Such a Perfect Day, Part 1

I’m going to take the sentiment of my last post to heart, and not attempt to convey the high level of stress leading up to the weekend and big day—suffice to say, tension was in the air, nerves were worn thin, and everyone needed a good nap. So, I’ll just focus on the fun highlights of the week…

Wednesday morning, Matt, Dana and I finished the last huge wedding task, which was to purchase the plants that would be used to create our outdoor aisle, and that would be foundation plants for the new flowerbeds. We ended up with salvia, hibiscus, delphinium, and hydrangea. After a nice lunch, we headed back to the house to begin greeting our first guests. By dinner time, our entire wedding party was in the house.

The wedding canopy

Our wedding party included: on my side, Sarah, my “like a sister,” and Chris, my best friend from college; and, on Matt’s side, his sister Teresa, and his (our) best friend from college, Joe. Combined, these four contributed to the perfect week and a perfect wedding.

Later on in the evening, the party arrived…

…and by party, I mean Lesley, my cousin/photographer extraordinaire.

She brought with her not only a bundle of energy, but all the supplies needed for an impromptu bachelorette party. So, the girls, my mom and I headed out to Taco Bob’s, an extremely local bar. Taco’s closes at 10pm; however, Tammy, the wonder waitress, stayed open for us. We drank awful drinks and even more awful shots, goofed around with local patrons and crammed in some much needed fun, girl time.

My sister-in-law Teresa, me, and my like-a-sister Sarah

Thursday was a day of rest and beach time that ended with Matt’s grandparents arriving, and a big spaghetti dinner. After dinner, Sarah and I headed to my last meeting with the reception coordinator. We went over details, and I officially let go of the last few tasks that needed to be accomplished for the reception. It felt really great to let someone else take charge.

Lesley and her new adopted grandparents, Irene & Hank

After the meeting, our wedding party, Lesley, my mom, and Hank and Irene (Matt’s grandparents – our only set), all piled into cars and headed out for an evening of go-cart racing and ice cream. 

Go carting!

We were the only ones there, and ended up having a good 15 minute race on each track. It was a blast! You how there's always one person who breaks the "No Bumping" rule? Well, in this case, it was my own mother!

Yes, that's my mom pumping her fist in a mid-"Waaahooo!"

Between eating bugs, bumping bumpers, and stretching our faces from gleeful, childlike grins, we decided go-cart racing just might be an anniversary tradition. We even convinced the ice cream store to stay open a little later for us, a theme that would extend into the weekend.