Wedding Recap and Withdrawal — The Knot Community

Surprise Wedding on Saturday, June 16th

sweetkeex — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 16:45:41 +0000

WE PULLED IT OFF! As of July 2011, my fiance (now husband) started tossing around an idea...wouldn't it be cool to have a party (birthday or engagement) and then surprise everyone and get married!! It started out as a joke, but then got serious. Our birthdays are a week apart in November and we didn't have enough time to plan for it in 2011, and we felt November 2012 was too far away. So...we started planning for a June 2012 engagement party turned wedding and we weren't even engaged yet. Jessie let it slip last May that he had already designed a ring for me (yes, designed it!) He just couldn't afford it yet. In November of 2011, he popped the question and the planning really took off.

We let our parents in on the secret along with my sister (maid of honor) and his brother (best man). We also told a few people that we were concerned would not come due to distance or circumstances. Overall, we kept it a secret from most of our guests (probably about 90-95 percent).

Planning wasn't easy. My personality is to share good news with everyone. I have other friends planning weddings and it was so hard to keep it to myself. We had to come up with a way to convince people to come, so we decided we would tell people that we were having a destination wedding next year. We figured that way, people wouldn't use the excuse that they would just come to the wedding when they skip out on the engagement party. We also planned for a "raffle" in which we told people that the prize was an opportunity to join us at our non-disclosed destination (all expenses paid). The raffle was just a way to get people there on time for the ceremony. There would be no prize seeing as everyone would actually be at the wedding. It was tough fibbing to everyone, but it seemed to work.

For the venue, we originally had a country club picked out, but the coordinator we were working with fell off the face of the earth and so we had to come up with another solution. My parents offered their home/backyard for the party. We took them up on the offer and I nervously committed to a completely outdoor wedding not knowing what the weather would be like. We rented a large tent, several tables, chairs, linens, etc. We also rented a party wagon in which beer could be tapped. The food we chose was from a Mexican restaurant nearby and we had a taco bar buffet.

My parents spent many weeks prepping the house. My dad did so much yard work and did all he could to make it look absolutely perfect. My mom made several side dishes and cleaned the inside of the house top to bottom.

The wedding day arrived and we had not had rain in the area for quite a while and really needed it. I had prayed for no rain, but everyone kept reminding me it was good luck. We decided to take some pictures that morning at a park nearby and we got through them without rain. Then it came...the rain was coming down hard and the wind was strong. All of my table linens were blowing all over the place, centerpieces were falling over, the margaritas weren't made yet. The napkins weren't placed out yet. The favors weren't out. There was so much to do but so little time before the party started. I got out of my wedding dress and into my engagement party dress and pulled my hair out knowing that my hairdresser would be back. I tried to help getting everything together and was in a complete panic as people started showing up early. Thankfully, I had help from people that knew the secret and some that didn't know to help finish getting set up. The rain continued and I was crying. I thought everything was going to be ruined. I greeted people as they came and then had to be back up in my old room getting ready again about 20 minutes after the party started.

We had a plan to keep people occupied while Jessie and I got ready. We created a slideshow of us from when we were little and then pictures of us together. It got started late, but at the end of the slideshow, we had a picture of us holding our marriage certificate and the song by Train "Marry Me" played in the background. When that came on, Jessie and I would walk out hand in hand. Everyone's attention was focused on the slideshow. We walked outside and the sun had come out and the rain stopped. Slowly everyone turned around and saw us. They immediately started clapping and smiling and tears were streaming down peoples' faces. I wish I could bottle up that moment and live it over again. Thankfully a friend of mine videotaped it for me. We walked up to where the slideshow was playing and Jessie made the announcement that the plan was a little different than we had discussed and that the destination was about 2 feet to the west and in about 15 minutes. We had the most amazing ceremony and everyone loved it.

I enjoyed it so much and would do it the same way over again. We are so happy and grateful that everything turned out and we had such a wonderful day. It was tough, but so worth it!

Omni Royal Orleans

pickleberry02 — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 19:34:31 +0000

I am thinking of having my wedding/reception in the courtyard. Has anyone had their wedding there or has been to a wedding there? How was it? I am concerned because someone told me there was a large noisy generator in the courtyard that might affect the wedding..

need some help

smokeymtngirl92 — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 00:34:32 +0000

i dont know where elese to put this and dont know who to ask.

but how do you delete an account?

i would like to delete mine but dont know how to any help would be great.

thanks

sierra

Paying someone to help change your last name

CaptKDB — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 20:27:51 +0000

Hi all. Well, we did it and are married! However, I am having a heck of a time changing my last name. Mainly because I am from Florida, have been living in Australia for the past 7 years and now living in the US Virgin Islands. So I don't have any bills with my name on it (I am a very transient person), changing my name on my drivers license is a real pain. So I hired a website (MissnowMrs) to help me. Well, it was bloody useless. So I just wanted to post my opinion on here. Don't bother paying someone to do it. You can do it yourself. And even if you are not in a situation like myself (lives in many different places for short amounts of times), it still is useless. Save youself the $30.

I'm sending off for a new social security card and will just deal with the DMV and passport office some other day....when I can waste time, sitting around an office, waiting....

Anyways, just my opinion if any future Mrs. is thinking about hiring someone. I'm sure other people have positive reviews.

Advice on in-law problems

kten88 — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 16:55:11 +0000

My wedding was this past Saturday - beautiful weather, great people with us...everything was perfect except for one giant thing - my husband's family. They showed up on Friday with an uninvited guest (someone that my husband told them was specifically NOT invited and was not to step foot into our wedding). When I approached his mother about this, she refused to talk about it. My mother & MOH then went to explain to this guest (in the nicest way possible) that she was flat-out not invited and that this was our wishes and they needed to respect it. His entire family then refused to come to the rehearsal dinner. When they showed up morning of the wedding, none of the girls (mother included) would talk to me or even look at me. The only person from his family who congratulated us at all was his brother. The whole family (with the exception of those in the wedding party) refused to sit at their reserved table up front, and ALL of them left immediately after our first dance without saying good-bye. To me, these things are unforgiveable, but at the same time, I don't want my husband to feel like he must choose between me and his family (though he's made it clear to me that he's incredibly hurt, embarassed and outraged at how they all acted). Am I overreacting by feeling that this is all unforgiveable? And if so, how on earth can I begin to move past this??

Recap

rebeccaa12 — Tue, 22 May 2012 15:23:28 +0000

Hello All!

http://vimeo.com/41787234 <---highlight video <3

It's been quite a whirwind of a ride for us, but we are finally married!! The day was perfect in all its imperfections and for almost a year of planning (with a great coordinator), all I can say is DAMN! :) Things that helped me-

1.) Research: I picked something I liked, then moved on :) It becomes needlessly expensive if you don't. We paid for everything ourselves, and even though I had a vision, I had to keep our budget in mind :) Etsy was totally my friend! So was Koyal Wholesale and RestaurantWebstore.com

2.) Florals/Favors: All of my flowers were silk (latex) from Hobby Lobby during their 50% off weeks. Saved me a ton, and they photographed well, IMO.I made all flower arrangements. The favors (I don't think you can see them on the video), but they were white Lindt truffles. I went to Sam's, got 2 big boxes and put one on each plate setting. People loved them, and they matched the theme. :)

3.) Budget Constraints: To me, the most important thing was going to be video/dj- it was my splurge and I couldn't have been happier- I had to be willing to compromise, it's how I got proposed to in the first place! I had an Excel sheet with a payment plan and tried to get as much paid off in as little time as possible.

4.)Time Frame: I actually stuck to the knot's checklist. Worked well enough for me.

5.) Greeting our Guests: We skipped the line so that we can do our photos, but greeted each table individually. It took nearly an hour, but for us, it was definitely the way to go. During that hour, we had a cocktail hour for our guests: Mariachis, appetizers and signature drinks. We also had our venue for 7 hours (this included ceremony and cocktail hour), so the extra time played a factor in our decision.

6.) The bar- We have heavy drinkers on both sides of our family, so we started buying what we like by the 1.75 gallon very shortly after the proposal. We bought around one or two a month and by the end of the year we were FULLY STOCKED AND THENSOME! Our venue allowed outside alcohol, though.

7.) Food: Our venue came with the food, and they offered to serve all guests on the day of! It was a really sweet gesture that the venue threw in.

8.) Music: Our DJ was phenomenal. An excellent MC and spoke both English/Spanish and we spent a lot of time together customizing our music and finding special songs and mixes. A very important song was by James Taylor, 'You've got a Friend', which I danced with my Dad. 'Para Siempre' by Vicente Fernandez was mine and my husband's first dance, played by the Mariachis as their final song before leaving. The song I walked down the aisle with was the most difficult to find but wouldn't have changed it for the world "Frederyk Chopin, Nocturne # 20". It had all the drama I was looking for, with all the class I wanted :)

9.) Family Drama: My parents are bitterly divorced but were VERY surprisingly cordial with each other and their families.

10.) I managed to stick with my one drink per hour. This was critical,as my husband learned the hard way :) I was in 5" killer heels all night with no problem. Although- I am comfortable in high heels on the regular.

11.) Kids: They behaved. They are so unpredictable, but between my coordinator and their loving parents, they stayed off the dance floor during key moments- :) I loved that they were there and spent much time dancing with them. I must say, little girls give the best compliments, too!! My 3 year old cousin was CONVINCED I was a princess. :D

12.) Organization: I have mentioned this before, but I bought 3 big plastic tubs from the Home Depot. One carried everything I needed to get ready (MARRIAGE LICENSE, veil, garter, shoes, etc.) Another carried all things bar (signature drinks, wine, liquor, cups, mixers). The last box carried everything reception (sign in books, departure items, card box, escort card board, etc.). This saved my life and made things SO easy when my mind went scatterbrained at the last minute.

13.) Relaxation: I took a shot of my favorite tequila before walking down the aisle. Then brushed my teeth :) Oddly enough, so did he! Unplanned awesomeness...or alcoholics?? Lol jk.

14.) Weather: It totally rained all over the place, but I live in Houston, so I vaguely expected that. The day was still MORE than perfect and by the time I departed, the rain had stopped.

15.) Bridal Party - We had a large uneven bridal party that included who we wanted. One sister in law, 2 sisters, 1 cousin, and 3 of my very friends standing up with me. No drama and each got a handmade card, a letter from the heart, and a gift card to different places based on what they like. :)

That's all I can really think of for now. We had our honeymoon the next day and hubby was hungover :) I am pleased to say that as much fun as it was, I am happy that it is over with. I know this is really long, but I thought it might help a nervous bride out there! Any questions, feel free to ask. Happy planning, ladies!! <3

Day of question

dawle77 — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 14:34:55 +0000

So I was wondering if any of you had an early ceremony. Our ceremony is at 11:30am. We are starting at the salon for hair and makeup at 7:00am. I'm a little nervous about the timing. Did any of you have a similar wedding day? How did everything work out for you?

2 weeks already!!!

mrsryan2012 — Sat, 26 May 2012 04:37:27 +0000

Today is our two week anniversary!! I can't believe how fast time goes by!

name change

holycrapitsalexa — Tue, 22 May 2012 22:10:12 +0000

Does ayone have any advice on this? How long does it take? Hefty process? What should I expect?Anything would help! I am moving less than 2 weeks after the wedding with husband as he is military..

All married now!

mgg242 — Fri, 25 May 2012 15:09:33 +0000

Things weren't easy. We catered our own wedding (I'm a chef) didn't have trouble with that. Had trouble with lazy staff. But oh well. My one suggestion- take time to enjoy the day! Don't worry about hurrying through pictures to get to the reception. Take your time!

Lovely Day

emarble1 — Sat, 26 May 2012 14:54:41 +0000

Its hard to believe the planning is over. My husband and I enjoyed our special day. I was not nervous, the entiire day. Not everything went smoothly but overall we had a very blessed day.

Photo Booth pros and cons? Help!

luckyinlove0109 — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 14:37:32 +0000

I've thought about getting one for the reception, but my mom and sister think that guests will be occupied enough between eating, dancing, speeches, etc and that it won't get used or be a waste of money. Ive only been to one wedding before so I don't really know how "the flow" of things works. For those of you who've had or attended a wedding that had a photo booth, what did you think? Any advice or suggestions??? I have to make this decision today

Wedding Day Timeline

mlperkins12 — Wed, 23 May 2012 15:17:30 +0000

Hi There,

I'd love to see your day of timeline, particularly for the flow of your reception events. Our ceremony is at 4:30 followed by a recieving line and a 25 minute drive from the church to the reception. Timing seems a bit confusing for me. I'd love some advice, my working draft of a timeline is below. If email is easier, my email is mlperkins12@hotmail.com

Thanks!
Melissa

4:30 – Ceremony begins with Processional

5:00 – Ceremony Ends

5:00 – 5:45 – Receiving Line

5:45 – 6:15 – Wedding Party Photos at Church

6:00 – 7:00 – Cocktail Hour at Club for Guests

6:30 – Limo with Bride, Groom, Attendants and Photographer departs for Reception

7:15 – Introductions

7:25 – First Dance

7:30 – Dinner Served

8:00 – Speeches

8:30 – Bouquet Presentation

8:35 – Mother/Son Dance (As guests being to finish their meals)

8:40 – Father/Daughter Dance (Invite guests to dance immediate following)

10:00 – Cake Cutting

12:00 – Reception Ends

Married--May 8 on Maui, HI--pics!!

sandylee83 — Fri, 18 May 2012 05:47:10 +0000

Videographer question

csweaney — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 05:09:32 +0000

For those of you that had one was it worth it? I'm contemplating whether or not to have one.

Bubbles

kgrawedding — Wed, 30 May 2012 21:37:47 +0000

Past Brides: Do bubbles really stain your dress? Our church will not allow us to throw anything and I've always thought bubbles would be fun, but I will be wearing my mom's veil and want to preserve it and the dress. I've heard rumors that bubble stain, so now I am rethinking and possibly considering those ribbon steamers.

To already married brides, lapis BM color

titinoray08 — Thu, 24 May 2012 15:27:21 +0000

I am getting married Sept. 1st and I am having second thoughts on my BM dress color. It is Lapis from David's Bridal. Did any of you use Lapis as your color? If so, is it purple or Navy? in person. In the crappy cell phone picture taken at David's Bridal it looks very navy. I am looking to know if they are purple or navy. Any help would be great, thank you in advance.

Upset with the bridal party

craziqt43 — Wed, 30 May 2012 15:51:36 +0000

After hearing awful stories, I never thought I would be in this position. My MOH and one out of 2 of my bridesmaids have been there through everything with me, for over 10 years. So, without question I asked them to be in my bridal party. With only 53 days until my wedding they haven't done anything. I asked them to set up appointments for their dresses (and offered to go with them)... they said they wold and never did.
In January they asked my mom for help throwing my bridal shower and then ignored any types of contact my mom tried to have from there on with them and I ended up never having a bridal shower.
When I ask them questions or opinions about certain things in the wedding- they don't answer. And my bachelorette party is this weekend (My second bridesmaid had planned all by herself, because they ignored all her calls about it) and the other 2 said they wouldn't be home from the beach in time to make it. What do I do?? I love them, but they're really hurting my feelings.

wedding day blemish

AngB1230 — Tue, 29 May 2012 21:41:21 +0000

did anyone have a wedding day blemish (pimples) did your make up person cover it well?

What were they thinking????

littleshrink — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:57:45 +0000

My husband (I just love saying that!) and I were married last week and I returned to work a couple of days ago. I work in a really small office, only 3 of us, and there was a card on my desk when I got here. Ah...love my office mates. Inside the card is a hand done "gift certificate" for $50 to get some stained glass done in our house, by one of my office mates good friends. I had mentioned the idea about a year and a half ago purely out of conversation and now I have this "gift" that I have no idea what to do with it. The gal that does the stained glass said to do our front door, which is what we were talking about, would be about $400. Ah...ok. So that's not anywhere in our budget right now. This feels like one of those really odd gifts you got as a child that you kind of just want to toss to the side and forget about. But my office mate asked me about it yesterday as to when are we going to meet with her and figure something out. How do I respond to this? I feel like this more of a gift to her friend than to H and me. My H just looked at it and said that is a really bad gift. What are we supposed to do with this thing...come up with something/anything and then say "pay the lady"? I wish they would have just given us a card and said congratulations.
Please don't think I'm ungrateful, because I'm really not. I'm just confused on what to do with this gift. Thoughts, ideas?

Wedding Vendor Review for 09/24/2011 wedding! The Mansion at Mainstreet

AngiesWeddingDay — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 12:42:06 +0000

We were married 3 days ago, and it was perfect. Even the weather, which I really thought would ruin the day turned out just fine. So here is a rundown of all the vendors:

My hair : Sheryl's Hair Essentials in Pittman: A+ She did my hair and my girls, and it turned out beautiful. I had a updo, like Audrey Hepurn in My Fair Lady. My hair usually doesn't curl well or last that long in an updo, But thanks to Sheryl my hair lasted from 9:00am till 2:00am with not a hair out of place

Reception: The Mansion at Mainstreet A+ Jeff Sands and his crew, helped me put together the best reception, that my guests say they have ever been too! My attendants Sojurn and Bob were great not only to me but to all the members of my Bridal Party. The food my guest were served was beautifully present,served piping hot, and tasted professional, not like common reception food. We were able take all the pictures we needed outside, and on their staircase. My guest couldn't stop raving about the service they recieved while there.

Flowers : Cooks Florist A+ I love this Florist Shop. All the flowers from my bouquet, to the centerpieces to the bridal party flowers were done beautifully:) Mike really helped me find flowers to match my color scheme ( Blue, Chocolate, with hints of Ivory and Green) the flowers were fresh, and lasted all night .

Limo : Riverfront Limo Service. A+ We ordered 2 Limos. One White one Black. Both cars were clean, and ontime!!! They helped me in and out of the car, and even went to get me with an umbrealla when it started to drizzle. My driver Nick was great and went out of his way to make my party feel comfortable.

Photography; Precious Moments in Philadelphia: A++++ This place is fantastic. They did our engagement photos,and they turned out beautiful. I cant wait to see our photos for the wedding. John Corasante and Rita Corasante really put you at ease during this hectic day. They are perfectionist and will get the best shots, and the best lighting to make sure your pictures turn out perfect. They are so nice, they really become like family to you. I can't stop raving about them.

DJ; Dinardo Brothers. A+ What can I say, these guys are awsome !! My guest are still talking about the music. John kept the party puming all night that practically all our guest stayed till the very last song. They really listen to your likes and dislikes and play to the crowd. They were also very organized and professional !

Cake : The Classic Cake Company in Cherry Hill A+ on taste and presentation, B+ on service. My cake was suppose to have 5 tiers. marble, and chocolate chip with vanilla butter cream, and lemon with rasberry butter cream. Our top tier was suppose to be the chocolate chip. On the wedding day, the cake came out and it was beautiful. The taste was great. My guest loved it and wanted more to take home. I had about 200 people. But there wasnt enough to go around because they forgot and extra tier. So instead of having 5 tiers for 200 people, we only had 4! This is also compunded by the fact that they at first had it written my wedding was August 24, not September 24th, then they lost my paperwork and had to rewrite it. Then they tell me to bring the topper the day before my wedding , only when I get there they tell me to bring it to the hall instead! When we alerted the manager that they shorted us a layer, she was very applogetic. She could not believe someone forgot to make us the fifth layer, because now she has no clue what flavor our top layer is. She did say she will make amends and give us reimbursment. I love this place, their cake is delicious, I only hope that the people they have working there pay better attention to the orders they have to take !!

Hotel for guest and Honemoon Suite : The Wyndam of Mt Laurel A+
All of our guest loved their rooms. The place was very clean, and neat. Our Suite was a beautiful. It had two seperate rooms, and we were greated with Champagne and Chocolate covered Strawberries. We had our after party in their bar, and enjoyed the rest of the night on the patio. In the morning we went to the restaurant and enjoyed a delicious breakfast.

I am very thankful to all the vendors who helped make my wedding a success !

Questions for the married ladies!

megkbush — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 15:58:25 +0000

What was something you wish you had done differently for your wedding after it was done?

What was something you were really glad you did- something that made it special or unique or that people really seemed to like?

My Crazy & Unexpected Wedding Story

palmettogirl924 — Tue, 01 May 2012 00:27:11 +0000

I haven't posted on here too much, but thought I would share our wedding day story.

H and I got married on 2.11.12. The ceremony went down with no problems, however while signing the marriage liscense I wasn't feeling so great so H went to get me a few of the passed apps.

H ate some and had an allergic reaction-- no idea to what. His throat closed and he was rused to the hospital. So, we spent our wedding night in the ER. I was able to go back to the reception to say hi to guests, etc. for about an hour or so.

Luckily our guests stayed and enjoyed dinner and some dancing. It's a day we'll NEVER forget. All that matters though is that we made it through the important part, the ceremony.

Our families came together the next morning to throw a breakfast where we were able to cut the cake and visit with some of the guests. We were still able to leave for Hawaii the next day.. and had a great honeymoon. So hey, I guess sickness and health came first :)

So, all in all, my advice to those who might not have had your wedding yet, absolutley do not forget the real meaning behind the wedding. I am honestly so surprised at how uunupset I was over missing our reception... I know that sounds bad, but it's true. I'm sure there are girls out there who would have cried over this for days and while I am sad we didn't get our first dance and to see what we'd been planning almost a year on-- I am fully okay with the way things ended up happening. I think my friends and family were way more upset than I was.

It's so important not to place all the emphasis on the party.

Wedding Recap...with pics

runnagalblue — Tue, 08 May 2012 23:24:10 +0000

So excited to be a wife! My wedding day was anything but stress-free but once the ceremony started it was perfect. Enjoy my recap and pictures :)

http://justme-weddingdetails.blogspot.com/

If I could change 1 thing...

kleslater — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 17:35:51 +0000

I wouldn't have hired a friends mother in law to do our flowers. She somehow spaced the day of our wedding and called with a question at 1pm on Friday thinking the wedding was Sat when in fact we were meeting for pics at 3. You could tell everything was just thrown together. Even the photographer said the flowers were too wet. My bouquet wasn't what I asked for and was definitely not 150 worth of flowers. The only piece done nicely was our ceremony piece. And I feel like I can't even write a complaint bc of my friend. But I would not recommend her to anyone I know.

one track mind

hopehairhalo — Tue, 08 May 2012 01:25:20 +0000

i can't wait until after the wedding. i feel like i cannot concentrate on anything else in my life other than details of the big day!! any advice for it all coming together smoothly in the final days?? feeling a little overwhelmed with all the expectations.

Just wanted to let everyone know

DanniLynn88 — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:45:39 +0000

I just wanted to let everyone know we made it through our first week as husband and wife. It feels weird to say that still. I will say it felt like we spent forever getting ready then it was a blur and rush of a day and it was over. :) The pictures came out great and we had a great mini-moon in Atlanta. We are going on a real honeymoon in October. I am more in love now than we ever were before, and the wedding was wonderful. His mom, now my MIL, was actually pleasant, which is a first for her. It was amazing to feel like a princess for the day.

To those of you who bought your own table linens!

annamhisle — Mon, 14 May 2012 03:46:40 +0000

How did you get the wrinkles/creases out? Mine are polyester. My anxiety level is high now! They said wrinkle resistant - of course they have wrinkles when I open them up!

Where to sell all those wedding decorations?

danniellejoy — Sun, 13 May 2012 23:34:07 +0000

Well, I've pawned off all I could on the bridesmaids and family, where's the best place to sell table linens (we bought ours), and other florals ( moss pomanders, moss letters) and many, many picture frames used for table markers?

Plese Help!

slmoss — Fri, 11 May 2012 06:06:17 +0000

Hi Everyone!! I need your help! I am graduating from SF state in Event Management and have to write and extensive paper on the bridal business. I'm hoping you can help by answering a few questions for me.

1. How did you find and select (or plan to find) Your venue? (ie word of mouth, internet, blogs, the knot, planner, etc)

2. What was the biggest factor in your decision? (Price, ambiance, location, etc)

3. what made you inquire with venue (blog, quality of website, photos, etc)

THANK YOU!!!!!

Sarah