Sojourners

Biggest. Day. Of. My. Life.

Strangely, I felt completely comfortable and at peace. While hundreds of people waited in the sanctuary, my bridesmaids and I were in the bridal suite down in the basement. I could hear the procession going on. When it was time, the coordinator led us up the elevator and into the lobby. I waited in a corner as they closed the door. Then, led by my father, we walked down the short aisle with my future husband looking on. I was not at all nervous. If anything, I was filled with anticipation and joy. I was more than ready … I plunged headlong into my future.

sanctuary filled

Since we practiced the whole ceremony the night before, we knew exactly what to do. Everything went smoothly. My future husband turned to me and mouthed, “You look beautiful.” It was all I needed to see. From the worship time to the homily to the exchange of vows to the special songs and the prayers, I was completely in-the-moment. I did not look at the crowd, though, because I knew I would get too self-conscious. Rather, I focused on my groom. He was cool and composed the whole time.

wedding underway

The exchange of vows was meaningful to me because I meant every word. The night before, I had the giggle fits during this part of the ceremony, but at that instant, I was filled with conviction and joy. I was going to spend the rest of my life with this man, the one the Lord brought to me at this time in my life. At the end of it, when my brother, the officiant, declared us husband and wife, we turned to the audience and received a big round of applause. It was only then that I saw the many witnesses to this public commitment of love and loyalty. Again, I did not feel anything but confident and self-assured. I was a married woman and it felt really good.

... ladies and gentlemen, I present ...

After the procession, the wedding party met up in the back and we were congratulated by the groomsmen and bridesmaids. We were married! It was a very joyful moment for us. For the next hour, we took pictures with family and friends, one group at a time. After the last guest left, we got ready to leave for the reception that night. My new husband was very attentive, making sure that I was not too tired. I was too excited to feel tired, but it was a great relief to finally get in the wedding car and rest. When we arrived at the restaurant, one photographer captured this moment for us. I like this because we got our second wind and ready for the party that night!

mr. and mrs. chen

We give thanks to God for blessing us with a beautiful day to celebrate our union with so many family and friends. Praise God for Our New Start. Though married and relatively stationary now, I still believe in my sojourner status in this world — my husband and I both do. While I may not be as consistent nor change my domain name, I plan to continue blogging this next stretch of the journey as the new mrs. mbhaochen.

Soli Deo Gloria!

I went to Irvine Presbyterian to drop off the song sheets for the pianist who’s playing for our wedding. While I was there, I decided to check out the venue. There was a youth group meeting but I was able to go on the narthex and the balcony to take some pictures. I tried to imagine the place full of people attending our wedding, but I could not quite imagine it yet. I sat in the back and reflected on the big turning point that will happen in my life in a matter of days. I thanked God for His faithfulness and sovereignty.

narthex view

Here is the place where we’ll be saying our vows as husband and wife. This is where we bear witness to our life commitment to one another in front of family and friends. On March 10th, my life will change forever. In the meantime, I continue to move forward step by step towards the Big Day.

bird's eye-view