Hello hello! Okay, I am officially really excited to get married this weekend. 🙂 We are finally at a point where just about everything is finished, and the things that are still left to do are little and fun. I am still working all day today, and once the work day is over I think it will finally feel real.
We had our rehearsal and the accompanying dinner last night and it was SO MUCH FUN.
Everything went great at the venue beforehand – we just ran through the ceremony a couple of times and made sure everybody knew where they needed to be and when. Then we all drove the 10-ish minutes over to The Clarkston Union for dinner!
We had rented out their basement bar for our group of about 20, and it really could not have worked out more perfectly. Chris, Jenna, and I had stopped in their earlier to check on the setup and drop off some flower vases that doubled as decorations and favors for our guests. They had also set up burlap/lace table runners and lit a ton of candles all over the tables. It was so cute!
When we got there, we all got drinks at the bar and snacked on some chips and salsa to start. We could not stop raving over their salsa – it was unreal. Chris’s dad gave a funny, beautiful toast that I think brought just about everybody (including myself) to tears. One of his groomsmen also got up and said some really insightful things about marriage. Then it was time to eat!
Chris and I and his dad had chosen a buffet menu offering a bunch of different food options. The Union is known for their delicious barbecue, so we offered a house salad, macaroni and cheese, cheesy potatoes, brown sugar rubbed salmon, brisket, and corn muffins. We also had a bunch of different barbecue sauces on the side. It was all so delicious.
Dessert was an assortment of gourmet cupcakes from the bakery next door that The Union owns. These were crazy delicious, too. I just picked all the frosting off of a peanut butter one. 🙂
I had such a good time hanging out with all of our best friends and family, laughing, drinking, and eating good food. I felt so much love from everybody last night, and I think that was really the catalyst to get me excited for this upcoming weekend.
I was especially thankful for my bridesmaids (half of them are my sisters) last night. They knew there were a few things on my mind and did a great job to make me forget about them and just focus on having fun. And they are all so beautiful. I am so lucky to have such a good looking group of girls standing up in our wedding!
I was also so happy to get to spend time with my dad last night. He is such a sweet man, and pretending to walk down the aisle with him really got me excited to do it for real on Sunday.
Lastly, Chris. I would not have been able to do this wedding planning process without him. He has kept me sane, bought me wine when I had a hard day, made me laugh when I was crying, and always been willing to take my mind off of it by watching our favorite TV shows together. I could not be more thrilled to be marrying him this weekend!
After dinner, we all hung out there for a while having a few more drinks and eventually headed home around 9. We were exhausted, but managed to fit in an episode of Ellen before sleeping hard for almost 9 hours.
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Going back and writing this post, I just feel such an overwhelming sense of love. Even though I have certainly had stressful moments and encounters with some people since we got engaged, everything and everyone is finally coming together. I think that the pressure of planning a wedding is heightened by society, and it is so important to remember the reason for doing it all.
Today I have to pick up a few last-minute gifts, hopefully finish packing for our honeymoon, write my vows, and get a really good workout in. After work my bridesmaids and I are going to get our nails done and then going to one of my favorite restaurants for dinner. I can’t wait!
Tomorrow I’ll start the day with my favorite hot yoga class like usual, work with Chris to get the house ready and get all packed, and then we will head to my parents house to help them finish putting everything together. I am planning on spending the night at my parents house the night before the wedding, which will be weird and exciting!
Then we will get married on Sunday and head to Jamaica first thing Monday morning. 🙂
This will be my last blog post for about two weeks. I am really looking forward to completely unplugging on our honeymoon and just focusing on Chris and I. 10 days with no computer, work phone, or any worries? Yes please. We are staying at an all-inclusive, adults-only resort. It is definitely probably going to be a once-in-a-lifetime kind of trip for us!
I will be sure to check in when I get back with some wedding and honeymoon recaps. I hope you have a great day, weekend, and next two weeks and I’ll talk to you soon. 🙂
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