The Day: Getting Ready

We had a lot to do on our wedding day. The day generally went something like this:

• Wake up
• Go to venue by 9 and decorate like mad!
• Get hair done at noon
• Back to venue to get dressed and perty
• Photos
• Ceremony!
• Cocktail hour!
• Dinner!
• Dancing!
• Break down
• Afterparty!

So yes, like everyone says, the day did fly by. But I'm happy to say I was in the moment and present for most all of it! To start my recaps, I'm going to go with the first portion of the day and wait till my brain is done tumbling the rest of the day around.

Our morning was one of the only parts of the day where I actually felt stressed. Neither of us could eat much but we sat there trying anyway. I got through half my bowl of granola before I gave up. Neither of us could say much and probably both looked like deer in the headlights! Not the 'ease into the day' morning I had been hoping for...but whatever! We packed up all the boxes of crap and decoration that we had and chugged over to the venue.

My parents were already there unloading. My mom had checked in with the venue. And we jumped in to join the bustle! My dad is a genius and brought a hand truck, so all our boxes were inside in a snap! It was a little chaotic at first... everything was unloaded so fast that I spent the first while just finding things! I should have labeled boxes better with what was inside and where it was supposed to go - another 'oops' to add to the list! But we got it sorted and everyone had what they needed to do their task (as previously assigned on the task list) and got workin! It made me so grateful to see everyone helping out so much! It came together with lots of hands helping! We had given ourselves three hours to do all our decorating and that was just barely enough time. We snarfed some lunch and then the ladies ran to get our hair did!

It was really nice to go see my normal hair lady. She is a sweetheart and it made me feel better that she knew my hair and that we'd kinda done a trial run on my last visit. It was also great to just chat and feel relaxed in a familiar place.

The salon trip was mostly to control frizz and make sure my hair was behaving. And also to make sure that I smelled like the delicious Aveda products! mmmmmm Because after the salon we went back to the venue to do makeup and to do the minimal styling that was going to go into my hair. A friend of mine, with her glorious Clinique supplies, did makeup for me and then did a neato little twist to one part of my hair. Then in went my fabric flower that I'd made from leftover fabric from all my dress alterations!

I was so happy with this little flower! After lots of time and swearing, it turned out just like I had hoped! That is definitely one of the DIY projects and one of the details I'm glad I didn't give up on. It made me feel great to have that cute thing on my head! I don't actually have many photos from the wedding...but I do have this little one to share of me:


My hair was down, like always, but did have the little twist in it with the flower pinning it back. I felt just like I had hoped - like myself. Just a fancified version of myself! :)

Once dressed and perty, we did the photos! This was fun because the first batch was just of me and my love. We wandered around the beautiful park location, snapping photos. It was hard, though. The photographers kept making us kiss! But someones gotta make out with that cutie, so I took to it and hopefully my face isn't scrunched up in too much pain! ;)

We got a lot of photos in and had some time left to spare - perfect! Then all of a sudden, some guests started appearing! EEK! Before that, I was just kinda doing what needed to be done, but seeing people arrived made me remember all that was to follow. And some nerves started to resurface...

We had talked about mingling with our guests before the ceremony but that morning decided not to. We knew everyone would be asking the same question and we'd be saying the same thing. Plus, we both started getting that spaced out deer in the headlights look again! So we went back to our get ready room and waited. And waited.

We only had to wait maybe twenty minutes or so? But it seemed like forEVER! All I could do was pace and fiddle. I'm pretty sure I looked like this for those twenty minutes.

We hadn't quite figured out how everything was going to be timed as far as when our parents go out and then we go out and blah blah blah. Good thing to leave for the last minute, ya? It was a good jolt though, because it was just the bridal party left in the room...I was waiting for some cue that we were supposed to start and then I heard the music! Ahh! Time to go! We weren't lined up or ready but we flew into position and out when lady and dude 1! I got a kiss before lady and dude 2 went and then it was just us.

A few deep breaths, nervous glances, and out we went, too.