Weddingbee Blog

Cocktail hour was officially over, and there was a salad at every place setting awaiting our guests.

It was time for our debut. Mr. W had a lot of input on this part—I wasn’t that interested in how we made our Big Entrance as Married People, so I left it all up to him.

Last summer, Mr. W and I splurged on tickets to a Jay-Z and Kanye show on their “Watch the Throne” tour. I love Jay, and Mr. W is a long-time Yeezy fan (seriously…he DVR-ed a Kanye show in Las Vegas a couple years ago, and he watches it all.the.time.), so it was the perfect summer date. The whole show was amazing and we had a blast. At the end, Jay and Kanye came back out for an encore, and performed “Ninjas in Paris” for a second time. And then a third time. And then a fourth time. I think they performed the song six times total.

The song got stuck in our heads for weeks. We listened to it countless times. I even ordered this t-shirt for Mr. W’s birthday:

Photo via Etsy seller Kustom Tees

So, ya’ll know where I’m going with this. Mr. W wanted our big entrance to be to the tune of “Ninjas in Paris.” I instantly thought of my 81-year-old grandma, who would fall out of her chair if she heard a single line of the song. She still thinks the Rolling Stones are a dirty bunch, and as far as I know, she hasn’t been exposed to uncensored rap music.

Fortunately, these days there are endless instrumentals and remixes of popular songs out there on the Internetz, so Mr. W found an instrumental version, and we were set. He and the wedding party coordinated a special entrance after the rehearsal dinner. (We really wanted to do an epic dancing processional during the ceremony, like the infamous JK Wedding Entrance Dance, but with so many bridesmaids and groomsmen coming from out-of-town, there wasn’t enough time to practice with everyone involved. So, we settled for a short choreographed dance to kick off dinner instead.)

Press play and listen along!

We’re gonna skate to one song, and one song only…

(Ball so hard) Let’s get faded, Le Meurice for like six days

Gold bottles, scold models, spillin Ace on my sick J’s

(Ball so hard) That shit cray, ain’t it Jay? What she order, fish filet?

Yeah, so. Now that that’s out there (hopefully you didn’t lose me at “Kanye West and Jay-Z reception entrance song”), let’s talk about The Dances. First dance, father-daughter dance, mother-son dance—like Pokemon, we caught ’em all. Call us traditionalists.

Picking a first dance song was really tough. A lot of our favorite songs are fairly upbeat, and others just didn’t have the perfect just-got-married, love-you-forever lyrics. I really liked the idea of dancing to Louis Armstrong’s version of “La Vie en Rose,” but Mr. W pointed out that most of the guests wouldn’t be able to understand the French lyrics. Also, it’s an incredibly beautiful song, but it doesn’t have any special meaning for us, so Mr. W wouldn’t go for it.

One musician we’ve listened to a lot together is Van Morrison. I have his complete discography on my iPod (except for the two or three most recent albums…they’re just not the same), and it’s made the perfect soundtrack for long road trips and low-key nights in. There’s something very soulful and romantic about Van Morrison’s older music. We went back and forth between several Van Morrison songs (“Beside You,” “I’m Confessin,’” “Moondance,” “Sweet Thing,” and “Warm Love”) before we finally settled on “Crazy Love.” We even had a mini-debate about whether to dance to the Van Morrison or Aaron Neville version, but I won that debate .

 Press play and listen along!

 

Mr. W brought up dancing classes last July. They sounded like a good idea in theory. He and I both have some pretty goofy dance moves and we’re not shy, but our formal ballroom dancing experience is limited to basic instruction from middle school gym classes. We have friends who take dancing classes for fun, and we wanted in on it. So, I bought a Groupon for dancing classes…And we never used it. $10 wasted, and we never learned a cool choreographed routine to show off during our first dance. We ended up doing the old middle school sway.

I can hear her heart beat for a thousand miles

And the heavens open every time she smiles

And when I come to her that’s where I belong

Yet I’m running to her like a river’s song

She give me love, love, love, love, crazy love

She’s got a fine sense of humor when I’m feeling low down

And when I come to her when the sun goes down

Take away my trouble, take away my grief

Take away my heartache, in the night like a thief

Yes I need her in the daytime

Yes I need her in the night

Yes I want to throw my arms around her

Kiss her hug her kiss her hug her tight

And when I’m returning from so far away

She gives me some sweet lovin’ brighten up my day

Yes it makes me righteous, yes it makes me feel whole

Yes it makes me mellow down in to my soul

She give me love, love, love, love, crazy love

She give me love, love, love, love, crazy love

And then before I knew it, our first dance was over. A lot of times when I’m with Mr. W, it feels like he’s the only one in the world—and I don’t notice anyone else. That night was no exception. I was in a daze, and I was a little startled when I was whisked into my dad’s arms. Still, I am so glad that we did a father-daughter dance. It was an incredibly special time to share with my dad. (Daddy’s girl for-eva!) I let my dad choose the song, and he picked Tim McGraw’s “My Little Girl.”

Press play and listen along!

 

We laughed, and we cried. It was such a sweet song choice, and so fitting for our relationship. I love my dad more than anything.

At the end of our dance, he gave me a huge hug. It was an emotional moment, and this photo captures it perfectly. The look on my dad’s face makes me tear up.

Mr. W, on the other hand, ventured outside of country music for mother-son dance song inspiration. Being the goofball that he is, he selected “The Perfect Fan” by none other than the Backstreet Boys. When our 20-something friends heard the song start to play, they all burst out laughing—and Mr. W grinned at them.

Press play and listen along!

It takes a lot to know what is love

It’s not the big things but the little things

That can mean enough

A lot of prayers to get me through

And there is never a day that passes by

I don’t think of you

You were always there for me

Pushing me and guiding me

Always to succeed

You showed me

When I was young just how to grow

You showed me everything that I should know

You showed me just how to walk without your hands

’Cause, mom, you always were the perfect fan

God has been so good

Blessing me with the family

Who did all they could

And I’ve had many years of Grace

And it flatters me when I see a smile on your face

I wanna thank you for what you’ve done

In hopes I can give back to you

And be the perfect son

Next up: dinner, toasts, and an ice cream truck!

*All photos by the best ever, Mustard Seed Photography, except where noted.

Miss a recap? Previously:

• We got our pro pics in the mail.
• Orlando and his crew at A Sweet Film whipped up a sweet little teaser from the wedding.
• We p-a-r-t-ied with close friends and fam, Persian style. (We’re taking “Gangnam Style” to the next level.)
• We girls got our nails did, while the guys carted all of the wedding stuff off to the venue. Poor boys.
• We survived a hectic rehearsal in the dark.
• The wedding party and our out-of-town guests joined us for a juicy steak rehearsal dinner.
• I wrote my vows, and we battled Houston traffic to get to Oak Tree Manor.
• Following some game-time decisions, we girls sat in the stylist’s chair for hair and makeup.
• Mr. W sent up a sentimental note and a sweet little gift, and I got all dressed up.
• Mustard Seed snapped some more photos of us during our couple’s portraits and family portraits.
• I shared our ceremony deets, our guests arrived, and my dad and I got a little emotional.
• We walked/sauntered/pranced/cried down the aisle and we were married. Then we made a grand exit. But we soon returned to the ceremony tree to take wedding party photos.
• I shared the details. And some more details.
• Cocktail hour happened.