Wedding day part 3: Myeongdong Church ceremony

The happy couple!

I decided to mix this post up a bit.
It was a day that started out very nerve-racking.

I believe by posting pictures in reverse,

I can convey to you why I felt more nervous at the start

than at any other point.

So...welcome to my backwards wedding day post.

Walking down the aisle as husband and wife.

It was much easier walking with Sungeun than doing it alone.

Felt like a celebrity with all the cameras flashing.

Bowing to the audience to thank them.

But to get the pictures,

we had to bow to our audience.

Actually it's the polite way to thank them for attending.

Before bowing to the audience,

we bowed to her (our) parents.

Father's blessing.

Of course before I could bow to my parent-in-laws,

we had to become official in God's eyes.

Here is Pastor Yobi blessing 

and proclaiming us husband and wife.

Open up and say ahh.

This was one of the landmark moments I was waiting for.

Once we received communion, 

I knew we had reached the home stretch.

I could finally start to fully relax.

Calm & cool

This was a moment where I thought I'd be more nervous.
But when I looked into Sungeun's eyes,
any nerves I had melted away.
I calmly slid the ring on her finger.

Nervous & shaky 

Wish I could say the same for her.

She avoided eye contact,

and somehow, while her body experienced an earthquake,

she shook the ring onto my finger.

Another moment where I expected butterflies.

But while reading the vows I remained calm.

While holding her hand and looking into her eyes,

it felt like it was just the two of us.

My loving, calming caress 

Naturally I wanted to do the same for Sungeun.

To help calm her, I reassuringly rubbed her hand.

Rejected

Extremely nervous, she rejected my loving gesture.

She again chose to avoid eye contact.

My theory for this...

Had she made eye contact,

she would have begun crying uncontrollably.

I forgive you Sungeun.

Patrick and Jiae

Our friends Pat and Jiae were our witnesses.

They were there for support...

or perhaps to make sure we didn't run?

Pastor Yobi giving an impassioned sermon.

Let's go ahead and take a look from his angle.

Hmm.

These faces look...slightly glazed.

Sungeun and her sister-in-law Jina may be sleeping?

I couldn't understand what he was saying.

What's your excuse Sungeun?

During much of the ceremony,

I was unable to understand.

Mostly I was peeking at Sungeun.

If she stood, I stood.

If she knelt, I knelt.
If she sat, I sat.

If she slept...I didn't sleep.

Once we made it here,

it was all downhill for me.

Knowing I couldn't understand the Korean ceremony,

I knew I could relax for a bit.

Taking a big step

Now you know,

I was pretty relaxed during the ceremony.

You may now understand why 

this moment was a nervous one for me.

Clearly I'm thinking 'don't trip on this step.'

I whispered "time to let go."

He whispered "never."

[Not really.  Would've been cooler if we had.]

My view

Having made it safely down the aisle,

I could now enjoy one of the best views of my life.

This photo was at the height of my nervousness.

So nervous in fact,

that I forgot to walk like a normal human being.

I kept my hands crossed the entire walk.

Well there it is.
From happiest to most nervous,

this was our special day.