Weddingbee Blog

First dance jitters? A thing of the past! I wanted to follow it up with a cartwheel, back flip, fist pump, anything to express my absolute joy knowing that our first dance was the last planning detail to come to fruition. I was coasting from here.

The rest was all Mr Piglet. He had taken charge of the reception details from here on out. First up, his thank you speech. He took the mic and stood front and center. Unlike his blabbering wife, he’s an incredible public speaker. A speech from Mr Piglet always tells a story. It always comes from the heart. And it never feels rehearsed. This one was no exception. We never expected so many of our friends to trek it to Hawaii, but they did. Mr Piglet thanked them over and over. The day may have been in honor of us, but the celebration wouldn’t have felt like a true celebration without them.

Mr Piglet followed up his speech with the same speech translated in Korean. His Korean is impressive when conversing casually. But when speaking in a formal tone, it’s a bit of a struggle.

Some nights, I would hear him practicing on the phone (in the bathroom) with our emcee who had translated the speech for him. But he didn’t have enough time to memorize it to perfection, so he read it off of a crumpled piece of paper he’d folded and tucked inside his wallet. He spoke slowly, enunciating each word precisely. Cute? YES!

Mr Piglet then took his seat, and our emcee took the mic once again and introduced the next bit: the Father/Daughter, Mother/Son dance.

First, my Pops and I took the stage. Being apart from my family was the hardest part about moving to LA. But apparently, I call and text enough to feel as if I’m still there. Hah! Plus, my dad sends me picture texts documenting where he’s eating, what he’s doing, and random pictures of George (our doggy). Dancing with him made me so happy.

Midway through the song, Mr Piglet and his Mom stepped onto the dance floor. She’s this amazing ball of energy. Mr Piglet attributes his temperament and high threshold for my BS (hee hee) to his upbringing by her. Kudos to her for raising four amazing boys (his Dad included)!

After guests got their fill from the buffet, their glasses were filled for the toasts. My sister went first. Like Mr Piglet, she’s comfortable in front of a crowd, and isn’t a fan of scripted speeches. Except her high school valedictorian speech (smart cookie!). That she wrote beforehand. While guests napped, surfed, shopped before the reception, my sister collected her thoughts on paper preparing for her speech.

And what a speech it was! Bordering on a roast, she warned Mr Piglet of all my habits, and habits of his that may trigger the unleashing of my wrath. She kept it light until the very end. With tears in her eyes (which she was trying to avoid), she welcomed Mr Piglet to the family!

Up next, the Best Man Eugene. They’ve known each other since birth. He touched on all of the qualities that make him look up to Mr Piglet. His die hard work ethic, his tenacious drive, his selflessness, his optimism. All these characteristics of Mr Piglet make him want to be more principled in his ways. Mr Piglet was taken aback by his words. It’s not everyday that guys have this sort of exchange, ya know?

He closed strong. “Raise your glasses, and give a round of a applause to the real best man in the room.”

Next, we have the cake cutting, my bouquet tosses (yes plural) to the ceiling, and some garter action with the boys.

My beautiful bridesmaid, the genius behind my Breakfast at Tiffany’s invitations and bridal shower, was on the receiving end of the bouquet. It wasn’t so much her catching the bouquet as it was a ricochet off the ceiling, onto her chest, and to the ground. That qualified as a “catch” since I was incapable of tossing it to the gals. And guess what? She’s engaged! The tables have turned, and I am now her puppet! And the honor is indeed all mine.

Stay tuned for the highlight of my night! Mr Piglet takes the stage.

Relive the Piglets’ Wedding in Paradise: I’m Yours, Introducing…, Cocktails and Pupus, Ode to the Proposal, Portraits + A Bonus Video, We Did!, Our Grand Entrance, Island Time, The Boys, Girl Bonding, The Wedding Kick Off, To Dos Before the I Dos, E Komo Mai (Welcome!), This Little Piggy Got Married

Thanks Ben and Erin! All images are copyright of Ben Chrisman and Erin Reed unless otherwise noted.

Video footage courtesy of Kai Media Weddings.