Whew! I’ve finally found some time to get the wedding pics up and write about the wedding. Wedding pics can be viewed here. This is the condensed version. I will be creating a web site of the wedding for a more detailed account, including our mishaps and the entire written ceremony.

Ok, the rundown. We left town Sunday morning (the 18th). Got to my parents’ house that afternoon. Nothing was going on on Monday, so my mom and I baked the shortbread cookies (which were used in place of a cake) and the pumpkin and honey wheat breads. Tuesday Crystal, my matron of honor, got into town, and we went to KMart to do some last minute shopping.Wednesday was set-up day. We all headed out to Camp Augusta (where the wedding was being held) to set up the lodge (where the reception was to be held). We got done just as everyone in the wedding party was arriving for the rehearsal. Once everyone was there we did a quick run-through of the ceremony, then had a nice small luncheon inside the lodge with cold cuts and such brought by Jay’s mom.

Thursday, November 22…the wedding day. We spent the night at a local motel with the boys. We got up early and Crystal showed up a little later to start getting my hair and make-up done. Jay went out to the camp ground. After applying make-up, braiding the sides of my hair and curling the rest, we were ready to head out.
We were running a bit behind and spent the next hour and a half getting everyone dressed, including me, and finishing any last minute set-up. We got a few pictures done before the ceremony, but family pictures had to be done later.

The time of the start of the wedding (2:00) came and went…my parents were running late. We literally couldn’t start the wedding without them as my dad was the one who was marrying us. Once they got there, we all headed down to the amphitheater, the outside area where the ceremony was held. Crystal organized the kids and the rest of the wedding party. With everyone ready, the ceremony began!

The kids, dressed as faeries and elves, walked down each side of the amphitheater throwing glitter to create sacred space. Then the bridesmaids walked down one side and the groomsmen the other, all holding candles. At the top of the hill, Jay and I got our candles lit by Elliott and Crystal, then they proceeded to walk down. Then it was our turn. We walked down each side of the amphitheater.
Once we were on the small wood ”stage”, my dad started reading. The points of it included a unity candle, the vows, the rings, and a handfasting cord.

After the ceremony, everyone went up to the lodge for the reception. Jay and I hung out for a few pictures of just us.
When we got up to the lodge, Elliott announced us. We took our seats and soon after, the toasts began. First the Loving Cup ceremony, hosted by Elliott. Then the personal toasts. Then it was time to eat! We had a big Thanksgiving-esque feast.
After the feast and the family pictures, it was time for the dances. Jay and I had our dance first. Our little niece came up and started dancing with us…it was so cute! Then it was time for the father/daughter dance. My dad whirled me around the floor and had me laughing. Then Jay danced with his mom.

Clean-up began shortly after that…though we thought everyone would stay a bit longer. My mom and I had just put out the shortbread and I had been running around the whole time and didn’t get much of a chance to visit with anyone. I was hoping that everyone would listen to music, relax, and hang out with us longer.
After we got everything cleaned up, Jay and I went back to the motel. We opened the gifts, then realizing how early it still was, went out for a dessert and to see a movie (we saw Beowulf…which we both liked).

So, in a nutshell…the day zoomed by and now it’s a week later. After 13 years, marriage feels no different than before…except for the ring that I still haven’t gotten used to.

Oooo, time has gone by so quickly. My wedding is a week from today! After a few problems with time constraints with the lady making the costumes (Crystal handled that…thanks!), we finally got them all! My dress and the two groomsmen costumes came Tuesday, and everything else (groom’s, best man’s, matron of honor’s, and two bridesmaids costumes) came today. Yay! We now have everything we need to pull off this wedding.

I have been having some not-so-great anxiety dreams (or nightmares) about something or other that goes wrong with the wedding. I know a lot of those have been brought on by not having everything. One dream was about getting through the ceremony only to find out we didn’t have a wedding license. A few days later, we got one and that dream hasn’t come back. Another was the night before my dress came…I dreamed that it was all wrong, but there was no time to change it. When I got the dress and saw how beautiful and perfect it is, that anxiety left me (though that whole day before I had it I had butterflies in my stomach). I know I won’t be able to relax too much…and the butterflies are likely to come back as the day draws nearer, but at least we have everything now and I don’t have to worry about something shipping out too late and not getting it. So that in itself is a huge relief.

So, the last week’s countdown has begun. Seven days left to go!

Wow, the wedding is getting close…less than 3 weeks left to go. I’m so excited!

I’ve been doing follow-ups with everyone today. I had to call the company making the costumes to make sure they’ll be done in time, since I need to have them in 2 weeks at the latest. They are on schedual, so that’s a relief. I haven’t received my niece’s faerie wings yet, so I had to call to make sure they’re on the way (they will be by Monday). I’m ordering my son’s and nephew’s elf costumes today. Had to wait on that to be sure the boys would fit in the costume…my son tried on my other nephew’s costume yesterday and it does fit.

It’s getting down to the wire. I’m trying to get everything organized and completed now. We’ve got the whole ceremony planned out, including the vows done…yay! I still have to finish putting the favors together, but that shouldn’t take me too long. The only things left to pay for are the wedding site (which we’re doing the day of), some rentals (linens, ect.), and the marriage license, which we’ll probably get on Jay’s next day off, since it’s cheaper in this county than getting it in the county we’re getting married in.

So…there’s the update. Last year all this seemed so far away, and now it’s almost here! I’m surprised with how fast it came.