Hawkily Ever After: The Procession

The guests were all seated in the chapel as we began to line up. It was time for the ceremony to begin! 

Mr. Hawk gave his niece, our little flower girl W, one last encouraging pat on the back to ease her nerves.

Once we heard the violinist begin to play Trumpet Voluntary, reality started to sink in. 

Luckily Daddy Hawk was there to give me some of my own much-needed support.

Mr. H took Momma Hawk's arm... 

...and escorted her to her seat before taking his place at the altar.

 The groomsmen filed in, and the music switched again.

 Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring began to play as Sissy Hawk walked through the chapel doors and down the aisle.

 BM T...

...BM K...

...BM R...

 ...and MOH A made their way down the aisle.

 Our coordinator Liz, calmly told W it was her turn.

Apparently she made it about halfway down the aisle before she realized all of the eyes on her.  

This next photo perfectly captures the moment she changed her mind. She never made it to the altar, but instead made a bee-line straight to her parents.

  I wish I could have seen it because I heard she was adorable!

Does anyone else have a similar flower girl story?

All photos by Valerie Demo Photography

Miss a Hawk recap? Don't fret! Catch up here:

We review our planning journey
We rehearse and welcome our guests
The girls get pretty
Miss Hawk becomes a bride
I share my bridal details
Mr. Hawk becomes a groom
Our first look
We take photos at Crim Dell Bridge
We explore campus for more photography
The groomsmen ham it up
The bridal party channels their inner model
The entire wedding party regroups
My last moments as a Miss
Welcome to our wedding ceremony

Hawkily Ever After: Welcome to our Wedding

While I spent my last moments as Miss hidden away in the Great Hall, our guests slowly started to arrive on campus, being guided to the chapel by chalkboard direction signs.

Guests entered through double doors at the rear of chapel. Although being rather small, to me, Wren still evokes a sense of grandeur.

Being a historical building and national landmark, we were greatly limited in decor options; however, I'm glad we kept it minimal as the space is magnificent on its own.

 At the rear of the chapel, a balcony holds an eighteenth century organ and displays the British Coat of Arms.

Our violinist softly played...

... as our guests found their seats.

The ceremony was about to begin!

Do you plan on having extensive decor for your ceremony?

All photos by Valerie Demo Photography

Miss a Hawk recap? Don't fret! Catch up here:
We review our planning journey
We rehearse and welcome our guests
The girls get pretty
Miss Hawk becomes a bride
I share my bridal details
Mr. Hawk becomes a groom
Our first look
We take photos at Crim Dell Bridge
We explore campus for more photography
The groomsmen ham it up
The bridal party channels their inner model
The entire wedding party regroups
My last moments as a Miss

Hawkily Ever After: Last Moments as a Miss

We finished up all of our wedding party photography, and I took a moment to snap a couple of pre-ceremony photos with my family.

At that point we were still waiting on our bouquets to arrive so the ladies and I decided to give our feet a rest. Being perhaps a bit unconventional, MOH A and I popped into the chapel and rested in the pews. It was a little surreal sitting in there, knowing that within a half hour the chapel would be filled with our family and friends.

 Within a few minutes the other ladies piled in and we were all enjoying a few not-so-quiet moments.

But the ceremony time was nearing, so our DOC ushered us into the Wren Building's Great Hall, our waiting room, away from the eyes of our guests. The Great Hall will always be significant to me. Not only was it my pre-ceremony waiting room, but it was also a place near and dear to my heart during my college years. MOH A and I's sorority held their yearly initiation ceremonies in the very same space.

Sneaking a peak at the guests' arrivals made the impending ceremony all more real.

I made sure my bees were securely attached to my bouquet before taking in my last single-girl moments.

I honestly could not tell you what was going through my mind during those last minutes...

 ...but apparently I didn't show my nerves as my bridesmaids and DOC, Liz, commented on my super-calm demeanor.

Before I knew it, Liz was telling us to prepare for our walk back to the chapel.

Do you think you'll be a calm bride?

All photos by Valerie Demo Photography

Miss a Hawk recap? Don't fret! Catch up here:

We review our planning journey
We rehearse and welcome our guests
The girls get pretty
Miss Hawk becomes a bride
I share my bridal details
Mr. Hawk becomes a groom
Our first look
We take photos at Crim Dell Bridge
We explore campus for more photography
The groomsmen ham it up
The bridal party channels their inner model
The entire wedding party regroups

Hawkily Ever After: The Wedding Party

Once we were done taking our separate group photos, our photographer brought us all back together for our wedding party shots.

 Along with traditional poses, we also had a little fun.

I love this next photo, but I loved it even more when I zoned in on Mr. Hawk's expression. What is that? Hilarious.

As with some of our bridal shots, the photos with our bouquets actually had to be taken post-ceremony. Even though the missing flowers caused some anxiety, waiting a bit later created some lovely lighting through the trees!

Do you prefer traditional or fun, silly wedding party photos?

All photos by Valerie Demo Photography

Miss a Hawk recap? Don't fret! Catch up here:

We review our planning journey
We rehearse and welcome our guests
The girls get pretty
Miss Hawk becomes a bride
I share my bridal details
Mr. Hawk becomes a groom
Our first look
We take photos at Crim Dell Bridge
We explore campus for more photography
The groomsmen ham it up
The bridal party channels their inner model

Hawkily Ever After: Lovely Ladies

While the men were goofing off during their photography session, my lovely bridesmaids and I were working our best model poses.

Like Mr. H, I took individual photos with each of my ladies.

We also took a few accessory shots including the handmade vintage brooch jewelry, our metallic shoes, and handkerchiefs.

I'll let y'all in on a little secret. You may have noticed that this set of photos was missing a little something: our bouquets. At the time, our flowers were actually missing. Somehow when the florist delivered the men's boutonnieres, she forgot to unload the bouquets. Luckily our coordinator, Liz, immediately took care of the situation and made sure the flowers arrived pre-ceremony. These next few shots were actually taken after Mr. Hawk and I were married!

Even though they were late, I'm so in love with our flowers!

 The classic jumping shot. Horray for bouquets!

Do you have any specific poses or shots you plan to have photographed with your bridesmaids?

All photos by Valerie Demo Photography

Miss a Hawk recap? Don't fret! Catch up here:

We review our planning journey
We rehearse and welcome our guests
The girls get pretty
Miss Hawk becomes a bride
I share my bridal details
Mr. Hawk becomes a groom
Our first look
We take photos at Crim Dell Bridge
We explore campus for more photography
The groomsmen ham it up