Monumental Love: Packing Up and Practicing

The week leading up to our wedding wasn't really eventful - or maybe it was and I've just blocked that part out of my memory.  I've already mentioned that some tasks took some last minute effort, and others got scratched from the list, and I spent a significant chunk of my time checking the weather. The Monday before the wedding was Memorial Day, so we had an extra day off of work to take care of those last minute items.  We had done most of the hard work a few weeks before, which involved packing up all that glassware, labeling the boxes, and loading them into my parents' giant van, but there were still a million things on the to-do list.

The madness, and the result.  

But you don't want to hear about the week-of crazies, no more than I want to relive them.  The biggest item to get done was on Wednesday: Sphinx, his parents, my mom, and some other awesome helpers delivered all that decor to the Board of Trade, and they stored it in a back room.  This was so helpful, because we didn't have to worry about transporting all that glassware to the guy who would set it up, and we got it out of our hair a few days in advance.

Besides that it was just a lot of confirming and finalizing, buying gifts, and trying to get packed.  Oh, and I got my engagement ring back!  It had been at the jewelers getting cleaned and replated (for free!) for about a week, and I was freaking out every 2.2 seconds thinking I'd lost it since it wasn't on my hand.  Not a fun feeling on top of all the wedding-related stress!

Our rehearsal was on Thursday evening, because the church performs weddings on Friday nights.  I worked up through Thursday afternoon - just leaving a few hours early - because my vacation days were already stretched pretty thin for the year.  I got ready back at the house with BM Perk and Sphinx, and we all headed to the church together.

Once everyone had arrived, Maureen, the church coordinator, gave us all the details of how we would process.

And then we all did just that.  

Sphinx walking his mom down, with lots of glowy eyes watching on.

We took advantage of an aisle in the middle of the church by having the groomsmen wait there for the bridesmaids.  So the girls walked halfway up on their own, and then met their gentleman.

GM Lil Bro waiting for BM Perk in the middle aisle.

And then Daddy P and I let out some nerves by doing a little dance/skip number up the aisle.

"Well, we won't be able to do this Saturday, so I guess we should get it out of our systems now!"

Then Maureen explained what we'd need to do throughout the mass, and we listened attentively. 

MOH Curls and BM Skittles were up at the altar with us.

 My ears especially perked up when she explained how we would walk over to the statue of the Virgin Mary to place a flower.  Her tip was for me to walk over with Sphinx, but let him climb the two little steps to put the flower up, so I wouldn't fall down them.  Great, now that image is in my head. 

"That's it. I'm going to be the bride that falls on her butt during the ceremony, you just watch."

And before we knew it, it was time to head back down the aisle and pretend like we'd just been married.  

After all the official stuff was done, Sphinx's cousin (let's call her Cousin Who, because she's a big Doctor Who fan), practiced her solo from the balcony.  She's a music major, and a great singer, so we wanted to include her in our mass. I gave her some options to choose from based on the list from the organist, and she picked "Panis Angelicus."  And it was appropriately angelic.  

Tears.  There were tears at this point and it was only the rehearsal.  

And then we just made sure to take some pictures before heading out to dinner. Apparently none of just Sphinx and I, but we got some good group ones.

The Pyramid family looking sharp. 

Pyramid parents and godparents. I owe these guys so much for making that weekend spectacular, you don't even know.

And a photo of the bridesmaids, sans BM Duffy, whose flight wouldn't get in til later that night.  The others filled her in easily on how it would all go down.

BM Dino, BM Taco, me, MOH Curls, and BM Perk.

Then it was time to head out to the rehearsal dinner!  I was feeling good, since the hard part of the night was over, and we could just enjoy ourselves.

Until GM Jaws (who works at St. Francis Church - he's the main reason we looked at it), came up to me.  "So...it's a little hot in here, and I thought it was just because the A.C. was off all day - but looks like it's broken.  I'm not sure of the repair guy's availability."

Terror. Panic. Sweat. All of these things started showing on my face.

"Don't worry, I will fix it, I will do everything I can to have this fixed for Saturday."

Behind the freak out, there was a (very small) part of me laughing at this news.  I couldn't sail into the weekend without a few more reasons to stress, right?  I trusted GM Jaws and - spoiler! - he had it working by the next day.  Because he rocks.

Previously on the Pyramid Wedding:
Kickoff and teaser trailer