Adeline Got Married!!!

How is it possible that this child of mine is now a Mrs. ?????

I can’t possibly be old enough to be a MOTHER IN LAW!!!!

Where to start? We arrived in Cleveland on Monday, June 30th and I was put to work immediately! It’s been hard helping Addie plan her wedding from seven hours away, but thankfully we were able to get right to work on seating charts, and wedding day logistics. Probably the hardest part of the entire week was ARRANGING THE FLOWERS.

Addie wanted real flowers, so the cheapest option was to use a service where you tell them what you want and they ship you all the live flowers you need along with instructions for how to create the bouquets, boutonnieres, etc. We thought, hey, we’re three crafty ladies, we can handle making bouquets of flowers; how hard can it be? IT WAS SO HARD GUYS!!!

Thankfully, after minimal arguing and several glasses of wine (on my part), everything worked out. We made six bridesmaid bouquets, one bridal bouquet, nine boutonnieres, and two corsages. Tony, meanwhile, manged to keep Fulton and Teddy busy at various comic book stores.

On Thursday, we met up with most of the bridal party to set up the reception venue. It was hot! Everyone kept telling me that Ohio isn’t usually this hot in July. And I said I must have brought the New Jersey heat, knowing full well it was even hotter at home. We decorated tables, set up a photo booth and the groomsmen climbed on ladders and hung greenery around the rafters of the tent. Addie also had wedding pictures of parents, grandparents and great grandparents from her and Adam’s side of the family on display around the gift table. Thankfully there were air conditioned buildings at the venue, which were historic homes from the properties former owners. The site is now a national park.

We finished the set up in time to head back to the hotel and shower before heading to the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in downtown Cleveland for the rehearsal. The cathedral is undergoing renovations, but thankfully the work is currently happening in the transepts so most straight on shots of the altar don’t show any scaffolding. Byron, who was a groomsman, and his girlfriend joined us, but my sister, who’s daughter was the flower girl, was stuck at LAX with her family with an estimated arrival of 1:30 a.m. Everything during the rehearsal ran smoothly – the excitement was building! From the church we walked over to the rehearsal dinner at Mallorca. (Highly recommended if you’re ever in Cleveland.)

The next morning we woke up and met with various family in the lobby of our hotel over breakfast. Edie was staying with Addie and the bridesmaids at a house near the church. I got ready at the hotel, and helped the boys into their stylish suits. We arrived an hour before the ceremony where the bridal party was waiting; ladies in the back, men up in the sacristy. My sister and her family had made it and my niece the flower girl was so excited! You take a chance when you choose a three year old to be in your wedding, but she did great! (Oldest daughters get it done, even as toddlers!)

From the first notes, the music was amazing (Tony and Addie went back and forth several times over the particulars and the cathedral’s music director called the proposed wedding music “ambitious” when he met with Addie and Adam to finalize the selections.) Byron escorted me in, then came the bridal party, then I choked up just a bit as the doors opened and Tony walked Addie down the aisle. It was a beautiful Mass and wedding ceremony. Afterwards the bride and groom went out the back and we all threw streamers, which weren’t supposed to create trash, but inevitably they tangled and tore, and created a bit of a mess so we scrambled to clean them up.

We took some pictures in the church, handed out water bottles, and soon drove off to the reception venue. The heat was taking a toll on the flowers. Bouquets were dropping petals and corsages were sagging! We’d left all the table flowers inside a building at the venue and friends and bridal party members scrambled to put them out once we arrived. Everything looked beautiful and the flowers lasted into the night. Food and drinks were out for the cocktail hour and everyone fanned themselves with the paper fans Addie had thoughtfully placed at each seat.

It was a fantastic party. I’d hired a nurse to assist Fulton and Teddy during the entire reception so I could help Addie as needed and it was the BEST decision Tony and I made. The boys were happy because they got immediate assistance and got to do what they wanted while Tony and I mingled, and I was happy because someone else was making sure they were staying hydrated, helping with meals and anything else they needed.

I’ve always considered my own wedding more enjoyable than any other I’ve attended. I don’t remember being stressed at all. I felt the same way at Addie and Adam’s wedding. They both had a great time, and seemed to enjoy all the hard work they put into the day, without stressing over inconsequential details. Knowing they were happy, made it easy for Tony and I to have fun and get crazy on the dance floor. Even as a huge thunderstorm blew through, the reception was a success. The night flew by, and before I knew it, we were helping pack up decor, and leftovers. Addie and Adam left to go back to their new rental home, only to discover the storm had knocked out their power, With no AC, they rummaged through their wedding cards, found some cash, and got a hotel for the night. The next Monday, they left for Niagara Falls for a few days.

There was a picnic at Adam’s parents house for the 4th, and Sunday we attended Mass at the cathedral with Addie and Adam, grabbed lunch at the Hofbräuhaus and said our goodbyes to them. We headed back to New Jersey early Monday morning.

Now here we are a week later already! Its so crazy to be on the other side of an event that has been in the works for more than a year. I’m excited to see all the professional photos, and maybe share a few more pictures with y’all! Without wedding planning to think about, I feel like I should have more free time and more mental energy, but there is always another item waiting on my to do list.

I hope your summer is going well! Thanks to everyone who prayed for our family during this special time.