2009-07-21

OMG it took me so long to write this and do the pictures! Anyways, finally the wedding post:

The wedding had me in a panic from the minute I awoke. I realized very belatedly that if everyone met at 9AM and my hairdresser appointment was at 9AM also, that I would have no time whatsoever to show people what I needed done to the outdoor pavilion to decorate it.

One friend had told me she was awake anytime after 7AM. I watched my clock tick 6:57, 6:58, 6:59 and ding it was 7:00 AM! Two mini seconds later I was calling her and asking for help much sooner, like 7:30 or 8:00. She was wondering why so early when I had mentioned 9ish before. I told her, �I think I�ve made a terrible mistake. I don�t know how I can show you what I need done before I go for my hair appointment and I�m not sure it can be done in 2 hours before the caterer, band and bakery arrive to set up. The wedding�s at noon. People will be coming by 11:30. It can�t be done in one hour between 9 and 10. Please help!�

Well Cate and her husband, Ken, and a mutual friend, Stacie, arrived within 45 minutes. We had to arrange picnic benches to form an aisle. We had to make sure we had enough picnic tables for everyone to sit inside the pavilion if it rained (thank God it didn�t).

Then the decorating began. I saw enough to know that they �got it� about what I had envisioned and Stacey stuck a mimosa in my hand and offered me a valium. I took the mimosa and refused the valium because I was a wreck and I had no idea if that valium would work too good and I�d be trying to find a place to sleep on my wedding day. I never finished that mimosa. I took it as the accepting of a thoughtful gesture and put it down in the car and drove to my hairdresser�s.

I was a wreck as it was but the hairdresser was late and I thought she�d forgotten! By ten past nine I was almost puking nervous. I was going to be UGLY on my wedding day! ACK! ACK! ACK! Then around the corner I saw her smiling face and breathed a deep sigh of relief. I had brought my daughter�s wedding veil as something borrowed. She warned me, �You be careful with this! One of my daughters might want to wear it!� I promised to be careful and to only wear it for the ceremony itself.

So the hairdresser created quite a nice hairdo that would look great with the veil and without it. We were almost finished when a mall cop ran in and said, �We�re evacuating the mall! Get out!� and my hairdresser said, �Not until I finish my bride!�. The guy actually said, �OK� and ran out. LOL! It was mostly just a funny smell, no flames, but what else could go wrong? Huh? Let�s see �

I drove back to my venue and two of my friends were still there decorating. It was almost 10:30! Thank God I asked for an earlier start time. Then I ran home and got dressed. I bought 4 bras in a buy one get one free deal. They were all on hangers that read the same size but I got into my white strapless dress that was only $32.50 (score!) and the top didn�t feel right. I couldn�t figure it out. Some of the bra peeked over the top of the dress. I had no time to figure it out so I pulled up the front as best as I could and went to my daughter�s for dress rehearsal.

We literally walked her living room twice and had run out of time. The girls got it but the guys wanted to cluster around Fred on each side. I had to get them in a line to his side and explain the concept of pairing up with my bridesmaids and my maid of honor as we went down the aisle. It was ten past twelve. I was late to my own wedding! No more rehearsal and off we went.

We lined up and people oohed and ahhed. My hair and make up really did come out quite good, I thought, and Fred had this wonderful Grateful Dead shirt on. I think we were stunning. The flower girl ( my youngest granddaughter ) went down the aisle and she dumped a small bucket of sand at the bottom of the aisle right in front of the JP. It was perfect placement for an 8 year old. She was excellent. Then my oldest daughter walked down the aisle and then my youngest daughter (we were trying to match the height sof Fred�s son and his friend�s to my daughter�s heights.) Fred was already to the JP�s left with his son next to him and his best friend after that. My daughter�s came after that and turned to the JP�s right. Everything was going perfect.

Finally I went down the aisle. My 88 year old father had been set up halfway down the aisle and I picked him up and he walked me, walker and all, down the aisle to give me away. Of course he�d taken out his hearing aid and didn�t hear the JP ask, �Who gives this woman in matrimony?� . So I was trying to prompt him saying,� Dad, say I do!�. The second time I prompted him he still just stood there until I said, �Dad the man is asking you who gives me away, say �I Do!�� and people kind of laughed. But suddenly he said, �Is someone talking to me?� and I said again, �Yes Dad, the JP is asking you who gives me away.� And he pulled himself up to his full height, pretty much lifting the walker, and took a big breath and in his most authoritarian voice said, �I DO!� and it boomed across the room. That shut them up! My brother came and escorted him back to his seat and the ceremony continued.

I kicked off my shoes and stood in the sand from my beach so I could say I got married at the beach. Fred said his part and I was thinking, �How the hell did he get through that without actually bawling?� I was misting up just hearing it. I actually teared up when I said my part, but at least I wasn�t bawling out loud. I had finally found someone who loved me and he was my family! It was a happy, happy moment that I wanted to cry out loud for.

Afterwards I changed out of my dress with the problem and found out it was a mis-marked bra that was a 44 D! No wonder it didn�t fit right. I�m big but not that big and I hated that people could see my bra if they looked. I got in jeans and a tie dye T-shirt and danced our first dance �Ball and Chain� by Jackie Greene and laughed through the whole thing. Here�s some lyrics:

Like a ball and chain
Like a ball and chain
She's in my veins
She's in my veins
I ain't the same
Since I heard her name
She's like a ball and chain
A ball and chain

Like a ball and chain
Like a ball and chain
I can't tame
Her wicked game
I ain't the same
Since I heard her name
She's like a ball and chain

It was a nice play on an old outdated way of thinking. Anyways here�s some pictures

Here is my Dad walking me down the aisle. I was afraid when they said �Who gives this woman away?� that he�d say �I keep giving her but no one keeps her!� He got a good sense of humor.

Dad Giving Me Away

Here�s my Flower girl turned Beach Sand girl. That�s my granddaughter (youngest) carrying sand from my beach. I didn�t think I could move my father and my grandmother down to the beach past the rocks ti the sand them move them again to a second venue. So the beach came to me.

Dad Giving Me Away

Here are my girls from front to back: My granddaughter, My oldest daughter and my youngest daughter. I had two maids of Honor!

My Girls

Here�s Fred�s guys: From left to right is Fred himself (notice his Grateful Dead wedding shirt we bought at Mountain Jam in New York), His son Josh and his friend Steve. They may have been casual but I was sticking a boutonniere on them anyhow!

Fred’s entourage

Here�s me during the ceremony itself standing in the sand of my beach. If you are shocked at my weight gain, well, I am too, But I�ll be damned if I�ll let it stop me from anything!

Getting Married!!

Here�s my band. It�s a great blues band but it was also doing covers of funk. Good to dance to and notice the banner I hung, It was part of our theme. We were going to do an arbor but two minutes after saying �I Do� it would have been in the way of the dance floor. This was better and it hung there all day.

It says ~ TODAY I MARRY MY BEST FRIEND

TODAY  I MARRY MY BEST FRIEND

I had a cupcake tree instead of a cake. It saved me the cutting, the serving and the smooshing in your face stuff. Everyone raved over them. I had ocean blue frosting with a white chocolate sea shell on top. The Sugar Plum Bakery in Kingston MA made them and were they yummy!

Cup Cake Tree

Finally here�s a picture of us after the ceremony. My smile is so big I look like I�m going to swallow poor Fred, but then again he looks pretty happy too! At this point the pressure was off and we could have a good time with our guests.

Fred and Me, MARRIED

Speaking of Good Times, here�s Fred and I abusing our neighbors. I�ve already changed and I think about a hundred people bought me a drink .. YIKES!

Good Times

And finally Fred�s Angels. From left to right is Mary (a crazy woman I used to work with) Fred, Me and Dot, who was probably the best boss I ever had and the reason we met in the first place. We both went to her good bye party when she was going to work in India. Fred called me up to take me out to lunch that Monday. I said, �Fred who?� and he almost hung up!

Fred’s Angels

I am so happy!


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Wedding