Our Fabulous Winter Wedding: Day Before and Rehearsal

I am finally read to begin our winter wedding recaps. I have been away from the blog so long and I've really missed it! I thought I would be back much sooner, but I've been working really hard at getting our house put together and working full-time from home. Shortly after the wedding, my part-time freelance gig opened up to a full-time one and I've been trying to learn how to balance work and play again! I'm finally getting caught up from the move and living in a hotel {which I do not recommend}.

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The day of the rehearsal, I woke up early to head into the salon with my mom to mani-pedis. The weather in the days prior had been nasty: freezing rain, etc. It was a muddy, mucky mess outside, and I totally spaced and wore flats instead of flip-flops. So we waited around the salon for my toes to dry a bit longer and headed off.

My mom and I ran some last minute errands. I had totally forgotten the special undergarment I was planning to wear. The JCPenney in my hometown was lacking in that department, so we made a trip to WalMart and I found the exact one I'd left at my house in Mississippi {and paid nearly double for at a department store}. Then we headed back home to finish up two projects and get all of the out of town bags loaded into my cousin's SUV to take to the hotel. My cousin and his eight-months pregnant wife were instrumental in getting stuff to and from places. They were so much help over the weekend it was wonderful! I am incredibly lucky to have fabulous cousins who are just like siblings.

Most of my bridesmaids were arriving in town by now. One of them, T came out to my parents' house to help me finish up a very last minute guestbook. It had dawned on me the week before that I really really wanted a Polaroid guestbook {since Polaroid was on its deathbed at the time}, so T worked to put photo corners on the pages and make up some directions for a sign to make it easier for people to figure it out. {I promise to post photos and how-tos eventually.}

Before I knew it, it was time to shower and meet everyone at the church. I rushed around getting dressed and fixing my hair while my sister and her kids got ready downstairs. My mom and I drove separately and my step-dad headed into town to pick up my dad. At the last minute, I went upstairs to the bathroom to retrieve something I'd forgotten under the sink. I was in a hurry because we were running a bit late. As I closed the cabinet door it slipped out of my hand and smashed my finger.

{Skip this if you're squeamish.} The door cut a huge chunk of skin off my pointer finger on my left hand. I was flipping out, blood was gushing everywhere and for some reason my parents were completely out of bandaids. My sister, ever the mother, dug around and found a bandaid somewhere in a bag. The cut was small, but it was really throbbing. I was still really upset and convinced that this one little cut was going to ruin all of the wedding photos. Haha. Looking back, there aren't even any close ups of our hands! I didn't wear a bandaid during the ceremony, just at the reception, and there is only one photo that even shows it.

We arrived at the church and said hello to all of our family and friends. I hadn't seen bridesmaids S and C in over a year and S was pregnant again! I was so excited to see our friends. Courtesy of the Air Force, only one groomsman was at the rehearsal, the rest were due in late that night or early the morning of the wedding. Once everyone arrived, we all gathered around and Father ran through the ceremony, which took longer than we'd planned. Catholic masses are notoriously long, and the rehearsal itself ended up taking longer than the actual ceremony.

Bridesmaid T, it turns out, had only come to my house that afternoon under the guise of helping me–she really was there to pick up the bag of bows leftover from my showers from my mom and sister. Upon arrival at the rehearsal, she broke out a gorgeous ribbon bouquet. Dare I say, it looks almost as good as my real bouquet! I'll make T show us how she crafted it some day.

My nephew Dawson and niece Mady were really excited about their job.

I started the ugly cry just practicing the walk down the aisle with my dad and step-dad. After this first practice, it was suggested that I only link arms with my dad {on the left} and let my step-dad rest his hand on my other elbow.

We ran through the ceremony once, the processional and recessional a few times and then headed to dinner forty minutes away at the hotel. After much discussion, we decided to keep things simple and have the rehearsal dinner in the smaller side of the same hotel ballroom the reception would be in the next night. Most of our wedding party was coming from out of town, and it just worked well this way. After the rehearsal, I rode with my mom, step-dad, dad and T to the dinner.

Up next...the rehearsal dinner and a small surprise!

All photos on this post are non-pro photos, courtesy of my aunt. Photos © HaselBride.

Comments

[Carla]

I managed to cut the entire top of my knuckle off while trimming roses for my wedding. Thank GOD for butterfly bandages! I had to keep it in a big ugly splint all weekend but during the ceremony I took it off and wrapped my hanky around my finger just enough that it wouldn't show.
Almost a month later I am finally able to bend it and I'm starting to get feeling back in the tip of it.

[Allison Hasel]

Oh my God! I thought my experience was bad. I cannot imagine losing that much of a finger before my wedding. I probably would have had a meltdown! Glad your hand is finally getting back to normal!

[Carla]

my wedding pics came in. Come on over and check 'em out. You are allowed to laugh at my finger.

[Never teh Bride @ Home]

That's awesome that you had your ribbon bouquet at the rehearsal! I might have done the same, except the restaurant where my bridal shower was held had NO paper plates! They ended up giving us a sombrero and someone attached ribbons and bows to that. Not particular conducive to carrying...