I feel I owe you the wedding story. We're only a liiiiiiiiittle overdue/out of order these days!
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| Love this guy. |
We told our parents in due time, and at first, our plan was to be kinda Kourtney and Scott* about it all, and like, we knew we'd get married eventually. What was the rush?
*Bad example? Kourtney and Scott have since broken up. :/
Well, there was never a RUSH, per se, but people kept giving us good reasons why we might want to consider speeding up our plans. Logistically, with a baby en route, it seemed to make a lot of sense to just seal the deal/tie the knot beforehand. Our families seemed to push for it, too. Finally, I just bit the bullet, and I was like, I can plan a wedding in a few months. Can everyone else make this work?
As it turned out, yep!
It may have helped that I was married previously and had already gone through the motions when it came to the planning. But I swear, I set up 95% of the wedd just like, during my dinner break at work. (Not even MANY dinner breaks. Maybe three? Haha). I'm a planning monster.
First, we found a date that seemed like it'd work for our friends and families. Then, I emailed the Iroquois Club, which I had visited previously, years ago actually, and always kept my eye on. As it turned out, they'd just gotten a cancellation for July 26. The date was all ours if we wanted it! I mailed them a check immediately to hold the space.
We decided to do both the ceremony and the reception there -- it just seemed easy. The original plan was to hold the ceremony in one room, let our guests mingle off to the side with mimosas afterward, and the staffers would then flip the space into tables, chairs and the reception setup.
But as it turned out, no one else ended up booking the other half of the building. So it was really spacious! We held the ceremony in one room, then guests were able to transition to the room next door, where the brunch setup was already in place. Perfection! I think we had 50-ish people? (How am I forgetting already?) It was small, you get the picture.
We decided on brunch instead of dinner just because the wedding was so low-key. I figured Sunday would be cheaper to book than a Saturday, so why not get our guests in and out at a relatively early hour? (Plus, who doesn't love brunch food? Best meal of the day, in my opinion).
Also, as a bride who wouldn't be drinking ... I didn't want to watch everyone else have TOO much fun without me! (Kidding/not kidding/can't decide). Still, brunch seemed like a good opportunity to host an open bar, but keep costs lower. We figured people would indulge a bit, but not as hard as they would have on a Saturday night with a dance floor and a DJ. (It really wasn't that kind of wedding anyway). But all these thoughts definitely ran through my mind, especially as we were the ones hosting!
Really though, I'd never planned on being a pregnant bride. At first, I thought it'd be a huge downer. Maybe that's what made us say originally, "we'll just get married next summer!" But I'm really happy we knocked it out when we did. A) Not drinking wasn't so bad after all. (I did have a Shorts Soft Parade at Duggan's afterward). Baby G went wild in there. B) Like I imagined, it really wasn't a drunk-fest anyway. C) I really wasn't showing much, so it wasn't as if I had to style around a huge baby bump. D) It was just like, THE most perfect morning/early afternoon of love and happiness! Everything went so well, and being pregnant just made it that much sweeter.
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| Another iPhone pic to hold you over : ) I rented the runway for those earrings! |
So, back to the process! I booked Iroquois. Ordered invites, just like, the first ones that called to me online at Wedding Paper Divas. Sent Jimmy out for love stamps, which should probably come with its own story; he was slightly flummoxed at the concept. "What? I just go to the counter and ask for ... 'love stamps'?"
He said the words "love stamps" like they were German or something -- completely foreign. Ahahaha. But spoiler alert: He managed!
So, we set the menu -- and offered french toast, eggs benny and veggie scrambles. (With Bloody Marys, mimosas and other brekkie dranks). Found an officiant online, and put down a deposit with her. Took myself dress shopping on a random Friday when I was off work (aside to follow). Booked the most responsive florist I could find, and just ordered a bouquet, a few bouts and a few corsages. Loaded up our iTunes with ceremony and background reception music. Selected some flights home. Contacted a photographer, who agreed to do a two-hour session. Headed to our favorite neighborhood winery two weeks before the wedding, where we bought two cases for reception favors. And I ... think that's it? I picked up a few odds and ends here and there, and we went suit shopping for Jimmy closer to the big day.
But everything was so easy! I just chose things and people that seemed talented/good quality but affordable, and more than anything, flexible. Basically, anyone who answered my emails within a few hours was in! That's key when planning a long-distance wedding. If you were a responsive vendor, you were booked. If you hesitated to get back to me, BYE Felicia.
My parents were lovely enough to host the rehearsal dinner (which included zero rehearsing, actually). The thought was just like, we aren't home often. Plus, James' family would be in town -- from Rochester, New York, for those of you keeping tabs -- so, it might be nice to get everyone together while we're all in the same city! Before the big day, instead of after. And it was SO fun and low-key. Just an extra opportunity to spend time with everyone we love! Families, family-friends, friends, neighbs ... loved every second. We ate mini pizzas and Greek food, drank Michigan beers -- well, not me -- and visited for hours.
Even a monsoon or two (or four) couldn't get us down! Thanks mom and dad, for renting that backyard tent!
Earlier in the day, my friends and I went out to Cafe Muse for a so-called bridesmaids brunch. Similar to the rehearsal dinner without any rehearsal, I actually didn't have bridesmaids. We decided to keep things wedding-party free, just to stay simple, but I figured these girls would have been my bridesmaids in another universe!
Muse was wonderful. I ate elaborate french toast, because that's what I'm into these days. And, TFG for Rachael, who helped keep all my plans under control all weekend, and insisted we get our nails done after brekkie. In hindsight, just like, YES, how did I think I could have gone without? My nails are atrocious, and this point can't be overstated. If you think I'm exaggerating, I will send you a pic, and you'll def skip your next meal, they're so gross.
Now I'm on a tangent. But we turned my stubs into soft pink acrylics and it was $30 well-spent! Really ... for all the driving around Oakland County, the Gchats, the consultations, the nail encouragement -- thank you, Rach!
Anddddddd that was Saturday! I was at Cafe Muse while James picked his family up from the airport, and he showed them around a bit -- then it was onto nails, rehearsal/no rehearsal, and bed. The wedd was the next morning at 11! So naturally I was up at 6, heading to hair and makeup with the moms.
But before I continue ... I feel like I should hit on a few different side stories!
The actual engagement -- <-- read here!
The dress: This is a lackluster story! Ha. I'll tell it anyway. On a Friday I had off work, when James was in the newsroom, I visited a bridal shop a few miles from our place. They were known for having this closet of discounted dresses, like, maybe from seasons past that never sold? So I thought that sounded like a budget-friendly route. Yet, that closet was so sad and lonely. It's like, where unloved wedding dresses gathered to die. They were dusty and had makeup smears and I couldn't see myself wearing any of them. So I headed back into the actual salon, to the discount rack. (These were a bit more current, and well-maintained, but still marked down from their original prices). My consultant and I managed to gather about five for me to try on, and just as we were heading back to the dressing room, a blush-colored gown caught my eye. (I swear, it looked so pink in the shop. My sales girl even asked, "oh, you want to try on the pink one?" It barely even registered as blush out in the real world).
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| Our one and only professional pic so far! |
But anyway. The pink one looked large, but there was something romantic about it. And I think I was drawn to the simplicity of the A-line, and how well it'd conceal my pregnancy. So I said sure, and we tossed it in the try-on pile. I think I changed into it first, and it was definitely the dress to beat, once I was all pinned up and it was fitting a little closer to size (yes, bridal typically runs large, but this was like, a 12 or a 14. Which I am not, even pregz).
I changed back into it last, just for comparison, and yeah, it was love.
The only confusing part was, we tried snapping iPhone pics for me to send to my mom and friends -- but the look wasn't really translating in photographs. That made me nervous for a sec, but then I considered: the lighting was kind of shitty in there. My hair and makeup were OK, but not exactly what I'd be rocking on the big day. I was clipped in, and it didn't really fit properly ... why taint what I was seeing in the mirror, based on a few crap pictures?
So, I told everyone SORRY, there'd be no photos until the weddz, but this was my dress and I wasn't going back on the decision. It rang up for about a third of its regular price, which made me happy, and after a cleaning and some alterations, I was good to go! I shoved it into one of James' garment bags and carried it on the plane. (Oh, and a note: Southwest doesn't have closets you can use! Kind of a bummer. It definitely got tossed into an overhead bin. Luckily, once we landed in the D, it had a few days to steam and return to form).
What else we did while home in Michigan: #HoneymoonDetroit, yo! (Haha, meaning not much). Few details to follow!
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Anddddd back to the wedding itself! See? This entry has been hard to write and keep organized! This is why I shouldn't take a five-month hiatus from the blog.
So, back to wedding morning, I drove over to the hair salon around 6:45, I believe, and it was just a few minutes from my parents' house. My stylist (who's actually my mom's stylist, although I've used her too over the years -- she's the best) works/worked SO FAST. I had a pretty massive amount of hair (my friends caught up with me a few hours later and some asked if I were wearing extensions, anddddd nope), but Manije did 95% of my 'do in maybe 25 minutes. We saved the very final touch-ups for last, mostly because I still had to sit through makeup, and I forgot to bring my veil to the salon. Rach to the rescue again!
Anyway, the moms got their hair done a short time after me, while I sat through makeup with Robin (Manoogian, of About Face in downtown Royal Oak). She's the best. Anyone looking for a makeup artist in Metro Detroit needs to book her! Honestly, I got pretty annoyed with the makeup sitch when I was calling around town incessantly a few months before the big day. I had SO many girls say they couldn't do it so early on a Sunday, or just like, weeks would pass before I'd get any type of answer at all ... that shit's weak. Be professional.
But Robin called me back just a few hours after I left her a message at her salon, and she was so accommodating. At first it was just me who wanted makeup, then the moms got on board, but she was willing to do mini sessions for the moms and travel to us ... and needless to say, she does such beautiful work. She's done makeup for Aretha, she was on board at Channel 7 for years, she's gotten called out to the Townsend in Birmingham for some other celebs -- yet she was more than willing to take our little party of three at 7 a.m. on a Sunday! I was eternally grateful.
What else -- I got to Iroquois around 10:30, my friends helped me get in my dress -- which was no small feat, actually -- and it was down the aisle in no time! We kept the ceremony fairly short, maybe 20 minutes? Our sibs Liz and Robby signed as our witnesses, James and I ducked out for just-us pictures with our photogs + my mom and Aunt Teresa (for Cranbrook access, just in case), and we knocked those out in about a half-hour. The 'Brook is only a few miles away.
Immediate family pics took place in that short window too, phew. That was the one time frame where we ran a liiiiiiiiiittle tight!
Meanwhile, our guests were sipping dranks and hanging tight inside. We tried to go as quickly as possible out at Cranbrook -- I didn't want to leave everyone hanging too long before we served the meal!
But James and I were back in the room by 12:15 or so, and we had the staff get plates down fast. From there, all we really had on the agenda was more visiting! We did a brief welcome and had Amanda say a prayer, but there was no first dance. No parent dances. No bouquet toss/creepy garter fetch. (Didn't even wear a garter, now that I think about it).
No formal cake cutting (although we did slice into a baby cake just for the photo op). No toasts -- although I did request a friend speech, and it never happened and I'm the worst because they gave it later at Duggan's and it was amaz! -- but hmmm. What else?!
No dance floor at all, really. After everyone finished up their meals, the staff brought out fruit and mini desserts, which were delicious. And we were wrapped up by maybe 2, 2:30? We had the room till 4, but we didn't really need it. So we headed back south down Woodward and landed at Duggan's, which was a little trashy, but in the best way possible. I died a little inside when I had to bite the bullet and pee there. Whatever, I was basically done with my dress anyway. I ate chili-cheese fries, like a true #pregzbride. (They were delish, and hit the spot so hard, in case you were wondering). It was nice for my friends to be able to meet James a little bit more, and the relaxed setting was really fun!
After THAT, I was a little sweaty, and it felt like a relief to get home and change out of my dress. My legs were so slippery ... that humidity! I don't miss it. NorCal is hot, but dry. Anyway, my dad and Robby headed up north, but my mom, James and I had dinner a short time later at the RO Brewery with the Ganleys. I wasn't hungry, but like the healthy person I am, decided to order soft pretzel sticks. (McD's for breakfast, chili-cheese fries for snack, soft pretzels for dinner, in case you were keeping track. Plus mini desserts. ARGH). #cleanleanbride #shredforwedd <-- Hahaha.
We slept so hard that night! And didn't do much of anything the rest of the trip, which was surprisingly nice. Slow's BBQ. Belle Isle. Eastern Market. Family dinners. We were just happy to be home (well, my home, although D-town is growing on James, too!), and happy to be married! All the quick planning was so worth it. We were finally done with one landmark and onto the next -- welcoming Baby G!
The week though ... overall, so special. Every second. I will never forget tearing up at the ceremony, or James' sweet words, or what it all meant to me. I'm so happy we decided to say a few words to each other in front of our friends and families, and he was just the sweetest Jims I ever saw.
I am so lucky to have him, and so lucky to be a part of these families. To everyone involved, thank you thank you!
***I would share more professional pics, but we STILL haven't gotten to see them, outside of one or two! :( Will post whenever I can.
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