It was the best day ever. There is of course just too much to relate so I will probably just break it into a few scattered entries.
Starting with Friday: the rehearsal, the dinner, and the hotel slumber party. We ran through the supershort ceremony three times just to make sure we would remember everything. It all started becoming very, very real at that point, of course. The flowers are blooming in the Forest Hill Clubhouse courtyard, providing a springy pink, yellow, and green backdrop. After the rehearsal, the whole group of families and attendants headed back to our place for the dinner party.
Brian’s family was amazingly helpful and awesome in prepping for the party. I was absolutely impressed by how ready everything was the moment we got back. There was a table of appetizers and drinks, and the grill was ready to go for burgers and kebabs. I ran around trying to talk to everyone and make sure everyone was ok. The cats were totally mellow and friendly as usual. Tamara’s son Ian came with them to the party and was adorable, playing with Casey’s daughter Hannah and rollling around on the sheepskin throw in the office.
At around nine, things were winding down, so I got all my stuff together to go to the hotel suite for the night with my girls. Tamara was all mysterious and seemed to have a lot of luggage for just one night. Once in the suite, she started pulling champagne bottles out of the cooler, yay!! Champers, strawberries, and chocolate. YUMMAY. We put on our jammies and hung out until one a.m. laughing and drinking and listening to the clock radio stations.
I didn’t sleep so well because I kept waking up and letting my brain spin with wedding details.
In the morning, we all got up and basically started putting on makeup and prepping. My brother’s girlfriend Alantra is a hairdresser and came over to start doing my hair, which involved a set of hot rollers, a curling iron, a half can of hairspray, and three dozen bobby pins. By the end I had this full do of lush curls, pulled off my face, and adorned with little white flowers and a few pearl-topped pins. It was, as Ert said, “Loretta Lynn hair, in a good way.” It was hot.
After much logistical wrangling, we finally headed to the Clubhouse. We had left the gowns there the night before, so planned to change in the venue dressing room. The skies were pretty grey, so I fretted and had a tummy ache. I had been worrying all week long about the rain that was being predicted for Saturday.
So, cut to an hour later, I’m in the dressing room, in my gown, basically ensconced in my bridal lair until my dramatic entrance at 2:00. Which is of course when the skies cleared and the sun began to shine brightly. During the wait I kept peeking out the window at everyone arriving, and peeking at Brian getting to chat with everyone. My amazing bridesmaids brought me some appetizers, which were fantastic. I wish I could have eaten more of them, but my stomach had too many butterflies to eat very much at that point. I paced around, sat on the floor, and asked people what time it was.
At last it was time, and my ladies helped me to the staircase and down to the landing. Then as they headed up the aisle with the groomsmen, I took my dad’s arm and waited for my turn. The jazz quartet was playing “Here, There, and Everywhere.” I started walking into the shady courtyard and saw all my friends and family sitting there in the white folding chairs, looking at me. Then I think I just got tunnel-vision because I saw Brian down there at the end and just couldn’t stop smiling. He’s so damn handsome. Awooo!!
There’s lots more to tell but I have a lot to do before the honeymoon starts tomorrow. The wedding was absolutely incredible and I don’t think I have ever been happier. I totally love my husband. Wow! Maaaaah huzzzzzbind.
YAY! Congratulatins!! I wish I could have been there. It sounds like it indeed was a wonderful day. I can’t wait to see pictures (hint, hint).
Have a fantabulous honeymoon with your new HUZZBIND.
Thanks Andie! I wish you could have been here too, but I understand. 🙂 Pics will be up sometime in the next few weeks I hope.
congrats! i’m glad things went well for you, i know it is a very stressful thing to go through but once t hings fall into place, everything is okay 🙂
Thank you! Yeah it was pretty stressful, but I was always focused on why I was there. I just could not WAIT to see my man. It kinda sucked to have to sit up in the dressing room and wait and be nervous.
yeah, i know what you mean. our wedding wasn’t until 6:00…that was such a long time to be in the same building but not be able to see him!
It was one fine, fine wedding. Thanks so much for inviting me, ginger. It was a great, memorable day. And you looked FIERCE.
I was a litttle teeny bit distracted yesterday and forgot to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY MATT!! And it was wonderful to meet you!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MATT!!
You’re very fucking cool to even remember. You had a big day!
When you get a chance, search for yourself in the Disco. We’ve been posting about it. HAVE A GREAT HONEYMOON.
Hooray, MRS. Jane! It sounds wonderful!
Best wishes to you and your happy life!
xoxoxoxoxo
I second Karen! Please post the pictures!!
Thank you!! There will be pics in a couple weeks. I can’t wait to see them too!
And congratulations on your new apartment Olivia! It really sounds wonderful.
Congratulations, Jane. I really wish I could have been there, but I’m so happy for you and Brian. I’m so happy for–and jealous of–you!
JEALOUS OF MY NINJA?? Hee. Thank you Nick. I didn’t know you wanted to be there! Is it because it was also a mighty, mighty Disco Pancake F2F? 😉
I hope to see you this summer!
all sounds so wonderful! congratulations Jane!
Thank you! I don’t know how I managed to pull it off, honestly…
Congratulations!!!
Beautiful, simply beautiful! Don’t you just feel giddy when you say the word “husband”? I did, throughout our honeymoon!
Post some pics when you get back from your honeymoon, you hear?
Thanks! I’ll get the pics up soon I hope. I haven’t even seen them yet! Next weekend hopefully.
Congratulations! It sounds fabulous. I am glad the weather cooperated. Yay to the start of a fabulous life with Brian!
Thank you WB 🙂 It was so much fun and I have never had eight hours go by faster.
So great…
Janio, it was a truly lovely, lovely wedding. And as far as I could tell, everything went off with out a hitch! Well, okay, YOU got hitched, but that’s the only hitch I saw.
Your brother, his girlfriend and your dad are LOVELY people. I really especially enjoyed chatting your father up. What a sweet guy, and boy is he crazy about his little girl! (He mentioned several times how totally thrilled and touched he was that you opted to be “old fashioned” and have him walk you down the aisle, by the way.)
Thank you so much for inviting us. The girls had a wonderful time, as did I.
Re: So great…
Thank you SO MUCH for coming Leigh! As with all my guests, I wish we had had more time to chat. I am really happy you brought the girls. Having kids at the wedding turned out to be a wonderful thing. They looked so damn cute! yay.
And thank you also for your kind words about my dad and my bro and his girlfriend. I was so proud of my brother for playing piano at my wedding, it all just seemed to come full circle since he had been playing since I was a little kid. And haha my dad being sentimental! I knew it! He was all, “oh, whatever you want to do, I don’t mind either way” about the whole going down the aisle bit. Har.
hell yeah!!!! what a great day it was. your wedding was fun and funny and beautiful. perfect. woo!
Thanks ertie! Your help with everything meant the world to me, btw. I could NOT have done it without my girls. I can’t believe I considered not having bridesmaids for like 2 minutes. Unthinkable. And if you ever want anyone to stand up there with you, I’d be honored. *smooo*
Congrats
Hi Jane!!! I have been browsing around your site for a while now and wanted to say “hi” and that I am so happy for you and Brian. Hope you have a lovely life together! Keep up the wonderful journal…
Wendy
jazznorleans@yahoo.com
wedding vows
If it’s not too personal, I would love to have your vows to read again. I know I almost lost it hearing them. You were truly beautiful and the amazing organization to accomplish the marvelous stroke of the best wedding I’ve heard or seen.
Of course, it didn’t rain, except long enough to get everyone to come in and find the appetizers and the jazz combo to discover your brother “noodling” on the the grand piano. Your father was so impressed by his ability, and then you went to join in and sing too. WOW.
Re: wedding vows
Thanks mom. 🙂 I am hoping to get our vows back from Dave soon. He said he had something special in mind, maybe framing them?
I don’t know how I did it, but it somehow turned out pretty much as I envisioned. I only wish I had had more time to spend with everyone, including you! I don’t know how some people invite 100 or 200 people to their wedding and then expect to talk to any of them…