Thursday, September 8, 2011

My Wedding on a Budget: 30 Days to Go!

ONE MONTH!!!
Can you believe it?! Sometimes it really hits me and I start thinking about all of the people that will be there, together, celebrating and simply having a wonderful time and it makes me both joyous and tear up at the same time. I remember the entire year prior to Nic and Michelle's wedding I was so excited. I would hear songs on my iPod and begin daydreaming about the amazing day it would be. It was also the summer after I graduated from Bellarmine, so I sort of saw it as the great finale of my Bellarmine run. (Which, most should know, was an amazing four years.) Well it hit me today, that I have been so caught up in planning that I've not stop to realize how excited I am just for the event itself. Being married to Jon is something I have wanted for a long time and having a life we live as one is something he and I have talked much about. As our day nears, and RSVPs are coming in, I have begun to realize all of these wonderful people who will REALLY be in one place with us.


I think this reality is partially hitting because I've been working out lots of the logistics lately. I'm literaly writing out the entire day from the perspective of everyone who has a role and what they will need to be doing. I want to think it all through now, so that day I'm not worrying about it and I can turn it over to Cassie, who is our day-of coordinator, and let the questions come to her. However, what this play-by-play has made me realize is how PACKED the day will be! How much will be going on at once and that every 15 or 30 minute interval will end up feeling like 5 or 10 minutes. I already know I won't get to talk with everyone as much as I want. I already know I won't get every last picture I want. I already know something will go wrong. I already know something will happen late. I already know I'll want to dance more than I get to. I already know they'll be a song we forget to play. I already know the day will be over in the blink of an eye.

When I was about 11 years old my family took a vacation to Disney World. In preparation for it Mom bought several books--one of each park--so we'd be able to look through and decide what in each park was most important to us kids so it would help her plan the trip. The anticipation was unbelievable. So you can imagine what it felt like for us kids once we got to Florida and we were stuck at Alamo car rental for what seemed like hours upon hours waiting for our rental car. Mom had disappeared to go get it and we waited outside with Pa and began to think she'd never come back. Although he was probably anxious to get going as well, as an attempt to make us children "chill", he warned us, "You know, before you know it you'll be getting on a plane to ride home because it will all be over and you're going to
wish you were back here at Alamo. That's right. You'll want to be here. So you better just enjoy it." Whether we understood it then or not, the phrase "wishing you were back at Alamo" became very common in our household, particularly for occasions like Christmas Eve.

I wouldn't say I'm quite at Alamo yet with the wedding prep. I'm probably still looking through the books. I've already picked out where I want to go and now I'm just planning out the itinerary. The play-by-play. No doubt Alamo will be here soon enough, starting with my bachelorette the weekend before the wedding day, and once again, I'll be wishing I was back at Alamo.

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