Wedding Wrap Up

I'm trying to poke my head out and reply to email and messages that are more than a week old. I got some great emails before the wedding, one made me cry, with both tears of joy and sadness because my best friend from college couldn't be at the wedding. I had a great time with another dear friend who flew in from New York City for the occasion. I'm working my way to the thank you notes and other acknowledgments I have to make here, FB, email and IRL. I have a huge pile of boxes in the back patio that I need to break down and save somewhere.

The day was like a blur to me. I remember it, but it was like a dream and I was watching myself go through it. What's funny is that the week of the wedding, I was pretty stressed and nervous, but by the night of the rehearsal and the actual wedding, I was calm. David and I bickered from the Wednesday of that week until our Wedding.  My anxiety didn't really flare up that week. I was stressed but didn't feel like I was going to fall apart. In fact, I feel worse this week. (Too much asthma meds I suspect.)

We had breakfast with his dad and best man the day of the wedding, no one else was up to joining us. Then it was time to start getting ready. I took care of checks for Father and our vocalist, and I forgot to give the best man a check for the band who was playing at the wedding. That was almost a disaster. I jumped in the shower close to 11 when I was supposed to be at my mom and dad's where my cousin was going to do my hair. The photographer showed up at 11:30. My bridesmaids all showed up in time to have some pictures taken. I got ready. David's niece, now my niece, did my makeup and I think it looked beautiful. It lasted the night. I felt really comfortable in my dress, heels and and everything else I had on. It was time to head to church, where I stuffed myself and my dress in the passenger seat of my 4Runner and my matron of honor drove. My maid of honor and her son rode in back. Getting to church was the big production. I called ahead so they could keep David out of sight while I snuck into the cry-room/comfort room to wait. I was late, it was 1:40 when I arrived. So many people popped in to see me. Ingrid, from NYC, hung out with me-- she was dressed in a black dress that matched my bridal party. I should have made her an instant bridesmaid. Having her there meant the world to me. It was wonderful that she made the trek and she even liked "the boy".

Then the bell was rung and everyone lined up to go into the church. I was there alone for about 5 minutes maybe more. It seemed like an eternity. Then Alice, (she was part of our sponsor couple) came to get me. Both my parents walked me down the aisle. My dad broke down when we met David in front of the altar. I wasn't prepared for that. I cried a little bit. In fact, after David sat me down, I pulled a tissue from my dress, yep, right from my bra. Oops. I hope Father didn't see that. ;) My maid of honor laughed, as she had someone put tissues near our chairs, in case we got teary eyed. Well, I forgot.

The Mass seemed to fly by for David and me, not sure what the guests thought, since most weddings are short, unless they're celebrated in a Catholic Mass. For his homily, our priest talked about the readings we chose, he talked to us directly, then the congregation. He said some really wonderful things to us and I think both David and I felt uplifted and blessed. We exchanged our vows, then Father blessed our rings. next we put them on each other-- at this point I was still feeling like it was a dream. Then we had Communion and took flowers to the Blessed Mother, another Catholic tradition which we liked. We didn't do any of the Hispanic traditions that we often see in weddings here: the rosary lazo (which is more Mexican)  and the Arras (the 13 coins, which is more Spanish). We also we didn't light a unity candle, which is more Protestant anyway.

The music was incredible. A childhood friend played the piano and a vocalist that sings at her parish sang for us. I had never heard such gorgeous music in church before sung by a soloist.

After the final blessing, Father presented us as Maria Feliz and David, told us to kiss and then we processed out of the church. We hid in the chapel and waited for the people to clear out. We didn't have a receiving line at the wedding nor the reception. We had a lot of people in church. 120 or so. I don't think we had many programs left.

We took pictures in the church and then outside because it was a lovely day. I lost all track of time. When it was time to clear out, we were still taking pictures. We were outside. Our photographer had a blast shooting us in front of my classic Mustang. In the midst of all this, somehow I ended up shoe less. My maid of honor and matron of honor cleared out the cry-room and took all my stuff with them, in my car. David and I drove off in the Mustang. I had no keys, no shoes, nothing. We stopped by the house, packed for our night at the hotel, stopped by my parents' house and picked up everything, including my checkbooks, which I proceeded to misplace for most of the night but found them so that I could pay the band.

The reception was huge. 300 people or so. I didn't get to greet everyone. I tried, but it was impossible. We barely ate. We had mariachis for two hours and then a band the rest of the night. The plan was to do La Marcha with the mariachis leading the way, but they had to leave before we could get it going. We decided to have everyone eat and then we could do the march and go into our first dance right after. (There is a description here about La Marcha.) Our first dance was to a Green Day song. Um, lots of dancing, fabulous cake, lots of people, seeing friends, family and making new friends and family.

The best part was the weather cooperated. It was in the upper-40s, sun was shining, no wind, no humidity so it was a great day for a wedding.

I really don't feel any different but yet everything has changed. I'm someone's wife now. It's a huge thing for me, who has always been Miss Independent. I'm thrilled and excited to have found David. He truly is amazing. And while I'm still myself, an independent person, I have someone to share my life with now. A little bit of my identity has changed now that I'm a Mrs, but I'm still me. It seems so weird. I don't know if any other newly married women go through the same thoughts, but it just feels different from what I expected. Like I said, nothing has changed and yet it's all different.