Post-Wedding post : July 4, 2010
Thoughts on the Day:
Absolutely fantastic amazing day!
The weather was absolutely perfect for our outdoor ceremony. It wasn't even too hot (in July in Alabama! A small miracle in itself. :)
The list of things that did not go as planned is long indeed - most were my fault for not delegating well enough. None of them mattered though.
I am really glad I kept to the BBQ buffet plan. I was able to be really free with my invites and +1's and then when I had 4 people cancel at the last minute that also wasn't a problem. (2 coworkers got sick- one at least from food poisoning from eggsalad at a church picnic that day- so they and their dates did not attend.)
Pro pic teaser:
shiny!
And I have lots of non-pro pics to share!
~WARNING: LONG POST IZ LONG~
Ceremony and prep photos are mostly by my friend martinhesselius
Yes, that's my photographer and my husband playing Magic: The Gathering before the wedding. No, I will not be picking up the game. (Though tabletop warhammer40k is looking strangely intriguing... somebody kick me before I get sucked in! :P)
Q: How many people does it take to get a bride ready?
A: As many as can fit in the room. ^_^
Makeup is done!
The Best Man was a hoot.
My Mom and I. You can also see the jewelry in this pic- not super fancy but these are the floating opals that my grandfather ("Paw-paw") gave to my Grandmother on their 2nd wedding anniversary and that Mom wore in her wedding. My grandparents were married until my grandfather's death about 12 years ago, and my parents are still married. It's a nice legacy to have.
Also, my Mom is unbearably cute.
As are my new younger sister and mother-in-law.
We signed the license before the ceremony. My pastor told my husband he couldn't back out now - even if he ran, that license was going to the courthouse as-is! :P
We had 2 ushers - Mike is ushering in my Grandmother, while my new sister Jenny is ushering in my Granddad. Granddad was quite amused when he found out there would be a young lady escorting him! ^_^
Gabriel is Not Amused. He was very good though, didn't cry during the wedding at all!
Jr. Bridesmaid of Adorableness.
My Daddy walking me down the aisle.
I included this pic bc you can see how the unfinished edge on the veil looks, how it fits over the hair fascinator and also my crazy anti-wind unity candle setup. There was supposed to be a white crushed panne tablecloth over the old little table, but it somehow didn't make it outside. I didn't notice until we actually went to light them!
Also, if you are nondenominational but looking for a Christian officiant... Methodist ministers get cool robes. I'm just sayin' :P (I've only been Methodist for the last year or so. I grew up Baptist/Church of Christ, who do NOT wear cool robes.)
All official an' stuff!
I love this picture. You can see what a goofball my husband is - I have NO idea what he was saying but it certainly explains why I'm laughing in the next shot:
People going inside to eat! The 2 guys in shades are from my EVE online corporation and behind them is my best friend from high school, trimmje. ^_^ Also, I love how Blip's Men-in-Black look is truly completed by the fact he's carrying a diaperbag.
Reception photos are mostly from my SILs and one of Hubby's friends, Jim.
Thriller! His dad knew a choreography to it and the rest of us are following him.
Cake and toppers! They are fairies, but supposed to vaguely represent Aion characters - Asmodeans, of course. Cake was strawberry with cream cheese icing and was delicious!
Groom's cake! The peanut butter "buckeyes" were my husband's request and are a nod to his home state of Ohio.
Hubby's car all decked out! I was worried about the car since I have been to weddings where people have messed up paint jobs, etc., but they did a very respectful job... and then hid it by managing to put the cover back on!
UU church (venue) A+ - Absolutely wonderful people. Loved the space, loved working with them and I really like the principles of the UU church so I was kinda glad to be supporting them too.
Bride's Maid (DJ) A - Despite having the most confusing name for a wedding company ever, they did a great job. My primary request was that I wanted people to dance and she kept the dance floor busy all night long. $400 for 4hrs, and since our reception was shorter than that she did the outdoor ceremony music as well. She even put up with my totally odd requests for EVE and WoW music during the seating of the parents and grandparents. ^_^
Barnett's Bakery (cakes) A+ - Cakes were absolutely delicious (my primary concern) and looked fantasic without any fondant (my request). She had never made "buckeyes" before and just used my husband's description. My Ohio relatives inform me she nailed it. ;)
Golden Rule BBQ (caterer) A+ - Billy and his daughter really went above and beyond for us, which I had totally not expected. Also BBQ was delicious and everyone loved it. And my one vegetarian was quite happy with the selection of salad, potato salad, coleslaw, fruit and cheese. (Thankfully! My originally anticipated vegetarian was unable to attend and this was the gf of one of my husband's friends. I didn't find out she was vegetarian until the day of the wedding!)
Dorothy McDaniels (pro florist) B- - My bouquet was lovely... but not quite what I was looking for. When the first estimate came back with the wrong colors I should have sat back down with her and gone back over exactly what I was looking for as it seems like only part of my preferences made it to the end product. (For example, they had a bouquet I was using as a bit of a reference, and while I liked the greenery in it, it used ivy which I am allergic to. So I asked for no ivy - and got no greenery at all. I may also have been a bit spoiled by all the attention the lady from the church flower committee paid to my preferences. :P ) The boutonniers and corsages looked great. One was missing when my Mom went to pick them up, BUT the gentleman there quickly made her another and even threw in 2 bags of loose rose petals at no charge.
Laura Easron Artistry (makeup artist) A+ - I was really glad I splurged on a makeup artist even though I wasn't doing professional hair. She did a great job and was just fun to work with as well.
Absolutely fantastic amazing day!
The weather was absolutely perfect for our outdoor ceremony. It wasn't even too hot (in July in Alabama! A small miracle in itself. :)
The list of things that did not go as planned is long indeed - most were my fault for not delegating well enough. None of them mattered though.
I am really glad I kept to the BBQ buffet plan. I was able to be really free with my invites and +1's and then when I had 4 people cancel at the last minute that also wasn't a problem. (2 coworkers got sick- one at least from food poisoning from eggsalad at a church picnic that day- so they and their dates did not attend.)
Pro pic teaser:
shiny!
And I have lots of non-pro pics to share!
~WARNING: LONG POST IZ LONG~
Ceremony and prep photos are mostly by my friend martinhesselius
Yes, that's my photographer and my husband playing Magic: The Gathering before the wedding. No, I will not be picking up the game. (Though tabletop warhammer40k is looking strangely intriguing... somebody kick me before I get sucked in! :P)
Q: How many people does it take to get a bride ready?
A: As many as can fit in the room. ^_^
Makeup is done!
The Best Man was a hoot.
My Mom and I. You can also see the jewelry in this pic- not super fancy but these are the floating opals that my grandfather ("Paw-paw") gave to my Grandmother on their 2nd wedding anniversary and that Mom wore in her wedding. My grandparents were married until my grandfather's death about 12 years ago, and my parents are still married. It's a nice legacy to have.
Also, my Mom is unbearably cute.
As are my new younger sister and mother-in-law.
We signed the license before the ceremony. My pastor told my husband he couldn't back out now - even if he ran, that license was going to the courthouse as-is! :P
We had 2 ushers - Mike is ushering in my Grandmother, while my new sister Jenny is ushering in my Granddad. Granddad was quite amused when he found out there would be a young lady escorting him! ^_^
Gabriel is Not Amused. He was very good though, didn't cry during the wedding at all!
Jr. Bridesmaid of Adorableness.
My Daddy walking me down the aisle.
I included this pic bc you can see how the unfinished edge on the veil looks, how it fits over the hair fascinator and also my crazy anti-wind unity candle setup. There was supposed to be a white crushed panne tablecloth over the old little table, but it somehow didn't make it outside. I didn't notice until we actually went to light them!
Also, if you are nondenominational but looking for a Christian officiant... Methodist ministers get cool robes. I'm just sayin' :P (I've only been Methodist for the last year or so. I grew up Baptist/Church of Christ, who do NOT wear cool robes.)
All official an' stuff!
I love this picture. You can see what a goofball my husband is - I have NO idea what he was saying but it certainly explains why I'm laughing in the next shot:
People going inside to eat! The 2 guys in shades are from my EVE online corporation and behind them is my best friend from high school, trimmje. ^_^ Also, I love how Blip's Men-in-Black look is truly completed by the fact he's carrying a diaperbag.
Reception photos are mostly from my SILs and one of Hubby's friends, Jim.
Thriller! His dad knew a choreography to it and the rest of us are following him.
Cake and toppers! They are fairies, but supposed to vaguely represent Aion characters - Asmodeans, of course. Cake was strawberry with cream cheese icing and was delicious!
Groom's cake! The peanut butter "buckeyes" were my husband's request and are a nod to his home state of Ohio.
Hubby's car all decked out! I was worried about the car since I have been to weddings where people have messed up paint jobs, etc., but they did a very respectful job... and then hid it by managing to put the cover back on!
UU church (venue) A+ - Absolutely wonderful people. Loved the space, loved working with them and I really like the principles of the UU church so I was kinda glad to be supporting them too.
Bride's Maid (DJ) A - Despite having the most confusing name for a wedding company ever, they did a great job. My primary request was that I wanted people to dance and she kept the dance floor busy all night long. $400 for 4hrs, and since our reception was shorter than that she did the outdoor ceremony music as well. She even put up with my totally odd requests for EVE and WoW music during the seating of the parents and grandparents. ^_^
Barnett's Bakery (cakes) A+ - Cakes were absolutely delicious (my primary concern) and looked fantasic without any fondant (my request). She had never made "buckeyes" before and just used my husband's description. My Ohio relatives inform me she nailed it. ;)
Golden Rule BBQ (caterer) A+ - Billy and his daughter really went above and beyond for us, which I had totally not expected. Also BBQ was delicious and everyone loved it. And my one vegetarian was quite happy with the selection of salad, potato salad, coleslaw, fruit and cheese. (Thankfully! My originally anticipated vegetarian was unable to attend and this was the gf of one of my husband's friends. I didn't find out she was vegetarian until the day of the wedding!)
Dorothy McDaniels (pro florist) B- - My bouquet was lovely... but not quite what I was looking for. When the first estimate came back with the wrong colors I should have sat back down with her and gone back over exactly what I was looking for as it seems like only part of my preferences made it to the end product. (For example, they had a bouquet I was using as a bit of a reference, and while I liked the greenery in it, it used ivy which I am allergic to. So I asked for no ivy - and got no greenery at all. I may also have been a bit spoiled by all the attention the lady from the church flower committee paid to my preferences. :P ) The boutonniers and corsages looked great. One was missing when my Mom went to pick them up, BUT the gentleman there quickly made her another and even threw in 2 bags of loose rose petals at no charge.
Laura Easron Artistry (makeup artist) A+ - I was really glad I splurged on a makeup artist even though I wasn't doing professional hair. She did a great job and was just fun to work with as well.