Where did Gage and Sarah go on their honeymoon?
They spent two nights in a lovely local hotel and then spent five days in the NC mountains. It was funny–Gage’s parents were on the road out of town last Monday and actually passed them. They still had balloons and a “Just Married” sign on the back of their car so they were pretty easy to spot.
Why did Sarah Gage choose 1:43 p.m as the time to get married?
That time represents the number of letters in each word of I Love You.
Who performed the wedding? My brother-in-law, Rev. Randy Mantik. (You’ll see his wife’s name–Debbie–appear often in the comments.)
Where did you end up finding your mother of the bride dress? After many days of fruitless shopping, I finally ordered several dresses online in the hopes that one would work. The one I wore was from Dillards. It wasn’t cheap but thankfully, two dear women in the church gave me money earmarked for a dress so it actually didn’t end up costing me anything! My thrifty heart rejoiced.
Why do I sometimes see Sarah and Gage referred to as Sage?
It’s a combination of their two names–sort of like when we created Meganate out of Meagan and Nathan.
Will the wedding video be viewable online for a while? Yes, it will be on our church’s Facebook page which is manteofirstag. (Unfortunately, the wedding march which was cut off due to copyright issues with the music being played.) When we have the professionally edited video, I will post that here.
Did Gage make his own bow tie? Actually, that’s not a question that has come in but it’s something I did want to mention it. Because yes, he DID make his own bow tie! One of his many, many talents.
we had about twenty-five people in and out of the house for various visits and meals. We so enjoyed seeing family and old friends, especially Steve’s mom who made the journey from Charlotte with her sons, Dana and Jeff, and Dana’s girlfriend, Angie. Sarah and Gage were absolutely thrilled she was able to come.
Gage’s paternal grandfather won the distance contest because he flew in from Malaysia!
All of Gage’s grandparents were able to attend but since just one of Sarah’s grandparents was there, Meagan and Kristin came up with the great idea of having symbols to represent her missing grandparents.
The airplane was for Steve’s late USAF dad and the Bible was for my late pastor dad.
The birdcage with a bird inside was for my mom since she loves nature. It also had one of her prayer lists tucked inside since she spends much time during each day praying.
It was a special treat to see my childhood friend, Lorrie, and her husband, Paul who came in from Colorado. We met 48 years ago and have stayed in touch all that time.
Our only full-time house guests were my sister, Debbie, and her husband, Randy.
Randy got these photos of Sarah and Steve practicing their daddy/daughter dance on the morning of the wedding. They danced to “You’ve Got A Friend in Me” which was an absolutely perfect choice.
here are a few more from various people’s cameras.
Meagan made my corsage.
one of which included a wedding dress crisis.
Sarah had dropped her dress off five weeks before the wedding with a well-regarded local seamstress and picked it up a few days before the wedding. On Thursday night, Meagan said, “Sarah, why don’t you try your dress on real quick so we know for sure how the bustle is going to work.”
Well, thank the Lord Meagan suggested that because when Sarah put the dress on, it was obvious there were many problems. It was dragging on the floor, the bodice area hadn’t been taken in, and the bustle was not right.
And this was one day before the wedding. One. Day.
Well, I must say I lost some sleep Thursday night trying to figure it all out. The wedding just happened to be the same weekend as several High School proms and I knew all the seamstresses were slammed. But Sarah had been in tears after trying the dress on because she knew it didn’t fit right and I knew I needed to find some sort of solution.
The only name that kept coming to my mind was Joan, a local woman who has been a costume designer/seamstress for many major theatrical productions in the area and has been sewing since she was a child. Steve has worked with her husband on some sound and lighting stuff in the past but I had never met Joan and didn’t think there was much of a chance that I could just call her out of the blue and ask her to lay aside all her plans of the day just to fix a stranger’s dress.
But she was my only hope.
I remembered that Juanita, one of our church members, lived next door so I called her and asked her if she would be willing to call Joan to explain the situation. I had meant to be all calm and matter-of-fact with my request but broke down in tears halfway through because I was so stressed.
I didn’t know if Joan was even in town (she travels a lot), and I certainly didn’t know if she could clear her schedule to work on our emergency. But Juanita said she would be glad to check on my behalf.
Five very long minutes later, the phone rang. It was Juanita.
Yes, Joan was in town.
Yes, Joan was willing to help.
When did we want to come by?
As soon as I finished the call, I put my head on my desk and sobbed for five minutes, so grateful that we had caught the problem when we did (thanks, Meagan!) and grateful for the near-miraculous circumstance of being able to get the dress into the hands of a top tier person with absolutely no advance warning.
Above all else, I wanted Sarah to feel gorgeous on her wedding day and with the current state of her dress, I knew she was going to feel anything but gorgeous. But thanks to Joan’s expertise and generous willingness to adapt her schedule, that precious bride of ours was nothing short of stunning.
And by the way, all of the outdoor pictures you see with the beautiful gazebo and flowers are on the property of Joan and her husband, Fred. They are gifted in all things artistic, including designing and building their own gazebo, doing complex topiary displays, and creating artistic items from all manner of materials.
I thought I’d grab a photo of this handsome guy.
The two dads discussing the construction of the gazebo.
here is a photo of Dr. Driscoll (dark suit) and his wife (yellow blouse.) I had taken my friend, Crystal, over to meet him because we discovered that she is in a Bible study with his sister. Small world!
And you may remember that Crystal is the mom of Victoria, Sarah’s childhood friend, who was a bridesmaid. She is helping Madi put on a little mascara.
Back to the gardens for a photo of Gage . . .
and his brothers.
One thing that I truly appreciate about Gage’s brothers is the way they have welcomed Sarah into their family. They are complimentary, courteous, gracious, and have made it clear that they couldn’t be more thrilled to have her as their new (and only!) sister.
Stacy and Casey Long have also been incredibly welcoming and affirming. I’m beyond grateful that Sarah will belong to such a wonderful family.
Since I haven’t seen Sarah in eight days, I am extra happy that she is coming over to the house later this morning for a catch-up visit. Can’t wait to see the newly minted Sarah Long! (It’s going to take me a while to get used to the new name.)
She and Gage are busy settling into their 600- square foot apartment which is just 50 feet larger than her bedroom at our house. That will be a bit of an adjustment! Her old bedroom will also act as a storage area for some of their many wonderful gifts until can they move into a larger place.
Sarah told me that she and Gage agreed that it’s a good thing for young couples to start out small and non-fancy so that when they do eventually move up, they will appreciate the change all the more.
I am so thankful that the two of them are going to be living just three minutes away from our house. I know a lot of couples get married and move away for jobs, or for other reasons. I am overjoyed to have the privilege of still being in the same town as my daughter and son-in-law.
Thank you for all the wonderful comments and for the rejoicing that has been going on from readers all over the world on Sarah and Gage’s behalf. It’s been a wonderful whirlwind of emotions and events and we are grateful to be able to share them with our Smithellaneous family.
I wasn’t going to comment because it’s been nearly a year since the wedding but I’ve got to say that I am completely overfilled with happiness that our Princess Groovy Chick has found her true love! I can’t believe all the things she/they/y’all had been through the few months before the wedding! Reading it all had me in tears for the hard times as well as for the happy ones! Sarah has always been one of my heroes! Wishing Sarah and Gage many many years of happiness, laughter and most of all LOVE!! 💜
Lizz,
I’m so glad you decided to go ahead and comment.
What sweet and encouraging words. Thank you!
Oh gosh….a wedding dress crisis! So thankful that Joan was able to help. Sarah looked just stunning!! Thank you for sharing your pictures and video. I’m looking forward to watching it again!
I think it took me almost forever to get used to my daughter’s married name. I still refer to her (only occasionally) as Jenni Lind (her maiden name). And yes, Jenni Lind, the Swedish nightingale, is really an ancestor of ours. My father-in-law was 100% Swedish. I love that piece of our family history!
LeeAnne,
That’s so great. I used to love reading about Jenni Linda when I was in elementary school; it was so interesting to me.
So cool to have her as an ancestor!
I’m so glad y’all were able to avert the wedding dress disaster. Sarah looked absolutely stunning. Everything about the wedding looked perfect for Sarah & Gage. Thank you for streaming it so we could watch. I hope you’re getting some well deserved rest.
Sue Ellen
I’m glad the streaming worked out so that the Smithfellaneous tribe could tune in.
Resting here and there. I could really use a whole week off after the past two months!
Whew- so glad that Sarah’s dress was able to be fixed in time for the wedding, I can’t imagine how stressful that had to be. And your dress was beautiful.
It was a lovely wedding- i especially enjoyed that the couple wrote their own vows. My husband and I did that as well.
Congratulations again Sarah and Gage!!
Love,
Heather
Heather,
Yes, it makes it really special to have personalized vows. Glad you and your husband opted for that, as well.
You’d think that Steve and I would have done that since we’re both writers but . . . nope! 🙂
Oh my the wedding dress not fitting with ONE day to go! I am so glad and happy that Joan stepped in to the breach. Many people wrapping their care and love around this precious bride to be, to lift her safely towards her wedding day… and how beautiful she looked. You must be happy she will be living so close. I love that my also-newly-wed daughter lives just 15 minutes away… I’m not quite ready yet to see her go further.
We are looking forward to watching the wedding video again. xxxx
Teresa,
Yes, having our daughters close by is a true treasure. I’m not sure how I would have coped if they had moved away right off the bat. I know it will happen eventually but I’m so happy for the right now.
What an honor that you would watch the wedding video again. I need to watch it at some point. As the mother of the bride, I’m not sure how much of it I really took in. I’m also looking forward to the professionally shot and edited video.
Thank you for this great update, Becky! I love the story of Meagan and the wedding dress. It’s one of those kind of moments when one feels really known and loved by God.
I rejoice with all of you! Praying you have gotten some rest and rejuvenation!
DeLynn,
Yes, I don’t know WHAT we would have done if we had discovered that problems on the morning of the wedding. Yikes!
Before calling Juanita I was thinking about the Bible verse that says God clothes the lilies of the field. I figured if he could do that, he could make a way for her to be clothed beautifully on her wedding day.
What a delightful post, despite the setbacks that were all worked out. Thank God for Joan to alter Sarah’s dress in such a quick time. Loved seeing and hearing about the wedding. I will have to find the wedding video to watch. I thought I was out of luck to see it, I had my granddaughters dance recital that afternoon to be at.
So happy it all turned out so well and it looks so beautiful.
Wendy,
Yes, do take a look at the ceremony if you get a chance; I know you will enjoy it.
And how fun to have a dance recital for a granddaughter. Young dancers are so cute!
Dear Becky, I am so glad that you included the story of Sarah’s wedding gown and the miracle of getting it fixed by a true professional! I can nearly hear the sighs of relief and awe when you and Sarah saw the finished product. Speaking of sighs of awe, the photo of Sarah in her veil and gown were breathtaking! That photo and the one of Pastor Steve standing in the gazebo really should be framed – along with the photos of the father-daughter dance practice. Please tell the bride and groom that we also spent our honeymoon in the NC mountains! Thank you for the wonderful blog report and photos!
Fred and Lucy,
Steve and I also spend our honeymoon in the NC mountains. Guess we all just have good honeymoon taste!
Yes, there are definitely a bunch of frameable shots in there and those are the ones that weren’t even professionally taken. We’re going to end up wall papering our home in photos if we’re not careful!
Thank you for sharing a beautiful day of a beautiful couple! I have loved all the pictures and can’t wait to see more.
Praying for continued blessings for the newly minted Longs!
Suzanne,
I still can’t believe Sarah’s last name is Long. Newly minted, indeed!
I love all of these pictures! It looks like it was just a glorious day!
I’m so very happy for Gage and Sarah and look forward to hearing of their home setting up. I know Gage was already there, but it’s fun to add some things to make it home.
Continuing to pray for all of the Smiths and now, Longs!
Krista,
Yes, Sarah is having a wonderful time unpacking all their new gifts and getting everything into place. They are going to have Steve and I are over soon so we can see the progress they’ve made.
Sarah is enjoying the process so much.
The photos of Pastor Steve and Sarah dancing are precious. Thank you for sharing with us Becky. I enjoy reading your blogs and look forward to Mondays. Glad that I ‘pulled up a chair’
Gloria,
I’m glad you pulled your chair up, as well!
Yes, I loved the photos of the daddy/daughter dancing. So sweet.
My goodness, you packed a lot into this post! I loved getting further details of the wedding prep… Gage’s bow tie was splendid! Scary times about Sarah’s gown, but the blessings kept flowing…. Meghan, Juanita, Joan… And I want to mention the two women who sponsored your MOB dress, Meghan and Kristin setting the scene, and on and on. The women in your sphere are amazing, loving people, and I’m so happy they’re a part of your and Sarah’s lives.
Please keep the photos coming! I love seeing snapshots of that darling couple.
Jan,
Yes, there is definitely a lot to pack in!
This line from your comment bears repeating, “The women in your sphere are amazing, loving people, and I’m so happy they’re a part of your and Sarah’s lives.”
We are so blessed by good, good people.
The pictures are beautiful. Everything looked so pretty.
I love how Meagan and Kristin honored Sarah’s grandparents that couldn’t be there. My niece is getting married July 24th and none of her grandparents will probably be there. She never knew her maternal grandmother as she died shortly after my brother and sister-in-law were married. Her maternal grandfather passed three years ago. And her paternal grandparents (my parents) probably won’t attend due to their health. Both of her parents were the baby of the family and there was many years between the baby and the next oldest so her grandparents are pretty old compared to others her age.
You are very lucky that Sarah will be in the same town as you. My niece and her fiancée are moving to Houston after their marriage. She will be attending graduate school and has a graduate assistant position at University of Houston. He is working at an organ company doing repairs/tuning of the large pipe organs. My niece and sister-in-law went to Houston this past week to look at apartments. I think they said their apartment is 670 square feet so not much bigger than Sarah and Gage’s apartment. They’ve both been living in dorm rooms the last four years so it may seem big to them compared to a dorm room.
Glad you found your MOB dress and that church members had given you money for it! How great that Meagan thought to have Sarah try her dress on and that you were able to get Joan to alter it at the last minute.
Phyllis,
I really did love the idea of honoring the grandparents who weren’t there. They are such a huge part of their grandchild’s life.
Yep, 670 feet is not really spacious but as you said, it’s all relative. It will feel large compared to a dorm room.
Sounds like a lot of good things going on in your family.
Wow! Everything turned out so lovely. Lots of love and prayer went into this day. I am so happy that you had the flawless wedding DAY. Every wedding has the hiccups and they become part of the story. 👰💞🤵
Beth,
That’s a good way to look at wedding day hiccups. They are STILL a part of the story–and that makes them good hiccups! 🙂
Hi Becky, the wedding was just lovely…I was sorry to see that your own mom, who has been featured in a lot of your posts, was unable to attend. I’m sure that was hard for all of you. I wonder if you might give us an update on how she is doing (if you are totally ok with that, obviously). Best wishes to the happy couple and all the rest of the family
lsa93,
Thanks so much for asking after my mom! She is living with my middle sister, Ruth, and her family in a beautiful rural area of Wisconsin which she loves. She sits on the back, second-floor deck, and keeps an eye on all of nature unfolding.
She isn’t able to walk a lot but gets from bed to chair and around the house a little. She is her usual cheery, calm self and makes everyone’s lives better around her. I am hoping to get to Wisconsin in the next few months to visit.
one more question: who were all the bridesmaids?
such beautiful photos of so many beautiful folks!
Mrs. Pam,
Hope was the maid of honor. She and Sarah met in about 3rd grade and have been friends ever since. Bec, a former college roommate. Victoria, her friend that saw her through childhood cancer. Rachel, a young woman from our church who got married and moved away a year ago. Meagan, who we all know. And Maddie, the junior bridesmaid, who Sarah has mentored over the past few years.:)
It sounds like everything worked out perfectly. And the seamstress did a fantastic job on Sarah’s gorgeous dress! So happy for Sarah and Gage, and happy for you that Sarah hasn’t moved far away. It’s so much fun to have some family so close.
Gayle,
Sarah and I just had a great lunch and conversation together before she headed back to her house to continue to set up housekeeping. It was so nice to see her; I think that was our longest separation!
I haven’t been commenting but I have been reading consistently, and wanted you to know I’ve thought of you a lot. Congratulations to Sarah and Gage. They had a beautiful day!
Kristina,
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and also, to read along. It really was a beautiful day; kind of hard to believe it’s over!
Nice happy ending to all the trials and disruptions… Praise be to God!
Ruth,
A happy ending, indeed. Very thankful.
Thank you for making us feel like we had a front-row seat! Sarah was a beautiful bride made all the more so by her precious spirit seeping through. I am so happy for her and Gage. Welcome to the Empty Nest! You and Steve will have to get into some new adventures.
Lisa,
We have been temporary empty-nesters before but not permanent ones. A whole new chapter!
I love the thought of “her precious spirit seeping through.” That is a great description.