House of Bennetts

The search engine terms for this post are going to suck, but I don't care. I've got to get my thoughts about the wedding down and I also wanted to share all of the paper goods that Rachel Harding designed for us for the wedding. This is the combo post that I like to call: Reflections on the wedding/All of our Paper Goods Awesomeness since the wedding is over now and you can't crash it. Hickey Final Invitation 1

After the wedding we did this thing with everyone asking what their top three moments from the day were... this list will combine their answers as well as LB and I's own reflections. There aren't going to be topic sentences or transitions that make sense with the pictures. They are just going to be moments in sentence or list form because that is how they live in my brain right now.

Before I started getting my makeup and hair done, Jess and Sophie and I prayed and cried together. "Oh.... the tears are happening." Having LB's sister's blessing was awesome. Slamming a sandwich that either Katie or E made for me while getting my hair done. Having Preston show up to start taking pictures in our room. Hugging Anna and Cozette and Aurora. Putting my dress on and having my sister zip it up while I exhaled. Looking in the mirror and saying out loud, "I look like a bride. I look more beautiful that I ever have." AND REALLY meaning it. Loading into the car with Karen to head up to the wedding and getting stuck behind DJ Perry Washington.

Trying to sneak a few pictures in on the porch of the cabin but running back inside because LB and the guys got there WAY too fast. The picture of Henry and I before the ceremony. Spotting my handsome husband out the window in his suit. Peeing (that's all I'll say). The moment praying with E and the girls before walking down the aisle and my solo moment with E when I heard "Not With Haste" start to play and I got so excited that it was all finally happening. LB turning, gasping and crying when he saw me start to walk down the aisle towards him. OUR VOWS. LB being silent because he was too choked up to even say all of his vows. The entire ceremony and the thunder that clapped and threatened but never rained on us. Chris' british accent while doing our ceremony and his story of chasing a drunk driver. I have never seen so many people crying at a wedding and it was SO touching to be so loved.

Hickey RSVP Draft 3

LB and I back up in the cabin together where LB just broke down crying, sat down and said, "I just feel like I need to cry for about 30 minutes." (That Preston stayed outside of the cabin and shot us hugging and talking from out there is so impressive to me). ALL OF THE TIME THAT WE WERE HIKING UP THE MOUNTAINS IN MY BLUE SHOES WITH PRESTON. Preston saying, "I am nailing this you guys." All of the photography and videography people losing their minds over the scenery and the light. Ben, the videographer saying, "Every time I was about to get something awesome I was either laughing or crying." Preston saying, "You guys almost got me crying a few times."

Hickey Rehearsal Dinner Final

LB and I's first dance with the kids who joined us. The cake cutting where we were so gentle with each other. LB holding the box of Voodoo donuts for everyone to have some. Esther and Andy's speeches and the tears that came from them. Don't even get me started on me trying to thank Katie and crying and saying "Shit." to a room full of kids. :) Speaking of Katie, I must say without pause that one of my top three was when Katie pulled just LB and I aside and told us through tears how much she has learned from us about relationships. I won't share more here because it was such a holy moment for the three of us that I am tearing up right now just writing that.

All of the dancing with all of the people and all of the dancing with my girls. Ashley stealing wine from other tables #checkthechiffon. Idiot Boyfriend. Sam and Alan being able to rock out with us. The "Bridesmaids" picture. Andy telling me I have great dance moves. Me FINALLY seeing Andy's rhythm that LB has been talking about for years. THE KIDS DANCING NONSTOP. Coming down from the mountain and seeing everyone at all of the different stations we designed for the wedding: cornhole, slides, swings, getting drinks, making s'mores, chatting in the tent, photobooth, lounging, dancing. LB finally coming and dancing with me and the girls. Esther and Karen organizing our sparkler exit. Going down the mountain and finding it so hard to say goodbye to Preston. Walking into our honeymoon suite to find LB's dad standing there in his underwear. (<--- that happened)

Hickey Program 1

I should have reviewed the ceremony with Chris prior to getting up there. I should have made LB sit down with me to go through everything with the ceremony and walk it out in the backyard of our house. I should have given everyone a list of 5 things that they were responsible for setting up. Shoulda, woulda, coulda (One of the best Sex in the City episodes ever). Everyone, welcome to Dry Gulch Placer in Breckenridge, Colorado. This place is just stunning. It's remote, hard to find, difficult to drive to, but man. It is beautiful. On Friday, the wedding party and the families went up to the site to rehearse the whole wedding shindig. It was only 70 degrees, but at 10,000 feet it was toasty. The most killer bridal party and my mom. Look how perfectly spaced out we all are. My sister was climbing up to the top of a hill at this point.

LB and I did not see each other before the wedding. I wanted our first look to be me coming down the aisle because tears. Mission accomplished. Here's how we made that happen.

There is a higher up cabin that the bride and bridesmaids would hide out in. The bridesmaids would go down, followed by the flower girls, and then LB would turn around and face the mountains. Esther then walked me down the stairs, hugged me and then went to LB to tell him he could turn around. It went swimmingly on the day, but this part... the getting everyone on the same page as my years long vision... was straight up annoying. I was going to say stressful, but nope, just annoying. :)

Also, isn't the Uhaul on the back of our truck super romantic? That thing was full with vintage rentals and the entire living room full of stuff that Katie and I had made for about a year before the wedding.

Practising that bridal walk in my adorable Kate Spade dress from Aubyn. HAVE I MENTIONED that this dress has built-in bra clasps to hide your bra straps? Oh, I haven't? Well, consider your life changed and all your money gone to Kate Spade forever and ever Amen.

We look super thrilled to be married in this one. Frankly, we weren't married at this point and things were getting tense. Everyone was hot and confused and didn't want to listen to directions and didn't want to listen to Karen and I. It was annoying. (Have I said that already?)

The gurls.

Now I have to say, that if there were MVP awards, they would go to Sophie, Aurora, and Cozette. Those little peanuts just rocked being adorable and helpful.

The annoyance up to this point was one thing, but when people started unloading the Uhaul before we were done practising... Chaos ensued. Things were moved like 4 times. There were 20 people asking Katie and I where things should go. I was stressed and near tears when 4 different people were like we are not going to be able to do the string lights with the mirrors. They are all knotted up, it's not happening. I literally looked at Lawren, grabbed Aurora, and walked outside without saying a word. 15 minutes later, at the insistence of my mom (who saw my face and knew I was about to lose it) and spearheaded by Ashley, this was happening.

10547913_10152652691821972_5085660444249481288_o

Some called untangling these the best wedding team building exercise ever. It actually was and I was SO SO SO happy that we got to use the lights that a LOT of people had spent time hot gluing to fishing wire. After three hours of chaos, the tent looked somewhat like this:

That night, Katie had a list of about 20 things to do on Saturday morning before the wedding and I could see the stress on her face. My mom volunteered to go up early with her to finish setting up and Katie mentioned that without her everything would not have gotten done. I was worried for Katie-- not that it wouldn't get done-- but that she wouldn't have a fun time on our wedding day. She had worked so hard with me that I really wanted her to be able to enjoy her work too. And ladies and gents, I am proud to say that she did!

After this drama filled and stressful day of setting up everything, our wedding day was perfect. I would not have changed a thing... not a single detail... Except I wouldn't have bought the freeze-dried petals that didn't get used or the string lights that we weren't able to get up in time. All in all, my people are pretty great. :)

I have been updating the wedding page as I add wedding posts. There's even a sneak peek of a wedding picture there right now!