Weddingbee Blog

With sushi-filled bellies, my sisters and I waddled our collective way back to the car and headed home from the rehearsal dinner. Toto’s “Africa” was playing much too loudly on the stereo, and we were bopping our heads along much, much too vigorously. Ever since I moved across the country that song has become our adopted ’theme song’ and any time it comes on (even at work), we’ve sworn to pump. it. UP. Huge dorks, I know!

Does anybody else have a song like that in their life?

Over the next couple of days, there were SO many loose ends to tie up (with satin pink ribbon, nach). I think I broke down crying at least three times; I was a ball of overwhelmed stress. Luckily I had my family around to remind me that I had a lot to look forward to, even if the current task (hand cutting two hundred multi-layered gift tags/hand-sewing and stuffing thirty felt birds/generally being Martha on overdrive) was clouding my judgment. Thank goodness for family members with cooler-heads than mine!

My dear mother and aunt definitely were a HUGE help. Besides keeping my mental facilities in working order with their common sense and surplus of crafty-know-how, they worked together on some special touches for my wedding day ensemble.

Together they hand-sewed their mother’s lace to my main petticoat, so that lifting my skirts would give a lacy peekaboo:

The lace was a lovely touch. Not only did it prevent the polyester overskirt of the petticoat from being seen, it was like carrying around a piece of my dearly departed grandmother’s love around with me.

As a keepsake gift to me, my aunty made my main and throw-away garters. I warned her that the throw away garter would most likely end up on one of Mr. Shortcake’s fraternity brothers’ heads… and it did. Boys!

As a treat for me, Youngest Sister Shortcake, ex-spa compatriot, gave me a lovely pedicure on the day before the wedding. I have a picture I would love to share, but YSS isn’t wearing any make-up, so I’ll keep that one private. Just imagine my feet, encased in a thick mask of blue goo, with YSS’s head on the same level behind them, flashing the peace sign. Classic. And totally bizarre. To round out my beauty preparations, my mother gave me a gift certificate to one of the nicest day spas in the area, Spa Utopia, for a manicure.

So, with “Princesses Rule,” on my toes, and “Passion” on my fingers, I was off to my bachelorette. I had had enough of clubbing and all-night revelry in my days in the sorority, so I knew that I didn’t want a phallic-themed, “I’m your private dancer, dancer for money” kind of night. A circa-grade seven slumber party was planned, complete with chick flicks, an inappropriate amount of junk food and a XX chromosome-friendly play list. Unfortunately, one bridesmaid couldn’t get out of a family obligation, another one couldn’t come until very late that night, and the one bridesmaid who wasn’t related to me, was horribly sick with the flu, and left after an hour. Boo! So, my bachelorette party became a rather quiet affair, but after so much stress, I think it was almost better that way.

My sisters, sick bridesmaid, and I went to my favourite sushi spot, Damiko. We’ve been going there since it opened, so not only are we on a first-name basis with the lovely family who owns it, but we also get AWESOME freebies when we go there on special occasions.

For example, we were given this gorgeous (and delicious!) chef’s special creation for my bachelorette. It doesn’t have a name, but it’s a roll stuffed with roasted prawns, mango, cream cheese, mango, avocado, wrapped in sweet cucumber skin and drizzled with a strawberry cream cheese sauce and a spicy sauce. Anybody notice that the roll is covered in PINK? LOVES IT!

After eating waayy too much sushi (Is this a theme? Can you tell I love sushi?), we rolled ourselves back to my parents’ house, where we promptly set up air mattresses, pillows, and tons of blankets and sleeping bags in preparation for the movie fest. My sister set out a spread of cookies, chips, candy, and fruit for us to nosh upon. I only have a picture of the fruit, as the other pictures were corrupted on my old camera. But look how pretty her design is:

That’s talent.

I changed into my pink pajama pants and hand-sewn bride tank,

then plopped myself down on the pull-out bed alongside my bridesmaids. We watched 27 Dresses (cute, eye candy), my all-time favourite, Steel Magnolias (”my colours aren’t pink and pink, they are blush and bashful” - sound like someone you know? ), tried to watch Dirty Dancing, and finally fell asleep to Sleepless in Seattle. Sick bridesmaid went home during the first fifteen minutes of 27 dresses, and late bridesmaid came in before Steel Magnolias (appropriate, as she played Shelby in our high school’s play!). Three out of five ain’t bad! We fell asleep, exhausted, with bloodshot eyes from watching too many movies. For everything that it wasn’t, I still enjoyed my semi-old school slumber party, and highly recommend it as a low-key, budget alternative to a girl’s night out. And, I had nothing to feel guilty over…

…Mr. Shortcake on the other hand, well, he’s still keeping his photos from his bachelor party a secret!