We had a very fun rehearsal that night. Complete with the whole "bouquet made from bridal shower gift bows" and much laughter, despite the very serious setting of the Catholic church we were getting married in. I remember how the soloist and pianist both had shocked expressions on their faces when I paid them. They had said "whatever you feel is appropriate" in terms of payment; can you imagine that? I didn't think I was overpaying, but it was obvious that I was.
We ate dinner at Connie's Pizza in Naperville. I guess I should say "The restaurant formerly known as Connie's Pizza" because it's now a road house grill or something. This saddens me. Their pizza was great, but the best part was that for the rehearsal dinner, I finally got to eat UPSTAIRS. The upstairs section of the restaurant had been an enigma for me throughout my entire childhood. So mysterious! It seemed fitting that on the night of my wedding, I was finally allowed upstairs. Connie's knew I was an Adult.
I remember giggling with my girlfriend in the family room of my parents' house. I wasn't living at home at the time, but it seemed strange to sleep in the apartment with Patrick on our wedding night, especially after all of the lies we told to the Catholic marriage counselors. ("No, we're totally not living together.") . She was adorably pregnant with her first child and wanted to sleep on the recliner to support her back, so I slept on the couch and we watched old movies and had popcorn...
All that night, I kept looking at my hand, with only the engagement ring, knowing that in just a few hours, I would be wed to my best friend....
17 years ago I was envisioning and imagining and wondering about what our lives would look like. 17 years later, I am still envisioning and imagining but also remembering and treasuring all of the moments we've shared.
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