Porcupines Pick Their Person- Rehearsal minus the Rehearse

The rehearsal dinner was a great time, and I think it really set the mood for how fun our wedding would be.

My in-laws threw the dinner at the Pressroom Restaurant, which was a neat coincidence considering I work in publishing and love books. Also, my dad is a printer. (Obviously, my in-laws didn’t seek out a restaurant that coincided with our professions so it was kind of funny that it worked out that way.)

The dinner was done in a laid-back style, a way for everyone to just mingle and enjoy the evening. There were no assigned seats and no seated dinner. The food was served all throughout the night, a dinner of heavy appetizers and finger foods: cheese and veggie spreads, pizzas, hummus, wings, nachos, quesadillas, and other types of heavy hors d'oeuvres. Everything was really delicious.

Yum!

Everyone was assigned the task of writing headlines about me and Mr. P to go along with the whole publishing/press theme.

 Some original headlines in the mix! ;)

Fun letter decorations

 Parents ready for the big day

Our new baby nephew was a tired little guy

The bridal party

After lots of chatting and pictures, we gave our bridal party their gifts. For the bridesmaids, a Coach travel jewelry box with a bracelet to wear on the wedding day. And, for the guys, personalized pocket watches. Our parents got the traditional picture frame with a little spin. We got a "Then" and "Now" frame to fill side-by-side with our baby pictures and eventually a wedding shot.

 

 Bridesmaids' gift

 

Mr. P's cousins: our flower girls and ring bearer got “bags of stuff” full of books and trinkets. We also got the flower girls beaded bracelets with a little charm inscribed with their initial. For our ring bearer a football piggy bank.

Ready to get the show on the road!

As the night wrapped up the girls headed back to the hotel for a drink at the hotel bar and then spent some time keeping me company in my room.

Bridesmaids piled in my bed

The guys went off for a sort of “bachelor party Part 2” for Mr. P. There's nothing like your soon-to-be-husband showing up at your door with a bloody mouth at 3 AM. He had no idea he was bleeding by the way, and apparently had just bit down hard on his lip. I stuffed his mouth full of tissue and sent him on his way (across the hall) to his room, all the while with him shouting, "I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO SEE YOU!"

I think this napkin a friend snapped a pic of at the hotel bar sums up the night perfectly.

(Even though I still kinda don't get what the joke behind it was).

But, the fun had just begun!

Did your rehearsal dinner set the tone for your wedding?

*all pictures are from friends and family

• I become the BK Bride
• The pimple of death threatens to ruin our day 
• We exchange presents