The theme of 8

With 8 hours to go, I have just about everything set. I think I'm calm. I think I'm relaxed. I think I can hold it all together today.

I'm packed for the trip. I just need to get showered, pampered, and then high tail it to the church and get dressed. That's it. Ah, the beauty of having a planner. She takes care of the decorations and all the little last minute details.

As a Christian, my Savior is Christ. As a bride, it's Karen. She has been the calm within the storm of planning. Although it's her job, she's still able to have an emotional connection and get excited with you. She understands the importance of the moment for you and your family as well as the spiritual significance of your union. I truly feel that this experience of wedding planning would not have been as enjoyable without her involvement or influence.

As the weeks led up to the wedding, I wondered to myself if I could have done this on my own. No professional help. And each time, it was a resounding "no" and with so many reasons to back it up. Without Karen, the short period of planning we had allotted ourselves (just under 4 months), would have been serious stress. She was able to gather up the potential vendors and rank them for us based on experience and reputation. I never would have found my floral designer, photographer, or baker, had it not been for her. Oh yeah, and the DJ, too.

When John and I first met with Karen, we were so appreciative of her ability to respect and understand a budget. Before meeting with us, she researched out different venues and made an effort to find beautiful locations that would meet our needs. The advice and tips that we received from her at that first meeting and along the way of planning, have been extremely helpful.

I think having Karen around has really helped me keep a steady hand through this week. For those of you who remember, I would get rashes every time I thought about the wedding. Once we hired Karen, the rashes stopped. That very day. She makes the checklists and follows up on them. At this point, I just need to do as I'm told. And right now, that means eating breakfast so that I don't faint at the altar. That would be a serious party foul.