Weddingbee Blog

Friday morning started out much like any other: I woke up to the familiar chime of my cell phone alarm at 7:15 am, which I promptly silenced by blindly smashing buttons until the offensive noise ceased. I slowly opened my eyes and blinked, adjusting to the sun that was streaming through the sheer bedroom curtains and listened to the sound of Mr. Tartlet gently snoring beside me. Not surprisingly, I had trouble falling asleep the night before after the whirlwind of activity at the rehearsal and welcoming dinner. Surprisingly, I felt oddly refreshed after only 4 hours of sleep. I proceeded with my typical morning routine, threw on a pair of grey velour pants and a white tank top with the word “bride” emblazoned across the chest in peach vintage typeface, zipped up my favorite purple jacket, and tip-toed downstairs to meander the halls that would soon be bustling with activity. For now, though, all was quiet.

After a half-hour of listlessly trotting around the hotel I started to feel a bit underfoot with the staff who were beginning to set-up for the day’s events. Taking this as my cue, I rode the elevator one floor up back to our suite and patiently anticipated the arrival of my friends and the ladies of Posh hair and makeup studio. I didn’t have to wait long.

I was slightly perplexed by how calm I felt. Although there was an undercurrent of excitement, minutes and hours ticked by without frazzled nerves or a worry in the world. Mentally, I made a note that it was a good decision to get ready at the hotel rather than having all parties drive out to the studio, as it made for an incredibly streamlined morning.

Magical pots, paints, and brushes

Our hair and makeup artists Laura and Jessie transformed the sitting area of our suite into a mini studio, and by 10 am we were rotating through hair…

BM Tanya’s fabulous updo

…and makeup.

BM Laura having the final touches applied

While my hair was setting in pin curls and I awaited the makeup chair, I was left with ample time to ponder what to write in the card I had purchased from Etsy seller weheartpaper, meant for Mr. Tartlet’s eyes later in the day.

Note the not one, but two cups of coffee and my trusty (ancient) MacBook used to check up on y’all!

Clouds of hairspray later, and the four of us were ready to go. Although it wasn’t even 1 o’clock, my bridesmaids decided to don their gowns and accessories, and Tanya and Laura embarked on a reconnaissance mission to see whether setup had begun downstairs in the Conservatory while my sister kept me company in our suite.

The above photo might suggest that the setup was off to a perfect start, but to the discerning eyes of Mr. Tartlet–who happened to be investigating the grounds with GM Michael–and my detail-oriented friends, they immediately noticed that something was off. They realized that the room was being improperly set up for our maximum possible number of 78 guests–not the 60 that were expected, which meant no. dance. floor. The three of them thoughtfully didn’t clue me into this snafu until after the wedding, and instead put their heads together to direct all parties involved on the correct layout. Although I’m sure our day-of coordinator would have caught the error the second she arrived, it certainly didn’t hurt that it was caught early (and before the tables were set).

While my husband-to-be and best friends righted wrongs downstairs, upstairs in a room just down the hall from the bridal suite another loved one was furiously snipping away at rolls of pink and white tulle and faux flower garlands. The previous night my cousin had brought in supplies from Michael’s in case we wanted to decorate the red wagon that our ring bearer and flower girl would sit in, and my mom happily donated her time to dressing it up for the occasion. Aware of her need to feel useful combined with an inability to sit back, relax, and do nothing, I may have nudged her into the project a bit.

Mama Tartlet fluffing a tulle flower

Putting on the final touches; let’s call her the MacGyver of decorating, because she accomplished all of this with nothing but her itty-bitty Swiss Army Knife.

A phone call later and my sister was trundling back to the bridal suite to show me the finished product:

Clearly, I approved.

It wasn’t just the ladies that were keeping busy, though. Downstairs the boys were also…oh wait.

Kidding! Although, I’m certain they’d contend that beer is serious business. How do you envision the morning of your wedding? Were things more or less crazy than you thought they would be? Up next: the pace picks up when the photographers and videographers arrive!

*All photos courtesy of family and friends

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