Hitchfest 2010: The Rehearsal... kinda

Friday before the wedding was a complete whirlwind. There was way too much that hadn't gotten done. The wedding party was at the venue all afternoon doing set-up.  The sound wasn't right, the beer bottle chandeliers still needed to be hung up, the table cloths and table runners needed to be cut, the Bowie art piece from PlasticGod still needed to be picked up and hung (which we later learned would end up taking 2.5 hours to hang safely), the venue wasn't cleaned yet, and we had no idea how to set up the layout of the venue (which I would later leave in the hands of my amazing DOC, Just Wenderful).

Annnnnnd just as I thought I wouldn't have to deal with anything that day aside from getting a mani/pedi and shopping for some fresh flowers, Mike calls me around 2:30 PM telling me that I need to drive over to the venue immediately because no one knows what the hell to do. 

CUE FREAK OUT (part 1)

"What?! I thought you said everything was going to be taken care of on Friday, and that I wouldn't have to worry at all. And that I wouldn't have to even show up at the venue until it was time to get married!" I yelled this into the phone after Mike made it clear that my presence was needed. SO. I make a dash for the hotel lobby, run into arriving friends and family, say a few quick hellos, and book it to my car to get my ass to the venue, all the while hoping that I won't be met with a complete disaster once I arrive. Oh, and did I mention I didn't get a chance to buy fresh flowers and that I would have to find a kind soul to do it for me the next day? Yeah. That happened.

Back to me rushing to the venue.  First I have to pay 30 bucks to get out of the parking garage at the hotel because Mike lost the exit ticket. Which of course put me in an even cheerier mood!  I finally get to the venue and it is just as Mike described it: a mess.  I stay at the venue for about an hour and a half. We were able to get enough (we hoped) stuff done before we had to head back to the hotel to change for the rehearsal. I left feeling unsure at best.

Back at the hotel, I slapped on my dress and shoes and we headed downstairs to meet everyone. By this time I felt confident and excited for the night ahead. I had my How Joyful rose pin in my hair and a smile on my face. See below:

With my sisters before we headed upstairs for the "rehearsal".

But by the time we headed upstairs to the mezzanine to rehearse, I realized we hadn't even planned on how the rehearsal would actually be run.

CUE CLUSTERFUCK.

No one knows what to do or where to stand.

I had forgotten to print out my notes on what order everyone would enter for the processional.  So I had to wing it, and I completely forgot to tell at least 4 members of the wedding party where they were to stand. I felt like such an idiot.  But what can I say, I was flustered!

Me not knowing how to run this thing.

Not only did I not know how to run the rehearsal properly, but there was no room to practice said rehearsal.   See that big, long table in the pic above? Well, yeah. That table took over the entire room practically and we were smushed to say the least.

Finally someone came to my rescue (I forget who, but thank you, awesomeperson), and had everyone line up in some form or another. We practiced walking up the aisle. Sort of. And just as we thought everything was going to be fine, this happened: Our officiant Judge Huber asked us, "So, do you guys have a script for the ceremony? I never got it."

CUE MAJOR BRITT FREAK OUT TO THE MIZ-AX (this would be Part 2).

I had been telling Mike for months and months and months that the most important part about our wedding was the ceremony and the words that were to be said.  I'm a writer; I am very very anal about that shit, what can I say? We had finished the script really late as it was -- a week before the wedding to be exact -- and Mike was responsible for sending the script to Judge Huber because Mike was the initial contact. And also, I had 80 bajilliongajillion things to do myself.

Well. Apparently the most important part of the wedding just slipped lil Mikey's mind. I was livid. But everyone was staring at us so I didn't want to make a scene. But I was pissed.  And freaked out. And not to mention, I felt terrible that we left Judge Huber out to dry.

BUT. Mike reassured me that immediately after the rehearsal, he would head to the business center, print out the ceremony, and go over it personally with Judge Huber.  I was semi-calm after this reassurance, but I was still pissed. I am a Stubborn Sally when it comes to getting out of a funk, or getting over being pissed about something very important to me. So needless to say I was a little soured on the whole rehearsal, and feared that my sourness wouldn't go away til the end of the night. But we were about to head to my favorite LA restaurant Wurstkuche for some delicious veggie sausage, liters of beer, and white truffle oil french fries, so I had to put on a happy face and make the best of it... even though I was fuming inside.

Next up: The Rehearsal Dinner... in which I leave my bad mood behind (almost) and get drunk. 

Miss any wedding recap-age? Catch up here:
Hitchfest 2010: Thursday Night Fun & a Pig Roast
Hitchfest 2010: The Budget