Once my bustle was properly fastened, it was time to join our guests for cocktail hour! However, as most brides will find: there are always some distractions in the way. As soon as I exited the powder room, I was met by friends and family who wanted to give their congratulations once again.
*all photos courtesy of Pilster Photography, unless otherwise noted*
Mr. Buttons had his fair share of hand shaking to do as well!
Then, our officiant reminded us that we needed to sign our marriage certificate…you know…to make it official. As this took place, I downed a glass of ice water that my DOC had been kind enough to plop into my hand. Thank goodness!
Meanwhile, my bridesmaids played a few notes on the grand piano…
Our flower girl took a moment to write a message to display on our wish tree guestbook.
I managed to sneak a peek at a few of the messages before entering the cocktail hour. They were great!
Then, it was time to step outside by the water to enjoy about 3/4 of our cocktail hour! When we walked through the French doors, it was clear that our guests had already started the party , and I disappeared into the crowd!
The main patio area was, for the most part, open for standing room, with a few cocktail tables along the perimeter. In the center was a large table with assorted vegetables, cheese, shrimp, and dips.
On the outside edge of the patio were two very important stations. One was the grill, where the chefs were cooking up Kobe beef sliders to order. I hear they were delicious (actually, a few people I know are still talking about them to this day). Kitty corner to the grill was the all-important installation: the bar. Hmmm…what to choose?
One great thing about being a bride is that you are 100% allowed to skip the line at the bar—yay! Even though I was craving a cocktail or wine, I decided to opt for one more glass of ice water. I was parched…and I had to make the rounds with our guests!
There were so many people we wanted to say “hi” to—whether they were coworkers, family, or friends we hadn’t seen in a few years!
For the most part, Mr. Buttons and I split up during our cocktail hour. There were so many guests milling around, and it just happened naturally that we mingled with different groups. It seemed to be quite the trend with everyone, though! Some guests chose to sit at the cocktail tables near the food…
Others chose to take a seat by the ocean to enjoy the view. I was glad that we had chosen the set-up we did; the variety of seating/standing options seemed to work well!
*guest photo*
Servers passed trays of assorted appetizers to the guests throughout the cocktail hour area. I’m quite positive that everyone managed to get their fill of stuffed mushrooms, grilled vegetables in parmesan cups, grouper sliders, grilled shrimp, and Andouille sausage. With an ice cold cocktail in hand, everyone seemed to be chatting, catching up, and even meeting new people!
*guest photo*
It was so exciting to see that our celebration was off to a wonderful start! I couldn’t have been happier. However, before the dinner bell rang, Mr. Buttons and I had a few other things to accomplish…one of which included our photo booth!
Previously…
- The girls got ready, then the guys got ready.
- I became a bride, but our first look wasn’t what I’d hoped.
- We took some photos alone and then with our bridal party.
- Everyone hopped on the trolley and then we took a few family portraits before my cake arrived.
- I gathered myself before the ceremony, our bridal party made their way down the aisle, and I followed afterward.
- Our ceremony began with some readings and ended with a handfasting ceremony.
- My ‘maids helped me adjust my bustle.
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