PaC Man & Wife: I Turn My Camera On

Gather your friends, grab your props! It's time for the photo booth images!

(Heather Fowler Photography)

After the speeches and dinner, our guests stormed the photo booth. There was a wait most of the night. Imagine my surprise when my grandfather was the first to hop into the photo booth AND rock the bee hat. I think my fun-loving sister and cousins had something to do with it. I always knew I had cool grandparents, but this just confirms it.

My grandfather: eighty-eight years old and cool as hell.

Setting the tone for the rest of the guests!

Mr. PaC's Jersey family in the house! 

Feeling the love.

Even the parents got in on the action!

(upper left image: Heather Fowler Photography)

(Heather Fowler Photography)

Our X and O balloons were one of those details made me very happy. The venue offered to let us fill them onsite so Mr. PaC and Linda hunted through the catacombs of the old mansion looking for a helium tank that she knew was there, somewhere. She let Mr. PaC fill up the first one, but the X still had a few wrinkles so he added a little more air. BOOM! It exploded right in their faces. He smartly decided it was best to leave a little wrinkle in the next one. He trudged back upstairs with the pieces and recounted the story to his mom and brother, who knew how sad the bride would be to miss the X to her O, and one of them called in a favor. En route from New Jersey were his two aunts who tracked down a new X balloon. The switch was so seamless had Mr. PaC never told me, I would have never known.

One of my favorite pictures! I loved my X and O balloons!

(Heather Fowler Photography)

Me and my momma.

The photo booth pictures were the best sort of delayed gratification. We didn't see them until the next day when we were in recovery mode. Mr. PaC and I howled with laughter as we flipped through the hundreds of images. Each one a mini-present from dear friends and family.

Look who popped back into the photo booth: goofballs, hams and cut-ups.

My sister really enjoyed the photo booth!

If you've been with me throughout my Weddingbee journey, you know I have an aversion to veils... which should make the following photos of me in a dress-up veil even funnier!

(above three images: Heather Fowler Photography)

Here I am showing my love for my bees and representing the hive. You were with me all day between the bee charms, bee hat, or inspiration from your weddings adapted to ours. Our bee hat was quite popular. How many times did you spot it?

Had we done a bouquet toss, this friend would have been a fierce competitor!

Choosing to feature a handful of images from the 250+ originals was tough. Who wants to see a million photos of strangers? To you, these folks are familiar faces at best. But we love every photo! The plan is to create a massive photo collage to hang next to our wedding photos. What will you do with your photobooth images?

                

(all personal photos unless otherwise noted)

Catch up on our PaC recaps!

Days Before

• In the days leading up to the wedding, I wanted to be sedated.
• I walked the line between calm and stressed for the better part of our rehearsal day.
• "Don't panic" and its friends were what Mr. PaC kept telling me on the way to our rehearsal dinner.

Wedding Morning

• Best wedding morning advice: wake up slow and tackle the day at your own pace.
• Once at our venue, our DIY projects were assembled with our own two hands.
• The girls get ready with champagne and chocolate-covered potato chips.
• The guys are ready... and waiting.
• She's mine! All mine! (The dress that is.)
• Brown-eyed girl (and guy) portraits.
• Something old and new, borrowed and blue.

Portraits

• My sneaky groom has a secret heart when it comes to surprises.
• A first look for the two of us plus more couples portraits in the garden.
• With brother and sister standing by, we took our bridal party and family portraits.

Ceremony

• After fretting about rain, the sun came out just as our guests arrived for the ceremony.
• Maybe I was just a little amazed at how beautifully our ceremony had started.
• After waiting 19 long months, here comes Mr. PaC's girl!
• We spoke of love and some verses in our ceremony.

Reception

• Cocktail hour began with a rockin' start.
• That silly "Mahna Mahna" song we used to introduce our important people.
• Our first dance shows that we are truly better together.
• The parent dances allow us to appreciate the important people in our lives.
• Jammin' the first half of the night away.
• Our siblings made sure we were toasted and roasted!
• Wildflowers, escort cards and other details didn't go unnoticed.
• I request a moonlight serenade for my grandparents.
• We noshed the night away.
• We'll still feed each other cake when we're 64!

PaC Man & Wife: When I'm 64

Given my love of The Beatles, it's probably no surprise that "When I'm 64" wound up as our cake cutting song. Sing along with me as we scroll through the sweet images of our cake cutting, thank you speech, and a spontaneous nighttime photo shoot.

Our colorful geometric cake from the Hotel duPont encircled by votives, bridesmaid bouquets, 

and other details.

When I get older, losing my hair, many years from now
Will you still be sending me a valentine, birthday greetings, bottle of wine?
If I'd been out 'til quarter to three, would you lock the door?
Will you still need me, will you still feed me when I'm sixty-four?

You'll be older too
Ah, and if you say the word, I could stay with you

I could be handy, mending a fuse when your lights have gone
You can knit a sweater by the fireside, Sunday mornings, go for a ride
Doing the garden, digging the weeds, who could ask for more?
Will you still need me, will you still feed me when I'm sixty-four?

Fondant circles in yellow monochrome

Every summer we can rent a cottage
In the Isle of Wight if it's not too dear

We shall scrimp and save

Ah, grandchildren on your knee, Vera, Chuck and Dave

Send me a postcard, drop me a line stating point of view

Indicate precisely what you mean to say, yours sincerely wasting away

Give me your answer, fill in a form, mine forever more

Will you still need me, will you still feed me when I'm sixty-four?

The finished product compared to my mock-up. I think they got it pretty darn close!

You've probably noticed we don't have a cake topper. We opted to forgo one because we loved the simple design of the cake and wanted it to shine on its own, especially since choosing a design was a long road. That doesn't mean we passed an opportunity to inject some personality into the cake display! Our LEGO bride and groom, complete with custom gouache dye jobs, stole our guests' hearts and were a crowd favorite to photograph.

Even the mini-groom sports a sartorially appropriate blue suit!

Here we are smiling, pretending to cut the cake. In reality, we had no clue what to do next. Sensing a moment's hesitation, Linda, our venue coordinator, gave us a quick tutorial: two parallel cuts and one straight down between them to free the slice.

Interesting things to note in the above photograph:

1) My engagement ring is still on my right hand.

2) We are using our non-dominant hands to cut the cake... which made cutting into a giant cake for the first time a little more awkward.

3) That's a borrowed knife. We correctly assumed the venue would have a knife capable of cutting cake. Are we the only ones would didn't buy a cake knife for the wedding?

Drumroll, please. Will we be good? Or will we cake smash?

Skeptical eyebrows on both sides. Over the din, we hear a friend shout, "Don't do it!" 

While not the most flattering photograph, it tells a good story. In this fleeting moment, I'm shooting my parents a sideways glance that says, "I'm going to be good. Unlike you guys." The backstory: My mother cake smashed my dad, who fed her first and behaved, and he has never forgotten the feelings of betrayal and embarrassment. (Just kidding, Mom! Mostly.) I'd never heard this story until a few months before our wedding. My dad made sure to stress that the cake cutting tradition is a time for tenderness and not an opportunity to seek revenge for pre-wedding tiffs. Cake smashing, if not mutually agreed to in advance, would not be in the spirit of the moment. His earnest story reinforced what I already knew. We would be good.

Synchronized and civilized!

Grand Marnier pound cake with raspberry filling (top)

Marble pound cake with chocolate ganache (middle)

Hazelnut pound cake with apricot filling (bottom)

As a wedding guest, I'm frequently curious about the cake flavors so I whipped up a cake sign using our official wedding typeface, the fondant colors, and an extra frame.

Yum! Going back for seconds of the hazelnut pound with the deliciously complex apricot filling.

And maybe a third bite! 

Taking advantage of our captive audience, the cake cutting and our thank you speech were paired together. The thank you speech was one of those things I just did not plan. I presumed the emotions of the day would carry me through and provide inspiration. Moments before speech time, Mr. PaC asked if I wanted to speak. Oh, crap. Normally talkative and confident, I was suddenly struck speechless and shy. Was I ever relieved when he picked up the mic and gave a successful unrehearsed speech (long enough for the two of us). And this is why I said "yes" and "I do" to Mr. PaC. He is the yin to my yang. Where I falter, he picks up the slack.

Adoration and relief.

Mr. PaC seized the moment and used the mic time to tease his brother for his 8-minute best man speech. I'm searching out his brother to see his reaction.

So proud of my husband!

Our wonderful friends.

He talks. I make the faces. We're a good team.

My new husband had touched on everything I would have; there was nothing left for me to say. So I just smiled gratefully at as many friends and family as I could make eye contact with and sent silent thank yous.

After the cake was cut and the last of the long speeches given, our photographers stole us away for an impromptu photo shoot in the boxwood garden. Mr. PaC and I spun, smooched, and snuggled in the warm night air as we soaked in the realization that our wedding was coming to an end. We confessed that we would do it all over again - it was so much fun! Let's do it next year, we planned.

Spin.

Smooch.

Snuggle.

Let's add two more: sit...

... and sleep!  

(all photos by Heather Fowler Photography, unless otherwise noted)

Catch up on our PaC recaps!

Days Before

• In the days leading up to the wedding, I wanted to be sedated.
• I walked the line between calm and stressed for the better part of our rehearsal day.
• "Don't panic" and its friends were what Mr. PaC kept telling me on the way to our rehearsal dinner.

Wedding Morning

• Best wedding morning advice: wake up slow and tackle the day at your own pace.
• Once at our venue, our DIY projects were assembled with our own two hands.
• The girls get ready with champagne and chocolate-covered potato chips.
• The guys are ready... and waiting.
• She's mine! All mine! (The dress that is.)
• Brown-eyed girl (and guy) portraits.
• Something old and new, borrowed and blue.

Portraits

• My sneaky groom has a secret heart when it comes to surprises.
• A first look for the two of us plus more couples portraits in the garden.
• With brother and sister standing by, we took our bridal party and family portraits.

Ceremony

• After fretting about rain, the sun came out just as our guests arrived for the ceremony.
• Maybe I was just a little amazed at how beautifully our ceremony had started.
• After waiting 19 long months, here comes Mr. PaC's girl!
• We spoke of love and some verses in our ceremony.

Reception

• Cocktail hour began with a rockin' start.
• That silly "Mahna Mahna" song we used to introduce our important people.
• Our first dance shows that we are truly better together.
• The parent dances allow us to appreciate the important people in our lives.
• Jammin' the first half of the night away.
• Our siblings made sure we were toasted and roasted!
• Wildflowers, escort cards and other details didn't go unnoticed.
• I request a moonlight serenade for my grandparents.
• We noshed the night away.

PaC Man & Wife: Banana Pancakes

After months of anticipation and planning, including a tasting, it was time to dig into our wedding food. Eating at our own wedding was a BIG deal to us. Aaaaand as it turned out, I was too excited to eat and only pecked at my entree. The special champagne and sauvignon blanc we ordered? Glad we shared it with the wine-drinkind tables because I didn't finish my first glass. Thinking of the pear and blue cheese salad makes me salivate now, but then I had to force myself to eat. (Apparently, this is not uncommon!) Anyone who knows me knows that NEVER happens. I love food. Often to the point where I'm thinking about my next meal while eating the current one. Foodie-bees, raise your forks!

In between forcing myself to eat bites of my entree, I sat back and people watched. Eventually I just gave up on the salmon and champagne.

Then the glass-clinking started...

Ohhhh no. There's only one way to stop the clinking.

Mr. PaC wasted no time in planting a dramatic kiss that satisfied our guests enough so he could finish his meal in peace.

Our photographer didn't get any detail shots of the food (we didn't ask and it wasn't a priority), but a friend familiar with my tendency to photograph everything returned the favor and captured the food at her table. I was thrilled someone thought to take pictures of food and share it with us! 

First course: Pear and blue cheese salad with toasted hazelnuts and white wine vinaigrette

Second course, option 1: Grilled filet of beef with red wine demi-glace and roasted fingerling potatoes with Parmesan and truffle oil*

*We, or should I say M our best man (and professional chef), provided the bottles of truffle oil as it's an expensive ingredient GCC's kitchen doesn't stock. It was his suggestion to swap from mashed to fingerling potatoes and add cheese & truffle oil. The fingerling potatoes wouldn't have been the same without the truffle oil!

Second course, option 2: Coulibiac of salmon with mushroom duxelle and spinach wrapped in puff pastry (aka "Salmon Hot Pocket")

(above three images: guest photos)

Our third option, not pictured, was vegetarian spinach gnocchi with roasted fennel, baby leaf spinach and roasted garlic. We didn't sample it at the tasting but our vegetarian contingent was thrilled not to be an after-thought for once and raved about the flavor of the meal.

(guest photo)

Once Mr. PaC ate his fill, we visited the tables to thank our guests for coming. We skipped the traditional receiving line, so catching up with each guest at some point during the night was a priority.

(guest photo)

(guest photo)

(guest photo)

(guest photo)

When you have 85 wedding guests, dinner service moves quickly! No one had to wait more than a few minutes for their meals... which meant more time for dancing and photo booth shenanigans.

Much later in the night, the dessert bar opened. Our guests were treated to crème brûlée, lemon squares, petit fours, chocolate-dipped strawberries, cheese cake bites (again with chocolate), and more. We flirted with the idea of providing fresh cannolis, but nixed it when we found out the scale of the standard dessert bar.

Slices from two tiers of our cake were also set out.

By the time I heard whispers of dessert... Dessert, OMG! Where!?!, most of the goodies were gone. My "X" ballon, liberated from the photo booth, and I waited patiently in line for a shot at tasty goodness: a lemon square, crème brûlée spoon (which I was told not to miss), and several slices of cake!

A sugar-happy bride with her mom and balloon.

And now, true to form, I am craving crème brûlée!

When we were planning the wedding, I was adamant about having time to eat dinner. What I didn't count on was that eating part would be more difficult than finding the time. What are you doing to make sure you eat at your wedding?

(all photos by Heather Fowler Photography, unless otherwise noted)

Catch up on our PaC recaps!

Days Before

• In the days leading up to the wedding, I wanted to be sedated.
• I walked the line between calm and stressed for the better part of our rehearsal day.
• "Don't panic" and its friends were what Mr. PaC kept telling me on the way to our rehearsal dinner.

Wedding Morning

• Best wedding morning advice: wake up slow and tackle the day at your own pace.
• Once at our venue, our DIY projects were assembled with our own two hands.
• The girls get ready with champagne and chocolate-covered potato chips.
• The guys are ready... and waiting.
• She's mine! All mine! (The dress that is.)
• Brown-eyed girl (and guy) portraits.
• Something old and new, borrowed and blue.

Portraits

• My sneaky groom has a secret heart when it comes to surprises.
• A first look for the two of us plus more couples portraits in the garden.
• With brother and sister standing by, we took our bridal party and family portraits.

Ceremony

• After fretting about rain, the sun came out just as our guests arrived for the ceremony.
• Maybe I was just a little amazed at how beautifully our ceremony had started.
• After waiting 19 long months, here comes Mr. PaC's girl!
• We spoke of love and some verses in our ceremony.

Reception

• Cocktail hour began with a rockin' start.
• That silly "Mahna Mahna" song we used to introduce our important people.
• Our first dance shows that we are truly better together.
• The parent dances allow us to appreciate the important people in our lives.
• Jammin' the first half of the night away.
• Our siblings made sure we were toasted and roasted!
• Wildflowers, escort cards and other details didn't go unnoticed.
• I request a moonlight serenade for my grandparents.