Getting Hitched: The Party Begins!

Side Note: I know, I know. I did what all of us hope we won't do and let my recaps get put on the back burner. Hopefully you guys have just been keeping up with all of the wonderful new bloggers and didn't even notice? Maybe not? Either way, thanks for not hating me being patient, and I'll do my best to not let it happen again! 

Making our grand entrance into the reception was one of those tiny, little parts of the wedding day that I was really looking forward too. It comes and goes quickly, but in my opinion, the hype is justified. You've said your I do's, the photos have been taken, and then, to top it all off, you get to hold hands with your new hubby and make an entrance into a room full of clapping people that are just super excited for you. I was really looking forward to this part of the day and it didn't disappoint.

Although you can certainly tell how happy Mr. C and I were, my MOH, L, seriously had us all beat in the excitement department. The girl was ready to party, and you can tell by the look on her face ;)

I seriously love her for this.

After our bridal party had gone in and found their places along the dance floor, it was finally our turn, and we enthusiastically made our entrance as husband and wife!

Pure. Joy.

We went right into our first dance, and found ourselves wishing we had practiced a little more as we swayed to "That's How Strong My Love Is" by Otis Redding.

The choice for our first dance song did not come easily. Between the two of us, Mr. C and I know a fairly large amount of music. We are both pretty big fans of classic rock, and while we really wanted to choose a song from one of our favorite bands from that genre, it was so hard to narrow it down and choose just one. It was also extremely difficult for me to get over previous associations with certain songs, like certain times or places we had heard it, or even movies that had featured it. I made it way more difficult than it needed to be, but Y'ALL. It was our WEDDING SONG, so of course it had to be perfect ;)

We finally decided, after one of the only real arguments I can recall during the planning process (there were a good bit of "disagreements", but arguments were thankfully few), to find a "new" song that we both liked and would hold more significance to us after the wedding as our first dance song. I'm also a sucker for a little soul and R&B, so I presented Mr. C with "That's How Strong My Love Is", we took it for a little test drive and practiced our dance in the living room, and quickly decided it was the one. The song is somewhat short - just shy of 2:30 - which made it perfect for the non-choregraphed or rehearsed dancing we were planning on doing at the wedding.

For the most part, we stuck to swaying, but Mr. C just had to spin me a few times, which led to faces like this one:

Laughing to ease my embarrassment ;)

After the song finished, Mr. C welcomed our guests and thanked them for coming. Apparently, I also said a few words? I have absolutely no recollection of this (which is probably for the best because I am not a huge fan of speaking in front of people) but the pictures tell a different story.

We then transitioned straight into eating dinner, during which time our photographers and videographers were able to enjoy a little food themselves. You might remember my "feeding the vendors" dilemma mentioned here. We chose to give them their own table, close enough to the action for a good view of any potential spontaneous actions (there were none) but certainly not one of our "prime" tables either. They seemed happy with the arrangement, therefore we were happy with the arrangement.

After dinner, it was time to cut the cake! Many of you will notice there was no topper on our wedding cake. I searched the world wide web for months looking for one that I liked enough to either purchase or attempt to make myself, and never succeeded. I also learned in the process that I actually liked the look of cakes without a topper. After that it was put on the back burner and turned into one of those things I just never got around to. Do I think about cake toppers everysingleday and regret not having one? Not at all. The cake tasted fabulous all on its own :)

Our coordinator quickly showed us the best way to slice each piece:





We listened closely and did our best, but Mr. C still managed to put his own spin on things. Classy, huh?

Next, it was time for the groom's cake. I tried so hard to get Mr. C to have a super elaborate cake. The man loves to grill, and I had found pictures of these amazing cakes (like this one!) in the shapes of a grill, with little hamburgers and grilling tools  He also has a beautiful classic Mustang, so I suggested finding someone who could make a neat replica in the form of cake. Not interested. Instead, he wanted a simple chocolate cake with the state of Texas on top of it. He told me time and time again that it was my day, and he didn't want his groom's cake to "take away" from our wedding cake. How can a bride argue with that??

We cut the cakes, fed each other a piece (while our faces stayed cake-free in the process), and topped it all off with a kiss. It doesn't get much better than that!

Up Next: Some of our favorite people make a toast!

Miss a recap?

First, I shared some of my favorite guest photos from the big day!

Next, Mr. C and I spent some quality time with family, rehearsed for the big day, and then enjoyed our tasty rehearsal dinner.

My girls and I spent some quality time together and got our hair and makeup done in our hotel suite.

We headed over to the Piazza, where I slipped into my dress.

I showed off my wedding gown in my pre-wedding Bridal Portraits.

You got a sneak peek into the Groom’s Suite while the guys got ready.

I got a little misty during our First Look.

Mr. Coach and I took a few couple’s portraits with our photographers.

It was almost time for the ceremony to begin, so our parents and grandparents made their entrances.

We exchanged handwritten vows during our ceremony.

Our photographers snapped some pictures of Mr. C and me with our Bridal Party.

Before the reception, we took the time for a few more couple's portraits.