wedding-something: a phiLOVEdelphia story: A Quiet Morning

I woke up early Saturday morning after almost 8 hours of (amazing) uninterrupted sleep and feeling much better. Things were pointing towards it being a great day, including the Rittenhouse's evening treat drop that I missed hours earlier.

Weather forecast looks pretty good!

However, it was far too early for anyone else to be up and celebrate that, um, we were getting MARRIED...so I enjoyed a Lacroix chocolate as a mini breakfast and looked out at Rittenhouse Square as the sun rose.

Unfortunately all my photos through the window didn't come out

Besides the view, the Rittenhouse had given us a spacious suite that would perfectly fit the preparations to come. Here's a quick pic of what we were working with:

Bedroom, sitting room, 1 1/2 baths (+ a tub), several giant mirrors with stools, etc.

Although no one would be coming to the suite for several hours, I did some cleaning to prepare for their arrival. I needed something to occupy my time and since I was without sneakers, running was out.

We had a long day ahead of us, so I had worked to put together a schedule that met the needs of each of the bridesmaids (some are early risers, others are not). I staggered hair and makeup appointments and solicited Brother Turkey to be our "runner" for breakfast (lunch would be delivered).

As I mentioned before, we skipped the DOC, so I created both a master schedule for the day, plus individual bridesmaid itineraries (and packing lists) - they were mailed the week before the wedding and handed out again at the rehearsal.

Sample schedule for - for bridesmaid M

The groomsmen (and parents) also had schedules, although their documents were notably less complicated.

As you can see above, the photographer and videographer were not scheduled to arrive until later in the afternoon. We made this decision in order to maximize images at our reception. It was a tradeoff, as we knew there would not be beautiful, professional images of the prep process. However, we planned to capture the morning with my DSLR and I liked the idea of being able to limit the number of photos of me looking like a hot mess! :)

Makeup-free with Turkey Mom (and my bagel)...see why I'm limiting these pictures?!?

Despite spending the first few hours of our wedding day alone, my excitement was almost tangible. With a clear head and full heart (yes, totally ripped off FNL), I was ready to go. Just needed the girls to arrive...

How did you spend the morning of your wedding? Any other brides skipping the pro prep photos?