Here's a Quarter (Call someone who cares)


Today is one of those days that I need a quarter.  Actually, I don't think a quarter will even place a phone call... if I were fortunate unfortunate enough to come across a germ-infested, greasy, stranger's-ear-wax-coated pay phone.  I have a wedding in 16 days, and in addition to the three pounds that I have gained due to happy eating, I seemed to have accumulated a decent number of problems that I can't solve.  They are small problems, and in a world filled with disease and disaster, they look incredibly insignificant.  But they are mine, and I am getting married.  And in the words of my sweet girlfriend Heidi (who had all the makings for Bridezilla but thankfully didn't turn into one when it was her turn), "It's MY day!".  Well, it's Jake's day, too, but I assure you that he isn't stressed over the floral arrangement for the cake table.  So here they are, the problems I can't solve.

Getting dressed.  The wedding is at noon in Fort Worth at the Japanese Gardens.  Pictures start at 10:30-ish in Fort Worth.  I will be getting my hair done in Arlington in the morning, and there is no bridal room available at the Japanese Gardens in which to change into my dress (and I don't want to wear it for the ride across town from the hairdresser's to the gardens).  At the gardens there is only a bathroom.  It is clean, but it is a bathroom.  It's the equivalent of changing in an Chick-fil-a restroom... clean and practical with nice smelling soap, but not romantic.  Not even a little.  I also need a place to freshen up between pictures and the ceremony.  Freshen up = more deodorant and more concealer and more curling iron and more hairspray.  My original thought?  Hotel room... easy.  Only not, because TCU's graduation is the same day and every hotel for a million miles around is booked.

The cake.  It's coming from Grand Prairie.  Will be picked up around 9.  And we don't get to set up at the reception venue until 12:30.  Texas heat + buttercream frosting =  buttery sugary soup.  The hotel room idea would have worked to store the cake, but again, not an option.

A musician.  There are officially two wedding musicians listed on Craigslist in the DFW area.  One is a strange looking classical guitarist who is not available on Saturdays... ever.  The other is a solo violinist whose youtube video needs some auto tuning or she needs some more violin lessons.  Violins are beautiful instruments when played well.  I will leave it at that.

Bridesmaids shoes.  What on earth goes with charcoal gray dresses?  Red, right?  Wrong.  Because the wedding is orange and gray.  So we need orange or coral, and the only cute shoes I have found in those colors are $65.  No way.  So maybe silver?  Black?  I have no idea.  16 days.  No.  Idea.

Origami birds.  I have some folded.  Probably 65-70.  Not nearly enough, but those are easy.  I have yet to start stringing them, though.  This, I fear, is the time consuming task.  There was talk of a crane folding party, and there still may be one in the next 16 days.  Be waiting on the edge of your seats for your Facebook invite to that.

The dress.  There are last minute details that can be added.  A colored sash.  Tiny sleeves.  Should I?  Shouldn't I?  Should I wear a necklace and if so, what color?  I scoured etsy.com for an hour yesterday and came up with 30 different things that I love.  There's this one.  And this one.  Or this one.  And I love this, and then there are these that match.  See?  It's hard to choose.

There are probably at least 20 other little tiny decisions that need to be made that I have not even addressed here.  But here is the truth.  I have the hard decisions made.  I have a super cool guy that loves Jesus and loves me, and he wants to get married.  So that was an easy one.  Rings are bought.  Marriage license is purchased.  We both have wedding attire.  So really, we could get married tomorrow.  We won't... mainly because it's Good Friday and I don't think that government offices are open so the J.P. is out.  And because in 16 days, we have a very small group of friends and family coming together to help us celebrate our big day.

So I might be changing in the local Arby's bathroom.  I might have to redo my makeup using a compact mirror.  I might have Letty shellac my hair with hairspray so that it doesn't move at all and doesn't require touchups.  The bridesmaids might be barefoot and the wedding party may have to hum "Here Comes the Bride" as I walk down a little stone pathway to the hill arbor where there may or may not be origami birds hanging.  And I might not decide anything about the dress and jewelry and just stick with plain old wedding white.  We may have to serve the soggy cake with spoons.  And I won't mind any of these things.  Because at the end of the day (literally), I will be married to the coolest guy west of the Mississippi (and probably east, too, come to think of it).  And then we will board a plane for an expensive, extravagant, all-inclusive honeymoon in Cancun.  So, on second thought, I could probably still use that quarter.

Comments

  1. Ok, let's see if I can take a stab at helping find your solutions...at least some of them.

    1. I wonder if the Gardens will allow you to set up one of those pop-up shades with walls...just for the time it takes for all involved to get dressed.

    2. Can you pick the cake up later? Like, can a friend who is not attending the wedding, pick it up for you? Either that, or pray for a cool day, or have a dozen women dressed in kimonos, stand around the cake and fan it until it's time to cut it.

    3. Is there no one from church who can play for you?

    4. BAREFOOT!!! I wish I had been brave enough to do that at my wedding. OR, they can wear gray or orange Converse tennies!

    5. Origami cranes...I ordered 24 origami cranes for you from a lady on Etsy. She's in British Columbia, and donates a portion of each sale to the Canadian Red Cross to help out with the disaster relief in Japan. I have to wonder if maybe she has a bunch on hand that are already folded. http://www.etsy.com/shop/MadeByJo

    6. I LOVE the first necklace that you mentioned! Gorgeous! I also like the last necklace and matching earrings. Either one would be beautiful. I guess I'd have to see the dress to be able to say whether or not there should be a colored sash or tiny sleeves. :-)

    I pray that all of this will fall swiftly in to place for you. I'm sure that when it is all over, you will breathe a great sigh of relief, and have a WONDERFUL time with your husband, in Cancun.

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  2. You're right. What matters at the end of the day is that you will be married to the man that God chose for you.

    When Allen and I married, we agreed "we have put everything in God's hands, and His plan is perfect. Therefore, whatever happens, our wedding will be perfect."

    So yes, even if faced with a multitude of things you haven't had time to freak out about yet, you will be blessed with a "perfect wedding". Because God is awesome like that.

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  3. You could always play your wedding music yourself as your dad walks you down the aisle...and be your own wedding singer. You are, after all, one of the most talented ladies I know. Either way, it will be a beautiful day and I'm SO happy for you!

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