Today is my birthday! We did cake (and cake balls!) this weekend with my family, so I could absolutely go for some birthday pancakes this evening. Or pasta. Or maybe just a viewing of The Bachelor :)

I’ll be back tomorrow with my March goals!

Photo by Our Labor of Love, styling by Ashley Meaders

I made it seem like something disastrous was imminent in my last Maine Squeeze post, but really, nothing big was to go wrong for the rest of the weekend :)

Friday dawned as beautiful as the days that had preceded it — gorgeous blue sky, clear air, and warm temps. Exactly the kind of day that makes you want to hold your wedding in Maine in August.

Everyone was up and about early, both to get a jump on the last few tasks and out of pure excitement. John and my Dad took the boat over to the mainland to drive around town hammering in the last few directional signs and cut a few bunches of white hydrangeas from my grandmother’s front garden. (We hadn’t planned to have any floral elements in the centerpieces, but when the opportunity presented itself, we couldn’t resist!). The result of their hard work:

You’ll be seeing more of those soon! The girls stayed behind doing very important things:

When the gentlemen returned from their early morning errands, grandma took care of clipping the hydrangeas.

Soon after, it was time to meet the 10:30 ferry, which Jenna was scheduled to arrive on! We were so excited and nervous to meet this talented photographer and blogger who we felt like we knew but had never actually met. We needn’t have been nervous, though — as soon as Jenna stepped off the ferry, there were hugs all around!

We wanted to take her on a quick walking tour of the Island, since she would be largely on her own the next morning. Since the Island is only about a mile long by a half a mile wide (and some of that length and width is rocky coastline and doesn’t even really count!), we were able to do so fairly quickly. We got a quick peek at the tent and freshly mown grass at West Shore…

…and then it was time for the rehearsal! We gathered in the field and Sarah, the pastor, ran through the ceremony. Quick tip for those of you running your own rehearsals: start with everyone where they’ll be during the ceremony (i.e. bride and groom in the center, bridal party on either side), then practice the recessional, and then practice the processional. That way, you’ll know exactly how everyone should be lined up in the back to get everyone in the right position in the front!

Yes, the binder was out in full effect. :) The rehearsal went smoothly, and afterward, we had just enough time to wolf down lunch before guests began arriving for the first official event of the wedding weekend: wiffle ball!

We had about 30 guests to transport from the mainland to the Island, so my uncles took turns ferrying guests in their boats. The ferry was also running. Everyone eventually trickled on to the playing field, but not before passing things as lovely as these totally-not-planned-but-totally-color-coordinated pot buoys on their way up the hill!

Our players ranged in age from 5 to 65 years old, and I think everyone ended up having a good time! That’s not to say that competition wasn’t fierce, because it most certainly was. In fact, I distinctly remember my Dad and uncle rolling in the grass over a fly ball/stealing third base situation at one point…

Me? Fierce? Not so much:

In fact, I probably should have stuck with the onlookers…

No surprise, then, when my team didn’t win. But we were all good sports!

We were also officially hot and sweaty, which meant it was time for our next activity: wharf jumping!

Sign, buoy, and wiffle ball photos by the lovely and talented Jenna Cole; all other personal.

Previously:
It begins
More preparations
We raise the tent

I’m loving these teensy paintings I discovered on Etsy last week! They’re very reasonable at about $26 – $44 a piece, depending on the size. I’m particularly smitten with the “Library Ladies” print — I’d love to lean it up against a few books on my bedside table!

Check them all out at the Janet Hill Studio Etsy store!

While searching for potential birthday presents, I came across these two lovely numbers that I have no use for but that struck me as excellent bridesmaid dress possibilities. They each only come in one color (plum and gray, respectively), but if they happened to line up with your chosen color scheme, you could be in luck! And at just $108 for the plum and $68 for the gray, the price is right, too.