Nuts and Bolts- Wedding Post Number 6

I'm trying to wrap up all my many thoughts and feelings about 'the wedding', but there's just so much to say, and some of it is hard to put into words. I know I want to write about the reception, and I most definitely want to write about all the many people whose presence made the weekend extra, extra special, but I think that will be two separate posts.

Possibly three.
Maybe I'll go for an even ten. Stay tuned.

For now I'm going to talk about some of the reception details, the nuts and bolts so to speak, as opposed to all the thoughts and feelings. I know some people don't care about details, but I think you know I'm not one of them, so here we go...

Our reception was held in The Certus Loft, which is part of The Peace Center in downtown Greenville.  We absolutely could not have asked for a more perfect venue. The Loft sits along the banks of the Reedy River, conveniently just across the street from the hotel where our many out of town guests were staying.

The Loft is spacious with plenty of natural lighting, gorgeous wood floors, exposed brick, and vintage architectural detailing. In other words, exactly what we were hoping to find when we first began the hunt for a venue.

Essentially it's a blank canvas...you book the space, but hire your own catering, music, and decor. You are required to use their bar services, but they offer several packages of varying price, and they worked with us to determine the best fit for our event.

Daughter1 had a very clear vision of how she wanted her reception to look and feel. We wanted a venue that would allow for personalizing the space, menu, and set up to make that vision a reality.

I'd describe our theme as 'rustic elegance', and the bride and I were completely simpatico in regards to style, color, and design. She chose a muted natural palette...shades of green, lots of gold and ivory, some wood tones, and just a hint of blush sprinkled throughout.

We wanted a soft elegant feel to the space, so opted for a combination of long and round tables, candles in pretty mercury glass, Edison lighting strung across the dining room beams, and lots and lots of greenery mixed with flowers in shades of white.

The Loft features two long rooms that are basically in the shape of a backwards L. We set the long arm of the L for dinner, and the 'leg' of the L was what I'll call the party room.

We had passed hors d'oeurves and cocktails in the party room the first hour, the band and dance floor at an angle on one side of the far end, a four-sided bar set in a diamond shape in the room's center, and lounge furniture and wedding cake at the end closest to the entry, furthest from the band. I don't have great pictures of the party room, so will likely post more once we get the photographer's work.

Our floral designer was so very talented. We used Modfete, and I cannot say enough good things about Katelyn. I'd describe her style as vintage with a modern twist, which matched the bride's style to a tee. In fact my daughter had seen a piece created by Modfete on a website, which is how we found her.

The bride wanted to incorporate something similar in our space, so besides all the wedding flowers and decor, the table settings and other beautiful miscellany design, Katelyn created three hanging pieces, one for over the head table, and two for the party room to hang over the lounge furniture.

photo credit: Modfete

We rented the lounge furniture from A Darling Day  who was so nice to deal with, pleasant and accommodating on the phone, promptly returned emails, delivery and pick up in a timely fashion, and they made payment easy. Hubs kept scratching his head saying, 'We're renting furniture???', but he was a trooper, and more or less managed to go with the flow.

Daughters getting married are a lot for dads to come to grips with.

Our favorite restaurant in Greenville is Larkins on the River, so one of the first, easiest, and best decisions we made was to have them do the catering. Their event coordinator Jessica was so great to work with, and their food was positively scrumptious. The chef worked with my daughter to customize some of the appetizers, and our guests could not say enough about how wonderful everything tasted.

Appetizers included chicken and waffles with a cranberry syrup, shrimp and grit cakes with a red pepper coulis, grilled pimento cheese with tomato soup shooters, deviled eggs, and crudities with dip. The chicken and waffles disappeared as fast as they could serve them. Seriously good!

We had a sit down plated dinner which included a salad as the first course, followed by a filet of beef and crab cake duo with mashed potatoes and vegetable. I was a little anxious about how they would manage to serve filet to 180 people (would it all be hot and cooked to everyone's liking???), but no worries, Larkins service and timing were perfection. I thoroughly enjoyed the sit down dinner, enough time to have a real conversation with the guests at our table, and a little breather mid-evening.

We served wedding cake prepared by Buttercream Bakehouse for dessert, and it was scrumptious. There were two strawberry layers with a vanilla bean filling, and two chocolate and vanilla layers, with a peanut butter filling that was uh-mayzing!  A swiss vanilla icing in what's dubbed a smooth spackle design topped it off. There were fresh flowers too, with the sweetest, tiniest, little bride and groom tucked amongst the blooms.

That very bride and groom sat atop the bride's great-great-grandparent's wedding cake many moons ago. The gorgeous wooden cake stand was also very special, made by the groom's mama who has a real talent for creating with wood. It was the perfect display piece for their gorgeous cake.

I love how gently my son-in-law treats my daughter. I really dislike when a groom smashes the cake in his new bride's face. This sweet tender gesture is so much better.

Aren't they the absolute cutest?

And now cue awkward place to stop, but I'm stopping here anyway. I'm going to save the first dance, father-daughter dance, and all about that
baseband for my next post. Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Best Day Ever-Wedding Post 5

So it's been awhile since we last spoke. To recap-this little darlin'...

...grew up and got married. Some stuff happened in between, but for now let's focus on the best day ever, which happened three whole entire weeks ago.

The Wedding Day.
I feel that needs to be capitalized, don't you?

I wrote a little bit about the day in Wedding Post 1, which you'll find by clicking here. That post was kind of all about me, so I thought I'd try to put the focus back where it belongs here today.

Or it might still be a little bit about me.

Also, I'm still operating from iPhone pics and friend's cameras, so until we get our professional shots back these will have to suffice. I'm going to save the reception for another post (yes, really!) and will concentrate on the ceremony here.

The bride texted me this picture first thing in the morning on her big day.
She was a little bit excited.

Me too. Sisters are special every day, but never more so than on your wedding day.

Something else every bride needs-

Simply because seeing it in writing makes it all just a teensy bit more real.

Let's discuss the weather, because if you're a regular reader here, you know weather is in my blog wheelhouse. It rained pretty much the entire weekend, some of the time nothing more than a soft mist, and other times real honest to goodness rain.

If it were possible to schedule your wedding weather ahead of time most brides would say no thank you to the rain. While it created a couple of minor hiccups, I'm here to say I think the morning fog and off and on rain added to the romance of the day. It helped that temperatures were in the mid-40's so nobody froze, and our wedding and reception were indoors regardless of the weather.  Looking back, if I were given the choice, I wouldn't even pass on the rain.

The only thing it interrupted were outdoor photos, but our photographer had a plan B that worked beautifully.The hotel was situated directly across the street from The Peace Center, so the bride and her girls dashed in there for some before the ceremony shots.

The lobby in the Peace Center is quite modern and all glass, so while we were tucked safely inside, the outside was also fully present. Did I mention I'm anxious to see photos?

Here's a shot of the bridesmaids taken just prior to leaving the hotel suite-

I absolutely loved the bridesmaid gowns. The dresses were from J Crew, and while each girl wore the same basic dress (floor length silk chiffon in dusty shale), they all chose a neckline that best suited their body type and figure. I love this trend in wedding design! There were four necklines to choose from, and without trying we had a perfect mix.

The bride looks beautiful and serene doesn't she? Keep in mind she'd just scooped her mother off the floor not ten minutes earlier. Pretty sure my little mishap helped her find her inner reserves. You're welcome sweet girl.

The hubs! Or the F.O.B. as we called him all weekend long. He hadn't seen the wedding dress at all, so Daughter1 worked with the photographer to capture his 'first look'. The groom's first look was when the bride stepped into the sanctuary, but we all knew Dad needed a minute too.

It was important for him to see his girl before he walked her down the aisle, so our photographer set him up just outside the hotel. All the bridesmaids and I lined up along the windows inside to watch and it was something, y'all. We had two videographers with us starting early in the day, so they also captured this super sweet scene for the wedding film, which we'll get in a few months. Even the photographer's assistant was teary eyed.

Little girls who grow up under the guidance, encouragement, and protection of their father's love are the luckiest little girls in the world.

The wedding party and the groom boarded a trolley for their ride to the church and our little family of four climbed into a waiting limo soon after. Daughter1 wanted all four of us in the car together, and I loved that.

The groom and his men were ushered into one side of the church, and the bride and her girls to the other.  We waited in one of the church nurseries, as evidenced by the miniature chair I'm sitting on.

I think my breathing had almost returned to normal here, but the bride might be making sure.

The groom's mama came into the room, and immediately became teary eyed. I mean look at the bride-how could you not?  The grandmas were there too, and they got hugs and beautiful wrist corsages to mark them as most important people. The bridesmaids then gathered around the bride, and prayed the most lovely prayer over her and her groom and their future life together, and then we all checked our mascara for the walk to the sanctuary.

The groom's mom and I were to light candles before we sat down, and thankfully she went first, because just as she and I predicted the night before, the lighter wouldn't light. Conveniently my brother in law had a lighter in his pocket, which he casually tossed to the groomsmen who escorted the groom's mama. The groomsman caught it one handed without flinching, and everybody clapped. I feel there's always a bit of tension prior to a wedding ceremony getting started, and this gave the whole room an excuse to exhale and relax.

And there she was. The bride. On the arm of her father. Beaming. Looking confident and serene and supremely happy.

I want to always and forever remember the groom's face as he saw my daughter coming down the aisle to join her life with his.

Dear Girls Everywhere....choose wisely. When you choose the right groom, the joy that fills the church on your wedding day will be palpably felt by everyone present. Your own heart will be too full to contain all the happiness you feel inside, so much so that it will spill out and over and all around. It will touch all your friends and family and perfect strangers too. It will be the biggest thing guests take away from your special day, and it will fill your mama's heart with peace. 

The ceremony was so lovely. Music was provided by a local cello and guitar duet known as Wirewood, and they were absolutely wonderful. A friend of Daughter1 read scripture in a sure and confident voice, and the congregation joined in to recite The Lord's Prayer and in singing a hymn-Be Thou My Vision. The officiant shared wise words regarding marriage and in the end, surrounded by so many who love them so very much, the bride and groom were pronounced husband and wife.

Best day ever.

The Best Day Ever Eve-Wedding Post 4

Continuing a slow meander through my daughter's wedding weekend.  I'll probably finish sometime.

Not today though.

I haven't even gotten to the actual wedding or reception yet but the thing is, I really want to have photos, and our photographer uses actual film so we wait. Patiently for the most part because he's amazing.

But also not so patiently because we're impatient when it comes to pictures. Let's talk about the rehearsal.

Daughter1 and her brand new husband! were married in a church that sits on the edge of Greenville. Daughter2 is a member of said church, and they were kind and helpful in allowing her sister to marry in their beautiful building. As I mentioned above, we don't have our photos back yet, but I did snap this one back in August. The bride and I met her wedding planner and also the floral designer there to see what we wanted in the way of set up and decor.

The church building itself was pretty on the outside, and beautiful on the inside with it's soaring wood ceiling-

...heavy wooden doors-

...and a great big wooden table in the foyer, just the right spot for propping their wedding verse on a chalkboard made and written on by the bride herself. We love us some chalkboards here, and you should know it wasn't smudgy at the church. I think that happened later, when we loaded it into our car at the end of the night and a soft rain was falling.

The walls and altar area in the sanctuary were essentially a blank canvas, and we were free to rearrange the staging anyway we liked. The woman who showed us around the church happened to mention a wedding that had taken place the week before our visit. She said the bride's father had built a pallet wall that fit across the entire front of the sanctuary, and they'd given it to the church for any future brides to use, so we leapt on that! It was absolutely gorgeous, and made the perfect backdrop for the ceremony.

Plus our floral designer worked her magic and added a vine that looked as if it grew there, along with candles in glass jars. She was amazing, but of course you'll have to wait until I have the pictures to prove it. In the meantime here's an off-centered photo I snapped at the rehearsal, which gives you some idea of what I'm struggling to describe.

Aren't they just the cutest?
You can positively feel the love when you're around them.

Hubs got a little emotional at the rehearsal, but was a star when it came to the actual handing over on the day. It helps tremendously when you already adore, and have absolutely no reservations about, your future son-in-law.

Following the rehearsal we headed back downtown for a really fun dinner.  The groom's family hosted and it was such a great evening. They graciously included our whole-entire-great big family, the very large wedding party (16 plus dates or spouses), plus the officiant, his wife and their three sweet daughters, so not small. They rented the Upcountry History Museum as the venue, and had a real Southern feast catered as the meal. It was delicious, and the first time a few of the guests had tasted shrimp and grits, pretty much hubs favorite meal.

We had the museum to ourselves and could browse as much or as little as we liked. The Upcountry Museum tells the stories and history of the Upcountry (the northwest corner of SC, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains), and you actually eat amongst the museum displays.

It was the perfect space for mingling and introducing friends and family on both sides to one another...everybody loved it. The venue lent itself so well to the talking and moving around you want to do at a rehearsal dinner.

In a restaurant you're typically confined to your table, but this was roomy, relaxed, and a friendly, sociable kind of space. A perfect way to kick off the wedding weekend celebrations.

After dinner the maid of honor, aka Daughter2, made a super sweet, highly emotional speech, chunks of which she forgot to say because she was feeling every bit of sister love her heart could hold, and it might have spilled out in the way of tears.

One of the groomsmen had to follow that, and he managed to make us all laugh.

At the end of the event the bride and groom went up the grand staircase in the foyer and they kissed, and we cheered. It was a happy night, the beginning of a whole weekend of happy.

A whole lifetime of happy.

Let's Do Lunch-Wedding Post 3

Hubs and I arrived in SC on the first day of the brand new year. We only had a bazillion little things to do, but still managed to squeeze in dinner out at my sister's house, where my mom and uncle were staying. The bride and groom came too, so that was fun.

I did not take a single picture, because ya'll...I was ti.red. My sister cooked a turkey tenderloin and it felt good to let her wait on me. I know that sounds awful, but I was gearing up for the weekend ahead, and my adrenaline was on overdrive, and my head was spinning.

Sisters are just what you need when emotions threaten to run amok.

There are a lot of us, so we introduced the groom to family members in stages over the course of a few months. We talk a lot, and hug and kiss, and we think we're hilarious. We don't mean to overwhelm, but sometimes we can't help ourselves. I feel certain he'll get used to us.

Pretty certain.

Friday morning the bride had planned a sweet little luncheon for all her girls, plus her mama and mother-in-law. Unfortunately her mother-in-law couldn't be there, because that was the same window of time the rehearsal venue gave her for set up on the opposite end of downtown. So sad. She would have enjoyed this I know. 

Lunch was lovely. We dined at Brick Street Cafe for those of you who know downtown Greenville, and these girls are just so precious.

Smart and precious. 

Also truly adorable. 

After we finished eating, Daughter1 doled out her gifts. I mentioned in a previous post she gave everyone a robe and fuzzy socks, but there were a few more fun surprises too. She also gave each girl a pretty cream colored pashmina so they would have something to wear over their dresses as they were stepping in and out of the hotel, trolley, church, and reception venue.  

In hindsight an umbrella would have made a nice gift, but what's a little rain? Daughter1 ordered the Pashminas from an Etsy shop called, Sweet Pea Sunday. They were packaged so beautifully, with each girl's name on the wrapper. 

You should know we fully embraced the brown kraft paper in our wedding design. 

There was more. The bride bought each of her bridesmaids a necklace to wear on the day. She had designed a cute little graphic/logo for nearly all of the wedding print work, and a pine cone was heavily featured. A pinecone and an evergreen, because hello Washington State. 

When she saw these necklaces she knew we had to have them. They came from L Rose Design (another Etsy find), and each delicate gold chain held a small smoky quartz gemstone, a gold disc with engraved initial, and a gold pinecone. They were sweet and a little bit different, and looked beautiful with the mint green gowns. L Rose Design has some really lovely jewelry on her website, and we were so pleased with the final product, the turnaround time, and the packaging. 

After Daughter1 handed out her gifts she made a little speech. There may have been some happy tears shed as she went around the table and said something about each and every girl including the one who birthed her. There were sorority sisters, a real life sister, a cousin who is like a sister, and a brand new sister-in-law.

These girls are part of so many happy memories and moments in Daughter1's life, not to mention representative of all the many homes away from home she has claimed as her own since graduating from high school. They are bright, funny, optimistic, and beautiful. They care for one another in a way that makes you feel good about the future of the world, and I pray they remain close always.

Daughter1 was funny and tender in telling what it was she specifically loved and appreciated about  them, what they meant to her, a little bit of humor and a lot of heart. I so admire the way she put her feelings into words. Too often we let those moments pass us by, with our good intentions remaining just that, but not this day.  Oh my word. Made my insides ache in that most wonderful way. 

Being the mother of the bride is almost as much fun as being the bride.