the very best gift.

somewhere during the wedding planning process, my friend and bridesmaid amy

volunteered to make all the napkins for our 100+ guest list.

not only did she volunteer to help me pick the fabrics and sew them all,

but she also said she was going to make a quilt from the napkins.

today i received that quilt, and it is hands down the most beautiful

and thoughtful gift i have ever been given.

i can just imagine this as a family heirloom. 

it will stay on our bed and someday move into our living room and maybe even be 

given to our children when they get married one day.

it will keep us warm, and it will remind us that we are loved.

it's amazing how much pieces of fabric sewn together with such care can mean in a 

friendship and a marriage and a family and a life.

a gift like this can only come from a friend who is thoughtful and dedicated.

a friend who will work tirelessly to create something so beautiful.

a friend who came into my life in the fourth grade and who won't be leaving anytime soon.

i am so thankful for this beautiful reminder of love, and family, and an incredible seamstress that 

i just happen to have the privilege of calling my friend.

and now...we decompress.

weddings take a lot out of you. 

like a whole lot.

and since mr. lesley and i had heard rumors of post wedding exhaustion, we decided to take a few days to relax before we headed out to mexico to relax some more.

we spent those couple of days...

::hanging out with family and friends at a post wedding brunch::

::meandering through south haven's harbor days with these lovelies::

::watching the sunset::

::leaving our mark on the beach::

::spending quality time with mr. gnome::

::relaxing at our little b&b::

::visiting the world renowned "wolf lake state fish hatchery" and feeding the fishies::

{mr. lesley sure does love his fish.}

::and, of course, visiting bell's::

{i couldn't get enough of the michigan mitten taster.}

relaxation in preparation for relaxation was not an easy task, but we did it.

riviera maya, mexico...prepare to be dominated.

and now...we party.

with rain still pouring outside, the first thing on our reception agenda was family pictures.

even though our backdrop wasn't sand and water like we planned, the checkered floor and funky wall background worked just as well.

and we were able to corral everyone for the pictures.

win, win.

mr. lesley and i are so blessed to have such great families who love and support us.

then it was time for the wedding party to make their grand appearance...

{have i mentioned yet how much we love and adore all these people?

they are the absolute best.}

then us...THE LESLEYS!

whoot, whoot.

after eating our delicious, amazing food courtesy of jay, our fabulous caterer, it was time for the speeches.

mr. lesley's cousin and best man sean recounted some of the ridiculous stories and adventures they've shared through the years.

finishing it off by passing down one of mr. lesley's grandpas's blazers.

bright pink and totally awesome. 

my nephew jayden wanted to be apart of the action.

there is nothing better than sweet words from a 6 year old.

{i love this little guy so much.}

and then, of course, there was my sister.

and even though she tried her best to hold back the tears, the moment she grabbed the mic, the water works started...

for both of us.

living with her while dating mr. lesley was one of the greatest gifts i could have ever been given.

i couldn't have asked for a better sister and friend to navigate the ups and downs of love and a new relationship.

and lastly, my parents shared.

as two people who have shown me the power of commitment and faithfulness, even when it is difficult {and you have a bunch of crazy teenagers running around}, they know their fair share of what it takes to make a marriage last.

their love gives me a lot of hope for our future together.

when the time for dancing was upon us, we started it off right with a song by one of our favorites, the weepies.

"somebody loved" was a perfect fit for us.

then the father/daughter, mother/son, and of course one polka had to be thrown into the mix.

before long everyone was joining in on the goodness.

as you could probably predict, an hour or two after the reception began, the rain clouds had officially moved out, and the weather was absolutely perfect.

so mr. lesley and i, along with our photographer, snuck out and went down to the pier for some sunset pictures.

looks like all that rain was worth it after all.

{yeah, i'm pretty much obsessed with all of these shots.}

we returned just in time to take a shot in memory of mr. lesley's cousin emma...

and keep on partying it up on the dance floor.

{all the best dance moves include a spin/twirl of some kind.

thanks ladies for making sure my wedding included such amazingness.}

of course, the boys had to make an exit and look super cool smoking their pipes...

while my sister and i jumped on the stage to karaoke our hearts out to "hold on" by wilson phillips 

{of course the mic's weren't turned on. don't be silly}.

one of my favorite moments of the night. 

hands down.

i told everyone i wanted karaoke at my wedding and they all knocked it down immediately.

i am here to remind you that where there's a will, there's a way.

everyone was eating. it. up.

we ended the night with a few more jams, including a little "thriller" action.

obvi.

then it was time to hand out sparklers and make our exit.

{note: people who have been drinking aren't usually the best with sparklers.

yes, they all thought it was a good idea to light them all inside. 

fortunately a few of the more sober ones convinced everyone to head outside instead:}

{on our way out to the car, i noticed all the candles were still burning.

so good for my heart to know our loved ones were still with us.}

we ran out to the getaway car...

husband and wife.

ready to start our new life together.

and so thankful to have spent the day celebrating with some of the best friends and family on the planet.

what a day.

a time to remember.

when we arrived at the reception, i stood awkwardly in the doorway, not exactly sure where to go or what to do. 

since we weren't able to take our family photos because it was literally pouring rain, our schedule had changed, and i was a little lost.

but in the midst of it all, there was something i knew we just had to do. 

before the dinner, drinks, toasts, dancing, and general merriment and celebration...

i wanted to take communion with mr. lesley, my husband.

i wanted to take a quiet moment with him to commit ourselves to Christ as a couple and remember the depth of His love and sacrifice for us.

so that's exactly what we did.

we found a room in our venue, grabbed our friend and pastor clint, and our photographer 

and broke bread and drank wine in one of the most powerful and sacred moments of my life.

after that moment, everything seemed so right. 

the ceremony was now complete.

and we were ready to celebrate.