Tying the Knot: Toasts and Dancing

We tied the knot three years and eighteen days after meeting at a Rascal Flatts concert. It only made sense that our first dance was to a Rascal Flatts song. As the music to "The Day Before You" began to play and we started to dance, it all finally sank in.

"I had all but given up on finding the one that I could fall into, on the day before you. I was ready to settle for less than love and not much more. There was no such thing as a dream come true. Oh, but that was all the day before you."


"Now you're here and everything's changing, suddenly life means so much. I can't wait to wake up tomorrow and find out this promise is true..I will never have to go back to the day before you."

"Oh, but Heaven knows those years without you were shaping my heart for the that day I found you. If you're the reason for all that I've been through...then I'm thankful for the day before you."After the first dance came dinner and after dinner came the toasts. Mommy made the opening remarks, formally welcomed everyone to the reception and toasted to Chris and I. The Best Man and MOH both gave toasts that made us smile from ear to ear and were filled with just the right amount of inside jokes. We felt so blessed. After the BM and MOH toasted us, the time came for the Father-Daughter and Mother-Son dances. Since my Daddy couldn't be at the reception, I decided that the perfect way to honor him would be to give a toast him. The moment was perfect in every way, even though I was sobbing the whole way through the toast. At the end of the toast I asked those gathered with us to raise their glasses to my Daddy...one of my very best friends. My Daddy's good friends stood to clink their glasses and I knew Daddy was smiling.

Chris' Mom had picked out "The Man You Have Become" for them to dance to, and this is one of my favorite shots of the two of them.

Up next....the cake!

previously in the series "tying the knot": we did it, a preview, our honeymoon, our candy bar, lifesaver, getting ready, our first look, the bride and groom, bouquets and boutonnieres, the shoes, the bridesmaids, the groomsmen, the bridal party, the sock shot, favorites, the ceremony, the bubbles and the get away, rawry

all pictures by: nicole green. please link back to tying the knot when posting any of these pictures.

Candy?

I am thisclose to placing an order from bulk foods to stock our candy bar at the reception with the following:

• -Hershey's Kiss (5 pounds)
• 72 White Swizzle Sticks (Rock Candy on a stick)
• White Jordan Almonds (5 pounds)
• White Nonpareli Chocolate Drops (5 pounds)

Here's the thing. With only 11 days to go before the wedding, I am still unsure of the whole candy bar idea. Let's pro/con it...

Con:

• Those 4 candies would cost me $88.77. Even then I would want to go to another website and order the white gummy bears which would cost me another $30.00. Plus little bags for people to scoop the candy into. All of this=expensivo.
• We could be putting that $100 we would spend in candy towards something for us.
• If we didn't do the candy bar then we wouldn't really have a "favor" to give our guests. But then again, do you really consider giving someone a little candy a worthy "favor" for them?

Pro:

• BM K To already has 5 vases/jars with scoops that I can use.
• The candy can be here within 2-3 days
• 75% of guests will be staying in the hotel adjacent to the reception hall. Because of this I think that will stay a little later to celebrate and therefore might want a little somethin' to snack on.
• The candy bar is a great addition to a wedding reception for the following: Most of your {older} guests will not have heard of the concept of a candy bar so to them its a fresh little detail. The kids will love it. The 20-30 somethings will devour it.

That's the short and sweet of it. What are your thoughts? Is it worth the money for a cute detail? Or should we forgo the sweets?
picture via: joyful weddings and events

Napkin Update

About a week ago I ordered 150 cocktail napkins with our monogram from etsy seller Designs By Tine. They came in the mail today and they are MORE than picture perfect. I highly recommend the seller.

So we have 150 white cocktail napkins with our plum monogram on them, 150 plum napkins, and 150 raspberry-ish napkins (plum and raspberry napkins purchased from local party store). I'll let my MOH have the task of collating them so that they alternate. She'll love me for that.

I figure that 450 napkins will just about carry us to dinner. Once we run out we'll just use the venue's standard napkins.

Check off another task, thank you very much.

A pretty picture for this post:

photo via jasmine star

Reception Flow

Friends,
I need your help in determining the flow of our reception.

Picture via jennifer skog
Here is our working timeline so far:

5:30 cocktail hour begins in the lobby outside the ballroom
6:15 guests are allowed into the ballroom and are asked to be seated
6:30 introduction of bridal party
6:35 first dance of the bride & groom
6:40 first course is served to guests
6:45 toasts by the best man and maid of honor
7ish main course is served
7:30 short tribute to Daddy/ mother-son dance
7:45 cake is cut and bride & groom thank guests
dance floor open for remainder of evening. dreaded bouquet and garter toss follow at some point.

What do you think?!
In reality, this moment at the reception is all that matters:

jasmine star

A Post from Mommy

Mommy and I attended a family friends wedding this past weekend. So I convinced Mommy to make an appearance on my blog today and comment about one of the big questions she has related to weddings. Have a gander:

If you have been to a wedding recently, you have probably realized that once dinner is over and the dancing begins, the guys gather by the bar where the beer is flowing and the girls head to the nearest table with a friend who has gossip to share. The gossip ranges from outlandish outfits at the reception to how embarrassing the toast of the best man was. By the way, the Best Man's toast at this wedding was inappropriate to say the least. When a good song comes on, the girls disband their gossip circle momentarily and head to the dance floor. It is there that they hold their glass of wine and twirl their hand in a lasso fashion (ala "Save a horse ride a cowboy"). All along the boys stay so far away from the dance floor they would need binoculars to see it.

Long story short: How do you pull the girls away from their gossip circle and make the men put down their beers long enough to actually be within 10 feet of eachother. In the old days, the conga line was the answer. The men would unwillingly get snapped into the line and that was that. Seeing as how my daughter shudders at the thought of a conga line, I highly doubt there will be one at her wedding. Then there was the age old trick of the YMCA...but I suppose that is outdated too. What are your thoughts as to how to keep the dance floor full at the reception?
I'm back, friends, with some other observations to share from this weekend:

The bartender would pre-pour cups of beer from the tap and set them at the edge of the bar. This way there was no waiting in line if all that was desired was a cup(s) of beer. Therefore, the line for the bar was wonderfully short for those of us like me that just wanted a glass of wine. However, the beers were quite readily accessible and just begging to be consumed. Perhaps this led to too much beer being consumed since no one ever had to wait in line for it!?

At this venue the cake table was set up near the front corner of the venue. We're hoping that at our reception, the cake can be near the dance floor and be the center of attention while we cut into it. I think that while we're there we will make a speech thanking everyone for coming.

Here was the real kicker for my Mom. The priest never said "I now pronounce you husband and wife." He just introduced the new couple and they kissed and practically ran down the aisle before anyone could even stand up and start clapping!! For the money that you are giving to the priest, you better actually get a pronouncement out of it!

Thoughts?!

The Card Box

Listen. The card box has become my worst enemy.

Originally we wanted to take 3 round hat boxes of different sizes to make a card box that looked like a cake with three tiers (photo example found here without the modge podging). We were going to affix plum fabric to it and it would be perfect. So we thought. When Mommy and I got into thinking about the real construction behind it....we decided it would be near impossible for Kristen, who volunteered to make the box, to do. The fabric would never be tight enough and it would just not look right.

So then we thought about using square boxes instead. But this is a lot of work (and money once all the supplies have been bought!) for 1 little card box that will never be used again! Seeing as how I cannot bear to use the standard white card box offered at the reception, an alternate idea for a card box is needed. So far I have only come up with one alternative.

Would it be ok for me to take a large glass vase and use it for the card box? A large vase with a lot of depth. I would wrap them with ribbon and affix a sign similar to the monogram that will be attached to the centerpieces (see picture of centerpiece vase inspiration here). I would have a friend stand at the gift table to ensure that none of the cards were taken out of the vase. The venue wedding coordinator would take the vase to our room shortly after the cocktail hour ends.

What do we think?

It's almost back to school time and this ring shot reminded me of how excited I would always get to go back to school (and back to school supply shopping). photo by jk photography.

A Little Birdy Told Me....

....that even though I'm not too crazy about birds, that I should check out this wedding (photographed by sara france):
The invitation envelopes are pretty much the cutest thing I have ever seen. From: THE LOVEBIRDS. How precious!? Imagine walking into a reception and finding your table adorned with this elaborate centerpiece:
And then to look down at your plate and see 1) a handstitched place card 2) an adorable photostrip 3) and a nest with THE cutest saying, "love tweet love" atop egg candies. Are you kidding me!?!
And if that wasn't enough....the cake. Check out the detail on the layers AND the topper.

For more detail check out this post at joyful weddings & events.
Tweet tweet!

Our Table Numbers

Here is a the design of what our table numbers will look like:

(please credit tying the knot with the design)

Our monogram is the inspiration behind our vision for the day. By slightly modifying the monogram I created a design for the table numbers that will continue the cohesiveness of our decor.

There are so many ways that table numbers can be displayed and I have no idea what we will do yet. Once we have our initial taste testing and venue walk through we will know more about what we want our table setting to look like.

You likey?

Unbustled

This is one of the first pictures I have seen of a bride at the reception without a bustled dress.

(picture via: The Brides Cafe)

Thought #1: Her dress is a-mazing

Thought #2: Does one have to bustle the dress at the reception? I never gave it a second thought since I assume that its easier to haul around a dress that is bustled v. a dress that's flowing on the on the floor (and subject to anyone and everyone stepping on it). Are you bustling your dress for your reception?

Thought #3: Can I bustle my dress BEFORE the ceremony, take pictures, UNBUSTLE my dress for the ceremony, and then REBUSTLE my dress for the reception? We want to take pictures around downtown Indianapolis before the ceremony and I would like the dress to be bustled. Could I just steam out the wrinkles before the ceremony!?

Discuss.

Poll: The Head/ Sweetheart Table

The size of our bridal party, 16 including Chris and I, has caused us some logistics problems. Getting to and from the hotel, church, and reception has provided to be a reoccurring nightmare consuming my thoughts at least twice a day. Not to mention that our church has an extra-long aisle and it will take the 7 BM's at least 5 minutes to walk from the back of the church to the front. By the time they make it to the front, the guests will be ready to go home. However, the larger logistical problem at hand is dealing with the seating for ourselves and our large bridal party at the reception.
Here are our options:
1. A Sweetheart table for the two of us. Allow our bridal party to sit with their dates at two tables. (photo below via Jessica Claire)
2. Lining up the bridal party 7 on each side in a row almost the length of a football field. It's traditional and it works. (photo via Knottie Mrs. Pootiekins)

3. Split up the bridal party between two (oval) tables of 8 that are placed side by side next to eachother at the front of the room. This is our venue's preference. But how do we decide which members of the party sit with us and which are exiled to the other table!?

Thoughts!? How are you handling your head table?
{Results: 39 votes!! sweetheart: 22, one long table: 12, two tables: 5}

Reception Timeline & Tips

The reception timeline is a big detail, among other big details, that I keep putting off. I guess it's about time to begin to nail it down.
So, I turned to Martha and her "50 Tips for the Perfect Reception." Here's how Martha says the night should go down (assuming the cocktail hour starts at 5pm):

5:00 Cocktail hour starts.
6:00 The bride and groom enter the reception, are formally announced, and usually have their first dance.
6:30 If the reception is a sit-down meal, the first course is served. The host's welcome and best man's toast kick things off.
7:30 The main course is served.
8:00 The bride and groom dance with their parents, and guests join in.
8:50 The cake is cut.
9:00 Cake and dessert are served.
9:45 The bouquet is tossed.
10:00 The bride and groom depart.
Tip #49 from Martha: Leave in Style

( photo via bobbi + mike)

Other tips from Martha that lead to a great reception:

#27. Put Big Smiles on Little Faces:Young guests will enjoy goody bags that are all theirs. Fill a toteable container like ours with treats that aren't messy, such as age-appropriate toys, or animal crackers and Smarties. Add paper and washable crayons, and kids might even create one-of-a-kind cards for the bride and groom.

#28. Eschew the Receiving Line: If you will be hosting more than 50 people, the traditional meet-and-greet can take an hour or more. For groups of this size, it's more gracious of the newlyweds to thank guests by visiting every table.

#29. Tame the Toasts: An unplanned ramble can interrupt the flow of a party and make everyone uncomfortable. Encourage spur-of-the-moment speeches at the rehearsal dinner so the reception includes only words from the host, the newlyweds, and the best man and maid of honor. If you're concerned that your speakers may overindulge, schedule toasts to take place early in the festivities.

Not too shabby Martha.
What are some reception tips that should have made the list? How are you structuring your reception timeline?

The Perfect Table

In starting from scratch, I will I begin the search for my black & white table decorations with this picture from Jasmine Star :

I love the idea of a damask table runner on black or white linens. I took a cue from Darci at With This Ring , and have found some pretty inexpensive fabric ($6.95/yard + free shipping) at Buy Fabrics for my table runners:

I also love the idea from the picture below of taking a thick ribbon and tying it around the table if the linens are long. A plum ribbon perhaps!? I am also envisioning tying a thick plum ribbon around the backs of every other chair at the reception and perhaps around the vases that hold white centerpieces.

DIY Bride features black chalkboard votives that you can personalize any way you would like, perhaps with the words "love" "trust" "luck" "hold" etc.

And, of course, one can always look to Toast and Tables for inspiration!

So, to re-cap:

- Damask runner on white or black linens (maybe every other table will alternate between the two linens?!)

- White centerpieces in tall(er) vases wrapped with plum ribbon...or perhaps 2 or 3 arrangements of white flowers of varying heights/vases arranged in the middle of the table.

-4-6 Black chalkboard votives personalized with love-related words

-Plum, or copper, ribbon wrapped around every other chair and perhaps the middle of the linen drape as shown above.

- Betting on white plates and black napkins provided by the venue and hoping for white chairs!

Any other thoughts/advice/pictures you would like to share?!

Rock Me All Night Long...

Over the past month or two I haven’t obsessed AS much over the music that will be played at the reception as I have over the reception table centerpieces, escort cards, and the venue of the actual reception. However, I do know that the music has to be a-mazing enough to keep the dance floor packed all night. photo by: Jessica Claire via Knottie Mrs. Hoya
Thus, the music has to apply to 20-somethings and 50-somethings.
Here’s a list of songs that I am throwing around and believing that EVERYONE can put up with and dance to:

• Brickhouse - Commodores
• Come on Eileen - Dexy’s Midnight Runners
• Friends in Low Places - Garth Brooks
• I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing - Aerosmith
• I Love Rock and Roll - Joan Jett
• Jack and Diane - John Mellencamp
• Lets Get it On - Marvin Gaye
• Livin' On A Prayer - Bon Jovi
• Pour Some Sugar On Me - Def Leppard
• Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy) - Big & Rich
• Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd
• You Shook Me All Night Long - AC/DC
• I Want You to Want Me - Cheap Trick
• Summer Of '69 - Bryan Adams
• Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond

Any recommendations?!

Toast and Tables

And just when I needed inspiration the most I saw that Sarah Dennis at Toast and Tables had received an e-mail asking to be inspired from a bride-to-be named Elizabeth whom is also planning a navy/green/and white color scheme for her wedding. And this is what Sarah whipped up:

The picture in the middle is my FAVORITE. How cute and charming are those striped navy and white napkin ties?!

I had begun to veto the idea of having any shade of blue flowers in my wedding, but the three flower setting above would look amazing on the tables at the reception...perhaps on a white tablecloth with a navy runner?

Thank you Sarah!!