Wedding II

We were perhaps a bit... casual about getting ready for the ceremony. At about 1:00, as I was still happily fussing with the place settings and getting ready to set up the hors d'oeuvres table behind my house, Kate, dear friend/reader/day-of coordinator coordinator extraordinaire, found me and said something to the effect of "WE-ARE-SUPPOSED-TO-BE-HIDING-IN-JOYCE-AND-BILL'S-HOUSE-IN-*ONE*-HOUR-AND-YOU'RE-NOT-EVEN-DRESSED-YET!"

So we started getting ready.

Only people kept calling for me from outside, and I was still convinced that we had plenty of time.



But eventually Kate and my bridesmaids wrestled me into the living room (or the dressing room, as it was that day) and we all started applying our war paint.



All, that is, except Erin, who hadn't gotten around to showering yet that day, and so hopped in the shower at t-40 minutes to go. Little sisters. Bless 'em.



Getting ready was fun, and girly, and a lot like a high school slumber party or dressing up for prom.







Then it was finally time for me to get into my dress. I will probably someday devote an entire post to the dress, but for now, suffice it to say that Kate and I made it together, and it was probably the single biggest labor of love either of us had ever undertaken. I certainly couldn't have done it alone, and the hours (and hours and hours) we spent working on it together are hours I treasure. When my mom helped me put it on she started crying. Which made me start to cry. When I walked out of my room, all of the girls started to cry. Which made me stomp my foot and demand that they STOP IT RIGHT NOW because it was entirely too soon for any of that.



But all the same, it was a good thing I supplied us all with pretty hankies. We needed them that day.

*Photos by Hannah Samuell