Derek and Mariah's Wedding!

Derek and Mariah's wedding was on May 20th in Palmyra, New York.  Billy and I flew out on the 18th.  I got to miss work Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday!  Yay!  We met up with the fam at some mid point and all flew together to Rochester.  We got a rental car (a fancy Yukon!) and headed to the hotel.  That evening was the bachelorette party and since I was a bridesmaid, I got to go!  Woo!  I wasn't feeling super hot that night but I pushed through and it was super fun.  We went to a Japanese Hibachi restaurant, then over to Applebees.  It was a fun night meeting all the bridesmaids and just chatting it up!

On our way!

Made it!

Cody thought Jayce might be hungry as he napped

 

My food -- shrimp and fried rice yummmy

The next day I got up and went for a walk with my mom and Aunt Susan through the Sacred Grove.  It was so peaceful and beautiful in the morning!  My mom told my dad to come so he met us.  Afterwards we ran some errands for the wedding the next day, got lunch and brought it back to the Smith farm to have with Grandma and Grandpa Sutherland, Aunt Nancy, Uncle Terry and Aunt Linda.  After lunch we took a tour of the farm and then headed back to get ready for the grooms/rehearsal dinner.

First Smith family home

Morning view of the temple

PC: me and my iphone.  I think this pic is pretty good :)

First view of the grove.  So peaceful and pretty.

Also taken by me...I'm amazing

Dad being a photog in the grove

Later in the afternoon, inside the Smith home

The second Smith home, the "frame house".  This is where Joseph hid the plates underneath bricks in the fireplace.  Some of the structure of the home is still original.

Another walk through the grove with the fam

Sacred grove selfies

Grandpa B "roasting" Derek and Mariah at the Groom's dinner

Setting up the reception the night before

Friday was WEDDING DAY!!  WOO!  I got up early and headed down to the hair salon where all the bridesmaids were getting their hair done.  My mom was nice enough to come with me!  I wanted curly hair but was afraid it wouldn't hold so I told the girl that curls fall out of my hair so she went crazy and made sure it would hold its curl.  I had super duper curly hair for the whole day!  It took FOREVER getting all of our hair done and my make-up done so we had to hurry back to the hotel after, eat, and get dressed and ready to go to the temple.  Billy and I walked to the temple from the hotel after lunch and I got massive blisters on my feet from my shoes!

The sealing was amazing.  My Grandpa Sutherland was able to give it in the Palmyra temple...they got special permission.  It was so sweet and awesome.  My Grandpa is amazing!  After the sealing we took pictures forever then headed over to the church building where the reception was going to be.  We finished setting up and then got ready for the ring ceremony.  The ceremony was really nice.  Then we got to eat some yummy food and eat homemade PIE!  Mariah's mom made like 45 pies from scratch and they were all amazing!  Her family actually made all the food...what?!  So insane.  It was all so delicious.  All of my brothers were groomsmen so Cody and Dallin were asked to give toasts and they were so nice!  It was a really nice evening.

Married!

 

My brothers sure clean up nice!  Derek is so tired though...;)

All the groomsmen...lookin bad-A

Me and my new sis!

Bridesmaids

Me walking down the aisle

Ring ceremony

 The next day my mom and I got up and went for a little run.  Then we headed out to Niagra Falls since we were only about 2 hours away!  It was pretty amazing!!  I wish we could have gone to the Canada side...that seemed a bit more amazing!  We stopped for lunch with G&G Barrow, Sutherland, and Mike and Rachel in Buffalo.  I think we also visited the Hill Cumorah visitor's center later in the day and got to see the Hill Cumorah monument.  We also saw the printing shop where the Book of Mormon was first published and printed.  Awesome tours!

Getting really wet

Cool photo bomb random guy...

We walked up a path to see the falls closer

It was SO CROWDED!

From up top...neatest view!

So sleepy on the way back to the hotel

Where the printing took place

Hill Cumorah momument

Cody...

View from the Hill Cumorah

We looked around the visitor's center a bit and watched a film about Joseph Smith.  It was seriously so awesome to be in Palmyra and see all these church sites!  It was so neat seeing all these places I've only read about.  I loved the whole experience, especially the wedding, of course!