The Bridesmaid Life As I Know It...

This past Saturday my good friends Nikki and Will got hitched! It was a Greek Wedding and if you've seen the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"--then you have a pretty good idea of what I experienced this past week. Thursday there was a get together at their house with family and friends. Friday there was brunch at A Spot of Tea followed by the Wedding Rehearsal at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church and then Rehearsal Dinner at Felix's Fish Camp. Overall everything was wonderful and I had waaaayyyy too much fun! The Wedding Reception was held at The Ezell House--which was beautiful. Let me start off by stating that Lauren and I waited until the week of the wedding to get our dresses altered---you know how we roll--procrastinators to the core! It started off as follows:

Tuesday, Lauren and I met Nikki at her office to do a little pre-wedding P90X---to work on our glamour muscles. I get my chiropractic adjustment from Nikki--which took about 15 minutes of laying very still on the table after Nikki karate chopped my atlas back into place. Then we decided to work out...Nikki says to me, "Kristen. Did y'all ever get your dresses hemmed?" Oh no--I totally just got put on blast by the bride to be...uh oh. "Umm, no Nikki--not yet..." Nikki: "What?! Well have you gotten shoes?" Me: "Umm, no--not yet..." Nikki: "Kristen!!! I'm gonna...." She held her tongue and we loaded up in the Coralla and traveled directly to Dillard's and Shoe Station in Malbis. We found shoes and then drove to our apt., got our dresses and went to Nikki's house. Lauren tried her dress on first and needed about 3-4 inches cut off---mine needed about 6 inches cut off +cups and about 2 inches of bust line adjustments. At this point in time it's 10:30pm. We panic. Then I think to myself, "BB will know what to do!" So I call my MeMaw--the reliable night owl and get her on the phone. After receiving a mini-lecture she tells me she'll call Mrs. Hartzog--the amazing ace-in-the-hole seamstress of Atmore. So we go home and I pray....a lot...that we will get all of this taken care of tomorrow. So Wednesday morning I have a doctor's appointment at 9:15 and leave from there to go to Atmore. The weather was hurricane-like---as a matter of fact I drove through some hail in Bay Minette. The Blazer was unscathed! I arrive at BB's and we go straight to Mrs. Hartzog's. I get my dresss altered and this was a funny situation in and of itself. As all of you know, I am quite modest--I can't help it--I was raised this way. Well, as I was standing with my dress on surrounded by BB,Mrs. Hartzog and what seemed like a mountain of bridesmaid dresses, Mrs. H says to me: "What size cups do you need?" I said, "Probably the smallest you have!" She says, "Are you sure? I can give you a little cleavage? I then say to her,"No ma'am..that's ok." She says well let's just see what looks better." Then she proceeds to jam her hand in between the girls and lift them into place! It took some time for me to process what has just occured, but as I gathered my composure I realized that I had just been accousted aka "felt up" by a 65 year old lady! Oh dear. I finally told her to give me the A-cups because I didn't want to look like a liar standing in the House of The Lord. She conceded. Then it was time for me to take off my dress and I had to tell my grandmother and this lady to please step out of the room. Seriously...privacy...anyone ever heard of it? Did I mention Lauren was not with me in Atmore? Yeah she wasn't. So I had to "guess-ti-mate" everything that needed to be done to her dress.

Thursday was the get-together at Nikki and Will's house at 6:15pm. I had a really great time and we learned a few Greek dances! Good food, good people, good times! Lauren and I got home around 1:30 Friday morning :)

Our dresses were ready Friday morning. BB met me in Malbis at about 2pm,where we made the exchange after we had brunch at 11:00 am at A Spot of Tea. Next, I traveled back to Nikki's house and was given the duty of contacting the DJ with the band's set list and composing a playlist for him to play at the wedding. So I did and it worked out. Then we were off to the Rehearsal at 5:30. We made it there right on time---everyone else got there at about 5:50 and Nikki, well she made it there around 6:15. The woman is always late! This was probably the most chill and laidback rehearsal ever--probably because we were all soooo hungry! So we go to Felix's at 7:00 and I have never been so tired in my life! I'm known for being a night-owl and I was dunzo by 6:00pm. Completely out of character for me. Lauren and I had a great bathroom experience there. A woman and her two teenage girls kept going on and on about our dresses and our shoes and one of the yound ladies said to Lauren, "I love your dress! I love your hair! I love your shoes! You look beautiful!" I was in the bathroom stall and said, "Hey Lauren! We should go to the bathroom more often--it's been great for our self-esteem!" Those girls were too cute :) Off to dinner...we eat blackend Mahi-Mahi, dirty rice and the groom's cake followed by the after dinner entertainment of a video the bride and groom had produced for the special occasion. It involved the two walking on the grounds of the Grande Hotel and recounting their love story. It was a funny and precious production. In summary of their story: Will was a gold pro at the Grande Hotel and Nikki needed a golf lesson. It was 2pm on a Sunday and he was supposed to be off-work but stayed to do inventory. Nikki called and asked if anyone could give her a lesson and the guy said, "I know just the man for the job." It was Will. As the two were riding in the golf cart after the lesson to play 9 holes, Nikki looks over at Will and thinks to herself, "I could marry this guy." And that's the story. Anyway, back to the celebration. We left Felix's around 11:00pm and went to bed. Woke up Saturday morning around 6 and Lauren and I bothed spent our morning praying for Nikki and Will--without knowing that we were both doing so. We got dressed and ready and were picked up another bridesmaid at 1pm to go to The Ezell House for photos. On our way over I received a phone call from Nikki saying she was still getting her hair done---it was 1:30pm. All of us in the car were releaved because we were rushing our guts out to get there on time! So we made a few stops to get gas and a Jr. Bacon Cheesburger from Wendy's. I was starving! We make it to the Ezell house on time and Nikki made it there around 2:40pm. Yep. We take photos and Nikki had us huddle up and she told us why she chose each of us as her bridesmaids: because we were Godly women who have meant so much to her and were faithful friends and sisters--and she couldn't imagine not having us in her life. There was more but I was trying not to cry. Oh but Nikki did cry...then she asked if we would pray and Lauren offered a beautiful prayer. Then Lauren and I rode with Nikki and her brother to the church around 3:15---the wedding was at 4:00. Then we waited in a room and listed to the church fill up with people and boy was it full! At 4pm on the dot we make our way to the front of the church--Nikki cries some more and I hug her, kiss her on the cheek and tell her I love her and am so happy for her. All of the bridesmaids wrapped tissue around the stem of our nosegays because we knew we would cry. So we line up with our escorts and proceed to march down the eisle. My escort was Nikki's brother--they could pass for twins. We make it to the end of the eisle, bow before the alter which had a very ornate bible and other things placed on it--and stand before the congreation in the most beautiful and reverant church I have ever been in before in my life. I definately felt the presence of The Lord. Then Nikki and her Dad make there way down and she's sobbing--I mean sobbing the entire way down! Happy tears--extremely happy tears! I cried..everybody cried. A Greek Wedding ceremony usually lasts for about an hour--but we made it through in 45 minutes. Yes I stood in 3 inch heels for 45 minutes. And did I mention I was standing next to a very pregnant bridesmaid? I kept thinking to myself, "What if she passes out? I guess I'll sacrifice myself for the good!" It was so hot up there and my feet turned a scary black and purple. I have bruises on the feet from standing for so long! Anyway, the wedding was beautiful and it involved the priest remembering God's faithfulness in the lives of people in the bible like Abraham and Sarah, Moses, Hosea and Homer, Jacob and so one. As he would remember these people he would ask that God would bless Nikki and Will as he had them. It was beautiful--but mostly in Greek so one could only catch bits and pieces. If you want to know more--just ask me--there were some really cool parts involving crowns and walking around a table--everything was done in "3s" for the Trinity. So they're married--we make our way to the front of the church where we "received" all of the guests in attendance. About an hour later we took more photos (for about 30 minutes) and then made it to The Ezell House where the bridal party was introduced and then a champagne toast took place. I had a toast prepared but never got to give it--I'll have to write it in a card for Nikki and Will. Then we ate really good food, danced and had a throw down of a time. Lauren caught the bouquet---glad I didn't--I've caught 3 in my lifetime and so far I'm still a single lady!

On a funnier note...it is in the Greek tradition that the wedding party and family take shots of Serbian Brandy. Oh dear! Well I woke up Sunday morning with Lauren sleeping on my floor--I said, "What are you doing?" She said, "Do you not remember?" I said, "Remember what?" Then she said, "I'll tell you later...that Seribian Brandy is evil!" Apparently the brandy caught up with me and I was speaking in an inaudible language, moaning and ridgid. I didn't know any of this and the stories Lauren told me I do not remember---all I know is that I had a wonderful time regardless of the "Devil's Brew"(thanks Joy). Don't worry I didn't do anything stupid or embarrassing--I forget that I'm so little and it came back and bit me in the butt! By the Grace of God I did not get sick. I'll be glad to tell you anything and everything later. Overall, the wedding was beautiful and lots of fun. I really enjoyed all of the dancing and celebration surrounding the union of the two family---one very, very southern Kentucky family to a very, very Michigan/Greek crew. All I know is that I kept telling Nikki this: "I just love you Nikki. If I had another sister it would be you." And she said, "I love you too Kristen and I am your sister." Aww. See I didn't do anything stupid---just sweet :)