A Week Ago Today: The Day Before (Part 2)

We managed to make it to the church a little early for the rehearsal. It was still pouring rain. We were met by Mimi, one of the two Wedding Guild members who would be helping ensure the ceremony would go off as smoothly as possible. The wedding party drifted in, and the rehearsal got underway.

I’ve always found wedding rehearsals confusing. They’re not done in order of how things will happen during the actual service, and everyone sort of muddles through it. The flower girls and ring bearers were running up and down the aisles – an (almost) empty church is just too great a temptation. I mean, I’d’ve run around, too, but MoBs aren’t supposed to be that crazy the night before the Big Day. At any rate, I really didn’t worry about it last week. I knew that Mimi and Lynne and priests Harry and Elizabeth would guide us through what we were supposed to do during the real ceremony, so I just went with the rehearsal flow, as it were.

Once we’d been put through our paces, sort of, we headed over to Figo and the rehearsal dinner. Figo is a very popular Italian dive kind of restaurant. The rehearsal dinner was put together hurriedly (during the week of the wedding, no less) since Groom’s parents live in Texas and California. Figo came through for us, though, giving us a large room to ourselves and a great selection of pasta, et. al., to enjoy. It was fun, easy-going, and gave us a chance to get the families together.

The highlight of the rehearsal dinner was a hilarious video put together by Bride’s aunt and uncle (MoB’s sis and brother-in-law). Figo is technologically-challenged, so we were never able to hear the sound, and it had to be shown on a white tablecloth draped on a wooden wall. Nevertheless, all the baby and growing-up shots of Bride and Groom more than made up for the lack of projection gizmos. I’m still trying to decide whether or not to YouTube it and put it here for your enjoyment. Guess I need Bride and Groom’s permission for that. We’ll see.

After we finished off the rehearsal dinner, we headed back to Twelve, where the Brennan clan had gathered in the hotel lounge. Most of the clan came from New Jersey, but Kentucky, Florida, and Missouri were well-represented, too. So Bride and Groom got a chance to enjoy a little quality time with cousins, aunts, and uncles of the Brennan persuasion. MoB had a wee gin and tonic as she laughed it up with the clan.

MoB, however, had given a solemn oath to Bride to have her in bed no later than midnight, so I hustled her outta the party and up to our room at 10:30. The hour-and-a-half between 10:30 and midnight was the last time MoB and Bride had to themselves before the wedding. We didn't do or talk about anything special. We just had an ordinary window of time before hitting the hay.

Sleep came easily to both of us. The Big Day didn't keep us from Dreamland on that last night.