Eeeeeeeeeeek! So. Got married on 10/26. Our rehearsal on the 25th was great! Came home from dinner around 10pm and couldn't fall asleep to save my life. Finally get to sleep around Midnight. Woke up at 4am on the 26th. COULD NOT SLEEP. At all. Finally got up around 8am, got my almost-3-year old up and ready and went over to my Mom's to start getting ready.
My friend Hope came over a little after 9am with her 3 year old daughter, so the kids could play and my son wouldn't get in the way. Worked like a charm, with my Mom supervising them. Got my hair done up in about 2 hours. My hair was TOO clean, so it wouldn't hold a curl, and we changed styles on a whim. I can't wait for the professional picture to come back but for now....
Got my 2 girls done, and around 1:15 is where things went a little crazy. We had to leave my Mom's place by 2:15 to be able to meet up with the boys and limo for our pictures. Well, at 1:15pm, I'm trying to do all of the following:
1. Get all of my finishing touches for my outfit done. This included tracking down my garter, then taking the stupid thing off because it itched so badly I couldn't take it.
2. Find my MOH's jewelry that she swore was in her bag when it was actually in her bag at her house. Thankfully her roommate realized it and brought it over.
3. Make sure my flower girl didn't get toooo dirty in her playwear so she could get dressed after MOH was done.
4. Get my son dressed. This one was actually pretty easy- just had to tell him he was going to look cool, like Daddy...
I think we succeeded!!!
In the middle of that, Hubbster and SIL are calling and asking stupid questions that I'm like, "We went over this LAST NIGHT....." GRRRR. The whole time we did pictures, my SIL was a major pain in the rear end. She kept complaining about the wind, the cold weather, and about the kids whining. Her complaining ended up making things last longer than they should have so Hubbster had to go deal with her before I punched her out.
So.... We FINALLY get to the limo. We leave at 2:30 and start pictures around 3pm at the park. Aside from the weather issues, it was phenom. I didn't get my fun pictures because the kids were being cranky, but we did get some unique shots. My photographer was my MOH's boyfriend/un-official fiance, and he got a lot of stuff we did want anyway. I got the picture of me in Hubbster's hoodie, so I'm good! We get done at the first park around 3:45-4pm. Go to a different park for scenery and take a few more shots. End there around 4:45pm and everyone is cold and in need of a snack. So This Bride made the executive decision that we all take the limo to get something to eat! Hahaha. We totally went to a fast food place, went in, and got something quick to munch on. The manager on duty was congratulating us and I joked with her, said, "So we can eat free, right?" she goes, "Just once, the bride and groom can!" Score!!!!
After that, we went to our venue and got all of the boring family photos out of the way. I think the only one I didn't get was a photo of the entire wedding party and all the family, but we were running low on time, so oh well. Guests starting showing for our 7pm ceremony at like, 6:15pm! Who does that?! So I greeted a few as they saw me, and went to hide when I could. About 6:45pm, the last 10 months caught up with me. I started shaking and almost passed out in the hall. I didn't have any nervousness for 10 months, and it allllllll hit me in about 10 seconds!!!
Before I knew it, my party was walking down the aisle... then the best man and MOH... then FG and my son, ring-bearer... with the beautiful sign made by a friend that read "Daddy, here comes our girl".... and my son turned around when he realized that I wasn't followed and yells, "COME ON GUYS!!!" LOL
The DJ played Rascal Flatts "Here"... I held on my Grandpa for dear life as we walked down the aisle. I could not focus. I smiled, I saw everyone smiling at us, some crying already.... I teared up, and did not cry, thankfully! I got to the alter and my Hubbster was wiping his eyes... Yeah. I was shaking like a leaf going, oh god, just get this done!!!
Went through it all... Got pronounced... Walked back down and out and into the quiet lobby... Kissed my Hubbster for a few minutes! Celebrated. My MOH came out and goes, "Oh my god, You actually did it! YOU'RE MARRIED!!!" And I just burst into tears then and said "OH thank god!" I do not hardly remember the ceremony. I remember the Reverend quoted "All I need to know I learned in kindergarten" or whatever it is... and that was great, because I had told him we aren't religious, so could he keep the religion to a minimum. He did AMAZING. I will be recommending him to everyone!
We finished up things with him and the license... Our venue's staff was flipping the room for our reception. Started thanking a few people in the lobby. Thanked MORE people in the reception (no receiving line because the time in between was so hectic)... STILL didn't get everyone thanked! ARGH. There's like, 10-15 people I didn't get to talk to. GRRR.
So our reception started. The entire wedding party walked in with a drink in their hand... LOL. Since my MOH has been hinting at her boyfriend (the photographer) to propose, we got the DJ to announce her as 'Mrs. FirstName HisLastName" and then he continues with, "And I'm supposed to say, hint hint, wink wink." Photog got a laugh out of it and it was sooooooo funny!
The food was excellent. it's funny- the women all kept complimenting me on the ceremony, the details (like our son's sign, my dress, the flowers) and the guys all kept complimenting the food and cake! haha! AND speaking of cake... we totally goofed that up. We're supposed to feed it to each other, right... Yeah... I totally just cut a piece, got it on the server, picked the whole thing up and threw it at Hubbster. He ducked and it hit the DJ's stage... haha. So we had to cut a second piece and do it again. Still fun, and we got pics of both sets!
Then came the dances....Hubbster and his Mom. Then Me and Grampa. Grampa made me cry a little, telling me how proud he was of me and how he loved walking me down the aisle. I was like, "Like I'd have anyone else do it... You're the guy who was constant and good my whole life. You're the one who has the right to give me away." So ha, we both cried a little.
My wonderful Hubbster got that picture of us
There were only 3 things I wish I'd done different.
1. Not worried about the veil. My hair looked amazing but no one saw the style until about an hour into the reception because it was hidden. It was well protected from the wind, but dang..... Oh well. I did get pictures of it on and off, so we're good.
2. The DJ ignored most of my requests. The major songs (for dances, bouquet toss, cake cutting) were all right, and he timed my ceremony music perfectly. But I requested several artists that were NOT played, at all, and he played songs that I did NOT request- although, in the end, the guests were all happy and dancing their butts off, so I guess that's what counts. Right?
3. I didn't have a chance to get to all of my guests, and that stinks! I felt like I was being pulled a million directions at once most of the night.
Cute Moments after the ceremony:
1. My little cousin, as I'm thanking her Mom (my Mom's cousin), comes up and says to me, "You look soooooooooooooo pretty! Are you a princess?"
2. Watching that cousin's sister dancing with her Mom to the macarena!!! I can remember being 12 and at their wedding, dancing with my Mom, and it just made me smile.
3. Hubbster's cousin's daughter coming over and asking if I would "Please come dance with her and teach her some cool moves!" Never met this kid before in my life and she glued herself to my hip for about 2 hours! Her Mom (Hubbster's cousin) wasn't there because she and him have a feud going on, but I'm glad her kids got to come!
4. My almost 3 year old TORE UP that dance floor! He was shaking his butt, imitating everyone else, and just having such a blast! He danced with my flower girl, 3 cousins, and of course my friend's daughter from earlier in the day. At the end of the night he was sooooooo tired- but he got many many compliment from family members for how well behaved he was. Score one for good parenting!
All in all, it was a very good wedding. I am still in shock that I'm married now but it'll pass soon..
One last picture, our best man took this in the limo: