Next Friday, a milestone is reached. So, as we count down to that day, I will do my best to do a blog post each day to tell you how the events went that lead up to that day.
October 11, 2003. Four years after Jennifer Ralph decided she wanted to be known as my girlfriend. We had met a couple of weeks earlier, and once we got together for the first time without either one of us working, we were pretty much inseparable. Two years before the date that started this paragraph, we would attend a Dallas Stars game, where I would say to her as they came out for pre-game warmups, "So, we've been together for two years now... What's to say we wait two more and get married?" Her reply was, "What just happened here?" My reply was "I am waiting for you to tell me..." Obviously, she said yes, and plans began. A venue was found (The Dallas Women's Forum), deposits were laid down on services, personnel, and a honeymoon in the happiest place on earth, Walt Disney World. Plans were in motion, and about a year out, I got a call from my buddy, Cody Hawkins:
"Um, dude... have you checked a calendar?"
"Why?"
"You may want to."
It was at that moment that I realized that the day that Jenn and I had picked for our wedding day was OU/Texas day. For those of you that don't live here, this is one of the BIGGEST rivalry games in college football. It is so intense that it has to be played at a neutral location, which is in Dallas at the Cotton Bowl. Let me also remind you that I worked at the time as a DJ and karaoke host in a sports bar, so a HUGE chunk of our guests are sports fans and the game is in the middle of the day. Sure, it would be over in time for our 7 PM wedding, but in some cases, I knew the damage would be done, so I pleaded with our guests to try to stay sober long enough to get through the ceremony. For the most part, our guests did well. Did I also mention that this would be a standing ceremony?
That day, I would wake up to our photographer, Ricky Futrell, trying to take a picture of me in that "I just woke up thing". He did, and I didn't really worry about it. We had a number of the guys crash at our house, while Jenn and the girls would be at the home of Shawn and Gidget Pritchard (which would end up being the house we currently live in). Donuts were bought, tuxes were placed on bodies, Sonic was retrieved, and we were off to the wedding. The girls did stuff to get ready, too. :-)
The pictures were running a bit behind, and the guys were running a bit ahead, so what happens? I get left in the car by myself while everybody went inside to see how beautiful my wife-to-be looked. It was OK; I had Sonic food to keep me company.
We finally got inside, got the groomsman pictures taken, and then we were quarantined to the ballroom upstairs where the reception would take place until it was time for the ceremony. When the time came, we walked down the stairs one by one until we were all in our places on the staircase. My heart was in my throat as I waited for the music to hit. One by one, the bridesmaids made their way up the stairs. The one I remember the most was Gidget, who made it to her place and turned to smile at me like, "See? I didn't trip or nothin'!"
And then, my wife rounded the corner. And all of the nerves calmed themselves. And all was right in the universe.
The ceremony went flawlessly. Sure, we probably picked a unity candle song that was a bit longer than it should have ("Longer" by Dan Fogelberg... no pun intended), but it all went well. Nobody objected, which was nice... :-) ... and we went upstairs to the reception. Could not have had a better time with our friends and family. Then, it was to change clothes and head to the hotel before we would head to the airport.
And Year One began.
More later...
BB
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