Honeys Do: A Morning of Memories

When I think back to the morning of my wedding day, there are very vivid memories in my mind...the kind that were captured on camera (hello, bridal details!) and those that weren't. Perhaps it was because it was the calm before the storm or because it was the transformation from leggings to the dress; here's how I remember my morning.

I spent my last night as an unmarried lady in a king size bed, with my 8 month pregnant MOH and her two little girls. It was actually quite sweet...there's nothing like being spooned by a 5 year old the night before your wedding! Fortunately, all the excitement from Friday wore me out and I slept ridiculously good...and I was wide eyed and bushy tailed by about 5:30 that morning.

I woke up and brewed a big 'ol pot of coffee, sat down in an overstuffed leather chair and wrote my vows. My bridesmaids actually didn't believe me when I told them Friday that I still had yet to write my vows, and in all honesty, I couldn't believe it either. I knew what I wanted to say but I knew if I had tried to write them any earlier, they would have morphed and changed a gazillion times. So there I sat, as the sun came up on my wedding day, writing out what I was going to promise to my husband...that hour was very clarifying. 

Our little rings with so much significance, ready for their debut at the altar

By 6:30, girls were starting to stir...and it was official, my wedding morning was upon me. BM Kel Bel baked six varieties of quiches while Bob Marley played on Pandora. The smell of nail polish filled the air as 8 girls and 3 little girls painted their nails.

The sound of a crackling fire was present all morning, perfect for a blustery day:

Just like the peaceful early morning sixty minutes I had to myself, the preceding few hours of becoming a bride are something that really resonated with me. Before all the excitement, before all the guests, before seeing my almost-husband...I cherished this time. Never again would putting on mascara be my wedding day mascara...or watching the first snowflake fall from the sky be the start of my wedding day blizzard...never again would I be getting ready with all my bridesmaids on my wedding day.

All of the girly attire hung perfectly, ready to be worn:

The flower girls were contently watching Disney movies and eating handfuls of grapes, while both mom's started to try and convince them it was time to shower and become pretty princesses. There may have been bribing with marshmallows... 

A pile of peach tulle just waiting to be twirled in:

Along with little sweaters and tights to keep the little ones warm:

The house that we stayed in was rather secluded; it was down a maze of ill-marked dirt roads and we had plenty of people that were going to be trying to find us soon. MOH Stac & I hopped into her minivan armed with paper plates, a sharpie, a knife and yarn to hang direction signs; cleverly marked "Cara's Bridal House" and decorated with hearts and arrows. I tromped through knee-deep snow to hang a cute paper plate on a pine tree as MOH Stac helped direct me from the van, at this moment I realized we would in fact be getting married with snow on the ground.

Cowboy Boots never looked so purty!

Bridal Socks? There's no other way when it's snowing!

As BM Fawn led a morning boot camp for most of my other bridesmaids, I chose to shower. As they were working up a sweat to lunges and sit ups, I enjoyed every second of a steaming hot shower.

Fabric flowers galore...

Showered and warmed to the core, I headed back downstairs to join the girls...about that time BM K (one of my cousins) received a text from her husband saying that his grandmother had just passed away...this stands as a memory for me because it was a real moment. Nothing stops on the day of a wedding, real things still happen. It also brought my grandma and great-grandma's memory to mind.

The power of inherited jewels; my beloved family heirloom kept my grandma's close to me that day:

The sound of the first champagne bottle popping, and subsequently the first sip of my wedding day Mimosa occurred promptly at 10:30...along side the arrival of the hair stylists and photographers. With Mimosa in hand, I was ready to get pretty!

Pearls, oh pretty bridal pearls 



We switched the vibe of the tunes on Pandora to MGMT, I turned my cell phone off and  became a bride!

*All Photos by the talented duo of Zak Fleming Photography

• We had a busy wedding week
• Teamwork made our dream work
• We rehearsed casually
• There was a pizza party!
• Friday night was Princesses, Panties & Practice