(Wedding Recap) Dance the Night Away

The remainder of the night passed in a blur of music, dancing, and fun.  In fact, I took a little break to cool off.  All that dancing in a dress made out of the “best” (translation heaviest) fabric in 80 bazillion layers, can really tire out a girl!
[Note to designers: make detachable wedding dresses that turn into short, cute, dancing dresses for the reception. One dress, two ways.]

The guests danced on….

and LOVED the photo booth, which we turned into our guest book!

The photo booth props turned into an opportunity to have more fun…

  and you KNOW where you can find me when the Electric Slide hits…

My last present to Mike -
my rendition of (Mike’s least favorite band) Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing.
 Because honestly, who doesn’t love Journey?!
(This took some creative scheeming and planning with the band)
((and we majorly butchered this song))
(((because all my friends sang along and embarrassed my new Hubby)))
It was awesome to the max.
…and during the after party I went to the ER due to heat exhaustion & low blood sugar.
(apparently you’re supposed to actually eat at your wedding? and for the record, I stopped drinking halfway through the reception)
((I wish I was kidding to the max))
The first time Mike referred to me as his wife, in public,
was at GW Hospital.
There’s a story for your grandkids!
THE END.

Details, details

To me, a wedding becomes truly fancy with a personalized match-box.

And to really top it off? You need personalized napkins.

I waited for The Knot to have their semi-annual favors sale and then pounced.
I’m excited to incorporate these two details into our big day!

Against teal tablecloths these will really pop!

What do you think?
Are you a fan of personalized items?

7 Months away!

Here’s what we’ve been up to this month:
-Not one, but two catering tastings and a cake tasting!
-a phone planning session with premiere wedding consultant, Steve Kemble (in which I finally pick my color scheme)
-chose a day-of wedding planner
-rented a photo booth as our favors!
-thought we won a photography package, but then lost it — update: the previous photog we were working with before the fail went down, is back in the picture.  We will be paying full price, but love her and her work. Plus? We trust her 110%.

We’re working on:
-choosing a caterer (We set a personal deadline of Thanksgiving)
-bridesmaids dresses (no really, for real this time)
-florist arrangements (meeting on the 29th!)
-our engagement party (a bit delayed, but still a party!)
-joining our finances (we got life insurance, we’re legit)
-my hair and makeup (I have someone’s card – this is a step)
-my figure (keeping the weight off)

We’re kinda-sorta thinking about:
-invitations
-meeting with the rabbi soon

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8 Months Away!

{Need a reminder of things we’ve done so far? 

As of recently we:
   -picked our wedding favors
   -mailed 60 of 120 Save the Dates, yesterday!
   -won a photographer!
   -chose a father-daughter dance song
   -scheduled two more upcoming catering tastings within the month

Finally, We’re working on:
-choosing a caterer
-engagement party invites (party scheduled over winter break to accommodate the arrival of a very special tiny guest, my newest niece Madelyne)
-rehearsal dinner location

I’m sorta thinking about:
-wedding invites
-my waistline
-if people will notice that our Save the Dates are magnets, since I taped them to the inserts… grr…
-my good friends’ wedding on FRIDAY!!!!!!!!  Yay Ian and Ashley! Weddings where you know both the bride and groom are so much fun!

What are YOU up to?!

Do me a Favor?

The second hardest thing* for me to pick for my wedding are favors.  We started off thinking of making a donation to a charity in lieu of tangible favors. We scrapped that idea when we realized there are too many choices, and differing opinions.  We moved onto candy, because who doesn’t like a practical favor? Chocolate capital buildings seemed appropriate, but expensive too.  Also, they have nothing to do with our theme.

Wine corks?  Not everyone drinks.
Yankee candles? Too cliche.
Picture frames? Even more cliche.
Key chains? Flower seeds? A nice cocktail and an evening of dinner and dancing (you know, what we’re already paying an arm and a leg for?!)

Then my daydreaming led me in a different direction to photo booths.  A space for guests to grab props, friends, and smile for the camera.  Plus they leave with a great memory captured in a picture, in their hand!

Photo booths are a growing trend.  My friend’s wedding (Hi Joy!) had a similar set up, with only a back drop not a booth, but the same idea – where guests can ham it up and capture the moment. This is a great way to get pictures of everyone in attendance, too!  
Then a Wedding Channel Deal email (similar to Groupon) came my way, offering $100 for $300 off the rental of a large photo booth from Lovely Day Photo Works. With only 24 hours to research and execute my plan, I jumped and quickly found that Lovely Day’s prices are very competitive for the DC metro area.   After some more phone calls, weighing the cost for the rental vs. the money actually budgeted for favors, we decided: yes!  
The photo booth will be our favor to our guests AND our guest book!
See, after taking a photo, guests can then put one of the strips in an album next to the booth, and write us a message next to it and sign their name.  Voila!
I’m hella-excited about this one.
We will have our “logo” (monogram, date, names, or something like that) on each strip.  Also? Unlimited Photos!   We will rent the prob box, full of silly hats, crowns, feather boas, plastic swords and things of the like, to make the pictures extra fun.  The large booth, which can seat up to 8 people, will allow for a lot of fun photos!

(Our wedding is going to be so much fun!)

The one hitch (there’s always a hitch): set up.
It costs $60 per idle hour (hours when the booth is set up but not in active use, like during the ceremony).  So if I want to feel safe I have them come early and pay for 3 idle hours.  If I want to risk it, I have them set up during dinner, coming in through the front entrance with stairs, and hope they are not a sore thumb of a distraction. 
To stress or to spend money?  
Anyone wanna sponsor this one? $180 gets you the first photo with the bride in the booth!
Anybody out there attend a wedding with a photo booth?

*The first headache being bridesmaids dresses.  Gym shorts and Tshirts, anyone?
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