Newly Weds

Look at these two, don't they look perfect? The reason we took our trip to Utah was to be there to see Christabel get married. She was one of my young women/seminary students when we lived in the Philippines and it's crazy to say but we've watched her grow up. She must have been 12 or 13 when we met her and now she is a married woman. Unreal.
Anyway, Thursday Christabel and Gabe were getting some professional pictures taken at the Salt Lake City Temple and they had come to our hotel room early to get ready. Not only are there way less brides to share the photo ops with but the weekly rate is a way better deal then the weekend photographer rate. We walked over and followed them around while the photographer did his thing. The kids helped Christabel with the train of her dress and watched as the camera guy posed them and took his pictures. It was fun to watch the girls fuss a little bit over Christabel because she deserved to be fussed over and she didn't have her mom or sisters there to do those things. She just got here in March and unfortunately she only had an Aunt that was able to make it from her side since the flights from the Philippines are ridiculously expensive. Thankfully her in-laws seem to be amazing and were willing to help out a lot. With that being said, I was happy we were there to follow them around and act as her side of the family.

The photographer came up to me and got upset when he caught me taking pictures of my kids with Christabel and told me that I would have to put my camera away while we was there. I was a little ticked off but snuck a couple pictures anyway because it wasn't like I was stealing his poses and they are my children after all and every other wedding I've been to I know a lot of other cameras taking pictures of little moments happening on the side lines. Meh.

Friday was the day of the actual sealing and we were fortunate enough to be invited to watch it. Ryan was one of the witnesses and I got to accompany Christabel into the brides room and help her get ready. The brides room in the Salt Lake City Temple was beautiful and huge. Christabel didn't wear her wedding dress so we weren't able to gape at it as she stood over the big vent that poofs it up but there was something amazing about her in the simple temple dress, she looked beautiful.
The sealing was small which was nice and intimate. The sealer did a great job and after he was done in english he repeated everything in Spanish for Gabes' grandparents (he's Mexican) so we kind of got an encore.
After the sealing I took a few pictures of the newly married couple before we went to Gabes' parents house to eat with his family. The meal was amazing and a real authentic Mexican meal. A lot Gabes' family was there and they were all super nice people. I was so happy to feel that I knew Christabel would be taken care of while she was adjusting to living in the USA and being married all at the same time.
Sunday Christabel and Gabe had a ring ceremony and wedding reception. Ryan walked her down the aisle and gave her away to Gabe. It was touching and she looked beautiful, of course.

Christabel had an entourage help her get ready for the ring ceremony/reception which was so nice. I was able to take some pictures of her getting ready and of her dress, pictures that I wasn't able to take a few days earlier at the temple.

Her ring ceremony was nice and simple and the reception was fun. We had Mexican again and the venue was really pretty. The food and toasts (which I rocked) were done upstairs in a loft area and then we all went downstairs for the cake and dance.

It was such a great few days and I was extremely grateful that we had been able to make the trip and be a part of this wedding. They are going to be a great pair, I could tell. Congratulations you two!