Weddingbee Blog

Thanks to our hoppin’ after party, waking up the next day was a bit difficult for a few of us. I think the only motivation people had was the fact that we had to be up and out by 11:00am, as well as the fact that a nice hot breakfast was out and ready, and only being served until 10:00am—just the cure for a full night and day of drinking and wedding shenanigans!

This was about the point where everything just sort of hit me. We were officially married. It was so weird to be able to say that. And this wedding…the one I spent over two years of my life planning…was over. All the flowers were sitting on a lonely table in the empty dining room. The mason jars were collected, cleaned and boxed. My chalkboard signs, cake topper and toasting flutes were jumbled together inside another box.

It might be deemed weird by a few, but I totally teared up a bit. But I already wrote a whole post about that.

And then I remembered that I just married my other half. He’s my husband. What an awesome word! That, and the fact that we were leaving for Mexico in the next 36 hours. Frown=upside down!

So once everything was all packed up and most of our friends and family had left, Foxy and I said one last goodbye to the Vandiver, and to one of the greatest weekends we’ve had on record.

All photos personal.

Bonus: my hair and makeup were still pretty intact! (And that is why you should do airbrush!)

We ended up leaving our lanterns up in the pavilion for the next wedding (per their request), and I gave the photo booth backdrop and frame to our coordinator, Jamie, who wanted to use it for an upcoming family wedding. Hey, if things could be repurposed, I was all for it! I even managed to convince some guests to take boxes of mason jars and vases of baby’s breath home with them. To say we had extras is an understatement.

Once we got home, the plan for the evening was to order in, then go to bed. However, we couldn’t help but want to open a few gifts and the like once we got settled in…namely, the giant parrot piñata that HK and her hubs decided to surprise us with and leave in our room at the Vandiver.

So naturally, we mocked the cats with it…

 …and then we hacked that baby open!

It really wasn’t as dramatic as I’m making it look. But there a was a plethora of goodies in there (including a gift card to Target!) that we made sure to itemize out on their thank you card. Hey, you give us a piñata, we give you an obnoxious thank you! Plus, we were super grateful for the two maracas, one seafood necklace, eight packs of fruit snacks, one snake, one spider, one frog, one dog/fox, one stegasaurus, one butterfly, one daschund, one rubber ducky, 74 hershey kisses, 26 dove chocolates, 19 red flower petals, 18 yellow flower petals, 19 blue flower petals, 19 blue and white flower petals, 18 purple and white flower petals, and 18 pink and white flower petals.

And thus, our wedding weekend ended with a piñata.

The end!!

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, myself and the girls 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 suites – 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 Photoshoot – 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.

And So It Begins – The guests arrive, the wedding party lines up, and the ceremony space is revealed – complete with programs, white knots, and bubbles!

All I Want Is You, Will You Be My Bride? – The time had finally come – we all made our way down the aisle while my stepdad and stepbro played and sang a beautiful, acoustic version of “All I Want Is You”.

Take Me By The Hand and Stand By My Side – In other words.. the ceremony!

Bubbles and Bustles and Beverages, Oh My! – Bubbles are blown, my bustle is tied in, and cocktail hour commences with lots of love, hugs, and drinks.

The Guestbook – The final version & reveal of our fingerprint guestbook – and some tips, should you want them!

I’d Do Anything For You – The reception kicked off with our oh-so-intricate first dance sway to Wake Up by Coheed and Cambria, which our guests joined in on halfway through.

Make ’em Laugh, Make ’em Cry – Which is exactly what we did, thanks to our bestest friends’ amazing and beautiful toasts.

Food & Details – All the details about our cocktail-style reception and rustic decor.

Good Times, Bad Touch – Our guests got down with their bad selves on the dance floor with a lot of finger pointing, interpretive dance, and.. our very own rendition of Bad Touch.

Faux-to Booth Fun! – We said no to veggies and yes to a sorta last-minute DIY photo booth!

Tatted Up – One of the most fun and unexpected features at the reception was our temporary tattoos that many guests ended up sporting proudly all night!

Let Them Eat Cake! – Foxy tried to commandeer the cutting, but we got things under control with a delicious, non-smashing cake exchange and some champagne.

Say That You’ll Stay – Before I knew it or was really even ready for it, the last song of the night came on. Foxy and I danced it up and relished the moment, but were eagerly anticipating the next part of the night.. the after party!

It’s Party Time! (Again) – Only the most awesome after party. Ever.