Where Are They Now?

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Wedding Photo Diary

So around 2:00 PM on November 10, 2007 mrp and I got hitched. Below is a little chronicle of the day from a little before the ceremony to hours into our dance-a-thon. All the photos, unless otherwise noted, were taken by our fabulous photographer Ken Blaze. Almost all the photos are unposed and just snapshots of what was really going on. There are a few posed ones in the middle but I think they're pretty obvious. We really love Ken's photojournalistic style and feel he did a fabulous job capturing the essence of our day. He likes to post what he feels is the story of the wedding day of the couples he photographs on his website. Here's his take on ours. And below is ours.

Here's our program to kick this off.

A Little Last Minute Detailing

I arrived at the church about an hour before the ceremony. I hid away in the montessori school in the basement, where I got dressed and then hung out with my bridal party who helped me have a little fun and forget to be nervous!

My sister fixing our flower girl's bow just so.

The two of them fixing my train.

Our other flower girl and her mom, mrp's sister.

My best friend checking out my ring as my sister and mom look on.

What's Going on Upstairs

While I was down in the basement bunker of the church...


My mom made sure everyone had their flowers, including my sweet little grandma and...

Mrp's best man was helping to keep him nice and relaxed and...

His other best man was busy ushering the mrp's parents and...

Then mine.

Dum Dum Da Dum

I had no idea what time it was down in my basement montessori hideaway, so we ended up being a bit late to start the processional.


First, the little ones with their little baskets of lady apples. They were picture perfect and followed instructions just right!

They were followed by my best friend *B* and mrp's friend *C*. Notice the garish purple in the flowers. I suppose that's the downside for scrimping on a good florist. Heh.

My sister ended up taking off too early, but that's ok. Wasn't she gorgeous?!

Mrp waiting for me trying not to cry. Probably wondering why I didn't wait for my processional music. Since my sister took off early I got confused and thought it was weird to stand back there so long so I took off early too. Oops!

I'm on my way...

Dearly Beloved Part

I finally made it to mrp and as soon as I got there, the tears started streaming down his face and then mine. As we walked up to the alter we were both doing our best to stop the water works. Our priest said we looked so nervous, but it was really just the pain from biting on the inside of our cheeks!


At first we were both so stoic and stiff sitting up there, not knowing what to do. Then I decided we could relax. I think I'm eyeballing mrp's hand and raring up to grab it and hold on!

We had the crying thing all under control--well, at least until the vows. Mrp went first and was crying his little eyes out! So, by the time it was my turn, I could hardly talk. I just squeaked out my vows under all the sniffles and tears :)

Our priest gave us permission to practice our end-of-the-ceremony kiss after our vows.

Mrp's niece and our flower girl looks on. I wonder what her little 4 year old brain makes of all this!

The Peanut Gallery

From the looks of this picture we had a lot of people in the audience. However, we had a pretty small wedding. At the ceremony I would estimate we had about 40 people.


Our bridal party made up 20% of that! Here they are looking on--lovingly, of course!


My mom and stepfather also looking: concerned? bored? overjoyed?


My poor little grandma is just praying her little heart out. I've given her knees a workout over the years!


Mrp's brother-in-law and nephew behaving like a dream! I was referring to the little one!

Mid-ceremony Visits

After our vows we went down from the alter and visited briefly with our parents and grandparents in the first row during the peace offering.




Then we visited the Virgin Mary.


And then we returned to the alter to be blessed one more time before we were official official :)

Mr. and Mrs. Mrp and Salty

Before the ceremony, mrp and I discussed what kind of final kiss we wanted. Did we want the demure church peck or the full on make-out session?


In the end we went for the passionate closed mouth with slight dip to great effect! I love this picture. It's the real kiss--not posed!

We decided to walk out to the traditional dum dum da dum dum dum dum da da da dum music and I just remember feeling so blissed out holding mrp's hand and trying not to smile too big that I looked psychotic in the pictures. Heh.

Greetings from the Mrps

After the ceremony we had a bit of a receiving line in the church lobby. Since we had such a small crowd we didn't have to stand there for a million years smiling until our cheeks hurt. Instead, since everyone there was either family or very close friends we actually spent a few quality minutes with everyone.

My grandma again! Isn't she the cutest?!

Mrp being a fine host. I think a lot of people never thought mrp would break down and get married and I think his sister's mother-in-law was one of them ;)

Me and my aunty! The sinceretyof the happiness that most of our guests had for us was probably the second best thing about the day (second to how happy we were!)

One of my bestest friends drove all the way from NYC. I hadn't seen him in two years and I didn't recognize him at first with that hair! Gorgeous!

My new nephew! I love being an aunt, can't you tell?

Cowbells in Action

After the meet and greets it was time for our grand exit from the church. As you know, at the last minute mrp and I frantically tried to figure out what to have our guests do upon our exit from the church. Impulsively, I purchased two dozen cowbells. So on their way out from the church, the guests picked up one of these:

Or my sister handed them as in the case of my uncle here.

Once all cowbells were in place we made a walk for it...

to the sweet cacophony of cowbells!

Isn't it cute how I am so expressive and mrp is so contained? I never realized how differently we express our feelings until I got our wedding pictures!

A Zany Antic Interlude

Normally, the party starts at the reception. However, for our guests it started right after the ceremony.


My uncles hanging out with J.C.

A little flower cow.

Hey, those aren't for eating!

It's like she's a Charlie's Angel ready to take down the bad guy with a mum.

The side-effects of (faux) fur--people treat you like an animal!

I Think We're Alone Now

I think one thing you don't realize when you're planning a wedding is how little time you get to spend with your betrothed at all, let alone all by yourselves! After the intensity of the ceremony and overwhelming emotions it was awesome to finally have a private moment to bask in it all together.


Here we are at that moment. We love this picture because we had no idea that moment was being captured. We're so glad it was!

And just for kicks, after mrp had me all set in the passenger seat, he's checking out the shoe!

Home Again Home Again Jiggedy Jig

We love our house. Our one acre is smack dab in the middle of an apple orchard. (Hence the apples incorporated into the wedding.) We knew we wanted to have a few pictures on our wedding day at our home.

So we arrived back in mrp's '90 Cavalier Z24 and I was greeted by my bud.

Then we went to our front porch to get a little American Gothic.

While we were there a neighbor walked by and introduced herself. Our front yard is really long so we when she first waved we were trying to squint to see if we knew her. Turns out we didn't, but we do now!

In the House

After our little tribute to American folk art we headed inside to kick back for a few minutes before heading to the reception.

Fortunato needed to be a part of the wedding festivities so we played with him with left over ribbon from our program baskets.

Once that cat no longer felt ignored it was time for the booze!

The little one had juice, don't worry!

I made mrp do that stupid arms crossed champagne move. He totally loved it can't you tell! Heh.

Hmmm. Maybe there was a little too much booze.

Heading Out

After the champagne mrp took a break while us ladies gathered our things.

You can see the remnants of our last minute photo project. We decorated the reception space with photos of us through the years. These are duplicates or extras. We finished the project at 11:30 the night before!

Now we're off

Going to the party!

Runners

We arrived at our reception locale for pre-party pictures outside. Our reception was held at a manor house built in the '20's that sits on dozens of beautiful acres of farm and natural grasslands and forest.

We went out on the grass and I immediately started to sink in my ivory satin heels. Bad! So mrp and his groomsman helped me take my shoes off.

But it was so cold and wet on the grass that my little feet froze! So, what's a good runner girl to do? I took off running and mrp joined me!

We were neck and neck for a while as you can see

But then I made my move.

Sweet victory!

Shoes and then Posing

After our grueling race and the great foot freeze of 2007, I needed my shoes stat.

Super mrp to the rescue!

Ahh much better. Ken plopped us on a bench together and we posed away.

He stuck our groomsmen on an adjacent bench. They remind me of Waldorf at that other guy on the Muppet Show!

Or two stooges!


I think mrp looks so handsome in this photo!

As we were posing, our guests started arriving!

Oops! We're hurrying! We'll be in soon!

Two More Poses

On our way back to the Manor House we stopped for a couple of more poses.

We took a few standing together like this one. I like this one best.

And then in front of the Manor House mrp picked me up and we took a few like this. I'll spare you the ones showing mrp straining to hold me. Heh. I love this shot. One of my absolute favorites!

Little Details Interlude: Before

Before we commence the reception photos, here is a brief interlude focusing on the little details. Here are some shots before the party started.


Our incredibly gorgeous cake baked by my pastry chef cousin. It is decorated with lady apples, little pears, cranberries, mums, plum ribbon, and little picturs of us in cinnamon stick frames. The photos on the sides are of us as babies, children, then young adults in sepia. The one at the top is one of Ken's engagement shots of us.



Besides the cake and the flower girl baskets, we used lady apples as place cards. We found a leaf shaped hole punch and punched leaves in three different colors that corresponded to the guests meal choice (mrp and I both chose the salmon--yum!) Then we pinned the leaves to the top and voila!

I am so not a fan of floral centerpieces. Hate them, in fact. So, instead we put candles in various sized mason jars and clustered them in the center of the tables. For table numbers we used some of the dozens of picture frames we bought at thrift stores and closeout shops (we even found one that was a picture frame inside a squirrel figurine!) to tie in with our photo theme (cake, decorations, guest book).

We also put lady apples and the candles in mason jars around other areas of the space along with photos of us together, some family wedding shots, and us as kids.

Finally, we did the music ourselves using itunes. My Aunty MC'd. Here we are hooking things up and doing a sound check. "Check. Check."

Little Details Interlude: After

So here are those same details a little later.


The cake all cut up! It was SO yummy! The butter cream was all real butter baby!

Mrp helping some guests find their place card.

Table 5 all aglow.

A little homage in honor of ourselves. Heh.

I think the guests enjoyed my playlist!

My Aunties and My Dress

My dad was one of 8 children. He died when I was 11, but he thankfully has four wonderful sisters who were as close to a replacement as you could get to a lost parent.


Besides my one aunt volunteering for MC duties, the one above gave a touching self-written reading and along with the others fabulously helped us decorate the reception area. (If you look closely you can see the squirrel!)

Anyway, as soon as mrp and I walked into the reception I was acosted! Heh.

But I ate up their attention and used the opportunity to show off my dress!

I dropped some coin on that thing at a little shop called All Brides Beautiful. It was designed by a Seattle boutique designer Sally Crew. It was silk chantilly lace and swarovski crystals. It was simple and elegant yet totally decadent. I felt gorgeous, dahling! And that's the point of a wedding dress! And Aunties!

Mixin' and Minglin'

I finally was able to escape from my Aunties and headed over for a cocktail. Rum Punch! Yum. Mrp and I stocked the bar ourselves, purchasing nothing but top shelf all the way! Mrp and I visited my sister when she lived in New Orleans and sat on the levee drinking rum punch we took out from the Dry Dock restaurant on the West Bank. Ever since then it's been my favorite drink! So we bought the rum punch fixin's and our bartender, Jeff made sure I was well taken care of (but thankfully not too well taken care of if you know what I mean!)

My fabulous bridesmaid also found herself a Grey Goose martini.

Mrp hung out with his guys for a couple of minutes

before moving along to my uncle as my grandparents found their place apple.

I took a moment to chat with mrp's dad.

And my sister helped someone with a big present!

Snack Time!

You can work up an appetite getting married, I tell you! Mrp and I painstakingly worked with our fabulous caterer, Suzy of Strawberry Hill Caterers, on the perfect menu. On the appetizer list were:


Mmm. Chicken spinach pillows dipped in mint chili sauce.

My friends, A & A liked them!

I am grabbing my favorite: the shimp sweet potato puffs! Little *P* here is a vegetarian so she was waiting for one of these:

French toasted asiago and roasted red pepper sandwiches. Yum, I could go for one now!

The Old Polaroid Guestbook Trick

If you've ever considered a polaroid guest book, do it! It was so fun and mrp and I cherish our book and all the adorable and the absurd pictures our guests (and even I) took. I originally went with it because it fit in with our photo theme (framed photo decorations, the cake, the table numbers, etc.) But knowing what I know now, I'd get it no matter what just for the fun value!


Here's my sister kicking things off.


I'm taking a very cute shot of my bridesmaid and my cocktail :)

Even my 80+ year old grandparents were into it!

Here are the end results.

And if you still aren't convinced your guests can handle it, our 4 year old and 7 year old flower girls were fully capable of sending their good wishes our way!