Doubly Happy Too: 愛-Vey! Getting Prettified

There are certain moments in life that, try as I might to recall them in color, appear in my mind's eye only in black and white.

This was one of them: my fingers trrrrrembling as I put on my earrings, my grandmother looking on with such pride and love, my best friends and sisters excitedly milling about as we waited for the knock on the door that would signal the arrival of the groom's party and the "official" start of our wedding day . . . .

Eeps! What's with the in medias res? What am I, Homer?

Let's hit rewind.

I woke up on the morning of our wedding still in a state of wonder about the previous evening's welcome dinner. The speeches! The love! The laughter! Pinch me. This can't be real.

It wouldn't have surprised me if cartoon birds landed on my shoulder as I whistled a happy tune. I thought I would be nervous, but I was just. plain. blissful.

Amateur Hot Cocoa Photography

Bright and early -- and right on time -- were my fabulous bridesmaids, who are infinitely more delightful than cartoon birds. And because no team is complete without uniforms, they all came dutifully dressed in the "Team 愛-Vey" tank tops that I ordered for them from Cafe Press. (If the motif looks familiar, it's because I borrowed it from our invitations.)

Amateur Hot Cocoa Photography

Just as punctual were our style experts, Lin Breller and her superfly team -- Angela, Rachel, and Beth from Joyce Luck Style.

Soon the suite was awhirl with prettification. As Rachel went to town on my hair -- my frizzy mane needed extra lovin' to get all curly and shiny -- the rest of the JLS team worked their magic on the bridal party.

Amateur Hot Cocoa Photography

Here is hairstylist Beth admiring her handiwork on friend-of-honor Laura's chic woven chignon.

Amateur Hot Cocoa Photography

Friend-of-honor Alisa was first out of Lin's makeup chair. She's smokin' hot. All the time. Hate her.

Amateur Hot Cocoa Photography

Here's Hot Mama Cocoa and Hottest Sister Cocoa, track-suited up and ready for the race to the altar. I was delighted to be photographed with my hair all crazy and no makeup on.

Amateur Hot Cocoa Photography

I was the last one in Lin's chair, and as she was transforming me from Hot Mess to Hot Cocoa (ah the wonders of airbrushing) . . .

Amateur Hot Cocoa Photography

my friends-of-honor were in the sweat shop -- I mean sitting area -- helping me finish the last of the craft projects. What? You didn't think I'd let them relax on wedding day, right? They came to work.

(Just kidding, I was crafting til the last moment too. No rest for the wedding weary.)

I eventually furloughed the ladies, and Team 愛-Vey changed out of their work clothes into their gorgeous dresses. My four friends-of-honor wore amethyst Amsale dresses from Bluefly . . .

while the two sisters-of-honor wore different styles of Jim Hjelm dresses in silver.

The ladies accessorized their dresses in very different ways, so their individual styles came through despite their matching dresses.

Moments like these make me so thankful for my friends. They were so generous with me and each other, so calm and happy . . . I know it sounds like I was high on a cocktail of valium and Velveeta, but that bridal suite was the coziest, warmest, loveliest place.

And then it was time for me to get dressed for the Chinese tea ceremony. I put on my qua all by myself, uber-sexy suspenders and all. But Hottest Sister Cocoa had to help with the accessories, mostly because there were a LOT of them.

Gold bangles, often engraved with dragon and phoenix designs, are staples of Chinese wedding attire. In the olden days, brides would wear dozens of them; the more bangles she wore, the richer she appeared.

Six was about all I could handle: two were from my mom's wedding, and the other four were gifts from my uncle and one of my aunts. Those suckers were heavy! And I sounded like the Tin Man as I bobbled around the suite.