Wedding in Manti

Went to the wedding of my nephew yesterday. Yes, that's right, I said nephew. His mother Sharon is my half-sister, so by the time I was born I was already an aunt. Anyway, Cory Norton married Haley Myers yesterday in the Manti Utah Temple, and Michael and I headed down there to celebrate their special day. It was fun and so exciting to go inside the Manti Temple for the first time. I've been to the pageant a couple times before, but never have I been inside and seen the beauty of one of the oldest temples in Utah. It was dedicated in 1888!

They're a pretty cute couple if you ask me. I'd never met Haley before, so this was fun and fulfilling in many ways for me. I was happy to find that she is down to earth, and just a genuinely sweet person. From the little time I saw them together, I think she's just perfect for him. Cory has always been a cutie and sweetheart and it's adorable to see him with someone who suits his personality so well!

 There were some happy tears that day, as Cory and his family were able to go through the temple for the first time with Haley. She just hit her year mark of being a member of the LDS church last week! How special! The Spirit was there in the temple, and we could all feel it. 

 Aren't they just cute and happy?!? They grew up in Hattiesburg, Mississippi together, being only friends in high school. Then after he got back from his mission, things took a bit of a romantic turn, as you can surmise!

 I had to get a close-up of the dress. It was beautiful! Apparently she ordered it online...that takes some serious guts, if you ask me! It really fit her perfectly, and I loved all the beading and flowy-ness at the bottom.

 We had a luncheon at the Manti House, which was just down the road from the temple. 

We had prime rib (didn't get a picture, sorry) with A.MA.ZING. mashed potatoes, green beans, and a roll. The cake was pretty good too, simple and light. Michael really loved the icing...I'm pretty sure it was DreamWhip. It has a lighter and fluffier consistency than traditional buttercream. Now, I'm a buttercream fan ALL the way because I prefer the sweetness and density, but this wasn't bad and I can see that it would be much easier to spread. Plus, it's hard to get that bright of a white color with a vanilla buttercream. Consensus: Michael likes DreamWhip and I love buttercream. We're perfect in our differences!

And here's a cheesy picture of us under a tree in the shade. Boy is it hot down in Manti! We were hitting close to 100, which is the hottest temp we've seen this summer in Utah. Thank goodness it rarely get's that hot! 

It was awesome to see family and be together in the temple with them. It's wonderful how the temple brings everyone together. What a blessed occasion to see two clean, kind, and IN LOVE people join themselves together for time and all eternity. Makes me just love the gospel and remember how special it is that Michael and I are an eternal family. Yay for love and Summer weddings!