Gracefully Wed: Sweet Beginnings: My Little Girl(s)

After all had been sufficiently wined and dined, the dance floor was opened on a sentimental note with the father-daughters dance. The plural isn't a typo: my sister didn't have a traditional wedding reception, and as such never had the opportunity to dance with our dad. She had voiced this as a deep regret, so this tradition had a special purpose in my heart from the very beginning. If memory serves me right, after screaming into the phone to her that I was engaged, my next shriek as a soon-to-be-married woman was to declare that she was getting her father-daughter dance. My dad chose this song of his own accord, and I'm still brought to tears whenever I hear the hauntingly beautiful lyrics.

{Photo by Aruna B. Photography}

Gotta hold on easy as I let you go
Gonna tell you how much I love you
Though you think you already know

I remember I thought you looked like an angel
Wrapped in pink, so soft and warm
You've had me wrapped around your finger
Since the day that you were born

You're beautiful baby from the outside in
Chase your dreams but always know the road that'll lead you home again
Go on, take on this whole world
But to me you know you'll always be, my little girl

When you were in trouble that crooked little smile could melt my heart of stone
Now look at you, I've turned around and you've almost grown
Sometimes you're asleep I whisper "I love you!" in the moonlight at your door
As I walk away, I hear you say, "Daddy, love you more!"

Recognizing his cue, Mr. Tartlet took my sister's hand and escorted her onto the floor:

You're beautiful baby from the outside in
Chase your dreams but always know the road that'll lead you home again
Go on, take on this whole world
But to me you know you'll always be, my little girl

Someday, some boy will come and ask me for your hand
But I won't say "yes" to him unless I know, he's the half
that makes you whole, he has a poet's soul, and the heart of a man's man
I know he'll say that he's in love
But between you and me
He won't be good enough!

My father gathered my sister in his arms, Mr. Tartlet tenderly took me in his, and the four of us briefly danced together with the two of us purposefully fading into the shadows.

You're beautiful baby from the outside in
Chase your dreams but always know the road that'll lead you home again
Go on, take on this whole world
But to me you know you'll always be, my little girl

Content, I laid my head against Mr. Tartlet's shoulder as we joined the onlooking crowd to witness one of those moments that's a lifetime in the making:

And, from our place on the sidelines, my heart was made glad seeing the peaceful and affectionate expressions on my dad and sister's faces:

Before leaving for the night, Ryan from Epic Motion had asked me what my favorite moment of the day was, and without hesitation I disclosed that this was it. Nearly three months later and having revisited that day countless times through photo and video...it still is.

After my dad had danced with both of his little girls, Mary Ann Ross welcomed everyone onto the floor. Mr. Tartlet and I had already slipped away under the cover of darkness to the hallway outside, but something compelled me to turn around. My breath caught at what I saw: there was hardly a filled seat, as the majority of our guests had chosen to stand up and dance with a loved one.

I flashed a delighted smile at Mr. Tartlet, and then hand in hand we dashed away. Where were we rushing off to, when the dance party was just getting underway? Stay tuned!

*All photos by Aruna B. Photography

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Sweet Beginnings: My Little Girl(s)

1 comment: