Teter Wedding-A Bridesmaid Perspective

The week had finally arrived....the Rausch/Teter wedding, October 11th, 2008. I was quite looking forward to this event because of the recent events which forced me to miss her wedding shower and bachelorette parties, I was excited for a chance to be back to normal and hanging out with everyone.

I had been prepping, primping, trying to get in best form before this event, even though I was limited in what I could do. I was able to grow my nails out (which is a MAJOR feat for me since I always have short nails from work), I was able to fit in my dress (whew!!) after making sure to do lo-cal all week, and I was able to go tanning as long as I covered my back scar with a bandage (if you look at my back right now I have a nicely shaped square white patch directly over my scar--nice!).

Friday night arrived with a rehearsal at the Lutheran Church in McFarland and dinner to follow at Picasso's, also in McFarland. Two churches in one week for me!! YIKES! But luckily I didn't burn up or turn to dust upon entry. The rehearsal went fine, nothing too exciting to report there besides the fact that I was still not real thrilled I got moved to #3 but hey, what you gonna do--not make a big deal about it and smile smile smile!

We finished up rehearsal and went to dinner. Now, I love you Kevin and Greta but what the hell possessed you to, as Barney said, Carbo-Load the night before a wedding when girls need to fit into tight dresses the next day!! YIKES! I couldn't believe it--all fried foods and pasta buffet. But I made the best of it and ate just a little pasta, couple fried ravioli's and some salad, no dressing.

Everyone seemed to enjoy dinner, but I was secretly anxious to get my gift...I already had a hunch of what I was getting so I was getting anxious to open it already! My hunch was right and I got a flask with my initials on it--in pink!! So now I can give Jeremy his back and use my own for to feed my alcoholism on Badger Saturdays. Gotta luv my mini bar!

Anyway, we stayed for a while at Picasso's and chatted, some drank (not me!), and finally I had to call it a night because I was super tired and I knew I had to take the bride home with me since she was staying at my house. Greta and I got back to my house, I went and showered and when I got out, I found Greta out on my balcony looking super stressed. So we had a little chat, she had a good cry, I tried to make her laugh, and then everything was fine. I think most brides probably have that little breakdown the night before the wedding just because of the intense months of planning were coming to an end and everything she had worked so hard to plan was finally going to be shown to all of us...

OMG its Saturday morning--wedding day. Greta and I woke up, finished straightening my hair per request of the hair dresser doing my hair, loaded up, and headed to Artistic Hair Salon in McFarland. I had stopped off earlier and got orange juice and Greta's favorite champagne to make mimosas for us to drink all morning while we were all getting our hair done.

We all got our hair done, I downed 3 mimosas (YIKES), and Greta also got her makeup done. Of course I brought red drinking cups for our mimosas, as only a classy gal would do! I hated my hair when it was first done because it just wasn't what I was picturing in my head. So I made her pin it up more so it looked more formal. I don't know if it actually did but at least I thought it looked better. Any way, a couple made a Subway run and we all met at the church.

Time till wedding: 2 hours

We all got ready in the church basement (?) and were helping Greta get into her dress--funny stuff. We had to put a bag over her head because she had to put the dress over her head and she didn't want makeup or her hair snagged on the dress. Very hilarious. Since, as you know, I think all this stuff is ridiculous to begin with, seeing her go through all that just made me laugh out loud!

FINALLY we were all ready to go. I went up stairs to check out the scene and say hi to some people. Argh, the first time everyone was seeing me in my bright red, very unflattering, strapless, back fat showing dress. Kinda nerve wrecking for me considering I hate wearing dresses and this one was certainly not flattering. I likened it to putting a red box over me and calling it a dress! (Sorry Greta!) At least I can say Jeremy looked very nice in his new shirt and borrowed tie! Very handsome...

Ok, now it was show time. We loaded Greta up the stairs as I watched the Kevin finally walk up the aisle with his mom and I gave her the thumbs up to come in. Jenny and Jon went first, then me and Hot Cheese (Jason, Jeremy's brother), Julie and Barney and then Kristin and Arick. I had all to do not to bust out laughing as i'm trying to smile nice while staring at all the people looking at me. Then enters Greta and her dad--she did look very beautiful after all the getting ready, pinning, bustling, blah blah, in the end she looked really amazing!

The wedding started and I want to personally thank Jon for CONSTANTLY laughing with me because I was cracking up the whole time at the minister because he KEPT TALKING forever and ever about random nothingness...Shania Twain, falling in ditches, etc...

Skip to...they're married! Skip to....limo ride and millions of pictures being taken. The limo (which was a tight fit!) was nice and fully stocked with boos thanks to the boys. I had a very hard time getting in and out of the limo. I wish someone would have captured that on film. I couldn't bend the right way to get in the limo very gracefully so I pretty much just laid on the floor and got to my seat, funny stuff.

We went to the Stoughton Country Club for lots and lots of pictures, which I'm sure are going to be very nice but the photographer was quite bossy and annoying, and we were all starting to get hungry, thirsty and ready to head out. The pictures took so long that we never got to go to a bar, we just drove through downtown (on a badger Saturday nonetheless) and drank until we got the reception.

Skip to...me being tanked before we even walked in. Ya the life of a bridesmaid...get tanked as long as your not the maid of honor and have to give a speech. So that is exactly what I did. Dinner was good, didn't eat much of it because I got up to talk to people, never got any cake, heard that was good also. Oh one side bar point....its never a good sign when you show up at the reception and the first thing you see if your boyfriend drinking scotch on the rocks...at 5pm....Holy crap! Luckily he didn't like it very much and I don't think it got finished (thank god!)

Greta and Kevin were very adamant about not doing all the typically wedding reception crap so there was no bouquet toss, no garter thing, no dollar dance... etc. So we pretty much go to dancing right off the bat, and I never stopped the whole night!

See there's this funny thing that you may not know of...its called "When a bridesmaid gets free drinks all night, she forgets that she just had major back surgery not 4 weeks ago, which causes her to dance like a maniac all night for hours on end." Um ya, that's what I did. I did enjoy my swing dancing with Lundo, thanks! He's so good he made me look good out there.

Skip to....me having my camera out CONSTANTLY and taking picture of everyone and everything as the reception wore on. I remember talking to lots of people but I don't always remember what it was about---so hopefully I didn't say anything too stupid or ridiculous.

Skip to...shots being handed to me, me taking them, me thinking, OMG that was awful! The night came to an end as most wedding do, drunk people buying shots, ties around the guys' heads, Jon Coffey with out a shirt on, bride drunk but not as drunk as the bridesmaids...you know how it goes.

Finally it was time to leave. Most of the usual crew were heading back to McFarland and some of us had gotten a room at some hotel and were getting a bus ride there. Now, from here the story takes an ugly turn, a turn so ugly and unbecoming of a bridesmaid that I am not going to even share it. Sorry! I'm too embarassed to even talk about it so you'll have to live in suspense until someone tells you about it or luckily no one ever will.

Skip to...me waking up in the hotel, contacts STILL in, makeup STILL on, and no recolection of how I got my PJs on or what hotel I was in! WOW, that's the sign that I may have had a bit too much to drink the night before :) But it was an awesome time and I couldn't have asked for a better re-introduction into being up and normal again.

Kevin and Greta certainly know how to throw a party and I think the day went very well. There was no drama, no major disasters and everyone that showed up had a great time. Hopefully this will be the last wedding I'm in ever because I think I'd rather just be a guest! My next wedding will be in Hawaii at the end of January and I can't wait for that!