Rain Check

It rained on my wedding day. It rained, a lot. The Farmer's Almanac said it wouldn't rain that weekend. The weekend forecast called for light rains, possibly 30%, but that was all North of us.

30% chance of scattered showers turned out to be 4 hours of buckets of water falling and leaving no place for an outdoor wedding. I was up early getting decorations ready for the ceremony and reception site. My Auntie J was there helping and coordinating. There were many others helping too but I had to leave the muggy morning to go get my hair and makeup done a few miles away. A short time later, it started raining. And raining, and raining. At one point during getting my hair up in hot rollers, I looked at the reflection in the mirror and a tree outside the salon was literally bent over because the rain and wind was so strong. I closed my eyes and my bridesmaids assured me that it would all be fine.

I knew the rain would leave, and I knew it would leave behind a swampy, muddy mess in our back yard. I finally got to leave the salon and get back to headquarters. My bridesmaid K rode home with me and I remember saying, "I hope when we get home, there has been a decision made about what to do today." She replied, "Well don't look now but there's Z with the stock trailer, I wonder what that's for."

I made it home to an awaiting room of Mama, Auntie J, Sonita Maria, Haley Beth and K. They laid it out for me. The rain would clear out around 2pm. I had 2 choices: A)Wait until then and then get set up outdoors as planned and people will go with the flow and try to enjoy the atmosphere. (As Aunt TAM said, "It's Kansas, we know how to deal with mud.") or B) move the shindig to Plan B.

Daddy was no where to be found and without a cell phone. He didn't want to make an early decision to move it to the school, he wanted me to have an outdoor wedding. I wanted an outdoor wedding, I still want an outdoor wedding. In the spring with a temperature of about 75* and a nice breeze. I didn't want a swampy outdoor wedding, so I made the decision to move it next door and move it quick! I called our Photog, told him to back up the schedule 2 hours, rather than all pictures before,we would do our private moment and formals before and then shots with Gardener Guy and I during the reception. All other vendors were called to move the delivery next door and we were off.

We waited for the rain to slow, called all of our troops and started moving next door. I had to organize all of my decorations, flowers, necessities into piles to be carried, dollied, drove next door. The men began loading chairs, tables, arbors, table clothes, dishes, water fountains, dressers and potted plants in the stock trailer to make one big trip next door. People began showing up from out of nowhere. At one point, I walked in our kitchen and my Aunt TAM was there and said, "It'll all be all right honey." I about broke down, so I left the kitchen and headed to the school.

The bridesmaids and candlelighters and I sat up our shop in the office. We cut fresh flowers and arranged them in the vases. I loved it. We spilled pitchers of water on that carpet but we moved like lightening: deleafing, cutting, pouring water, arranging flowers and stacking on a rolling cart I found. I loved it. I can't imagine how much more I could have enjoyed it the day-of if the plans would have gone as planned.

I left the school with the Maids to get ready and to start photos. At some point during this time when we were shooting outdoors, my parents' air conditioning quit and so we had a house full of dressed up bridal party people, with no air conditioning. Of course.

Gardener Guy and I still had our Private Moment on the front porch. I love the photos from this short time with us. I had missed him all day and kept thinking, "How are we pulling off this huge change in the wedding day without seeing or talking to each other." We have amazing friends and family, that's how.

We shot outdoor formals with the Maids, Men and indoor formals with our family. In all of the hulabaloo, I didn't get any photos with my guest book girls, candlelighters or soloist. This is a bummer.

Guests were arriving as we finished up pictures and I wanted to get out of site. We hid in the library and office waiting for the ceremony to start. Even with 4 ushers, the ceremony got started late. After watching the video, I realized half of the wedding ceremony was over before I even walked down the aisle. Seating of parents and g'rents, reading, candle lightings, Mamas' lighting, processional.... and then I got to walk. Made for a short ceremony for me though!

I loved our ceremony. Some of the processional music was wrong and went too long, but I didn't hear it until watching the video. Daddy had set the mood lighting so that the stage was lit and the audience was dimmed, a perfect touch. I couldn't believe how well the ceremony went considering we didn't rehearse there and didn't have time to talk through details before.

Ok but really, I loved our ceremony. My Uncle Rand made the audience laugh and even made me cry. I never thought I would cry, but I did, I enjoyed the moment. I cried, and he about cried, and then I blamed it on Mama. We said our vows, listened to GG's sisters read, lit our unity candle, listened to Dana's beautiful song, gave and received rings, and were married. Mr and Mrs. Gardener Guy.

We left and as we were about out the door a horrible ruckus happened. Well, I thought it was a horrible ruckus, really it was a surprise of the Wabash Cannonball to escort the Bridal Brigade back down the aisle. The culprit: 1st we thought it was GG's brother Golf Guy. Nope. Auntie J? She says no. We think the DJ took artistic liberty but we don't really know. Pretty bold of the guy to do that to a bride who's day was a rainout. Lucky for him, I enjoyed the K-State tribute.

Reception low-down to come.

Rainy day love and all of mine!

*Rain check: on our flight home from the honeymoon, we sat next to a man who renewed his vows with his wife in Mexico after 20 years. I told GG he owes me a rain check for our vows in 20 years.