'T Was the Day Before the Wedding...

MJ and I drove down to Carmel the day before our wedding and arrived in town right around lunch time. As soon as I saw the ocean, I was flooded with nerves. My hands were shaking, my chest was tight. I was down right nervous!! So as soon as we arrived at the hotel, we went to the hotel bar and each ordered a drink, champagne seemed appropriate. Then as our friends and family started to arrive we sat down to lunch. I say we sat down to lunch, but I was too nervous to eat, so I had another drink in an effort to calm myself down.

After lunch everyone dispersed and my maid of honor and I went to my bridal suite to get ready for the welcome reception that we were hosting for all of our guests. We decided to host a welcome reception instead of a rehearsal dinner because we had invited 75 guests total to our wedding and every single one of our guests were traveling from out of town. Our welcome reception was held at A.W. Shucks on Ocean Avenue. The food, drinks and service was incredible. I wish I would have taken pictures (thank goodness some of our friend posted their pictures on Facebook!) or better yet, hired our amazing photog for the night before our wedding too.





We ordered about 15 different appetizer platters for our guests to share and another 10 or so oyster platters for sharing too. We also brought in about 15 bottles of various wines for a limited bar offered to our guests. It was a total hit, everyone had a great time and afterwards MJ and I said good night to each other as fiances for the last time.

My maid of honor and I went back to my bridal suite to apply Proactive Zit Masks and MJ retreated to his suite to do what you ask? Well, let me show you...





I'd like to pretend that wrestling with your friends the night before your wedding is some kind of old ritual that all grooms perform, but I'm pretty sure that it's isolated only to MJ. :)

What did you do the night before your wedding? Did you have a traditional rehearsal dinner or something that welcomed more guests?