Oriental NC Wedding | Niko & Emily

I have never in my life been to a wedding where everything went as planned.
But let me tell you, this wedding day was pretty CLOSE!!!
UNBELIEVABLY close!!
That, however is just the BEGINNING of this day.

If ever there was a perfect wedding, this was it.
Not because of the beautiful details, though breath taking and sentimental they were!
Not because of the Venue, though it was gorgeous!
Not because of the weather, though it was beautiful (even for ENC!)
Not because we stayed almost completely on the timeline, though that was great!

So what made this wedding day perfect?
The People. The energy. The anticipation. The LOVE. The raw emotion.
I can’t explain it nor can I describe it.

From the getting ready, to the guys joyous excitement (surprise!), to the fun portraits, the “blind” first look, and then to the heartfelt ceremony, I was fighting tears all day! And we hadn’t even gotten to the line of friends and family waiting to share their joy and stories about the couple.

I have been thinking since that day how in the world to capture some of those special moments in words and explain some of the stories, the vows etc. I though I could quote “I promise not to have a panic attack in the grocery store at the same time as you do” or I could talk of “swan man” or quote lines from the touching first dance song, or tell how fun it was to watch Emily and her mom explode with dance moves I could NEVER pull off! or say how sweet it was to watch Niko’s mom sing “beautiful boy” to him as they shared their sweet dance. And then the toasts and speeches. WHEW talk about emotion!

I finally came to the realization that I just can’t. It was such a sweet intimate emotional day, that if you were there, what I have said has already taken you back and possibly made you laugh and cry at the same time. If you were NOT there however, there is honestly NOTHING that I could say and no amount of words I could share that could take you there and do any amount of justice to the feelings. The feeling of being wrapped in love and surrounded by one deep, heartfelt family as they shared the coming together and the beginning of an adventure between two people who have given so whole heartedly of themselves to not just their family, but their friends, their acquaintances and even bravely to our wonderful country. I could give you a play by play of each and every moment but I just still wouldn’t be able to express the feeling of this special special day.

And to be honest, maybe that’s the way it was meant to be.

The only thing I can do is hope that by some small miracle I am able to show you just a glimmer of the perfect joy and love that each and every person was basking in at this precious and intimate little wedding in Oriental, NC.

Niko & Emily- I truly can not thank you enough for including us in your sweet precious day. From start to finish it was as if we were part of the family and celebrating beside you and with all of your family. It was an absolute honor.

Emily- I feel as though I have known you far longer than just the months of planning correspondence. You truly have such a sweet desire to splash joy and happiness on everyone around you and it shows through each and every person that stood beside you and stood up to talk of you and Niko. I heard not ONE negative thing the entire day from anyone but especially not about you or Niko. It is truly an honor to get to hear your story and see the impact you have had on every life you meet.

Niko- You and your groomsmen were first class! Seriously. You ALL deserve an award! Not just because you all were so easy to work with but because I truly believe (don’t correct me if I’m wrong) that each and every one was excited and honored to be there and share this wonderful celebration with you and beside you. It was amazing to watch the interaction you have with your family, friends, and those brothers you valiantly served with and beside during your honorable service to our country. It was plain to see that Emily is not the only one who seems to leave a mark and impact on every life that she crosses with.

I pray that as you both continue your walk together as Husband and Wife that not only will you continue to share your joy. love and laughter with everyone around you but that God would use you both in ways that you could never imagine and that the impact you have on the people who come into your life would grow exponentially and help each and every one, as well as yourselves to be a better person and change the world around them as well.

It was again, truly an honor to have the honor and privilege of serving you and your family. I hope this is not the end but rather just the beginning of our friendship!

I wish you both the best!