Reception: Part Uno

There is so much to say about this day, I'm just going to dive in. Here's hoping it's not too out of order and confusing. I'm thinking it will take at least two posts to cover it all...


Amanda and her beau, pre-ceremony



Mel as supermodel superhero, also pre-ceremony

My cousins Amanda and Melanie were my AMAZING day-of coordinators. When I asked them if they would do it, I really thought the work would be minimal. Shows how much I know. Luckily, they are two of the most generous, calm, efficient, organized and did I say generous? people I know, and they took it all in stride. I don't know what I would have done without them. Amanda took my phone from me the morning of the wedding, and then went to the venue site to make sure all the vendors were under control. She fielded all my phone calls, and only called my sister (my MOH who was with me all day) if there was something she didn't know the answer to. She came up with this idea, and talked me into it - she wanted me to be able to focus on the getting married part, and not the "omg we don't have napkins" part. She's brilliant. She also made all the flags that were hanging at the reception. By herself. In between tours. Like I said, she's amazing. Check her out here.


Manders did the flags, I did the birds...

The caterer was late. They didn't bring napkins. The musicians ended up having to do a sound check that morning, because we were missing some vital piece of equipment and couldn't do it the night before (Matt was a CHAMP that day - he was at the church all morning, running around in his tux, getting shit DONE). Things definitely went wrong, but thanks to the incredible support system we had, it all got handled. Amanda and Mel ran out to get napkins, like half an hour before the ceremony. They also picked up dozens of yellow and blue balloons to line the pathway to the garden. Totally their idea, and totally amazing and helpful. I think the most incredible thing about the wedding (apart from getting married, of course) was the unbelievable wave of support we felt that day, and the days preceding.

Sitting in my parents house the Thursday before, with at least three cousins, four siblings, and one nephew all sitting in a circle, assembling programs..... having so many people show up the day before (a weekday, I might add) to help set up the reception space that we were finished in a fraction of the time I had allotted, and some people didn't even need to do anything..... seeing pictures, taken the morning of the wedding, of people running around the hall, setting up the music, while I was obliviously hanging out with my bridesmaids.... arriving at the reception and seeing it utterly transformed.... GORGEOUS flowers, everywhere...... wine bottles all out and opened, hundreds of candles lit, all without my saying anything about it..... just amazing.


Magical wedding elves doing some last minute set-up the morning of...

It really was a community project, and that made it so much more special and meaningful.

Seriously? I'm already tapped out for today. Tomorrow, I tackle the music. Oh. The Music.