Wedding recap with sneek peeks...

Can I just say I'm really glad it's over? I am. I'm elated. I'm painfully shy & an overplanning type-A personality - it's a wicked combination.

Thursday my mom flew in from Colorado. Everything was going well until I received two phone calls in ten minutes - a.) my hair person double-booked and since she had her other client longer, I was SOL, b.) my makeup person (a good friend) had a cold and decided she should cancel. My mom states she can do both if need be... R comes home and we get into what I've labeled as the stereotypical "three-days-before-the-wedding fight about nothing important enough to care about but damnit right now, we're going to have it out" fight. It lasted a day and a half (for the record it was about giving our roommate/best friend's girlfriend a key to the house). No threats of breaking up or anything of the sort, but instead we did nothing about the wedding until late, late Friday night.

Saturday was utter and complete chaos as we tried to finish up of the decor and start on the baking. I try on my completed bridal outfit for the first time (yes, really) and decide I hate it. Oh well - too late now, I'm stuck. I can't find anyone who can do my hair or makeup on Sunday so I buck up with the decision I'm on my own. R & I stayed up until almost 3am baking and talking - it was really nice to have that quiet, calm time just the two of us (hyped up on 24-hour drive-thru Starbucks) before.

Sunday was a complete whirlwind. I hadn't gotten more than eight hours of sleep in a span of three days (thanks to having Bella in our bedroom). I regret our mutual decision to not hire a day-of coordinator. I at least managed to get in for a shellac manicure which I am now completely and totally in love with (best $30 spent!). Come home & shit, it's 3:30 - my hair is still damp but I manage to throw some pathetic attempt at my H&M before Courney shows up. Once 4pm rolls around, I'm pretty much over everything. Now it's not having a panic attack about being up in front of everyone.

Once I was dressed it was just a matter of relaxing (or attempting) in the room. I had a few visitors but pretty much the only people I wanted to see were my mom, Sara, Courtney, and Bella. :)

Outside guests start trickling in - I was shocked that so many actually arrived early (some early enough to see me bouncing around in a t-shirt and shorts, making "pants off punch" and trying not to bark orders). Only two of R's brothers arrived late enough to miss the ceremony. Our guests, though 2/3rds of them knew what was going on, were greeted with:

Time to get the show on the road. In all of the chaos, we forgot to finish my bouquet so I went without it. Somehow Meatloaf ended up playing on my iPod. I walked out and met him at the firepit, then to the canopy - no drama, no music, just simple and easy, as we wanted it to be. I think we may have a record ceremony time as our best friend is just as shy about public speaking as I am, so I wanted to make it easy on him.

I won't lie - I was so stoked to be done. A little cuddling, a few photos, then everyone was released to eat while we took a few formals.

Then food, food, and more food. Dinner was garlic shrimp & carne asada tacos with mexican chopped salad, cilantro rice, beans, etc - all of the fixings. We pretty much kicked back and enjoyed ourselves well into the evening... I believe our last guests left at 12:30 which isn't too bad for a Sunday! Several gallons of rum pants-off punch were consumed along with probably about 2,000,000 calories in DIY, homemade sweets (pumpkin bread, pumpkin cheescake bites, two-bite pumpkin pies, red velvet cupcakes, triple-chocolate cake truffles, caramel apples, dark chocolate covered oreos).

All & all, while there were some serious flaws in the plans, it was casual, relaxed, and intimate - just what we wanted. I can't wait to see the full disc of photos!

And as proof of exactly how insane I am, I offer up what was DIY'd:

- the entire backyard project, start-to-finish (over 200 hours of work and probably another 100 to go before we're fully happy with it)
- my dress (except the corset), veil, re-stringing my grandmother's pearls
- chair drapings
- the ceremony canopy, drapery, and floral arrangements
- all of the white pumpkins for the decor
- all of the desserts (pumpkin bread, pumpkin cheescake bites, two-bite pumpkin pies, red velvet cupcakes, triple-chocolate cake truffles, caramel apples, dark chocolate covered oreos)
- the CAN lighting which was mounted to the both sides of the roof in "bastard amber"
- the dessert towers
- pretty much everything else...

We only brought in three vendors: our photographer, the chair/table rentals, and our caterer (who had no idea that it was in fact a wedding and not a BBQ).