NICHOLAS & STEPHANIE GILMORE
October 7, 2006
by Stacy
My sister Stephanie and her fiancé Nicholas were married this past weekend. Aaron and I traveled home to be a part of the wedding festivities. What a beautiful wedding it was! I flew home Tuesday night and Aaron flew home Wednesday night on direct flights (to Springfield) from the Minneapolis airport. We were so happy to see our families and to see some familiar sights!
We were immediately thrust into wedding preparations. There were a lot of details to tend to and errands to run, from picking up the programs at the printers to taking the dresses to be steamed. There were also lots of fun things to do, like getting my nails done with Steph. I also got to see Steph and Nick’s cute apartment that they are still in the process of setting up. They are so excited about their first place.
Aaron got to host a “Bachelor Party” for Nick, which consisted of bowling and pizza. I hear everyone had a great time, especially the winners on the “old guys” team. Aaron described the mix of bowling and classical music over the alley’s PA as odd. I was very pleased to be able to attend a Bridal Shower for Stephy hosted by my aunts Mary Jane and Debbie at the John Wise Home in Joplin. It was very elegant, right down to the yummy petit fours, but I loved it most of all because it was the only shower of Stephy’s I’ve been able to attend. So the week was filled with special moments for both of us.
Finally, the wedding day came. My cousin Ashley and I had a good time getting our hair done with the other girls before the wedding, while Aaron was sent on some last minute errands. The wedding and reception went swimmingly. The music Nick arranged for the wedding was beautiful and all the guests seemed to enjoy the music, food, and company at the reception. The twinkle lights that Dad and Papa strung in the reception hall added a special touch. Aaron and I were especially excited to see his aunt Steph and Grandma Charlene, who is making a great recovery from back surgery, at the wedding and reception! Nick was very happy to get his dance with Grandma Charlene. I was also glad to chat with Terry Taylor about things back at North Middle School. I sure do miss my co-workers there. One of the highlights, besides getting a picture with Steph and Nick, was seeing my Mom and Dad dance to their song.
Sunday was a tough day. We ate lunch with all the parents and even got to see Nick and Steph for a bit before they drove down to Eureka Springs. Rick, Renee, and Camden took us to the airport in Springfield, and after many tearful goodbyes, we were back in the air headed towards Minneapolis. It was weird to go back to a normal routine here in Minneapolis today after such a beautiful and busy weekend. It is also especially strange to face the change in weather, from 80 and sunny in Joplin on Saturday to 40’s and snow flurries expected on Wednesday here in Minnesota. What a strange world. Nonetheless, we had a wonderful weekend celebrating with family and friends. Congrats to the Bride and Groom! I’ll try and post some pictures soon.
