The Ryan-Ortiz Family: The Wedding (with photos)

I have included a few pictures here in low resolution that are previews from the photographer. She is working on processing the photos over the next couple of weeks but until then she sent us a few favorites to check out. We LOVE them! Thank you Elizabeth.

Pre-Ceremony

We had such a good time at the wedding. I got there at 1:10 and my family was there already – Mom, Jeff, and Tante. They were sitting at a table with the flowers, which were absolutely beautiful and which I’d forgotten to worry or even think about. They and the photographer were our two kind of last minute decisions and both turned out to be wonderful! Upstairs, I found my girlfriends getting ready in the bride’s changing room. I knew Dawn was coming from Tyler’s flag football games nearby and changing there but it was a nice surprise to find Kristi & Jill there also. Dawn helped Sydney get dressed while I visited.

Syd & I had gone that morning to Stylin Salon in Cedar Park to have our hair done. When they asked her how she wanted hers done she answered, ‘like Mama’s!’ I LOVE that adoration from her and I know it won’t last forever so I was more than happy for her to have a matching hairstyle. We had bought her a purple sweater to wear if it was cold, but in the end, looking at the photos, I was so happy for she and I to be so ‘matching’ in the same color dresses as well.

I waited for a pretty long time to get dressed because I knew once I put on the dress I had to put on the heels as well. I did that at about 1:45. Until then, I visited with my aunts and cousins and girlfriends. Right at the end, my friend Kim, who I hadn’t seen in years and who came from Dallas, came upstairs to say hello, and then when I got downstairs I also got to see Mona while we were waiting to walk down the aisle.

Syd and I waited for what seemed like a long time for our turn down the aisle. Right before we went, Martin’s sister Jacqueline and her daughter Mia arrived, and Jacquie was able to give Luanna a ring that almost all of my new sisters-in-law have worn at their weddings. I slipped it on with my ‘faith, hope, love’ ring that I got right after Dad died.

The Ceremony

I was honored to be walked down the aisle by Sydney, with Martin and Jake waiting with Corey. I had decided that since my Dad couldn’t be there I didn’t want a ‘substitute’ for him but to do something different that worked for me and us. We were so fortunate to have Corey Tabor officiating our wedding. We met him through the AustinONE service project, which is also how Martin & I met. He did the sermon for the Dec. 2^nd, 2006 event that we helped put on and we both really enjoyed hearing him speak. I cried through my vows, which were admittedly long although edited down (hee hee). I loved the reading about the hands and Corey’s charge, and especially the words that Martin said about me in his vows. Of everything about the wedding, we got the most compliments on the service and on Corey’s presentation – Corey, thank you again!

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Syd & Mom Getting Ready