I know I have jumped around a little in sharing about the week at the beginning of last month spent with my brother and his now wife preparing for and celebrating their marriage. But I promise from now on I will be going in a more linear pattern.

To refresh you minds, after Thursday’s activities (see Girls Day (and Night) Out) I got to leave Stina’s home with my husband who had just arrived jet-lagged from the airport and we moved into our own room. It was such a relief to seem him after a week apart although we had little time to ourselves, him just being there was beyond helpful for me.

Friday  morning (Rehearsal day) I left bright and early with my mother, Stina, and Stina’s father headed to the ferry to pick up flowers from Pike’s Place to use at the ceremony and reception space. For more on this check out: ( Little Norway and The Emerald City). To sum up: on the way back I prepped a sample centerpiece bouquet for the reception tables in the back of the van.

Straight from the ferry we drove to the crowded Moseng house. The amount of people spending time at the Moseng house had increased gradually as family and bridesmaids/groomsmen came into town. But now the house became full to the rafters with all those involved in the wedding ceremony. We took a moment to regroup, eat, and greet close family and friends, many of whom I’d seen last at Matt’s college graduation (see family time).

We all filed out in the rainy weather for the rehearsal. Luke was at the sound board filling in for the sound tech who couldn’t come until later that night. Stina was in one of Matt’s old flannel shirts, hair up, enjoying the rain with her practice bouquet getting soggy as she walked down the brick bath to their wedding gazebo barefoot.

The wedding coordinator helped us practice the walk-in/walk out timing to music with queues and the pastor summed up the actual ceremony. It only took about an hour to get all the family and bridal party on the same page.

Following this, I was in charge of getting 20 bouquets put together for the reception space.  The problem was I had less than an hour to do get it done. Fortunately I had the whole bridal party and a few extra hands ready and willing to help. I showed everyone the sample bouquet and gave some generic instructions based on color and shape. The next thing I know clippers, flowers, stems, and leaves are flying as everyone pitched in.  In less than thirty minutes we had more than 20 bouquets filled and ready to be taken to the Sons of Norway. This is my way of saying-thank you!! to everyone who helped!!

Rushing back to the hotel, we changed and then we were off again to the rehearsal dinner. Dinner was at Tap Rock in Poulsbo a Northwest Grill with local food. We arrived as everyone was being seated in the back room. The tables had been decorated with flowers in Matt and Stina’s wedding colors and ypre-planned menus with a custom congratulations to Matt and Stina were placed at every seat. Instead of sitting with family, Luke and I chose to sit my brother’s friends and some others from the bridal party. Before dinner my brother thanked everyone for coming and announced to those who didn’t know that Stina and himself would be taking a job with the Army Cor of Engineers in Memphis TN. We then enjoyed a good steak dinner and local beer and wine as we caught up with family and friends.

Afterward we all piled into the cars and headed to the reception site, the Sons of Norway in Poulsbo to decorate. Once we arrived we changed into our working clothes and got started. From fixing the rafter lighting, to decorating tables, placing bouquets, to labeling favor jars, everyone pitched in.

It was at this point that we had dessert of coffee, cookies, brownies, and homemade blackberry pies made by my wonderful mother-in-law !

I rounded the tables carrying a bucket of spare flowers and with the help of my grandmother perked up the bouquets everyone had done earlier in the day. I also filled in silk flowers and extra vases in those random open spots.

Everything worked out so well. A table dedicated to photos of married couples dating as far back as great-grandparents was all set up with labels, a wall of strung photos from Matt and Stina’s childhoods were placed along a back lattice wall. The head table was decorated with bunting, the favor table set up with crates, signs, and labeled homemade apple jam.

The dinning tables were prepped with blue table runners, yellow monogramed napkins, crocheted doilies (of my moms) mirrors, and bouquets. The entrance table was prepared with the guest book, a dating memory book, and a decorated mail box prepped for advice cards and wedding cards from guests. (More pictures of all of this to come).

In no time the place was prepped and looking beautiful. You could tell everyone was excited and ready for the next’s days festivities! Stayed tuned pics and details from the big day are coming soon!!