the wedding
Because I'm so unbearably tired, this wedding recap will be as short as I can make it.
First of all. You should know a few things:
My Uncle Sam and Aunt Mary (Dad's older brother and sister) came from Texas for the wedding
Eric is my brother
Al/Allison/the bride is my sister, she is an Arts/Law student at Sydney Uni in her last year. She is 21
Peter Strickland/Pete/the groom is a practicing lawyer (graduate of Economics/Law from Sydney Uni) at Freehill's in Sydney. He is 26
0700 - wake up. Stumble into shower. Put on flannel shirt (for unbuttoning later so as not to mess up hair). Greet Al with beautiful card
- it should be noted that I slept very badly the night before, despite taking some cold medication that's supposed to help you sleep.
0730 - Bridesmaids arrive at house. Eat croissants and drink coffee. Al is happy and relaxed at this point.
0800 - To the hairdresser. Rita starts curling my hair. Drink more coffee.
1030 - Finish hair. Go home. Al is starting to have her hair done as I leave.
1100 - Get makeup done. Heavy eye makeup, but looks nice (I am told). I don't like my hair, but everyone else does, so I shut up.
1126 - Post on LJ.
1200 - Help Dad set out things for lunch.
1230 - Realise the photographer is coming in 30 minutes and no one is dressed (not even Al). Panic.
1240 - See my brother in his tux for the first time. I cry. Nice hug. Leave to hurriedly put on dress.
1300 - Photographer arrives. Corsets are desperately being strapped on the bridesmaids. Bride is getting makeup done
1320 - Bridesmaids dressed. Mom half dressed and getting makeup done. We help Al put on her dress. I begin to cry. Al holds out and doesnt.
1323 - Mom sees Al and cries. Al cries. Mom, Al and I go get our makeup reapplied and fixed from the tears for the photos.
1325 - Flowers arrive. Bouquets of white lillies and orchids for bridesmaids, red for bride.
- Buttonholes for the groom and groomsmen arrive. They are not supposed to be here, they need to go to the church. Panic.
- Eric and Uncle Sam go to the church to take the buttonholes to the groomsmen. Relief.
1330 - Photos begin.
1400 - Photos move to the garden. The bride's dress gets mud on it. Major PANIC!
1410 - A bridesmaid gets dust on her dress. More major PANIC!
1430 - Photographer leaves to take photos of the groomsmen at the church.
1435 - Bride and bridesmaids go to the bathroom as a group to make sure the bride's dress stays off the floor and stays clean.
- Yes. It was as weird and awkward as it sounds.
1445 - Bridal party bus arrives. Bride's car arrives. Mood gets stressful. Begin practicing walking down the aisle to calm down.
1446 - I promise myself I won't cry down the aisle, but wrap a tissue around the stems of my bouquet just in case.
1500 - Get on bus. Sing "Going to the Chapel" in five part harmony on the way to the church to keep from panicking.
1510 - Arrive at church. Panic.
1515 - Mom and Eric go down the aisle. The Minister says "Ladies and Gentlemen, please be upstanding for the bride and her attendants."
- I walk to to the top of the two steps at the end of the aisle. (I am the first bridesmaid to walk). The music starts.
- The processional was Dvorak's Serenade for Strings in E major, op. 22, Tempo di Valse
- I step down the two steps and take two steps down the aisle. I realise where I am and start to cry. I manage not to sob.
- Cry all the way down the aisle, biting my lip so hard I think it bled a little.
- Get to the front and turn to face the back. The other bridesmaids enter and stand near me. Am glad of the tissue on my bouquet.
- I see Al walking down the aisle with dad and let out one tiny tiny sob. Turn to the front and begin to sing the first song.
- Gain control. Manage not to cry through the whole ceremony and following service.
After that, I don't have that good a memory of it all, and I didn't have any way of keeping the time. The afternoon tea after the wedding was a whirlwind. Everyone wanted to make sure I was ok and tell me how sweet they thought it was that I cried. I saw some really old friends I hadn't seen in ages, which was lovely. And a little girl who Al and I used to babysit for came up and told me she thought my dress was prettier than Al's because it was red. She was adorable. ;)
More photos. Then to the Swain gardens for more photos. Then to the beach near the retaurant for more photos. Then to the reception.
MC says "Mr Adam Strickland and Miss Kathleen Beecroft" We go in, wait at the bridal table. rest of bridal party comes in. MC says "Mr and Mrs Peter Strickland." I almost start crying again, but realise I don't have a tissue and so I would be helpless. Manage to keep it in.
Food was good, I'm sure, but I wasn't paying much attention. The speeches were done over dessert. My dad went first. A few tears escaped, but nothing major. The other speeches were so funny I couldn't breathe. One drew some very clever parallels to Pride and Prejudice (hilarious). "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possesion of a Law degree from Sydney, must be in want of a wife." lol. I discovered from the maid of honor's speech that mum told Al to do law because "The gene pool is better". I also discovered that early in the relationship, Pete sent Al a document outlining, logically, the reasons they were compatible, and why they should form a lasting partnership. He did it all in legal terms, and she thought that was the best thing he'd ever done. They are a strange couple, but so in love and compatible that everyone was happy.
After speeches came dancing. That was a lot of fun. I danced with a lot of people from my parent's biblestudy, who I've known the whole time we've been here. They are wonderful. At one point, Dad, Eric, Mum, Al and I were all dancing together. We'd never done that before. She was so happy. I couldn't have asked for more for her. Soon after, she got into her going away outfit and they left in the water taxi. More dancing. Then the band packed up and people started to leave. Got home at about 12:30. Tired tired tired tired. Still awake enough to take fresh sheets and doona down to the granny flat my sister vacated that I get to have. I changed the sheets and fell asleep with my hair and makeup still done.
Today (sunday) was taken up by cleaning and moving into The Pit (the granny flat. We called it that at first because it was little more than a garage. The name kinda stuck). Tomorrow I will be packing frantically. I am so so tired. So I will now go to sleep, having done my duty by telling my diary everything that happened.
good night. :)
First of all. You should know a few things:
My Uncle Sam and Aunt Mary (Dad's older brother and sister) came from Texas for the wedding
Eric is my brother
Al/Allison/the bride is my sister, she is an Arts/Law student at Sydney Uni in her last year. She is 21
Peter Strickland/Pete/the groom is a practicing lawyer (graduate of Economics/Law from Sydney Uni) at Freehill's in Sydney. He is 26
0700 - wake up. Stumble into shower. Put on flannel shirt (for unbuttoning later so as not to mess up hair). Greet Al with beautiful card
- it should be noted that I slept very badly the night before, despite taking some cold medication that's supposed to help you sleep.
0730 - Bridesmaids arrive at house. Eat croissants and drink coffee. Al is happy and relaxed at this point.
0800 - To the hairdresser. Rita starts curling my hair. Drink more coffee.
1030 - Finish hair. Go home. Al is starting to have her hair done as I leave.
1100 - Get makeup done. Heavy eye makeup, but looks nice (I am told). I don't like my hair, but everyone else does, so I shut up.
1126 - Post on LJ.
1200 - Help Dad set out things for lunch.
1230 - Realise the photographer is coming in 30 minutes and no one is dressed (not even Al). Panic.
1240 - See my brother in his tux for the first time. I cry. Nice hug. Leave to hurriedly put on dress.
1300 - Photographer arrives. Corsets are desperately being strapped on the bridesmaids. Bride is getting makeup done
1320 - Bridesmaids dressed. Mom half dressed and getting makeup done. We help Al put on her dress. I begin to cry. Al holds out and doesnt.
1323 - Mom sees Al and cries. Al cries. Mom, Al and I go get our makeup reapplied and fixed from the tears for the photos.
1325 - Flowers arrive. Bouquets of white lillies and orchids for bridesmaids, red for bride.
- Buttonholes for the groom and groomsmen arrive. They are not supposed to be here, they need to go to the church. Panic.
- Eric and Uncle Sam go to the church to take the buttonholes to the groomsmen. Relief.
1330 - Photos begin.
1400 - Photos move to the garden. The bride's dress gets mud on it. Major PANIC!
1410 - A bridesmaid gets dust on her dress. More major PANIC!
1430 - Photographer leaves to take photos of the groomsmen at the church.
1435 - Bride and bridesmaids go to the bathroom as a group to make sure the bride's dress stays off the floor and stays clean.
- Yes. It was as weird and awkward as it sounds.
1445 - Bridal party bus arrives. Bride's car arrives. Mood gets stressful. Begin practicing walking down the aisle to calm down.
1446 - I promise myself I won't cry down the aisle, but wrap a tissue around the stems of my bouquet just in case.
1500 - Get on bus. Sing "Going to the Chapel" in five part harmony on the way to the church to keep from panicking.
1510 - Arrive at church. Panic.
1515 - Mom and Eric go down the aisle. The Minister says "Ladies and Gentlemen, please be upstanding for the bride and her attendants."
- I walk to to the top of the two steps at the end of the aisle. (I am the first bridesmaid to walk). The music starts.
- The processional was Dvorak's Serenade for Strings in E major, op. 22, Tempo di Valse
- I step down the two steps and take two steps down the aisle. I realise where I am and start to cry. I manage not to sob.
- Cry all the way down the aisle, biting my lip so hard I think it bled a little.
- Get to the front and turn to face the back. The other bridesmaids enter and stand near me. Am glad of the tissue on my bouquet.
- I see Al walking down the aisle with dad and let out one tiny tiny sob. Turn to the front and begin to sing the first song.
- Gain control. Manage not to cry through the whole ceremony and following service.
After that, I don't have that good a memory of it all, and I didn't have any way of keeping the time. The afternoon tea after the wedding was a whirlwind. Everyone wanted to make sure I was ok and tell me how sweet they thought it was that I cried. I saw some really old friends I hadn't seen in ages, which was lovely. And a little girl who Al and I used to babysit for came up and told me she thought my dress was prettier than Al's because it was red. She was adorable. ;)
More photos. Then to the Swain gardens for more photos. Then to the beach near the retaurant for more photos. Then to the reception.
MC says "Mr Adam Strickland and Miss Kathleen Beecroft" We go in, wait at the bridal table. rest of bridal party comes in. MC says "Mr and Mrs Peter Strickland." I almost start crying again, but realise I don't have a tissue and so I would be helpless. Manage to keep it in.
Food was good, I'm sure, but I wasn't paying much attention. The speeches were done over dessert. My dad went first. A few tears escaped, but nothing major. The other speeches were so funny I couldn't breathe. One drew some very clever parallels to Pride and Prejudice (hilarious). "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possesion of a Law degree from Sydney, must be in want of a wife." lol. I discovered from the maid of honor's speech that mum told Al to do law because "The gene pool is better". I also discovered that early in the relationship, Pete sent Al a document outlining, logically, the reasons they were compatible, and why they should form a lasting partnership. He did it all in legal terms, and she thought that was the best thing he'd ever done. They are a strange couple, but so in love and compatible that everyone was happy.
After speeches came dancing. That was a lot of fun. I danced with a lot of people from my parent's biblestudy, who I've known the whole time we've been here. They are wonderful. At one point, Dad, Eric, Mum, Al and I were all dancing together. We'd never done that before. She was so happy. I couldn't have asked for more for her. Soon after, she got into her going away outfit and they left in the water taxi. More dancing. Then the band packed up and people started to leave. Got home at about 12:30. Tired tired tired tired. Still awake enough to take fresh sheets and doona down to the granny flat my sister vacated that I get to have. I changed the sheets and fell asleep with my hair and makeup still done.
Today (sunday) was taken up by cleaning and moving into The Pit (the granny flat. We called it that at first because it was little more than a garage. The name kinda stuck). Tomorrow I will be packing frantically. I am so so tired. So I will now go to sleep, having done my duty by telling my diary everything that happened.
good night. :)