Behind the Scenes

These are a few pictures of the craziness leading up to the big day and the relief of the day after...

Kelly and I preparing picture perfect pores the night before.

Going to the chapel...Jay and Teri on the way to the rehearsal.



Typing in the information for the marriage certificate!



Us at the Multnomah County courthouse applying for the marriage certficate.

Makenzie and Bodie...the most adorable niece and nephew in the world.

Oh how I loved those flowers and shoes. Do you see the brooches on the flowers? They were my grandmother Betty's.

Mom finally free of her personal slave duties...and looking ravishing I might add.

The Vows

Jay and I wrote our own vows to each other and to our families. We loved the thoughtful and personal touch they added to our ceremony. To each other we vowed:

As I stand before you, our family, and our Lord on this blessed day,
I vow to give unto you
my whole heart and soul as your husband/wife.

I swear to accept and love you unconditionally;
to be by your side to support you in your darkest moments
and celebrate you in your brightest.

I vow to nurture your passions and your spirit;
to work not only for happiness,
but for understanding and grace in us.

I vow to indiscriminately open myself to you;
to constantly seek to understand both you
and our place together in this ever-changing world.

I vow to accept you as the person you are
and the person you will become.

I promise to fight for you and the family we create,
to build everthing else around that,
placing nothing, including myself at times,
above these precious gifts.

And when my time in this life ends,
I vow to wait ever so patiently for you in the Mystery around us.

To you I give everything I have,
everything I know,
everything I hope for,
and everything I am.


To our new in-laws we wrote and recited:

To you I vow to be the unconditionally loving,
supportive and selfless partner you always wished for your son/daughter
and I vow to be a loyal and contributing member to my new family.

To our own families we wrote and recited:

To you I vow in my marriage
to live out the values of patience, love and understanding
that you have instilled in me and pass on this legacy to your grandchildren.

My Compass

Some of you asked for the poem that I recited in dedication to my mom at the wedding. I wrote the poem a few years ago and here it is...

The Compass

Winds that lie awake
March and overtake
Hearts that hearts can break
Win for winnings sake

But north is always north
And south is always south
Knowing your direction
Is Grace's kisses on your mouth

Thoughts that warp and wind
Habit a timid mind
Paths you're meant to find
Are overgrown and ivy lined

But east is always east
And west is always west
On your paramount journey
Know that you are blessed

Just In: The First Pictures!

Here are some pictures I've gathered so far. If any of you have pictures or video of the ceremony or the reception, could you please email them to me at jennylrhodes@hotmail.com? Thank you!

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

We have returned from Spain (more later) and are still in shock over the generosity and kindness of our friends and family. We are so blessed. Thank you SO much for all your love and support.

If any of you are planning an event in the near future, I would like recommend the wonderful people I worked with. Planning a wedding from across the country was not easy; I didn't have the luxury of comparison shopping so I relied on recommendations. I could not have been more pleased with how it all turned out. Everything I imagined in my head, these people were able to create.

Linette True and her daughter Heather created our delicious 5 course Italian dinner. It was difficult to find a caterer who was willing to put all that work into a sit-down, family style meal but Linette and Heather took on the challenge. Linette handled all the logistics such as equipment rentals (and there were a lot...not to mention our almost weekly adjustments!) and even acted like my personal event planner. Heather, the chef, was even open to my recipe suggestions. Their company is called Delilah's Catering and you can reach them at www.delilahscatering.com and 503-243-3324.

As soon as I saw Jonathan's (of Jonathan Ley Photography) website, I loved his journalistic style...and it came at such a deal. Jonathan was so laid back and easy to talk to about how I wanted to remember the day. He took full advantage of some of the "props" I had prepared and he made us feel very comfortable. From what I've seen so far, I know the pictures will be beautiful. www.leyphotography.com 971-222-6426

Sharon Roberts of Baskets and Bouquets by Sharon was able to take my vision and make it a reality. She searched high and low for peonies and cabbage roses to make everything just right. The flowers were perfect, I wish I could have preserved them forever. 503-252-5908

And to the rest of you that SHOULD start businesses because you are so good at what you do...