My last post left off with Sean and me getting our marriage license and having a night out on Tybee with Tyler and Kym. The next two days saw wedding preparations start in full swing with our Girls and Guys nights and the rehearsal dinner/pool party.

Wednesday morning was a beautiful day to be at the beach. Except that we weren’t there – we were having a ladies day full of pampering! But here’s a lovely beach shot from my brother since we were technically at the beach all week.

Now, to the pampering. I had my nails done in a soft, sparkly pink and also had a pedicure. 

My aunt had never had a pedicure before and while my grandma didn’t have a manicure or pedicure, she decided to try out one of the massage chairs for the first time. Lots of firsts! Her conclusion? It was too rough on her back.

Kathy took photos of us gals and then we all went for a nice lunch together. After lunch, I went to my hair and makeup trial. It was nice to to be put at ease as to how my hair would look at the wedding and it was also nice to have it all fancy for the Bachelorette night. 🙂

The ladies ready to hit the town! Even Stella got pampered – she was at the groomers while we were getting our nails done.

Our first stop was dinner at Leoci’s Trattoria, one of my favorite restaurants in Savannah. It’s Italian food done with lots of homemade and fresh items, and the lovely patio was perfect for our large group. Everyone enjoyed their meals – yay!

Laurel, Krista, Amanda, me, Stacey and Kym on the streets of Savannah!

Our next stop was Circa 1875, a Parisian-style bar that is charming and makes great drinks. They also have great service, as we discovered that night when they brewed fresh pots of decaf coffee for the moms and grandmas. So nice!

Me with my grandma, aunt Barbie and my mom. Such a great night!

But it wasn’t over yet! No outing is complete without some craziness and silliness from me and Stack! It started with really, really liking the flowers….

And turned into tasting the flowers! Beware, hungry brides will eat flowers….

After Circa 1875, we went up to Rocks on the Roof, the awesome rooftop bar at the Bohemian Hotel. The view of the Savannah river is amazing, even at night.

They closed up at midnight but we weren’t quite done yet so we wandered across the street to Churchill’s pub. It was a quiet night so we picked a big table and had a round of beers. We ordered a second round, but got them all in “travelers” so we could take our beers on the road.

Stacey and I waited on the taxi to arrive while enjoying our brews. The taxi ride back to Tybee Island was one of the best I’ve ever had. He pulled up in a car and there were five of us, told us it didn’t matter and to just squeeze in. He then proceeded to play us R&B and rap hits from the early to mid-1990s on his mini TV. We laughed and sang the entire way back. I’ll never forget that!

Thursday morning came early for me, and even earlier for Sean I suspect. The guys had stayed in and done a bottle share – I guess it got pretty crazy, pretty quickly. But that’s a story for him to tell.

It was September 11, so there was a huge flag being flown from the Tybee Island lighthouse – very beautiful and majestic.

We went out to the beach in the morning to practice our ceremony with Greg, my brother and our day-of coordinator, Jennifer (I’ll list all of my vendors with links in the wedding post).

After practicing for the big day, Sean and I went back to the house and visited with his dad and stepmom before heading out to the beach with Stacey. Lindsey, Dan and Adeline joined us soon after and we had a blast playing in the ocean!

When the salt water started to bother us too much, we came back to the house to use the pool. Lindsey, Stacey and my dad helped me to get things set up for the rehearsal dinner, as Sean’s parents were handling all the food and food prep. We arranged flowers, set out and lighted candles, set up the bar and cleaned where necessary. The house was already beautiful but the extra effort made it really special. <3

The cheese tray and side dishes (green beans, roasted red potatoes, collard greens, and collard coleslaw) were from Whole Foods, but Sean along with his parents made some amazing chicken. Perfectly seasoned, perfectly cooked sous vide and finished on the grill, it was a very yummy and memorable dish.

Everyone gathered together for a casual and fun evening! Sean and Steve were reunited again after the epic bachelor weekend back in July.

My mom and I, with Wendy and Krista.

Adeline checks out the pool with her Aunt Stacey.

I passed out the wedding schedule to everyone so they would know where to go for the big day and when to be there. I think they turned out great. 

Stella had her beach party dress on – complete with sequin skirt and a seahorse print. We posed with her by the sign I had made for Sean for a wedding gift.

Laughing with my besties – what could be better?!?!

Loved serving the bar on this gorgeous furniture.

Chelsea was not excited about any of the festivities and was happy to be alone, napping on some oversized pillows. Such a tired girl!

Cherish and Chris brought Valerie and my mom was able to spend some quality time with her. So sweet!

After dinner, we had several desserts. Sean’s aunt and cousin made lady fingers and coconut cupcakes which were awesome! We also had an ice cream bar with 4 flavors of Savannah’s own Leopold’s Ice Cream: Lemon, Lavender, Chocolate, and Chocolate Chewies. It was a big hit and we were happy to support a local business. My dad and I both loved the Lavender/Lemon combination.

My mom and my grandparents.

Me, Lindsey, Stacey and the fluff.

 After this picture was taken, Stacey and Krista jumped in the pool with their clothes on and the laid-back, casual dinner became a super-fun and slightly crazy party. Wahoo! Great memories, indeed!