Wedding Week: First Day in the Bayou

Thursday, October 14

We got up in time for a little run (nothing was stopping us from trying to be in the very best shape of all on our wedding day… even a few days before we will still at it). We knew we had a day of errands to run before friends and family started getting in town, so we got busy immediately! We started the day off by getting our marriage license. This was the first step to becoming an official married couple, and we were both about to pee our pants with nervous excitement! Getting a marriage license has to be the easiest thing I have ever done – I swear if dogs could talk, two of them could walk in and get a marriage license… it’s crazy! After that journey, we headed to our rehearsal dinner spot to make sure all our ducks were in a row, we talked with the event planner, and we checked out the magnificent room one more time… we were set to go! Late that afternoon, we had our rehearsal with Southern Oaks. We were done with everything else extra-early, so to kill time, we enjoyed the city – walking around listening to the ever-famous NOLA music, smelling the spicy food seeping through the walls of all the restaurants, and hoping in every bright-colored, silly shop we could find… got to love New Orleans! There’s never a dull moment!

Our rehearsal was interesting, and oh-so-perfect. In the many weddings I have been in over my lifetime, I decided Southern Oaks does the rehearsal in a way that makes a lot of sense: TO NOT HAVE ONE AT ALL! Yep, that’s right… no rehearsal! Let me explain… There actually is a rehearsal, but it’s for the bride and groom only. The beginning of the rehearsal was set up like a meeting. We spoke with our main wedding coordinator on everything… and I mean EVERYTHING – all the fine-print stuff from who would be standing where in the ceremony to the exact songs that would be playing in each part of the reception. After we were 100% confident with everything, our coordinator took us (just me and Tres) step by step through the ceremony. It was the perfect rehearsal… no need for bridesmaids and groomsmen (They would learn everything one hour before the wedding. May sound stressful, but it’s actually the most amazing, calm rehearsal I’ve ever been to.).That evening, we had a magnificent dinner at Jacques-Imos Cafe (word to the wise: if you ever visit NOLA go here... or else!!!). We went here with Tres’ mom, aunt, and a few of our good friends who came in early. It was a good wrap-up to a great day! P.S. I have never woken up to a more beautiful day… wow, could the sun have been shining any more perfectly? I prayed for it to continue!

Getting things organized in the suite

Walking around the French Quarter that day. This may have been the most still I have ever seen one of these Mannequin people. It was UNREAL!

Me and Tasha at dinner - Jacques-Imos