Hermann

We went to Hermann last weekend for a close friend's wedding.  Chris Landuyt, a dear, dear friend, married Ashley, who we love, in the most awesome setting.  Hermann is known for being a quaint little German town with lots of wineries.  Mark and I stayed at a bed and breakfast one night and now I'm hooked.  I always thought bed and breakfasts were the dumbest thing.  This was our first time to stay at one (other than Selah, but that was different because it was a retreat) and I realized I have been missing out for all these years!  Ours was called the Serenity Guest House.  The downstairs is a day spa and there are only two bedrooms.  You get the run of the entire house at night, but you have to share a bathroom, which is a little weird.  Totally worth it, though.

We had breakfast at this adorable little bed and breakfast run by a German couple.  Apparently they serve the best breakfast in town.  Their home was so gorgeous and the food did not disappoint.

The wedding was stunning.  It was held in a chapel overlooking the bluff.  Chris and Ashley were so happy and could not have been more beautiful.  My dad was originally supposed to perform the ceremony.  The man who ended up doing the ceremony used my dad's Bible and talked about him during the ceremony.  I was a little worried that others might find it tacky or that it would take away from Chris and Ashley's day, but it was beautiful.  They had a candle lit in my dad's honor that had a poem/message engraved into it.  They did a cool toast in the middle of the ceremony.  .Mark was in the wedding and was so so handsome :)

Hannah always catches the bouquet! 

My mom and sister came for the wedding, and this was their first wedding without my dad.  It was really good to be with them that day. Of course buckets of tears were cried, and we used his favorite shirt as a collective hanky.  I had asked God to let Dad be there for the wedding and to give us a sign that he was.  Other people kept saying they knew he was there or could feel him there. I was later disappointed because I had not felt him at all.

Ashley and Chris then posted this picture, and you can see the heart right under Chris's chin.  If you don't know the significance, I will post that story next.  I think I cried for an hour straight when I saw this.