Wedding Pictures Part 13: K-I-S-S-I-N-G and the Recessional

So we've returned to the altar area after Ave Maria, and there's supposed to be a final blessing, we kiss, and then we head to the reception. 

We got to the altar, and were waiting for the priest to cue us for what was to happen next. All we got was a look like "Well, aren't you going to do what you're supposed to do?" We thought that meant kiss, so we did.

"Oh. We weren't supposed to do that yet? Whoops." We were looking at each other and the priest. How were we supposed to know we were waiting on our bridal party to walk from the pews back to the altar?

 (Here's a secret. We actually kissed at another point of the ceremony, right when we first sat down for the first reading, I think. It seemed like the natural thing to do at the time. But no one noticed that one. So that means 3 kisses during our ceremony... I'm sure that makes for good luck or something, right? right?)

(My friend Carina took the picture above-- and I'm so glad she caught the look on our faces.)

So the priest made it official with his last blessing, and THEN, we had the real kiss.

Hmm... before I go on, I forgot to mention how I nearly tripped as we were walking during Ave Maria. My shoes were slippery, and combined with concrete floors, it lead to a dangerous situation. After nearly falling flat on my rear end, (but not actually since my dashing groom caught my arm and stopped any damage before it could happen), it brought some much needed comic relief to the moment.

Jesson, Blessed Sacrament's liturgy director, must have feared a lawsuit... or he's just incredibly gallant... but either way, (thinking I tripped on my dress, not that my shoes slipped from under me) he made sure to help me with my dress the rest of the ceremony after Ave Maria. Which lasted about 10 minutes, if that. 

I'm laughing because Jesson was so convinced I was tripping over my dress. In the picture, I'm telling him something like "It wasn't the dress, my friend. It's the shoes! I just need shoes with more traction." All to no avail. 

And with that, the ceremony was over. We were off to our getaway car...