ten eleven ten

It's Time

2011-11-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

It's time to say goodbye to this blog. It's been time for a while but life has gotten in the way and I haven't had time to write a proper goodbye post. Before I officially sign off, I wanted to share a few photos from our first anniversary:

We had leftover wedding cake in the freezer (not the whole top tier but a few extra pieces) but we hadn't wrapped it correctly because it had some serious freezer burn. Oops! So I picked up a couple of cupcakes from Butter Lane in Brooklyn. They were delicious!

We decided to exchange traditional first anniversary paper gifts. I used an idea I've seen on several wedding blogs - a word cloud (using wordle) of our ceremony script and vows. It was easy and inexpensive and I love how it turned out.

Steve's paper gift to me was personalized stationary with my married name from Minted. I love their paper products (we got save the dates from them) and I'm excited to use these cards.

Our main gift to each other was a trip to Chicago! Neither of us had been before so we decided to take a long weekend. We stayed at the Avenue Hotel in an amazing king suite. The views from the bedroom were fantastic.

View of the sunset from our hotel room.

We did some touristy things, like a visit to Millennium Park.

We went to the top of Willis Tower and stood on the skydeck (which was kind of scary!)

We ate delicious food, including deep dish pizza.

We took an architectural boat tour. The Chicago buildings are gorgeous!

One day we rented bikes and rode them along Lake Michigan.

Pitstop in Lincoln Park

Drinks at the Signature Room on top of Hancock Tower

Dinner on our actual anniversary at Province

We had such a great time. Overall, our first year of marriage was awesome. People say the first year is hard, but it honestly wasn't for us. We had the usual ups and downs but life is SO much better with my husband by my side. :) I'm excited to spend many, many more years together!

And with that, I bid Ten Eleven Ten adieu! I want to thank all of you for reading my wedding plans and recaps over the past 2.5 years. Planning my wedding wouldn't have been half as fun without the community of bloggers I met along the way.

I hope you'll stay in touch! You can find me on my other blog, twitter or Pinterest.

Take care, guys. :)

Last photo by Windau Photography. All other photos are personal.

Post Wedding Projects

2011-10-30T11:30:00.000-04:00

Like I said in my last post, I'm very sentimental. I love being able to look at photo albums and mementos from past events and remember the good times. Since our wedding was one of the most important days of my life, I knew I wanted more than just photos to remember it by. So I made a few projects.

Project #1: Bolero Transformation

I actually can't take credit for this first one. Remember the fluffy fabric bolero I wore during our reception?

After the wedding. I left my dress and bolero with my mom. She told me she wanted to make something with the bolero so I could look at it everyday and remember wearing it. My mom's side career is freelance interior design, so she used her skills to turn the bolero into a pillow! (Click photos to enlarge.)

I don't sew so I can't tell you exactly how she did it...but she maintained the look of the fabric flowers (including the beaded details). I love it!

The only part not taken from the bolero is the back, which is white satin. She adorned it with additional beads from the bolero.

It seriously looks like expensive pillows I've seen in stores, but it's even better because it has sentimental value. It sits on our bed and I look at it everyday. Best. Gift. Ever.

Project #2: Shadow Box

I knew I wanted to make a shadow box after seeing examples of them in the blogosphere. Here's what I came up with:

The yellow fabric in the background is from our photo booth at the wedding. I included our cran-lemon invitation and envelope, one of our photo moo cards from our invitation, the monogram sticker I created for our favors, and the "just married" flag from our cake topper.

I'm really happy with how it turned out. I still have a few mementos from our wedding that I've like to showcase (like my bouquet charm) so I think I'm going to make a second shadow box soon.

Project #3: Honeymoon Canvas Prints

I got a groupon a while back for a discounted canvas print. Steve and I thought it'd be fun to chose one of our honeymoon photos so we could hang it up and remember the amazing experience. After we used the groupon to purchase one canvas, the company (Canvas on Demand) then gave us a promo code to get another print at a discount, so we decided to use it to buy another. Since we went to both Napa Valley and San Francisco for our honeymoon, we thought it'd be nice to have one canvas print for each place.

We took this photo in Napa:

It's the entrance into Sterling Vineyards. We used Picasa to make the photo black and white, with a touch of color in the center where the trees get closer together.

This shot is from San Francisco:

We took it while on Alcatraz Island. The San Francisco skyline is in the background. Again, we edited the photo to be black and white, except for the pop of color in the flower.

We placed them side by side on our wall:

Love them! They are now the most sentimental pieces of art we own. :)

I'm glad my mom and I took the time to put these projects together, because now when Steve and I walk around our apartment, we are reminded of our wedding and honeymoon, and how happy they both made us.

Did you make any post-wedding projects?

First two photos by Windau Photography. The rest are personal photos.

Our Wedding Album

2011-10-29T12:00:00.000-04:00

Finally, our wedding album reveal! We are in love.

The process of ordering it was pretty easy. First we picked our favorite photos (we ended up with just under 100), and then we selected the type of album we wanted (8 x 12 horizontal album, laminated metallic photo paper, and silver polished cover). Our photographer--Windau--took care of the rest. He showed us a proof online and we were able to make changes. He did an outstanding job!

Here are some of my favorite spreads:

Note: I took these on my point-and-shoot, which didn't do the album any justice. The quality is MUCH better in person. You can click each photo to enlarge.

The cover is metallic, which looks spectacular in person.

The cover is nice and thick.

The first page has our names and wedding date.

This spread of our first look is one of my favorites. :)

The pages lay flat so you can barely see the seam in these full spreads.

lay-flat pages

The back is simple (faux) leather.

When I went to pick up our album, I saw that Windau threw in a 2012 photo calendar! That was a nice surprise. I'm excited to hang this up next year.

This is the one and only professional album we ordered. We would have loved to order parent albums as well but pro albums are very expensive! Still, I'm glad we splurged on this one because we'll have it forever and it's so gorgeous. I'm the sentimental type who loves taking out my photo albums to reminisce so I know it won't get dusty on a shelf. Now I'm working on designing parent albums through Picaboo, which I've used a few times before.

I've decided to share the last of my posts this weekend. Up next: a few post-wedding projects!

Whoops!

2011-10-06T22:16:00.000-04:00

Sorry for going all MIA again! I've been busy writing a book and posting on my other blog. But with our first anniversary next week (where has the time gone?!) it's time to officially put Ten Eleven Ten to rest. Before I do that, I have three more posts for you which I'll share in the next couple of weeks. Here's what I have in store:

*Our wedding album reveal (it's gorgeous!)

*A few post-wedding projects (include a bolero transformation)

*How we spent our first anniversary (and what I did with paper)

Stay tuned!

Our Wedding Video + Photo Slide Show

2011-08-19T08:30:00.000-04:00

From the very beginning, Steve and I knew we wanted a video of our wedding. I knew we'd love seeing the footage of our special day years from now and sharing it with our future kids. It wasn't in our budget to hire a videographer who does high-definition cinematographic videos like the ones I've seen around the wedding blogosphere, but we were able to add video to our package from our photographer, Windau Photography.

We love it! We only had the videographer shoot the ceremony and reception (not us getting ready or the first look) to cut costs. It worked out well because the parts of the day we really wanted to see on video were our vows, reception toasts and dances.

Check out this 3-minute trailer. We've watched the full-length video a bunch of times already and gave copies to our families. I can't help but smile and tear up every time I see it. (Except for when I cringe at hearing my voice on camera. I sound so different in my head!)

Wedding Video Trailer from GM on Vimeo.

Also on our video DVD was this photo slide show our photographer put together. I love everything about it! I couldn't be happier with our pictures.

Wedding Slideshow from GM on Vimeo.

*Photos and video by Windau Photography

Our Cran-Lemon Wedding: The End (or The Beginning)

2011-08-17T08:30:00.002-04:00

As soon as we heard Journey's "Don't Stop Believing," Steve and I joined our friends on the dance floor and belted it out. It was one of my favorite dance floor moments and I'll never forget how awesome it was to be with my new husband, surrounded by our closest friends, jumping up and down and singing.

Thus the final stretch of our dance party began. Our DJ handed out festive maracas...

By this point, almost everyone was on the dance floor.

Before we knew it, it was time for our DJ to play the last song. After a whirlwind of a day, our wedding was over! Steve and I danced together one last time to Michael Buble's "Save the Last Dance for Me."

There were a lot more hugs as we said goodbye and thank you to our guests. On their way out, they picked up favors from the exit table that our venue put together. The table had a display of warm pretzels and assorted cookies as well as warm apple cider and hot chocolate. There were white paper bags with our monogram (below) and to-go cups so our guests could take snacks for the road. I'm sorry I don't have any photos of the table.

Then Steve and I walked to the Inn at Fox Hollow next to our venue, where we'd spend our first night as a married couple. I changed out of my dress and we toasted to our marriage with complimentary champagne. Then we gorged on the yummy meals that our venue packed for us, since we didn't eat much at our reception.

Champagne and chocolates in our hotel room
{personal photo}

The next day, we left for our California honeymoon. Our wedding may have been over, but it was just the beginning of our new life together. :)

That's it for my recaps! A big thanks to all of you who stuck around until the end! I still have a few more posts for you. Up next I'll share our wedding video trailer and a photo slide show our photographer put together. Then I have a few post-wedding projects I want to show you. Stay tuned!

Catch up!
Rehearsal Preparations
We Rehearse, We Eat and I have a Mini-Breakdown
Just One More Day!
The Only Thing That Went "Wrong"
The Guys Get Ready
Details (Part 1)
I'm a Bride!
Our First Look
Garden Photo Shoot
Bridal Party Photos
Details (Part 2)
Down the Aisle We Go
The Ceremony
Post-Ceremony Fun
Cocktail Hour
Details (Part 3)
Our Reception Begins
First Dance
Toasts!
Getting Jiggy With It! (Part 1)
Photo Booth
Getting Jiggy With It (Part 2)
Cake!

Take it away, Stevie

Making it Official

*Unless otherwise noted, all photos in this post are by Windau Photography

Our Cran-Lemon Wedding: Making it Official

2011-08-15T08:30:00.003-04:00

After Steve and I danced with our parents to good ol' Stevie, it was time for us to take a minute to thank our guests. I let Steve take the reins on this one, since he's the better public speaker. He kept it short and simple by thanking everyone for coming and saying that we hoped to see them at the parties for the rest of their lives. I threw in that we loved them.

Then, while our guests enjoyed their wedding cake and ice cream sundaes, our officiant reminded us that we still needed to sign our wedding license. We wouldn't want to forget that! We gathered our witnesses - MOH L and Steve's brother M - and our photographer snapped a few shots.

The document was signed and our marriage was official! Of course this called for more hugs all around.

Then it was time to get the party started again. Our DJ played a song that Steve and I had looked forward to dancing to with our friends, so we rushed to the dance floor to join them...

Up next: my *final* recap!

Catch up!
Rehearsal Preparations
We Rehearse, We Eat and I have a Mini-Breakdown
Just One More Day!
The Only Thing That Went "Wrong"
The Guys Get Ready
Details (Part 1)
I'm a Bride!
Our First Look
Garden Photo Shoot
Bridal Party Photos
Details (Part 2)
Down the Aisle We Go
The Ceremony
Post-Ceremony Fun
Cocktail Hour
Details (Part 3)
Our Reception Begins
First Dance
Toasts!
Getting Jiggy With It! (Part 1)
Photo Booth
Getting Jiggy With It (Part 2)

Cake!
Take it away, Stevie

*All photos in this post are by Windau Photography

Our Cran-Lemon Wedding: Take it away, Stevie

2011-07-22T11:30:00.003-04:00

Before the wedding, my dad told me he wanted to choose what song we danced to, and he wanted it to be a surprise. I put him in touch with our DJ so he could request the song. When it came time to dance together after Steve and I cut our cake, I was pleasantly surprised to hear "As" by Stevie Wonder.

As around the sun the earth knows she's revolving
And the rosebuds know to bloom in early May

Just as hate knows love's the cure
You can rest your mind assure
That I'll be loving you always

My dad sang the lyrics to me as we danced. :)

I'm an only child so it was a special moment between my dad and me.

One funny thing about the fact that my dad chose this song is that the song Steve danced to with his mom (which Steve chose) was also by Stevie Wonder. They danced to "You are the Sunshine of my Life."

You are the sunshine of my life

That's why I'll always be around

You are the apple of my eye,

Forever you'll stay in my heart

Steve's the oldest of two so his mom was really emotional throughout the day. This was also a very special moment between them.

Catch up!
Rehearsal Preparations
We Rehearse, We Eat and I have a Mini-Breakdown
Just One More Day!
The Only Thing That Went "Wrong"
The Guys Get Ready
Details (Part 1)
I'm a Bride!
Our First Look
Garden Photo Shoot
Bridal Party Photos
Details (Part 2)
Down the Aisle We Go
The Ceremony
Post-Ceremony Fun
Cocktail Hour
Details (Part 3)
Our Reception Begins
First Dance
Toasts!
Getting Jiggy With It! (Part 1)
Photo Booth
Getting Jiggy With It (Part 2)

Cake!

*All photos in this post are by Windau Photography

Our Cran-Lemon Wedding: Cake!

2011-07-20T08:30:00.001-04:00

I loved our cake. It was simple, pretty and delicious. It was chocolate cake with strawberry filling, covered in butter cream frosting and berries, and topped with cake flags I bought on Etsy. A few mini white pumpkins decorated the cake table.

Steve's so silly :P

We had our DJ play "Suger Pie, Honey Bunch" by the Four Tops as we cut the cake. We were nice when it came to feeding each other.

I loved having the fireplace going in the background!

Catch up!
Rehearsal Preparations
We Rehearse, We Eat and I have a Mini-Breakdown
Just One More Day!
The Only Thing That Went "Wrong"
The Guys Get Ready
Details (Part 1)
I'm a Bride!
Our First Look
Garden Photo Shoot
Bridal Party Photos
Details (Part 2)
Down the Aisle We Go
The Ceremony
Post-Ceremony Fun
Cocktail Hour
Details (Part 3)
Our Reception Begins
First Dance
Toasts!
Getting Jiggy With It! (Part 1)
Photo Booth
Getting Jiggy With It (Part 2)

*All photos in this post are by Windau Photography

Our Cran-Lemon Wedding: Getting Jiggy With It! (Part 2)

2011-07-18T08:30:00.001-04:00

I'm finally back with another recap! Just a few more to go...thanks for sticking with me. :)

After one round of dancing and some fun in the photo booth, everyone sat down to eat our main course. The food was amazing but I wasn't very hungry (not to mention my dress didn't leave much room for dinner, if you know what I mean...ha). After taking a few bites, Steve and I used the time to visit each table and chat with our guests.

After the meal, our DJ played more party music and the dance floor filled again.

Our DJ handed out another fun prop: sunglasses! They were also a hit, especially since it was a daytime wedding and sunlight streamed in through the skylights.

Our musical lineup was mostly top 40 hits but at one point our DJ played a couple of nineties hip hop songs ("That girl is poison...") which led to some entertaining dance moves.

I love my "What are you doing?" expression here. :)

We had a blast. Even our officiant and his wife got into it!

There was still more dancing to come but next we cut our cake!

Catch up!
Rehearsal Preparations
We Rehearse, We Eat and I have a Mini-Breakdown
Just One More Day!
The Only Thing That Went "Wrong"
The Guys Get Ready
Details (Part 1)
I'm a Bride!
Our First Look
Garden Photo Shoot
Bridal Party Photos
Details (Part 2)
Down the Aisle We Go
The Ceremony
Post-Ceremony Fun
Cocktail Hour
Details (Part 3)
Our Reception Begins
First Dance
Toasts!
Getting Jiggy With It! (Part 1)
Photo Booth

*All photos in this post are by Windau Photography

MIA

2011-06-20T08:00:00.000-04:00

I'm sorry I've been a little MIA! The start of summer brought vacation, weekends away and time spent with family. I'm also writing a novel and almost finished with the first draft, so that's been occupying a lot of my time. I'll be back very soon with the rest of my recaps. Thanks for hanging in there. Hope you all are enjoying summer so far! :)

Vacation in Key West, May 2011

Our Cran-Lemon Wedding: Photo Booth

2011-05-31T08:00:00.002-04:00

Our photo booth was offered by our photographer, Windau Photography. It actually wasn't a "booth" at all but a fabric backdrop with a remote-controlled camera. Normally Windau uses black fabric for the backdrop but I wanted to tie in our wedding colors, so I had him use patterned yellow fabric I found online. The pattern was subtle but the fabric looked great in the pictures!

Our photographer's assistant also manned the booth to make sure everyone positioned themselves properly and the pictures came out okay.

The cool part was that we were able to see the photos on a screen right after taking them. Unfortunately we weren't able to have the photos printed on site (it would have been an extra cost that we couldn't afford) but the images were uploaded to an online gallery the very next day for our guests to view and we also got all of the images on a disk. We ended up with just under 500 shots!

In terms of props, I brought a couple of feather boas, top hats, a parasol, empty picture frame and chalkboards with chalk. Our photographer also brought boas and another empty picture frame. Like I mentioned in my last post, our guests also used the fun props our DJ handed out.

Because the photo booth was right next to the dance floor, it was easy for our guests and Steve and I to enjoy it. Here are some of our favorite shots:

Steve and I took this picture when we previewed our reception room.

Steve's cousin/groomsman Mr. J with his brothers

Me with a few of my girls :)

Group shot!

MOH L and her husband

My grad school friends and their significant others

My aunt and cousins

Our officiant Mr K with his wife

Hilarious pic of my bridesmaids!

I was so glad to see so many cute ones of my bridesmaids since we weren't able to take a ton of photos earlier in the day.

Of course I had to jump in for one with them. :)

High school friends...the chalk board says "Steve--Got any single friends?" Hehe.

One of my college friends with her husband

Steve and me with my parents.

Remember the Bed Intruder Song that went viral last summer? HA.

Our photog Mr. Windau himself jumped in for a silly shot

Just married!

I'm so glad we decided to have a photo booth. It's so popular on wedding blogs but most of our guests had never seen it. It was so much fun!

Up next: our dance party continues!

Catch up!
Rehearsal Preparations
We Rehearse, We Eat and I have a Mini-Breakdown
Just One More Day!
The Only Thing That Went "Wrong"
The Guys Get Ready
Details (Part 1)
I'm a Bride!
Our First Look
Garden Photo Shoot
Bridal Party Photos
Details (Part 2)
Down the Aisle We Go
The Ceremony
Post-Ceremony Fun
Cocktail Hour
Details (Part 3)
Our Reception Begins
First Dance
Toasts!
Getting Jiggy With It! (Part 1)

*All photos in this post are by Windau Photography

Our Cran-Lemon Wedding: Getting Jiggy With It! (Part 1)

2011-05-23T08:00:00.003-04:00

Anyone who doubts that people dance at daytime weddings hasn't been to a fun one! The dance floor was packed for our entire afternoon reception. I think these three elements led to our successful dance party:

Steve and I danced the whole time, which drew our guests to join us.
Our DJ was great and played music that made people want to dance: Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, Black Eyed Peas, etc.
Our friends and family love to dance.

Once our DJ started playing Billie Jean after the toasts, Steve and I made our way to the dance floor and our friends followed.

Soon the music (and the open bar right next to the dance floor, ha) drew a bigger crowd. Our awesome DJ even handed out favors! During different songs throughout the afternoon, he gave everyone top hats, leis, maracas and sunglasses. You would think they'd be kind of cheesy but they were actually a lot of fun and a HUGE hit. People loved wearing the props while dancing and in our photo booth.

Even the kids at our wedding got jiggy with it!

The one line-dancing song we played was the Electric Slide. I didn't want to play it at first but my mom insisted that the guests in her generation would love it. In the end, I'm glad we included it because it got all of our guests up and dancing! Just about everyone got into it. :)

This was only the beginning... The dance floor was the perfect size for our 110 guests to get down, and it was conveniently located next to the bar and the other hit of the day: our photo booth! It was great - you could grab a drink, do a little dance, and snap a pic all in the same area. Next I'll share some of my photo booth faves!

Catch up!
Rehearsal Preparations
We Rehearse, We Eat and I have a Mini-Breakdown
Just One More Day!
The Only Thing That Went "Wrong"
The Guys Get Ready
Details (Part 1)
I'm a Bride!
Our First Look
Garden Photo Shoot
Bridal Party Photos
Details (Part 2)
Down the Aisle We Go
The Ceremony
Post-Ceremony Fun
Cocktail Hour
Details (Part 3)
Our Reception Begins
First Dance
Toasts!

*All photos in this post are by Windau Photography

Our Cran-Lemon Wedding: Toasts!

2011-05-09T08:00:00.001-04:00

After our first dance, Steve and I sat down at our sweetheart table and listened to the wonderful toasts by our loved ones.

My mom began with a speech that incorporated a couple of stories about Steve and me. She talked about meeting Steve for the first time, during our freshman year parent's weekend at Tufts University. At the time, Steve and I were still just friends. Steve proved himself to be quite the gentleman when he waited with my mom while I got us food in the dining hall. My mom was very impressed and told me he should be my boyfriend! Clearly I agreed because a few months later we started dating and the rest is history. :)

My mom is quite the storyteller and she caused a few laughs!

Steve's dad was up next. He gave a short speech, congratulating Steve and me in our marriage and welcoming me to the family. It was really sweet.

Steve's cousin Mr. J was next. He joked about being a little bitter when as kids, Steve moved to his neighborhood from out-of-state and became the new leader of his "wolf pack" (which consisted of their other cousins). It was pretty funny. Then he talked about visiting Steve at Tufts our freshman year and how all Steve talked about was me. This was also right before we starting dating. Steve had a big crush on me!

Finally, MOH L spoke. We've been friends since the eighth grade, so she talked about how close we were in high school. We used to pass a notebook back and forth so we could write notes to each other. One thing we wrote about was the TV show, Felicity, which we were majorly obsessed with. MOH L talked about how we looked forward to going to college and hopefully meeting a nice guy like Felicity did. Luckily, I did! (MOH L did too!)

MOH L said some nice words about Steve and said she couldn't be happier for us. At the end of her toast, she had everyone raise their glass to toast our marriage. Cheers!

I loved listening to the toasts. They were all heartfelt and entertaining. We felt so loved. I thought it was great that my mom, Mr. J and MOH L talked about the beginning of Steve's and my relationship. On our wedding day, we'd been together for almost eight years!

Up next: time to get the dance party started!

Catch up!
Rehearsal Preparations
We Rehearse, We Eat and I have a Mini-Breakdown
Just One More Day!
The Only Thing That Went "Wrong"
The Guys Get Ready Details (Part 1)
I'm a Bride!
Our First Look
Garden Photo Shoot
Bridal Party Photos
Details (Part 2)
Down the Aisle We Go
The Ceremony
Post-Ceremony Fun
Cocktail Hour
Details (Part 3)
Our Reception Begins
First Dance

*All photos in this post are by Windau Photography

Our Cran-Lemon Wedding: First Dance

2011-05-03T08:00:00.001-04:00

Since Steve and I weren't taking dance lessons, we decided to choose an upbeat first dance song so we could do more than sway. We debated a few songs but ended up choosing "No One" by Alicia Keys. It's the perfect tempo and the lyrics really suit our relationship. I ended up singing along while we danced!

I just want you close
Where you can stay forever
You can be sure
That it will only get better

You and me together
Through the days and nights
I don't worry 'cause
Every thing's going to be alright
People keep talking, they can say what they like
But all I know is every thing's going to be alright

No one, no one, no one
Can get in the way of what I'm feeling
No one, no one, no one
Can get in the way of what I feel for you

I know some people search the world
To find something like what we have
I know people will try, try to divide, something so real

No one, no one
Can get in the way of what I'm feeling
No one, no one, no one
Can get in the way of what I feel for you

Halfway through the song, our DJ invited all couples to the dance floor to join us. It worked out well because four minutes is a long time to dance with everyone watching you! We finished out the song with our guests dancing around us.

When the song ended, we got another round of applause! Our guests were so awesome. :)

Then it was time to take our seats. Next up: toasts!

Catch up!
Rehearsal Preparations
We Rehearse, We Eat and I have a Mini-Breakdown
Just One More Day!
The Only Thing That Went "Wrong"
The Guys Get Ready Details (Part 1)
I'm a Bride!
Our First Look
Garden Photo Shoot
Bridal Party Photos
Details (Part 2)
Down the Aisle We Go
The Ceremony
Post-Ceremony Fun
Cocktail Hour
Details (Part 3)
Our Reception Begins

*All photos in this post are by Windau Photography

Our Cran-Lemon Wedding: Our Reception Begins

2011-04-19T08:00:00.004-04:00

Between the end of cocktail hour and making our grand entrance into our reception, our venue's bridal attendant brought Steve and I upstairs to the bridal suite and gave us cocktail hour food to eat. It was perfect because Steve and I got to be alone for a few minutes to reflect on the day so far, and I was able to steal a few bites without our guests there to distract me. A bride's gotta eat! (I couldn't eat much though because my dress fit just right and there wasn't much room to stretch!)

Meanwhile, our guests found their seats at our reception. We joined them soon after. We decided to have just our bridal party walk in before us. For them, we chose the song "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" by Stevie Wonder. Our DJ/MC introduced them.

The guys wore the shades Steve got them. They really got into it and danced their way into the room.

Behind MOH L, you can see our photo-booth! More of that to come. :)

Our bridal party lined up and then it was our turn.

For us, we picked "Beautiful Day," a quintessential wedding entrance song that didn't fail to pump us up. We frolicked into the room after our DJ/MC introduced us.

"It's a beautiful daaayyy!"

Steve stayed true to himself and gave everyone high-fives, which caused a few laughs:

Our guests clapped for us again, which was sweet. Our DJ/MC asked: "Doesn't the groom look GQ today?"

Yup. He sure did!

Then it was time for our first dance as husband and wife!

Catch up!
Rehearsal Preparations
We Rehearse, We Eat and I have a Mini-Breakdown
Just One More Day!
The Only Thing That Went "Wrong"
The Guys Get Ready Details (Part 1)
I'm a Bride!
Our First Look
Garden Photo Shoot
Bridal Party Photos
Details (Part 2)
Down the Aisle We Go
The Ceremony
Post-Ceremony Fun
Cocktail Hour
Details (Part 3)

*All photos in this post are by Windau Photography

Our Cran-Lemon Wedding: Details! (Part 3)

2011-04-11T08:00:00.002-04:00

Steve and I have been married for six months today! I know everyone says this, but I seriously can't believe it's already been half a year. Tonight we're going out to dinner to celebrate. Our one year anniversary will be here before we know it! :)

Right before our cocktail hour ended, Steve and I got to peek into our reception space before our guests filed in. As I said in this post early on in our planning, we really wanted a room with a ton of natural light, since we were having a daytime wedding. We actually chose to have a daytime wedding because we wanted natural light so badly. The Winter Garden Pavilion at the Fox Hollow was exactly what we were looking for, and the sunlight was perfect on our wedding day.

I also loved the fireplace, which contributed to the coziness of the room. Our DOC moved frames with our engagement photos from our escort card table to the mantel.

We opted to have a sweetheart table and let our bridal party sit with their dates and the other guests they knew. It worked out well!

The sweetheart table doesn't have any flowers yet because we used the bouquets to decorate it. They got placed there at the beginning of the reception.

I was SO pleased with our centerpieces. If you've been following for a while, you might remember that we switched centerpiece florists a few months before the wedding. Originally we planned to get our centerpieces from the same florist who was creating our bouquets and boutonnieres. I wanted them to include cranberry dahlias (like my bouquet), but dahlias in the centerpieces were going to be too expensive. So I decided to look elsewhere. We ended up going with Stew Leonard's (a specialty food market with a floral department), who was much more affordable and did a fabulous job! The dahlias looked incredible. We also included a few white mini pumpkins on each table. This was a fall wedding, after all!

When our photographer took these photos (at the beginning of cocktail hour), there was actually one element missing from our tables. My mom had made linen fabric squares to place in the center of each table, to add color and texture to the ivory damask tablecloths that our venue provided. For some reason, they went missing! Luckily our maitre d and DOC tracked them down and put them on the tables before the guests came into the room. The tables looked great without them, but I'm glad they made it onto the tables.

Table with linen square
{guest photo}

I designed our table numbers and menus using the same graphic and fonts as our other wedding paper. The table numbers were on 5x7 paper from Paper Source. We placed them in inexpensive clear acrylic frames.

For the menus, I used letter-sized linen-textured paper from paperandmore.com. I printed two menus on a page and had it cut in half. I "borrowed" the wording ("Eat, drink, we're married!") from Kim at Perpetual Party Planner, who also used it on her menu. :)

I mentioned in my cocktail hour post that our venue is known for its amazing food. They have a restaurant on premises and instead of just offering two entree choices, they give seven! That's not including the appetizer that we'd chosen: Grilled Vegetable Royale (portobello mushroom served with red peppers, green zucchini, asparagus & assorted baby greens in a balsamic vinaigrette).

For Entrees, our guests had a choice of:

Chateau Briand: sliced tenderloin of beef crowned with wild mushrooms
Shrimp Scampi: gulf prawns served in a lemon butter, white wine sauce
Fox Hunt Chicken: french breast sautéed & topped with fresh plum tomato & wild mushrooms in a light demi-glaze
Grilled Salmon
Duck a l’Orange: crispy Long Island duckling stuffed with fresh fruit & topped with a Grand Marnier sauce
Land & Sea Duette: sliced tenderloin of beef crowned with wild mushrooms & shrimp scampi
North Fork Vegetables: assortment of marinated & grilled vegetables, crowned with a champagne risotto

For dessert, to go along with our wedding cake, each guest got an old fashioned banana split. Our wedding had a crazy amount of food, but it was all included in our package and so yummy! Unfortunately I only have pictures of the first course but trust me when I say everything looked as good as it sounded, and our guests let us know how much they enjoyed having so many delicious options to choose from.

Last but not least: our cake! We'd decided to skip the fondant and go for the edible look. I'd found this berry cake for inspiration and our venue's baker executed it perfectly. It looked (and tasted) so delish!

As a topper, we used cake flags from Baumbirdy's etsy shop. I was able to customize the colors and initial. I loved it.

That's it for our wedding details! Besides my dress and bolero, the reception details were my favorites.

Right before the reception began, Steve and I posed for a photo in our lovely space:

Next up: our reception begins!

Catch up!
Rehearsal Preparations
We Rehearse, We Eat and I have a Mini-Breakdown
Just One More Day!
The Only Thing That Went "Wrong"
The Guys Get Ready Details (Part 1)
I'm a Bride!
Our First Look
Garden Photo Shoot
Bridal Party Photos
Details (Part 2)
Down the Aisle We Go
The Ceremony
Post-Ceremony Fun
Cocktail Hour

*Unless otherwise noted, all photos in this post are by Windau Photography

Our Cran-Lemon Wedding: Cocktail Hour

2011-04-04T08:00:00.003-04:00

After my new hubby(!) and I took family photos, we went into the bridal suite so I could quickly swap out my ceremony accessories (pearl necklace and veil) for my reception accessory (my bolero). Then Steve and I went to our cocktail hour, where our guests were already enjoying appetizers and our open bar.

The entrance to our venue, where our cocktail hour and reception took place.

Here are the details from our cocktail hour. For our escort card table, we framed a few of our engagement photos and also had some white mini pumpkins in a tall vase with a bow. I printed the escort cards myself using the same fonts and berry color as our invitations and programs.

We didn't have to worry about ordering flowers for our cocktail tables because our venue took care of it. They floated single red rose buds in mini vases. I asked them to put a few mini white pumpkins on each table as well. Simple and pretty.

{guest photo}

If there's one thing our venue (Fox Hollow) is known for, it's the food! They have a restaurant on premises. For our cocktail hour, we had platters with cheese & crackers, fruit, antipasti and then a few hot buffet stations that we'd selected from their menu. We had a very eclectic assortment of hot food: Coquille St. Jacques (shrimp and scallops in a creamy lobster sauce), beef bourguignonne, sweet & sour chicken, fried rice, arroz con pollo, sweet plaintains, penne alla vodka and fried calamari. It was an insane amount of food. I actually got to try a few things and everything was delicious!

Steve and I thought we'd enter our cocktail hour by simply walking in and saying hi to our guests. But our maitre d had something else in mind. When she escorted us into the room, she made an announcement to introduce us. It was another surreal moment where we were applauded and everyone's attention was on us!

Me: I wasn't expecting such a grand entrance!
{guest photo}

We spent the remainder of the cocktail hour mingling with our guests. Because we only had 110 guests, we got the chance to say hello to everyone, which was great. We were in two adjoining rooms so there was plenty of space to spread out. I loved how even in our cocktail hour space, a lot of natural light came in.

Posing for a photo.
Steve: she's all mine!
{guest photo}

At the end of our cocktail hour, Steve and I got to peek into our reception space. Up next: our reception details!

*Unless otherwise noted, all photos in this post are by Windau Photography

Our Cran-Lemon Wedding: Post Ceremony Fun

2011-03-28T08:00:00.001-04:00

After our first kiss as husband and wife, it was time to make our way back down the aisle.

Our parents were very happy...

Steve's parents

My parents

We walked down to "This Will Be An Everlasting Love" by Natalie Cole. I love this song! Feel free to listen.

Steve gave his Obama wave:

"Hi guys, I'm married now!"

We beamed at our guests as we passed them.

Halfway down, our photographer told us to kiss. We were happy to oblige. :)

Our bridesmaids, groomsmen and parents followed.

MOH L and Mr. J

Miss M and Mr. M

Miss D and Bro M

Steve's parents

My parents

Then there was hugs all around!

Me hugging my mom

Steve hugging his mom

Me hugging my new mother-in-law

Steve hugging his new father-in-law

Since we ran out of time before the ceremony to take family portraits, we did it immediately after the ceremony while the rest of our guests found their way to our cocktail hour. We took portraits with just our immediate families. There are a bunch, but I'll just show you a few:

Both families, including our grandfathers

Steve and I with our parents

My parents

Steve's parents

Luckily, taking these photos didn't take too long so we only missed about 15-20 minutes of our cocktail hour.

Up next: we join our guests!

Catch up!

Rehearsal Preparations

We Rehearse, We Eat and I have a Mini-Breakdown
Just One More Day!
The Only Thing That Went "Wrong"
The Guys Get Ready
Details (Part 1)
I'm a Bride!
Our First Look
Garden Photo Shoot
Bridal Party Photos
Details (Part 2)
Down the Aisle We Go
The Ceremony

*All photos in this post are by Windau Photography

Our Cran-Lemon Wedding: The Ceremony

2011-03-21T08:00:00.000-04:00

Our ceremony was completely DIY. Steve and I put the script together ourselves using bits and pieces of various scripts we found online. Neither of us are religious so we decided against having a religious ceremony. We wanted it to be personal and meaningful. We kept it short and sweet and afterward, our guests told us that they really enjoyed it. It was my favorite part of the day and I'm glad we put so much thought into it.

I've posted excerpts of our ceremony wording here, in green italics. If you are planning your own ceremony and want to see our entire script, shoot me an email and I'll be happy to send it to you!

Our officiant, Mr K. He got ordained online just for us and did an amazing job! We couldn't have asked for a better officiant.

Mr. K:
Welcome! We have been invited here today to share a very important moment with Ghenet and Steve. In the years they have been together, their relationship has grown and matured, and now they have decided to live their lives together as husband and wife.

Marriage is a bold step into an unknown future. It is risking who we are for the sake of who we can be. In marriage, two lives are intimately shared; and the blending of the two must not diminish either one. Rather, it should enhance the individuality of each partner.

Each of us knows that law or a ceremony does not create a marriage; rather it occurs in the hearts of two human beings. It grows out of loving, caring, and sharing ourselves with another. This ceremony is not magic, it will not create a relationship that does not already exist and has not already been celebrated in all the commitments Ghenet and Steve have made to each other, both large and small, in the days since they first met and recognized their connection to one another. So, in witnessing this ceremony today, we are observing only an outward sign of an inward union that already exists between them. This ceremony is their promise to love each other solely and above all others.

Our first reading was a selection from the children’s book “I Like You” by Sandol Warburg, read by groomsman Mr. M. It was the perfect reading for us because children's literature is a big part of my life. I work in book publishing and have an MFA in children's book writing. Plus this story is so sweet and made our guests smile.

Mr. M:
I like you
And I know why
I like you because
You are a good person
To like...

...I like you because
When I tell you something special,
You know it’s special,
And you remember it
A long, long time.
You say,
Remember when you told me
Something special?
And both of us remember.

Then we had bridesmaid Ms. M read “Union” by Robert Fulghum.

Ms. M:
Look at one another and remember this moment in time. Before this moment you have been many things to one another — acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, dancing partner, and even teacher, for you have learned much from one another in these last few years. Now you shall say a few words that take you across a threshold of life, and things will never quite be the same between you. For after these vows, you shall say to the world, this is my husband, this is my wife.

We liked the idea of having a group declaration of support, so our guests could be more involved in our ceremony. After asking our guests to stand up, Mr. K said the following words.

Mr. K:
As their families and friends, you form the community of support that surrounds Ghenet and Steve. Each of you, by your presence here today, is being called upon to uphold them in loving each other. Always stand beside them, never between them. Offer them your love and support, not your judgment. Encourage them when encouragement is needed, and listen to them when they ask for advice. In these ways, you can honor this marriage into which they have come to be joined today. Do you offer your love and support to strengthen their marriage and bless this family created by their union? Please answer by saying: WE DO.

Our guests: WE DO!

It was such an incredible moment to hear our guests vocalize their support for us. :)

Mr K:

Steve, will you take Ghenet to be your lawfully wedded wife and travel the rest of life’s road with her? Will you love her, laugh with her, comfort her, honor and protect her, and forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?

Steve: I do.

Mr. K:
Ghenet, will you take Steve to be your lawfully wedded Husband and travel the rest of life’s road with him? Will you love him, laugh with him, comfort him, honor and protect him, and forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?

Ghenet: I do.

Then it was time for us to read our vows, which we had written ourselves. Steve's vows were very him - funny but sweet - and they made me cry.

Steve:
In the words of Jason Mraz, “I'm overjoyed and I'm over-loved.”
It's been more than 7 years since we've met.
Back when every email received came from someone you knew and SPAM was just canned meat.
Back when I didn't let the AOL Screen name Drama Queen deter me from dating you.
I’m glad I didn't.
Because, that day led to this day and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I promise to hold, to cherish and never disrespect the love we share.
I promise to do the dishes more often and pause my favorite show when you say it's important.
I promise to make you smile as much as I do and hold you when you cry.
I promise to accept you the way you are...Because I like playing with fire...Let it burn forever.
I promise to keep myself open to you and give my all.
I promise to love you forever and ever and ever and a couple years after that.
I promise to build a beautiful life with you.
We will tell our kids and they will tell their kids what mommy and daddy did here today.

My vows were 100% me - VERY sentimental and reading them also made me cry. :)

Ghenet:
I remember the first moment I realized you were "The One." It was our sophomore year at Tufts University and I'd recently found out that I was accepted into the Madrid full-year study abroad program. We had a conversation about whether we would stay together or break up since I was going away for so long. I cried because the thought of not being with you devastated me. I didn't want us to break up, not just because the idea of you dating someone else horrified me, but also because I was in love with you. Thankfully, we didn't break up. Instead, we wracked up long distance phone bills and spoke to each other every single day for the nine months I was gone. By the time we were reunited, I knew that I would marry you someday...

...And here we are. I'm about to become your wife and I couldn't be happier. You are my first and only love. You've been there for me and with me through the good and the bad over the past seven years. You make me smile. You calm me when I'm anxious. You love me unconditionally and make me feel safe. Among all the changes and instability I've had in my life, the one constant thing I could always rely on has been you. I'm so excited to spend the rest of my life with you and I promise to love you always and forever.

Then came the time to exchange rings.

Mr. K:

The promises, which you have spoken to each other today, are inscribed forever in your minds, in your hearts. But words are fleeting so let these rings serve as a reminder of the feelings you have in your hearts at this very moment. These rings are visible symbols of your commitment to one another. In exchanging these bands, you knit your two lives together as one. When you look at your wedding band, remember the great gift that you have been given and all that you have in one another. Remember that you have someone to share this life with. Never again will you have to walk alone.

Steve and I each repeated the following words:

I give you this ring as a sign that I choose you to be my lover, my partner and my best friend, to the end of my days. Wear it, think of me, and know that I love you.

Mr. K:

May the love that has brought you together continue to grow and enrich your lives. May you meet with courage the problems that arise to challenge you, and may your relationship always be one of love and trust. May the happiness you share today be with you always and may every word you have pledged here be a living truth in your lives.

It is my joyful responsibility to officially acknowledge your union as Husband and Wife. You may now seal your marriage with a kiss.

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my privilege to present to you for the very first time as husband and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Steve and Ghenet M___!

We did it! We were FINALLY married!

Up next: we make our way back down the aisle and take a few family photos...

Catch up!

Rehearsal Preparations

We Rehearse, We Eat and I have a Mini-Breakdown
Just One More Day!
The Only Thing That Went "Wrong"
The Guys Get Ready
Details (Part 1)
I'm a Bride!
Our First Look
Garden Photo Shoot
Bridal Party Photos
Details (Part 2)
Down the Aisle We Go

*All photos in this post are by Windau Photography

Our Cran-Lemon Wedding: Down the Aisle We Go!

2011-03-14T08:00:00.006-04:00

After our morning photo sessions, Steve and I went up to our venue's bridal suite to wait with our bridal party. Meanwhile, our guests arrived and took their seats. The sun was shining and our noon ceremony was about to begin!

Soon it was time for us line up. By this point I was a little nervous but so excited to get married. It was a surreal moment because after seven years of dating and eighteen months of planning, our wedding was finally happening!

Our officiant Mr. K giving our groomsmen a pep talk

Our bridal party walked down the aisle to "Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" by Israel Kamakawiwo'Ole. I love this song and hearing it start up that day made me feel giddy. Feel free to listen as you scroll through the photos.

First our officiant Mr. K made his way down the aisle.

Because our bridal party was small, we decided to have everyone walk alone. The groomsmen came out first.

Steve's little brother, Bro M

Mr. M

Mr. J

Steve and I each wanted both of our parents to escort us down the aisle. Even though they are both divorced, they agreed because they love us. :) Steve's parents even matched, and I don't think that was planned! Doesn't his mom look gorgeous? My mom and I helped her pick out her dress.

Steve with his parents.

When Steve came out, our guests started clapping and cheering. One person yelled "Here he is!" I thought that was awesome because I feel like grooms don't always get that much attention, even though its their wedding too.

After Steve hugged his parents, the bridesmaids walked down the aisle.

Miss D

Miss M

MOH L

Then it was my turn. Steve looked on with a smile on his face.

I walked down the aisle to a song that means a lot to me and Steve: "In Your Hands" by Javier. I wrote about why we picked this song here, and you can click on the video below to listen.

Walking down the aisle was an emotional experience. Even though Steve and I had already seen each other during our first look and photos, it was a special moment. I smiled and looked at Steve the entire time. My lips trembled as because I was on the verge of tears! I managed not to cry though.

In your hands
My life begins and ends
All that I am, I surrender to you
I’ve never felt so weak and yet so strong
I am home, where I belong

I think Steve even shed a tear, and he NEVER cries!

Everyone was in their place...

...I took Steve's hands in mine...

...and our ceremony began.

Catch up!

Rehearsal Preparations

We Rehearse, We Eat and I have a Mini-Breakdown
Just One More Day!
The Only Thing That Went "Wrong"
The Guys Get Ready
Details (Part 1)
I'm a Bride!
Our First Look
Garden Photo Shoot
Bridal Party Photos
Details (Part 2)

*All photos in this post are by Windau Photography

Our Cran-Lemon Wedding: Details! (Part 2)

2011-03-07T08:00:00.004-05:00

While Steve and I took photos alone and with our bridal party, our maitre d and DOC made sure our ceremony space was all set up. We'd paid a fee to have our ceremony at our venue, which included the white flowers and tulle that lined the aisle. It was nice to not have to worry about decorating the outdoor ceremony area. I didn't mind that the flowers weren't in our color scheme. The white flowers were beautiful and the ceremony set-up was simple and elegant. It helped that the weather was gorgeous on our wedding day.

Ceremony flower arrangement

We got married under this arch

A view of the ceremony space from the arch

A view of the ceremony space from where our guests entered

The only thing we had to worry about providing for the ceremony were the programs. Remember when I said I wanted to make a program poster? I envisioned something like this:

{source}

Here's how ours came out:

Click to enlarge. I blurred out the names.
{personal photo}

I designed them in Power Point, using the same fonts, colors and graphic as our invitation. I printed them at home on legal sized paper that I got from Paper Presentation and folded them into thirds. Then I arranged them in a basket with a sign I also created, and they were placed on a table outside for our guests to grab.

My mom made the linen square that's underneath the program basket. You'll see where else we used them when I share our reception details!

Here's proof that at least one person (my grandpa!) read our program :):

Up next: our ceremony begins!

Catch up!

Rehearsal Preparations

We Rehearse, We Eat and I have a Mini-Breakdown
Just One More Day!
The Only Thing That Went "Wrong"
The Guys Get Ready
Details (Part 1)
I'm a Bride!
Our First Look
Garden Photo Shoot
Bridal Party Photos

*Unless otherwise noted, all photos in this post are by Windau Photography

Our Cran-Lemon Wedding: Bridal Party Photos

2011-02-28T08:00:00.004-05:00

After Steve and I had our garden photo shoot, our bridal party joined us for a few pictures. We had originally scheduled ample time before the ceremony to take photos with our bridal party and then our families. We wanted to get all of the photos out of the way before the ceremony so we could attend our entire cocktail hour.

Because of our morning delay, that didn't happen. We did take bridal party photos before the ceremony, but we had to push our family photos to the beginning of our cocktail hour. Since we were running so behind schedule, we didn't have that much time for bridal party pics. It was unfortunate because I really wanted to take a lot of fun bridal party shots like I've seen around the wedding blogosphere. With the little time we had, it couldn't happen. That said, the photos we took are great and that's due to the fact that our photographer stepped up and made the best of the time we had. I love how they came out and can't really complain!

First we took a couple of photos with the entire bridal party. I have to say, I am so happy with how my cranberry lemonade color "vision" turned out. The spiced wine J. Crew bridesmaid dresses, the groomsmen ties my mom made in the same color, along with the yellow accents in the flowers and gold shoes came together so beautifully. This color combination is pretty unique but I'm glad I went with my gut and chose it. The girls looked gorgeous in the dress (the color flattered each of them) and the pop of color in the guys' ties looked great too.

I love how everyone got into the spirit in this one!:

Then we took a photo with the girls: Miss D, MOH L and Miss M

I took a few individual shots with each bridesmaid (which I won't bother showing you here) and then we took a couple of group shots. At the time I wished we had time for more, but we also got a few cute ones together in our photo booth, which I'll share in a later post.

Steve took a couple of shots with the girls, including this one, where the girls were told to act like they were clawing at him. Ha!

Then Steve and I took a few shots with the guys: Bro M (Steve's younger brother), Mr. M and Mr. J

I really wanted a jumping one (even if it is cliche these days) and this one is awesome!

Steve had the idea to give the guys shades. Don't they look cool?

I don't know whose idea it was to do this, but don't these look like the covers of a Boys II Men album or something?

Motown, anyone?

Our groomsmen were great - I love that they really got into these photos!

Our time was cut short because it was time for Steve and I to, you know, actually get married! Up next: a few details from our ceremony, including the programs I never showed you.

Catch up!

Rehearsal Preparations

We Rehearse, We Eat and I have a Mini-Breakdown
Just One More Day!
The Only Thing That Went "Wrong"
The Guys Get Ready
Details (Part 1)
I'm a Bride!
Our First Look
Garden Photo Shoot

*All photos in this post are by Windau Photography

Our Cran-Lemon Wedding: Garden Photo Shoot

2011-02-22T08:00:00.003-05:00

After our emotional first look, Steve and I took a ton of photos in our venue's garden. I'm glad that we decided to see each other before the ceremony so we could have time for this photo shoot. It was a lot of fun and I love how the pictures came out. Here are my favorites from the bunch:

I can't believe I almost didn't wear a veil. I'm so glad I changed my mind!

This coach is in the garden as a prop for pictures. Instead of taking a traditional photo in front of it, our photographer had us do a pose that was a little more fun. :)

This is inside the pretty gazebo:

The garden wasn't even that large but it provided the perfect backdrop for our pictures. Up next: our bridal party joins us!

Did you schedule time to take photos with your groom?

Catch up!

Rehearsal Preparations

We Rehearse, We Eat and I have a Mini-Breakdown
Just One More Day!
The Only Thing That Went "Wrong"
The Guys Get Ready
Details (Part 1)
I'm a Bride!
Our First Look

*All photos in this post are by Windau Photography

Our Cran-Lemon Wedding: Our First Look

2011-02-14T08:00:00.001-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day! What a perfect day for me to tell about you our first look, one of my most favorite (and romantic) moments of our wedding day.

Before I get to the photos, is anyone else a Glee fan like I am? Did you see the wedding episode where Kurt's dad married Finn's mom? I loved it! I may have even cried. :) The Glee cast sang and danced down the aisle. The song was "Marry You" by Bruno Mars, which I hadn't heard before seeing the show. It's such a sweet song so feel free to click play and listen while you scroll through our first look photos. If you want to see the Glee clip, click here (after you're done reading this post, of course!)

When I walked outside the hotel to meet Steve for our first look, I was thrilled with the fact that it was sunny and unseasonably warm at 70+ degrees. Exactly one year prior, the weather was equally nice and I even wrote a blog post asking the weather to repeat itself on our wedding day. I was so glad it did. I felt so lucky and ready to see my hubby-to-be.

Steve was waiting patiently in the garden, his signature smile on his face the whole time.

Here I come!

I tapped him on the shoulder...

...he turned around...

...and he was SO happy to see me too! Never had I seen him overcome with such emotion, except for maybe when he proposed.

He admired my dress, which he hadn't seen before.

And of course we smooched once or twice.

Woo! We're getting married!

Sigh. What an awesome moment. And the day was just getting started! Next up: Steve and I have a photo shoot in the garden...

Catch up!

Rehearsal Preparations

We Rehearse, We Eat and I have a Mini-Breakdown
Just One More Day!
The Only Thing That Went "Wrong"
The Guys Get Ready
Details (Part 1)
I'm a Bride!

*All photos in this post are by Windau Photography