It’s only been 4 days since I took that walk toward forever.. so I’m basically a care bear with it’s belly beam left on!

I’m bursting with love and emotions!

I’m just a ball of “aww” and all I want to do is stare at my wedding photos and kiss my husband… we were a corny couple before marriage but after marriage we are at peak corny cuddle levels so I had to blog out some of these wedding feels.. I might put someone’s eye out with all this LOVE!

WARNING!… you’re going to need tissues.. I need tissues just looking at the pictures so I’m just helping you now and saving times.. grab a Kleenex!

The morning of the wedding

I went to sleep the night before around 0230/0300.. I had planned to get 5 hours of sleep but that didn’t work out like I wanted it to.

I woke up at 0630 because my makeup appointment was scheduled for 0715 but elevator security wouldn’t let Venessa up so we started a lot later than planned.

I’ve known my makeup artist Venessa since middle school. She’s loved make up since we were kids.

I’ve loved her just as long as she’s loved make up.

She’s so feisty, gorgeous, talented and fun. Venessa is extremely knowledgeable when it comes to makeup and skincare so I knew I was in good hands.

Chris and I came to Vegas in March to meet with the wedding planner at Treasure Island and to pay for the wedding.

Venessa did my makeup for the meeting that day and said she’d like to do my makeup for the wedding.

I was honored, honestly.

I know how serious Venessa is about skincare and beauty products.

In fact, Venessa had given me tips to hydrate my skin and keep it healthy… I followed those instructions very carefully!

I wanted to have a good canvas for her to work with on my wedding day.

I hate water but I drank more water than I ever have in my life for my skin to be clear for the wedding 🤣

Venessa moved to Vegas a few years ago but we talk pretty much daily online.

I was so grateful Venessa did my makeup!

not only my makeup, she did Brooklyn’s make up as well.

Venessa came prepared with a suitcase of makeup bigger than me and canteen filled with Columbian roast coffee.

I was pretty much dead tired from partying the night before (👉🏾Our wedding weekend)

That coffee was much needed.

I wasn’t nervous at all.

Venessa and I talked about makeup and life as a mix Jay-z and “The Greatest Showman” soundtrack echoed in the background.

The wedding was set for 1100 and my make up wasn’t finished until about 9/930.

After my makeup was finished my best friend Kokoa came down and helped me get Christy and Nova ready for the wedding.

She also helped me get some amazing lashes on and taught me a thing or two about lash gluing in a hectic area.

Kokoa got the girls and I squared away and she left.

One by one everyone began to leave for the chapel.

I didn’t have to be at the chapel till 1030.. the room was clear of makeup, aliens, Christy, Nova, the tablet playing Ryan’s Toy Reviews.. The room was silent.

I sat there as Jay-Z “I did it my way” played..

I finally got nervous.

I felt the walls start to kind of cave in and thought “How much of that open bar did I have last night?”

I sat in chair and I became extremely nauseous. I started sweating.. PROFUSELY!

I stand up and I run to vomit.. I had my Eminem 8 mile moment 😩

Venessa had just told me all theses tips for blotting with a Q-tip and here I was in the bathroom with sweat just ROLLING down my face.. I rinsed my mouth, brushed my teeth and waked over to the A.C.

I stood on the bed and felt the cool air on my face.

I let my face just air dry I was NOT about to smudge all that work😩

I grabbed my CBD pen I had been saving since June and I took the biggest inhale I could.

I felt myself relax. I looked at the clock it 1015 so I grabbed my little bag of things I needed to get dressed in the bridal dressing room at Treasure Island and took my first steps toward forever.

Meanwhile in the grooms room:

I didn’t see Chris in his Tux until I saw him at the alter.

The theme of our wedding was “The Greatest Showman”

Chris had a suit handmade to match the cover of the movie.

Chris has a ball getting ready.. he said he experienced the room caving in and spinning around the same time so he called my cousin Priness to come and chill with him and cut the tension in the room.

They weren’t allowed to be in the chapel until 1040. My arrival was 1030 so I had no idea all this action was happening in the chapel.

Chris told me he was playing the soundtrack to “The Greatest Showman” for our guest and they were just as shocked about his suit as I was!

Chris is always wild with his fashion so I expected nothing less on our big day.

I’m so happy he got his moment!

He looked sooo good!

I was in the bridal dressing room

I had a lot of love and visitors on our big day.

Chris’s Aunt and Cousin came to help me get into my dress and my best friend Ashley helped me get my shoes on.

I was so honored to have Ashley helping me get ready that day.

I’ve known Ashley since we were 11. I was 11 and she was 10. We’ve been thick as thieves our whole lives. I was there to see Ashley be the most beautiful bride I’d ever seen and I saw her wedding day as the epitome of love.. really.

Ashley and Anthony had the kind of love I prayed for my whole life. Having my best friend there on my day of love meant more to me than I can express in words.

Ashley had seen me endure so much in the name of “Love” from our teens to twenties I was searching for the love that found me in my thirties.

We giggled and talked, I smiled so hard and then the door opened and Kat and Jennie came in to see me.I used to baby sit Kat. Her Mom, Jennie and I used to work together in the school district.

Jennie’s mannerisms reminded me of my mother and I was just drawn to her. She invited me over for dinner when I was 19 and I never left.

Jennie had 2 kids Kat and Rhett. Jennie was a single mom and I’d help her out by picking her kids up from school on modified days. We called those days “Modified days with Shay”

When I was pregnant with Brooke I lived with Jennie and her family and they became my family and I’ve called Kat my little sister and Jennie my mom since I don’t know how long.

They’re the family that my heart adopted and my wedding wouldn’t have been right with out a squeeze from Gato!

The wedding planner came in to get the guest to their seat.

I met with the minister who was actually so amazing.

I didn’t know what expect.. I mean it’s Vegas 🤷🏾‍♀️ I didn’t know If I was getting a man in a suit or Elvis from the night before.. I didn’t know what to think.

Our minister was a gentlewoman with silver hair and calm welcoming spirit.

She went over the words she was going to say and she asked me about the order of the service and if there was any special request.

I made a few and doors swung open for me to enter the atrium of the chapel.

My nana and the girls came back in to wait and walk me down the aisle.

I could hear the music in the chapel. I started to get excited and nervous.. mostly excited…

I could see everyone walking down the isle on a monitor and I cried when I saw Chris in his suit kneel down fo hug the girls.

The kids are EVERYTHING to Chris. Seeing his girls all dressed up really choked him up.

I walked down the isle to “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran. Chris selected the music for me to walk to. I practiced over and over, but when the time came.. I couldn’t remember how to count “1,2” I couldn’t remember to “Step, together,step” all I could do was smile.

It took everything in me not to kiss Chris!

I was just so taken aback by how handsome he looked.

I walked into a room filled with family and friends that love and adore not only me and Chris but our children.

Everyone in that room had witnessed our love grow from a friend request to a marriage.

Everyone in that space felt our love and passion for one another.

You could feel the love in that room. It was amazing.

I looked around as I walked down the isle and I was just so elated to see the smiles beaming back at me.

Once I got to Chris.. I didn’t see anyone else.

Our ceremony was so beautiful. The minister said such lovely things and really wanted us to focus on being best friends and grateful for our days together.

My nana is our pastor so she blessed our rings and marriage.

We were pronounced husband and wife we kissed

And we jumped the broom!

For those who don’t know what jumping the broom is… Slaves weren’t allowed to get married, so they jumped the broom to symbolize jumping into a new life together… Chris was really excited about leaping into our life apparently 🤣

we did it! We got married!

I have never felt energy like I did when we got married.

It was positively electric! Aside from the birth of my daughters 10/13/2019 was the best day of my life. I never so felt beautiful, so loved, I never felt so happy in my life.

The minister gave us a $2 bill and told us “This is your first gift, it’s to double you happiness, double you wealthy and double your love”

I cried because my mom used to jokingly tell family members “I can’t help you I only have $2” and when my mom died in her wallet was $2.

It was kind like my mom was there that day.. smiling.

My wedding was absolutely perfect.

I was happy to pledge my love and my life to my husband forever.

There’s something about pledging your life to your partner boldly in front of your family, friends and God. It’s a beautiful thing I can’t wrap my finger around it but it’s truly remarkable.

Chris and I are excited to just do life together. We just want to spend each day appreciating life and the fact we’re together forever.

We had both longed for this kind of love and happiness and all we want to do is shower each other with love, raise babies, travel and just live our life as one.

After the wedding we left the chapel and gathered with family and friends to eat dinner and we surprised my nana by having our first dance to a song she really likes.

I walked in around in my dress until I just couldn’t anymore. Chris and I posed for pictures with random people and then we scurried up to our room for cuddles and to open gifts.

We didn’t ask for gifts.. we weren’t registered anywhere at all. I didn’t feel comfortable asking for gifts after asking everyone to meet us in another state to watch us get married.

We were so excited about the wedding and being married we couldn’t fall asleep to take a nap so we took the kids to the pool to play and relaxed.

We had to get back to reality the next day so we just enjoyed the rest of the day with family and packing to go back home.

How does it feel to be married?

I mean I’m not expert it’s only been 4 days 🤣 I feel like there is a unicorn in my body shooting love from its horn directly into my heart.

I feel excited to spend the rest of my life with Chris! We’re excited to make traditions and throw BBQ’s.

I want to be a good wife to my husband. I want to enjoy my first year of marriage and every year.

I didn’t believe in marriage before Chris. Even though I’d been married, I really didn’t fully understand the depth of the marriage or the bond of marriage until I met Chris.

There’s something about meeting the person you’re designed for.

I was made for Chris and he was made for me.

I know that in my heart and everyone in that room on October 13th knows they witnessed two souls joining and smiling that day.

That day was nothing short of beautiful for me.

It was perfect. Every detail to me.

Our wedding day was just one day in the rest of our lives.

It was a beautiful day. The most beautiful day so much love that day it makes me emotional just thinking about it.

Now that we’re married, I want to keep this happiness and love one another the way we did this weekend for life.

That’s the goal really, to get married and stay married.

Our wedding day was just the beginning of the rest of our life together.

Our past died the day we jumped that broom and now we get to design a marriage and love story all our own

I’ve only been married 4 days and so far so good I have a sexy husband that makes me vegan meals! We’ve been testing our wedding gifts, the ninja, the wine glasses, and the sheets work just fine 😎

I think I’m really going to love my new life as Mrs Shayla Marie Anderson Parker.

Also I apologize if I’m shooting love beams when you see me, I’m still in newlywed care bear mode and I just can’t control it.

God is so good I got my happy beginning.