Going to the Chapel

The engagement of Laura and Gavin... and then some.

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Showered with Details

I’m pretty sure I’ve posted this very thing before, but the thing I love most about the wedding and wedding planning so far is how much it brings families together in the most joyous, giving way possible. I feel closer to many members of our families than I have because of how wedding planning really makes you need your family and gives you so many reasons to learn about them and their traditions while spending extra time together.

Saying that is partly due to the unbelievable amount of work that went into the shower my aunts threw me a couple weekends ago at Macaroni Grill in Wheaton – my favorite restaurant. My cousins and aunts clearly spent hours on all the little details that they know I notice, and I can’t even imagine how much time was spent behind the scenes in addition on things I don’t even know about.

We walked into the restaurant and you could tell from the entrance that the back had been closed off… and there were a LOT of people back there. I was blown away by everything when I walked in to the party room (by myself since Gavin peeled off for the bathroom and Mom had kept on walking while I tried to drag Mark with me and he dropped free mints all over the floor before fleeing to the bathroom after Gavin…). The room was FULL. I don’t think one more person could have fit in there.

Friends we hadn’t seen in some time due to busy conflicting schedules. Family I only get to see during Wally and Silke’s Oktoberfest. Family friends and friends’ parents I hadn’t seen in too long. And my closest family members – including the beaming grandmothers. (We had spent Saturday night hanging out with Nonna and Diane, both of whom were so proud that they had helped confuse me out of "knowing" the shower was that day... foxy Italians...)

I have to admit, I knew the shower was happening, and then doubted myself, and then knew again before arriving. How I knew is my little secret, but it wasn’t any one person’s divulging that tipped me off. I’m crafty like that. Despite knowing, I was still genuinely surprised – by the amount of work that went into it rather than the date and location of the event itself. Within seconds my event-planning eye took it all in – the amount of organization and the detail – and I was so flattered and amazed that everyone would take so much time on something for Gavin and me.

Details, details. I devoured them in an instant.

  • The room looked like a perfect blend of Tuscan cozy charm and Valentine’s Day/wedding cute class.

  • The flowers were a gorgeous splash of spring colors, tulips included.

  • The tables were decorated with pink tulle to jazz up the restaurant’s stark white paper table cloths, and adorable place cards and favors waited for guests at each spot. (Heart-shaped measuring spoons: “A dash of love.” “A pinch of patience.” Etc. I made those two up... And heart shaped tins filled with M&Ms.)

  • Hand-made chocolate covered strawberries drizzled in pink and white chocolate.

  • A beautiful cake wishing us “All our dreams come true” circled by the cutest string of scrapbooked letters spelling “Laura and Gavin.” I kept the letters…

  • And then… the embarrassingly ginormous pile of presents. I had never seen anything like it in my life, and felt like a guilty little kid on Christmas when I saw it since the registry is a little like a note to Santa. “Dear loved one, for my wedding this life, I’d like a toaster and 12 napkin rings.” Have I mentioned how happy a wonderfully wrapped/bagged present makes me? I get girly giddy – squealie even. Perhaps it’s a delayed reaction from my time at Hallmark? I wanted to take pictures of some of the presents before we opened them though!

I really felt like everyone GOT me. That's such a wonderful, surprising feeling. My family members clearly understand my tastes, loves and level of OCD-ness over things like a party. I’m a hard one to “get” since my interests, obsessions, demands, expectations are all over the board thanks to an overly-rounded (some call it well-rounded…) childhood and being raised as part of a generation weaned on self-esteem. I also have a perfectionist mother who taught me well! Gavin and I were happy and relaxed the whole time, blissfully unaware of the issues that were apparently happening throughout the party. (Ignorance is bliss in some situations. If something is going badly on the wedding day, we don't want to know if we don't have to!)

I couldn’t have imagined anything more perfect. Not possible.

As for how the shower itself went, we had a fantastic time. Gavin did, as he mentioned in his last post, smile for all of the present opening no matter what and the pictures look great. You don’t realize how much you’re under a microscope (or camera lens) until you see the pictures. Lesson learned for the wedding! We didn’t open a single gift that we didn’t like or know what to do with, and every time the (gorgeous) wrapping came off we were humbled by how generous everyone had been.

So… I’m sure there’s a different, hilarious, even painful perspective from the four guys in attendance – Gavin, Dad, Mark and Brian – but I for one felt blessed that Gavin and I had two of the greatest showers of ever two weekends in a row.

Photos:
1) The happy couple posing among the details.
2) Gavin and Mark's "surprise" entrance post bathroom-hiding.
3) Mom and me arriving.
4) My wonderful aunts! From left: Aunt Sue, Aunt Mary, Auntie Diane
5) The shower cake.
6) Opening a gift. Clearly, we're enjoying this!
7) The beautiful bridesmaids minus one - beautiful Jes!

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home