The Wedding Details – Part 1

Since these posts are going to be so picture heavy I am breaking it into three posts. Enjoy!

Everyone said that the wedding day would go by like a blur. I said, no way. I am going to remember and savor and enjoy every minute of it! They were right. It’s a blur. It’s a lot of 10 second snapshots of the moments and the big ones are all kind of hazy.

The morning started with my maid of honor, Rachel, my mom and I going to get our hair done. I went to Wooptido in NE Portland. It’s where I’ve been getting my haircut for six years–by Jody, who is amazing. She always does a great job and when I met with her before the wedding to plan the hair, I kind of didn’t have any strong feelings. I was going to leave it all up to her, really. I know, so NOT me. I kind of wanted to do my hair part up and part down. But as the wedding day approached and the weather report said 90 degrees, I decided to have it all up and I am so glad I did! And Jody did an amazing job! I just let her do whatever her vision was. And she was so sweet, she didn’t even charge me. She said it was a wedding present. Aw….

I hope the photographer got some better pictures of it. Trust me, it looked fantastic. It took nearly 2 hours and probably an entire can of hairspray (plus 1000 bobby pins) but it was great. And we got done and to the venue early. I thought that meant I could take a little breather, but not really! Everyone in the wedding started arriving to get ready.

My friend Star, who was also officiating for us, did all the girl’s makeup and she did a fantastic job. Very subtle, very natural looking. Anna, cousin and bridesmaid, found a bottle of white wine and opened that for us to share while we got ready. My mom made a fantastic snack tray that went largely uneaten (I should have eaten more). The girls all looked great in their dresses! Then it was time for me to get into mine.

I am so glad I took a picture of the corset tied up by my seamstress so we could recreate it on the wedding day. It was a lot harder than I thought! The bridesmaids all pitched in to help. The dress was bought at Richele Kay Consignment here in Portland it was actually the first dress I tried on. It was a Maggie Sottero Coutoure dress that was originally in the $1300 range and I got it for $475. 🙂

Grandmother’s shoes. 1930’s boudoir slippers that my grandmother wore on her wedding day (I think in 1951) and several of my aunts have worn on their wedding day. It was something really special to me and I am so glad they fit!

Now they are trying to figure out the bustle. 🙂 I am so thankful for my friends that were there helping me! But it was also a very surreal moment. I stood there, in my dress, while all these women buzzed around me getting me ready, lacing me up, applying the final touches and I felt disconnected from all of it. I don’t think any of them noticed that I was slightly freaked out at this point. It was real. It was happening. My heart was racing and I felt butterflies in my stomach in perpetual motion.

Hmmm I wonder what was in that!

After I was ready, it was time for the “first look.” First it was my dad. My mom walked me out to my dad. It was a special moment for me. Then he walked me to Michael for our first look photos. Later Michael said he was really glad we did the first look pictures (originally we weren’t going to) because it helped him relax — and I think it helped me too.

We did the first look and then went back to my room to be alone. (See this post.) We had about 15 minutes alone before things were about to start. Everyone got in line, bridemaids grabbed their flowers and I hid in my room with my dad and watched as the music started and they started walking.

Heart racing….

To be continued…