3. Rehearsal Dinner - Who's Your Dad?

After Church, we went our different ways. We had an early rehearsal and we had decided to have a dinner that night at the hotel restaurant. We had out of town guests to visit with, friends that had flown in from across the country and family that had traveled from up North.

Where I'm from, rehearsal dinners aren't really done. The night before the wedding, the entire bridal party and families are usually at the Arena decorating. Bridal party gifts aren't a norm at all, and no one gathers just to relax. It is go-go-go the entire week of the wedding.

I just didn't want that.

I wanted to celebrate the night - spend it with friends and family, especially my two besties who had drove out from Vancouver and Ontario.

So I did.

I had expected about 25 people to show up, and was very surprised that closer to 40 showed up. It was a room filled with some of my most very favorite people and I couldn't be happier.

We started out the evening with guests trickling in, smiling huge smiles as they walked into the backroom where we were. There were hugs all around, kisses on the cheek, and adorable baby boys playing with each other. My family got to meet my friends and the friends got to meet my crazy family. All of Allen's family was there, and they sat with small smiles on their face, their pride in Allen just showing. It was a good feeling, especially now that my anger at my brothers had vanished and I could see that people were coming out and supporting us, even though "it was a Wednesday wedding."

My family gathered round, drinking tea, sipping coffee. One of the loudest tables there, they joked around, telling stories about when Allen and I met, about their kids, about how we need kids now.

Settle down.

I handed out buttons I had my bridesmaid Caitlin make the night before, just for shits and giggles. They had random sayings like "dene assasin", "I love Dene", and so on, as well as the normal "T&A" (hahahah), and our wedding date.

The buttons were a huge freaking hit. Everyone loved them, were fighting over them. I didn't even get to keep any of them, as they were gone like that. My nephew Cole spent the rest of the night trying to "sell" the six remaining buttons so I don't even have a keepsake button. Just gone, which is fine by me.

I kept table hopping, stealing food from people. My cousin Joylynn was there, and I never get to see her. Allen's cousin Shawn was there, and he was an amazing groomsman. My bridesmaid were pumped, my family was enjoying themselves together.

Nothing else really "happened".

We visited. We drank coffee. We laughed.

I handed out gifts, giving a small intro to each bridal party member. They oohed and awwed, laughing at their gifts. All the adults were impressed that I had actually given gifts. All the bridal party were laughing, as they each had something personal from us.

Tommy came over and gave Allen a toonie, as not to cut his own luck. Allen had given him a knife, so apparently when you're given a knife, you must give something back? I don't know, but I was impressed.

The night ended. We packed up after our good meal. Payed for our food. Laughed some more. Hugged and hugged, kissed each other. Laughed some more. Dawdled on our way out, holding hands and eating the last of our desserts.

It was good.