Wedding Saga Part IV

Saturday, June 24th, morning

Considering I was told how anxious I’d probably be this night before the wedding, it was a struggle to get out of bed. The bachelorette party wore me out perfectly to sleep through the night. However, by 8:30 I threw on my bathing suit and shorts, kissed my almost husband as he slept off his bachelor party, and headed down to the lobby.

My original intention was to head straight to the hot tub at the pool, but that changed when I ran into Lynx. She’d just finished working out and was headed to the breakfast buffet and convinced me this was a good idea. It wasn’t as tasty as the Summit Diner but at least I didn’t have to drive anywhere. It turned out that Lynx and her husband, who was also still asleep, were in the room next to us. She promised us body work if we needed it. Pros definitely did, but I just wanted a good soak. She grabbed her suit and joined me in the hot tub for a while. It was so lovely to have a fairly normal conversation without a ton of emotion. After the rehearsal dinner, I was still a little drained and needed to recoup before the ceremony.

There was time to grab a quick shower to rinse off the chlorine and get my hair about as in shape as it would get before my dad would pick me up for a manicure appointment. Praise the SIL for making that appointment, as my hands were a disaster. Pros was just waking up as I was finished drying my bangs straight. He and the guys had found, in his words, “the cheapest bar in North America.” A bunch of the bikers were also there and kept him in whiskey and company well into the night. No lap dances for him, apparently, but that was to be expected in a town as quiet as Somerset.

SIL (here she is with my bro and K) and I had a great chat, although she was still very emotional about her grandmother’s passing. She was amazed at how much fun she’d had the night before and was already trying to plan a gathering of us all in the future. She was also doing marvelous work in keeping my parents calm and out of my hair. I marveled again at my brother’s great fortune for finding such a wife.

The time between returning from the manicure and leaving for Green Gables was a mix of napping and nerves. I wasn’t nervous about getting married, just anxious to get things started. Pros and I slept, listened to the radio, grabbed lunch with Lynx and Tony then slept some more…

By the time I was supposed to meet Doc to drive to Green Gables, I was insane to get out of the hotel. Unfortunately, Doc has never been as hyperpunctual as I am. When I worked for her and signed in patients for their 8:30am appointments, I usually knew she wouldn’t even see the front of the building until at least 9. This time, we had fifteen minutes to be at Green Gables as I’d promised my parents, but Doc was still in the shower. I simply clenched my jaw and tried to not throw the box with my dress in a hissy Bridezilla fit. It wasn’t like they’d shrug and start the ceremony without me, right? Besides, Doc drives insanely fast. We’d get there reasonably on time.

To be continued!

Wedding Saga Part III

Friday, June 23^rd, evening

The wedding rehearsal, according to my conversation with Green Gables owner Teresa, was to start at 6:30 so that we could make it to the 7:30 rehearsal dinner. Unfortunately, Theresa had written it down for 7:00 and was busy with the wedding in progress. Fortunately, this was just fine as the best man was still enroute with our officiant. They made it by 6:45, hugs were exchanged with a very tired Cats, and we got organized.

The rehearsal itself was quick and more of a logistics plot between Cats and Teresa. My one concern was location. We had originally decided the back lawn would be an ideal setting, but Pros and I had realized that the patio overlooking the lawn would be a much better idea. Dad wanted to stick with the original plan and pointed out the improving weather. Pros pointed out the standing pools of water on the lawn. I pointed out how much we had spent on my wedding dress while pointing out said pools. Cats pointed out that she could conduct the service just fine from the exact point where she was standing. Teresa pointed out that we would all fit on the patio with no problem. Point, set, match.

Mom drove Cats back to Quill Haven to change clothes before dinner while the rest of us headed back to the Quality Inn. We were a little late due to the drive from Green Gables, so we entered the room to sighs of relief and some applause. Lots of cousins, tons of teachers (including my high school principal) and my new grandfather in law were there. I was amazed how happy New Grampa was to meet me, considering I had heard he wasn’t fond of anyone of any kind of ethnic minority. My Grampa, as usual, had the camera going at full tilt. This is a man who took pictures of the buffet at my 30^th birthday party, so I just shook my head and insist that not all pictures be posed so I could get a glass of wine during photos. Thankfully, he agreed long enough to pose with me and the wine glass.

As we settled in for dinner, I realized that Lynx and her husband were still not there. I wanted to call her to make sure she was okay, but realized I didn’t have her cell phone number, leaving me to stare at her place card on the front table. Cats kept me distracted by insisting that she sit in between Pros and me through dinner. I’ve known Cats a long time. Having her for a chaperone was one of the funniest moments of the weekend.

I’d talked about the rehearsal dinner with Pros’ stepmom, The Southern Belle. Belle agreed that something Cats had done at her rehearsal dinner was a good idea, so as we finished eating, she stood and requested everyone who wanted to talk, stand up in turn (she’s also a teacher and would have called on raised hands if need be) and tell the story about how they knew us. Oy, the stories had me laughing and blushing. My mother insisted on telling about the time I screamed at a rooster so loudly it keeled over dead. Hey, I was a toddler! About two thirds of the way through, Lynx and hubby stumble into the party and are quickly fed. The poor dears were caught in yet another downpour outside of Pittsburgh!

Somehow, Cats had the last word. Cats’ speech was, at first, identical to the story I told at her rehearsal dinner, and I’ll take the time to tell the story. Cats was a transfer student to Muhlenberg College, but her brother was already a sophomore. She was fine with his pals, but wanted to make her own friends. She went to the drama club party and made the mistake of bringing her brother’s friend Mitchell, a total letch. She realized this and decided to ditch him by sneaking off into a side room, which happened to be mine. I had a single room, but there was enough floor space for a sleeping bag and nothing else. Somehow, there were at least twenty people jammed in there. Cats popped her head into this room and yelled, “HIDE ME!!!” She then JUMPED OVER several people and landed on the bed behind me. By the time Mitchell made it to my dorm room door, Cats was totally hidden and safe. Later, she commented that she’d been at school for weeks and just wanted a friend of her own. Within a minute, I had her phone number committed to memory, and within two days we were inseparable on campus.

This story may have caused the only time I cried the whole weekend.

I could say a thousand things about the bachelorette party, but I'll limit it to the highlights:

• An overabundance of redheads
• Loud and fun cover band
• Several rounds of drinks with an amazing group of gals
• One lap dance from two of said amazing gals
• Two bikers attracted by one lap dance
• One bride shipped off to bed!

To be continued!