I just got back from my honeymoon and I'm so excited to be a Mrs. The wedding weekend was amazing with very few hiccups.
Thursday 8/18 Family Dinner(s)
My mother and I made dinner for my in-laws and our out of town family. It went really well with my husband's family, though he missed most of the dinner since he had to check into his hotel and leave early for his bachelor party. I did wonder why none of my family showed up to the dinner since I knew they were coming to town that day. I later found out that my Aunt decided to have a dinner of her own and she called our relatives before they came to town to make sure they came to her house instead. She didn't invite myself or anyone in the wedding party for that matter. Imagine the confusion of my cousins when they go to this dinner and don't see bride and groom. I was really pissed about this, thank God my aunt is old otherwise she would have gotten a piece of my mind.
Friday 8/19 The Rehearsal
I took my bridesmaids to brunch at this cute cafe that has a garden patio. We enjoyed mimosas and I gave them their gifts. I gave each girl earrings and a brooch to wear with their dresses and a personalized compact.
We headed straight to the rehearsal, which started an hour late because the groomsmen were still straggling in since the bachelor party was the night before.
The Rehearsal Dinner was a blast. We had it at this man made beach overlooking the NYC skyline. My out of town guests really got a kick out of that. I asked everyone to wear white and believe it or not just about everyone obliged. The food was great and so was the vibe. Even thurnderstoms that night didn't ruin the party, we just moved the party under the tent
The Bridesmaids
The Groomsmen (yes that is the Brooklyn Bridge)
August 20th, The Big Day
I had been stressing lhe week of the wedding but a calm came over me during the rehearsal dinner when I saw all the family and friends who came from out of town. I got up first thing that morning and got a mani/pedi. When I got back home all my bridesmaids were there, the hair stylists, make up artists and my wedding planner. My mom made pancakes and the mimosas were flowing. The photographer came and we started the transformation.
i live in a large co-op building and so it caused quite a stir when my girls and I came down,especilly since they sang going to the chapel all the way to the car. Our limos were outside and I was pisseed that the vintage Cadillac that I requested did not arrive, instead the limo compnay sent another vintage car like I wouldn't noticed. I was too caught up in the moment to call them and complain.
We started about 10 minutes late, which was okay with me. I hired a saxophonist to play Ribbon in the Sky for the bridesmaids and Luther Vandross So Amazing for my entrance. I saw my husband tearing up when I walked down the aisle, I really didn't see anyone else. I couldn't help but cry. The ceremony went quckly, at moments it felt like we were the only one's there. We did personal and traditional vows. The sax man played Bob Marley's Three Little Birds and we jumped the broom.
My wedding was Old NY Glamour and we had a lot of elements to make our guests appreciate the wonder of the city. First, my venue was an exhibit in the 1965 World's Fair that had been converted into a catering hall. The ceremony was on a rooftop deck that overlooked the NYC skyline, Citi Field (where the Mets play), The worlds Fair site and the Unisphere. I hired a jazz band to perform during cocktail hour, The lead singer sounds just like Billie Holiday. There cocktail hour was also on the rooftop and though I was busy taking pictures, my guests said there was so much food and that everything was amazing. Our signature drink was the Manhattan to go with the old NY feel. Each table was named after a NYC landmark. I also made my own seating chart and menu cards.
Our introduction didn't go as planned but was still a hit with our guests. The wedding party came out to Benny Goodman's "Sing, Sing, Sing" and did a little swing dance. We had hired a professional tap dancer to perform to Sinatra's "New York, NY," but he didn't show up. We came out to "Empire State of Mind" then the DJ went into a NYC hip hop mix (Jay Z/Cam Welcome to NYC; BDP South Bronx; MC Shan The Bridge; Biggie Where Brooklyn At etc) This really got the crowd hyped and we were repping NYC hard. It was a non-stop party after that, our dance floor was never empty. My husband is Canadian, so for the garter removal, He tied a Canadian flag around his neck like a cape and did a dance with the flag to Lenny Kravitz's American Woman, he then removed my garter which was red white and blue/stars and stripes. Everyone loved that. We also had a vienesse hour which was like a entering Willy Wonka's Chocolate factory, we had make your own sundae station, flambe station, choclate cups filled with shots of grand marnier and kahlua and every cake or pastry you can think of. I thought the night was magical and even thought we had a table of family members who are local btw not show up, nothing could ruin the night.
Card Box made by the MOH (people actually thought it was a cake)
centerpieces (lamps I got from KMart surrounded by cream orchids)
Will post professional pics when I get them. BTW, my wedding will be featured in a wedding TV show, will give the details when it airs.