You're My Everything: Rise, Shine, and Get Pretty!

Fortunately, I had no problem falling asleep on Friday night.  I think I was so totally zonked from the prior week that falling asleep was the only natural response at that point.  Waking up, though, was a different story.  My 7:00 AM hair appointment meant I had to be in the shower by about 5:45 AM.  As a result, instead of waking up refreshed and ready to take on the day, I woke up tired.  Not like "man, I'm a little sleepy but I'll rally" tired.  More like "I could crawl back into bed and be asleep within 10 seconds but I have to stay awake because it's my wedding day and I have to get my hair done" tired.  Even though I didn't feel like a blushing bride as I dragged my butt out of bed, I didn't really have any time to reflect on my fatigue, because it was finally the big day!!

While planning, I decided to do something a little different with the beautification process for myself and my bridesmaids.  I had one bride, seven bridesmaids, and two mothers to get all done up before pictures began at roughly 11:00 that morning.  Originally, I really wanted all of us to get ready at the same place so as to kick off the wedding morning in style.  After evaluating the timeline and how many hairdos had to be created, I realized that just wasn't happening.  Instead, I opted to pair my bridesmaids up and send them to local salons so as to expedite the process.  I was a little sad to see my desires for a big "getting ready" bash evaporate, but, you know what?  That time on Saturday morning when it was just me and my hairdresser was exactly what I needed.  I wasn't fully awake yet, I wasn't ready to be the center of attention yet, and I most certainly wasn't ready to feel the urge to direct people and answer questions yet.  A slow start turned out to be ideal for this bride.

After getting hairsprayed to high heaven, I headed back home to squeeze in some food and relaxation with some of my closest ladies.  My mom had cooked up a storm of finger foods with a bridal bruncheon, which we happily downed.

Photo by Christina Garber

While we munched, we talked about a crazy gamut of topics that were random and only borderline appropriate for wedding day chit-chat.  Nevertheless, remembering the surreality of those conversations on the morning of my wedding day always brings a smile to my face.  I glanced at the clock and realized that the photographer was arriving in ten minutes and let's just say we were far from ready for our glamor shots.  We all scurried upstairs to my bathroom to finish putting our faces on and prepare to slip into our average Saturday finest.

 Photo from BM E

Photo from BM J

Despite all the hubbub going on in that one teeny bathroom, I was in a complete daze putting on my make-up.  I was trying to be as careful and precise as possible, in addition to keeping the growing population of butterflies in my stomach under control.  It was perfect to get ready in the comfort of my own home - I had all of my amenities and emergency supplies at my fingertips, but, more importantly, I had the perfect blend of privacy and support at my disposal.  After the last swipe of mascara, the make-up was officially done, and I was just a dress and a veil away from being a bride!

 Please note my awesome monochromatic get-up.  Also note my obvious lack of a button-down top to accommodate my carefully crafted hairdo.  Good planning.
Photo from BM B

• We spent a low-key night with some of my friends and family.
• We ran some errands and received some one-of-a-kind brewskies.
• I had a moderate-sized freak-out at the rehearsal.
• I went toe-to-toe with the priest over a few significant details.
• We expressed our gratitude to our bridal party, without any tears (almost)!
• We dined and drank our way through our rehearsal dinner.
• We threw an after party with a birthday twist.