Not too long ago, I wrote a journal entry listing all the small
moments about all the events surrounding our wedding. I've wanted to
write a post here about our wedding (mostly to share pictures), so I've decided
to share some of these moments that are so precious to me with you.
Enjoy.
Moments I don't want to forget:
1. How I felt during my first time
in the temple.
Being surrounded by my family--both
Bardins and Johnsons--in such a holy place as the temple reminded me that
that's how it will be in heaven. Of all the things we possess now, we
will only carry two things with us after death, the knowledge that we gain and
the family relationships that we build. In the grand scheme of things,
the family is vital. Looking at it from an anthropological point of view,
the family is the basis of any society. Looking at it from a religious
point of view, it's the same but more. Families are at the center of
God's plan of happiness and life for us. We need the love and support,
the guidance and comfort from our families to make it back to the Patriarch of
our overall eternal family, our Heavenly Father, God. I'm going off on a
tangent now, but this is a topic that is near-and-dear to me (and most
everyone). My family is everything to me, and my gratitude is immense for
my eternal, forever, relationship with my family because of the work done in
temples.
(More about temples and families in the
links in the right sidebar.)
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| The whole fam damily. :) |
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| All of our siblings (minus two Johnson half-brothers) |
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| The Johnson crew at the California reception. |
2. How I felt right before marrying
Eric.
I was close to throwing up that morning.
I barely ate anything because the last thing I needed was vomit breath on
my wedding day. I was feeling so much pressure to look and act perfect.
After all, I was the bride, and the bride is supposed to be the most perfect,
most beautiful person. All the pressure was building up inconveniently on
my already sensitive stomach.
We were stepping out of the car in the temple
parking lot when my mom noticed that my stress level was at its peak. As
we walked towards the entrance (quickly because we were running late), she held
my hand to comfort me and calm my nerves.
Let me tell you what: you're never too old to tell your mom
you love her, or to kiss her cheek, or to hold her hand. Because you'll
always need her. Always. Even as a 21 year old about to embark on
the greatest step towards independence. So at that moment, I held her
hand back until we made it inside, marching proudly by all the guests waiting
by the entrance.
I still felt nervous until right before
the ceremony. While they gathered everyone into the sealing room, Eric
and I waited together in the Celestial room of the temple, one of the most holy
rooms. He held my hand as I rested my head on his shoulder admiring the
beauty of the House of the Lord and soaking in the peace sitting in there
granted me. Being in there with Eric and feeling the strong presence of
the Spirit was what I needed to calm down and ready myself for the greatest
moment of our life. So much solace can be found in the holy temples.
So it's not the
I'm-gonna-throw-up-all-over-the-place feeling I want to remember. It's
the simple and sweet serenity that I will cherish.
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| Our grand exit. |
3. Holding my mom's hand as a
married woman.
Right after the sealing, as I walked down
a staircase in the temple with my mom, I noticed that she was still tearing up.
I reached for hand. Now it was my time to comfort here, and I
wanted to let her know that I still and will always need my mom. (see #2)
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| I don't have a picture of holding her hand, but I do have a picture of her making her own grand exit out of the temple before we made ours. |
4. Eric's face when he saw me in my
bridal get-up for the first time.
I wish I could have taken a picture.
When he saw me in the waiting area in the Kansas City temple, his mouth
was wide open, his head was forward, and his arms were out. If Dr. Cal
Lightman were there, he'd say, "You see that? That right there?
Now that's real surprise."
When I was looking at bridal dresses online, Eric pointed out one that he really liked. I wanted to get it too, but I didn't want him to know that, so I tricked him into thinking that I bought a different dress.
When I was looking at bridal dresses online, Eric pointed out one that he really liked. I wanted to get it too, but I didn't want him to know that, so I tricked him into thinking that I bought a different dress.
5. Dancing with my dad at our
reception in Arkansas.
In the crazy happenings surrounding our wedding weekend, it was great to have some "alone" time with my dad, just me and him for three minutes. As we were dancing to "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You"--a song I've had picked out since I was 16--I told him that a reason I love Eric and fell in love with Eric is because he possesses the wonderful attributes that my dad has been an exemplar of my entire life--ambition, optimism, service, love, selflessness, humor, etc., etc. A few moments of dancing later he told me that all the memories we have of being a family and doing things as a family are ones I will cherish. I replied, "I already cherish them. They're my favorite memories." When the song ended, much sooner than I wanted, he hugged me and said, "I love you, Emmy," to which I replied, "I love you, daddy." Heartfelt, tearful, the best daddy-daughter dance in existence, that's what it was.
(My poor dad has to do this three times. One down.
Two to go.)
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| This guy is the man, Dan the man. Trying to smuggle a cutout of my best friend into the wedding. |
6. Dancing with Eric at our
reception in California.
Photo Credits:
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