So, my wedding was this past Sunday, yay for that! Every-damn-thing went wrong! I realized late Saturday night that I forgot to pack a razor. My H (!!) had taken my car to another hotel where he was staying with one of the groomsmen, so I was stuck at the hotel. I called the front desk to ask if they had one, and they sent up this cheap single balde thing that looked like something Dr. Kavorkian would have owned. My MIL and SIL offered to go to WalMart down the street for me. They knew I needed them back by a certain time to start hair and makeup, and they knew I was waiting on them to come back so I could take a shower. An hour and a half later they finally show back up, laughing. MIL says "Oh, haha, you must have thought we got lost". Why, yes, yes I did. To which MIL says "Well, see, we ran into H downstairs and I really wanted to have breakfast with my baby boy just one last time". UMMM, what??? We've all been waiting, and you do realize I'm not sending him off to war, right?? You will see him again. OMG. Then, even despite being made aware we were already late because of her, she still insisted on the hair and makeup lady doing her too, making us even more late!
Did I mention my wedding was on a deck at the beach??
5 Hours before the ceremony H sends me a text asking if we have a notary. No, I don't think so. Why do we need a notary? Well, apparently, because the friend H insisted on officiating is not authorized by the state to legally marry us. H had his sister notarize the marriage license. I explained to him that she should not have signed the license not only because she didn't officiate, but at least in our state, you can not notarize immediate family members. So, yeah, I don't know that we're even legally married. I do have a friend who does legal research for a living looking into it, though, because she seems to think officiating the wedding of family is the one exception to the rule.
So, wedding and reception fly by in a blur. Monday afternoon H, SIL, and I are packing the hotel room to head back home. I told H to put his bout with my bouquet because I want to have it preserved. We get home and I can't find it. I ask him where it went. He says SIL wanted it, so she took it. Again, ummm, what?? She told him that she wants to put the flowers in a Christmas ornament. He thought it was an easy and cheap gift since she struggles with money. I explained that without being properly preserved, those pretty white flowers will turn ugly brown and we won't want them on our tree. He says Oh, sorry, I didn't think about that.
Tuesday, I'm balancing my checkbook and see a charge of $250 from the hotel. So, I send an email to the coordinator lady asking what the charge is for. She tells me that is a "clean up fee". Clean up for what? Well, apparently, my MOH's 7 y/o daughter was dipping strawberries and marshmallows in the chocolate fountain and pelting people and cars off the balcony. The clean up fee was to cover dry cleaning, cleaning cars, and pressure washing the patio and sidewalk. The coordinator lady tells me several staff members saw the same little girl carry a minimum of 5 plates out to the balcony before my own coordinator finally intervened. H and I are glad this wasn't worse because it certainly could have been. The hotel really could have charged any arbitrary number they wanted and called it a "clean up fee" and because I'm the one who signed the contract, I'd be obligated to pay it. We're also lucky no one called the police because this really could be construed as vandalism, just to name one. So, now I'm struggling with how, or even if, to handle this with my MOH. I'm afraid she'll just get defensive and try to blame the other kids who were there. But, several people have all told me her's was the only one doing it.
Ugh, I've been so frustrated with how everything happened. I wish I could say Well, at least we're married. But, I don't know if we really are. All I can say is At least it was a pretty party. In that respect, everything was perfect; the dress, the flowers, the venue, the food. But, I told H it will be a long time before I forgive his mother and sister.