Beginning of the End...

Where to start? So much has happened in the last few weeks, and with so much to tell you, I hardly know where to begin.  Then again, I suppose I shall begin, as most stories do, at the beginning. 

There is only one word to describe the week before the wedding: mayhem.  It was complete and total mayhem (and sometimes it felt like a cluster-you-know-what).  My To-Do list had grown longer and longer and I even threw in a few last-minute projects because I happen to be totally insane.

Source

For my bride friends out there that haven't yet gotten married, my advice is this: at the very least, take off the week before the wedding.  Trust me--you'll need it. 

 See, I thought I'd have a lovely, relaxing week of sleeping in a bit and resting up in anticipation of the big day. Not so much.  The Monday of my wedding prep week began with me waking up to construction workers out on the deck, using chainsaws and hammers to tear down our rotting porches. Hearing construction noise all day only makes you want to destroy something, and with all the banging and sawing and screeching tools, more than once I was tempted to break the window and tell them to stop working so that I could zen out on my West Wing DVD's.

My week, in a nutshell: Monday night, Mr. Goodlaff and I finally wrote our ceremony (everything except our vows) and sent it off to Houdini for approval and preparation.  Tuesday we decided we wanted to have wedding programs (add it to the list...).  On Wednesday I realized that we had forgotten to buy champagne and soda (add it to the list).  Thursday we had to buy dirt, went to Home Depot, discovered they were sold out, and had to drive 45 minutes to the next store to get grass for the pinwheel escort card display.  Friday was all about flower arranging and my Bachelorette party, and by that time, I would have welcomed a lobotomy.  We didn't decide to rehearse on Saturday night until late Saturday morning...


I made multiple trips to the craft store; while trying to find tools I knew I had, I tore apart my craft supply boxes and an entire downstairs room; I went crazy over fake lemons in the wrong color. I painted and glued and printed.

Like I said--mayhem. 

Oh, and at some point I decided that I needed another project and decided to do a little bit of embroidery.  (Did I mention I went insane?)

That last week was a complete blur, and it flew by so fast (much faster than your normal work-week ever does, that's for sure!). Looking back, it's hard to distinguish one day from another.  For me, the week before my wedding will always be painted in broad strokes of bright-red panic and exhaustion.  By the time that wedding eve rolled around, all I wanted to do was curl up in a ball and cry. 

I know it sounds like that last week was complete hell, but it really wasn't all bad.  I was in my crafty element, and with each project done, I felt a little better. I liked doing all the crafts.  It was the questions I wasn't too fond of--the worst part about the whole week was being asked questions that I didn't know the answer to.  It was a never-ending barrage of the five W's, and I couldn't put off answering them any longer. It seemed that just when I had it all under control, someone wanted to know about something that I didn't even know I needed to know, and the goal got pushed further down the field.

The last week was frustrating.  And by Saturday night, I was so ready for it all to be over.  And then I had to write my vows....

So brides-to-be, take heed.  Let mine be your cautionary tale...

What steps are you taking (or did you take) to remain calm in the days leading up to your wedding?