When we arrived at Fort Flagler on Friday afternoon, our first order of business was the ceremony rehearsal. We had talked through the ceremony many times with Pastor Coe, our officiant (and the current pastor of the church I grew up in) during our pre-wedding counseling sessions, and we even made him a video of our hand fasting procedure so he could practice on his own, but the rehearsal was the first time that it all came together. With Tobey’s careful eye watching, we went through the ceremony, practicing the processional, hand tying, and recessional and working out the final logistics. I expected to be a bit more nervous, but overall felt very calm and relaxed.
As we finished up the rehearsal, the Danner aunts and uncles and cousins were busy setting up for the welcome BBQ. Chris and I were so thankful for all the help we got throughout the weekend from family and friends. We could not have done it alone, and having everyone working together made it even more special. We had gorgeous flowers arranged by Aunt Judy and cousin Sharon, delicious bratwursts from Uncle Terry, and everyone else pitched in to set up buns and condiments, tablecloths, and side dishes.
The flower crew with their beautiful handiwork, Aunt Judy and cousin Sharon 
The Burger Grill Masters Uncle Todd and Dad Jerry 
The Bratwurst Grill Master Uncle Terry
Before we knew it, more friends and family were arriving and Chris and I were busy with greetings. Each new arrival brought huge smiles and hugs. It was a kaleidoscope of faces, and we felt wonderful and overwhelmed to be surrounded by so many of the people we love all at once. I felt like I couldn’t spend enough time with anyone, and tried to just keep moving from group to group while nibbling on food in between conversations. My mom’s friends had brought delicious salads and desserts, and everyone seemed to enjoy the bowl of Hershey’s kisses and Reese’s Peanut butter cups left over from assembling wedding favors.
By around 8:30 pm, everyone had eaten their fill of burgers, salads, and dessert, kids were getting tired, the cool night breeze was giving us goose bumps, and the party was winding down. After a quick workout moving the picnic tables to the side, we drove off into the night to complete our final wedding prep task–marking the course for the wedding run!