The bridesmaids ate then it was a flurry of getting into their dresses since the photographers and videographers arrived. They started by taking pictures of the house. I got dressed and then we all went up to daughter's bedroom and maid of honor (honorary 2nd daughter who lived with us for a year) and I laced daughter into her dress (the entire back is all criss cross lacing). I think the photographer was there but honestly I was into the job at hand and zoned everything else out.
Photographs were finished. We couldn't do any outside ones because it had started drizzling. I had thought it was going to be a nice spring sunshine day since at 6am it was like that but alas, it didn't stay and soon clouded over. Typical Chicago weather! The wedding bus arrived and took the bridesmaids to the church. We soon followed with the stuff for the church. It was a flurry then of helping daughter go to the bathroom and change, getting the programs out, flowers on the groomsmen and groom and ushers and ring bearers, getting the flower girl baskets out and soon we were lining up to go in.
I had a pocket put on all the bridemaid flowers in the back for kleenexes so the maid of honor doled out neatly folded kleenexes for all. I only lost it a few times - first was when my daughter presented me with a 'mother's hankie' at the house, then watching her come down the aisle, then hearing her say her vows, then during the unity candle lighting when the soloist sang "The Wedding Song" which was played at hubs and my wedding, and the groom's parent's wedding. I had figured something special was going to happen because daughter wouldn't tell me the song they had picked out nor let me help put together the church programs (I just helped scrapbook the back 2 layers and she did the top with the actual program). Then the kids fake left through a bubble shower then came back in for formal pictures in the church.
The bridal party then loaded the now party bus (I loaded it with Banfi champagne) and left. My nieces and nephews and family helped me clean the church and gather things together and the altar flowers which we were using for the reception. We went home, pottied and fed all 4 doggies, exchanged the church box for the reception box and took off for the reception.
At the reception, we supervised what was going where then helped with the set up of the old fashioned photo booth. Instead of doing a regular guest book or taking so called table shots where there is always one or 2 tables left out or people missing, daughter decided to have a photo booth. We had things set up so that when people arrived, they hit the photo booth first, then the receiving line which only had parents and the bride and groom, then they were given a glass of Banfi champagne with a strawberry. They could then either look at the scrapbooks daughter put together or drink and/or mingle. The owners are personal friends of ours (gosh I think we have known them for at least 25 years) and were invited guests. Open bar was not to begin until 6:30p for the guests but the owner had taken the liberty of doing a few things for us - the bridal party including parents had their own personal bartender so we could start drinking at 5p, and instead of the 3 appetizers served butler style (Bruschetta, BBQ meatballs, and Parmesan Crusted Artichoke Hearts), they added fresh shrimp, prosciutto and melon skewer wraps, quiche lorraine, mini crab cakes, and beef wellington.
Once the receiving line was done, we lined up for the bridal party announcements. The parents and bridal party came in through the reception doors but daughter and son-in-law came down the staircase from the bridal suite which comes straight into the ballroom. They immediately went and cut the cake which was then removed for cutting and to be served with ice cream sundae later. The maid of honor gave her toast (another set of teary eyes for me), the best man gave his toast, hubs gave his toast (another teary eye moment), then my father did the grace and ended it with a traditional family ending: Who eats the fastest gets the mostest.....Let's party!
Let's see, the 1st course was cream of chicken rice soup, followed by an Italian mixed green salad. The next course was dramatic - all the waiters/waitresses coming to the center and lining up the length of the marble dance floor which was down the entire center of the rooms with silver tureens of the pasta course. Each table had their own tureen which was then ladled into pasta bowls for each person - we had penne pasta in a vodka creme sauce. Then dinner was served. Each plate had a 6 oz filet along with chicken vesuvio, vesuvio potatoes, and green beans. Of course we had an assortment of Italian breads along with olive oil, balsalmic vinger, and fresh grated parmesan chese on each table and butter. Dessert was ice cream topped with hot fudge and a slice of wedding cake.
That done, the dancing started with their first dance followed by the daddy/daughter dance ("I loved her first" by Heartland) which brought more tears. I was standing with the bridesmaids at that time so we all had tissues out and were waving to the music and seranading them. The groom and his mother then danced and they danced to "Have I told you lately I loved you" by Van Morrison. It was really a blur after that as hubs and I personally went to every table and thanked them for coming. We only had 2 major dramas happen - the first one was one of the bridesmaids was dumped by her boyfriend at the wedding because she hugged a friend who just became a father and BF went into a jealous rage and what's even stranger is this bridesmaid and this guy she hugged never dated or anything so she was pretty teary. The other drama came when my son happened to find out the other wedding reception next to us was people we knew, so he came and asked me if they could come over and I said sure. Most of the kids were his age (24/25) so all legal to drink and son even took them all up to see daughter and groom who also knew them. The best man and one of groom's sisters kicked the kids out which with alcohol was not a good thing. I saw the whole thing erupt and went over and gave both kids a dressing down with hands on my hips and then when the groom's sister tried to say more, I flat out told her to shut the 'insert you know the word' up and either behave or she would have to leave, that this was not her wedding nor was she paying for it and therefore I was the hostess of the party and had full rights to say who stayed and who went and if she didn't like it she could leave. She shut up and went over and pouted. The kids stayed and had a great time.
Reception was over at 12:30am then it took a few of us another 30 or more to gather things and load the car. I think I got to bed around 2'ish and was back up at 7 to make breakfast. Most of my family stayed at the hotel so they all were supposed to come over to see the house remodeling we had done and have lunch. I didn't hear the doorbell since I was in the backyard so totally missed seeing them. It's pretty quiet now. Everyone is gone. House is back to order. Kids leave Tuesday for their honeymoon.
Here are a few pictures I got or my brother took with my camera:
Daughter at house in our living room:
Mother of groom and I lighting our family candles for the kids to use to light their unity candle.
The ring bearers who actually made it down the aisle today:
The flower girls - the one in front is yelling for Mimi (my sister) - she couldn't see her. The others dropped petals all the way down then the littlest grandniece got to the front and dumped the rest of the petals out of her basket at the front - she is the one who dived headfirst off the trampoline.
Daughter and hubs:
The happy couple leaving and married:
The stairway they came down in the reception:
The cake cutting:
The head table during setup:
Each table setup decor (of course all 4 voltive candles were lit during the reception). Each napkin had 2 Andres mints on them wrapped with a saying: Mint to Be - 'daughter and son's names' 5-3-08.
Daddy/daughter dance (you can see the laceup back here):
I actually have no other pics. I was so busy visiting that my camera stayed at my table and I didn't pick it up the rest of the night. I had not one drink the entire night nor one pain pill although I was on anti-inflammatory and had to change to my tie shoes at the reception. Hubs and son however were bombed so I at least got them to load the car. I drove home and got them to unload the stuff then sent them to bed. I know the bartender was kept busy making drinks called 'Mind Eraser' and Kamikazes' or something similar. We had already arranged hotel shuttles for any drinker.
I was asked what was the most fun part of the day.....that's a hard one. Probably just that it is over and I have a newly redecorated gorgeous house which is very clean right now and very very very quiet.
