So, I still don't know most of you that well but wanted to say a thank you to all of the regulars who offer good advice for staying calm during the process and on how to properly host wedding guests and share my own wedding experience. I am really glad I had these boards as a resource and sounding board.
Everything went so smoothly the weekend of our wedding starting with our rehearsal where our DOC and her assistant really came through and managed everyone well. (More about this in the nit-picky section). At the rehearsal dinner the food was delicious, the space looked great with only the simple decorations I had provided (votives) and it was wonderful to see our families getting along. FI's mom surprised us by actually being really gracious towards his step-mother, which was a big concern for us.
I know I am mostly preaching to the choir here but the wedding day went by so fast! Breakfast, hair, make-up all ran on time. I briefly lost a bridesmaid because she went back to her room right before we were supposed to leave for the chapel for pictures. I jetted off on my own with all my stuff and my other bm rounded her up and they got there just after the photog finished our detail shots, so it was all fine. Before I knew it it was time for our first look shots. I was very excited for my now H to see me all fancy, and was actually just a little disappointed in his reaction. I mean, he smiled and was happy to see me. It's funny because when I actually walked down the aisle he actually lost his composure a bit. He said he knew the first look was just pictures but when he saw me come into the chapel it was for real and he was completely overwhelmed with emotion. So sweet! I definitely recommend the first look. It will not take away anything from the moment you see each other during the ceremony.
The ceremony was so lovely, one of our friends officiated and we wrote our own (don't worry they were short) vows. Guests headed to our reception venue, which was a 3 minute drive or 10 minute walk from the chapel. Guests told me they loved that our cocktail hour had not only great cocktails (we had wine, beer, bubbly and whiskey and whiskey cocktails -- including mint juleps for the Derby) but also our great food (cheeses, fruit, breads, crackers, and spicy chicken and pork bites).
The plan was that we would finish the family photos and then head to the reception space for our entrance. The Derby was supposed to start at 6:24, but it actually started a little late and we actually were a little early getting done with photos and getting over to the reception, so our DOC brought me, H and our WP some drinks while we waited for the Derby to end.
We did a sweetheart table on the stage at our venue and I'm so glad we did because otherwise we never would have actually gotten to eat. As it was people kept coming up to the table to say hello. We ate quickly and then started table visits. The reception just flew by so fast I couldn't believe it was time to leave. Everyone seemed to have a great time. We got a lot of compliments on the food and drink choices - both on the night of and in the time since. People were bonkers over our photobooth - so much so that although it was supposed to close at 9pm (we had paid for 3 hours, I thought that would be enough) I actually ran and got a check and paid them an extra $100 to stay open another hour. Our DJ did a great job and kept people dancing. We actually had great guest-retention, I'd say a majority of our guests were still there when we made our exit.
Favorite moments: Holding H's hands at the altar, our first dance, seeing my mother dance to "All About that Bass", a guest's compliment to me that she could tell that we had really considered every aspect of our guests' comfort, H and I snacking on leftovers in the hotel room with our fingers, because no one had thought to pack any utensils.
Nit picky things: I pretty much gave up on our DOC in the weeks before the wedding. Among the things she was supposed to do was to compile a timeline for the weekend that I could distribute and take over contacting vendors. She never took over contacting vendors and I didn't see a draft timeline until a few days before the rehearsal. When I looked at it many of the names (of VIPs) and even MY NAME was wrong. I wished I would have pushed her harder in those couple weeks before the wedding to take more off of my plate and make sure she understood some of the details so I didn't have to worry about them that day. I also wish I would have pushed our caterer harder about the bartenders or hired them separately myself. I was told they were professionals, but they actually did not know how to make proper old fashioneds and reportedly were pouring glasses of expensive whiskey four fingers deep. I don't mind that 100 people went through 25 bottles of whiskey but I think a lot of it was wasted on botched cocktails and over-deep pours no one would be able to finish.