Here comes the bride, the groom and the Toppall's

There are many parts to a wedding we told Ian. He wasn't technically in the wedding, but we needed him to dress up and put on a suit for pictures. Therefore, it was important that he felt like he was included in the festivities. Jeff came up with the perfect idea to tell Ian he would be part of the rehearsal and a big part of pictures. And, my mom wanted him to be able to see the wedding reception in action and get to dance with the family and guests. Ian was very excited about all the parts he was included in and didn't realize what he was missing when the real ceremony, dinner and reception took place. My 1st cousin Leslie's little boy Max came to Orlando for the weekend and the two boys, only 6 weeks apart in age, had a blast getting to spend so much time together. Since Leslie and her family live in CT, it was a wonderful opportunity for the boys to reconnect.

Despite 95 degree heat, Ian did a great job participating at the rehearsal. He was able to step in for Ben's sister Anna, whose plane was delayed and she couldn't make it to the rehearsal. This was more than we could've hoped for in terms of giving Ian a reason to participate. He performed his 'bridesmaid' duties beautifully and looked awfully cute walking arm in arm with Luke, Anna's matched-up groomsmen.

Pictures were scheduled for 4:15pm; a good 2.5 hours before the wedding was to begin. I was a little nervous about how Ian would take to wearing a suit. It was ordered online and when it arrived in the mail, Ian was incredibly excited about the pants (they had no button or zipper) and said ok to the tie. The button down shirt and jacket however, he was a little leery of. I had visions of him looking like a Chippendale dancer in the formal pictures, rather than a sweet, 4 year old little boy. Fortunately the groomsmen, groom, and his grandfathers were in a tux, so he felt incredibly grown-up getting to dress like them.

When we got the kids dressed, we headed to my sister's suite to help her get in her gown. Ian and Sam were a big hit in their formal clothing and we couldn't resist a few pictures before letting the professional do his thing. It never occurred to me that this is when Ian thought the pictures were being taken and that his part was done. Convincing him to keep his suit on for another 30 to 45 minutes was tough. Fortunately Nana came to the rescue and completely changed his tune. It is amazing the effect one, very much loved grandmother (my dad's wife) can have on the attitude of a 4 year old. She took him down from the ledge and got him to cooperate fully. It was pretty spectacular and the photographs turned out fabulously. I don't have access to the original files, so unfortunately I can't post a picture.

Our weekend nanny whisked the kids away, got them changed into comfy clothes and fed them dinner while Jeff and I finished with the pictures and partake in the wedding. Due to needing the sun to set before the Jewish ceremony could take place, Lori had the cocktail hour first, then the ceremony, followed by dinner and dancing. I found out from the wedding coordinator (it would've been a BIG mistake to ask Lori anything in the hours leading up to the wedding) that the Horah (traditional Jewish dance to mark a celebration) would be one of the first things played by the band before the 1st course was served. This was the perfect opportunity to get the boys and have them come see the wedding. The hour was already quite late and well past Ian's usual bedtime, but it was a special occasion and anything goes when the grandparents are involved. :)

Ian couldn't believe his eyes when he made it into the room and saw Aunt Lori and Uncle Ben raised on chairs, being lifted high above everybody's head. Once they were safely back on the ground, Lori scooped up Ian in her arms and started dancing with him. Ian also got to dance with all the grandmas (he's got 3) and have a 5 minute glimpse of a what wedding reception is all about.

Other than a few glitches; the rabbi showing up 35 minutes late, the ceremony having to be moved inside because of impending rain, and the top of my dress having a tough time staying up, it was an absolutely beautiful wedding. I've never seen my sister look so gorgeous. She was an absolutely stunning bride. And Ben, my new brother-in-law looked very handsome.

Ian reports that he is done wearing a suit. He says he won't even wear one for his own wedding. Ha! That is a battle his future wife can try to win.

The weekend was exhausting and I am super glad it is all behind us. It will be nice to get back to my routine of life with the two kids and no longer worry about all the little things -- who will take care of the kids while we are at the hotel? How will we manage with Samantha being such a light sleeper? Will we survive the plane flight to and from Orlando? Is Ian going to cooperate and justify spending the money for him to be wearing special clothes for only 30 minutes?

In the end, it all worked out. Ian was incredibly well-behaved and Samantha was a real trooper. My Toppall team represented us well and I couldn't be prouder.