I love
weddings. From the flowers to the cake, and all the warm fuzzies in between, I buy into all they represent: love, passion, commitment, family and friendship. This weekend, I was fortunate enough to be part of a wedding that had all of these qualities in overflowing abundance.
One of my best friends of many years, Mike, married his beautiful Michelle on Saturday, in an outdoor ceremony fit for the pages of a bridal magazine.
While it had rained and stormed without reprieve all week, the clouds parted on Friday, and the sun shone bright all Saturday for their perfect
day. The bride looked stunning, the groom handsome and proud, and as I needlessly prayed my little ring-bearing man would make it down the steps without a tantrum, I couldn’t help but smile (and cry) at one of life’s little reminders that this is what it’s all about.
The reception at
Sirocco Golf Club only continued the love-in, where the dancing and overall reception shenanigans were eclipsed only by the overall sense of emotion that flowed as freely as the wine.
Future brides and event planners alike, take note of these most wonderful highlights:
Location
With the stunning river valley below us, staggered stadium seating, and plentiful planted flowers and manicured lawns,
Riverview Bed and Breakfast’s outdoor garden ceremony space exuded romance and nature’s optimism even before the string quartet’s first notes floated through the air. (There’s just something magical about an outdoor summer ceremony that can’t be found as easily indoors.)
SpeechesFor me, this was a wedding of firsts: the first time I enjoyed ALL the speeches, the first time I cried at all the speeches, and the first time I wished there were more. The winning combination? A beautiful balance of timing, sentiment and entertainment. The parental speeches were witty, funny, poignant and sweet, and the Maid of Honour’s sincere and touching. Extra kudos however, to the Best Woman (the groom’s sister), who knocked it out of the park with a pop-culture driven speech celebrating the pop-culture-obsessed
groom, complete with a hilariously compelling ‘leading man’ slide show. Another bonus that kept things flowing and on-time—no open mic!
Personal Touches
It’s all in the individual details: from the groom’s hysterical video montage to the bride’s sister singing At Last as the newlyweds swayed on the dance floor, the bride and groom made sure to leave personal footprints over more than just the dance floor.
Close it DownThe party tends to fizzle once the bride and groom make their honeymoon-suite getaway. Solution? Push back the wedding-night rapture until the wee hours and close the place down along with your guests. Thanks M & M!
Bon Jovi
A dance isn’t a dance without at least one killer
Bon Jovi track. To have it dedicated for you by the bride and groom, priceless.
Congratulations!
xoxo
(Special thanks to PMG Image for providing 4 of these photos.)