Jetta knew the occassion called for his bow-tie.

(I realize how ridiculously long this is taking to update. I’ve been married over a month and I’m still writing about it. This is what has become of my blog writing prowess. Sigh.)

I woke up Saturday around 5:30 a.m., because that’s perfectly reasonable and normal. My friends got up a few hours later, and we spent the morning eating bagels and discussing the awesomeness of Neil Patrick Harris and the Kia dancing hamsters. (Seriously – Kia – best advertising move ever.) The rest of the bridesmaids came in around 10:30 a.m. Due to a lack of money, we didn’t hire a hairdresser to come in, instead my friend Jess stopped by. She’s a genius when it comes to hair, so she, along with my matron of honor, helped all the girls. Of course, they looked absolutely lovely.I actually liked how that turned out better because we were already so comfortable with one another, it’s weird adding a stranger into the mix.

Around noon I left to get my hair and makeup done, which was a…process. Megan, my matron of honor, and my mom came with me. You must understand one thing – my mom’s a talker. A complainer. And opinionated person. The girl doing my hair knew to only listen to Megan when taking critiques. It’s not that my mom’s bad, she just cares so much about how things look, that she sometimes forgets feelings. Anu, Samir’s sister, and my cousin met us there, as they were arriving later. Both were impressed with the amount my mom and I could lovingly fight.

Around 3:30 we got back to my parents’ house. The photographer was there. (We hired a friend who’s also a phenomenal photographer. You’ll see.) The girls looked stunning, which calmed me down. (I’d explain more about how I was feeling at this time, but I really wasn’t feeling much. I was like a zombie, going through the motions of the day. I was excited, definitely, but I just wanted to get to the science center. I wanted to get to the moment. So, I mechanically flew through the rest of the day.)

Bridesmaids! (Also pictured: iPhones!)

I put on my dress, and there was the moment of aww and ahh and wow and yay. I’d tried on the dress so many times prior, but it wasn’t until then that I actually felt like a bride. With the shoes and the jewelry and the hair. (Fun fact: The shoes were from the sale section of Macys, the earrings were purchased with a coupon from Macys, and the bracelet was a Lauren Conrad design from Kohls. I know how to shop!) It was an amazing feeling, truly.

My dad didn’t cry, but he got a bit red. We took some pictures with Jetta (of course) and then left. It was – crazy.

When we got to the science center, people were still leaving. (It closes at 5, when we got there; the wedding wasn’t until 6). We got a few glances, of course. A few congratulations. But my favorite was, “oh, what’s going on?” me: “Um, i’m getting married.” “oh, that’s nice.” Thanks?

The first person I saw inside was…Joe, a good high school/college friend, as well as our videographer. I saw moments before his wedding ceremony, so it was only right for him to see me. Good luck, I suppose. He was there early, checking out the venue. We went upstairs to our room and just…relaxed for a few minutes. But we didn’t relax. We were jittery, excited. Our energy was so palpable that a champagne bottle magically opened on it’s own.

I’m  not kidding.

We drank it anyway, out of paper cups, using twisty straws so our makeup wasn’t ruined. It was adorable. My cousin, who was doing a reading, joined us, as well as the photographer. We got some group and individual photos and waited waited waited.

It reminded me of the moments prior to performing, be in circus or theatre. When you’re in the wing, waiting to go on. Hearth thumping. Palms sweating. Inevitably having to use the restroom. Deep breaths. I live for that moment.

Finally, we left. We went through the reception area first, so I could see it. And it was…amazing. I mean, amazing. Everything came together perfectly. I almost cried seeing the table settings. I know, not that important, but after a year of planning and decisions and revisions, seeing everything together, finished and perfect, made me so happy.

The ceremony was on a balcony on the fourth floor. The balcony overlooks the Orlando skyline (which I love). As I watched my bridesmaids leave me one by one, I stood with my parents, knowing that the next few steps would be some of the most memorable of my life.

All photos by Catherine White.