A year and a week ago, part 4
After hair and makeup, it was back to the hotel for Karen and I. Mike and Heather raced off to their hotel to get ready, and I just relaxed in my room for a while. One of the guests, Barbaree, who’s a good friend of Mom’s and was her business partner for a time, had offered to do a meet and greet in her hotel suite for people before the wedding. Right around noon, I wandered down to her suite and the party got started. Guests that were coming in that day hit Barbaree’s party and I got to see some people I’d not seen in years before the wedding. People cycled in and out, snacks were munched, and everyone had a great time.
Then it was time for Karen, Robin and I to head out to the house for pictures. Jared was already there and I could see what looked like him and Brandall, our photographer, out on the front porch taking pictures already. There was a bit of hilarity as Mike and Heather went zipping up the drive ahead of us to get Jared to go hide so I could slip in unseen, then his picture taking resumed. ::grin::
Since that morning, the florist had come by and decorated the house, the cake had been set up, and The Logistics Crew had managed to make furniture vanish and set up for a wedding inside the house. I was stunned at everything they had done and amazed at how wonderful it all looked. I got shuffled into Mom’s room at the back of the house to change, and then the waiting began.
That’s the one thing I’d forgotten about weddings, having been bridesmaid for two friends of mine: the waiting. The good thing about the waiting is that I had time to relax. The bad thing about the waiting is I was ready to GET THIS DONE! Not in a “My god! Can this go on any LONGER?!” way. but a “EEEEEEE! HAPPY!” kinda way. 
Once upon a bad time ago, back when Jared and I were friends and I was going through a Very Bad Breakup With Another Guy, I’d commented on a blog that I apparently had issues with commitment. That I said I wanted it, but the second it looked like I’d be staying for the rest of my life, I’d panic. And that most likely on my wedding day to whatever guy I married, I’d not be racing around in a panic over various aspects of the wedding. I’d not be impatiently standing there asking if we can get this over with already and this had better be worth it. I’d most likely be curled into a ball, rocking back and forth in a corner, going “It’s okay, you love him, you know you love him,” while various people tried to reassure me that I would live.
It turned out I was completely wrong. Well, I wouldn’t have been wrong with the prediction if it had been with Guy From Very Bad Breakup. But the prediction was completely off when faced with The Right Guy. Jared kinda blew that scenario out the water. The best I was hoping for that afternoon was to A. not fall over giggling from being insanely happy during the ceremony and B. not start randomly dancing with everyone, again from being insanely happy.
Karen made sure my veil was pinned in place, and then she got pulled out to have pictures taken with Jared and Robin. Heather was still being my own personal paparazzi, and taking pictures of me and the house. We’d managed to beg/con Mike into being an usher (“What do I do?!” “If they’re female, escort them to a chair, otherwise, stand there and smile.” “Oh, okay, I can do that!”). One of Mom’s employees had been begged/conned into hitting the pause button on the iMac’s remote for the playlist for the pre/post wedding. The caterer was running late, but coming. Same for the JP. There had been a power outage in town that was wreaking havoc with everyone’s time tables. And me? I didn’t care. I was just happy.
At one point between photos, Mom giving tours of the house, me calling various people, etc., it was just Heather and I in Mom’s room. I slipped off my shoes, and went over to the mirror in Mom’s closet and finally just looked at myself. The dress that had been made for me. The necklace Karen had made for me. The veil. The shoes nearby. The flowers. The… holy crap. It finally hit me, not unlike a wall falling and smacking me on the head. Heather made an alarmed noise and went for the tissues, while I stood there, looking stunned and trying to not cry. And at the same time, still smiling and still giddy with excitement.
