Weddingbee Blog

When I thought about the moment that I slipped into my gown, I envisioned it all going slowly, time almost standing still as I pulled the straps over my shoulders and tied the buckles on my shoes. In reality, it wasn’t quite like this, but it was special to me, nonetheless. My bridal portraits reflect a calm, happy, and confident me and I felt every bit the way I looked.

This photo is probably one of my favorites from my portraits. My tattoo has been a contentious issue with my family ever since I got it, and was even cause for a request to wear a dress that covered it. It’s one of four that I have elsewhere, but is probably the most significant one because it distracts from the scar on my shoulder. 3 years ago I was told I had a malignant tumor in my right shoulder. The excruciating pain was unlike anything I’d ever felt and I was forced to drop out of university and undergo treatment.

A few days before I was scheduled to have my shoulder removed and rebuilt, it was discovered that I suffered from a rare bone disease that was causing my muscles to turn to bone spontaneously. A bittersweet diagnosis, my tumor Fred (as I affectionately called him), was removed after a month of unsuccessful oral treatment.

The recovery was hard, as I am right handed, but one day the pain wasn’t so bad anymore and my handwriting started to improve again. My scar and tattoo remind me every day that there are worse things in life. It has changed my attitude to a lot of things and to me, the scar, and the tattoo I chose to adorn it with, are a part of the canvas that makes me, me. And so for the wedding, I chose not to cover it completely. Instead, it grew from underneath the lace, a trace of the real me amongst all the wedding formality.

My tattoo was not my only accessory, of course. In addition to my flower engagement ring, I had with me these special items…

My dress, my beautiful dress. The silver beamed throughout the night amongst the black tie suits and dresses. It photographed surprisingly well, even after being stood on a million times, spilled on, and snagging on a rough wood surface during our portraits.

My black calla lily bouquet was a last minute decision. Just like the bees warned, I ran out of time to make my beaded one, and opted for this unusual bouquet instead. I’d seen it done by Vera Wang, and it suited our color scheme perfectly.

A touch of Miss Dior Cherie Perfume…

… and some Cinderella slippers (I changed into the other silver shoes for the reception).

My garter…

… and my headpiece and clutch.

He might not be an “accessory” but I couldn’t resist. My kitty Zeus came to stay with me at the Lightning family household the night before the wedding, and stayed on while we were on honeymoon. He stood gracefully by all the chaos and posed beautifully for this shot.

And finally, here is mama Lightning buttoning me up just before Mr Lightning and the groomsmen arrived.

(All photos by Lauren Kriedemann Photography)