Sweet Beginnings: Good Mornin' To You

Friday morning started out much like any other: I woke up to the familiar chime of my cell phone alarm at 7:15 am, which I promptly silenced by blindly smashing buttons until the offensive noise ceased. I slowly opened my eyes and blinked, adjusting to the sun that was streaming through the sheer bedroom curtains and listened to the sound of Mr. Tartlet gently snoring beside me. Not surprisingly, I had trouble falling asleep the night before after the whirlwind of activity at the rehearsal and welcoming dinner. Surprisingly, I felt oddly refreshed after only 4 hours of sleep. I proceeded with my typical morning routine, threw on a pair of grey velour pants and a white tank top with the word "bride" emblazoned across the chest in peach vintage typeface, zipped up my favorite purple jacket, and tip-toed downstairs to meander the halls that would soon be bustling with activity. For now, though, all was quiet.

Sweet Beginnings: Welcome to Michigan

I stared vacantly out the window of Mr. Tartlet's car, watching the power lines hypnotically swoop by as I listened to the purr of the engine. The 21-minute drive over to his home was spent mostly in silence as we unwound after our emotionally charged rehearsal. Inside, a billion thoughts flew through our heads.

Me: "Holy crap, I hope everyone finds their way to the dinner OK. Should I call to check? Will traffic be that bad tomorrow? That person looked so. bored! at the rehearsal. What if everyone looks that disinterested? Will anyone make it (because of aforementioned traffic)? I should have worn different shoes. Global warming is a problem."

Mr. Tartlet: "Mmm...food."

...so perhaps I was the only one with a jumble of worries zinging around my cranium! Before long, though, there was no time for such thoughts: as one of the last to arrive, we found that the welcoming dinner was already buzzing with activity. Our stomachs made a beeline for the food (catered from Penna's in Sterling Heights), served buffet-style in keeping with the casual and relaxed atmosphere:

Sweet Beginnings: Practice Makes Perfect

If there's one thing that's utterly out of every bride-to-be's control, it's Mother Nature. That meant as soon as "Fri May 6" made it onto the 10 day extended forecast display, I was habitually staring at my computer screen, trying to unleash my dormant Jedi powers to will those numbers up. It had not only been a rather squishy spring in Michigan--it had been downright cold. Tiny, lime green buds were warily emerging from winter-beaten branches while underneath people still hunkered down in their heavy coats. The temperatures were yo-yo'ing anywhere from a pleasant 72 down to a brisk 50, with an occasional frost advisory thrown in for good measure. In retrospect, perhaps I should have placed an order for my lightsaber, because this is what greeted us on Thursday as we caravaned to the Royal Park Hotel:

I'm pretty sure I dashed outside at one point, did a double fist pump and shouted "blue skies, b*tches!!!" Four cars worth of charger plates, out-of-town bags, votive holders, glass cylinders, candles, and paper products later we were ready to make the 60 mile trek up to Rochester.

Sweet Beginnings: Let's Get It Started!

Oh, sweet Hive--how I've missed you! It's hard to believe we're creeping up on the 2 month mark since we tied the knot, and I'm elated to begin re-living that joyous day with you. Now, some of the newer members (hello!) might be giving me the eyebrow and saying "who is that Mrs. Tartlet, anyway?" Well, I'm the one who after five years of dating my honey had the surprise engagement on a cruise ship, and in the two years following went down the path that so many of you are traversing now: we hunted for the perfect venue for our romantic, garden-inspired wedding, I found "the" dress (and shoes, and veil), we tag-teamed a bunch of DIY projects (we cray-zay), pondered the flower situation, searched for bridesmaid dresses, tasted plenty of good food and so much more in order to celebrate our blessings with 60 of our closest family and friends. And, it. was. awesome!

Still with me? 'cause you know I wouldn't throw that block of text at you without a peek of what's to come! The killer Epic Motion team created a wedding trailer for us that I admit I've watched daily for the past two weeks.

Holly + Peter Trailer from Epic Motion on Vimeo.