Today we did a wedding reception at work. This 'opportunity' came up shortly after I began working there and I was happy to say yes we would do it. I knew that my cook loved doing 'party' food and that it would be a great chance to really get into the kitchen with both of my cooks and get my hands dirty. Well, that yes was given several months ago and many dirty hands in between! I've had a fairly good chance to hang int he kitchen and show that I do indeed know my way around the pots and pans. It was still great to be able to work side by side with them; I think it keeps me humble and helps them to know me better. :)

Yesterday Brittany went in to work to lend a hand in the prep work. We spent the better part of the day dealing with linens that were NOT quite what I had ordered. SIGH. Then once we had the linens on the tables, we felt that the room design needed tweeking; so we proceeded to move tables. This proved to be a simple enough task but time consuming. The end result was much warmer and intimate than the original plan so it was wel worth the time.

Today, Lindsay and Brittany worked along with us. We got up and into work by 7:30 even though all of us are running on empty this week. Pretty much zero cumulitive sleep between the three of us. Lindsay was just giddy. There is just no other word for it. I knew going into the day today that she was most likely regretting saying she would work, and was longing for rest. The bride popped in to tell us a couple of things, and we all ooooh'd and ahhhh'd the cake and her beautiful flowers. We even took a break and went to the sanctuary to see the flowers! I could sense that Lindz was enjoying this tremendously. By the time we had the food on the buffet tables and the punch mixed and ready to be served, she was ....Giddy. She must have said ten times that she "loved this'.

When the bride and groom finally arrived at the reception; they had a story to share. Their love story has been written and published in a magazine and they wanted to read this to their guests. I had already been priveleged to hear this story, but was moved to teary eyes as she read aloud. They then danced a lovely dance to 'their song' ("Can't take my eyes off of you")and even threw in some neat choreography and singing to one another. I didn't dare meet the eyes of the women and girls standing around me for fear that we would all be blubbering and unable to do our jobs!
As the couple began to mingle with their guests; Lindsay looked at me and again said that she loved this. There was a long pause and then she said "I was NOT looking forward to this; but now, here and doing all this; I just love it." I told her that was pretty much how I felt day to day going in to work; that most days I didn't really look forward to it, but the minute I got there it all changes for me. Almost every day at work I stumble across or am smacked with a blessing that I could never have foreseen in that day.
I hope to find a way to post this lovely couple's story so you can read it soon. It is truly one of those things that you think can only be fiction.