So, I've done a couple of blogs about the ongoing wedding saga we were dealing with. This past weekend was THE BIG DAY! Our youngest daughter got married.
We wanted a very simple ceremony for her and her husband. They are both special needs and complicated can be a little to much for them to take in and try to comprehend. Gotta say - our pastor Art Rogers nailed it when he did the ceremony. Simple, sweet and beautiful. He emphasized that this was 'forever'. It was just perfect for them.
The final week before the wedding was crunch time. At least for K.C. and I. The oblivious bride had no clue still as to what it meant to get ready for a wedding. She knew she had her dress and that was the main object for her. K.C. and I had spent over a month working on a backdrop for this wedding. It consisted of fan shaped medallions made out of craft paper. Basically we folded fans, stapled them in the center then unfanned and stapled two together to make a medallion. These were made in an assortment of pinks, black and white craft paper in various sizes.
Now these fans all had to be made before my hand surgery. So I spent the entire month of September working on these. I had my half folded and in a box ready to be stapled together. I start working on them and guess what? I spilt a glass of Pepsi in the box! I jump up and dump the box upside down and spread these fans all over the living room floor, take a towel and start trying to dab at any wet spots on paper and floor. Whew! disaster averted. K.C. brought over the fans she had folded in a paper bag. So I start stapling them and guess what? Yep, once again I spilt Pepsi on the fans! Same process - dump these on the floor, spread them out, dab at wet spots. What can I say - I'm kinda clumsy. I also gotta say that although I have a fake knee and bad hand and arthritis, I can move pretty fast when I really need to. Well, I finally get the medallions all stapled together before surgery. This was accomplished and the Sunday before the wedding K.C. and I prepare to make the backdrop. This consisted of Gary and Michael preparing two pieces of ply board for us which K.C. covered in white paper. Our medallions were then scattered over the boards (saving some for pew decorations) and then stapled on to the boards. Gotta say - we were pretty impressed with our results! And I felt tremendously relieved that our biggest project was complete and turned out so well.
Family started arriving on Wednesday for assistance and we made up a couple of batches of mints for the wedding. At this point I still have no idea what the cake will be like or anything as this was part of what the Group Home wanted to do for Amanda and Robert. Upon trying to find out information I am told that it is a two-tier cake and also that there will be a Groomsman cake. His job coach wanted to make this for him and she was also going to bring some food to have! What!!! Oh my word!
Finally it's Rehearsal Day! We go to the church and start prepping food for rehearsal dinner (you know Gary loves to cook and prepare food so we did the rehearsal dinner and the reception food). Amanda calls to ask if I will rent a hotel room for her and Robert so that after the wedding they can go watch a movie. My response was no! I did not know that anyone wanted me to do that and I certainly didn't have time then to do so. My daughters, grand kids and other family members were making sure everything is in place for rehearsal , church is decorated and we are just waiting on the members of the group home to appear so we can proceed. Finally, they arrive and rehearsal goes off without a hitch, rehearsal dinner goes well. We send the guys back to the group home with instructions to be back at 1:00 the next day to get dressed and take pictures.
Now we really get into gear because we have to set up the reception area and decorate. Tablecloths on tables, decorations hung, table scatter is scattered, plates, napkins, etc arranged on food table and cake table. Since this was to be a simple wedding we went with a simple theme. We used pink and black tablecloths on the tables and then put white paper on top. Each table had an ivy bowl filled with shredded bits of pink, black and white crinkled paper. Every table had crayons on them so people could write on the paper. Each table was also set up with an assortment of games. One table had seven or eight Slinky's on it; one table was set up with four checker boards, one with various card games like Old Maid and Crazy Eight; one was set up with suggestions for charades in a glass.
The bride and her bridesmaid went back to my daughters house where all the girls were spending the night for some "sister" time/advise. They were going to make sure that Amanda was prepared for her wedding night. I have not been provided to many details of this but it seems it all went well.
Wedding Day!!! K.C. fixed Amanda and Susan's hair and did a wonderful job! The girls come to the church and start getting dressed. For fun Amanda had chosen black sequined tennis shoes for comfort and I had dyed her underskirt a dark pink. All colors of the wedding in her outfit! The van from the group home arrives with the guys and guests attending the wedding. I am immediately surrounded by clients telling me they are the videographers where should they be, one guy telling me that he has his CD so he can sing. (You should know that the gentleman who was going to sing knew only one song and I had already vetoed it when I found out it was Have Thine Own Way).
Amanda puts on her dress and she has lost some weight since she last tried it on so we place a call to my sister-in-law asking her to bring us some safety pins. The guys need a little assistance getting dressed as I don't think any of them have ever worn a tux before. I am going here and there checking on food, getting changed, seeing what needs to be done, etc. That is when I discover a major problem with one of the groom's tuxes. He cannot keep his pants up!!! Seriously, if he did not hold them with his hand, they fell down. I discovered this as I walk into the church to check on something and see him standing there with his pants down to his knees! I give a questioning look to the pastors wife and she kind of shrugs her shoulders. I get the groom, take him to the kitchen and tell him that we are going to pin his pants. So I try pinning a couple of darts in. He still cannot keep them up. I finally take four pins and literally pin his pants to his shirt. I assure him that there is no way he will loose his pants now. Poor guy - at least now he can enjoy himself without worrying about losing his pants.
Finally, everyone dressed, food set up (a huge thanks to our friend Annette for assisting us in this area), bride ready for this to just be over so I go out to check and see how things are going. I find the groom and his groomsmen escorting people to their seats (Amanda's brother was assigned this job). We get everyone in place and it's time for the ceremony. Amanda's sisters from Arizona sang God Gave Me You and did a beautiful job! Instead of having a Unity candle or sand we went with a Unity Plant for Robert and Amanda. Each of them put a little bit of dirt on top of the plant that was chosen and this was worked into the ceremony. You need to nurture the plant and it will mature just as you nurture your marriage. Very nice.
Reception was fun for all - games - food - music. Everything you could want. Amanda surprised all of us and got up and thanked everyone for being there, her family, etc. (This was a total surprise as this is not like her at all). It was wonderful. Ceremony over time to leave and before I know it everyone from the group home is trying to take all my stuff!!! They pick up my glass bowls that held mints and nuts and say 'This would make a nice bird bath. Can I have it?" "Do you have any food I can take home? I really liked the mints? Is there a bag I can put some in?" "Can I take this home (my ivy bowls)?" My response was 'Hold on! This is my stuff you can't take it home. You have your stuff at your home this is mine. We need to check with your staff on what you can have in the way of food. If any decorations go home it will be Amanda who chooses what she wants to take." (No I was not being mean. Our experience is that most special needs people are hoarders and collectors of anything they can get. They will keep it a week or two then it's gone). They took leftover cake back to the home for those who were not able to attend the wedding.
Finally all is cleaned up, church is put back in order for church the next day and we go home with all our family to relax with pizza and games. The newlyweds went out with a staff member for dinner at Olive Garden and a movie.
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