Wedding Pictures Part 21: The Anniversary Dance

Just a few more posts on the wedding left, and then goodness knows when I'll write about... But, until then, pictures from the anniversary dance (or whatever you call the dance that starts out with all married couples on the dance floor, and then starts asking couples to leave...first if they've been married for less than a day, then if they have been married less than 1 year, then less than 5 years, and so on...)

As the song went on, couples left the dance floor...

And finally, the only couple still dancing was Phil & Lil--- who I think have been married 58 or 59 years. 

Here's hoping we're still dancing at weddings in 58 or 59 years.

Wedding Pictures Part 20: Let's Dance

In the end, we picked "You Are the Best Thing" for our first dance. It's fun, easy to dance to, and appealed to both of us. "Can't Take my Eyes Off of You" is still "our" song, and it would've been great to have our first dance to our song, but it would have required more dance lessons than we could afford or even had time for. (Did I mention we started our dance lessons less than a month before the wedding, which we hadn't budgeted for... and they turned out to be way more expensive than we thought they would be? Oops. We only ended up making it to 2 lessons.) We didn't do "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" because it was too long and the music didn't allow for any creativity in dancing. I think we had the most fun with what we picked, anyway.

I really, really love the above 2 photos. Definitely in my top 10 of all 2000 of our wedding photos. LOVE them.

And then it was time for my Dad and I to dance. In efforts to simplify where possible, I asked Dad to pick the song we would dance to. His choice-- "Have I told You Lately that I Love You"-- was a good one, even more so because my dad doesn't say "I love you," often.  He's not the kind to vocalize his emotions, so choosing that song was his way of doing it, and it made dancing with him more special than it might have been with other songs he considered ("Unforgettable," and "Landslide")

I'm probably laughing because Dad's telling a lame joke or some ridiculous one-liner. 

The song was a great choice, but it's over 4 minutes long. That's a long time to have people watch you dance! So about mid-way through, I decided it was time to make things more interesting, and asked the rest of my Dad's daughters to join in...

And finally, it was time for Kenneth and his mom to do their dance. Kenneth and his mom chose Celine Dion's "You Raise Me Up." 

Kenneth's mom looks soooooooo happy in these pictures. Honestly, part of me didn't want to do any formal dances, (more spotlight on us was not what I wanted), but to get a picture like this, and make Kenneth's mom this happy, I'd say it was worth it in the end.

Love that picture. Doesn't it make you want to go hug your mom?

Wedding Pictures Part 19: Cake & Cupcakes

Since Kenneth's cousin turned 13 the day of our wedding, we thought she deserved a little time in the spotlight too...

This picture is included entirely because of the adorably mischievous look on little cousin H's face. And cousin Luke is great too. :) 

Singing Happy Birthday to Kenneth's cousin M  was definitely one of the best parts of the day.  (Thanks to groomsman Nathan for making that happen!)

And now, for our cake...

But before that, let's take a moment to appreciate our baker...

Inspiration:

Our version:

And now, I'll unveil my worst wedding day fear. A cake that looked like this:

(To be clear, this is a nice cake, it's not a cake wreck... but it's not at all what we wanted.)

A lot of the bakers we talked to just didn't convince me that they could replicate the cake that tied together every decision relating to aesthetics for our wedding. That inspiration cake inspired our invitations, bridesmaid dress colors, the centerpieces, programs-- everything. In addition to that,  I had spent too much time reading Cake Wrecks to have faith in "professionals" with less than absolutely jaw-dropping portfolios. Needless to say, I was really, really happy with our cake. Was it an exact replica of the inspiration cake? No. But did it have the graceful, calligraphy like swirls of the cake Kenneth and I both loved. Yep. Mike's Amazing Cakes, my friends. They can do anything with cake, (no really, they can-- check out the website) and they came in right on budget. They made this bride very, very happy.

Umm... We don't have forks. I guess we use our fingers...?

Notice the small children surrounding us. I'm sure cake is the best part of going to weddings when you're under 10.

Wedding Pictures Part 19: Toasts

I don't entirely remember what was said in our toasts.... and for this I'm grateful for our pictures and video.  Especially because at this point, my memory of the toasts is a jumble of laughter and tearing up, and jokes about fish and turtles. Memories are untrustworthy things...

Anyway, pictures of toast giving...

Dad is quite the talker... anyone who has spent 5 minutes with him could tell you that. And yet, he was clearly a bit nervous about his speech. I was once told that being nervous is a good thing. It shows you really care about what's going on. So, seeing Dad actually get nervous about giving a toast at our wedding. Well, it meant a lot to me seeing how much it meant to him, giving that speech. Even made me tear up just a tiny bit...

 James and Kenneth have a bond that amazes me. They are just as much friends as they are brothers. Actually, I'd say best friends. So James was a very special part of our wedding, and his speech was undoubtedly a highlight of the day for Kenneth.

Look closely at Kenneth's eyes... I'm almost certain that was the only time that day that I thought he might just cry. He didn't, but he was about as close to teary-eyed as I've ever seen him. Or ever will, I imagine.

Unfortunately, all I remember is James talking about taking care of the turtle. 

Lovely speech, James! Cheers all around!

During the year or so prior to the wedding,  Sara and I went from being sisters to being friends. It baffles both of us, but it's true. The day before the wedding, even Sara said, and I quote "I really love you. You've been there for me and you've become one of my best friends" (She will deny this if asked, because Sara "doesn't do emotions.") So having Sara give a speech at our wedding had more meaning than I imagined it would...

My friends Margarett, Taryn, and Carina spoke, too. We became inseparable in high school, and while we've certainly gone on very different paths since then, I still feel the most myself when I'm around them than with anyone else in the world.

Do you know why I'm laughing here? It's because Margarett is telling the fish joke. If you don't know what I'm talking about, let me know and I'll fill you in. Because nothing makes me laugh harder than a good, lame joke. It's the area where my dad's side of the family comes out the most in me.

Uncle Bill is not known for brevity, a fact I'm sure he is aware of because everyone on that side of the family is that way -- we talk even when no one is listening, and we tell the same stories over and over and over and... On top of that, as we age, it only gets worse. (Poor Kenneth! He can't wait until I'm 60!) So, with that, I admit I was a little nervous when Uncle Bill requested the microphone. Turns out, I shouldn't have been. Uncle Bill was was very kind, and the words he shared about marriage were perfect (if what I remember is correct...).

And finally, Spencer, Kenneth's best friend (after James) wrapped up our toasts. When you date someone, their family and their friends come as part of the package. Luckily, Kenneth's friends and family are terrific, including Spencer. Spencer has this quiet, friendly attitude that sets you at ease, and a great sense of humor. He pointed out how Kenneth and I have brought out the best in each other since we started dating, something I hope we continue to do throughout our marriage.