Wedding Bells from Hell

So far in my family I am the only married one. I know, it's a shock to me also. My little brother vowed to never have children and we weren't sure if he'd ever leave his room to find a girlfriend. But, he's got a girl now and his mind has changed...still not married though. My sister had a boyfriend for 8 years and they never got married. Her and her current boyfriend/fiancee have been together just a little longer than Mike and I and they have 2 daughters together and he's helping raise her oldest daughter Taeh. They have had a tumultuous relationship to say the least but regardless of all that and how anybody feels about it, they've managed to stay together and have decided to make it official.

They have been going back and forth with plans and so I wasn't sure if this thing was going to really happen but as of a few weeks ago my sister made a big announcement about it...before having anything done! Yikes! Of course when she comes to me for help...I'm going to help. But man...I've forgotten how stressful planning a wedding can be.

Mike and I got engaged on Aug 5, 2010 and were Married October 2, 2010. Talk about quick planning. I always say, "Glad I don't have to do that ever again." Wrong! Here it is July and my sis is getting married September 8th. I've been frantically running around trying to find DIY decor and favors and making checklists for her. Mike says I seem more stressed than they do...probably because I'm doing so much of it. I'm trying not to care so much but it's my sister. My family....and I come from a family of procrastinators. If I don't get the ball rolling on this thing...it will be September and there will no food, no decor, no dress, no venue. 

Sad to say...I'm doing a lot more for her than she did for me at my wedding. In fact, the day before my wedding she called me with some BS about my niece wearing a dress in my wedding saying, "I'm uncomfortable with Taeh wearing that dress in your wedding because she was supposed to wear it in my wedding to this other that guy I haven't been with in 2 years (and I now am dating someone else and have kids with him)." Obviously not verbatim, but that was one of the days I had a breakdown and suggested that none of my family show up to my wedding. I tell ya...my family showed their true colors come wedding time. My aunt faked some kind of panic attack and my mom had to take her to the hospital just hours before the wedding, my grandma was supposed to make her dress and didn't like how it came out, so I had to search for one for her THE DAY BEFORE, my sis and that dress crap, the flower girls showed up the day of the wedding with no hair done, no dresses on. I had to do their hair and put their clothes on, My grandma showed up with an afro which I wasn't sure what to do with, my dad was trying to wear a black print shirt under a white button up, my mom wasn't dressed at 3 pm (an hour passed the time I was supposed to be there)...I was almost 2 hours late to my own wedding...and I was the only one ready to go at 1 pm.  Ridiculousness. Just thinking about it, I feel my blood boiling! Ugh!

But I...can't do that to people. I can't say..."Too bad!! Everyone showed their ass at my wedding so i'm never helping anybody." Nope. I treat people the way I'd want to be treated and I'm bending over backwards to make sure things are done. Mike just shakes his head at me LOL.

I love my sister and I'd do anything for her. The same for my brother. I don't just talk about it, I am about it. And although I don't always get the favor returned... I don't care. Because they can never say I wasn't there for them.

Pics coming soon:
Yarn Ball lanterns
Bouquets
Taffy Centerpieces