Rehearsal dinner and after party

After the group met up again, boombox in tow, we went to the grocery store to pick up food and beer for the rehearsal dinner after party. There was an IGA in town but ti’s size was deemed too small for what we needed. It was decided that we would have to go to a ‘proper’ supermarket. Of course, all we needed were chips, dip, beer, wine and soda. Uh, doesn’t every supermarket have that? But I learned my lesson long ago never to get in between a bride and her plans. So off we went. The nearest decent supermarket was about 12 miles away (Hello? Civilization?) but it was fun driving with the group and meeting everyone. We picked up enough supplies for 63 people (that’s how many were invited) and made out way back. Back at the condo, there is a small boathouse which is used for the community’s parties. It’s right on the lake with a pretty woodsy backyard on the water, but no heat. The bride’s father set up space heaters and we all went about the task of unpacking everything and setting it all up. Our task done, I drove back to the condo hoping to catch a few z’s before the rehearsal dinner. I managed to nap about 20 minutes before I had to get up, shower and dress up for the event.

The dinner was at a local golf club, which like all clubs here, is absolutely beautiful. Set on a mountain (what else), the dining room is essentially a glass walled enclosure with nature on 3 sides. It was in this setting that the bridal party and the bride’s parents and friends sat down for a lovely meal. Drinks flowed, food was eaten and the conversation was loud and raucous. This is a good group of people! About 8PM, which was supposed to be the start time of the after party, we started to make our way out to greet people. There was a bit of miscommunication though, as another couple were supposed to be there but they ended up being sick or something and leaving. So for about 30 minutes, there wasn’t anybody there to greet people coming in. To make matters worse, the boombox was never left at the boathouse. Instead, it was in the bride’s brother’s room at the Bald Peak Colony club, where the wedding was taking place, and about 25 minutes from the boathouse. GPS to the rescue! I got the nearest Rite-Aid on the GPS and was able to secure an IPOD compatible alarm clock within 15 minutes. That GPS unit is a life saver. We were at the boathouse at about 8:45PM and due to a combination of people not showing up and no one being there to greet them, the final guest toll came to about 30. The bride was none too happy at this turn of affairs and the tension was thick (cue tension filled violins). Could this be the blot that ruins the wedding tomorrow? Stay tuned for more drama…