This year marks the 10th anniversary of my wedding to W. As part of the celebration, I will be documenting our relationship from the proposal up to the wedding, and each year up to our 10th anniversary.
Safely in Puerto Rico after Saying Yes to the Dress Again and with enough time to get the marriage license, we focused on tying up the loose ends. First up, the Bachelor/Bachelorette party. Since what happens or doesn’t happen at the stag and hen parties stays secret, I can’t go into more details other than mine was so good, W and his friends crashed it to help with the drinks and food after the top notch entertainment left. W’s sister had volunteered to drive us home, so we got jiggy with it and cranked it up to 11. 🤣🎉🍻 With these events off our checklists, W and I split up to tackle the items left on the wedding execution plan. Our bank accounts got a few thousand dollars lighter but we didn’t mind it much since our hope was that the event would be worth the expense.💸
My grandfather’s passing had lifted a weight from my family but for me it was about to hit home. I had missed the funeral and arrived mid novena which meant I was out of sync, still catching up with their new normal. For weeks I had been torn between wanting him alive to see me walk down the aisle and knowing that this wish would complicate my family’s participation in the events. Recently freed from the three care giving shifts with grandpa, everyone could enjoy the festivities. After just a few long days, my grandma, was still adapting to her new status as a widow. 😭💝 She was struggling with the idea of waking up and living everyday alone in the house they had turned into a home for over 30 years. However, her smile lit up whenever she got excited about being there for me, so I put my game face on and hoped that our newly minted guardian angel watched from above.
Those nine days leading up to the big day proved to ua why weddings are such complex projects. The uncertainty added by the chaotic human element thus far had been unpredictable and merciless. Signed contracts and back off dates look legit on paper but it is up to the brave folks leading and managing the services offered by the industry to make things happen. 🤹♀️📑 If anyone wanted to cancel last minute they could which is why I had plans B through Z ready to roll in case of emergency. Only the dress thus far had worked out without a hitch, if we ignore the price tag. One could only hope! Christmas was around the corner and there were still a few low hanging fruit that could rot if we didn’t pluck it quickly.
With my entire clan on board it was up to the bridesmaids to assume their roles for the event and get their “uniforms” sorted out. As a project manager and bride, I needed to delegate a lot of the minor details out to folks so I could focus on being center stage for the shindig. There is only so much the planner can accomplish without an invested team and for some reason it was hard to convince people to help me out. My decisions were being questioned or overruled causing me to grow sour and bitter as the days went by. W was out of his mind too. He didn’t understand why the pushback. Anything could go wrong at any moment. Maybe our peeps were confident our luck would turn or didn’t truly comprehend the fragility of the situation.
The rehearsal dinner was on the 23rd to avoid conflicts with other Christmas Eve and Day commitments. I was being so considerate and flexible with the wedding party that they forgot to return the favor. My sister caused an hour and a half delay and took a few people with her, just because she didn’t want to be there. I was so mad my mom got involved and threatened to use her famous “puño, huelelo” to get her in line. This wasn’t my first round fighting disappointment and it shouldn’t surprise me that it had won again. When we finally got things on track it was almost midnight. A quick walking down the hall practices later, we had all the drama, drinks and food that we could tolerate for the night. I was greatly perturbed. People were too absorbed in their own needs and desires for the event that they weren’t thinking about the bride and groom’s anymore. Just my luck! 🙃
I’d like to point that the next few days were magical. I toured the island with one of my out of state guests, baked the cakes for the reception, and got all the bridemaids dresses released. W and the guys got their tuxedos, and my dad went to the after hours office to pick up his. My dress was holding up despite the humidity and transfers, and the veil and accessories were all set. The day before, the 26th, my wedding planner confirmed that the transportation to and from the locations was locked in, and confirmed that the venue and her decorating crew were halfway through preparations. The tables, tablecloths, chair covers, bows, napkins, centerpieces and additional decor were on site as well. W and I drove around to lock down the remaining details in my grandfather’s Nissan Versa which we borrowed until our departure date. It was our future “Just Married” ride. 😉
Everything was going according to plan until my stylist went MIA. She was supposed to meet us at the hotel room we had rented for a few nights to be closer to the action. A quick call from my mom had her rescheduling our appointments for the next morning, around 6am. I’d be lucky if I got enough sleep but hey, it would all worth the small sacrifices. Again, not ideal and not even close to my expectations but who cares? I’m just the bride…
Stay tuned for The Wedding: Take Two.
Mrs. Enginerd - Nerd Whisperer 