Down the Yellow Brick Road Part VIII: Meanwhile, back at the Chapel...

So what was happening whilst we girls were primping, prettifying and posing?

The chapel was looking just beautiful:

The pens were waiting to sign the register:


The tissues I'd set out for my weepy family were in place:


The Mother/Father of the Bride/Groom signs looked great:


My petal cones, filled by Sister, BFF and Aunt Ruby Slippers were waiting in the entranceway:

Meanwhile, Mr Ruby Slippers greeted his two bosses with the proper decorum. The one on the right with his glasses on his head is marrying, in December, the girl Mr RS is about to hug . I really hope we're invited. I haven't been to a wedding since April 2006. Not including ours, obviously. And I luurve weddings.

I have to say that this is one part of the day that I, of course, missed entirely, and I'm kind of sad about that. Granted, the "are you nervous?" comments and "It's not too late to back out now!" jokes might have annoyed me, but mostly I would just have loved to be there and see everyone arrive and chat to them and mingle and share my excitement. Still, it's the price you pay for a Big Reveal.

Here Sister-in-Law Ruby Slippers, her friend Jen, and MIL-Ruby Slippers enjoy the free welcome drinks outside the chapel. I missed those, too. But they did send sandwiches to my room, and we had complimentary orange juice, champagne and tea and coffee!

SIL-Ruby Slippers and her boyfriend had just broken up about six weeks before the wedding, and since they'd been together for seven years (much longer than Mr RS and I!) we said she could bring a friend instead of him, so that she wouldn't feel too bad. We don't really spend much time with SIL-RS , so she didn't know anyone else at the wedding, really.

And then they waited...

And waited....

And looked nervous:

Everyone was ushered inside somewhere around this point, so that when we arrived outside...

The only people waiting were my Dad, his friend Rick (with the camera) and our officiant (in the black vest thingy):


I have no idea what my Dad is doing here; maybe he's going to pretend to steal my nose and make me cry?

And of course they had to fix my veil back over my face, like the proper, demure bride I was:


Did I mention how much I loved my veil??


Apparently I had a speck of mascara just below my eye. BFF Ruby Slippers kindly scraped it off for me:
I know what this face was! My friend Kath (who spells her name just like mine!) came hurrying round the corner, late as usual! She covered her eyes and ran, going "I don't want to spoil it, I'm not looking!" She's so cute. I wish I had a picture of that! My boss (the latest man in the WORLD) and his wife were also late. They were hurrying into the chapel just as we arrived outside. I had told him not two days before that he was 100% without a doubt going to be late, and he assured me he wouldn't. I've heard that pretty much every day I've worked for him.



Meanwhile, my Dad shows off his "Father of the Bride" cufflinks that my cousins gave him before my sister's wedding in 2003.

Me with my Dad. I'm so happy:

My Dad looks so cute here:

And then it was (BREATHE) time to line up and go in! Here are the girls lining up outside the church (yes, all two of them can line up, if I say so!):

Sister RS takes a last look back while BFF Ruby Slippers prepares to have all eyes on HER. I know she wasn't looking forward to that part. Thanks, J!

And...they're in!


Next time you might actually get to see me walking into a chapel in my wedding dress... :-)

Previously:
Part I: The Night Before
Part II: Salon, Supermarket & Judy Garland
Part III: Setting Up
Part IV: Prettifying
Part V: All Bridalled Up
Part VI: For the Boys
Part VII: Going to the Chapel and We're...