Kayleigh and Shawn's Wedding

The happy couple ... photo by Teresa Haller Photography

One of my oldest daughter's closest friends got married last Saturday. She looked so pretty ... and happy! I know Kayleigh is crazy about Shawn, and from the way he looked at her, I'd say he's he's in it for the long haul. I didn't bring tissues with me, because I didn't expect to get emotional. Kayleigh isn't my daughter ... she's my daughter's friend! I knew I was in trouble when I found myself fighting back tears driving to the wedding!

My oldest daughter was a bridesmaid, and ... of course ... I cried when she walked down the aisle, so the waterworks were already flowing when Kayleigh appeared on the arm of her stepdad, the man who raised her and her siblings as his own since she was very young.

I made it through the ceremony without sobbing (loudly) or making a spectacle of myself, but I did cry. I couldn't help it! But they were sentimental, happy tears. I have been to many weddings where I didn't get emotional at all ... and at one, I bawled all the way through the wedding and reception because I knew the bride was making the biggest mistake of her life ... and it broke my heart to see that sweet girl marry that piece of a-word-I-won't-type. And, sadly, I was right. That particular bride later confided that she knew she was making a mistake, but for reasons only she can understand, she went through with it anyway.

It's a given that I will be a basket case at my own daughter's wedding later this year ... the girls and I cry while we're merely planning it! We have accepted that our faces in the wedding pictures will be red and swollen from crying, but I figured I'd be able to attend her friend's wedding without losing it. Boy, was I wrong!

I've known Kayleigh since she was eight or nine years old. She was at my house so much over the years that it felt like she was one of mine. Kayleigh may not be "legally" part of my family, but she's got a special place in my heart ... and to see her all grown up and standing in her beautiful white dress beside a man who loves her as much as she loves him filled my heart with joy ... and when that happens, my eyes turn into sprinklers!!

I left the reception before the partying kicked into high gear, but my daughter's both stayed and danced. Here are a few highlights of the night:

Playing in the photo booth: