Welcome to Love Week at A Compass Rose. If you will remember Love Week in 2013 fell over the week of our 10th Wedding Anniversary. I just got back all the photographs this month from our photographer, Miriam, and wanted to share it with you this Valentines Day week. I have so been looking forward to recapping over all the details of the big event. The last recap I did was back in November with some sneak peek photographs of Ryan getting ready in his suit in Vow Renewal: The Groom. Today I share the images from when I was getting dressed.
First off do you not just adore that wallpaper at our Welsh Bed & Breakfast? It made a perfect backdrop for showcasing my gown. This is the same custom gown I wore back in 2003 when we got married. It has since moved with us eight times in his special preserved for time box. I was a little nervous to take it out but I knew I wanted to wear it again for our vow renewal. I replaced the broken zipper myself with loops for a corseted back with ribbon in my favourite colour, pink. Here it is hanging on the door without the sash attached.
Backbends to get into my gown as my mum helps me into it again ten years later. I am so blessed to have had my mum and sister be here for Ryan and I on our vow renewal. My mum flew in all the way from Arizona and my sister ‘hopped over’ from Washington DC.
Here I am feeling like a princess again in my gown of duchess satin while my mum and sister lace me up. My father was with us in spirit, he passed away in 2008, and in memory through photographs. Here I am holding a photo from our album on my wedding day with my father. He wore his USAF dress uniform showcasing all his medals from his 30 plus years in the military as an officer. I wish he could have been there to support us on our 10th Anniversary but he reminded us of his presence with rainbows (more on that later).
My original shoes were not preserved as well as my dress. Though I did get to wear them to Ryan’s military ball for the USAF’s birthday. I opted for classic nude heels for the day. 
I wanted fresh flowers for the day as I love pink roses and peonies. However there was not a florist nearby. I found on pinterest ideas for making flowers out of book pages and so I found a free used copy of the Hobbit at our library. C.S. Lewis is one of our favourite authors and my father used to read the Hobbit to me as a little girl. It is now a beloved book with our sons so it only seemed perfect for use in my bouquet. I made flowers from a spiral shape and from using individual petals. These were put together in my bouquet and I gave one to each of my family members to wear as well.
I did get a little emotional that morning remembering my father and knowing nothing would have stopped him from being there to love on his daughter had he been alive. Luckily my husband was so supportive that morning and my Miriam helped make me feel wonderful as she captured these amazing photographs of the day. You can see more of Miriam’s work here: Miriam Pinkston Photography
Want to see more check out the #RyanAndBonnie
*photography belongs to 2013 © Miriam Pinkston All Rights reserved
