If you missed Part One, start there, trust me.

So after Garrett & Rachel said their I dos and the walk back down the aisle, the party began.  It wasn't a party that needed fancy light shows or a nine piece brass band, it was exactly the kind of party you would want to have with the people you love most.  There was good food, great laughs and lots and lots of dancing.  It was one of those parties that left even the youngest attendees wanting just one more song, not because they weren't tired but because they love these people.

As the night wore on and it came time for the grand sparkler exit, a huge majority of the wedding guests were still there.  I think that speaks highly to the kind of people Rachel & Garrett surround themselves with.  They are people who enjoy not only being there for the couple but also for all the people who made that couple's story possible.  New friendships were forged and longtime kinships were given time to reconnect across tables instead of across internet connections.  There were good stories and funny anecdotes and of course, there were rainbows.
Father-daughter dances always make me cry, always.  But watching these little girls watch Rachel dance with her dad made it hard to focus the camera knowing they would soon be dreaming of the day they get to dance with their dads at their own weddings.  And these little girls are so very blessed to have incredible fathers, I know that because they are incredible brothers to me and husbands to my sisters.
 The next part is also a family tradition I don't really have words for, so instead just start humming "It's Raining Men," and you'll get the gist.
Speaking of family, here are 42 of the Rude family members as well as the Deihl and Iverson families!  Garrett & Rachel are big on family, and it doesn't hurt that they have big families.
I'm working on a blog post telling the story about why rainbows keep showing up at our family gatherings and it is so much bigger than having bad luck with weather.  I'll post it soon, but know that the two rainbows in this photo (the second is just barely visable) represent our family's past, present and future hope.
After the storm and the rainbows came the light.  Even though it was still raining, Rachel & Garrett stepped out into the sunset and took a moment to breathe in the intimacy and enormity of their day,
Rachel & Garrett, thank you for bringing me along on these steps of your journey.  I am humbled and happy to be a part of your family and truly honored to be one of your many friends.  I am excited to know what the future holds for you two!

Thanks again to Cortney Laurenn Photography for some excellent second shooting and for everyone at Coteau des Prairies Lodge for being truly hospitable.