I'm Married Ya'll!

So we had a wedding....boy did we have a wedding...
What started as a beautiful week in Carolina; 80 degree, sunny days, walking around in shorts on the beach, pig pickins and basking in the sunlight....

Friday:
Became the coldest, windiest days in recorded weather for our rehearsal and wedding day. The rehearsal was MISERABLE: most of us wrapped in quilts (including one Floridian bridesmaid shivering audibly and sitting in the heated car in between practices), my father showing up 30 minutes late (thanks daddy!), and a lovely argument about the lack of Jesus in our ceremony between our dearly beloved non denominational internet ordained friend/officiant and stressed out (highly religious?) wedding coordinator...it was, did I already say it?...miserable.

The dinner on the other hand.....omigod the dinner. Chef Clarke Merrell at Circa 81 in Morehead City knocked the socks off everyone in attendance with course after course of amazing tapas. Every plate was a favorite, but the highlights for this fat girl: steamed mussels with wine, lime and cilantro, a North Carolina cheese and charcuterie board (all LOCAL!), and two special creations: chorizo and cornbread corn dogs (YES!) and beef short ribs (which didn't make it to the table because we were all SO FULL but was wrapped up for the groomsmen to take care of later that night). It was a much needed, amazing ending to a weird day and we all left full and happy...

Saturday
7:30am
I wake up to a breezy, overcast picture outside the window and an uneasy feeling, nerves maybe?

11:00am
Matt let's me know he is going over to the wedding site to "check in" with the coordinator..."check in"=hover and make sure things are going ok.

1:30pm
All hair and makeup complete, we are congratulating ourselves on how much free time we have before the wedding! Oh, and even the sun is coming out!

1:42pm
TEXT from Matt: "Wind Disaster Here"

1:45pm
A phone call from my betrothed:
Matt: "Uh Meg?.....Uh....there's a disaster over here?"
Me: "What are we talking about dear?"
Matt: "THE TENTS ARE IN THE TREES!"
Me: "Oh?"
Matt: "We need to move the wedding...the TENTS ARE IN THE TREES!!!"
Me: "I need 5 minutes. I will call you back. I love you"

I hang up. Apparently my uneasy feeling this morning was a premonition of this very phone call. I calmly look at my mother and best friends in the world and say, "We need to move the wedding. Any ideas" Everyone looks at me like I'm insane. We go through all the alternative ideas...who has a big beach house? How many people are around on a Saturday to let us in their big beach house they don't mind 120 strangers partying in? Is this really happening? And come to the conclusion....we are moving the wedding to the Creek.

1:47pm
We launch into FULL attack, split up into teams. I'm calling vendors. Mom and Dara are on thier way to the creek to start cleaning bathrooms, enlisting family, calling invitees, bribing teenage cousins for help, mowing lawns, drinking...ect... Team Bridesmaid is making lists, signs, leaving voicemails, whatever is needed. Matt's sister Kara is putting a straw in a bottle of Pepto Bismal for me and trying to delicately break the news to the Northerners that there is a "slight change of plan".

1:50pm:
I confirm with the Groom: The Wedding is moved to Bear Creek.

2:00pm
We are in a car, me riding shotgun with Pepto in one hand, Tums in the other, in route to Venue B: a massive garage (dubbed "THE CAGE") belonging to my Aunt and Uncle built to house a boat (which was in it at this point) and a batting cage for my cousins (also in it). My brian is in overdrive designing our new wedding...

2:25pm
We arrive, I am out of the car standing in the garage, in a bathrobe, with a scarf tyed around my updo, looking at a garage trying to make it happen. Climbing on shelves, I start designing with the direction "Anthropologie windows people!", with shrieks of "Time Check!", "Mustaches on EVERY PLACE SETTING" and "When's half hour?!" I am a mad woman ripping open boxes, handing off tasks and placing props and flower arrangements right up until I am given my call to let go and get dressed...With the help of an amazing group of friends, one hell of a family, and some quick thinking we turned "The Cage" into this:


















4:30pm
A parade of Bride, Hairstylist, Bridesmaids, and Photographer are marching into my parents house greeting our guests on the way to get dressed.

5:10pm
The day ended up being more than we could have ever imagined....the ceremony was chilly, but amazing, I cried trying to say my vows, Matt said something got in his eye during his, our godmothers did beautiful readings, and our dear friend John read from the Velveteen Rabbit (another tear inducing moment). Elizabeth did wonderful as officiant (even with the lack of Jesus), and it made the whole thing very special.














Importantly: THE FOOD. It was great. Sliders: pulled pork and burgers, Tacos: blackened grouper and fried shrimp with a lime slaw (AMAZING), fries, mac n cheese... I loved the food and I ATE IT. Then while toasting tables, I ate off family (Thanks Uncle Mel!) and friends plates!

More importantly: THE CUPCAKES: Were gone. Within minutes. Over 150 cupcakes. GONE. I had one. It. Was. Awesome. Larita Lees at Carolina Cakes and Confections is a buttercream genius and I love her almost as much as I love my husband. Yeah, THAT good.


Most importantly: We had the chance to have a wedding that could not have been more "us". It was built by the love and support of the people who mean the most to us, and who we are sure we mean an awful lot to. I married my best friend, and we had the most memorable, fun, incredible night of our lives... What an amazing beginning to our newest adventure. And what an amazing photograph from our Photographer: Rach Lea Photography...(we love her!)