Rachel's wedding

So Thursday (July 17th) after work, I was so excited to go home and start to get everything ready for Rachel's wedding. I had off Friday because we needed to get our nails done and have the rehearsal, so I was all excited that I didn't have to work! As I was driving home, a lady on the highway started honking her horn and signaling me to roll down my window. She wanted to break the bad news to me that I had a flat tire. So I got off the highway and looked and it wasn't totally flat, just deflated quite a bit. I called Jeff to see if I should change it (which I do know how to do now thanks to a youtube instructional video a couple of months back) or if I should just drive 2 blocks to the garage and get a new tire. He decided to meet me there and follow me to the garage. At the garage they told me that all of my tires are dry rotted and in very bad shape (which I knew from my last inspection when they shouldn't have passed me, but they did). I decided that even if I am getting rid of my car soon, I should probably not risk blowing out a tire and dying, so I had them change them all. Only problem....I had places to be the next day and they couldn't work on my car till the morning. I really had no choice, so I left the car and had to figure out a way to get to and from Carlisle the next day since Jeff was working and I can't drive his car (it's stick). Well the solution I came to was to have my Grammie Barb waste her gas and come get me in the morning and drop me off at the Salon and then have my pappy Jim come get me from the Salon and take me home. Jeff left work early so we could get my car at 4 and I could make it to the rehearsal in Carlisle. So besides that fiasco the weekend was perfect....

So Friday the girls met at Tangles and got our manicures/pedicures done. Rachel brought breakfast for us and it was a really good way to kick off the weekend. I really would recommend it for any wedding. No matter what the cost, if a bride asks you to participate in anything, you just do it. I'm not one for spa stuff and I don't get my nails done ever, but we had a lot of fun that morning and it was worth it. So I took my grandfather to lunch since he drove me all the way home and then I got ready for the rehearsal dinner. I had planned to wear a simple white cotton dress, but everyone said their dresses were kinda fancy, so I decided to go with the plain black dress that I always wear. It's my default dress I think. The dress that is in between fancy and simple. The rehearsal was kind of confusing since it was a Catholic wedding. I had to bow at the end of the aisle when I walked down (he didn't explain why, but I just went with it). There was all this walking around for Rachel and Preston. They were going to have to walk up on the alter, come back, switch sides, walk out to their parents, etc. It was confusing. He told me to poof her dress "as needed", so I had no idea when that would be. It was one of those things where we went through the whole thing, looked at each other, and said "wait, what do we do?" So, once that confusion was over, we went to the Two Mile House for the rehearsal dinner. That place is very cute. It's an old stone house and they had a tent set up outside. It was decorated with some of Rachel's colors. Just adorable. The dinner was excellent and they had tons to drink. Rachel passed out her gifts individually, so I didn't really see what the groomsmen or attendants got. She got her parents a picture frame with a poem on one side and put a picture on the other to be replaced with a wedding picture. She got me a Littman's Jewelers necklace that I love! All the bridesmaids also got flip flops to wear to the reception, lip gloss, a 5x7 picture frame, a friendship book and a thank you card. Jeff left to go see his mom for a while and most of the wedding party went to the Gingerbread Man to get one last drink before Preston and Rachel parted for the night. Dee (Rachel's mom) came out with us too (which is always fun). We stayed out till about 11:30 and then I drove Rachel and Kylie back to Rachel's house to spend the night. We went to bed around 1am and I woke up at 6 for some reason. Rachel slept till 7:30 and said she didn't have any trouble sleeping, so that was good.

We quickly got ready, packed the cars, and headed to Studio East Salon to get our hair done. Mrs. Burgett brought Mumosas and Kristen (Preston's sister) brought Panera bagels. I was the last one to get my hair done, so I was nervous we would run out of time, but it was fine. I told the hair dresser to do whatever she wanted, and she did an incredible job. We hurried over to the church to get ready and get Rachel all settled in. The only snag in the day was that our bouquets arrived 5 minutes before we walked down the aisle and during the ceremony Preston forgot what he was saying and said "wait, what am I supposed to say" in the middle of the vows. Rachel looked gorgeous and I don't know how Preston didn't cry, but he didn't. Carly and I lost it when Rachel's dad came in to the room we were getting ready in and saw Rachel in her gown. The pictures should be amazing. It was a beautiful day and the church had a cute courtyard to take pictures.

The reception was one of the best nights I have ever had. The food was incredible, the music was great, and everyone was so happy. I gave a speech which was a good speech I'm told, but I was trembling the whole time. My hands were shaking and everything, so it was a little embarrassing. My voice was steady though, so at least the people in the back didn't know how nervous I was. The best man was just as nervous as me too, so that made me feel a little bit better. They shoved the cake in each other's face (which is bad luck), but I think they will be okay.

So after 7+ years of being together, they are finally married!
I'm so happy for them!!