A Wedding Story – Part One

There is no way I could sum up this whole experience in just one blog post. So it will be in parts.  If this bores you to tears, I totally understand.  Feel free to shoot me an email and I’ll let you know when it’s over.  For me, this is like my diary. And I love reliving it all and documenting it. However, instead of a lock on this diary, this is open for the world to see.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed living it.
So without further ado, part one:

I’ll be honest, the Tuesday before the wedding I started to freak. Never about Matt or whether this marriage was the right thing (because DUH! it SO is) but about everything else. I started having problems sleeping. Nightmares of September reared its ugly head and I worried I’d be exhausted and anxious on my wedding day. Would I be able to eat? Would everything go OK? Would I have a panic attack before walking down the aisle? Would I have any fun?

And the funny thing is, after a week of being a wreck, Saturday morning I woke up at my parents house totally chill. Amy (also known as the world’s best maid of honor) stayed with me. I know it’s old fashioned but I didn’t want to see Matt until I was The Bride. And there’s something about spending the night before your wedding in your childhood home that just feels right.

So at breakfast that morning with my aunt, mom, cousin and Darcy (also known as the world’s best bridesmaid) I was ready. Excited as hell and ready.

By 11 the four of us were at my ever faithful and lifelong (seriously, since I was 5) hairdresser’s to get our hairs did. Fritz said earlier in the week he woke up one morning at 4am with a light bulb of exactly what he wanted my hair to look like.

Since my hair technically belongs to Fritz, I trusted him. He is, after all, the Hair Whisperer. Fritz and I agreed that my hair had to be ME. Not an up do, or something with big curls, which is very pretty but just not me. I wanted something I could look back on at pictures and feel good about it. When he was done I almost cried. I loved it.

From there it was on to the hotel to get our make-up done by the very talented Barb Zanzig. If you are in the Madison area and want to have yourself transformed into a super model, give Barb a jingle. Or if you want to just have a really fun time, call her.  Because not only is she the best in the make-up business, the lady is FUN.

After I had my face on there was nothing else to do but get this girl into the dress.

I loved my dress. I still do. Even though it’s very trashed at the moment. (Poor thing had too much fun at this event and hasn’t dried out yet. Lush.) But like every great woman, she’s not an easy one to get into. There were 1,422 hooks and eyes and the zipper was so tiny… long story short, it took exactly 4 people and lots of prayers to the Gown Goddess to get me into this thing.

Once I was in I breathed a sigh of relief. Or rather a little puff of air. You try wearing all these layers.

Matt and I decided to see each other before the wedding so we could get pictures taken outside, since our wedding wasn’t until 5:30pm.

And I have to say, even though I was very much against this idea in the beginning I’m so happy we did it this way. By this time I was getting more nervous and needed my rock by my side.

Lori made everyone clear out of the room so Matt and I could have a moment.

And it was perfect.

After Matt got some help from the ladies with his outfit,

(wedding costumes are hard!) we were off to take pictures around beautiful downtown Madison.

We were absolutely blessed with a rare 50 degree sunny March day. And that the major protests against Governor Walker were over. There were some stragglers who let us borrow their signs…

All throughout this I was still doing well. Having fun, feeling pretty and calm, especially having Matt by my side.

When we had enough pictures it was time to load up the crew and head to Bellini.

The first person I saw when I got out of the shuttle was this beautiful boy.

Seriously, have you ever? These pictures should have warning labels for the weak of heart.

Once inside Bellini, I got excited. Like flipping out OMGTHISISMYWEDDINGANDITSGORGEOUS excited. The place looked PERFECT! Candles and white lights everywhere, flowers in their spots, and these two as the most awesome DJ’s a girl could ask for.

Since it was getting close to The Time, I kissed my fiancé for a couple more minutes goodbye and headed downstairs to don my veil, wait and panic. Gone was the cool calm collect bride. Replacing her was “I’m going to pee puke and pass out. In that order” bride.

With just a few minutes to go, Joe (also known as the world’s best DJ/wedding coordinator/party guy) suggested we do a shot to calm my nerves. Thank you Dr. McGillicuddy.

Within minutes, I heard George Winston’s Canon start to play and it was time to take our places.

My mom and Ben first,

then Darcy,

Amy,

and finally me holding on to my daddy’s arm and doing my best to breathe.

to be continued….

**all pictures courtesy of Lori Ronspiez.