Breaking the Ice

When the parents of the bride and groom have not met each other prior to the wedding, it is probably a good idea to get together before the festivities begin.  Fortunately, we were able to meet the groom's parents before all of the friends and family arrived for the big day.  I now understand why the bride and groom never seemed very worried about whether their parents would like each other.  They knew we would!  Well, at least we liked them, I can't speak for his parents, I just have a feeling.

We hosted a little dinner on Thursday before the wedding as an ice breaker.  What we needed was Mexican food.... and beer!  What we needed was a chance for everyone to get into the mood of the weekend and meet the family while still wearing comfortable shoes!  Don't ever underestimate the power of comfortable shoes!

I'm not sure the groom's family knew exactly what they were in for
but they look like they are having fun!

"Our shoes are so comfortable! "
Happy Moms!

Party in the pantry... or are they just wearing comfortable shoes?

Pocket watches for all the men from the groom!

With the ice thoroughly broken we were ready for all of Friday's events and the wedding on Saturday!

Since we were all "old" friends now, we totally enjoyed the bridal luncheon while the guys played golf, hung out with the kids and recovered from the bachelor party the night before.

The bride and her sisters!

Friends and bridesmaids!

Lovely junior bridesmaid and John...the lone fellow with all the women!
Lucky guy!

 The rehearsal is one of my favorite parts of a wedding for some reason.  I have been known to cry more during the rehearsal than during the wedding.  I think this is when it all hits.  It hits the bride, the groom, the father of the bride, etc. that this is going to happen!  We have planned and worked and waited for this day for a long time and now we are one day away.  The wheels are turning and there is no stopping now.

Our beautiful church!

Practice makes perfect...

The bride sang the Psalms and I just love the way he is looking at her.
#Melt my heart

With the ceremony fully rehearsed we were off to the rehearsal dinner.  Another favorite part of the wedding weekend for me....because I did not have to plan it!  The groom's family did a fantastic job choosing a great spot with great food.  It was the perfect place for everyone to visit, relax and get to know more about each other.  Coincidentally, it was also the groom's birthday!

Speaking of getting to know more about each other....I gave the groom a little gift at the dinner.  It occurred to me that he really does not know all about his bride's past.  I made him a scrapbook full of pictures of her from birth through university with highlights of some of her favorite things and some of the special events in her life.  I have made one for each of my children's spouses as a way to give them a glimpse of her/him "before".  I'm not sure who liked it more, the groom or the bride!

What a cool spot!

Mom and Dad welcoming everyone

They look so nice together!

Everyone checking out the bride's past....

At the end of the night we felt a lot closer to the groom's family and the wedding party.  We all came together for one reason; to witness Katie and James' marriage.  Two people brought together all of these friends and families because they wanted us to be there when they said, "I do.".  We were all there to give them our blessing.  With a common goal we felt close.  Each of us loves them in our own way and we want them to have a long and happy marriage.  Finding that one special person is a blessing and it makes everyone happy to witness such a blessing.  We were all definitely happy!

Stay tuned for the wedding!