A Black & White Celebration!

[mrs.melton08]

I realize this is supposed to start with me recapping the days leading up to the wedding, but as I went back to my newlywed journal, I realized that the days leading up to the wedding were filled with my CB angels, so I will start with them and then head on to the "official" stuff, for I know that any new bride who comes along to read this will benefit just as much from learning about the love that IS CB, as much as they will from my day.

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Karen (mrssomuchmoore), my shero, my angel, my friend, my day of coordinator, my sounding board, my decorator, my calming peace when I was bout to have to cut someone if I didn’t get down the aisle. Girl, I can’t even say thank you enough. Karen you did 99% of all the 275 cds, the water bottles, the candy bags, the invitations…shot the wedding. I never called you and you ever said no, you took more stuff home than I can imagine and you never said a mumbling word about anything. You are a special person with a wonderful gift from God of just caring and sharing of yourself. I could right a whole journal on you and your goodness, but thank you and Carlos for letting me steal you for a few months.

Kim (ctabizkit), who I know will read this, but never post to let me know she read it, just call me and say she read it…in fact, I know you are reaching for the phone right now as I type this…don’t try to put it down now cause you wanna prove me wrong, just gone on and call me :D Thank you Kim, Thank you for the late nights, early mornings, crazy spells, accepting my OCD and accepting the OCD that I rubbed off on Mark. Thank you for taking Co-Co for a walk during the wedding day, thank you for taking her to the pet sitter after the wedding, thank you for your cutting skills :rofl2: thank you for just being my eyes and ears, for going to get my flip flops, for decorating, for running to things remembered for reading our sand ceremony, obviously I can go on and on, so I will stop

Nisha (lilspyce) and Irvin AKA Irvisha :D, :hug99: :hug99: :hug99: Ya’ll roll deep and I thank you for it. Thank you for my impromptu bachelorette party. I still can’t believe you did that for me I felt so special and I will never forget Big Mike :D Thank you for marrying such a wonderful and artistic man, thank you for making all the boutineres, thank you for caring enough to give me my only meal on Friday night, the cherry limeade. And when no one else around knew why I was so excited, I knew I had found in you a great friend, I hope to keep forever. Thank you for the honeymoon sweet, thank you for getting the ceremony decorations up, thank you for cleaning up after the reception, thank you for cutting and pasting, thank you for the song suggestions (why the DJ didn’t play my song for the garter toss :raine: ) And most importantly thank you for the nippilicious :yup:

CC (chicapdiva) I want use your govt name :hide: The aisle runner was the bomb. You know I took it out as soon as I saw it and the old people where like, you can’t have it out, you can only walk on it :buttkick: My girl CC did this work and everyone will see it :harumph: You stepped in and didn’t ask me for a thing, you just did you and I love you for just being you. Now go get a license :angrywife:

[mrs.melton08]

Regina (rejah2209 ) and Jabar, I love’s yall :grouphug: Your husband swept up them rose petals when I forgot all about even thinking of how they would get up and the trip to solve my honeymoon night issue, only a real man can go to the store and look for instead cups :D I think you all left after we did and the honeymoon suite was just beautiful Oh and I how can I forget your mom and her help, she was so much fun and your aunt too and I can’t forget Egypt :D Thank you for driving all over to get my veil and thank you for driving all over to get it to me. I love you like a fat kid loves cake :D

Natasha (marisgirl) Will you hurry up and finish this childbearing stuff and call my husband he misses you :whatever: But seriously, every time something happened he didn’t like, he was like “see if Tasha was here” “ I need Tasha, she wouldn’t let this happen” “ We would be right here, we would just have to look at each other and she would just know” If there was one thing I would change about my day, it would be to have you there with me, but Ms. Hailey had plans of her own so of course we understand. You mean so much to my family and my boys wouldn’t know what to do without you around. Thanks for your love and your tough love when I needed it, thanks for being the only one blunt enough to tell me I did not need a photobooth and to just shut up about it :D Thanks for the invite help, for the sweat shop space and snacks for your veil that I wore with pride knowing it was also with you on your wedding day. And thank you for naming your first born daughter after me, that was the best wedding gift ever :hide:

Reecey (maxwellfan) You worked those petal cones girl, they looked beautiful and I loved the petal toss as we walked out. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to come to my rescue, thanks for dealing with my crazy family and thanks for the 50 gazillion things you did I don’t even know about cuz I know you were behind the scenes the whole day, and it was great to see hubby out too :D

Dawn(willde98) and Neo, I met neo :D , he is a keeper for real and you two were so cute. The home depot gift card had me cracking up. Thank you for the pictures and for taking the time to upload them for us, it helped us and made our day to finally get to see some of the shots of the day :hug99:

Cassandra (denarti) Thanks for your behind the scene work too, I know you were up in there and the pm you sent me had me :bawling: before the ceremony.

Trish (seyelove) You were willing and waiting and I am so sorry things didn’t allow you to sing for us, I was about to put you on blast for the reception, but was so busy I forgot. You belly bump is adorable and I thank you for agreeing to sing for us and for being so flexible and just being you. Can’t wait to meet your little girl :D

Gloria (bamnglo) I missed you so much and you know Gary was happy to see the SIU people. (I promise Mark had like 2 tables full of SIU people) . The toaster was the only gift I really was praying for and yeah, I know you were behind the scenes too. We gotta get together and have a married couple night :D


CB, there is nothing like the Chicago CB’s they ran my wedding, my rehearsal, the decorating, the reception, the take down. The honeymoon suite was a rose petal heaven and things ran so smoothly having all of these wonderful chocolate brides and grooms there to make the day run. I mean they literally never left my side the week of the wedding. Bringing friends with them to chip in, making items, spray painting…there is no way we would have finished anything with out them and Karen and Kim I owe you all more than I can ever afford to pay you back. Love you!

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[mrs.melton08]

Thursday:

I was scared, scared I would not finish anything and then the calvary showed up as the Chicago CB's :woohoo:
Reecey, Kim, Karen, Nisha, Gottie (3 other people Nisha and Gottie brought, I don’t even know) and a few family members. But we got program cut, petal cones made, centerpieces done, table names, cd finished, candy bags done and on and on. I was getting nervous but knew that it was almost time. I think I slept on Thursday, but don’t quote me on that because I might not have :ponder:

Friday:
Had a 9am spa appointment for me and family members/bridal party. Well on Thursday night no one wanted to go so it was gonna just be me and my 1 cousin. Well of course the morning of everyone wants to come now and we don’t get there until after 10. Only problem is I am supposed to be at the church at 12 noon to meet with the pastor. Of course we never made it and then things got hectic and I barely mde it to the rehearsal on time. Karen stepped in as my day of coordinator while Kim drove around the world for me to get last minute gifts. The rehearsal happened I am pretty sure, but can’t remember much about it because i was running on fumes at that point. Mark turned a little groomzilla, but Karen calmed him down and I had to curse out a few people and did I mention 2 bridesmaids never made it to the rehearsal until it was over. CC’s magnificent aisle runner was delivered and Nisha and Gottie brought the boutineers they worked on overnight and a cherry limeade that made my day.

My family cooked the rehearsal dinner and tell me why they served my wedding water bottles at the rehearsal talking about they thought they were for the rehearsal :angrywife:

Once I saw the church decorated I was ok, all the rushing all the stuff still left undone didn’t matter anymore, it was real, I was getting married and it was beautiful. It was at that moment that I think I let it all go and stopped stressing (remember this moment it will be important in a few moments)

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Left the rehearsal to decorate the reception site and thank kim and karen for staying all night to help. My family finally pitched in and let me say they were a great help, my mother was filling vases, my cousins clearing out the vases, I was calm and collected and Mark had taken over with my OCD :rofl2: And the black linens…they made the whole place just look wonderful.

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Well, I was just ready to get married and really as I mentioned had stopped stressing, so I went to the bathroom and you will not believe what I found. After 9 months of no menstrual cycle, 9 months of waiting and hoping, scared about :ttc: time, my cycle came. I was floored, I had not had sex in forever in a day, celibate to a faut, tried to do things the way God said and God got the last laugh. And really all I could do was laugh, I sat in the bathroom and laughed my butt off at the irony of the whole thing …whoever said God doesn’t have a sense of humor, must have been crazy cuz Jesus got jokes for real :rofl2:

Everyone left and it was midnight and I realized that I had health insurance, it was my wedding day :rofl2:

So after the room was decorated, me and my MoH/cousin and her daughter and Mark and I went to the room we had at the hotel and put together programs until MoH and I feel asleep and my baby cousin and Mark stayed up and kept working the whole night. At about 5AM, Mark left and dropped them off and I went back to sleep until about 7.

[mrs.melton08]

Saturday:

I woke up and realized I was getting married :D

I worked on the rest of the programs, saw that my period was still there (not funny at all God) and then went to the house to print place cards, only to realize we forgot to put the bouquets together. :hellno:

So I call my mother frantic and she says just bring the flowers to the reception site where I am getting dressed and she will do them when she gets there Well it is about 12 and the photographer is due at the site at 12:30 along with everyone else and I still haven’t showered, I go to the hotel room to shower and get to the reception room to find my photographer and no one else in the room and it is now 1. My photographer asks what are the roses for and I break down and cry trying to explain it, she then puts her camera down and starts putting together flowers and making beautiful bouquets…my photographer became my florist :faint:

Saturday:

I woke up and realized I was getting married :D

I worked on the rest of the programs, saw that my period was still there (not funny at all God) and then went to the house to print place cards, only to realize we forgot to put the bouquets together. :hellno:

So I call my mother frantic and she says just bring the flowers to the reception site were I am getting dressed and she will do them when she gets there Well it is about 12 and the photographer is due at the site at 12: 30 along with everyone else and I still haven’t showered, I go to the hotel room to shower and get to the reception room to find my photographer and no one else in the room and it is now 1. My photographer asks what are the roses for and break down and cry trying to explain it, she then puts her camera down and starts putting together flowers and making beautiful bouquets…my photographer became my florist :faint:

So the flowers are done, makeup artist shows up and she starts putting together programs, along with a high school friend and one of my bridesmaids. My family and other bridesmaids finally show up and the videographer and I start to get my makeup and hair done and get transformed.

Other stuff happened during this time, but I can’t remember it all as the whole day started to feel like a dream, I was scared I would wake up from. My phone rang so much it died and no one would tell me the time and you know I was going crazy since no one would say the time.

Come to find out we were running about 30 minutes late, I tell them to start the wedding when I leave the reception site and we pull up and there are people outside still. :wtf: Come to find out my pastor is refusing to start the wedding because I haven’t signed the marriage license. I was fuming, it was now almost 5PM and the wedding had not started and he never once said anything about signing it BEFORE the wedding ceremony. I was so pissed off and then he was telling me I had to come in to sign it. I was like :hellno: At this point I was about to just walk down the aisle and I know there were other ministers in the audience that could marry us. I opened the door to do just that, but the dress was too big and I couldn’t get out and then they pushed me back in the car and a friend started to pray for me and I needed that prayer right there because I was bought to go postal. Plus the programs where no where to be found.

They finally convinced the pastor to come out to the car to me and I signed it there and as I was signing it, I screamed to them to start the ceremony. After that it was all a blur. I walked out the car and my brother took my hand and kissed me and I cried like a baby. We walked up the stairs to the church and stood at the door and he pulled my veil over my face and I told Karen I was through crying and of course the second I gave the tissue to Karen, the tears came back. Then the song played and it was the longest walk in the world. I kept thinking, “don’t fall” “these heels are too high” “but I look so good in them” And then I saw him, my groom. I was crying and as I got closer, I saw he was too. When I saw those tears in his eyes, I wasn’t nervous anymore, I was just ready to marry the man God ordained for me before I was even born.

My brother gave me away and I held my grooms hands, we went through the motions, did the sand ceremony, hand ceremony and then exchanged the rings. Mark got a laugh out when he took a 20 second pause before saying he would leave his mother and cling to me and I got a laugh when he read his inscription on his ring that said “put it back on” We kissed and boy did we kiss :brow: we jumped the broom and I couldn’t believe how fast the ceremony went by.

We took some pictures and went to the reception hall and the rest of the night was a blurr too

So the flowers are done, makeup artist shows up and she starts putting together programs, along with a high school friend and one of my bridesmaids. My family and other bridesmaids finally show up and the videographer and I start to get my makeup and hair done and get transformed.

Other stuff happened during this time, but I can’t remember it all as the whole day started to feel like a dream, I was scared I would wake up from. My phone rang so much it died and no one would tell me the time and you know I was going crazy since no one would say the time.

Come to find out we were running about 30 minutes late, I tell them to start the wedding when I leave the reception site and we pull up and there are people outside still. :wtf: Come to find out my pastor is refusing to start the wedding because I haven’t signed the marriage license. I was fuming, it was now almost 5PM and the wedding had not started and he never once said anything about signing it BEFORE the wedding ceremony. I was so pissed off and then he was telling me I had to come in to sign it. I was like :hellno: At this point I was about to just walk down the aisle and I know there were other ministers in the audience that could marry us. I opened the door to do just that, but the damn dress was too big and I couldn’t get out and then they pushed me back in the car and friend started to pray for me and I needed that pray right there because I was bought to go postal. Plus the programs where no where to be found.

They finally convinced the pastor to come out to the car to me and I signed it there and as I was signing it, I screamed to them to start the ceremony. After that it was all a blur. I walked out the car and my brother took my hand and kissed me and I cried like a baby. We walked up the stairs to the church and stood at the door and he pulled my veil over my face and I told Karen I was through crying and of course the second I gave the tissue to Karen, the tears came back. Then the song played and it was the longest walk in the world. I kept thinking, “don’t fall” “these heels are too high” “but I look so good in them” And then I saw him, my groom. I was crying and as I got closer, I saw he was too. When I saw those tears in his eyes, I wasn’t nervous anymore, I was just ready to marry the man God ordained for me before I was even born.

My brother gave me away and I held my grooms hands, we went through the motions, did the sand ceremony, hand ceremony and then exchanged the rings. Mark got a laugh out when he took a 20 second pause before saying he would leave his mother and cling to me and I got a laugh when he read his inscription on his ring that said “put it back on” We kissed and boy did we kiss :brow: we jumped the broom and I couldn’t believe how fast the ceremony went by.

[mrs.melton08]

Saturday continued:

We danced the whole night and our DJ was wonderful. We had people come up to us asking “where did you find him at?” Our DJ/ Honorary Groomsman was Mark’s childhood friend and I am soooo pleased with his work and his professionalism And when I say we danced all night, I mean it. We probably still had a good 30+ or so people on the dance floor up until 11:30 and there were still a good 20 there until the lights came on. It was just what I wanted and Mark and I had a great time. Can I just say that I might not remember much, but I do know it was one of the best nights of my life. A few people have told me, they have never saw me smile so much or so hard and believe me it was all genuine.

Mark talked to a few of his friends from college when the night ended and believe me the workers were just standing back like “when are they leaving?” because the second the lights came on, they bum rushed the room and began taking down the room. In the mean time somewhere during the whole night, CB’s had packed up everything. All the decorations were packed and in cars and they had outdone themselves with the honeymoon suite. We walked into a room full of candles and rose petals and they even spelled out T “heart” M in rose petals on the bed, the rose petals where around the Jacuzzi, the candles where all in the bathroom and most importantly the Instead cups where in the night stand :rofl2:

So we did what grown and married folks do and by the time we awoke it was time to check out. We got a little Jacuzzi time in, but that was about it.

In all the running around the day before I forgot I ended up driving myself to the reception site, so my car was still outside and we had to ride home (our home :D ) separately. Also, in the midst of all the madness we had never packed, so we ate the reception dinner they packed for us (because yes, you do not get to eat during the reception :hellno: ) and then we had to separate for a while because Mark still had all of his clothes at him mothers house. We finally finished packing and were on our way out at about 7PM :faint: but I realized I left the cord to the laptop at the reception site, so Mark went to pick it up and guess what they found in our room when they cleaned up….the missing programs :rofl2:

Sidenote: You all know I have a case of OCD and was in love with my programs, could not see the day without the programs, but let me tell you that when the programs went missing and they were all telling me “we can’t start, we don’t have programs” “you worked so hard on them, we have to have them” blah, blah, blah. All I said was, “ Can we find Mark? If Mark is at the church, I need to be at the church and that is all that matters” and believe me I meant that. I could care less about programs about the songs being wrong about the people who parked in the parking space for me and I had to walk down the street, I was about to marry the man of my dreams and that was all that mattered, so yes brides-to-be I have to tell you as I was told and never believed, don’t stress the small stuff and in the end if it ain’t about you and your groom, it is too small to stress. We forgot the cake topper at home, didn’t have programs, musician wasn’t there for praise and worship, my praise dancer wasn’t able to dance (still don’t know why :headscrat ) but I don’t care, I am married and that is all that matters.

Now back to Sunday night,

We went to the Hyatt downtown for the night, but stopped by my mother in laws house first and of course she had a house full of people so we never made it downtown until after 10 and then we realized we hadn’t ate since that morning and stopped and got some pizza. The room at the Hyatt was beautiful and had a great view of the Chicago river, but we were too tired to enjoy the room and had to check out at 5AM for our 7:10AM flight to Puerto Rico.

[mrs.melton08]

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[mrs.melton08]

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Will escorting my mother and aunt in

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They're waiting for me :D

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Here I come

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And the tears couldn't be held back

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Mark says when he saw me, he leaned back and told the best man "Man, I think yo boy bout to really cry" Once I saw him and those tears in his eyes I knew he was waiting for me and I was so calm

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Giving away of the bride

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The hand ceremony

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Mark reading the inscription on his ring out loud. It says "put it back on! "

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We're almost there!!!!

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Sealed with a kiss

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[mrs.melton08]

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I can't even put into words how happy i was

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My family
Left to right:
MoH- cousin, BM- cousin, Jr. BM- cousin, Mother of the bride, Will, MoH- sister, Brother, aunt

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And me of course

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My men, now who is the adult here :headscrat

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This picture is just priceless

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Mark and his mommy. You had to be there to get the full effect, but Mark did this dramatic pause when he was to repeat the "leave my mother and cling to my wife" part of the vows, it was hilarious because we ALL know he was serious on how hard it was to do that :rofl2:

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Me and the best mother in law in the world.
I have sincerely never met a more sincere and loving woman, she does have her moments because she LOVES her son, but hey I do too, so I understand

[mrs.melton08]

Sorority Serenade
EEEEEEE-YIIIIIIP
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Me and Will

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The dance floor stayed full all night, just like I wanted it. Our DJ was absolutely wonderful and free!:headbang2 :clapping:

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Will kept the shirley temples coming all night

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Mother of the bride and the groom partying!

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How sweet it is to be loved by you!


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Time to do the grown and married :brow: