Wedding Blog

The night before the wedding, Mr. Penguin spent the night in our Honeymoon suite while I stayed at my parents’ house.  We had to wrap up some last minute details, and my aunts and I practiced how to get in and out of my Thai wedding dress as fast as possible.

It was a restless night of sleep. I went to bed around 2 AM, and had a horrible night of sleep, since we had 10 or so relatives staying with us and I slept in the living room, so I couldn’t really go to bed until everyone else did. Of course, with that many people in the house, the toilet flushed practically every 20 minutes or so throughout the night. I really should have stayed at the hotel with a girlfriend, or up at my MOH’s house, armed with a bottle of Nyquil. So, I guess that’s some solid advice! Find a peaceful dark and quiet place to sleep the night before your wedding, even if it means checking into your local motel for the night.

I think you could title my wedding morning “Peaceful Solitude.” Now, don’t get me wrong, I love my family, love my girlfriends, and I love company, but I’m very much a only child in mind and spirit. I love my alone time. And I’m so glad I chose to get ready on my own time, at my own pace, and more importantly, all alone. It kept me calm, collected, and completely stress free. I was reachable by cell phone, but the 5 hours or so in the morning of my wedding getting ready, I spent with very few people, and it was absolute bliss. No one asking if I was nervous, excited, if I needed anything, nothing like that. Just me, myself, and I!

I woke up at 8AM, and headed out to my blowout appointment in old town Folsom. For some reason it didn’t occur to me until that morning that my hair appointment happened to be right down the street from my good friend Michelle’s wedding venue! Michelle was getting married that day too, so I hopped on over to her venue to say hello to her, and finally got to meet her beautiful mother!

Today we wed, my friend!

Michelle insisted that if I posted a picture of us sans makeup, that I post a picture of her with makeup on…check out the beautiful bride later that day! I was so bummed to miss her wedding, but I was there in spirit!

Congrats Michelle and Chris! Gorgeousness!

After our mini-meetup I made a beeline to La Bou to get some grub. I worked at La Bou in high school, so it was fun and nostalgic to eat a sandwich from there on my wedding day. Turkey and jack on sourdough, mango iced tea…woop woop, scarf scarf!

My makeup artist arrived at my parents’ house just as I came home, so I ate during my makeup appointment.

Billie watched and wondered if there were any good shades of lipstick to complement her black lips.

In the other room, my family was hard at work prepping for the Thai Water Ceremony…

…and my bridesmaids arrived! They checked out the gorgeous flowers, delivered in the morning by my friend Jenny…

Meanwhile Jenny rushed off to the venue to set up the reception details with my cousins. Their hours upon hours of hard work really showed! Everyone was wowed by the setup!

Our friend Chris DJ’ed, and he and his beautiful wife Diana arrived to set up his turntables.

My dad set up for the slideshow using a large white seamless piece of paper and two metal stands.

Meanwhile back at home, I strapped on my teal shoes and headed off!

I rode with our photographer, Sarah K Chen. We were so lost in conversation that a couple times I swore we missed our turns. Luckily, there were signs to guide us along the way…

And…we arrived!

READY TO WED!