I are officially and legally hitched! Our wedding was simply awesome, to say the least!

It was such an amazing feeling to see so many of our wonderful family and friends as I walked out of the back door. It was an even more amazing feeling when the doors opened and Kim walked down the aisle with her father. I was warned by multiple people to make sure my knees were not locked as I stood up there. I did my best not to lock my knees, but I had to think about that during the ceremony. Unbelievably, seven little children serving as our ring bearers and flower girls made it down the aisle without any tears or tantrums. They were adorable and it was so special to have all of them involved. Only one jelly bean was sacrificed during the children's walk in. Naturally, I had to speak slightly early and provide premature vows, but that is just how sure I am about our marriage! The harp and viola were absolutely awesome and the beautiful music and wonderful people surrounding me made it quite difficult to keep my emotions inside.

Once we arrived at the reception, my nerves had calmed significantly, and a cold beer was waiting for me at the entrance of the country club. The ball room where the reception took place, was not quite ready for us, so we sat with our wonderful coordinators in the front lobby and soaked in the moment. Once people sat down, our grand entrance was also quite memorable. The band that performed at the reception was top notch and we have seen them on multiple occasions. They learned our first dance for us and it was awesome! I spoke with them after the reception and told them how impressed everyone was. The best part about that band is how incredibly nice everyone really is. We did have a chance to eat a few bites of our food, but both of us were anxious to meet and greet all of our guests. I did not even have time to absorb the beauty of the flowers, cakes, and other decorations. I believe we were able to talk to almost everyone at the reception, but I have a feeling we missed a few. Although I did not personally witness the attack, rumor spread quickly that my 3 year old nephew, Sean, stuck his hand down one of our bridesmaid's dresses. Following this violation, it has been photo documented that Sean was on the stage with the band as one of the horn players held him in the air.

Our friends from church danced crazily as always, among many other family members and friends. I even was in the middle of a tambourine dance off with one of my buddies, but as of now, no documentation has been provided. During the course of the reception, I probably took 5 drinks out of 4 different beers that were brought to me. The cake cutting was a lot of fun and I was strictly warned prior to the reception that I was not to place any frosting on Kim's face. Naturally, I was scared and kept this advice in mind as she put frosting on my nose. After that, we danced a few more times and then like a flash, it was time to leave the reception.

So many members of our family and friends lined up on the stairs at the Austin Country Club holding sparklers. The scene was magical, as we stepped into the white Bentley that was reserved for us. The driver was very nice and drove us to Amy's Ice Cream, where we enjoyed a milk shake while still wearing our wedding attire. We drove around downtown a bit and looked at Christmas lights and then proceeded to our downtown honeymoon suite at the Driskell Hotel. Our suite was amazing! It had high vaulted ceilings and contained a balcony that overlooked the famous 6th Street in Austin. A hot tub and shower that could potentially fit 6 people was in the bathroom.

The pre-wedding festivities, wedding ceremony, reception, and honeymoon suite were absolutely overwhelming in such a good way. I would not change anything if I could and I am sad that this experience is behind us, but the memory will remain strong forever.

Patrick