Built For Two: Gifting The Girls

I am a pretty awkward person at times, especially when it comes to giving and receiving gifts.  I had been carefully gathering what I gave to my bridesmaids for months but when it came to actually giving it to them, I did it very awkwardly.  Basically I just put little piles throughout the room for each of them with their gifts, awkwardly pointing to their pile as each walked in.  It's the thought that counts? 

Anyway, enough about the awkwardness - let's see what they got!

Personalized Hangers

I bought these from Weddingbee user PersonalizedHangers4u and I was very happy with them.  I also got myself a "Mrs. Bicycle" hanger.

Coozies
My friends are big coozie people.  I didn't know this was a thing until moving to the South, but now I am never without two coozies in my purse - one for me and one for Mr. B.  Our collection at home is probably larger than it needs to be but it pales in comparison to some friends (Bridesmaid Lemon, I am talking to you!).  My friends also love monograms so I combined the two for this part of the gift.

I spent a lot of time thinking of the perfect color and pattern combination for each girl - that's right, each got a different pattern, color combination, and monogram shape.  Some were easy, especially my college football-loving friends, and some were more difficult (my NYC-dwelling sister had probably never even seen a coozie, let alone a monogrammed one) but I think I got each bridesmaid something that showed their personality.  I ordered these from Etsy seller It's Not Business, It's Personal and I was very happy with the product.  I am pretty sure I got this suggestion from Mrs. Camera.

Pearl Earrings
I got each bridesmaid a set of pearl studs, backed in sterling silver.  I did not tell them they needed to wear them to the wedding but gave them that option.  I think all but one or two ended up wearing them!  I purchased them from a few different sources, nothing important to report here.

Embroidered Bags
My mother hand made these bags for each bridesmaid.

Hand made as in bought fabric, turned that fabric into a tote bag, and then embroidered the tote bag (with her embroidery sewing machine).  She is beyond talented and I am so appreciative that she did this.  A lot of my bridesmaids ended up using these to carry their stuff to and from the wedding, so they were very helpful. 

Overall, my friends seemed happy with their gifts!

I thought I would be the only one giving gifts that morning but Stepdaughter A informed me she had something very special for me.  Apparently she and Stepson M went with their mom to buy me a gift.  She handed it to me with the sweetest card that told me how happy they were I was marrying their father.  I did my best to keep it together but that was certainly an unexpected surprise.

They gave me a necklace with my new monogram!  I wear it almost every day and A gets so happy when she sees it. 

Next up, the guys get some gifts and they begin to get ready.

Miss a recap? Get caught up here!

• We got to Savannah and hosted a haunted pub crawl.
• We spent the day getting our nails done and playing golf.
• We rehearsed the ceremony.
• Our rehearsal dinner was delicious and fun. 
• I woke up early and made some bad TV decisions. 

Built For Two: Starting the Wedding Day With a Splash

I am generally not a good sleeper and I am even worse in a hotel room or when I have had too much to eat/drink.  So the night before my wedding was a recipe for disaster.  I woke up at 2:30 AM and never looked back.  I flipped through the channels and found a movie I had wanted to watch, Blackfish. ("A mesmerizing psychological thriller with a killer whale at its center, Blackfish is the first film since Grizzly Man to show how nature can get revenge on man when pushed to its limits," according to its website).

Image via petergreenberg.com

 
Now, I don't have a whole lot of tried-and-true bits of advice.  Things I would recommend you do, things I would suggest you don't do, etc.  I know what worked for me and our wedding.  That said, if you learn one thing from me, let it be this: Do not wake up at 2:30 on your wedding day and watch Blackfish.  Just don't.  Let's just say that when Law & Order: SVU finally came on, it was a nice change of pace to something a little less upsetting.  I tried to call Mr. B's room but he didn't answer so I laid in bed, by myself, watching awful TV until my hair and makeup crew knocked on my door at around 6:30.  I was the only one ready to go but they wanted to take me last so I tried to get my sister up and frantically started texting all my bridesmaids.

I chose Joli A. to do hair and makeup for us and I am so happy I did.  The girls were so sweet and we were all relaxed talking to them throughout the morning.  Eventually Bridesmaid Nole came with the thing I had been waiting for all morning.  Nay, all engagement.  Chick-fil-A Chicken Minis.

Image via Chick-fil-A

If you aren't fortunate enough to know what a Chicken Mini is, it is basically a chicken nugget wrapped in a honey bread situation.  Heaven in a bite, if you will.  Bridesmaid Nole had them on her wedding morning and I knew from the time I heard that (before we were even engaged??) I needed them on mine as well.  She really came through and brought a huge platter.  In my post-Blackfish, beginning-of-wedding-day state, I didn't get to eat as many as planned but I don't think they went to waste.  We also ordered coffee and orange juice through room service. 

With the room abuzz and our tummies full, we were ready to get pretty and get the show on the road!

Miss a recap? Get caught up here!

• We got to Savannah and hosted a haunted pub crawl.
• We spent the day getting our nails done and playing golf.
• We rehearsed the ceremony.
• Our rehearsal dinner was delicious and fun.