This blog is the merging of a wedding story and a family story. Autumn wanted to hear one of my own stories, so sit back and enjoy!

About eight months before my wedding, my aunt (who was also my Godmother) passed away from a long battle from cancer. She fought for so long, but it was finally time for her to move onto a much better place. I wanted to honor her in some way at the wedding, but I wasn't sure what to do.

I started to think about her life and what a strong person she was. She was a flight attendant who lost her father at a younger age and took care of her mother so wonderfully. She was brutally raped and left for dead. She survived even though the rapist took her ability to have children. She tesified against him and put him in jail. She and my uncle spend years yearning for a child before the apodted a challenging 4 year old from Korea who never made her life easy. Smiling Then she endured three remissions and became a cancer drug tester to try and save another person from her painful fate. She always thought of others before herself. We often hear people say "They wouldn't hurt a fly." In my aunt's case it was very true. In my whole life I never saw her even swat a fly away. She was an incredible woman and I realized that remembering her in anyway would be more than enough for her.

In memory of her vibrant spirit I decided to dedicate my bouquet to her and printed it in the program. I attached pictures of her and I & my grandfather (her FIL) and I to the flowers. At the reception I presented the bouquet to my uncle, who brought them home and placed them on her grave. It was the least I could do for such an amazing person.

But, the story doesn't end there, in fact that part is more of background.

My husband and I picked "All I Ask of You" from The Phantom of the Opera for the lighting of the unity candle. It has been my favorite song for most of my life and I just felt that I had to have it for some reason. (We also had a theme wedding, Hollywood Glamour, and it fit rather well.)

During the ceremony when the song played, a strange feeling came over me. I felt warm and loved and so happy. I started to cry out of nowhere. There was just this comforting presence hanging over me that I couldn't place. I noticed I had goosebumps all over.

After the processional, the wedding party and my husband told me that they had felt the same way thing during the song. At this point I am started to wonder if there was more to the feeling than being happy about getting married.

The comments continued as our guests greeted us in the receiving line. Now I knew something special happened, but I wasn't sure what. Eventually, my uncle came to talk to me. With tears in his eyes he told me the most amazing story.

When my aunt was really sick and couldn't leave bed, the two of them would lay there and listen to "All I Ask of You" over and over again. It gave her comfort and it became a very special song to her. My uncle never told anyone before because he didn't think it was important. When the song started to play during the wedding, my uncle got goosebumps and felt my aunt's presence next to him. For the first time since her death he felt happy and at ease. I hadn't seen my uncle's eyes sparkle that bright in a long time.

Now, I can't say for sure my aunt was there on my wedding day. But, I feel in my heart that she was. I believe was looking over us that day and helping my uncle move on. Who knew a simple song from an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical could mean and do so much?

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