The ceremony rehearsal went off without a hitch. Our Priest Father Stan knew exactly what he was doing, was very clear with direction and had a great sense of humour - bonus!
Although Patrick and I had met with him the previous September to go over the ceremony program we had omitted to select a reader for a couple of items - oops! I didn't know we had to do that…it all worked out though. I did forget to bring a copy of the Ceremony Program - which was kind of annoying…ah well, we rolled with it.
One thing Father Stan told all of us to ease any stress we might have had was that the ceremony needn't be tightly choreographed. He'll tell us what we need to do if we forget. And on the day of the ceremony, her was so right! If everyone is so focused on what they need to do and where they need to be, they are unable to enjoy the ceremony or "be in the moment." For example, after Patrick and I were announced as husband and wife, we were so excited we began heading up the aisle before the organist had begun to play the music. Father Stan whispered to us "not yet" and once we realized what we were doing…as well as the rest of the guests - we all had a little giggle about how excited we were to exit the Church…it was pretty funny. My point is, it will all work out :)
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After the ceremony rehearsal, we headed to Belleville, where my awesome new in-laws planned and hosted a FABULOUS Mexican themed Rehearsal Dinner. The decorations were awesome (including a Dora the Explorer piñata, handcrafted and painted cactus, Mexican blankets, tons of Mexican food and divine Margaritas…recipe posted below).
It meant a lot to me to have his parents put so much time and thought into this party…especially with all the Mom stuff going on. You could tell they really cared about this. Plus, it was tons of fun! The people that attended are still telling me how much fun they had and how the my in-laws know how to "throw a party" - very cool! I should also give a shot out to Patrick's Gramma, she too put a lot of effort into the food, and her outfit! She wore a Mexican inspired skirt and blouse…she looked great! Here are some of the pictures of the evening:
Aunt Sue's Margaritas
1 can limeade
1 can tequila (or 1/2 can depending on the type of party you are after ;)
3 bottles of cheap beer (or any beer)
Ice to chill
***Simple and delish!