Idiosyncratic Bride, Part 3: Sock Puppets and Penis Pops

The rehearsal dinner was just what I hoped for- very casual, a few meaningful words, a lot of laughter. We went to Isaac's, the casual sit-down deli where I worked in high school and all the sandwiches are named after birds. (Well, I didn't work at the Hershey location, but you know what I mean.)




After dinner, Joel and I practiced our first dance next to my car with the song blaring out of the stereo. That was one of my favorite parts of that whole day, minus the part immediately following our dance practice where we exchanged wedding presents.

We kissed and my wedding present (a gift card to put toward new furniture we've been saving for) from Joel just up and disappeared. It slid down between the hatchback and the backseat of my car, but we hadn't moved or walked away or *anything.* WE. JUST. KISSED. I love Joel, but for fuck's sake, it's always something with us.

However, that panicky moment, as we frantically reached our fingertips into the crumbly depths of the soft pretzel salt-filled crevices of my car, inspired my special Message o' Love for the ceremony the next day. Joel and I decided to write/say something personal about why we love each other during the ceremony (inspired by Nikki and Jillian, whose vows were both silly and serious.)

If you allow me to break the chronological narrative for a moment, I talked during the ceremony about how other people might be amazed and understandably concerned that we're both accident-prone, clumsy, and forever searching for cell phones/keys/wallets/ very valuable gift certificates to Pottery Barn, but no one understands how it JUST. HAPPENS. I talked about how we are so imperfect, but the imperfections make us perfect for each other. For his part, Joel talked about knowing my love was unconditional after I doused both him and Bella, side by side in the tub, with tomato juice and baking powder after a run-in with Rogue Skunk.

Back to Friday night! After the rehearsal dinner and parking lot dance practice, we split up. Joel played a geek boy game in one room at the hotel, while Amanda hosted an Old School Sleepover-style party for me in another. I really just wanted to spend the night before the wedding wearing elastic-waisted pants and Not Answering Questions. We watched the Opening Ceremonies for the Olympics, ate junk food, half-heartedly played Girl Talk (God, I remember thinking that game was lame even when it was "cool") and played one wicked game of Never Have I Ever.



Junk Food




Girl Talk



Never Have I Ever


Andrea and I re-enacted our Famous Miami Airport Bowl Game Performance of "A Little Fall of Rain" from Les Miserables, as performed by sock puppets.







Both of my flower girls came by to say goodnight, all innocence in pajamas, shampoo and bedtime kisses. I only just managed to hide the penis-shaped lollipops in time.



Truly though, I had my sister, high school friends, two of my best college girls, my best friend from the Internet, my closest friend in New York, all in one place. I might never again be so lucky, and I just loved it.



Time 'Til We Went Down The Aisle: 17 Hours and counting down...