We did it! The vows are renewed, the wedding is celebrated with friends and family. The day has past. I have not even begun to process the day and all its details. Events moved so fast it seems that every moment deserves dissection, but we’ve barely slowed down enough to begin sifting through cards let alone memories. I think a good place to start, is the beginning.
Rehearsal and getting ready. A rehearsal dinner sets the tone for the weekend and gets everything started off on the right foot. I thoroughly enjoyed having an army of helpers to set up all my meticulously planned décor, which we’ll go over in detail in subsequent blog posts, before going to dinner.
The lighting in the function room of our chosen restaurant was horrendous, but I wanted to at least document my boss outfit, so black and white will have to do. Curated, not made, though I did have to hem.
Thursday night was very productive; we got all of the venue décor set up, walked the ceremony, and everyone was fed and in bed by…maybe 10? Later than I wanted, but the tasks accomplished Thursday night saved us a lot of time and stress on Friday morning. I told my girls they could “roll” into the bridal suite just before their scheduled hair and makeup times because we didn’t have much labor left to do.
So let’s touch upon the bridal suite. Most of the photos in this post are from that local. Steps from the reception barn, this farmhouse was a selling-point in choosing our venue for sure. Space. Space to spread out, and if needed, be alone. I got there early and alone to make sure I had time to breath.
Most of the morning was spent putting out miniature fires and clarifying all the last-minute miscommunications that happen when vendors don’t read emails but reply as if they had, and directing hair and makeup. I have an opinion about everything, and put a lot of thought into what I wanted. I provided examples and did my best to communicate my vision.
I’ve never directed an event so elaborate, so personal, so expensive before. There’s a real pressure, internal and external, based on investment alone, to have the most perfect day. The expectation could drive you crazy if you let it. For many months, amidst all the thoughtful decisions, I also made the decision over and over again to let go of any idea of perfection. The best that I would allow myself to hope for is that it would be ours.
And it was. I had a really nice day getting ready, and while I was too jittery to really enjoy any of this lovely lunch spread, I enjoyed being there over-functioning.
Oh and Jake was there too! He got his hair done with the rest of us, enjoyed lunch, provided directive support, and had a generally social day. We had no superstitions about seeing one another before the ceremony, especially because we’ve already been married for two years. This is your fair-warning that several blog posts for the foreseeable future will pertain to wedding crafting, planning, and décor, since this event has consumed most of my creative capacity for the past two years. I hope you enjoy.
