I had so many ideas for our rehearsal dinner. Up until even a month before our wedding, I thought I’d be whipping up some Pinterest-worthy dinner for 30 people. HA! When I was knee deep in last minute planning and waaaay over budget, I realized that was a completely ridiculous and basically impossible idea. So, I did what anyone does when they have no other options. I googled ‘rehearsal dinner ideas’ and the answer I needed was right there on the screen in front of me. I read a couple blog posts from wedding planners about how the BEST rehearsal dinners they’d ever planned/attended were the completely casual ones. They recommended ordering pizza and having drinks, and guess what? That is EXACTLY what we did!
You should have seen me the week before our wedding. The weight of everything was crippling, and without the help of our family and friends, there’s no chance we could have pulled off the wedding. And I don’t even know if people realized how much of a help they were. Our friends Megan and Brad had us over for dinner earlier that week and just having someone else make us a meal and hours of wonderful conversation that had absolutely nothing to do with a wedding felt like we’d gone on vacation. There was one morning that my friend Kate came over. She zipped around our apartment and packed all the decor that had taken over our living room in record time and even labelled/organized it. I had friends and vendors sending me notes of encouragement that helped me get through those last few days. Everyone in our wedding party transported furniture and decor to Pemberton. And when we arrived that Thursday, Jord and Kat had already bought groceries and were cooking dinner for everyone staying at the house.
It was no different the day before our wedding. A bunch of us gals headed over to the farm to set up what we could. My crew of angels took over (which included Shari and Mike because they’re the coolest) and strung the lights in the barn and helped set up. Due to a series of ironic events, I was left with only an hour to get ready for our rehearsal dinner. We hurried over to the house and in our room, I stopped to take a breath. Instead of rushing myself, I decided to spend the time I needed to style my hair and get ready because this was our freaking rehearsal dinner! Adam had a nap, because he’s a guy and life is unfair that way.
At the farm, we went through the ceremony. We settled Plan Sun, as well as Plan Rain, and I was slowly but surely feeling a little more relaxed. I was confident that the weather would work out for us, as Friday was the perfect bright and overcast setting that bride’s dreams are made of. We all met back up at the house for dinner and a week’s worth of laughter.
On one particularly emotional day in February, I’d typed out a very short rehearsal dinner speech. Over the months leading up to our wedding, I would open that document any time I felt like I needed a reminder of why we were even doing this. I’d picture us at a table together, everyone I love in front of me, and that’s when I’d execute the perfectly short and sweet toast to our family and friends. And I would cry every single time, so I don’t know why I thought it’d be a good idea to attempt to say this to everyone in person?
After we’d snapped some group photos outside with Shari and Mike, Adam came over and told me it’d be the perfect time to say my piece. But, I couldn’t do it. I wasn’t just nervous, I was overtaken with all the feels and knew it would be a hot mess. My friends insisted I try. The result? An uncontrollable ugly cry.
“On April 20th, 2007, I went out to an event called ‘Nurses Gone Wild’ with seven couples. And I didn’t just get an Alize and sprite with a slice of midnight pizza that night. I got a new family. I got new best friends. And I got a future husband.
Tomorrow is about so much more than Adam and I. It’s about all of you too. Thank you so much for being the most amazing group of people in the entire world. My heart is full and I’m really so glad that I’ve wasted my twenties with all of you. Cheers to lifelong friendships and to never planning a wedding again!”
It was supposed to be our hottest and driest summer in years. In fact, Pemberton had spent the majority of July on fire. But there we all stood in the front yard, as dark grey clouds rolled in. They opened up, bolts of lightning and claps of thunder taking over the skies. The rain drops were large and fierce, relentlessly pouring buckets and buckets of water on us. It was spectacular. Like a scene out of a Nicholas Sparks novel. Shari and Mike suggested we take some photos out in the rain, and I mean, how could we not? I live for a good storm and it was the ideal sendoff the night before the wedding (except when I later went to bed and realized that a storm of such magnitude probably meant it’d rain the next day. But that’s a story for next time).
Sure, our wedding rehearsal didn’t have a perfectly styled table scape with handmade favours and a gourmet meal as I’d initially intended. But it had love. And it was so darn FUN. I’m still so moved with gratitude for everyone who was there, and beyond happy to have these photos to remember it all by.
Rehearsal Location: North Arm Farm (in front of the sunflowers)
Dinner Location: The Old Vineyard in Pemberton (where we were staying)
Dinner: Salad and Pizza from Backcountry Pizza
Dessert: McFlurries (lol no seriously)
I’m Wearing: The Gentle Fawn Lilith Dress (on sale now!!!)
Documented by: Shari and Mike Photographers
Rehearsal led by: Best Day Ever Events
