Hello!
We did it! It's true what everyone says, it's over WAY too fast. I had a blast and by the sounds of many of our guests, so did they.
Had a few minor disasters (a sick ring-bearer and one who was too shy to walk the aisle, as well as a guest with food poisoning - not from reception but day before - and only 4 uninvited guests, each with their own bizarre story. Actually considering another thread about those guys, as it served as entertainment to me & my immediate family. Finally, one guest was pick-pocketed the night before & lost his wallet but was still able to fly home & I gave him enough cash to finish out the weekend. Still felt bad though).
Otherwise, I went for a run the morning of w/some family & friends, followed by a private pool-side yoga session w/my BFF as a wedding gift which helped me chill out. Got ready in the suite and had the most fun limo driver ever who took us around the city as we were (gasp) ready EARLY for the wedding!
The whole crowd danced all night, so much so that we had to move tables as we spilled off the dance floor! My 83 year old aunt cut a rug, as did the 93 year old grandmother of one of my girlfriends who attended. Most comments we got were, "Best wedding we've ever been to" and "We need to have more family parties!" Had a large after party at a Tiki Bar with a great turnout.
Finally, the farewell brunch I hosted at the wedding hotel was a huge success, tables full of friends & family from all over the country talking about the wedding and catching up with one another. I definitely recommend doing this if you have the budget and a designated hotel where a lot of out of town guests are staying.
Oh, and we did a "date night jar" with popsicle sticks and a sharpie next to the guest book (yes, it's Pinterest-y but I saw it at another wedding and liked the idea) but the best thing that came out of it was a couple saucy friends got to the jar later in the evening and had some very suggestive ideas for our dates. "French Tickler Friday" was one of the mild ones...
I wish I had better photos but here are a few cell phone snaps if you're interested. Pic in the tub is from RD night.
We blew off our flights home, took a few days off of work and did a mini-moon at the beach on top of it. I recommend taking a few days off if you plan & host your own wedding w/o hiring a planner!
I've said it before & I'll say it again, I have many many thanks for all of you on here, especially the regs, who helped me navigate through the many subtleties of wedding & reception etiquette. I think I had all the basics down but I was surprised at how much I learned on here and I think the great time everyone had (including me) is directly attributable to the advice I got from many of you. THANK YOU, I think I'll stick around here!
PS - the bridesmaid dress that I got a little shit for in the past b/c I said it was universally flattering, seemed to be a hit. Friends of bridesmaids who posted pics of themselves in it on the Face were asking where to buy one.
PPS - what in the ever loving fuck went on here while I was gone?! Looked like a whiteout snow-storm for awhile & I'm sorry we lost some regs.