Friday……October 25, 2013…….Part 2 of a story in 3 parts

There is a lot that needs to be done to get ready for a wedding…even if you have a whole week to plan for it!  (That’s a joke, friends…must be a luxury to have 6 months!)  I have spent all the past week getting things together.  Tina Davis (not Tina Cooley, the bride-to-be) came over and helped me get the things we would need to get the house decorated out of the storage room.  We have it all out and sorted and ready.  My house looks like a staging area.  A lot in more around this house  has to be decorated for a wedding than for just our little family.   All of this has me feeling just a tad bit overwhelmed.

Tina reminded me that this WAS the 3rd wedding the the Royal Design Team had done!  And, I think she and I had done a couple more, and I know Shirl had…so we were good to go!

I spent the week getting last minute things…ordering supplies, a few more decorations to buy, checking on the cake and the flower order…and getting all the food ordered from the caterer.  And, all my helpers were ready to go.  My housekeeper had been here on two days prior and she had everything cleaned and ready.  My dear friend, Patty, went and picked up all the rentals for me…chairs, cake stand, drink dispensers, etc.  She had to borrow her husbands truck to get it all.  Joy and I were sweating it out because we were going to have to split it between our two cars and hers is small!  But, Patty to the rescue!  Shirl left her house in Moultrie and drove the 2 hours to Dothan…arriving here around 8:00.  Joy got here soon after and they set about working out a plan of action.  I left to do the really last things and when I came back, they had things well under way.  The front porch…..

Joy worked until early evening and had to leave, but Tina D. got off work at 3, and boy did she and Shirl get busy!   They worked until Don came in bringing supper, but I had to leave it with them…I could not bend my back or take another step on my feet.  I rested while they all ate.  Ian and Tina and Jackson all came in around 10:00 and everyone went to bed soon after in anticipation of the big day ahead!

IT”S HERE!………….October 26, 2013

Today is the big day!  My baby boy is marrying the love of his life…and I intend to make sure everything is perfect for them!

You know, no matter how adept you are at decorating and no matter how many weddings you have decorated for in the past…when it is your own child…you brain turns to mush!  Or maybe it had something to do with a week’s notice and it being at my house!  I knew the look I wanted.  I had conveyed the look to all my helpers.  We were all on the same page.  And, I wanted to be doing something, but everytime I tried, it just wouldn’t work.  And, so, I left it all in their hands.  And, I had no doubts that it would all be just as perfect as I wanted it to be!

Sweet Joy.  I tried all day yesterday to get 2 makings of a recipe the kids all love…chess squares…made.  But, it never happened.  So, she took the whole shebang…pans and ingredients and such…home with her last night and had it here before 8:00 this morning for all the troops to enjoy through the day!  Thanks, Joy.  You are the best!  (I actually think that is a perfectly logical wedding breakfast, don’t you?)

The crew arrived and set about finishing the decor and the bride-to-be left to go and get her hair and makeup done.  Suzanne came in and fixed all the chicken salad shells, and worked on her pasta dish.

Dear Suzanne.  She worked on this pasta dish, Chicken Milano, for 4 days prior to the wedding.  She did all the chickens on one night.  And she did all the tomatoes and fixings another night.  Then she did all the pasta the next night.  She was making a HUGE amount.  But we wanted to make sure we had enough!  Then she brought it over and put it all together.  Thanks, Suzanne, your ease in the kitchen and with the food made it much easier on me.

Below is the mantel inside the house, beside the dining room table.    Don’t you love the chalkboard?

2:00…Shirl and Tina D  left to get ready…Joy left to get Tommy and Pop and take a breather…Suzanne went home to change and get Levi.  Ian and Tina and Jackson were on the bridge getting pictures made.  And, now, they moved to the backyard and around the pool and in the swing.  Adam is so good at what he does!  No one here but me and Otelida, my housekeeper.  Don came in and started to get ready.  I reminded him to hurry, the family pics are next.  Where was the cake?   It was now close to 4 and the baker was to have been here by 2:00.  Called her, no answer.  Called again…no answer.  Suzanne got back here and she called her…baker said she’s coming soon.  The food was to be here around 5:30 and all was well.  Table is laid out with labelled dishes to hold all the food.  I sat down to breathe.  Or not.  The baker came, huffing and puffing, with the cake.  It was very pretty …but not like we ordered it.   At this point, I was not going to fuss. It would do fine!  I wanted the rest of the food to get here so I could relax.

5:00…”It’s going to happen.  And, everything is ready.  Well, the main food is not here yet, but it should be here any minute.  The wedding is going to take place on the outside porch in front of the fireplace…sort of our own little chapel.  Here’s what it looked like before it got very dark. Twinkly lights all out in the trees in the backyard.   It’s beautiful.  Simply beautiful!”

And, all the chairs are gathered round and ready for our guests!

Gotta go get the family gathered!  Stay tuned…the best part is coming up in the next section.