The Bridal Shower Revisited

For those of you who could not make Wendies Bridal Shower, here's a general idea of what you missed:

Sixty guests spread out among nine tables in the Godfather Room of Vinny T's in Natick on Saturday, July 23rd. We were lucky with the weather and got ourselves a bonofide perfect summer day - bright and sunny, not too hot, nice breeze... you know the kind of day I'm talking about!

Guests started to arrive minutes before 12:00pm. The room was buzzing with chatter and laughter. Some sat in small groups at tables while other preferred to stand. It was great to see everyone, but especially those who I don't get to bump into often enough. THANKS FOR COMING!!

The waiters took drink orders while the room filled up. I worked with my fellow Bridesmaid, Gina, to fit the ever-growing number of gifts for Wendie and Chris on the tables provided. We needed the staff to bring in another table because there were so many!!

While the shower was no longer a surprise for Wendie, waiting for her to come through the door was exciting for us all. Through the windows we could see Bridesmaid and cousin Kasey pulling into the parking lot with Wendie in tow. It was just after 12:30 that the two of them arrived. Wendie, wearing a black skirt with white ribbon detailing, a pretty white teeshirt and VERY CUTE black shoes was smiling and laughing and trying to work herself through the room.

Salads were delivered to the tables at 12:45 and Wendie took her seat to have a bite to eat. Once she was finished with her salad, she got up to work the room some more. It takes a lot of time to say hello to 60 chatty ladies, afterall! The main course of the meal - chicken parm with penne and bowtie vegetale - was delivered and Wendie was ushered back to her seat to eat before she went about the big job of opening all those gifts without breaking any bows or ribbons. Every ribbon broken supposedly equals one baby in the future...Wendie broke FIVE!!!

She got so many wonderful gifts that will make her and Chris's house in Bellingham a warm and inviting home. She's very blessed to have such thoughtful and generous friends and family. I'm sure we'll all be invited over for coffee one of these days so she may put to use the FIVE coffee makers she unwrapped!!

Thank you all for coming to the shower and making it something Wendie will remember always with a warm heart, a smile and a laugh.

Do You Know Their Story?

As their wedding day comes closer and closer, I wondered if everyone was familiar with Wendie and Chris's story? Wendie wrote it out in her own words for their web page on www.theknot.com To make it easy for you, I've copy and pasted it for you here:

HOW WE MET: Chris and I met through a group of friends, called, "The Roche Bros crew" (where we all met and worked for many years) I always saw him at parties and thought he was "cute". One of those parties, we started to talk. I thought he was nice, but a little distant. Turns out, he had a girlfriend at that time. About a year went by and yet, another party...a fourth of July bash at a friends house...(on a dead end road that had parties going at two houses on the road) I saw him again! I was at "the other house"...getting a drink in the house and I looked up and there he was!! I was so excited...I ran over and told my sister "who" was at this party...She said, "well, yah he is here...this is his house!!!" I was so blown away. I kept telling my friends that he was the guy I'm going to marry some day. They all laughed and said, "you can't stay with a guy for long enough to marry him!" Later that night, we started to talk again. Then, after exchanging phone numbers, we started talking on the phone for a few months and then, again...he disappeared. A few months later, he called me out of the blue and asked if I wanted to come to the Red Sox game with him and a bunch of his friends for his birthday. Ofcourse I said yes. That following Saturday, we went to the Red Sox game and I had the time of my life!!! He kept making me laugh with silly things he said...I hit it off with all his friends, too. I think it must have been the best date I've ever been on because he has been making me laugh ever since.

WHEN WE GOT ENGAGED: July 17, 2004

HOW IT HAPPENED: After 8 1/2 years together, 5 years of living together...Chris and I were out on our "Friday night date night". We were talking about all the things we need to do for the house, then all of the sudden he blurts out, "I think it's time for you to go find the ring you want, then you can bring me to it"...I was so excited, since all I had been doing for ummm... 6 years is asking when he was going to marry me. The next day I called my sister and told her, and out we went to look for that one special ring. Well, I found it. After trying every ring on...the very last one they brought out WAS THE ONE!!!! As soon as I left the store I called him and told him I had found it! We went that Saturday and picked out the center stone together. He picked the ring up the following week...We had plans to have dinner at my parents that night. During the Red Sox game, he and my daddy were watching together, he asked for my fathers blessing. I knew what was going on...but pretended not to know... When we got home that night, he showed me...He told me to get a good look at the ring, because I was not going to see it until November when we would be in Jamaica. I told him I had waited 8 1/2 years for this...I wanted it on my finger!!! He said, "well, you have waited this long...what's another 4 1/2 months?" Then he closed the box the ring was in and put it in a "secret" spot. The next day, he went outside in his garden, where he grows roses and picked the most beautiful long stemmed red rose and put the ring around the stem...He then came up to me with the rose in hand and said..."Well, I can't marry you this weekend, but next weekend is looking good!" That was how my father had asked my mother to marry him. I thought that was the most romantic way to give it to me, because he remembered the way my parents got engaged.

Are you SURE it fits?

I think I'm directing this one more to the men-folk out there....the ones who will be wearing their own clothes and not a rental tux:

There's a suit that's been hanging in your closet. Perhaps it's been in there since the last wedding you went to...how long ago was that now? It fit you the last time you wore it, sure. But...does it fit you now?

Are you SURE? Better try it on...just to see.

Do the shoulders of the suit have an inch of dust on them from hanging your closet for so long? I bet there's a cleaners nearby that you could take it do. Have it cleaned and nicely pressed...Oooh, won't you look sharp?!?!

And while we're at it, what about that shirt you wore with it? Did you ever manage to get that stain out from the mustard or salad dressing that someone else got on you (wink, wink)?? Are all the buttons still attached? You're not missing any, are you? Any rips or tears that need mending? Better check! Your wife or girlfriend won't be too pleased if she's asked to do any mending five minutes before you leave for the wedding!!

You know what? Maybe it wouldn't be such a terrible idea to get a new shirt or even a new suit, for that matter.

Why not? All of us ladies will probably be sporting new duds, looking all fresh and pretty...why not you, too? There WILL be cameras there, y'know! ;)