I found this floating around the internet on a few blogs I occationally read. Love this idea and thought it would be the perfect way to celebrate our 2nd anniversary. 10/10/09 was the big day. We were married in the Catholic church where I work and we are actively involved in ministry.
Attending:
I think we were right around 200 guests
Bridesmaids:
We decided on a smaller wedding party that included just family. All the ladies made couples with the guys.
L-R: Leeann (Eric's sister), Katie (my sister), Me (holla), Deirdre (my brother's then girlfriend / nephews mama), and Paige (my other brother's wife)
Catering:
The reception site we chose did their own catering and cake. The family owned two restaurants before owning/operating the reception venue.
Appetizers.
The cake.
Cake fight.
The cake.
Cake fight.
And then this happend.
Dress:
I walked in the store and immediately picked this off the rack. However, it was the fifth of five dresses I tried on at the first fitting. It was the one. It was all I thought about for weeks! The dress company did a custom length for me so we didn't have to hem it, and they allowed me to trade the lace up back for the button back that I wanted.
Engagement:
Eric and I were engaged in December and married the next October. A ten months engagement was almost too long!
Flowers:
We used a local florist that does a lot of work for our church and had recently done a friends fall wedding. She granted my wish of zillions of flowers, and made it work within our budget.
(Eric gave me the lady's fit Notre Dame class ring his great uncle used to propose to his wife. They're pictured below)
Groomsmen:
What a good looking group of guys, am I right?
Honeymoon:
Eric surprised me with the honeymoon destination and plans. About a month before he told me we were going to California and that I'd need a variety of clothes: warm, cool, dressy, messy, the rest was a surprise! We hiked, walked on the beach, went to a wine dinner, saw my first wind farm, played in snow, and drove through the dessert.
Invitations:
I don't have any pictures of them! We did a DIY pocket invitation custom designed by my friend Ashley of Little Leaf Design (you can see them in her portfolio with our last names changed). My mom worked with the printing company to have them printed and cut just right. My dad hand assembled all 150+ of them. And we had a calligrapher hand address them. Still one of my favorite details of the wedding :)
Justice of the Peace:
Being the crazy Catholics we are, we had three priests, two deacons, and a seminarian celebrate our wedding Mass. Each of them has a special place in our life so we wanted to include them all.
We miss you Monsignor Reynolds...
Keepsakes:
1) My parents surprised Eric and I with this vintage cake topper of a bride & groom on a bicycle. We keep it in our hutch.
3) I am sure we did some sort of party favor for the guests and for the life of me I cannot think of it. And I am sure it was something I made a big stink over too... anyone remember?
Ladies Night:
My sister threw a heck of a party: Presidential Suite at the Georgia Terrace, dinner buffet, lingerie shower, old bridesmaids dresses of my aunts from the 80s, limo, bars in Atlanta, and a sleep over with all my ladies!
In an effort to protect the innocent; no pictures :)
Music:
We had our friends Greg & Lizzie from New Orleans come lead music for the Mass. They were incredible. People still ask about them. Our church organist played the processional and recessional. And we had a DJ for the reception.
Newlyweds:
I Love you :)
Old, new, borrowed, blue:
Sacred Heart of Jesus medal from my grandma that passed away that year
Something New
My dress - this picture always makes me laugh!
My other grandmother's pearl necklace
I had a blue tipped French manicure on my toes. Why not?
Photography:
After several phone calls with booked up photographers (over a year in advance!), I put a request for recommendation out on Facebook. A friend of Eric's replied with Longwerks. Didn't they do a fabulous job?
Question popping:
Reception:
We had a beautiful late-night reception at an old house in Norcross, GA.
Shoes:
These are the shoes that flew off the roof of my car. I had to special order them in extra-wide, but they were super comfy!
Trash the Dress:
Nope! I am keeping it. I had this romantic notion of having my kids baptism & first communion gowns made out of my wedding dress, but I am just not ready to part with it in it's entirety...not that I am going to wear it again.
Unique:
1) Eric arranged for a few minutes of Adoration in the chapel immediately after the wedding. It was so perfect to have those quiet moments with Jesus before the hustle and bustle of pictures and the reception.
2) I LOVE ice cream. Instead of a big cake, we had the reception site create an ice cream sundae bar with local Mayfield ice cream and all the toppings you could dream of.
3) We had three couples at our wedding who have been married over 50 years!
Eric's great aunt and uncle:
My grandparents:
My co-worker and her husband:
We said the traditional Catholic wedding vows - the long version :)
Wedding Woes:
Atlanta experienced a severe flood a few weeks before the wedding, so there was a detour due to some residual damage between the church and reception site. We had no idea until that night, and a few guests got lost and never made it to the reception. So sorry!
The DJ and the reception site owner got in a bit of a fight and it lead to forgetting the Father/Daughter Mother/Son dance, no champagne ready for the toast, and very few guests to witness the cake cutting. Oh well.
The DJ and the reception site owner got in a bit of a fight and it lead to forgetting the Father/Daughter Mother/Son dance, no champagne ready for the toast, and very few guests to witness the cake cutting. Oh well.
X-rated:
A-hem.
Young kids:
My one year old nephew was the ring bearer. He ran back down the aisle toward Eric and I for a big hug.
He looks a little grumpy here, but isn't that tux ADORABLE?!?!
Because our wedding was at 7pm with a full Mass, we didn't include children that weren't immediately family. And many of them left the reception early with a sitter.
Isn't Eric's little cousin tres cute?
After the reception my dad had arranged for a driver to take us to a hotel near where the send off brunch would be the next day. Walking into a hotel in a wedding dress was just as awkward as I always imagined it would be.
Thank you to our parents for such a beautiful wedding day!!!
I hope you enjoyed a little glimpse into our magical day!!
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