Weddingbee Blog

Friday afternoon quickly turned into early evening, and before I knew it, it was time to get our rehearsal on! Officiant Em was sweet enough to do my makeup again (like she did for my shower and bachelorette!), I quickly changed into my ever-so-slightly color altered dress and we had a little pow-wow (I sure do love my pow-wows) with John and Jamie before getting things started.

MOH Copper and officiant Em’s hubs, JB, were kind enough to share the responsibility of photo documentation for the evening…

…which I took to mean that it was an opportune time for a photo shoot. Who says it has to be all serious?

Anyhoot! After a quick rundown of how things were going to go, we actually got things started and lined everyone up (despite still missing a few random bridesladies and groomsmen). I really liked how John had us run things in a backwards-like fashion, as we pretty much went from middle, to end, to beginning, and back to middle.

We started with our gazebo lineup and how we were to be standing during the actual ceremony.

Then we went over all the important stuff in the middle, like the order of things..

Drinks were clearly needed for some of us.

…the handfasting…

SIL Shannon really wanted to make sure she got it right!

…the vows…

Ta-da! I love you!

…the kiss…

…and the obligatory fist bump. Obvs.

That’s for you, Obamas!

Then we walked down the aisle as faux-husband and faux-wife!

Mad props to brideslady M for compiling all my bridal shower bows, and to MOH Copper for turning it into a rehearsal bouquet!!

The next step was to get into the reverse lineup and practice actually walking down the aisle. This was crucial for several reasons—1. to get the bridal party acquainted with their aisle partner, 2. to figure out who exactly would be walking down when and with who (we still didn’t really have that ironed out yet) and 3. the timing of the music. Really, number three took precedence because, if you recall, we were having my stepdad and stepbro play our processional music!

The men, hard at work!

So we lined up…

…people started a’walkin…

…and I practiced what I will here-to-for dub “the walk of my life” with Foxy Pops and Foxy Mama.

((Just had to throw this picture in—it’s one of my faves!))

I also practiced my ever so unattractive “what-is-happening-to-my-life-and-I-can’t-believe-I’m-getting-married-tomorrow” face (which was really more a communicative face between MOH Copper and I…and yes, it did make several appearances at the wedding itself).

And then, after a few more minor ceremony details were smoothed out, it was time to get our crab on!

Everyone filed into the pavilion where we feasted on a nice spread of peel-and-eat garlic shrimp, fried chicken, caesar salad, corn on the cob, potato salad and of course…crabs.

Well, except MOH Copper…she’s allergic to crab, so I’m not quite sure what she was doing with a mallet.

I love this picture for a million reasons. Like how brideslady A is giving me a massage. And how Foxy is STILL drinking out of the dog’s beer mug.

We also decided to give out our gifts to the groomsmen, bridesladies and parents at the rehearsal—a good move on our part, since it came as a surprise to most everyone and they all seemed to love their loot!

Oh right, and since I never shared, these were the parent gifts!

A lovely IOU (a la Mrs. Mole & Mrs. Unicorn), and engraved glasses – mugs for my dad and stepmom, stemless wine glasses for my mom and stepdad, and a beer mug and wine glass (not shown) for the in-laws!

After presents, it was time for toasts. A month or two before the wedding, I asked family members to say something (if they wanted to, of course) at the rehearsal, since the toasts at the wedding itself were to be reserved for the best man and two ladies of honor. It ended up being that each set of parents had a little something to say. First, we had Foxy’s dad, who provided the humor of the evening and presented me with a rubber chicken dowry (true story).

Then we had my dad and stepmom, who brought the sentiment and the tears. I thought only my dad was going to say something, but my stepmom also shared some sweet, sentimental thoughts and words that really touched both Foxy and me.

Last but not least, there was my mom and stepdad. I made a joke a few days before the wedding that they would probably end up singing something and put on a little show (they’re artsy people, it’s how they do), and lo and behold…I was 100% right.

They sang three songs...Sunrise, Sunset from Fiddler on the Roof, and both And I Love Her and I’ve Just Seen A Face by The Beatles. The last song was undoubtedly my favorite—it was actually the song that my stepdad and stepbro played impromptu a few years ago during Christmas vacation that first got me thinking of using them in the wedding. I loved that they brought it back for just that occasion!

After the toasts came dessert, which was a tasty little key lime pie tartlet that I specifically requested for my future hubs. I figured that since I kind of dropped the ball on the whole groom’s cake thing, it was the least I could do! Unfortunately, there are no “real” pictures of this…but Foxy will vouch, it was scrumdiddlyumptious.

Nom.

Soon it was time for the adults to call it a night, but I still had some work left to do in terms of decorating the pavilion for the next day. And you bet your bottom dollar that I put everyone who stuck around to work!

Basically, the ladies opened and threaded the lanterns while the guys were in charge of hanging them from the rafters.

I mean…just look how much fun they were obviously having while I directed them from below.

Fun and joy clearly abounds.

But, in all seriousness, they really did an awesome job and weren’t complaining too much. I think the wine, beer and gratuitous bottle of whiskey from the venue’s other event that evening didn’t hurt, either.

Finally (finally), it was time to call it a night. Foxy went to spend the night with groomsman Matty, while MOH Copper shacked up with me and I wrote my last post as a Miss. It was 12am—our wedding day!—and I had some sleeping to do!!

(All above pictures are personal photos.)

Did you or do you plan to have decorating to do the day before the wedding? Did/Will you put your lovely bridal party to work to help get it done?

It’s Wedding Week!

We’re Cool People (who had to deal with a slight change of plans)