We woke up Friday to cloudy skies—one of only two dreary days during our two week stay at Sandy Pond. (What’s even funnier is that it was beautiful up to the day we left then it has rained and been humid since.)
Even worse, we woke up to the lingering and loud presence of the last contractor finishing work on the well head. Matt and I exited stage left for a nice breakfast away from the chaos, followed by a haircut and a glass of wine. Our wedding party took the reins at home, finishing up some last minute tasks and clearing the air for the exhausted wedding couple. We all pretty much putzed around all day, watching the rain come down in sheets, soaking the new grass that needed water but also creating stress about the state of the yard for the wedding day.
 |
| Matt & Marcia |
When we realized the rain wasn’t going to let up for rehearsal, we created a makeshift area inside. We measured out 76 feet (the walk from the door to the end of the aisle), and snaked our way through the hallway, bedroom, sunroom, and great room. We practiced our timing, figured out little details, and salvaged a rehearsal that could have been quite soggy or nonexistent.
 |
| Dad & Me |
 |
| The best wedding party ever: Chris, Sarah, Joe & Teresa |
Of course, after we finished the inside rehearsal for an outside wedding, the skies cleared just in time for the rehearsal dinner. We all packed into a convoy of cars and headed to my aunt Dana’s house in Henderson. 35 of the 55 wedding guests were family, so it was a nice, big gathering of the Keefer and Cooper clans. We drank good wine, had a great meal, and enjoyed the sunset over Lake Ontario.
 |
| Topher & Matt |
At a certain point, Matt’s aunt Sue gave me a little envelope. Inside, was an antique tartan pin, featuring thistle made of amethyst. The pin was not only a physical gesture of welcome to the Cooper family, but it started an interesting conversation. The inside of Sue’s card read, “From a Duncan to a Stewart.” The funny thing is that Matt never knew he is Scottish; he always said he was British with a little German. We joked that after the wedding, I would be a Duncan-Stewart-McMaster-McMillen :) The idea of Scotland would reappear on the wedding day.
 |
| Us at Dana's |
After dessert, Matt and I took a moment to hand out some cards and gifts, and to say a few thank yous to our wedding party and families. Normally, this would be enough for the typical rehearsal dinner, but not for the Keefers! We headed outside for 30 minutes of professional, finale cake fireworks provided by the master blaster himself, my father. It ended up being a wonderful evening after all.
 |
| Our love is like fireworks... |
After we got back home, Matt and I stayed up for a little while longer, and then he moved over to the rental house for the night. Knowing that we would do our photographs before the ceremony, I wanted to spend the night apart to create some kind of excitement and expectation. There’s not a lot of “traditional” in how we chose to celebrate our wedding, but I wanted to honor at least a few of the traditions and superstitions. I was asleep before my head even hit the pillow; Matt was a little thrown off by sleeping apart. But, we both got some good sleep on the night before our wedding.
No comments:
Post a Comment