Day 0 - Pt. 1
Saturday, May 27, 2017
MY DESTI WEDDING DAY!!!!
I’m changing this format because there’s no way I can keep up with the organized Journal Entries from Day 200 to Day 5.
Shit is real...wonderful
And I’m gonna wing it from now on!
Days 4, 3, 2, and 1 will be however I damn well please...
Let’s go!
Temperature:
Playa del Carmen, Mexico High 89° / Low 79°
What Kind of Day Did I Have & Why?
I got married today!
And I gave exactly ZERO shits about anything other than that fact.
I didn’t care about my dad coming to see me before my wedding - Okay hold up, I’m trippin’...I cared a lil' bit about that, but it didn’t negatively affect me. Any drama just rolled off my back today and nobody could take my eye off the prize!
I just really wanted to get to my man and marry the shit outta him!
I know that people say "best day ever" and it sounds cliché, but we really did the damn thang on our wedding day!
Okay, now - I’ve made my point! So HOW did today go...
This is Part 1!
*since I was getting ready for my WEDDING and all...personal photos were minimal
BUT i'll update when the professionals are done!
For starters, I woke up waayyy earlier than expected. Last night, I asked my Bridefriend Alecia to not let me sleep past 9 am and I was up before 7. I couldn't sleep! I was up and ready to start my day as if last night didn't even happen.
I was awake and had a feeling of peace covering my body that I had never felt before.
I just felt...
RIGHT
and I was ready!
So I pulled up my vows notes in my phone, opened a new blank document on my Macbook, and started writing my vows…
I reviewed my notes that I 've collected over the past year or so, closed my eyes and let the words just pour out of me and it was so natural and fluid. Tears almost immediately began to fall from my face as I typed and then the waterworks really kicked in!
Happy tears were here and in no time I was pouring through a roll of toilet paper and reaching for a hand towel in the bathroom which was more appropriate for what I was going through.
That poor toilet paper had no chance!
I let go
of a lot of pain
& accepted
even more
love + happiness
in that bed.
It was as if the meaning of every love song that I heard in my life channeled into my soul for that hour and it was exactly what I needed to get me through the rest of the day.
Gotta take a moment to shout out Céline Dion and The Power of Love
this song ran through my mind as I wrote my vows and it was so difficult to not use it while writing
'Cause I am your lady
And you are my man
Whenever you reach for me
I'll do all that I can
We're heading for something
Somewhere I've never been
Sometimes I am frightened
But I'm ready to learn
('Bout) Of the power of love
When we agreed to say something (we call proclamations) before our usual vows, I remember being worried about not knowing what to say. Che is a writer and always knows the right things to say, and that is NOT me so I didn't know WHAT I was going to do but knew it would come from the heart - whatever it was... and we both agreed to keep it around 250 words, but I Iooked down and had 409 words!
I couldn't believe it! But it was true...
So I started cutting up my masterpiece because I didn’t want to do him like that - we had an agreement damn it! And I needed a break (hell, my EYES needed a break), so I decided to let it breathe for a while and get back to it later on when it was time to start the Getting Ready Photos.
💖 I called Che (I needed to hear his voice) and checked on him and told him I love him and all that good stuff. He was a little hung over, but it exactly what I needed. I just needed his voice and in perfect timing, my Bridefriends came to wake me up, but I was already up and it was game time.
💖 I texted my dad to see if he was coming to see me before he went to get ready with Che - he didn’t - was too hungover from last night.
💖 I ordered breakfast and emailed my planner, Joyce to ask her to bring my bouquet with her so that I can have it included as a part of my getting ready photos...
💖 Bridefriend Alecia was coordinating with Ivory and my other Bridefriend Danielle about our makeup and timing for the day…
And my bestie poured herself a drink of tequila and hopped into my Jacuzzi - because that must've seemed like the right thing to do to her.
Ivory walked in as I popped a bottle of Veuve to get the celebrations going and the timing was hilarious!
As we all sat together and enjoyed breakfast on the patio, I was presented with a beautiful gift and heartfelt note from my Bridefriend Danielle who I WISH I would have invited to be with me, but I’m not going to do that right now…
Danielle gifted me with my something old, blue and borrowed...
Her mother’s blue sapphire engagement ring!
Her note brought me to tears as she explained the symbolism of the sapphire and how much it meant to her. She told me that her parents have been together for over 60 years and she wanted the same for hers and our marriage. It was beautiful - hell it IS beautiful!
I’m in tears again now just thinking about it!
While planning my destination wedding, I really ignored this old, new, borrowed, blue tradition and I never thought that I needed it, but as soon as I received her gift - I knew that a void was filled and a bond was reinforced. It was so meaningful which is exactly what I needed - it wasn’t forced, just LOVE. It was the most perfect and natural expression of friendship, appreciation, respect, love and generosity!
Okay, now let me stop before I have to get another hand towel! Where was I?
Oh yeah...
I cried, finished breakfast, shared a few laughs with my Bridefriends, pumped up the A/C and was ready to get my Getting Ready going!
And that’s what we did…
Ivory slayed us all and my curated Getting Ready iTunes playlist carried us through the afternoon!
Ivory was slangin’ and slayin’ Airbrush, Primer, Concealer, Eyeshadow, Lashes, Lipstick,
Ponytail, Buns, Flat Irons, Curling Irons, Hairspray, Hair Pins...everything!
In the middle of it all my planner, Joyce, came to see and check on me this afternoon, but she didn’t get my message about my bouquet so she said that she’d TRY to see what she could do. I was disappointed and upset but had to let it go and keep on rolling.
About an hour later, Genya, my photographer, arrived and asked me what specific details and items we wanted to be photographed so I gave her my dress, my shoes, my headpieces, my jewelry, our wedding invitation and told her that I wasn't sure if my bouquet would make it, but if it didn't I wanted her to make sure we get pics of it after the ceremony. She made a note and started clicking away. Alecia gave her my something old, blue and borrowed and the Getting Ready photos began! Not too long afterward, a call to our room let us know that my bouquet was being delivered!
I was in my room do something - I have no idea what...but I heard a female's voice introducing herself and I realized that it was our florist - Moni from Xochitl Botanicals! I was elated and ran to the front room and drooled over my gorgeous bouquet! I wanted a single King Protea with greenery surrounding it and boy did she deliver! I can’t wait to see the professional photos!
After going nuts over her work, I embraced her, thanked her and told her how much I love her work…
Let me keep it real...quite frankly, I fanned out!
She was super nice about it and had her partner and assistant with her so we took pictures together and she was so kind as to add my piece of my veil that I wanted to hang from the stem, which she also used to tie my something old, blue and borrowed ring to beautifully complete my bouquet!
Joyce had me worried, but boy did she deliver! Not only did she get my bouquet to me - she had it delivered by my dream florist! Yes I said it - DREAM florist...if I had dreams about flowers...it’d be hers.
So she gave me her well wishes and went on her way and I kept rolling towards being Mrs. Allen!
As the clock kept ticking, and Genya’s camera kept shuttering to collect the memories…
Ivory finished my Bridefriends’ makeup as I freaked out about the time and pulled my laptop back out, finished shortening my vows and started to write them into my little booklet - fighting back tears all the way.
The camera was there, but never in the way or in an uncomfortable way - I was worried about that but had nothing to worry about. Anyway…
Ivory resumed her slayage and was ready for me in no time, so I ate my lunch (a delicious salad so I wouldn't be bloated) as she worked her magic, and thought about Che and wondered how he was doing with his bowtie tying - he got the hang of it last week, but I was wondering how it was going for him today…I figured he’d be fine and told myself not to call him again - and he was!
And my jitters got real! Not in a bad way, just super anxious!
I didn’t want to be late and Ivory kept my head in the game as much as she could...she would continuously remind me to breathe, ask me what I’m doing tomorrow and used probably every bride calming tactic in her book. At one point, I almost lost my shit on my friend who CLEARLY didn’t understand or give a damn about what the fuck was going on and before I could speak my mind, Ivory snapped my head back, wrapped my hands in a crystal and whispered positive affirmations to me until I gathered myself and got back centered with my eye on the prize.
She was awesome!
And I need a crystal for regular life too!
I fell in love with my makeup and went into my bedroom to be alone for a minute and...
💖 I put on my headpiece...perfect!
💖 Excitedly whispered to myself - This is really happening!
💖 Went back out to get confirmation from my Bridefriends - and pour another glass of champagne.
💖 As the time ticked, I baby powdered my body and reminded myself that the moment was mine and rejected anything that wasn’t keeping me in that zone and enjoyed my feelings!
All I could think was:
We’re getting married!
And I don’t want to be late!
Another call to the suite informed us that my transportation had arrived EARLY, so we had a little bit of time, but that meant that I needed to get in my dress because I didn’t want to be the Bride that had everyone in the hot sun sweating and waiting on me. I think I even said that!
I SWEAR I could hear the second hand on the wall clock ticking as I stepped into my dress, shimmied and pulled it up, got zipped and hooked in. I stepped into my shoes - with assistance, of course, and everyone oohed and ahhed... It felt right, but I wanted to SEE MYSELF so I walked to the full body mirror and fell in love my appearance and my reason for getting all dolled up too!
I looked amazing and was ready to marry my man!
0 Days - Wedding Day Part 1!
Destination Wedding Countdown Journal
- Black Destination Bride
PART 2 is underway!
Stay Tuned!
🛫 👰🏾💕
