Brinley's Wedding Day

August 3, 2024

How do I even write about my daughter's wedding day?  There is just too much to say and too many pictures to share.  I'm just going to try to touch on a few of my thoughts from the big day and post a few (well maybe quite a few) pictures and call it blog post.

-She looked beautiful and was a bit nervous but mostly just so excited about her big day. I loved being in the bride's room in the Payson temple with her before and after the sealing.  It provided us a little quiet and calm together at the before the busyness of the rest of the day took place.  

-I'm so grateful for Britney and my dad for flying out.  (My mom is too ill to travel and Chris and Angeliqe had an international family trip they could not cancel.) 

Brit, Shawn Bonifay, me, Julie Bonifay and Cora

-Britney was my right hand man the whole trip, and it was so appreciated!  (setting up for the events, cutting & serving cheesecake, getting up extra early on Saturday to pick up Morgan and bring her to the sealing, helping me buy new tennis shoes at 10 pm on Saturday  because Brinley accidently took one of my bags on her honeymoon and so much more)  I’m so, so grateful Britney was able to come.

-My dad.  A couple of weeks before the wedding, he was unsure on caregivers for my mom.  He was working on it, but things weren't falling into place.  I told him I understood if he couldn't make it.  He immediately reassured me that he would be there, and I immediately broke out sobbing...full on ugly cry.  I was trying to be brave and understanding, but I'm so glad he was able to attend.

He did a beautiful job sealing Brinley and Derek.  Sealers are not supposed to give marriage advise and so he just briefly shared a few lines from Elder Rasband's April 2024 conference talk, Words Matter.

Let me suggest three simple phrases that we can use to take the sting out of difficulties and differences, lift, and reassure each other:

“Thank you.”

“I am sorry.”

And “I love you.”

What a neat blessing for Brinley & Derek to be able to be sealed by Grandpa Vore.

Brinley's two grandpas!  A new insight for me to imagine being in the sealing room in 25 years with Derek's family at our grandchild's wedding! 

-I also felt so overwhelmed with love from and for my Gwilliam family as they drove in from California and Idaho and different cities in Utah to love and support Brinley/us.  Looking around the sealing room and seeing them just made me grateful once again for the blessing of marrying into such a wonderful family.

Back row, left to right: Karol, Kyle, Andrew, Sam, Caroline, Britney, Jeff, Kate Vore, Sarah, Joseph Vore (yea for two more Vores being able to support!), Bruce, Parker, Denise, Lindsey, Kris, Kristen, Keith, Jack & Eric  Front row: Megan, Jerry (Grandpa), Joyce (Grandma), Sarah, Aubrey, Brian, Brinley, Derek, me (Erin), Kaide, Tanner, Erin Kaitlyn, & Steve (Dad/Grandpa)

-It was a blazing hot day (103°), and we were taking pictures at 12:30 pm.  Aubrey leaned over to Parker & mumbled "I think I am going to throw up." 

Like any good big brother, he just laughed and made fun of her.  Well, 20 seconds later, she passed out.  It definitely made the picture taking part of the day more memorable.

Once she was recovered enough to sit up, the photographer did a few sitting down photos with the bridesmaids and said she would take more later that evening at the venue.  Aubrey is ghost white in lots of the photos.

This is her escort to the airconditioned vehicle.

-This picture of Derek is awesome.  I liked the photographer.  She did a great job of planned and unplanned shots to remember the day.

-We really enjoyed getting to know Derek's family more throughout the day.  They were easy to talk to, down to earth, hard workers and fun to be around.  We liked getting to know their extended family and friends that night too.  They felt like our kind of people!

-Kaide....we all just love this little guy so much.

-On to the rehearsal luncheon and reception... I am so grateful that Derek's mother, Colleen, was willing to take care of the Utah reception.  It wasn't convenient location wise.  They live in Delta which is 1.5 hours from Provo.  She works full time.  It was her birthday!  All of the things...but I am so very grateful she took charge.  We tried our best to help with set up, clean up and in between.  We also split the venue cost and luncheon.  Team work is dream work.

-Brinley kept worrying and then trying not to worry about something awful happening on their big day.  Would the cake not get delivered or the venue booking be messed up?  Would the speakers not work or would they misplace their marriage license?  

She and Derek had wanted a bagel bar for the reception food that evening.  Well, when Colleen arrived at the venue to set up for the luncheon she discovered the large boxes of fresh Einstein Bagels that were delivered and stacked in the kitchen had trails of little ants who had found the reception food.  

Oh dear.  

Derek's aunts and uncles went into action and hit up lots of grocery stores in Provo to replace the hundreds of fresh, pre-ordered bagels.  Luckily, between the bagels they purchased and the boxes that weren't overrun by ants 🐜 , there were plenty of yummy bagels to serve that evening and a funny story to tell for years to come.

-The venue & rehearsal dinner: Brinley & Derek did a great job of having a schedule and planning some fun activities during the luncheon and reception.

-The venue was perfect.  It was great size wise, and it was rustic and elegant all in one.

-During the luncheon, we watched the beautiful slideshow that Grandpa Vore put together.  It was fun to see Bryn and Derek growing up in pictures.  Brinley's mission president and wife sat at the same table as me and Brian.  It was fun to get to visit with them and really sweet that they made the effort to come.  I think they had four missionary wedding events they were hitting up that weekend.  Sheesh!

Click here for wedding video

-One of my favorite parts of the afternoon were the toasts roasts that both families did during the luncheon.  Bryn & Derek had seen this at another wedding and thought it would be fun.  Each family member came up with a little roast and a gift to share that went along with it.  Colleen talked about how since Derek was a little boy he always knew what he wanted, and he worked hard to make it happen.  One example was that he wanted to be a hobo and live under the bridge on I-70.  Then she shared several real accomplishments or things about his personality.  At the end, she mentioned he decided to go back to his true hobo roots when he changed his major to teaching!

Brinley is definitely a peacemaker in our family.  Her siblings really struggled with how to roast her exactly.  Parker referred back to the first time he met Derek at a pizza place.  B & D were broken up at the time and it was super awkward.  He presented them a pizza gift card.  Tanner teased that Brinley was ALWAYS in her room as a teenager.  She would hole up and just read books.  Then he went on and on that the book he was giving them had absolutely no double meaning.  The title was something like "In Depth Tips to Overcome Anxiety and Depression in Real Life."  Aubrey joked about passing out earlier and needing to be sure, as the baby of the family, that the focus was on her.  She also assured everyone she was just fine now.  I can't and she can't remember either what her roast was exactly.  I think it has something to do with Brinley always being in a room and now Aubrey, being a teenager, understanding more why Brinley was always in her room. 

I teased about Brinley being sweet, happy and having a wonderful laugh when everything was going good in her life...which was usually.  However, look out Derek when things go awry because the tears are going to flow.  I gave him a box of Kleenex.  I used AI to write this funny little poem:

    Brinley's a blast, always up for fun,

    Laughs like a champ, till the day is done.

    She rolls with the punches, easy to please,

    But watch out buddy, when things don't appease.

    If her plans go south, she'll lose it, big time,

    Tears and drama, a real bad sign.

    She'll think her world's ending, it's quite a scene,

    So stock up on tissues, if you know what I mean.

Brian went on and on about how much Brinley was going to miss him.  First he pulled out wallet sized pictures of himself for both of them to carry always.  Then he gave them a 8x11 for their room.  Then he told Derek that he knew there would be times when he just couldn't help Brinley, and Derek would need Brian to make her laugh.  He presented Derek a button up shirt with pictures of his face all over it.  That definitely got a lot of laughs.

Morgan Hill Zembal, Aubrey, Brinley, Savanah & Kierstin Douglas Parker

-The indoor bridesmaids pictures were pretty.  I do wish Brinley and I had a picture or two together.  That makes me a little sad.  I will make a point of remembering that at Parker and Aubrey's weddings.

Bri, Park, Andrew, Jeff, Jack, Eric, Henry, Sam, Bruce & Levi

-It was a long day with a lot of hanging out time in between each event.  Again, so grateful for family who came in from various parts of the country to support.  Here are some of the Gwilliam boys.

-Riley was entranced with Brinley.  I think she saw a princess in real life!  And isn't Brinley's bouquet gorgeous?  It is made of wood flowers!  All of the bouquets were so pretty, and she saved a ton of money too.

-There was an official line but I don't have pictures from them.  Thayne, Colleen, Brian and I were up there too and lots and lots of the guests were from Delta.  After a bit, I began to feel dizzy and so I ditched the line and sat down.  It was fun to have a few minutes to visit with guests from Odessa who had moved to Utah or friends from my college days.

-She just wanted a small cake.  I thought it was very pretty.  We had lots of leftover cheesecake from the luncheon so we sat that out on the refreshment table too.

-The shoe game was a lot of fun and kind of gave everyone an insight into their personalities and relationship.  Derek's sister-in-law, Taylor, asked questions and they would raise the shoe for the whichever one they thought it related to more.  (Who drives the safest?  Who is the saver of money in the relationship?  Who made the first move?" etc.)

Watch the shoe game here!

-The Dance

The dance floor was happening!  Aubrey got pulled out twice and was not pleased.  Both girls might not be happy with this photo, but I think the two sisters are pretty cute.

They had bubble guns for the dance, and the little kids loved them.  This is cute Grace (my great niece) making the dance floor beautiful with Levi, Karol, Kaitlyn and Tanner in the background.

-More bubbles for the sendoff!

Congrats Mr. & Mrs. Atkinson!