Many Hands Make Light Work

There are so many people to thank for their help and support during the whole wedding process.

First of all, thanks to both of our families for being there for us (since birth) and letting us do this our way. Having watched a fair amount of reality wedding shows, I realize that not everyone gets to do it their way!

Thanks to my mom for all the help: shopping, cleaning and advice, etc...

Thanks to Janda's mom for all the help: shopping, finding pictures, advice, etc...

Thanks to our amazing set-up crew: My mom, Janda's mom, Janda's dad, Uncle Mike, Meme, Lisa, Kansas, Rob.

Thanks to my mom, Janda's mom and Meme for contributing desserts to our dessert buffet.

Thanks to Nathaniel for help with the sound system.

Thanks to all of the people who arrived a little early and saw the panic on my face and started to help put out appetizers: Linda, Pam, Mariellen, etc... Plus all of the guys who helped to stock the bar: Peter, Sinan, Kansas, etc... Almost everyone who came in offered to help- we have the best friends and family!

Thanks to Rob for graciously agreeing to MC our laidback event- probably not the easiest event to MC without a typical, specific wedding schedule.

Thanks to Corey and Lisa, the designated speech-givers of the evening. Each speech was special to us and very touching. Corey made us laugh, then Lisa made us cry!

Thanks to the tear-down crew- it happened so fast they were almost done before I changed! Everyone who was left at the end basically helped with something!

Thanks to all of the people who took pictures, especially Sarah and Michael with their professional cameras, thus professional looking photos. If anyone else has digital pictures, I'd LOVE to see them, so if you upload them to a photo site let me know!

Thanks to all of our guests for coming and celebrating the joyous event with us. We were so happy to be surrounded by our friends and family.

I hope that I didn't forget anybody who did anything, but if I did, know that we appreciated every ounce of help that we received and that we couldn't have done it without all of you.

The Wedding

We headed back to the golf club a little after 2:30. Janda was ready to go and I had my hair done but needed to get dressed and put on make-up, etc. I estimated that that would take 15 minutes and then it would be on to photos. Somehow it took a little longer (or maybe we got started later?) and then when I was done Janda had disappeared for a few moments.

Getting ready

We finally got started a little after 3:30 and then to my utter panic, as we were getting ready for the first pictures, the guests started arriving! I was unaware that everyone comes early to a wedding and we had barely started taking pictures, let alone finished setting up! My one and only meltdown of the entire experience came as I realized this! Being a perfectionist I was very upset that everything wasn't perfect when the guests arrived. All of our guests, however, are awesome people and started to pitch in and help! Within about 15 minutes everything was done! Thanks guests!

The wedding party

Me and Emma before the ceremony.

I had scheduled about 30 minutes between the (expected) arrival of the guests and the ceremony so that a) people could find their seats and put their stuff down, b)they could have a drink and a snack (those were the things not ready!!!) and I assumed some people would be running late. I actually loved that half an hour because everyone was up and mingling, just how I had hoped.

Excited

Then, came the ceremony. First Janda headed down the aisle.

Then our little flower girl. More apt would be a leaf girl!

Next came Lisa and Corey.

Then Kansas and Emma. My dad and I peaked around the corner for this one! Everyone was oohing as they made their way down the aisle!

Finally my dad and me.

The ceremony was short but very meaningful to us.

Our first walk , hand in hand, as a married couple.

Then onto mingling with guests and a couple of bites of dinner.

Guests to the left:

Guests to the right:

After dinner it was time for the presentation of the wedding party and the first dance.

Wedding party( minus Emma who was napping)

First dance

Then Corey and Lisa gave their speeches. Corey's was hysterical! Lisa's was touching.

In the spotlight

Couldn't stop laughing

Then the rest of the night was dancing, eating dessert, and fun!

My most frequent dance partner, flower girl Fiona

OK, who started the Congo line???

What a great night! Best ever!

Setup

Saturday morning was crazy. Janda and I got up before 8 to get started. I cut and sharpened pencils while Janda worked on the sound system some more. Once the pencils were done, I finished sewing my sash and cutting my veil. We loaded the cars up full and headed out a little before 10. I got to the golf club and had a few minutes to myself to look things over before the helpers started arriving.

The rustic ballroom and fireplace

The foyer and bar area

Once we had amassed a few people we got to work. Number 1, figure out where to put the tables. After a few disagreements, we finally settled on a layout and then it was time to set the tables. Our amazing friends and family got out chairs, tablecloths, centerpieces, napkins, silverware, glasses and programs in the blink of an eye. We also set up the guestbook table and buffet tables while Meme was cutting up the desserts in the kitchen. After that we set up the bar and hung up the more Christmas lights and paper lanterns, which was a four man job! Janda spent the morning getting the sound system set up and ready to go. We were a little worried about it working right b/c we had just bought it on Thursday!

Arranging tables (Meme and Janda's mom)

Setting tables (Lisa, Mike

Arranging the buffet and bar area (Mom, me, Rob and Janda's mom)

Setting up the sound system (Janda and Kansas)

In the kitchen (Janda's mom, Mike and Meme)

Centering the plate table and menu (Me, Rob and Janda's dad)

Hanging the lanterns (Janda's dad, Rob, Kansas, me and Mike)

All in all, I'd say that the set up went pretty smoothly and the place looked great when we left. Without (uncle) Mike, Janda's parents, my mom and grandmother, Kansas, Lisa and Rob, it would have been impossible to get it all done!

Finished Product (more or less!)

The whole room


To the right of the fireplace (Lisa, me, Janda's dad and Rob)


To the left of the fireplace (Lisa, me, Janda's dad and Rob)


The bar area and the picture wall (Janda's dad and Mike)


A set table


A centerpiece


The head table


The guestbook table

Emma's Baptism

The weekend before our wedding Janda and I became Emma's godparents.

At the church

Godparents and godbaby

We did it!

This weekend was the best- full of friends, family and fun! It started Friday night with a family BBQ at my parents, and we had a surprise guest- Sinan had already arrived from California and came over with Corey! Then on Saturday we were up bright and early so that we could get to the golf club and set everything up. Home to shower and then back to the club to get it started! Almost everything was perfect and we had a great time. Then this morning we had the family that was still on Cape Ann over for a brunch and Janda made some awesome waffles to go with my mom's quiche. Then after an afternoon spent lounging by the fire and a (not so) quick nap, we headed out to see the family again and deliver some leftover goodies. Finally home to a baked haddock dinner and more lounging by the fire. It was the perfect weekend.

This picture perfectly represents the weekend. I made the cupcakes and Janda frosted them. My mom ironed all those tablecloths and Janda's mom helped me make the cupcake stands with her hot glue gun. Everybody helped put out the desserts, moms, our friend's mom, Linda, and my cousin Mariellen and the brothers, a dad and an uncle helped move the tables. Without everybody's help, it never would have happened as beautifully as it did.

Well, time for bed, coming soon to a blog near you (ie this one): a baptism that I never posted, the full wedding story with photos and most importantly, the Thank yous that I wanted to make at the wedding but forgot about (like our bouquets and the video camera).