part 2

(For part 1, please read part 1)

So, on Sunday (the day before the wedding), Chris and I met Ben and Rene at the hotel and took them on a tour of Sandusky. It was obviously awesome. We showed them the Lake (how can you miss it?), the back way to Cedar Point, the plethora of retail, the yacht club, the place where we got our marriage license from (the courthouse) and, of course, TGIFridays, where we had lunch on the dock next to the bay. Chris had something called a "cheesy bacon cheeseburger." Anything with "cheese" in the title twice is trouble. It had a big piece of fried cheese on top. Gross. But he sure did eat it. I think Ben and Rene spent the rest of the night in the pool at the hotel. Chris went to Cleveland to practice music with his old band ("Freudian Slip" for those of you who were wondering) and I went home to, essentially, quietly freak out until I openly freaked out, most of which became directed at my sister on another drive home from Wal-mart (I needed one of those duffel bags that folds down flat).

I hardly slept that night at all. I started rethinking my vows. I had written my vows when I was half asleep and I started wondering whether or not they made sense. So, I made a bullet-point version of my vows. I just couldn't imagine myself standing up there reading this piece of paper like it's some kind of book. They're all things I'd say anyway, how could I just READ it? Anyway, I had to wake up relatively early on Monday because we planned on having a rehearsal with the people helping us out in the ceremony at noon. Chris was in a really bad mood when he picked me up but he soon felt better. We met half the group at the hotel and drove them to the yacht club where we waited for the other half... for ever. They made a wrong turn and drove like 25 miles in the wrong direction so they were over an hour late. Chris wanted to take every one out for lunch in thanks for helping but there was no way I'd have time to go, especially after we were running so behind. Our rehearsal just ended up being a basic talk-through of what was going to happen. I got home about 2pm and had told the photographer I'd be back around 4:45. Since I needed another two hours to put on my make up, this was really cutting it close!

I went home and put on make up (and helped my sister put on her SPANX), kissed my kitty's pretty head and we all went down to the yacht club where the first person I saw besides our photographer was Chris. He was all like "I'm not looking" for a minute, but then we realized it was pointless and we gave up on that. In fact, I never went away to "hide." I was out in the room the entire time pre-wedding (save when I was taking pictures with my family near the water) talking to people. The first person I was able to talk to was Ben Klainer! It was so nice. I hadn't seen him in so long and it was so great to be able to spend some real time with him, ESPECIALLY since he drove from Chicago that day and was driving back that night. Now that is wedding dedication. I remember people from the theatre walking in and seeing me through a doorway and looking SHOCKED that I was out there. It was pretty funny.

We had LOTS of wedding dedication at our ceremony! We had people who drove from Staunton the night before, people who drove from NYC the night before and people who flew from NYC (including Rene who drove to DC, took a train to NYC and then flew to NYC and back). It was awesome! And, Ali was able to drive up and as the sole witness to the beginning of our relationship in attendance, it was pretty great to have her there. Plus, you know, she's great.

I roped Josh into running the ipod for the pre-ceremony and kiss songs (not the band, the final part of the ceremony). We started the edited version of "The White Album" at about 6pm and mingled and stuff until "Rocky Raccoon" was playing. I made sure my lipstick was ok in the bathroom mirror and we all waited in the hall for Ben to start singing "I Will".....