Pre-Wedding Activities Recap

Eric's and my May 24th wedding was beautiful, a dream come true to say the very least. Surrounded by friends and family, it was a magical celebration of the beginning of our new lives.

Here is a recap of the events leading up to it, soon to be followed by a recap of that amazing day.

On November 20, 2007, Eric proposed at the place where we had met at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

We planned a six-month engagement and a wedding in my hometown of Waycross, Georgia.

We chose our attendants to be:

Maid of Honor - Annie Pinder, my sister
Bridesmaid - Laura Kazmarek, Eric's sister
Bridesmaid - Gretchen Kemp, our friend
Best Man - Steve Brown, Eric's brother
Groomsman - Jeff Brown, Eric's brother
Groomsman - Jackson Pinder, my brother

A group of my parents' friends put together a ladies' shower at First Baptist Church where our wedding reception would be held. Their Sunday School class hosted a couples' shower. Then my bridesmaids and aunts organized a shower of local friends and family held here in Orlando. Photos from those events can be seen here.

We had engagement photos taken at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. Those photos can be seen here.

The week of the wedding, Eric graduated from Emerging Leaders, a pilot program at Disney for top management candidates. He was permanently placed as a Guest Service Manager at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa and Disney's Old Key West Resort.

Friends and family began to gather in Waycross to prepare for the festivities. Friday, the day before the wedding, was filled with activities for the wedding party. The gentlemen gathered for final tux fittings and a barbecue lunch. The ladies got together for a dainty lunch and a mani/pedi session.

The wedding rehearsal with all of the wedding party and ceremony participants went very smoothly. The rehearsal dinner, hosted by Eric's parents, was an intimate affair enjoyed by all. Held at the historic Ivy House in downtown Waycross, the dinner provided new acquaintances and old friends and relatives to celebrate the joining of two families.

At the hotel chosen to host out-of-town friends and family, those involved in the wedding connected at our dessert reception with the wedding guests staying there. I wish I could remember who thought of this idea because it was a wonderful opportunity for our friends and family to get acquainted and for everyone to relax and enjoy some sweets before the stressful fun of the wedding day began the next morning.

Stay tuned for a wedding recap, coming soon! In the meantime, check out a sampling of wedding photos here.