The wedding is done, the honeymoon over with, packed boxes bound for Wichita surround us—which mean that it’s time to say “see you later” to Washington and “au revoir” to this blog. During the nearly eight months of wedding planning, I wanted time to move more quickly than the 24 hours allotted each day, but now as I look back, the time did seem to move at a sprinter’s pace.

Now our beautiful wedding weekend and our lune de miel (honeymoon) in Paris are done, and there’s a kind of melancholy associated with their being over. Be advised, brides and grooms, your wedding weekend will be a rush of activity, a blur of emotion, and suddenly you’ll be in the car, headed out to your first night, man and wife. Drew and I both wanted to just grasp each moment, take it captive, completely live and feel it, but it was like trying to catch clouds—they are much too big and much too elusive to be contained. You will, however, take back some vivid memories—moments when time stood still enough for you to really feel them. Those are sweet, sweet, sweet memories, but for the rest of them, I suggest hiring a good photographer. Ours caught some great ones.

So rather than detailing the entire affair, I’ll try to give you the highlights, the moments that stuck out.

Our Washingtonian bride-to-be Emily had hoped to send another update this week about how all the last-minute preparations were going. But she's got enough on her to-do list without thinking about a blog post only a day before the wedding! So, let's wish Emily and Drew a wonderful wedding and a spectacular honeymoon. We'll be waiting anxiously to hear every last detail when they get back from France.

Can't wait? Read about Emily's wedding-planning adventure from the beginning here.

Stay tuned for next Friday when we'll introduce you to our newest Bridal Party blogger and bride-to-be, Lisa Marie!

More>> Bridal Party Blog | Wedding Guide | Wedding Vendor Search

Drew and I are sitting in Reston Town Center’s Cosi trying to finish up wedding plans before leaving Dodge tomorrow morning. Every one of my female friends who have planned their own weddings has said that it gets so busy the week preceding her big day.

We’re definitely feeling the busyness of these last days, but we’re also facing a blinding excitement. I literally have not slept for a few days. I lie awake with thoughts of Drew and of unfinished wedding plans and of our Paris honeymoon circling above my head, and I literally cannot get to sleep. And in talking to my now-married girlfriends, I’ve learned that the no-sleep phenomenon is very common.

I have some bittersweet news to share. Drew and I are leaving Washington and trading it for another, very different city that begins with a “W.” Because when we make life changes, we like to make them all at once: new marriage, new city, new job.

Let me explain. Drew was offered a job at Wichita magazine, located obviously in Wichita, Kansas. But it wasn’t just any job he was offered—he was offered the editor-in-chief position. At age 25, that’s such an amazing opportunity for him. And being the wonderful fiancé he is, Drew also thought of his future bride (me) and my future happiness, and he asked his would-be employers at Wichita magazine what jobs there might be for me. And they got back to him later with a job for me to write magazine departments and help plan the magazine’s special events. So we’re very excited . . . but it’s a lot all at once.

Drew is actually in Wichita right now, sitting at his editor’s desk and editing away at the October issue. We drove the 20-plus hours out there together a couple of weekends ago and got set up in our new apartment, and then he went to work in Wichita while I flew back to Washington. And that really stinks! Altogether, we’ll be away from each other for 17 days, the longest time we’ve been separated by far. And I just miss him so much! I know some couples have it much, much harder . . . men and women who are in the military, travel for business, etc., but I’m so happy that this distance thing doesn’t have to be a common thing for us.

Everyone who’s ever planned her own wedding or helped plan someone else’s has told me that it gets crazy near the end.

At the 15-day mark, we’re near the end. Following tradition, we’re also busy!

So it seems like there’s nothing to do for a while, but that peaceful lull is deceiving because in the flash of the old Batman TV show’s bam, pow, or wham, it gets crazy. All your big stuff is in place, but now all the little loose ends need tying up.

For example. . .
Last dress fitting, check!
Shower thank-you notes, un-check.
Finalized seating arrangements, un-check.
Presents to hand out at rehearsal dinner, almost check.
Cards and brief words to accompany the presents at the rehearsal dinner, un-check.
Photographer’s shot list, un-check.
Finalized playlist for reception, un-check.
Designed programs, check!
Printed, stamped, bow-tied programs, un-check.

. . . And a Silver Sixpence in Her Shoe. I did a little research, and that’s how the singsong poem actually ends. Surfacing sometime during Victorian England, the rhyme has endured as a group of four good-luck charms for brides on their wedding day.

Depending on which Web site you read:

“Something old” symbolizes continuity with the bride’s family, usually an item from her family.

“Something new” symbolizes the new union formed between husband and wife that will last forever. It’s a symbol brimming with optimism, excitement, and hope.

“Something borrowed” symbolizes a “borrowing” of happy marital relations, usually from a friend or family member.

“Something blue” is a color linked with weddings throughout history. It’s a symbol that denotes fidelity, modesty, and purity.

In-laws tend to get a bad rap. And unfortunately, I’ve heard stories that back up their reputation. One woman’s mother-in-law wore a white dress to her wedding, in hopes of overshadowing her daughter-in-law. Yikes. There are tales of in-laws who refuse to admit the bride or groom into the family, in-laws who are indifferent, mean, and even evil. Ever seen the movie Hush? There are those families who meddle excessively and fail to relinquish control over their son or daughter. Meet the Parents is a prime and incredibly awkward example.
 
Thank the Lord, mine are none of the above. In fact, they’re wonderful. This weekend, Drew and I flew to Nashville for another wedding and stayed with his parents. We ate lovely breakfasts, lunches, and dinners with his parents. We enjoyed lunch with his brother and uncle, visited with his grandparents, swam in his uncle’s pool, listened to his storyteller grandfather captivate with anecdotes of Purple Martin birds and Ireland, attended church with the whole family, and shared a spread of amazing desserts with them. They showered us with love, wedding gifts, and amazing Southern food. I feel so thankful for Drew’s family. I think I’d want to be close with them even sans Drew, because they’re so great.