It all started eight months ago when we were venue shopping. We decided on a location that was old and different and magnificent... but it needed a huge amount of decorating. We would manage our own bar. We would get the family to help decorate. We'd hire caterers and have live bands play on stage..... it was dreamy. A couple of weeks later we learned construction would be taking place at that location at the time of the wedding! Eeeep!
And there it all began.
We called a venue we thought would be nice. Apparently, it's not so easy to book venues for weddings seven months before your wedding. Who knew? They had just had a cancellation on the date we wanted it. Phew! It turns out that venue was MUCH LESS work. A couple of hours of family helping out and that was it. Definitely less stress than our first choice.
Actually, it began earlier than the venue.... it began with the dress. I took my daughter prom dress shopping in Halifax. She and my best friend begged me to go into a bridal gown shop.... I finally agreed and did not like one dress in the entire shop. But I humored them and tried on a few. At about the fifth dress, I found it! It was perfect. And it was on sale! Like... really, really on sale! Woohoooooo!!!!!
As we planned the wedding bit by bit, things were falling into place but some things weren't as fast as others. About three weeks before the wedding, we had no photographer. So I searched online and found one that I liked. I emailed him with the wrong date. He said he was available. HOWEVER, when we realized the date had been wrong, he said he WAS NOT available that date..... BUT, he just had a cancellation and could then be available! I kid you not! A week before the wedding, my cousin asks who's doing my photography. My response.... "Some guy..... I think his name is Nate Gates." Her response.... "WHAT? NATE GATES?! He is THE wedding photographer! People plan their weddings around him!" Who knew?!?!
So then there was the room. I booked a large room... a suite... for the guys to get ready in and then we'd stay there that night. They wouldn't let us reserve an early check-in until a couple of days before the wedding so we weren't even sure it would be available for the guys. It turns out the early check-in was fine... AND we got an upgrade! Big huge room with a Jacuzzi (which we were too tired to use), a view of the St. John's narrows, and free breakfast (which we missed due to getting up too late:)!
Oh... then there was the make-up. My daughter and I were going to get our make-up done. But I booked it too late, of course, and the salon was completely booked that day. We then decided my daughter would do my make-up, and honestly, it's the best make-up job anyone could have done. She was awesome! And it was special to have her do my make-up on my wedding day.
It didn't end there. The people who had a wedding at our venue the night before us left their vases of flowers, which were absolutely gorgeous.... and we used them! We didn't have video planned and my brother got the ceremony on video. My mom was late for her hair appointment and her hair dresser couldn't take her. She got in with someone else because they just had a cancellation! We forgot to arrange a receiving line, and at the last minute, at the end of the ceremony, the officiator asked if we wanted to do it then and there. That went smoothly and perfectly. It was supposed to rain.... but it didn't....well, it sprinkled a little but not much... and the overcast day was perfect photography weather. Everything that could have been perceived at a dilemma was made better.
Of course, you can't have a wedding without a few mishaps.
When we arrived in our hotel room and we were about to crash.... I realized something.... I had no overnight bag. No clothes. No shoes. No cleaning supplies. No MAKE-UP REMOVER! What is a bride to do??? Well... wash her face with soap (that was the worst part) and wear her new husband's clothes the next day, of course! Because I had to wear Terry's flip flops...which were way too big but the clothes almost fit.... Terry had to wear a spare pair of shoes he had tucked away in his bag. He hadn't worn them in a while.... and he found a head lamp we'd lost and had been looking for since last year!!! Serious.
On our way home after our wedding bliss, we stopped into our venue to pick up a few supplies we'd left there the night before. And this one takes the cake......
We packed our things into our car. We had an amazing three layer cake.... of which two layers were returned to us. A cake was missing! Through the rigs and the reels, it was concluded that someone must have stolen the cake. That was not all. A big bag of candy was also missing! We have yet to see any of it.
And the moral of all this is this...
We are happy. No missing cake could ever change how happy we are. We have made a beautiful step in our relationship and are grateful for wonderful friends and family with whom we celebrated. And if someone had a sweet tooth big enough to take a cake and a bag of candy, they should be the one who eats it. (We still have cake.... and we are going to eat it too!)
Namaste
