Favorite Moments From Our Wedding.

June 1, 2021June 1, 2021 ~ katdryden ~ Leave a comment

This is one of those posts that I am writing for myself, to remember long down the road.

My favorite, unexpected moments from my wedding.

Want to know something weird? I was actually looking forward to seeing what would go “wrong” on the day-of. You see, where most brides would dread the cringe-worthy, strange, or unexpected, I am different in that I LOVE a good story to laugh about with friends for years to come. That being said, we really had a pretty smooth day. So instead of sharing the “bad memorable” with you, I’ll share the “fun and unexpected” memorable.

We were married in February, so cold and dreary weather was basically just the name of the game that month. I was fine with whatever, as long as I was marrying Creighton, but wouldn’t you know…the day of our wedding was sunny and in the 70s. Glory Hallelujah! I actually stayed the night before the wedding at my in-laws house (a whopping 100 feet from the Country Club where my bridal party got ready and we had our reception), so I decided to walk down to the venue all by my lonesome and enjoy a few moments of calm before the storm. As I walked, I felt so overwhelmingly thankful—for the Lord’s providence in getting us to that day, for the loving friends and families who were celebrating with us, and for having a springy day in winter, our very unexpected gift.

(And in case you were wondering, yes I did walk down to the club in my getting-ready pajamas with my dress in tow. No shame.)

I wouldn’t call myself a “crier,” but I’m also not-not a “crier,” if you know what I mean. In other words, I can bring the waterworks if the moment is right. And let’s just say that the moment must’ve been RIGHT as I walked down the aisle—the only time I cried all day. Truth be told, I was a tad embarrassed later about my red nose and whimpering lower lip, but I later found out that my mom and sisters did the same. Guess it’s just a Williamson thing, which made the spectacle a lot more endearing in hindsight.

One of my favorite moments of the ceremony was the gospel choir that sang a beautiful song at the beginning of the service and “Oh Happy Day” during the recessional. Walking out of the door to such beautiful voices singing the most triumphant song was one of the coolest moments of my life. My only qualm was that I wanted to listen longer as the rest of the wedding party departed…so I did what any good bride would: I creaked open the church’s side door and listened/watched until the very end. Oh happy day, indeed.

I am sad to say that we have no pictures of the choir (how did that happen?!), so the following picture will have to suffice. Just imagine that happy couple pictured below being serenaded “Sister Act 2 style” as they left the church.

My brother-in-law Hunter is a former professional musician, so imagine our delight when he hopped on stage and played along with the band a rendition of “Purple Rain” by Prince—one of his very favorites. We were all in awe and it made for such a special surprise!

One of the first wedding decisions I made was to offer peach fried pies to our guests in lieu of wedding cake as a way to honor my late Grandma Williamson (read the card below for a little more info about her + her famous fried pies). She raised five wonderful boys, all of whom were able to attend the wedding—such a treat since many of them live far away. I know this picture of my grandma’s boys in front of the pies would’ve made her smile, and thus this moment will forever be a favorite part of my wedding.

And finally: I couldn’t forget our “surprise” musical talent as we made our grand exit from the wedding reception. Oh, this one is fun.

One of Creighton’s ushers, a nice young gentleman named Taylor, happens to be an incredibly talented musician/singer. Well, after a cocktail (or six), Taylor took advantage of a piano conveniently located right next to the exit doors. He played/sang “Don’t Stop Believing” as we exited our reception beneath the glow of sparklers and smiling faces. Isn’t it funny how some background music can make an already good moment downright magical. Three cheers for Taylor’s somewhat drunken (but also awesome) contribution to the ending of our day.

KAT
Currently listening to “Come and Get Your Love” by Redbone (fun fact: if Creighton and I could redo our first dance, we’d do it to this song!)

Our Wedding.

April 19, 2021 ~ katdryden ~ Leave a comment

Well, a whopping 14 months after our wedding, I have finally sat down to share some photos and thoughts.

Truth be told, I dragged my feet. Creighton and I barely snuck our wedding and honeymoon in before Covid shut the world down. And though we feel so very thankful to have gotten those experiences, it’s felt awkward and even cruel to share a lot considering the 2020 world/social + political climate. There was a lot of trauma last year, but our wedding day was a small sliver of joy—one that we never mean to rub in anyone’s face, but one that we also want to celebrate and remember when appropriate.

That being said, I think it’s now time to share.

We got married on February 22, 2020 (02-22-20…gotta love a palindrome) in Austin, Texas on the most lovely 70 degree day. I won’t bore you with all the details, but I’ll tell you this: one year later and there’s not a thing I would change.

So without further ado, our wedding…

Whew! There you go. A photo summation of our wedding.

It was a beautiful day, but little did we know that soon the world would get a little darker and scarier. Maybe this is a “no, duh” statement, but getting married on the cusp of a worldwide pandemic brings a lot of things into perspective. Do we need hundreds of people around us to find joy? Do we need fancy clothes to make us feel worthy? Do we need pomp and circumstance for life to feel special? The answer, we found, was no—those things, though fun at times, are not the recipe to a beautiful, meaningful life.

2020 gave us a gift in that it striped down our marriage to the essentials—the Lord and each other. And you know what? We wouldn’t trade that for the world! I constantly think back to the words of one of my favorite hymns (which I also walked down the aisle to), “O, God Beyond All Praising.” Particularly the second verse meant so much to me this past year, and my prayer is that we always remember in our marriage to “marvel at God’s beauty” through the “triumph” and “sorrows.” To God be the glory for 02.22.20 and every day we have as the Drydens.

O God beyond all praising,
     we worship you today
and sing the love amazing
     that songs cannot repay;
for we can only wonder
     at every gift you send,
at blessings without number
     and mercies without end:
we lift our hearts before you
     and wait upon your word,
we honor and adore you,
     our great and mighty Lord.


Then hear, O gracious Savior,
     accept the love we bring,
that we who know your favor
     may serve you as our king;
and whether our tomorrows
     be filled with good or ill,
we'll triumph through our sorrows
     and rise to bless you still:
to marvel at your beauty
     and glory in your ways,
and make a joyful duty
     our sacrifice of praise.

All photos c/o the wonderful and talented Ann Mark Photography!

KAT
Currently listening to “You’ve Got The Love” by Florence + The Machines

Changing Tides.

January 28, 2020 ~ katdryden ~ Leave a comment

It’s January 2020, which means we’re just one month shy of my big, fat Austin wedding.

This season has been wonderful, special, a little overwhelming, and just plain ol’ interesting (quite the combination of emotions, huh?). There’s nothing normal about a season of engagement, but I feel like I’ll always look back and cherish this in-between time of life.

For now, the tides are starting to change in my life, and it just feels right. Here are some glances into this season of my life:

WEDDING PLANNING:

In case you live under a rock and have yet to hear, let me be the first to tell you: wedding planning is no joke. But with the help of my mother-in-law/wedding planner (who I swear may also be a magician/miracle worker), things are really coming together!

Last week included bridal portraits and day-of scheduling, and this week we’re finishing our rehearsal seating arrangement. (Side note: a newly engaged friend recently found her wedding dress and said to me, “I think that’ll be the hardest part of wedding planning!” …Now I’m no monster so I kept my mouth shut, but sister has obviously never made a seating arrangement.)

Anyhow, here’s a little glimpse into wedding stuff as of late…

We’re getting married in Austin at this beautiful church! It was a pretty easy decision for us—Creighton’s family has many ties to it + it is crazy similar to my home church in Dallas, so there was an automatic comfortability there for me. Now we’ve just got to go back in Feb and exchange some vows.

My handsome groom while trying on tuxes.

Warning to all my friends and family: My love for monograms is going to come out STRONG at this wedding. Feel free to make fun of me for it (I definitely deserve it).

This was my bouquet for my bridal portrait session. It’s a combination of peonies, hydrangeas, and ranunculus. I loved it in person, but it blended into my dress in pictures. So I’m thinking about adding some pink for my wedding day bouquet!

60149568685__A2B24313-212B-4930-8318-8FF0C407AE14 — Introducing my wedding band! A sweet little sapphire ring (because this girl loves her some blue and white).

Food tasting = hand down the most fun part of wedding planning.

SHOWERS.

Wedding showers are definitely an awesome aspect of the engagement season. Creighton and I were celebrated at three different showers—the first was thrown by my students and their wonderful moms (so special for me!), the next was hosted by Creighton’s parent’s friends, and the last was a young adult shower. All were sweet reminders that Creighton and I have been pretty dang blessed in the friend department.

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So far the decor and cheeseboards for these showers have been top-notch.

Lots of “Shoe Games” have been played at these showers.

Rosemary Beach.

My sisters and I took a “sisters trip” the other week to beautiful Rosemary Beach, Florida. It was so wonderful that we’ve since deemed it a yearly trip!

A56BB64F-5FCA-4E83-B720-2ED6C4C5028D — I’m convinced that Becca and Sarah are two of the most special people on the planet.

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Love to you this week,

KAT

Currently listening to “Extraordinary Magic” by Ben Rector

A Wedding, a Robbery, + an All-Around Eventful Weekend.

November 22, 2017November 22, 2017 ~ katdryden ~ Leave a comment

Quite the title, huh?

My sister Becca + her man Matt were married this past Saturday in Houston, Texas. It was a whirlwind of a weekend—full of joy…and also a little drama (always the makings of any memorable party, right?).

Here’s the story:

The blushing bride herself in front of the #ILoveYouWall in Houston. I got into town Thursday afternoon and directly headed to Becca’s house for a glass of wine and a good sister chat. Isn’t it funny how those little moments can actually become the most cherished memories? From there we met up with the other Williamson’s to do what we do best: eat Tex-Mex and talk. We missed Matt that night, but it was sweet to have one last family dinner with just us five.

Friday morning was when wedding things really started happening. The day started with nails and brunch. I mean, is there a better combination than that?

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From brunch, Becca jetted off to do a little wedding prep, while Sarah and I drove to what felt like every FedEx in Houston to get some files printed. The traffic in that city is no joke, but man, do they have pretty sunsets.

The rehearsal and rehearsal dinner were great. Matt’s parents, Betty and Ted, did an adorable rehearsal dinner speech that even included props.

Sarah and I spent the night at Becca’s house Friday night (remember this fact—it has to do with the robbery), so we 3 + our mom headed to Dry Bar early that day for hair appointments.

I like big hair and I cannot lie. Also, pictured hair fell flat within about two seconds of walking outside. Becca’s wedding day featured 85 degree temps, high humidity, and strong wind. It’s cool; I like the windblown look too.

Next stop: brunch with Becca and her friends at The Dunlavy. It’s a breakfast spot by day and a wedding venue by night. Talk about range.

1412954543518 — We then headed to the venue—the Heights Historic Fire Station.

From this point, picture taking became spotty at best. I’ll include the few photos that I have, but you’ll just have to use your imagination on a lot of the details.

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fullsizeoutput_4f1 — Two very important people who didn’t make it into many of my pictures. Sure do love these parents of mine.

AND THEN…

fullsizeoutput_4f6 — **…THIS HAPPENED**. Near the end of the reception, I walked out to my car to grab something for Becca when I noticed the broken window. Someone stole everything in my car, including my hidden wallet, my luggage, Sarah’s luggage, and DRUMROLL…Becca’s suitcase for her honeymoon. All of these things were in my car because we stayed with Becca the night before instead of at the hotel. Oh, life. I’m not going to lie, it was a pretty terrible moment, but no one was hurt and the thieves didn’t have a chance to ring up any fraudulent charges on my credit/debit cards before I cancelled them. I held my cool fairly well, but there were some subtle tears in front of an old babysitter of our’s who was also in the parking lot at that time. HA. Isn’t it funny how some situations can completely snap you back to feeling 11 again?

Phew, what a weekend. Mostly wonderful, but a tiny bit awful. I’m sure we’ll laugh about the whole thing one day in the distant future.

Oh, and in closing: my Maid of Honor speech…it’s in the form of a cheesy poem because, for better or worse, that’s my love language to Becca (see this and this for further explanation).

I have a tradition with Becca of writing her silly birthday poems each year, and so I thought, what better way to celebrate Becca and Matt then with a little poetry?

So without further ado, the wedding poem:

Becca, we have made it,
It’s your wedding day;
And as your Maid of Honor,
I have some words to say.

I’m happy for you + Matt,
He loves you like no other;
And personally, I’m excited,
To finally gain a brother.

From triathlons to country dancing,
Y’alls adventures have not been light;
And now as the new Maddox’s,
I’m sure it will be dynamite.

So here’s to Becca and Matt,
And the love that they do carry;
On behalf of all here I will say:
Thank God they’re finally married.

Ok, thank you for putting up with me and my cheesy poem. In all sincerity, Becca and Matt are two of my favorite people. We all love you so much and are excited for the many Maddox adventures ahead. Cheers to Matt and Becca!

KAT
Currently listening to “Love the One You’re With” by Crosby, Stills, and Nash