Weddingbee Blog

You’ll have to bare with me, as much of the ceremony is a complete and utter blur to me. Thank batman we had Officiant Em’s hubs record it for us, otherwise I’d probably need to skip over these posts entirely. (Sorta kinda kidding…?!) Fortunately for us the video, as well as our amazing pictures, do a wonderful job at telling the story for me, so we at least have that!

I do remember that one of our last-minute decisions—and surprisingly, one that I didn’t really over-think too much—was what to have playing while our guests arrived at the Vandiver and took a seat by the gazebo for the ceremony. We ultimately chose a little medley by the Vitamin String Quartet, including “Hey There, Delilah” (by Plain White T’s), “Stolen” (by Dashboard Confessional), and “Wonderwall” (by Oasis). Of course I never actually heard the songs play myself, but I have it on good authority that they could indeed be heard in the background!

So while guests filtered in with music in the air, Stepsis Mac took care of handing out programs and directing everyone to their seats.

All photos by Exclamation Imagery unless otherwise noted

Personal photo by Foxy Mama

She also pointed out a few details that we had on the table beside her.

First, the ever popular “pick a seat, not a side” encouragement (half the people there were joint friends, anyway!), and second, our White Knots.

I first learned about the White Knots here on Weddingbee, thanks to posts by the likes of Mrs. Dachshund, Ms. Ferris Wheel, and Mrs. Skunk. Marriage equality is something that Foxy and I both strongly believe in, so it was a no-brainer to include this element. I can’t even tell you how thrilled many of our guests were to see this detail at our ceremony—it was truly heartwarming. (Not to mention the fact that a marriage equality act will go into effect in Maryland in January—woop woop!)

Once people arrived at their seats, they found the little bubble jars that I DIY’ed a while back, with instructions on the programs to blow them at the end of the ceremony.

Photo by Mrs. Guinea Pig

(Also, for those of you who were curious about the bubble solution—I got really lazy and just bought a whole bunch of $1 bottles of bubble stuff at Michaels about three days before the wedding. It worked like a charm!)

Then, finally, it was time for John and Jamie to call in the troops and get the bridal party lined up!

Personal photo by a friend

With all parties a go, my Stepdad JCC and Stepbro CJ grabbed their guitars and took their spots on the porch next to the ceremony space…it was time to rock ‘n’ roll, yo!

Miss a recap? Catch yourself up!

• It’s Wedding Week! – The week of the wedding started out pretty hectic, but we made it through (relatively) unscathed.
• We’re Cool People (who had to deal with a slight change of plans) – On Friday, we made our way to the venue, had a relatable moment on the radio, and learned about some last minute changes that we made an effort to take in stride.
• Practice Makes Perfect…And Crabs Don’t Hurt, Either – After most everyone was settled in on Friday evening, we had our rehearsal followed by the best dinner ever—a Maryland crab feast!
• Rise and Shine! – Wedding morning was soon upon us, and I woke up at the crack of dawn ready to get prettified.
• Pretty Women – Over the course of the next several hours, the girls and I hung out, got our hair and makeup done, had a photo shoot, and drank champagne.
• Dressing Up – Soon enough, it was time for me to slip into my dress!
• Dapper Dudes – At the same time, Foxy and his guys were ironing and getting into their suits—and Foxy was opening his wedding-day gift!
• The First of Many Looks – We had our first look, and both felt so much better after being able to see each other for the first time that day.
• A School Bus Photo Shoot – Our vehicle of choice for the day was a school bus, which we turned into a photo-op both inside and out!
• Smiles and Sun – The photos continued by the lighthouse and pier…with sunglasses and a few funny stories along the way.
• ALL the Family – We then met up with family at the lock house for even more pictures, and I started getting a bit antsy and having problems with my dress.
• And Then There’s Us – I kinda-sorta-maybe forgot all about couple and bridal pictures. Thank goodness for our amazing photog reminding us!
• Final Touches – Slight chaos then ensued in the minutes before the ceremony started, consisting of me getting sewn into my dress and the boys getting their bouts pinned on at the last minute.