Wedding Bliss

The wedding was absolutely magical! I've never in my life seen a more radiant bride. Watching our son and his wife look at each other with such love gave me such a feeling of happiness. I knew that they will always be there for each other, always love each other no matter what, and always cherish what they have. My husband and I are so proud of Gregory and Loren. In their hearts, they hold the values that are most important.

May I introduce to you, Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Funk.........

Our oldest son was a fantastic best man. I'm so proud that Bradley made Gregory's wedding full of memories. He showed, in every way possible, what the word "brothers" really mean. Thank you Bradley for being there for your brother...thank you for making mom and dad so very proud of you. With him is the maid of honor and Loren's cousin, Chrissy.

This canvas will hang in Gregory and Loren's home, always reminding them of the family and friends that shared in their wedding. Each leaf on the tree was made with the guest's thumbprint.

We adore Loren and Val, Bradley's beautiful girlfriend. The girls have such a special bond. We know that they will make many memories over the years as they spend time together as couples. We love you girls from the bottom of our hearts!

Gregory and Loren are such a beautiful couple. Their smiles shine from every star in the sky showing how much love they have for each other.

Their first dance was precious. Their love for each other is as large as the ocean and as bright as the sun.

Our mother-son dance is something that I will NEVER forget. It is evident that Gregory is so grateful for us as parents as we are to have him as our son. I love you Gregory more than you will ever know!

The cupcakes and groom's cake were so delicious. Loren's family did such a phenomenal job making the wedding as special as it could be. Thank you Martha and Steve for giving our son such a beautiful wedding to celebrate his marriage to your incredible daughter. Butch and I thank you for creating such memories. Memories that will last a lifetime!

Butch, father of the groom, and our dearest friends, the Leverings. Nancy was my roommate in college 36 years ago. She is Gregory's godmother. Butch and Tommy have a bond that no one could break. We have celebrated so many special occasions with them over the years. This family demonstrates the truest meaning of what friendship is. They have been there for us literally through thick and thin, through laughter and tears, through birth and death. Although we aren't related through blood, they are Aunt Nancy, Uncle Tommy, Cousins Ashley and Russell. They are our family. They are in our hearts FOREVER.

Although I was so excited to see our son get married, I was beyond excited to know that the day would mean that I would see some of my dearest friends from school. These girls are a part of my heart. They are my family, my lifeline, my hope that I will get well soon to be able to come back to my Catoctin family. They are there for me any hour of the day. They give me constant love and encouragement. They share my deepest secrets and feel all the joy I have in my heart. With them, I have lasting friendship. I have unconditional love. I have a support group unlike anything anyone has ever known. When I count my blessings of all that I have in my life, I hold these woman at the forefront of being who I am. Our dearest friend Debbie left before this picture was taken. She may not be visible in the picture, but she is in each of our hearts!

Our friends Pam and Scott are incredible people. They would do anything for us. We have been so fortunate to have them in our everyday lives. Pam and Scott have laughed with us during times of joy. They have cried with us in times of sadness. Pam is my creative inspiration. My mom and I always spent time "creating", whether it be new curtains or ideas for a quilt. Pam has filled that hole that I have by no longer having my mom. We are truly lucky to have them in our lives. Thank you for all you do for us. We appreciate everything, appreciate your friendship, and most of all, appreciate who you are as people.

It has been such a joy having my siblings...Brendan, Colleen, and Danny...part of our magical weekend. The fact that we share the same Lafferty bloodline is important, but our relationship as adults goes far beyond just being brothers and sisters. From the bond I have with each of them, we share our heritage, but most importantly, we have friendship. We have been through so much through our lifetime. Good memories and very hard times. It has made us who we are as adults. Being together this weekend has rekindled the fact that family needs to be there for each other NO MATTER WHAT. Of course it's obviously what our parents wanted for us as siblings. I know that I beg our boys to be there for each other throughout their lifetime. It's my most important wish for them. But being there for each other should be what WE want for ourselves. No one but us share the memories of our childhood. No one but us have gone through the good and bad times growing up. I am so proud that this weekend, we have been able to take ALL of those childhood memories and make them part of who we are today. I love you Brendan, Colleen, and Danny. I appreciate that you have shared in our magical weekend, shared in our loss of Buttons, shared in all the memories that we relived. I love that you were able to meet our friends and them meet you. I love that our families grew closer, bonds grew stronger, and memories were made. I love you all so much. You are my family, but you are also my friends.

Jack's friendship, Butch's childhood friend, is a example that you don't have to be related to have a "brother". Jack has been such an example to our boys of what a true friend is. Throughout their life, Butch and Jack have been able to share many memories together. His parents treated Butch as if he was part of their family. They gave him validation throughout his childhood and adulthood. They were his example of great parents.  Jack has always treated our boys as if they were his own. Thank you Jack for being there for Butch, particularly with all that he is going through now being my support system. Thank you for being a role model to our sons. Thank you for loving our family as much as you do.

My niece Shanay has been such a gift to us this week. She has built bonds with the girls that will last a lifetime. She is such a joy to be with, such a beautiful girl both inside and out. I love you Shanay for all the memories that you have helped to create this week. NaDeem, it has been such a pleasure to meet you. Within the first few minutes of talking with you at our kitchen table, I was in love with the precious person you are. I am so happy to have you part of our family. I look forward to making many more memories with you as the years go on. You are such an awesome young man. Thank you for coming with Shanay all the way from California for her cousin's wedding. What a week it has been!

Our boys have been able to create lasting memories with their cousins this weekend. Shanay is my sister's daughter and Aidan is my brother Danny's son.  Aidan was the ring bearer in the ceremony. My brother and his wife Tracey have done a fantastic job raising such an incredible young man. We all have enjoyed being with Aidan, sharing in his awesome personality. There is nothing life family. This is the next generation of cousins that will continue to share in each others lives and make more memories in the coming years. There is nothing like family!