If I could pass along any words of wisdom to brides-to-be, this is what I'd say:

1) Relax: WAY easier said than done, but I found myself feeling guilty for snapping at people here and there in the craziness. One of my friends who just got married recommended taking a pill to relax ... I should have done this.

2) Dance lessons: Even though my huge dress was tripping us up a little, I heard a lot of "oohs" and "aahs," which was nice! It's a lot easier to get out there on the floor when you know exactly what you're gonna be doing.

3) Eat, eat, eat: Our new wedding coordinator set up plates of food in a board room for us to nosh on before making our grand entrance. This turned out to be the only food we had all night, except one bite of macaroni (tragedy!) and the cake we fed each other.

4) Delegate tasks to the people you hired: Initially, we were going to have our parents bring home our gifts. Then we realized that was a daunting task and that loading your car isn't a fun way to end the night. Our hotel staff brought the gifts up to our room during the reception, which is good for two reasons: a) no work for moms b) less chances of getting stolen while sitting out there.

5) Nix the champange toast: We probably saved $1,000 doing this. Our DJ was told to tell everyone to toast with what they had, so there wasn't a cattle rush to the bar.

6) Say hello to everyone: Guests appreciate it, you take a picture with them, and they feel like they sat through that Catholic wedding Mass for a good reason.

7) Have fun!: Matt and I had a wonderful time and realized how fortunate we are to have such wonderful friends and family. We thank everyone who came or helped us make this thing work out. Much love!

More on everything later ... I think our stolen Internet is about to peace out. <3

-AMO (O!!!)