The wedding went off wonderfully, Kieran and Kourtney were both really happy and enjoyed themselves immensely, as did everyone else in attendance. It was a beautiful celebration of family and friends.
Since the wedding wasn’t until 5 PM and I wasn’t needed there for photos until mid afternoon, I made plans to go for a morning hike with two of my sisters. Before then, I decided to stop at a Peet’s nearby for oatmeal and Target to pick up a few last-minute items. I was happy to find there was a Peet’s in Lincoln, only 10 minutes from where we were meeting at my sister’s hotel. The drive from my Airbnb in Wheatland Lincoln was gorgeous, the morning fog was settled over the farmland, I saw was a hang-glider. It was a very relaxing way to start the day. I did not realize until I arrived that the Peet’s was inside the Thunder Valley Casino! I trepidatiously entered the gigantic parking garage, parked my car and took the elevator down to the casino. As soon as the elevator opened I was overwhelmed by visual, aural and olfactory sensations. It was a shocking site at 7:30 in the morning to hear so much noise, see millions of wild, blinking lights and smell cigarette smoke. I followed the restaurant signs and finally found Peet’s, feeling very grateful for the relative (and I do mean relative!) quiet inside the store. As I waited to order my oatmeal, it seemed like I was the only person paying with a credit card, everyone else seemed to have cash, maybe that’s just normal in a casino! As soon as I had my food, I wound my way back through the insanity of the casino and to my car, very grateful to be back in a quiet space. The drive to Target was a much calmer experience, meandering through farmland for the most part. I have no idea how anybody can work in that kind of environment without going completely insane.
I quickly ran my errands. I don’t mind going to Target when it first opens in the morning as it tends to be uncrowded. I met my sisters and we headed to Hidden Falls Regional Park, a beautiful drive on winding roads. There were already there were quite a few people at the trailhead, it looks like a very popular place for groups to meet up and hike. We followed the lovely tree shaded trail to two different waterfalls, the dirt was tamped down from the recent rain which was great. Though we were often near the river and could hear it we could rarely see it because of all the vegetation. Despite having almost no rain for many months, there were still some waterfalls flowing. It was just the right kind of time in nature that I needed before what I knew would be a busy afternoon and evening with the wedding.
After our hike I went back to the Airbnb, had lunch then got ready. I had my fingers crossed that I had broken in my cowboy boots enough to get me through the evening, but also brought a pair of sandals in case I needed them for later. When I got to the venue, I was immediately pulled into getting my picture taken with the bride and groom and then with three rest of my kids. I really liked that they did all of their formal photos before the wedding, it was not rushed and gave the wedding party and family extra time to hang out together before the ceremony and festivities. There were over stuffed couches and chairs in the old barn that were perfect for lounging in when we didn’t have to be in photos or help with last minute wedding set up. I got to spend time with my sisters, mom and nieces and nephews and get to know more of Kourtney‘s family.
Like in the rehearsal, there was lots of laughter. Kieran and Kourtney seemed much more relaxed now that all of the wedding planning and preparation was done. They had decided they wanted to say their vows in private, just the two of them, so in a way that was when their wedding started, then they did photos after that. While I would have loved to have heard them exchange vows, I understand why they would want to do it in private and hope that meant they were able to be more open and vulnerable with each other. I can’t think of a better way to start a marriage.
There was a little bit of stress when the DJ was late in arriving, but he managed to get everything set up in time and before we knew it we were being we were told it was time for us to lineup to get ready to go in for the ceremony. Being the mother of the groom, I was the first person escorted in by my son, and even though we had practiced it the night before and I knew what was coming it was a lot more emotional than I expected. I was really torn between wanting to smile to show how happy I was to both the people in attendance and the photographer capturing the moment, but at the same time wanting to cry because this was a huge moment in my son‘s life (and mine too!) Soon the rest of the family was escorted in, with two of my nephews who were groomsmen walking my mom down the aisle to her seat, and then Kourtney‘s grandmother being escorted in and her mom being walked by her twin sons who were also in the wedding party. Next came the bridesmaids and groomsmen each with their own different style of acknowledging each other when they parted at the front, some leading to laughter from the attendees. The flower girl was so sweet and the ring bearers were adorable in their jeans, white shirts, suspenders, cowboy hats and cowboy boots similar to how the groomsmen were dressed. Finally, it was Kourtney‘s turn to be escorted up the aisle by her dad. She was smiling nervously, then after her dad shook hands with Kieran she took a big breath and let it out as she and Kieran faced each other holding hands. Brendon‘s wife Janet was sitting next to me and kindly handed me some Kleenex, something I hadn’t even thought about having at my seat, I was very grateful for that. My sister Lisa did a fantastic job as officiant incorporating little tidbits about Kieran and Kourtney and their relationship into the ceremony which made everyone smile and laugh. Soon they exchanged their vows and rings. The newly married couple kissed and headed down the aisle ready to celebrate!
Since this was a hands-on wedding, everyone picked up the chairs they sat in for the ceremony and brought them over to the tables where we were going to have dinner, with younger folks helping out older ones who might not have been able to carry their chairs as easily across the grass. Again, this is something I loved about this kind of wedding. Kieran and Kourtney had their own table up at the front which gave them the ability to easily see everybody and have a little quiet space for themselves, though as it usually turns out at weddings, there were often people coming up to talk to them while they were having dinner. Dinner was a wonderful barbecue spread perfect for the weather and the setting. All the young kids present took advantage of the fact that the adults were busy eating and talking to get out on the dance floor, it was adorable.
Soon the Maid of Honor, Best Man, Mother of the Bride and Father of the Groom all got up and made speeches. Surprisingly, Kieran did as well, which was really cool to see as he usually doesn’t like doing that sort of public speaking. Soon the DJ called for the father-daughter dance, and Kourtney and her dad took a turn around the dance floor. I think this was a very emotional moment for Kourtney as she and her dad have had a pretty challenging relationship and I think it was really good to have him be there for her in that way. Kieran and Kourtney had their first dance, something I knew they were both nervous about as they don’t like having people stare at them especially when they’re dancing, but they did a wonderful job and soon they were both much more relaxed, smiling and laughing with each other. After that, the DJ put on fantastic dance music and everybody was out on the dance floor. There was a great combination of 80s and 90s dance music, country and hip-hop. Every time we got to the end of a song and I would think ‘OK I’m gonna just sit down for the next one’ but another favorite would come on and I’d keep dancing with my sisters, the bridesmaids, my niece and nephews, Kourtney‘s family and all of their friends.
I loved the variety of outfits that people wore – a good number of people in western wear, but also everything from fancy dresses and high heels (not something that I would generally recommend in a venue that is grass, guess they didn’t look closely at the invite) to casual outfits. The tables were set underneath a circle of trees around the dance floor. The tables had black tablecloths with burlap runners with a cowboy boot with grasses in it (picked from the farm yard the day before) and two glass cylinders filled with water and floating candles. It was just such a gorgeous spot and as the sun set, the lights that were strung among the trees above the dance floor came on and added to the lovely ambience. It was a beautiful, rustic site.
Later my sisters and I made some crazy shots in the Photo Booth. Kieran and Kourtney cut their cake (no cake smashing for them) and everyone enjoyed cake, cupcakes and cookies, as well as the campfire pit for roasting s’mores. One of my nephews set up a whole bunch of pre-prepared graham crackers and chocolate bars to make it easier for anyone who wanted to do s’mores, very cute. We got photos of my mom with all of her grandkids, something we have not done in quite a few years.
After dessert, some folks headed home so those of us who were helping with cleanup took down some of the tables that weren’t needed. It went really quickly and having music in the background was great. The “young folks“ stayed very busy on the dance floor with several country line dances taking place. That is something I don’t have much experience with. It was so much fun to see them out there dancing away, the guys really got into it, maybe because they can follow the instructions and so they feel like they know what they’re doing? Anyway, it was really cool to see everyone enjoying themselves. I have never seen my son dance so much!
At 11 PM the DJ had to stop playing music because of local noise ordinances, but they still had the venue for another hour so someone grabbed a portable speaker and most of the wedding party and their friends kept dancing until after midnight, from what I understand. I left just after 11, happy but thoroughly exhausted and ready for bed.
I managed to sleep in a little bit on Sunday morning, picked up a coffee and headed back to the venue to help with the cleanup. We had managed to get 90% of it done the night before, so it did not take long to finish putting things away and get all of the drinks and decorations and garbage packed into Kieran‘s truck. Everyone looked a little worse for wear, but not too bad considering how late the younger ones had stayed out the night before, stopping at the local In-N-Out for food after they finished dancing. I was glad to have that last chance to see Kieran and Kourtney, my daughters and other folks before everybody went home.
The drive home took a while, which I didn’t mind as much as I needed that quiet time to process everything that had happened over the last few days. What a wonderful, weird whirlwind!