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

He Said/She Said (January 2021)

February 11, 2021 ~ katdryden ~ Leave a comment

I’m pulling this series from the 2016 vault and reintroducing one of my very favorite things…

The book review.

I got out of the habit of reading the past few years (blaming Creighton for that one—he came into my life and suddenly doing anything with him was more fun than reading), but thanks to 2020 I had a lot of extra downtime and went back to my bookwormy ways.

So without further ado, my January reads…

“Yesterday I knew I had no future, and that it was impossible for me to accept my life as it is now. And yet today, that same messy life seems full of hope. Potential. The impossible, I suppose, happens via living.”
-“The Midnight Library”

“The Midnight Library” was the number one fiction book on Goodreads last year, so naturally I had to give it a shot. I’d label this book a mix of “It’s a Wonderful Life” and a “Choose Your Own Adventure” book, and I did love the heart behind the primary message of the novel. That being said, it was pretty obvious what was going to happen about 50 pages in. Though I did enjoy it, I wish there had been more depth to the protagonist’s story…or even a few final chapters that showed progression after her trip to the library. All in all, though, a nice story.

“You mistake love. You think it has to have a future in order to matter, but it doesn’t. It’s the only thing that does not need to become at all. It matters only insofar as it exists. Here. Now. Love doesn’t require a future.”
-“IN five years”

I read somewhere that this book “tried really hard to be better than it was,” and I agree with that sentiment. The first half of “In Five Years” felt nearly identical to “One Day in December” by Josie Silver, but then it takes a deep dive into grief that leaves the reader confused and frankly, just plain ol’ sad. In the end, I didn’t like any of the characters and was angry at how the plot unfolded…but I did also cry at one point, so there’s that.

“Why was I crying so much? Because I think it finally dawned on me that I have a child who will never know her grandmother, the person who was the closest to me in the world. And I was about to start this journey with my daughter by myself without the help of my mother. …Then, I realized the one thing that would bridge all three of our lives was our faith, this intangible thing that had been passed on to me and that I would now pass on to my daughter. Somehow, through this ritual, I had transcended the impossible distance between me and my mom.”
-“Nothing like I imagined”

I am a huge fan of Mindy Kaling’s writing. It is her best professional talent, in my opinion, so I was thrilled when she released this series of essays. And though I did enjoy her other books better, these were still as charming as ever. The essay, “Help Is On The Way” where she described her on-going friendship with her daughter’s nurse was definitely my favorite!

KAT
Currently listening to “Sunday best” by Surfaces

Songs to Love from People I Love.

February 14, 2019 ~ katdryden ~ Leave a comment

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Sometimes there’s just nuthin like a love song, am I right?

A few years ago I came up with a list of my very favorite love songs (as well as some of the saddest) …and ya know what? I think I’d stand behind that list to this day. When it comes to giving me all the feels, nothing hits the spot like Love Me Tender or The Luckiest.

In the spirit of Valentines Day, I decided to ask some people in my life to share their favorite love songs and give a little explanation why. So here you go: songs to love from people I love…

Sarah, 31, sister + big fan of classic movies

Signed, Sealed, Delivered by Stevie Wonder

“My first thought was Signed, Sealed, Delivered, but I was looking at the lyrics and realized that the song is…mmm…probably about a guy asking for his girl to take him back? Still, it’s a song that’s technically about love and it’s one of my faves.”

Claire, 15, high schooler + most likely to be a famous fashion blogger one day

Speechless by Dan + Shay

“It makes you feel so happy and it describes a good, wholesome, happy relationship. It really makes you want to be in love.”

Creighton, 32, boyfriend + collector of fun socks

What Do You Say to That by George Strait

“To start, the melody and chord progression is the very sound of romance. In the lyrics our narrator is understanding the depth of his love. The story told in the lyrics depict the narrator having a realization of that depth for the first time, and recognizing not only the distinction, but the uniqueness of it, then turning to the object of his affection, to ask with anticipation and a smile, the line: What do you say to that?”

Katie, 14, middle schooler + lover of PetLand

Love Story by Taylor Swift

“It’s so fun to sing to.”

Derek, 27, co-worker + podcast extraordinaire

Refuge by John Legend

“I like that it talks about how your girl is a refuge when you’re going through stuff.”

Shiloe, 24, friend + fellow Bachelor fan

Alps by Novo Armoire

“I walked down the aisle to this song. It’s the prettiest song in the world.”

Happy Valentines Day, friends!

KAT
Currently listening to Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic by Sleeping At Last

Weekly Rundown.

January 5, 2018January 5, 2018 ~ katdryden ~ Leave a comment

Ready or not, 2018 is here.

…and personally, I think I’m ready. No offense to 2017, but I think we all could use a fresh start.

Though I’m usually all about new year resolutions, I’m taking it easy on myself this go-around. No resolutions; just a general attempt to do my best in 2018 (…and drink more water, because that will forever be an unattained goal of mine).

Anyhow, here’s what’s been going on recently.

A good time was had by all this Christmas in Little Rock, Arkansas. Becca and Matt stayed in Houston with the in-laws and Sarah was only able to stick around for a few days, so the holiday this year included a lot of Mom/Dad/Kat bonding time, and it was bliss!
Another year; another self-timer Christmas Eve photo.
If I’ve learned anything in the past few years it’s that December doesn’t just equate to Christmas season; it also equals engagement season. This past Saturday, my dear, wonderful friend Shiloe got engaged to her boyfriend Chris. It was such a joy-filled day and I actually got to play a small role in their proposal—how fun is that? Shiloe + Chris are the coolest, most God-glorifying people, and I can’t wait for them to marry this summer!
Sorry for the blur. This was a really cheesy boomerang turned screenshot and the quality is sub-par at best.
I already know that 2018 will be pretty great due to these two simple words: ROYAL WEDDING. Anticipating the wedding coverage, the sure-to-be gorgeous gown, and little George as a ring bearer (are ring bearers a thing in royal weddings?) makes my heart all aflutter! One of my favorite stories to come out of the Harry/Megan marriage annoucement was this hilarious montage that bid farewell to Harry’s “third wheel” lifestyle. See below for further explanation.
And finally, the week before Christmas I made the trek out to Argyle, TX to see my Grandparent’s house. Though they’ve both passed, I still like to drive past the sweet home on Brush Creek Road for some good ol’ nostalgia from time to time. It’s funny, what I truly loved about that place were the people who lived there, and yet, sometimes it feels like I miss their house like I miss an old friend.
Ok, time for me to run. Happy first weekend of 2018!