T-2 Days, Part 1; T-2 Days, Part 2; T-2 Days, Part 3
After our amazing day on Wednesday, we were ready to get started on another productive day on Thursday. Our original plan was to depart for the hotel early in the morning, attempt an early check-in, and if we couldn’t check in, at least drop off our wedding items, like my dresses and Ken’s suit, in my family’s hotel room since they had already checked in. Then I would head to the venue in time for some vendor deliveries that would start at 10AM, including tent wall siding for the pavilion and hay bales used as decor and extra ceremony seating.
However, our plans changed a bit. 1) I didn’t want to rush departing for the hotel early in the morning and I still had to gather up all my makeup and other wedding day supplies. 2) My cousin’s flight (which I had lamented in a previous post) was delayed. Therefore, my sister and her husband wouldn’t be picking her up at the original time. They were going to pick up the beer kegs on the way back from the airport, but since my cousin’s flight was delayed indefinitely, we had no idea what time my sister would be heading our direction (our beer kegs weren’t ready for pickup on Wednesday as originally planned). So, I decided to pick up the beer kegs myself, but the store wouldn’t open until 10AM.
Ken gathered up some last minute items and headed down to the venue at around 8:00 in the morning. I stayed behind to get some last minute things organized and to pick up the beer kegs.
It took me a little while to load up the car with things like my two wedding dresses, Ken’s suit, Ken’s dad’s suit, and suitcases filled with other items, like toiletries, makeup, accessories, and manicure supplies.
But finally, I was ready to leave the house. It was a strange moment. I realized that the next time I would be at the house, I’d be a married woman!
I started my car. Then, SHIT. I didn’t bring anything to wear for tonight’s rehearsal!! I had my wedding dress, my wedding shoes, and my pajamas for the night. Other than that, I had no other clothes except the ones I was wearing. Jeans, a t-shirt, and flip flops. I got out of the car, ran back into the house, and grabbed a dress and shoes from my closet. The same dress I was wearing the day we got engaged.
Do over! I got back in the car and headed to the Beer and Wine store, just a few miles away, to pick up the beer kegs. I had placed an order for them, but for a few moments, the employee couldn’t find the two half-kegs of Yuengling I had ordered. I didn’t want to panic. “Worst case scenario, I just buy tons of cases of beer,” I kept saying to myself. No biggie.
While he was looking for them, my mom called me on my cell. She asked if I could bring a thermometer from our house. My grandmother wasn’t feeling well and was shaking uncontrollably. My mom had called my grandmother’s doctor, who speculated that she might have a fever. I told her that I had already left my house, but that I could stop there again because I’d have to drive back that direction to get on the interstate anyway.
While I was on the phone with my mom, the employee finally found my beer kegs. Whew!! The employee helped me load them into the back of my SUV and I was back on the road, and heading back to the house. Again. As I was driving, I couldn’t help but chuckle. In my car, I had two suits, two wedding dresses, and two beer kegs. What a classy combination!
I went into the house and grabbed the thermometer and also a pair of warm socks. I have this strange thing about stiff hotel room sheets on my bare feet. I hate the feeling of it and realized I’d need a pair of socks as a barrier between my feet and the sheets. There you have it, a weird factoid about Melissa. I think I also grabbed something else too, but I can’t remember what (even though, as of the time I’m drafting this post, it’s only four days past my wedding).
Do over once again.
Now I’m heading to the hotel about 20 miles away. For real this time. As I’m driving, I realize that I don’t want the kegs to get even the least bit warm. So, I decided to drop off the beer kegs quickly at the venue and then head to the hotel, about 6 miles away from the venue. I knew I would make it a quick trip at the venue because my wedding dresses were in the back of the car and I didn’t want them to get too wrinkled.
When I told my mom about the change of plans, she said she would just meet me at the venue.
I got to the venue and some family friends unloaded the VERY heavy beer kegs and put them in the industrial walk-in fridge in the Mess Hall. I started working on some projects and then my mom, dad, and grandmother arrived shortly thereafter.
Next week I’ll detail how this day became one of the craziest days of my life.
