Well, my youngest son's wedding turned out to be a huge success! Weather predictions for last Saturday were up, down and all over the place all week long. Considering the fact that the ceremony was outdoors, you can imagine how it was a point of concern...at least for some. I was more concerned with getting the programs finished up and the place cards printed! But all turned out perfectly: programs, place cards, weather and everything in between!
The wedding was at a venue that provided an outdoor chapel surrounded by trees and flowers with a large banquet hall for the reception - all within an English Tudor-style manor. It is truly an exquisite setting! The banquet hall is surrounded on three sides by windows with a deck that wraps all around and overlooks a small lake and beautiful, rolling manicured grounds. It's impossible for me to explain how really lovely it was.
The pictures below show the chapel area with and without chairs set up. There were paths of brick pavers running along the sides down to the arch where the ceremony was performed. The bride's mom and I were the first ones down the aisle (so to speak!) and we decided to use one of those paths down to the front to deposit our flowers for the unity vase instead of fighting the grass with heels on. It worked out great! I was a teensy bit afraid of stumbling since I don't wear heels much these days.
The forecast was for thunderstorms, but as you can probably tell from the photos, it turned out to be an absolutely
beautiful day - warm and sunny....actually, a little more than warm...it was hot! I think the temperature hit 90 degrees and upwards, which made everyone just a little 'testy' while the photographers did their thing.
As you can see in the photo below (left), my five year old grandaughter is just a little grumpy and wanting to move on into the air conditioning :) ....the boys are just tolerating things while my oldest son tries to keep them coralled until the photographers are finished with all of us. (
It was a very long day for all of them, but especially for our little Lucy; so it's understandable that they were a little grumpy!)
In the photo below (right) they are in the midst of the family unity ceremony. I loved this part (teary eye here!). Because my youngest son has three children from his previous marriage, they wanted to include them in the ceremony. It was so touching.
The bride's mom and I each put a small bouquet of roses in two of the three vases on the table at the beginning of the service, then my son and his fiance each took a rose out of those two side vases and put them in a middle vase; then the 3 children also each took a rose and put it in the middle vase....forming the family unity vase. It was really beautiful and I don't think there was a dry eye in the house!! All happy tears for sure!!
On to the reception!! I wish I had a photo of the cake to show you!! It was so different - lots of color and fun! And the food was plentiful and phenomenally good! Toasts, hugs, kisses, dinner and on to dancing!! My DH and I dancing a slow one....and some of the younger set got a little crazy later on in the evening when the late night mexican taco table came out. They really had a good time!
Tomorrow is Father's Day - remember to give your DH some lovin' too! Have a good rest of the weekend!
