Then comes the wedding...
My wedding day started as one of the most frustrating, tiring days I had had in a long time. I stayed up late after the rehearsal dinner not to party but to pack. I think I ended up in bed at something close to 3am. The packing itself wasn't that bad, it was all the crap I had to do to prep the kitchen for the two weeks I'd be gone which was also the two weeks contractors would be around without me.
I got up around 8am b/c I had to meet my DJ at the reception hall at 9am. I didn't have time to get a good cup of coffee so I was dragging ass to begin with. I get to the room and I see that I have to rearrange tables to make room for the DJ. I could feel my jaw tightening as the clock ticked. I knew I had to get back to my house and take a shower/shave, get my clothes and bags and whatnot and be BACK at the reception hall by 10:30. I was out of gas and I wanted coffee, food and sleep.
I finally get back to the reception hall and I was wound up tight! Tara was the calm one. I told her I needed gas and I asked where I needed to be after that. She said we'd meet at Calypso Cafe and I left. Now, most of us are creatures of habit and when you are frustrated the habits take control. I went for gas and I went to Calypso #1. Nobody is there yet so I figure I can run across the street and pick up the Scofield album that I'd just heard about on NPR. I pick up that and a couple more disks and get back to my car. Still, nobody is there and then I think...wait, I bet they went to Calypso #2 and since I don't have a cell phone I had to go with that. Thinking that b/c that's the area of town Tara is from, when she says Calypso that's the location she means (not to mention it is between the reception and the wedding halls).
I start driving and I am fighting myself the entire way. In one of my other posts I mentioned that yoga has taught me how to get my mind redirected on the task at hand and the drive from one Calypso to the other was me constantly redirecting my mind from the "what a shitty day, what a dumbass I am" thoughts to the "this is my wedding day, this is going to be the best day ever" thoughts. As I was walking into the other Calypso and saw my entire wedding party in the window I realized that the day was a good one and, secondly, I realized that I was thinking only happy thoughts!
We seated the family. I did double duty by seating my Aunt (my Mom's only sister) and Godmother (my Mom's best friend and the woman responsible for introducing Tara and me) as "Mothers of the Groom". And then we were off.
The ceremony was very comfortable and I enjoyed standing up there watching the crowd, seeing faces and whatnot. Everything happened as it was scheduled, the women walked down the aisle and each one of them was beautiful although I did particularly notice Kosh and Pauline's shoes (I am a sucker for some little strappy high heels). And then the doors closed and my beautiful, elegant bride appeared. I'd seen Tara in all manner of dress but this was absolutely the most beautiful I had ever seen her. The dress was beautiful, her hair was all up and sexy looking and I could see her cute feet and sandals peeking out from under her dress. Now, you have to understand that Tara doesn't get dressed up for anything and the couple of times she has gotten dressed up she didn't seem too comfortable. On this day, despite her extreme nervousness, she looked comfortable and I will be the first one to tell you that Sexy is as Comfortable does!
I didn't know how I was gonna react during the ceremony. I didn't think I'd cry but I just didn't know. Almost as soon as I saw her I got chocked up. One of my former coworkers got married a couple of weeks b4 us and he said it was the strangest feeling he'd ever had and I completely agree. I felt excited and nervous and overwhelmed all at once. On a couple of occasions during the ceremony I fought hard not to just bust out and cry.
The ceremony itself seemed to go by very quickly but it also seemed to be dragging on. I was trying to calm Tara during most of it and Bill Barnes, our officiant, was trying to keep us focused and entertained. At one point he said something like, "I know I'm not that pretty but turn toward me." Toward the end he said we were "in the ninth inning" and lastly, before we kissed he told us "if we were gonna kiss we better do it now." He said all of these things in such a quiet voice that none of the wedding party heard it. He really helped ease the tension.
After Joel walked out with Anne-Marie & Marie on his arms the whole wedding party clapped and laughed all the way to the back room. We really enjoyed ourselves. The photos took too long but we were still having fun. And now that I'm thinking about it I need to call Artis, see where my pictures are!
I got up around 8am b/c I had to meet my DJ at the reception hall at 9am. I didn't have time to get a good cup of coffee so I was dragging ass to begin with. I get to the room and I see that I have to rearrange tables to make room for the DJ. I could feel my jaw tightening as the clock ticked. I knew I had to get back to my house and take a shower/shave, get my clothes and bags and whatnot and be BACK at the reception hall by 10:30. I was out of gas and I wanted coffee, food and sleep.
I finally get back to the reception hall and I was wound up tight! Tara was the calm one. I told her I needed gas and I asked where I needed to be after that. She said we'd meet at Calypso Cafe and I left. Now, most of us are creatures of habit and when you are frustrated the habits take control. I went for gas and I went to Calypso #1. Nobody is there yet so I figure I can run across the street and pick up the Scofield album that I'd just heard about on NPR. I pick up that and a couple more disks and get back to my car. Still, nobody is there and then I think...wait, I bet they went to Calypso #2 and since I don't have a cell phone I had to go with that. Thinking that b/c that's the area of town Tara is from, when she says Calypso that's the location she means (not to mention it is between the reception and the wedding halls).
I start driving and I am fighting myself the entire way. In one of my other posts I mentioned that yoga has taught me how to get my mind redirected on the task at hand and the drive from one Calypso to the other was me constantly redirecting my mind from the "what a shitty day, what a dumbass I am" thoughts to the "this is my wedding day, this is going to be the best day ever" thoughts. As I was walking into the other Calypso and saw my entire wedding party in the window I realized that the day was a good one and, secondly, I realized that I was thinking only happy thoughts!
- The mind is a powerful weapon -Our wedding party ate lunch together and then went to the church to finish decorating and dress. By now I was smooth as silk. I am not one prone to outward displays of emotion nor am I prone to get terribly frazzled. The guys got dressed and proceeded to hang out. I went out and talked to my Auntie Dear and Tia (Rosa). Then I came back in and hung out by the door, not realizing at the time that I was greeting people as they arrived at MY wedding.
We seated the family. I did double duty by seating my Aunt (my Mom's only sister) and Godmother (my Mom's best friend and the woman responsible for introducing Tara and me) as "Mothers of the Groom". And then we were off.
The ceremony was very comfortable and I enjoyed standing up there watching the crowd, seeing faces and whatnot. Everything happened as it was scheduled, the women walked down the aisle and each one of them was beautiful although I did particularly notice Kosh and Pauline's shoes (I am a sucker for some little strappy high heels). And then the doors closed and my beautiful, elegant bride appeared. I'd seen Tara in all manner of dress but this was absolutely the most beautiful I had ever seen her. The dress was beautiful, her hair was all up and sexy looking and I could see her cute feet and sandals peeking out from under her dress. Now, you have to understand that Tara doesn't get dressed up for anything and the couple of times she has gotten dressed up she didn't seem too comfortable. On this day, despite her extreme nervousness, she looked comfortable and I will be the first one to tell you that Sexy is as Comfortable does!
I didn't know how I was gonna react during the ceremony. I didn't think I'd cry but I just didn't know. Almost as soon as I saw her I got chocked up. One of my former coworkers got married a couple of weeks b4 us and he said it was the strangest feeling he'd ever had and I completely agree. I felt excited and nervous and overwhelmed all at once. On a couple of occasions during the ceremony I fought hard not to just bust out and cry.
The ceremony itself seemed to go by very quickly but it also seemed to be dragging on. I was trying to calm Tara during most of it and Bill Barnes, our officiant, was trying to keep us focused and entertained. At one point he said something like, "I know I'm not that pretty but turn toward me." Toward the end he said we were "in the ninth inning" and lastly, before we kissed he told us "if we were gonna kiss we better do it now." He said all of these things in such a quiet voice that none of the wedding party heard it. He really helped ease the tension.
After Joel walked out with Anne-Marie & Marie on his arms the whole wedding party clapped and laughed all the way to the back room. We really enjoyed ourselves. The photos took too long but we were still having fun. And now that I'm thinking about it I need to call Artis, see where my pictures are!
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