I KNOW we've been married four months, but how many times do you get to blog your own wedding? The answer to that questions is hopefully only once.
Today's post will be focusing on the Rehearsal part of our Rehearsal Dinner. The Dinner will be a different post because seriously the amount of pictures is going to be obscene.
First of all, I really recommend that you wear false eyelashes for the entirety of your wedding weekend. Alyssa says that you want them to be a little bit understated the day of your wedding, so I say for your Rehearsal Dinner, you really just go all out. Go to CVS (there is no reason to spend any more than $7.00 on a pair of false eyelashes) and find the biggest pair you can find. Smack those on your face and you will feel like a million bucks. Also, be sure to take pictures with your puppy before you leave. And also your parents.
While the Legnettis were yucking it up in our kitchen and alternately screaming and reapplying lipstick (not my Dad on either accounts) my friends were already at the church. I love my friends more than anything, but I will be the first one to tell you that they are the latest group in the history of the world. Just the worst. So I might have told them that the Rehearsal started 45 minutes before it did. Here they are walking into the church in the daylight. By the time we got there it was dark!
Before you look at the next picture, I want you to know that I was not a crazy Bridezilla who told everyone they needed to wear black. As we all started taking off our coats, you could hear "I'm wearing black, too!" and before we knew it, we all matched.
I felt pretty regular the entire day before the wedding until everyone started showing up at the church. As I said hello to everyone I thought to myself "Holy crap how am I ever going to get through this weekend without crying the entire time?" The answer to that question is that I basically cried the entire weekend. You've been warned.
Our Priest, Father Chris (who I knew from high school) arrived and then we got to practicing! He had left the list we had made about bridal party pairings in his office so he, John and I stood in the back of the lobby basically yelling at each other "Aaron? Bridget?" "I think Aaon was with Becca? Or was it Tammy? Jay is still at the airport so Becca is going to walk in alone, WHO DID WE SAY DAVE WAS WALKING WITH?" We finally figured it out and off we went.
I LOVED my practice bouquet. Its made of all the bows and ribbons from my shower gifts and I swear I would have used it the day of the wedding but we had already spent all that money on a florist. Engaged women I say to you: do not let your bridesmaids put you in a bow/ribbon hat at your bridal shower! Hire my cousin Bridget to make you a bouquet like this one! Bridget is a teacher but I think she missed her calling with bows and ribbons.
Here I am crying.
John: "Babe, why are you crying?"
Me: "I'm just so happy, aren't you so happy?"
John: "Yeah, but that's why I'm not crying"
Alexander practiced carrying rings and Mickey and Jack practiced their readings. Alyssa practiced fixing my dress and John and I practiced our first kiss which we had spoken about extensively prior because it is so much pressure.
Before I got married I was one of those people who thought "Pssshh, why do you need to practice? You just walk in and get married!". Having now been through it I will say that everyone should practice. I don't even think you need a dinner after, but seriously you need to get your jitters out. John and I were also the first of our friends to get married, so we were a bridal party full of wedding virgins and I it could have been a messy situation had we not practiced the night before.
We also practiced our receiving line. Look how serious we all look! My Dad is like "How many people do we have to kiss hello?" I also love the mural of Jesus behind us (hahaha!).
Here are some of my other favorite pictures from that night:
Two of these three are as tall as me and the third one is coming up quick.
This is a pretty accurate representation of how I felt that night! Also, seriously look at the bouquet!
Me with Becca and Jared before we started. I made Jared sing all of Ave Maria at the rehearsal even though Father Chris said we didn't need to practice it. I pulled the bride card and said I wanted to hear it...all of it. I love Ave Maria and I love it even more when Jared sings it.
I love this picture for so many reasons. First its my two favorite men in the world. Second, they are wearing super similar outfits. You'd be surprised at how much this happens in our family because my Mom is basically in charge of both of their wardrobes. See that sweater John is wearing? My Mom picked it out.
And THIS is my favorite picture of me and John ever. Ever, ever, ever. We could have gotten no pictures the rest of the weekend and I would have been happy.
No comments