Wedding Weekend So Far

We are in hazy, rural Pennsylvania for Giles and Tia's wedding. It took a lot of work to get here--a cross between getting ready for the prom and packing for camping.

We pulled in in the late afternoon of our second day of driving. Our first order of business was to walk to the spot in the meadow where the ceremony will be. Clara stands in for the preacher. 

Then dinner together, bride's and groom's family, at a friend's house. I believe she knows Giles fairly well--she prepared four chickens.

We left Thursday open for rehearsal dinner preparations. The rehearsal dinner was our project, and the girls and I had laid our plans. We brought along all the serving things we thought we would need, then planned to go thrift store shopping to fill in the style gaps. We headed out in the van with the Jamaican cousins to a fantastic store, where we got all the vases, baskets, and extra bits that we needed. Afterwards, we decided this was our Bridesmaids Luncheon event.

Meanwhile, the Composer continued working on a video for the dinner--interviews with both sets of parents, baby pictures of Giles and Tia, you know. Sweet stuff.

We lettered the signs for the family seating.

Felix laid down in the grass to recover from yet one more midnight run to the airport.

Then today it was Friday.

Wedding rehearsal,

which we did indoors even though the actual wedding will be outside.

This is for real! Giles will be getting married tomorrow!

Then off to our dinner. We had a beautiful light-filled space, with round tables covered with the vintage cloths I had brought from home, and all the tablecloths my cousin Sal had brought over from Philadelphia (hers were even cuter).

Drinks were homemade limeade, and plenty of infused water: pineapple, strawberry-watermelon, and cucumber-mint. Beautiful in the jars.

My mother nobly made eight pecan pies through the course of the day--I had trucked in the Karo syrup in the back of the van, as well as all those pie plates. Yes, they went down easy.

Thrift store baskets held the silverware rolls (squares of gingham fabric, cheap and tossable afterwards) and the sage green paper plates.

A beautiful omen--I didn't bring any of the little bird figures I so love to use on my party tables, but I found one for pennies at the thrift store, and snagged it for the central table.

Clara has been an absolute rock. She even did most of the driving up here. We call her the Universal Assistant.

Here's Jonathan--you've seen him at our home! So fun to see all the loved people in our lives come together for this occasion.

The bride headed out on the early side--lots to do tonight--while the guys went to complete the beautiful arbor Felix has been building here. As of dusk, it's up and ready for the wedding.

As of dawn, we will be too.