There Was a Wedding - Part 3 - Getting Ready

Probably the worst time of any wedding is the day of. Everything has come down to this. All the planning, all the stress, all the wishing and hoping and expenditures of money have come down to this day, this time. We all know that preparations for any event take so much longer than the actual event itself and a wedding is a prime example of it.

We started our day with breakfast. Larry made pancakes.

He's a very good cook and likes to do it. we thought this pancake was in keeping with the "Star Wars" theme of the wedding.

Yes, it's the Death Star, in pancake form.

Once we'd had a hearty breakfast, we packed up my rental car with all the things needed for the wedding. We would not be coming back to the house.

The first stop was to have our nails done.

Now, I'm not one for painted nails. I keep my them short first of all. Most importantly, several years ago, I decided to have my nails done for an event. It was awful. I don't know if the technician wasn't well trained or what but I came out with a horrible manicure. She pushed back my cuticles and told me I needed to do this and have a manicure every other week or my hands, "Look like trash." Yes, this is exactly what I want to hear. Spend money I don't have have every other week. And when she trimmed my cuticles, she tore them so badly, I had nicks and dings on almost every nail. I looked liked I'd tried to retrieve something from a blender, while it was running. My nails were trimmed in a lop-sided fashion and she actually cut a corner on one nail and I bled all over her work space. She glared at me and then went to get paper towels, leaving me to bleed everywhere. Needless to say, I haven't had my nails done since then.

But, this was one of Carole's gifts to us for buying dresses we'll probably never wear again. Carole and the groom's mom, Donna, got pedicures. Everyone else just had their nails done. I was extremely skittish so I sat in a corner and read my book.

When my mom came to the front and showed me her nails, I thought, "Maybe things have changed. Maybe this is something I should do." There was plenty of time, even deciding late, for me to have my nails done and for us to make our next appointment, which was for our hair. So, I did it.

I matched the nail color to my dress. It was a very pleasurable experience. Perhaps techniques have changed. There was no pain in trimming my cuticles and the stylist did a very nice job of trimming and shaping the style of the nails. The polish lasted for 2 whole weeks.

They told us the manicure would last for 2 weeks and darned if it didn't get to 2 weeks and, boom, start peeling. A manicure is not something I'd do but it was fun for this event.

The next step was to get the hair done. Carole had contacted a gal who came with glowing recommendations. The only fly in the ointment, so to speak, was that she was expecting and due to give birth in late February. When the days passed and Carole didn't hear from her, it became obvious that she just wasn't either interested or capable of doing hair for a wedding. That forced Carole to call around to see what salon could handle 3 women for a style. She found Salon Emage in the historic part of Warrenton.

You can see the building is old. It's been redone to be a salon and a spa with rooms in the back for massages, but the character of the interior is old brick and tin roof and wood floors. In addition to doing our hair, they provided a light brunch.

It was crackers, cheese, ham, turkey, carrots and brownies washed down with sweet tea. They were so friendly and made us feel right at home. Carole was taken first because her 'do' was a bit more complicated since she had a veil to incorporate.

Originally, I wasn't supposed to get my hair done. I have a great cut that usually does exactly what it's supposed to. Of course, on my daughter's wedding day, it did not and I couldn't get it to cooperate. The salon was so nice to fit me in for just a shampoo and blow dry. The stylist was very impressed with the color of my gray, how my hair felt and, most importantly, the cut. "You have a fantastic cut," she said on more than one occasion. I chuckled. I spend $12 at Great Clips. This just goes to show you that you don't have to spend $240 for a great hair cut. The gals at Great Clips give me a wonderful cut every time.

Here is my cut at the reception. The card is a joke from friends; a take off on Cards Against Humanity. I really felt elegant.

Here is the back of Carole's hair once it was done.

The veil is anchored to the underside of her curls. That thing wasn't going anywhere regardless of wind. This was also Carole's treat to us and it was well worth the money she spent.

Now we are all prettified. It's time to head to the country club.

Beverage:  Scottish Breakfast Tea

Deb