Post-Wedding Update 2: "The Day Before"
So Thursday came up SO FAST especially after the excitement and hecticness of Wednesday- I couldn't believe it was finally the day before our wedding. EVERYONE would pretty much be in town as of today and I would finally see all of our family and friends at some point throughout the day.
Family Photos
So on this day we had scheduled our family resort photo shoot, which was the swap we made since we weren't using DFAP for our actual wedding. Thankfully all of our immediate family members really bought in to the idea of this photo shoot and were all really cooperative! We billed it as their "gift" to them to get photos with their own families (both of my cousins, for instance, just had new babies so this was a great way to get professional photos with their new children), so I think that helped as well. We even got everyone on board to wear matching shirts! (except DF's mom- ugh). The morning started off relatively smooth. We woke up, had a nice breakfast in the room and were able to slowly start getting ready. It seemed like everything was right on schedule! DF and my BIL went over to the Yacht Club, since we were checking in that day and were so worried about not getting our room requests. We were DYING to have our rooms at the Yacht face the wedding gazebo so that we could have some family members watch the ceremony from there (one of my little tricks to work around the Escape guest limit). Also, I had always dreamed of waking up the morning of the wedding, overlooking the gazebo and having my coffee, just excited for the day ahead. We had faxed in our room requests, added them to our reservation on booking, AND called a week before just to be sure lol. SO, Matt and my BIL were headed over there juuuuuust to make sure that they were working as best as they could to honor the request. This is where things started going off the rails a little bit...
Matt and BIL left around 10 to go over to the Yacht, and our photo shoot was scheduled to start at 11 @ the Boardwalk. Because we had 2 different reservations and 1 of them was for 1 night and the other was for 3, I guess there was a massive confusion at the front desk as to which rooms needed the view, who was checking in to what room, etc. I think this was something I should have went and done instead of sending Matt (bless his heart- I mean that in the nicest possible way LOL). He just wasn't as clear on what exactly I had booked and what I wanted as far as the views and everything so I think he was making them MORE confused as he was trying to figure it out. I got several phone calls from my BIL trying to clarify things and at one point I had to get on the phone with the front desk staff to clarify everything (so I really should have just went over there myself at that point). The minutes were ticking on and they still weren't back yet. 10:30. 10:40. 10:50. Now I was starting to freak out lol. At 10:55, I left the BW lobby to try to go hunt them down and get them to the photo shoot. Thankfully, I saw them running up (literally running) just in time. I was nervous as to what had been worked out at the Yacht, but I couldn't worry about that now because our photo shoot was starting.
We had Ali as our main photographer, and he was absolutely amazing. I had requested him with DFAP when I booked, so I was happy to see we got our first choice, even being a lowly family photo shoot and not an actual wedding shoot. We started with some whole group shots of our entire family, and then moved down off the balcony area of the BW lobby down to the grassy area at the foot of the stairs. Each family got a turn to take photos with themselves, we did some shots of all the cousins with our grandma, and Matt and I even got a few minutes at the end to take some goofy shots. I loved the experience and it really was a lot of fun!!
Me & Matt, My parents, and my Sister/BIL in various shades of blue (and we were purple of course because of our wedding colors!)
Matt ended up making the PERFECT Flynn Rider face and didn't even realize what he was doing lol
After the shoot, it was about lunchtime so everyone agreed to go have lunch together. I had suspected this would happen but that we would just eat at the pizza window or food truck. March Madness had just started, so some of my cousins really wanted to go to ESPN and have lunch there. It turned into EVERYONE going to ESPN, which was great, but in hindsight I wish Matt and I wouldn't have gone. It ended up taking FOREVER there (about 2 hours) and being such a large group we were separated anyway, so we ended up only sitting with my parents and sister and BIL, not really getting to spend time with the family from out of town. We could have definitely used those 2 ours for getting things organized, following up at the Yacht, and getting our stuff moved over from the BW to the Yacht because that process also ended up going pretty terrible. While it was nice that everyone ended up going to have lunch in the same place, our time would have been much better spent elsewhere and, really, the decision to go to lunch created a domino effect of stress and rushing the rest of the day that could have been avoided.
Rehearsal
So during lunch at ESPN, I had gotten a text from Lindsey our coordinator at the Swan saying she would be available if we wanted to bring down any decor or other items for the reception. This was great news except we really didn't have time built into our day for this LOL and it was slightly frustrating because I had asked her weeks prior if I could drop off items early and she said she would have no where to store them, so I couldn't. I would have to have my decorators bring it in day-of. SO, now that it was an option for us to bring stuff down early, I figured we should probably do that to make the process as easy as possible on the family members I had assigned to be my decorators. So leaving lunch, we headed straight there with all the stuff (which we had to gather from various cars as it was scattered all over different resorts). We got there and dropped things off, and that was that, but now it was 3:00 and our rehearsal was in 1 hour. I still had to go to the YC rooms (and pray pray pray they had the view we wanted) and get ready for the rehearsal, and my parents had to get ready themselves and then go start setting up for the rehearsal dinner at the Admiral Pool (quiet pool on the Yacht club property).
Only problem- we couldn't get ready because our stuff had not been brought up to our YC room from bell services yet. Not even the stuff we had transferred from the BW at 10:30 that morning. I had a really big bone to pick with the YC for this because 1). They have different folks operating luggage services- Valet people load it up from the car, and then it gets transferred to bell services inside the hotel, and those folks bring it up to your room. This requires you to tip TWO individuals, and then you're at the mercy of the backlog of bell services and when they can bring stuff up to you, rather than just having one person take it from your car straight up to your room. Because of everything going on, at one point no one was in the room, so one of our carts was turned around and brought back down until someone could be there. That was also frustrating, because it seemed like they wouldn't leave it in the room because they wanted a tip. Furthermore, we were told several times we couldn't just borrow a cart and do it ourselves- if we wanted a cart to help us move the stuff, it would have to be done through valet/bell services. That really ticked me off too. So because of all the crap we had (stuff being transferred from BW to YC, stuff from the cars being brought up now, and the one cart that tried to come up but turned around cause we weren't in the room for 5 mins), nothing had made it to the room yet. It was also prime check-in time- around 3:00. If we had just gone there earlier when our room was ready around 1:30 and not gone to lunch @ ESPN, we probably would have avoided all of this mess. We called down and asked if they could please rush our stuff up as we needed it ASAP to get ready, and thankfully that rushed things a long a little bit, but things were still super behind schedule. Now instead of having an hour to get ready, I had 30 minutes. Ugh.
At this point, I was starting to get really, really stressed out. I HATE being late to things, and rushing always puts me in a horrible mood. I was starting to really feel the pressure. Everyone kept pulling me in 10 different directions. This person was calling me because they were lost walking to the Yacht Club. Another person was calling me because they couldn't find the cooler I set aside for the rehearsal dinner. DFs mother was wanting to be escorted from the Swan over to the Yacht Club for the dinner. One groomsman (who has been a pain in the butt through this whole process) was running late and was going to miss the actual rehearsal. I was losing it. I even at one point, right in the middle of the YC lobby, started crying and yelling at Matt because I was just being stretched too thin. I just wanted everything to go perfectly, and so far that day it just wasn't. I had several family members who were having major issues with the Swan with their rooms (more on that later), and I kept hearing their complaints and frustrations all day. I was over it and just wanted everyone to be having fun, and it just seemed like at every turn everyone was frustrated, rushing, or stressed.
Thankfully, at 4:00 we were ready to go and made it to the rehearsal on time. The rooms DID have AMAZINGGG views of the Gazebo and they were exactly what we had requested- connecting rooms, both with views of the gazebo. They couldn't have been any more perfect. They were also on the 4th floor, giving us an extended balcony on both rooms. I was thrilled, and seeing the rooms helped lift my spirits a lot (for the time being).
Our ceremony rehearsal was totally an unofficial rehearsal- completely orchestrated by us. Our planner was not there and because we are Escape, we don't get a formal rehearsal. I just couldn't imagine only finding out THAT DAY, within minutes really, how everything would go. I knew my bridal party and uncle (who was our officiant) would appreciate it too because many of them had never been in a wedding before. The gazebo was empty and unused (thankfully) so we were able to rehearse without a hitch. It went great and we had actually a lot of fun with the bridal party enjoying the beautiful day it was and being silly. I realized that was our first time together WITH our whole entire bridal party (minus the one missing groomsman) and it was really nice.
After the rehearsal itself we headed to the pool area where the dinner would be held. We were doing a casual pizza/pool party and invited pretty much anyone who wanted to come, not just close family or bridal party. We showed up to the pool area and my heart sank a little. Nothing was hardly set up. It was about 4:45 and a ton of guests were already there, but nothing was really ready. My mom was still unpacking things from their boxes and my dad was still making trips down from the room with stuff. I know that I sound really, really, ungrateful for complaining since they were helping me out after all, and I also know part of this was because of the delay with Bell Services, but in that moment with how everything else had gone that day, I was really upset. They had TWO hours since we got back to the hotel from lunch to get things brought down and set up, and get themselves ready. It just seemed like all day, everything was unraveling. All of the great plans I had and all the hard work I put into planning things out so they would go smoothly was all coming undone. I immediately jumped in to help my parents and kept hearing "why are you helping?" "You shouldn't have to do this!" "go get a drink and relax". But at that point I just wanted to execute. I knew exactly how everything should be set up, where it should go, etc. And I was embarrassed that people were showing up to a completely not ready party/dinner. So we got everything squared away and after about 20 minutes, I was able to relax and start enjoying everything.
The dinner itself was really fun once it got started. The kids were swimming in the pool and enjoying themselves. People were chatting, conversing, and the pizza was amazing (from Flippers- can't recommend them enough if you're wanting pizza delivered to property). Instead of toasts at the wedding or rehearsal dinner, we decided to do a "champagne roast". It was hilarious and our friends and family really stepped up and did an amazing job! My sister made a rap to "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air" theme which was hilarious, and Matt's friends had a field day roasting him on his horrible navigation skills, his love of bowling, etc. My little ring bearer 2nd cousin/nephew also randomly grabbed the mic and started roasting us- it was great. We handed out our gifts to our parents and bridal party. The Guys got personalized money clips, marvel socks, and a personalized bottle opener. The girls got their robes for the next day, personalized stemless champagne flutes, and a personalized candle from Yankee Candle with a picture of me + the girl on it. We gave my dad a personalized hammer (since he "always fixes everything"), we gave Matt's mom a personalized handkerchief, and my mom a personalized wine glass. The whole event flew by WAY too fast and I couldn't believe it was already 7:30, almost time for us to leave for the "night before nightcap" at the Boathouse at DS.
Night Before Nightcap
So another thing I wish we would have skipped is planning this nightcap outing. In the end we did end up having fun, but again with everyone rushing and things, it wasn't quite the "hit" that I thought it would be. We had decided to use our limo service we got in the package taking our friends and family over to DS for drinks at the Boathouse. What could be nicer than a "free", luxury ride to a nice restaurant where you could have a few drinks and not have to worry about anything? Well, half of our family and friends ended up bailing on the idea because many of them were tired or had kids and just wanted to go back to their rooms and relax. My parents were left cleaning up the rehearsal dinner (my friends really dropped the ball and didn't help them), so they were feeling stressed and tired and didn't feel like going even though they did. One of my bridesmaids totally bailed on coming because she was having a bad day with check-in troubles, being rushed from place to place, etc. She had been kind of distant and not present all day, so I was in a crabby mood with her decision not to come also.
At 7:45 the limo picked up the first round of guests (me, DF, 2 of my bridesmaids and my sister and BIL), and it was going to come back for a second pick-up of my parents and what I hoped would be my aunt and uncle and a few other family members, but like I said they all decided last minute not to come. We did have fun in the limo drive over and my crazy friends that did come tried to make the experience as fun as they could. The limo was veryyy nice and our driver was excellent!
We arrived at the Boat House about 10 minutes past our scheduled reservation time of 8:00. Upon checking in, the hostess told us that because we were late, we lost our spot outside that we had requested in the reservation. Great. Another hiccup. I was pretty pissed at this point, because I had even emailed them letting them know we were on our way and might be a few minutes late (which they confirmed and replied to the email, so they knew I sent it). They ended up saying they had a spot for us wayyy down on the water, but that it might be chilly. We took it, because we wanted so badly to be outside, and even though it WAS cold that night (got into the 40s), I figured we would be okay.
Boy I was wrong. It was cold. Freezing, freaking, cold. Because we were so close to the water there was a chilling breeze, and it took them forever to get us a few heaters and even when they did, they kept blowing out because of the wind. Everyone was miserable. My parents who arrived on the second round of the limo were so tired- I could see it in their faces. I felt that panic and upset feeling again. My perfect night I had envisioned where everyone was enjoying the outdoors, the experience of being around all of the boats, having one last drink together before the big day- it was unraveling again. Eventually, the staff did say that a table big enough for our group had cleared up closer to the restaurant where the wind was cut in half, so we moved up there. That helped some, but it felt like the damage was already done.
We finished up our drinks (I think I had about 3 just to squash down these feelings and try to enjoy myself) and some folks had some appetizers or side dishes and we said goodnight to everyone around 10:45. We headed back to the limo and got back to the hotel right at 11, which was good because that's really the latest I wanted to stay out. The limo did go back around again for one last pickup of some stragglers that stayed behind since we wouldn't all fit (it only seats 8). I said goodnight to Matt, knowing the next time I saw him would be at the ceremony! I got in my PJs, opened a bottle of French wine I had gotten from Paris when Matt and I were there last summer and that I was saving for this very night. My mom and I watched some tv and had some snacks, talking about the evening and the excitement to come the next day. Around 12:00 I finally had enough wine in me to make me sleepy enough to fall right to sleep- my last sleep as an unmarried lady!
All in all, even though the day had a lot of crappy moments, looking back now I am so grateful for my family and friends. They did so much and busted their butts, and we were sure to thank them for that. When we got back from our wedding and honeymoon, we took my parents out to a nice dinner to thank them again for all they did for us especially with the rehearsal and wedding cleanup (more on that next). And the events WERE fun, even though they were not perfect. I have moments and memories that I will cherish from each one of the events, so for that I am forever thankful and glad that I planned the things I did.
Up next is THE big day! That day DEFINITELY went perfectly and made up for all of the hiccups of the days prior!