Wedding Week Link Up: Rehearsal Dinner

The second installment of this fabulous wedding week link-up is the rehearsal dinner!

You can catch the link-up over at http://jillandwillscharmedlife.blogspot.com/

Our rehearsal was at our wedding venue (duh?), the Shenandoah Mill in Gilbert AZ. We learned how and where to walk, and how and where to stand just like good boys and girls!

You can tell how intently the boys are listening to directions...

Would you believe me if I said I forgot my bouquet of wrapping paper bows??

Believe it.

Cause it happened.

And I was a little bummed, not gonna lie.

I requested that we have a moment of prayer during our ceremony. Mostly for me...cause if we're being honest here, I'm gonna need a lot of prayer...I'm marrying Nathan Townsend, after all.

...Kidding, we didn't pray for just me, people prayed for us as a couple and all those nice things...and then I silently prayed for me and that I won't kill Nathan or be too mean to him when doesn't put things back where they're supposed to go, or turn lights out when he leaves a room.

After we figured out how the big shin-dig was gonna go down, a little picture taking was in order...a little picture taking is always in order right?

My lovely bridesmaids

His (insert your own adjective here...) groomsmen

...minus Kelvin...cause he was late...but we won't go there =)

World's best Maid of Honor.

My MOH and BFF Charlene, or as I'd rather call her, Pookie

Best Man, Abel...can you tell their affection for each other?

The bridal party!!

...I couldn't get one picture where everyone was visible and smiling

...go figure

We miss you Kelvin!!

One of my FAV pics of my parents and I!

I wish I had a good reason to put this picture in this post, but I really couldn't come up with one, besides the fact that it's freakin' awesome.

Thanks Dan. 

After the rehearsal we were off to Dinner! The rehearsal dinner was nothing too fancy cause I figure, we go to all this trouble planning a wedding, who wants to take the time and effort to plan another party??

My thoughts exactly!

So we decided on Macayo's mexican food restaurant cause mexican food is Nate's favorite...and plus they make a mean margarita. And by mean I mean delicious and tasty and fruity and delicious.

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

Exhibit C

Exhibit D

Exhibit E

 ...I should probably stop before people get the wrong impression...

I loved our rehearsal dinner because it was so laid back, everyone had so much fun (at least that's what they tell me) just talking and laughing and hanging out. It was so good to have all my closest friends and family all in one place!

We doled out some gifts for the bridal party...

Personalized tote bags, flip flops, jewelry, and (best of all) Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs for the ladies!

Nate picked out his groomsmen's gifts and got them flashlights. ...which is such a "Nathan" gift to give, if you know Nathan. 

I'm like, "Really? Flashlights? For your groomsmen??"

And he's all, "Yeah, flashlights are really practical, and I want to get them something they can actually use you know?" 

Point taken.

Can you tell how pumped Kenny is for his Leatherman flashlight??

But the best part of the whole evening is knowing that it's only a matter of hours until you will finally be married!!

Hope everyone else had as much fun as we did at your rehearsal dinner, and go link up at   A Charmed Life for this week of wedding fun!!