Weddingbee Blog

All photos courtesy of the amazing Angelica Glass, unless otherwise noted. Please note that the photos have only been color-corrected and not fully retouched.

Well, hello, again hive. It’s been over a year since we’ve been married and I really don’t have a good excuse for not finishing my recaps. Married life is wonderful and after the wedding, I realized that planning it had encompassed my life for about 18 months. So after the wedding, I dove right into my former life again—seeing friends, dabbling in various hobbies, and spending time with my dear husband. But I am determined to finish my recaps and share the rest of our wedding day with you. I’ve been constructing the story of our day from all over the place, but I will now continue along in a more structured manner.

Where did we last leave off? Ah yes, we had a photo session at Bryant Park and then we were off to our venue for the ceremony and reception.

The ceremony required the least amount of planning (since our wonderful officiant took the reins and guided us through the entire process). The rehearsal took place an hour before the actual ceremony, which was fine by both Mr. Canary and me because we’d already had our “first look” earlier in the day. We did a quick run-through with Christine at the helm directing us where to go and it took all of 15 minutes. The highlight of having the rehearsal on the day of the wedding was that I really had a chance to soak up all the hard work our florists had put into decorating the space. Instead of a traditional altar, our fabulous florist created an arbor/archway which would be reused during the reception. It was such a beautiful yet simple focal point.

After rehearsing, we all scurried back to our suites to wait for the ceremony to begin. But despite the ease of planning the ceremony, the event itself was the most important and meaningful part of the day. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) there are no photos of me anxious and excited, waiting in the bridal suite along with Mama Canary, MIL Canary, and SIL Canary, and all my sweet bridesmaids. The boys were in the next room and apparently having their own icebreaker moment. But reality took effect the minute Stacy set the veil on my head. Although early in the planning process I had decided against a traditional veil, in the weeks leading up to the wedding I decided to don a beautiful Lynn Kiracofe cathedral veil. Mostly, it was because when we first got engaged, Mr. Canary seemed a bit disappointed that I would not be wearing a traditional veil. Plus, when I tried on Lynn’s beautiful creation, it just felt so right.

And finally it was time. Our guests were settled and seated. The white runner was rolled out, petals scattered. The boys had all gone ahead. The ladies and I made our way downstairs where Papa Canary was waiting for me. Everyone was ready and lined up. I heard the prelude music we had carefully selected begin to play and I knew that this was the moment. I was indeed quite nervous and asked Papa Canary to walk very slowly on account of my very high heels and full gown. And then the procession began.

First, our officiant, Alma, followed by the best man and Mr. Canary

FIL and MIL Canary

Brother Canary and SIL Canary

Mama Canary, Brother Canary, and Great Aunt

My sweet cousins who were junior bridesmaids and a junior usher

Our lovely bridesmaids escorted by our dashing groomsmen

My beautiful beaming maid of honor

One of my favorite photos from the day… Mr. Canary with the best man get one last chance to plot an escape.

And finally, Papa Canary and me

Another favorite of ours because you can see so many smiling faces behind Mr. Canary and Papa Canary, including those of FIL and MIL.

Like many bees before me, I really made my way slowly so I could fully live in the moment. I just couldn’t believe that it was actually happening and that all these people had showed up to witness our marriage. It was so touching and overwhelming all at once. And when I reached the end of the aisle, there was Mr. Canary smiling and excited. Papa Canary shook Mr. Canary’s hand and gave him a big hug. Then I grabbed onto Mr. Canary’s hands, took one long look at each other, and then turned to Alma as we prepared to embark on the journey of marriage.

If you missed out on the previous episodes of the Canary Wedding Adventure, catch up here:

• Our first look and a mini photo session
• A traditional Chinese tea ceremony
• Our video trailer that captures a quick synopsis of our day
• And because Mrs. Canary is a delinquent blogger, Mr. Canary writes about our amazing Italian honeymoon (Part One, Two, and Three)

More to come in the Canary Wedding Adventure! Next up, ceremony details…