The Wedding that Was - Part V

I've been off setting up house, working like crazy during our holiday response at my full time job, being "mom-taxi" to TWO kids everyday and unfortunately I've been computer-less at the new home.

Here is my (very late) final chapter in The Wedding that Was.

This is a bit of a shout out to everyone who helped out!

To my parents, who helped in paying for this lovely wedding dress, who spent the night before creating all the gorgeous flower arrangements and then toting all the flowers and accessories to the venue and who are always there to jump in and babysit their grandson when needed!

My parents


To my new mother-in-law, who didn't flinch when she found out how old I was (the week before the wedding! I can't believe that my dear husband didn't break it earlier that I'm nine years older than her son). For my sweet new Nana-in-law, who came over to help escort me in the rain over to the ceremony and held up my dress on one side so it wouldn't get soaked. And for my lovely new sister-in-law, who sang us a beautiful song for our first dance. Despite experiencing some microphone/speaker feedback, she trooped right though the song like the pro that she is.


My new in-laws


Aly, our singing sensation, serenading us during our dance


For my cousin and Matron of Honor, Marianne, my official dresser for the day and lacer-up of that corset, the woman who carried the other half of my dress, bestest bachelorette party thrower and owner of the inflatable man (who is now deflated and STILL in the trunk of my car!). Thank you so much for all your help, that day and everytime I've ever needed to call on you!


Best man, Michael and Matron of Honor, Marianne. We all look silly because the rain was starting to come down pretty hard at that point!

For my good friend Brenda, with Tamra in tow, who showed up early to help set up the flower arrangements, light candles, and ultimately made the call to nix the garden ceremony and told the coordinator that they'd need to start setting up inside. She was there when I couldn't be and made the decision she just knew I'd make (we're wired alike in that way!)


B and Me


For my stepson (in blue), who escorted our guest book around the room and made sure everyone had a chance to sign it. I just knew he was the right man for the job. He was happy to be paid in decaf coffee, apparantly he drank quite a few cups at the reception!

And for my new stepdaughter who (I have heard) did a nice job with the flower petal tossing. My nephew is also in this photo, but you may notice my son is absent. Unfortunately each time the photographers came in for a shot, he ran in the opposite direction!




Ha!! Caught him in this one!
He did a noble job of holding the rings and stood wonderfully straight next to the best man during the entire ceremony. The reception was another thing all together, where he ditched his coat and ran around with the other kids until his head was a sweaty mess and he was guzzling lemonade by the pitcher.




For my brother, who took quite a few of the photos I've featured, including all of the shots from the ceremony. And for Vivi (my cousin's wife), who took the rest of the photos. I can't ever thank you two enough for all of these irreplaceable memories!


Me & Eric


Vivi, caught in action

Thanks to everyone for making the start of our new life together something so fantastic... from my "board mamas" for purchasing the wedding cake, to everyone who gave us gifts and cards that have really made our new house together a home and for everyone who continues to send us all the positive energy as we work together in being a family.

The Wedding That Was - Part IV

After photos, we headed inside. Most everyone was sitting at their tables, chatting but they started to clink their glasses when we walked in, requesting a kiss (we obliged of course!).



The appetizers had been pretty slim pickings I heard later and didn't last long but soon enough, everyone was being served wonderful salads and hot rolls. Then it was time to eat from the buffet. Our personal server plated out our food and set it at our sweetheart table....mmm, the food was very good! Chicken breasts in a basil pine-nut cream sauce, buttered fettucini noodles, rice pilaf and steamed veggies. There was plenty to drink too (lemonade, tea, coffee, sangria, orange juice and champagne). I could have eaten more, if I'd not been laced so tightly into my dress!





When everyone was finished eating, my sweet new sister-in-law sang to us one of my favorites, Rascal Flatt's Broken Road. Danny and I got up mid-song to dance. That was something we'd not really practiced and it was quite a challenge to dance in a floor length dress and three inch heels!



There was a bit of an issue with the cake (I'll discuss that later) but it really did taste wonderful. We had a top layer that was chocolate with a mousse and ganache and a second layer of white cake with lemon curd and raspberry layers.



Absolutely no cake smashing for us!



The design on the side of the cake is a photocopy of the flowers on my invitation done on sugar. Cute but not quite what I was told it would be (piped flowers) so fortunately his aunt was able to fix it up with one of our hydrangea blossoms.



Towards the end of the reception, The Girl had convinced me that I needed to toss my bouquet. I wasn't willing to part with my flowers but she was happy to have me throw just one single white rose.



Her odds of catching it were good...she was the only eligible lady on the dance floor!



Next, family, friends and the little details.

The Wedding That Was - Part III

After the ceremony, we were whisked outside where the rain had (of course!), miraculously stopped coming down.



My brother and cousin's wife, our perfect photographers for the day were there to snap away, posing us under the arbor, on the stairs by the gazebo and on the open lawn.





It was wet and slippery but at least for a brief moment it had stopped raining and we were able to take advantage of the beautiful grounds.




The kids under the arbor I was originally supposed to walk through.

After about 25 minutes of photo taking, the sprinkles started up again and then raindrops and we moved under the eaves and then inside to enjoy our reception.

The Wedding That Was - Part II

The kids had already walked down the aisle before I'd been led into the hall.





I stood next to my dad and we waited for the coordinators to open the double doors. She told me to stand there for a moment before walking in. I could feel everyone turn and stand but I was looking straight ahead to Danny. His face was serious and even from across the room I could tell he was trying to hold it together.





As I approached him, I placed my hand on his arm and he just kept staring at me. I really couldn't get the smile off my face, I felt very serene and out-of-body, but surprisingly calm. I could see Danny's reflection in the mirror, as he looked up to the ceiling, trying not to cry.



When we turned to face each other and repeat vows, I could feel Danny's hands shaking and his voice quivered a bit. Hearing him and touching him just made me more calm and squeezed his hands a little tighter and just stared right into his eyes. And he stared right back intensely.



It all went so quickly. I tried to remember to pause and remember the details, like how sturdily straight Ian was standing next to Michael as he watched everything proceed, and how Danny choked up as he put the ring on my finger and how after we kissed as husband and wife, he wrapped me up in a tight embrace.



We swept down the aisle, all smiles and exited in back. Danny admitted how nervous he was, standing there before the ceremony and anticipating the event. He couldn't stop telling me how lovely I looked, couldn't stop holding me and I felt like I was walking on a cloud.



He has absolutely swept me off my feet!



Tomorrow, in the rainsoaked garden

The Wedding that was -Part I

Ahhhh...it was here this weekend and came and went so quickly. I had to stop myself many times during the day to remind myself to reflect, stop and breathe and take in the moment because I wanted to remember everything. During the reception, I kept thinking, "Oh, this is a great party" and then reminding myself, "Hey, this is OUR party!"



The day started off with me getting my hair done at 7am. Was a little concerned because the curls were quite curly but the hairdresser said not to fuss with them and that in three hours they would be tamed and could be brushed a little. She was right; by the time it was time to put on my dress, my hair looked perfectly wavy.

Went home, gave The Boy a bath, put on my make-up, he and I wrapped the bouquets with some white ribbon and waited for my parents to finish getting ready. We had put together the flower arrangements the day before in the milk glasses; lovely light green hydrangeas with white roses.



My dad and brother loaded up the cars with vases, votives, the wedding dress and favors and soon we were off to the venue. The sky was dark and gloomy and we had some sprinkles and mist. When we got there, the coordinator promised that they could wait until the last moment to set up the chairs and we could determine about 10 minutes beforehand where the ceremony would take place (either outside at the gazebo or inside the reception room).

I went with my mom and cousin (matron of honor) to the little dressing space they had set aside for me and they worked on getting me laced into my dress. Just as we were putting on the finishing touches, we received a call from the reception room. It was a friend, saying "We have to move it inside, it's raining again".



Oh well, really it was okay. I wasn't crushed because I always knew that this might be an option. The coordinator came over to get me and she draped her jacket over my hair and shoulders, held an umbrella over my head and with one person on each side holding up my dress, we made our way over to the room in the rain.

In another reception room, there was a group of ladies setting up for a baby shower. They graciously let me stand here so the coordinator could arrange getting the rest of the bridal party set up. There was a lounge inbetween our two reception rooms so she gathered up my fiance, matron of honor, best man, Ring "Bear" (The Boy) and Flower "Bear" (The Girl) and moved them into our reception room while I waited on the other side of the wall.



The coordinator came around the corner and waved me over. I walked through the lounge (where a group of men were watching football!) and stood behind the double doors next to my dad.

Tomorrow, the ceremony!

2 days - Wedding Countdown

Today all the lovely ladies at work threw me a wedding shower. Tostada lunch, Diet Dr Pepper and yummy marble cake! Mmmmm...


Me with the marble cake


Oh, breakroom lighting, you are quite unflattering!


Not sure what was so darned hilarious...Apparantly gift opening makes me appear to laugh hysterically (see this weekend's photos!)


What will I make first in my cast iron skillet? Fried chicken? Corn bread?

Worked late and then met Mom at the bridal shop. Tried on the dress, then realized I have a fresh scratch right across my chest (where did I get that?!). While the tailor resteamed the dress and bagged it up we went next door to the men's dress-up shop. My guy has been thinking about wearing a bow tie so I picked out a silk black one and also a regular silk light blue and light gray tie in case he wants to try those out and see what he likes best.

Mom & I stopped for dinner then on to the craft store to get those green "frog" things to place inside the vases, then came back home. The flowers had arrived this afternoon and my dad had unboxed them and put everything in water. The hydrangeas are so pretty, a nice soft green. And there are Ecuadorian white roses, 50 long stems that are really tight buds now and should be slightly opened by the day of the wedding. We'll be putting all the arrangements together tomorrow night.

Things that WILL and WILL NOT happen in the next two days:

1. I will get over this cold. I've been sneezing and sniffling for 3 days. Starting to feel much better today, a lot less fuzzy-headed, despite the lack of sleep.

2. I will go to bed before midnight tonight. Was up till nearly 1am last night, working and then matching socks (my least favorite chore, why did I decide to that?!) and packing a bit.

3. I don't really want to eat any more junk food for the next two days. I am feeling so bloated and icky from getting home late, not grocery shopping and relying on fast food for lunch because I've been too busy to pack anything. However I'm not going to say I will NOT do this because it's now nearly 11pm and I don't have anything to pack for lunch tomorrow so a fast food lunch is quite likely.

4. I will not try to do everything myself and I will delegate. I really have a very hard time letting go! I had intended to do place settings and had to let this idea go. I was planning on setting up the reception tables myself but realize there is no way I can do that and still get ready so I'll have to delegate that job to my helpful cousins and sister-in-law. I know they'll do a beautiful job without me and I'll be less stressed.

I had also planned on creating music cds for the ceremony and reception but just didn't have time. So I asked my brother if he would do that for me and he said he would. And he does have strict orders that The Chicken Dance, Electric Slide or Macarana NOT be included in the playlist!

5. Lastly, IT WILL NOT RAIN. This has been the weirdest year "weather-wise". For the last two weeks the weather has been picture-perfect. So clear and bright and blue! But of course starting tomorrow, it's expected to bring in 3 storms with rain showers that will begin Friday and last through Saturday, right through the time we are planning our outdoor garden ceremony!


I was planning on getting married HERE, not in a reception room!

Truly though, what can I do? Nothing, except create a Plan B. I've contacted the venue and they have assured me that they do have a Plan B in place should it be raining during the ceremony. If it's raining and we can't do the ceremony outside, they will set up the chairs in an alternate reception room so that will be okay. It's not a garden, but it will be okay.

4 days - Wedding Countdown

Lovin' these favors!

Picked up a big bag of Sixlets at the candy store in the mall. They fit perfectly into the bottles. In fact a little too perfectly because they tend to jam up at the opening when the bottle is tipped to empty...oops!


Labels on and ready to fill

But the colors are so bright and fun, I couldn't resist. People will just have to work at it if they want their candy!


Big bag of Sixlets


One down...more to go!

Decided not to have assigned seating, otherwise each person's name would have been written on a card and slipped into the slot on the cork. Oh, well.


All done and ready to go on the tables!

Tomorrow evening I'll be arranging the music with my brother that will be played on the CD player during all parts of the ceremony & reception.

Still need to compete the ring bearer pillow for my son and also fix up his suit a bit. Just a tad bit long on the sleeves & pant legs. Oh, he is going to look SO cute!

Thursday we pick up the dress. My mom is coming this time so she can see me in it.

And Friday night we'll be fixing up these lovely milk glass vases with the hydrangea and roses that will be arriving on Thursday. They are already so pretty, I know that filled with the flowers, everything is going to look heavenly!


All the vases for the centerpieces