Wedding Recap: Getting Ready

One of my closest friends and I dance in the giant shower at The Omni

Finally! It's here! Over the next week or so, I'll be recapping our wedding. First up is the story of why I was an hour late to my own wedding, and then some of Theresa Scarbrough's beautiful photos of us getting ready on the big day. Enjoy!

The day of our wedding, we woke up early and got massages. It was so nice to do something just the two of us, and frankly we needed the hour of relaxation before our big day. From there, I headed off with my friend, the Half-breed Swede, to get our hair and makeup done. We didn't have a wedding party, but the Half-breed Swede had come in a little over a week ahead of time to help me get everything ready (best wedding gift ever!), and she decided to get her hair and makeup done with me. After hair and makeup, we came back to the apartment and picked up A.P. and headed to our hotel downtown.

We decided to get ready at The Omni Hotel with some of our family and friends. We booked a small suite, but when we arrived, and they found out we were getting married, they upgraded us to the Presidential Suite! So awesome! The room was gigantic and because we were already running a bit late, after checking out the digs, we started getting ready immediately. The plan was to take some photos with our photographer, Theresa Scarbrough, around the city on the way to Lovely, where the entire event was to take place. Cocktail hour was from 6-7, and the ceremony was right after, from 7-7:30. We planned on getting to Lovely between 5:30 and 5:45 so that we could make sure everything was set up properly, and then I was supposed to go change out of my wedding dress into a cocktail dress before the guests arrived. I was planning on wearing a beautiful black cocktail dress, and then right before the ceremony switching back into my wedding dress.

A.P. and I set about getting ready, with me in the bedroom area with my gals, and him in the front area with his brothers. However, about ten minutes into getting ready, A.P. knocked on my door and asked me if I had his pants. I didn't. Turns out he had forgotten his pants at our apartment! He jumped into a cab and told the driver he'd give him $100 to get him there and back to the hotel as soon as possible. On a good day, with very little traffic it's about 20 minutes from our apartment to downtown, but of course this day traffic was bad. It seemed like it took A.P. forever to get there and back! Meanwhile, I was stewing at the hotel with my friends. I was pretty angry, because our plan was to only take about 30 minutes to get ready. Really, I had my hair/makeup done already, and just needed to slip on my dress. A.P. just had to get on his suit and then we would be all set. Instead, A.P. didn't get back to the hotel until the time we were supposed to be arriving at Lovely. We ended up showing up to Lovely at around 6:45, an hour late, and with no photos taken in between.

Upon arrival, an old friend (and the designer of our beautiful invitations) came up to me and told me I had to snap out of it because the night was going to go by so fast that I needed to try to enjoy every moment. I have to say, that was the best advice I got! And I recently had a friend get married and I passed on the same advice. It is so true. I've never had anything that lasted so long feel like it lasted only an hour. And I've never had such a natural high! It was an amazing night and next time I post, I'll share with you what A.P. did that made him forgetting his pants almost worth it (almost!). Now, enjoy some photos of us getting ready at The Omni.

The Presidential Suite at The Omni - Upgrade!

They sent up champagne and chocolate covered strawberries!

B-Mac, whose mother made my dress, checks out the ginormous tub in the master bath (yes...there were TWO bathrooms!)

A.P. and I check out the grand piano

The dress! I love how ethereal it looks in this photo!

My two shoes - The black ones were supposed to be worn with my cocktail dress, but I never ended up wearing them.

The Half-breed Swede adjusts my sash

Squeezing my big ol' feet into my pretty green shoes

Putting on the necklace A.P. gave me on our first Valentine's Day. It reads, "Je t'aime plus qu'hier, moins que demain." It comes from a poem by Rosemonde Gerard that we had my old French teacher translate, which the Half-breed Swede read during the ceremony.

A.P.'s niece plays the piano while I get ready (and while A.P. is in a cab on his way to retrieve his pants)

A.P.'s brother had to leave, but left this memorable note behind

Tying the rings to the ring pillow

I made the ring pillow. The design matches the image on the RSVP cards.

The groom's gift: It looks kind of girly, but matched the paper we used throughout the wedding. I got A.P. an Up inspired grape soda boutonniere, and a trip for two on a hot air balloon - something he has always wanted to do, and which coincidentally went well with the boutonniere

A.P.'s tie and a pocket watch given to him by his late mother

A.P. buttons his cuffs as he gets ready

B-Mac helps A.P. adjust his vest

A.P. fixes his beautiful hair
The rest of the note from A.P's brother...that's good advice!

First look!

A.P. opens up his groom's gift (and loves it!)

Quick kiss!

The boutonniere on A.P.'s bespoke suit! It looked so good with his tie and shirt, which had purple pinstripes.

In the elevator in The Omni, on our way to get married!

I love this photo! Kissing in the elevator.

We took a cab to Lovely. The perfect ride for the city girl since birth!

In the cab on the way to Lovely

The cost to go get married: $8.85 + tip