You May Kiss The Bride...

He started writing a journal when he knew he wanted to pursue something with Miranda.  Dan got a little spiral notebook and wrote letters to the woman he knew would become his wife one day.

He shared this book with no one.  

Not even her.

He wrote to her the day he would visit her father.  Dan wanted to ask her Dad's permission to date - just date - his daughter.  And he vowed to him - gave him his word - that he would respect her in every way.

He wrote to her the day he knew he wanted to marry her.  And on the day he went shopping for her ring.  He wrote to her the day he once again asked her father for his permission - this time...to marry her.

His last letter in the worn and weathered spiral notebook was on the morning of their wedding.  

Thinking a spiral notebook wouldn't cut it, he thought of rewriting the pages in something... fancier.  But that just wasn't their style.  Dan and Miranda are simple and love unique, handmade things.  I think Dan knew that Miranda would love his little notebook because it held pieces of his heart on every page.

  

It was delivered to her the morning of the wedding.  Finally, she could read the words in all the letters and get a glimpse into the private thoughts of her groom from the very moment he knew.

He always knew.

And just as he'd promised her Father...and himself so many years ago...he saved his first kiss for his wife.

Their first kiss was remarkable...and the church erupted in applause.

And I've never been prouder as his Aunt.  I feel lucky to even know this man who was once the sweetest, chubby cheeked little boy.

My sister now has a "daughter-in-love" to add to her ever growing family...

  

And now my Mom has another Grandchild in her ever growing family...

And my Dad?  Well, I think we can all agree...  

Pop had the best seat in the house that day.

 The reception was filled with so many special and unique touches.  The bridesmaids and the bride stored their bouquets, which were tied with burlap, in bell jars.

And all of the wood planters that held the centerpieces were made by Dan!  He crafted about 30 of them from pallets and varnished each one.

And they made many of the decorations themselves - even stringing white lights all over the ceiling.

Even the guest book area was unique.  The guests were asked to place their thumbprints on the tree and write their names.  The glass bottles behind their initials?  They were the bottles that Dan used in the scavenger hunt proposal.  The proposal that finished with her walking down a candle lit path in a park that led her to him... on his knee.

Sorry, girls.  He's taken.

Of course, he gets all of his romantic ideas and wonderful, moral behavior from his Aunt.  Oh, not me - another Aunt on his Father's side.  Let's be honest.

As it turns out, Ed and I clean up rather well! 

And we know how to party... 

...especially Ed who killed it on the dance floor with my niece, Emily's, husband Josh!

 

The reception was so much fun...and the dance floor was packed all night.  

It truly was a wonderful weekend reminding me how proud I am to be a member of this family.

Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Vaccaro!

To think that this is just the beginning of Dan and Miranda's love story...