Recap Time: dancing, Dancing, DANCING!

We had a lot of fun dancing shots from our wedding. So without further adieu...

First dance to Baby I'm Yours by Arctic Monkeys

Tim is singing to me, which he swore up and down he wouldn't do in front of his mates :)

My baby cousin Sophia took over the dance floor

Grandude chair danced with me

For our "parents" dance Tim danced with his Mum and I danced with my Pampie.

Um, and Pampie schooled me. He even tried counting for me but that didn't help, lol.

Then MOB and I danced.

I'm convinced this is how British people dance all the time - they just get in a big circle, hug each other, yell and stomp!

The In-Laws!

Aw Julie and Eric - who have since gotten engaged! (Congrats again!)

I mentioned that trooper of a bridesmaid of mine who had a baby 2 weeks after my wedding? That's her, the blonde rocking out on the right. MOH Ryann is the one pointing at... me maybe? Or perhaps our photographer Julie.

My Pampie and Laura are the cutest!

Love this - doing the Cha Cha Slide! Tim's protesting by drinking his beer.

MOH Ryann and I breakin' it down to some country.

By the end of the night everybody was in the hug circle!

And fin.

Now I can post all of our day-of pics on facebook! Phew.

-C

xxx

All photos by Hughes Fioretti Photography.

Recap Time: The Reception

The reception was held just a few feet from our ceremony site, all in MOB's back yard. Our many awesome friends helped us hang lanterns, set up tables and chairs, steam linens, set up the centerpieces, etc. Pictures are worth 1,000 words, right? So I need say no more...

Chinese lanterns - note the green ones are over the dance floor

Our table names and my green glass collection as centerpieces

Corkboard seating chart

Green and white candy bar/buffet (yes, those are gummy frogs!)

Our fabulous cake! We had mini cheesecakes for everyone else - the cake was just for us!

Love this shot - even though it somehow makes the tent look small!

Our entrance as husband and wife!

The toasts...

were...

AWESOME!

As evidenced by Tim's embarassment. LOL!

Next up - We show off our sweet dance moves. Promise it'll be this week... :)

-C
xxx

All photos by Hughes Fioretti Photography.

Recap Time: The Ceremony (pretty stuff version)

And now, time for the pretty (if I do say so myself) decorations and details from the ceremony! (See the mush version here.)

I have some awesome friends who figured out how to hang my old windows above where we were getting married (the "altar" if you will). They looked really great. And we hung Christmas lights around the area and had tiki torches surrounding the chairs (to keep bugs away as well as provide lighting).

I designed all of our programs, and Bridesmaid Amanda and Bonnie helped me assemble. Tying tiny ribbons ain't fun, but they sure do look pretty! :) We had bubbles but no one really used them. Oh well! Our flower girl had fun with them, so they got some good use!

(Tip: stones or glass marble-type thingies you can get from the dollar store are really helpful when having an outdoor wedding that has paper anywhere!)

So we had a sign that said "Here Comes The Bride" on one side, meant to be brought down the aisle just before me, and "Just Married" on the other, for walking back up the aisle after being married. Our flower girl really really wanted to carry it the "Just Married" way down the aisle (you know, before we were married)... and did. Lol! She's at the age where she likes to be a little dramatic, too, and loves to just plop herself down on the ground! Her mom thinks she's a great actress :) Luckily she didn't plop herself down on the way down the aisle, but did on the way back! The wedding video of everyone walking past her is hilarious because everyone keeps looking at her and she seems to want to know why everyone keeps walking, lol.

MOB planted white hydrangeas in the area behind where we would be getting married. Don't they look pretty? The little stand between Tim and I is where we put the glass of wine for our wine ceremony. After we said "I do" I took it (the glass of wine, that is, not the stand) with me to the reception. Yes, I walked back up the aisle with a husband, my bouquet, and a glass of wine. Lol.

-C
xxx

Recap Time: The Ceremony (mush version)

After our first look shots we came back to the house and I didn't know what to do with myself. We had run a little late, so everyone was there. I knew they'd see me eventually, and I was dying to go outside and look at everything, but I hesitated for a few minutes. I didn't know if I should go out and let everyone see me! Eventually I realized that it wouldn't get started until I did, though, lol. So out I went. My grand entrance:

Tim's uncle and cousin are amazing violinists and they were so great to play for us during our cocktail hour, and then to learn the songs for the ceremony. I LOVE violins. LOVE. And they played beautifully! We all walked down the aisle to Portuguese Love Theme (from the movie Love Actually, check it out here), and back up after being married to God Only Knows and All You Need Is Love (both were also featured in Love Actually, one of our favorite movies!).

Getting the ceremony started was a little unorganized. Since we had pre-ceremony cocktails first around the pool, then the ceremony was in a different part of the yard (with the reception in yet another part of the yard). So, it was kind of difficult to get everyone to the different areas in a uniform fashion. It was kind of like ok we're lining up now... maybe you should go sit in the chairs? Yes, this is where I could have used a DOC (Day of Coordinator), I'll admit it. I don't regret the way things like lining up and moving people from one part of the yard to the next worked out, though. I think it made everything more casual (and also provided some humorous moments).

I walked down the aisle with both of my grandfathers, which made me so happy! I love having pictures with both of them. I realized halfway down that I was so concerned with tripping that I was staring at the ground (probably made for GREAT pictures!)! Oops. Tip 'O The Day - Look up as you walk down the aisle!

My boss and friend Molly, got ordained online to officiate at our wedding (so now she's Minister Mol), and she wrote the perfect ceremony for us. It was just the right amount of mush and humor. I laughed a lot! Which probably kept me from crying (but not Tim, LOL).

Tim "got something in his eye"... and I handed him my hankie.

After she read what she had written, we had a "wine ceremony" and then did vows. We wrote both the wine ceremony and the vows (and borrowed some parts from other weddings we found online) and this is what we came up with for the wine ceremony:

This wine represents both the bitter and sweet moments in life. The years ahead will consist of happiness, joy and love, but there will also be moments of sorrow, grief and disappointment. In sharing this wine, so may you share your lives, including not only the good, but the bad moments as well. May you find life’s joys heightened and its bitterness sweetened, because you experience them together.

(Bride and groom drink from a glass of wine.)

This wine is symbolic of the pledges you have made to one another to share together the fullness of life. As you drink from this cup, you acknowledge to one another that your lives, until this moment separate, are now one. Drink now, and may the cup of your lives be sweet and full to running over.

and for the vows:

With this ring, I take you with all your faults and strengths, as I offer myself to you with all my faults and strengths. I will help you when you need help, and turn to you when I need help. Whether the days that come are happy or sad, I will live them with you. I choose you as the person with whom I will spend my life.

Tim's dad asked us after the ceremony if he could throw confetti. Of course! Confetti's fun! Plus, it made this awesome picture! (So glad Gary, our photog, was standing right there!)

Next up: Recap Time: The Ceremony (details/decorations version)

-C

xxx

All photos with watermarks were taken by our awesome photographers Hughes Fioretti Photography and those without were taken by family and friends.