Friday morning I awoke to the sound of soothing rain drops. An avid water-lover, I lounged in bed for a few brief moments, relishing the peaceful melody before realizing that today was not the best of days for "Mr. Rain" to visit. No, most certainly not! In fact, today was perhaps one of the worst possible days for rain, because today we were transporting decor from Lexington to the Bridge--including chairs! As I threw back the curtains to discover a washed-out gray sky and a heavy, consistent pour, I knew that we were all in for a very long, soppy day. "Better today than tomorrow," I thought & whispered a quick prayer that the clouds would empty before our big day. After a quick shower I greeted Katie, who had apparently been awake for much longer than I. She had already been a very busy bee that morning and had loaded the entire enormous mountain of wedding decor into her spacious SUV. Relieved and unspeakably grateful, I began gathering all of my beauty necessities, and together we loaded the final items into my car, including THE dress! While both Katie & I were soaked, my gorgeous gown had remained safe and protected in its neat little bag--what a relief!
After loading both vehicles, I had two errands to run before Katie & I headed to the Bridge--a stop at Miles' Salon for my wedding-day spray tan (yes, in the pouring rain!) & a trip to Martine's to pick up Darling Fiance's surprise Groom's Cake. Thankfully, the salon visit went surprisingly well! I was fortunate enough to snag a parking spot just outside the main entrance, which minimized my rain exposure and left me with a spot- and streak-free golden glow! As I parked outside of the bakery, though, I realized that there was simply no way for me to enter unscathed, so instead I called Martine who was kind enough to bring the safely-wrapped cake right out to my car! What a sweetheart!
Finally, we were off to the Bridge! The entire hour-long commute was unfortunately plagued with a torrential downpour, so upon arriving at the Bridge, we carefully unloaded the Groom's Cake before seeking shelter in the Woodland Center. Now, for those of you familiar with spray tans, you'll recall that post-airbrush, one's skin must remain dry for at least 8 hours to ensure a beautiful result. Hence our dilemma--Katie & I had two fully-loaded vehicles and no one to help us unload them. Wanting to look my best for wedding day (and not wanting to waste the money I had paid for my tan!), I suggested that we instead begin decorating the Woodland Center. Katie insisted though, that she could begin the unloading process while I began decorating. And so, we worked. Tables were arranged, podiums & wall-hangings were hidden away, and the fireplace was cleaned. Before long Tiff arrived with more tables, and shortly thereafter Mom & Pat arrived with the final decor items! By 1 pm, the five of us were finally making some progress in the Woodland Center! The only problem? Darling Fiance' & his groomsmen had met Uncle Gary, who was supplying a trailer, earlier that morning to pick up our rental chairs & linens. Unfortunately, though, they still hadn't returned to the Bridge, which meant that we were now running behind! To make matters worse, though, I hadn't heard from Darling Fiance' all day and was unable to reach him on his cell. I anxiously began worrying that something had gone wrong on their trip...
In an attempt to keep my mind off my fears (and to stay on track!), the "Fab Five" began bagging all 1,200 of those delicious handmade cookies! Mid-bagging, we were surprised with the arrival of reinforcements! Darling Fiance's mother, grandmother, and two great-aunts had come to offer their assistance! Hooray! As we were training the women in our bagging technique, the door to the Woodland Center flung open and I was delighted to see my Darling Fiance' and his guys! Having been worried, I asked what had taken them so long and was saddened to hear that because of the rain they had spent several hours tracking down tarps & loading the chairs, all while fighting the elements in order to make it back to the Bridge. The guys were all thoroughly soaked, so after they unloaded the chairs we sent them off to prepare for the rehearsal.
After finishing the bagging, the 1,200 cookies were finally arranged on their own table in beautiful baskets galore! What a sight that was--mounds of homemade cookies in hand-stamped muslin bags all piled high in my mother's heirloom baskets! At that moment it all somehow felt very sentimental to me...we were getting married and we had all of our closest family members helping us along the way! Just as tears began to well up in my eyes, Mom & Tiff began scooting me out of the Woodland Center, insisting that I leave early to cleanup before the rehearsal. I resisted at first, worrying that we wouldn't finish decorating in time if I left early, but finally succumbed to their persistence, realizing that a stinky Bride probably wouldn't win a lot of smiles at the rehearsal!
After a quick shower, some makeup, and several minutes with a head-full of hot rollers, I felt like a new woman! Unfortunately, though, the weather wasn't doing anything new as the clouds continued to burst open, dumping their contents onto the beautiful woodlands surrounding our cabin. I knew then that the rehearsal would simply have to take place in the Woodland Center, and, disappointed, began heading in that direction. Papaw & Pastor Charlie were both already there, along with most of the bridesmaids, groomsmen, and the "Parade of Sweeties," when I arrived. Rayna, our day-of-coordinator, and her two assistants, had also already arrived, bringing with them the four extra table linens that had been mistakenly left at Purdon's earlier that day (long story!). While I was thrilled to see all of my loved ones together, to be honest, I was a bit overwhelmed and stressed during the rehearsal. The Woodland Center was nowhere near ready for the big day, the weather forecast was looking decidedly gloomy, and I hadn't spent any "couple time" with Darling Fiance' in over two weeks! (And by "couple time" I mean having a conversation longer than 10 minutes alone!) Not to mention the fact that some of my helpers had strong opinions about the decor, and had even told me several times to "calm down" that day, which made me feel absolutely the opposite of calm! Looking back, I realize that each and every person who worked tirelessly to help us had the absolute best of intentions, but during those tense moments, I just couldn't believe that my loved ones were actually almost arguing with me about the decor for OUR wedding! All of this tension suddenly made me want to cry, and by the end of the rehearsal, which was supposed to be carefree and fun, tears were once again filling my eyes. I pulled Darling Fiance' aside, requesting that he ride with me to the rehearsal dinner so that we could talk, but before we made it out of the parking lot, I had a breakdown. Yes, a full-out, cry-like-a-baby breakdown. At that moment it had all become just a bit too much for me. I wanted nothing more than to hide away in the cabin with Darling Fiance', Mom, and Dad while all the others enjoyed the rehearsal dinner. But then, there was a knock at the car window. Mom & Dad were standing there, beaming at me, so I tried to wipe away the tears before rolling down the window. Instantly realizing that I had been crying, their smiles dropped and they began probing. Finally, I explained. Saying just what I needed to hear, in their typical wisdom-filled parent fashion, they reminded me that "today was simply the storm before tomorrow's rainbow." This, I will not lie, made me grin! Pulling myself together, I realized that my wonderful friends and family waiting for us at the dinner were all simply trying to help, and that hiding away from them just wouldn't solve any problems. Darling Fiance' wiped away my tears, gave me one of his mega-watt grins, and together, with my parents, we made it over to the rehearsal dinner!
As soon as we took our seats between our parents, I surveyed the room and realized that everyone surrounding us loved us deeply. This thought, together with a delicious meal, left me feeling refreshed and revived! (I'm sure that handing out presents to all of the smiling-little ones and our loving-parents and bridal party certainly helped too!) Below are a couple snapshots from the dinner:
By the end of the wonderful meal, I felt renewed with energy and was ready to tackle the rest of the decorating, but before I could return to work, Darling Fiance' stole me away for a ride in our get-away vehicle--a brand new Dodge Charger! Let me tell you, this was certainly a treat! We finally had a few moments alone to reflect on the massive step that we were about to take, which was definitely much-needed! By the end of our drive, I was bursting with excitement to become Darling Fiance's wife!
My cousins Macey & Kelsey, members of the "Parade of Sweeties."
My girls & I!
By the end of the wonderful meal, I felt renewed with energy and was ready to tackle the rest of the decorating, but before I could return to work, Darling Fiance' stole me away for a ride in our get-away vehicle--a brand new Dodge Charger! Let me tell you, this was certainly a treat! We finally had a few moments alone to reflect on the massive step that we were about to take, which was definitely much-needed! By the end of our drive, I was bursting with excitement to become Darling Fiance's wife!
This excitement seemed to be contagious as we entered the Woodland Center where our closest family & friends were already back to work on the reception decor. For the next several hours we all worked tirelessly on steaming the table linens, opening the "cootie catchers," and arranging candles around the room, all the while swapping jokes and grins. Around 11 p.m. not only was the room humming with warm laughter, but things were certainly beginning to come together! Jennifer and I had teamed up to adorn the mantle and fireplace with hundreds of candles and sparkling glassware (I must say, we were quite the dynamic duo!) while the rest of the bridal party had finished opening all 200 "cootie catchers" (which turned out to be quite the hit with our guests!). Meanwhile, Mom, Sweet Sister, and some of Darling Fiance's friends and relatives had painstakingly steamed all 33 beautiful duchess-satin linens by hand. After all this hard work, I began to notice the drooping eyelids of our helpers, and after thanking them profusely, asked them to turn in for the night. While most gleefully obliged, Mom, Jennifer, and "The Anderson's" refused to leave until the room was finished. So together we spent the next 2 hours decorating the entry-way table, preparing the signs and bells for the "Parade of Sweeties," and creating the wonderful children's tables for the reception. These special tables were filled with candy and suckers galore; miniature cars and airplane favors; paper, crayons, and stickers for doodling; cute paper crowns and kid-friendly plates; and an "I Spy" camera scavenger hunt, complete with disposable cameras (which left us with hundreds of fun snapshots!). All in all, the little ones had goodies galore, and their mile-wide grins and crown-adorned heads on wedding day certainly made all the hard work worthwhile!
Finally, at 2 a.m., I dropped Jennifer off at her lodge room and bid the Anderson's goodnight. Together, my sweet Mommy and I made our way back to the cabin, where, unfortunately, my bridal insomnia continued its reign. While my parents slept peacefully in the room next door, I sat awake, struggling to write a special note to share with Daddy before the wedding. For days I had struggled to find the words to share with him. How do you sum up the love for your Daddy in one small note? How do you thank him for teaching you persistence and courage? How do you explain that he'll always be your first love? Finally, at 3 a.m., I found the words, and as the tears streamed down my cheeks, I penned the last note to my Daddy as a single woman.
As I tucked away the special card, I suddenly remembered our "childhood pictures" powerpoint. I still hadn't completed the timing for the show, so I quickly pulled out my laptop and began tapping through each photo, assigning a time to each slide. By 4 a.m., my insomnia was finally slipping away, and thankfully I had finished the powerpoint timing! As I scooted under the soft covers and laid my head atop the pillow, I suddenly felt something firm. Lifting up my pillow I found a beautiful soft pink satin pouch, embellished with a tiny white rose. Tugging at the drawstring, the bag opened and revealed a beautiful white "Bride's Bible," embellished with my new name and a sweet note from my Momma. Once again, tears filled my eyes and that night I fell asleep thanking my Lord for his wonderful blessings.
