The Love Story of KAT and the PH: Part Deaux

Needless to say, we did not get a whole lot of sleep the night before. Still, we were all stirring quietly around 6:10 a.m. the next morning (blame it on the Chocolate Martinis that surely someone would have to get up to pee...).

I opened my eyes and looked at KAT. She was looking back at me.
"Are you excited?" I asked.

"Well now I am!" she responded. And for the next hour and a half we all lay there, none of us able to sleep (despite Mrs. Matt's best efforts) and we talked until we decided someone would have to start the shower at 7:30. (incidentally, it's quite easy to share a bathroom with four girls when none of you have to worry about hair and makeup).

Around 9 a.m., we all gathered to meet Aunt Jane in the lobby of the hotel and piled into her rental to start out to the salon. First stop: Big Y to check out their floral department. After shelling out $116 on the first batch of roses, KAT thought she'd do a little comparison shopping. Side note: You can absolutely tell the difference between grocery store roses and the kind that come "boxed." Go figure. So some bottled water and tissue packs later, we were off to the florist to pick up the next two dozen roses.

As we got to the salon and literally took the place over (much to the shock of the flock of little old ladies getting their hair done) for 10 a.m., we immediately began on the bouquets. Assembly line style, we cut the roses for the vase first. (I'll go into that more... but I must stay chronological, lest I forget any amusing details). Then, KAT and I gave her bouquet our best shot. I must say, we did a fine job. I was at first a little nervous, as when the second florist asked KAT "who's going to be making the bouquet?" when she got it out of her that we were in fact picking up flowers for a wedding the day of the wedding, KAT totally pointed me out. "She is." Had I been driving, I'm sure the florist would have called in her florist friends and stabbed my tires with several floral pins and blacked out my mirrors with that sticky green tape.

At the salon, we all took turns getting "hair and makeup." As you know, KAT wanted us all not to bother getting the same dresses, same shoes, etc. Little did she know, we would all have identical make up. From the smokey eye shadow to grey liner and LOADS of mascara, we all pretty much had the same look.

By the time she got to me, however, I think she was getting tired. After trying all of her foundations, only to discover I was too pale, she tells me: "I think we'll go with this one. I think it'll be okay." Thus. Clown cheeks. In fact, now that I think about this, it's only fitting that the rest of us look like Robert Palmer backup dancers.


And KAT really did look absolutely amazing (Seen here with Dancer #3 --Thank you, Mrs. Matt, for the photo!)



The ceremony itself was just lovely and so original. In an effort to recognize the contributions each member of the wedding party has made to their lives, we all carried two roses up the aisle where A (KAT's brother) collected them in a vase. KAT and her dad also carried a single white rose up the aisle in remembrance of KAT's mom, who passed away three years ago, but was surely there "filling the church with love" (as KAT so beautifully put it) at the beautiful ceremony.

Granted, KAT's brother A got a work out ("A, go down the aisle first.. then run back... then go back up... now grab the vase... and wait- can you also spread rose petals up and down the aisle right before KAT goes down the aisle?" okay. kidding about that last one, but he handled it all in style.)

But everything went off without a hitch. There definite moments of tears. When KAT's little sis brought her a beautiful framed photo of their mom and KAT as a baby, there wasn't a dry eye in the room.

Likewise, when the priest shared the PH's thoughts about KAT: "She makes me a better person," there was a wave of sniffles from the front to the back of the church.

As you can imagine, there were definitely some funny parts. For instance, have you ever seen some of those crazy foundation garments they expect women to wear to hold in their squishy parts? My panty hose were so beyond control top that they even had a pre-defined slit, should you need to go potty. And there were more than a few "tests" to determine in what light someone may be exposed to... more than they should have. (That may seem a little too mysterious, but let's just say
we've been there...)

And there was indeed a dance off... I heard the opening bars of the Humpty dance, and the next I knew, I was holding j's beer and he and the PH were getting jiggy with it. "Seriously?!"

All in all, it was an amazing, unique and incredibly fun 48 hours. I may be missing some parts, but I tried hard to pay attention to the important ones. Like when the PH shed his persona and became, as Little Sis said, the very Real Husband.

So as they toast their toes in Aruba, let us all toast (raise your martinis, coffee cups, wine glasses and milkshakes) to KAT and her new RH and "the reason for the world... you and I."