And it's over!

Wow, you stress and stress about a wedding and it's over so fast that you want to go back and do it again! Almost.

So, Jon and I rolled into Indiana late in the night on the 1st of August and made the long trip to my parents' in Sullivan in the tiny little car (what the hell is an AVIA?) that we rented. The next morning we were up and moving as we checked on the flower guy and headed to Bloomington. We did a few errands, checked out the winery, and had a great dinner with my high school buddy Mikey before starting the big weekend.

On Friday, we met with the wedding coordinator who showed us the reception room and it was FABULOUS! I was really afraid that the red/gold combo was going to be way too gaudy and overpowering, but it was beyond fantastic. We distributed gift baskets to everyone's rooms and did a crapload of errands around town as people slowly started arriving. The guys started to pick up their suits and their gifts (beer!) and apart from a few folks confused about the time difference between St. Louis and Indiana, we were good. We had a great casual rehearsal and then we all boarded a bus that we had rented to take everyone to Oliver Winery for the rehearsal dinner. A little muggy, but Oliver is so gorgeous. Everyone got to do a little tasting and then we settled down for some gourmet pizzas. We gave everyone a little Ali and Jon wedding quiz to test their knowledge on how well they know us (I don't think even Jon got them all right) and passed out the bridesmaids gifts (personalized necklaces) and parents' gifts (frames with out invitation and a place for a wedding picture) to everyone. Then, we loaded up and headed back! We got together with everyone that had been trickling in - my friends, Jon's extended family - and headed down to Nick's English Hut for some socializing and a rousing game of Sink the Biz, a great drinking game.

Saturday morning Jon and I went to a brunch to celebrate his aunt and uncle's 30th wedding anniversary, and then got to work setting up. I headed up the reception site while Jon and his boys decorated the ceremony. Yes, Jon and his boys covered in tulle. It was glorious. Anyway, with Megan, Justin, Michell, Rob, Eden, and my family, I got the reception place squared away. I tried to take an afternoon nap, but it was no use, so I snuck down to take a look at the flowers instead. Gorgeous!

Pictures in the afternoon went off without a hitch. Our photographer was really on point, even when it came to the giant family picture on Jon's side. And that's a big family! Before I knew it, it was time to walk down the aisle. Other than a slight take-back when the chaplain made me declare Jon Head of the Household (what is this, Big Brother? Good thing it was all fake!) the ceremony was perfect! Our first dance to Michael Buble singing "Feelin' Good" was really well-received, and the dancing lasted for hours.

The next day, almost everyone got the chance to stop by for some breakfast on their way out of town, and then it was over! I can't believe a year's worth of planning can go by that fast, but it did!