Wedding tales, pt.3: The Final Countdown
Hopefully all of you got the joke in the title. Mike and I had originally intended for that to be our "grand entrance" into our reception, but the DJ showed up late. Ah well...
This is the final installment of my wedding story, probably too late for any of you to care. Nevertheless, here we go!
Friday, 1/11: Day before the wedding. Naturally, there's a BUTTLOAD of stuff to get done. I'm up early writing thank-you notes for my attendants, and Mom heads off to do the flower arrangements with friends. I've got the morning to attend to a few details, lunch with my bridesmaids, and then off to the rehearsal before our rehearsal dinner that night.
Those of you who know me know that I have very sensitive blood sugar. If I don't eat properly, I tend to fall into hysterics, and that's exactly what happened that morning. Mom was off handling certain things, leaving me to make sure the last few supplies are picked up and taken to the reception hall and church. I kept getting asked a million questions, none of which I knew the answers to. My awesome sister/MOH, Amie, finally asked if I'd like to get some lunch, and made it clear I had no say in the matter. My attendants and I showered and dressed, and headed out.
A couple greasy slices from Pizza Schmizza, and I was right as rain. Amie headed off to her house to change for the rehearsal and to fetch food for Mom (knowing that she has the same blood sugar issues as me and would probably be hollering by now), and the bridesmaids and I rounded up the last few bits and bobs from the house and headed to the church.
We arrived FAR too early for the rehearsal, with nobody in sight: not my mom, not my dad, not my brother or sister. Mike's family arrived shortly thereafter, which made things slightly awkward as his mom and dad have not seen each other in about a decade. But things were civil all around, and Dad showed up soon enough with some awkward news.
I had, evidently, forgotten to remind Mom's friend to pick up the centerpieces from our neighbor's garage, where they had been stored for safekeeping. Mom and her friend had yelled at each other for a while, and then Mom stormed off home to pick them up. She didn't answer her phone, and she had apparently told Dad that we should start without her.
Ugh. I was mildly panicked. I decided that we were going to wait until the designated time to start our rehearsal, and then would just go without her if needed. My siblings came through for me wonderfully--Chris showed up with some Tylenol for me, and Amie gave me a shoulder rub and a pep talk. Mom showed up just 5 minutes late, so things went exceedingly well. On to dinner!
Our rehearsal dinner was buffet style at the Cornelius Pass Roadhouse. What a GREAT choice. We had originally planned to have our reception here, but decided it was too far a drive from the church. We gave gifts to our attendants, got a little teary-eyed, and then drank lots of beer to make up for it. Afterwards, it was back home, where us girls watched My Big Fat Greek Wedding (appropriately) and did manis/pedis. Heidi and Stephanie showed up to hang for a while, and we all called it quits early. What a day!
Saturday, 1/12: THE BIG DAY! I was up around 7. Our hairstylists (friends of Amie's from beauty school) showed up around 8, and we began the beautification process. Amie teased my hair so much I was beginning to fear I'd turn into Amy Winehouse, but she did a magnificent job. Out the door by 10:55, we were EARLY! This never happens to me!
Arriving around 11:30, we set to work getting dressed. We steamed a few wrinkles out of my dress, got silly for the cameras, touched up our hair, and hung out. Mike and I were supposed to see each other for the first time prior to the wedding itself, so that whole scene was staged. It's a little nontraditional (although more common than it used to be), but I think that moment was more special than holding off until after the wedding. Having a moment alone before the whole thing was really...nice. It was good to be reminded of what the whole circus is really all about.
The ceremony itself is kind of blurry. I remember moments of it: the quartet singing, Mike tearing up during our vows, Amie and Kristi smiling at me from the sidelines. My palms sweat like crazy, and the toes in my left foot went numb. And then, the kiss, and suddenly, we were "Michael and ALICE Katsufrakis!" WHAA?? Poor Pastor Susan was trying so hard to get the last name right, she biffed MY name! (This is Mike's favorite thing to call me when he's teasing me.)
Off to the reception we went, after family pictures and bridal party shots. Most of you have more interesting stories about the reception than I do, so I'm actually going to ask YOU to contribute in the comment section.