Preparing for the big day

After a wild night Friday, the girls had to wake up early! We went to Lather Hair Salon (back in Raleigh) to get our hair and make up done! Jessica, the owner of the salon did all of our hair at Christy Colgan's wedding and I loved it so I found her and had her do my hair for the wedding. We spent a few hours there and headed back to Benson to our cottage. While we were getting pretty the boys slowly rolled out of bed and got to hang around most of the day. They did take Trey's car back to Raleigh to the Sheraton - the hotel we were going to stay at after the wedding. (Turned out pretty convenient that his car was in a parking deck when it ended up hailing later that afternoon!)


Christy and Christy at the salon getting pretty!

After we got back to the cottage we hung out for about an hour and then the girls started to get into their dresses. We took my wedding dress in to the house so that I didn't have to cross the road in it and risk being seen! The guys got ready in their cottage while I got dressed upstairs in a bedroom of the Preston Woodall House.

Trey getting dressed

The guys helping each other get their ties on

Checking on the weather!

David & Trey

Groomsmen's flasks

At the cottage, waiting for time to pass!

The dogs came to visit the boys!

Girls getting ready in the cottage

Almost ready to go!

Girls heading to the main house

My dress waiting in the house!

Everyone helping get the dress on!

Trying to tie it up!

Kimberly helping put on the garter!

Guys hanging out on their back porch

Everyone had to get their boutineers

April, my awesome photographer (from Evoke Photography) took pictures of the girls before the wedding and her assistant took pictures of the guys together, there are tons of great ones of these - so I'll post with those later!

As the girls finished their pictures we went back upstairs to stay out of the way for guests arriving. We were standing upstairs watching outside the window as the storm of the century rolled up. Brenna was watching the radar on her phone and saw that part of the storm was colored white on the radar... "I've never seen white on a radar, that can't be a good thing!" was just a clue of what the storm would bring. As we were watching out the window my friend Savannah called - she was supposed to be handing out programs as guests arrived. She called saying that they might be late as the roads were flooded in Raleigh, hail was crazy and they just watched a transformer blow. WOW! I had no idea all of this was going on. It hadn't quite reached us yet, but this is what we were in for. My other program attendant, Lindsey, was there early and was able to handle the job on her own - although it wasn't exactly a typical entrance for most guests (as they were dodging hail) so I don't know that everyone actually got a program... it wasn't the biggest concern at the time!

Shocked at the hail out the window

Watching the guests arrive!

The radar

The girls loved their rings!

The beautiful program box that probably got overlooked by most!

The programs

As we watched out the window the hail got larger - golfball sized! At one point the staff came upstairs and brought us all downstairs as tornadoes were beginning to rip through town. The bridesmaids and I, along with some family and guests were waiting in a bedroom downstairs as the power went out from the storms. The guys were put in the bar - how convenient! Many of the guests waited out the storm in the restrooms!

Huge hail!

Lindsey took this picture while they waited in the bathroom! You can see my aunt & uncle.

It was quite an interesting time! We lost power, but the storm was gone and at about 4:45 (The ceremony was supposed to start at 5!) we were "released" from our safe places. We headed back upstairs as they corralled the guests into the ballroom so we could get the show on the road! We still didn't have power but the show must go on! No power means no sound system.... So my awesome DJ Randy Pulley was prepared - he had our ceremony music burned to a cd as backup. I bet he's never actually had to use that before! Wondering how he played that cd? On a BOOM BOX which they had to find batteries for! Old school!

Hail all over the ground outside