Hi everyone!! I'm a Mrs!! Married on 3.14.15 to the love of my life! We haven't gotten the professional photos back yet but one of our guests was kind enough to share this shot of my dad handing me over to my husband.
Wanted to share my experience and a few words of advice for those interested. We had a Catholic wedding in New Orleans and a beautiful reception directly after and it was perfect. Honestly it went better than I could have dreamed of, it was beautiful and the best day of my life!
A few things I learned:
give yourself extra time! I hired a team of ladies to do hair and makeup for my wedding party and they had a wonderful schedule but even after 4 hours we were rushed. After I got into my dress and everyone else did too we literally had 2 minutes to get ready to walk, I wish I had given a few more minutes so that I could have enjoyed the time with my friends and mom more. We did get a few photos with the photographer but once I was in my dress there were no photos until the ceremony.
it's all a blur! The ceremony was wonderful and I remember saying my vows and exchanging rings, but I was so concerned with what I was supposed to be doing I couldn't concentrate on the priest. Have someone take a video of the ceremony so you can watch it again, it's over before you know it.
time flies! Our reception was 3 hours, but between toasts, cutting cake and first dances it is over before you realize and you are wishing you had more time. When my dad was walking me down the isle his words of advice to me were "enjoy every moment." He couldn't have been more right.
eat!! People told me from day one that the bride and groom never eat at their wedding and boy was that almost true! Luckily I planned to have a server bring us food directly so we could enjoy everything. It may not have been as much food as I could have eaten (I didn't eat all morning) at least I got a sampling of the food.
dance with your guests! Getting down on the dance floor was a great way to interact with your guests without having the typical conversations over and over! Invest in a good DJ or band who will keep your guests on the dance floor all night! We have our glow in the dark necklaces and kept the dancing going until the end of the night! DJ was worth every penny!
no one will remember what you didn't do or what wasn't perfect. We ran out of time to serve cake, we cut it and fed it to each other and did a toast, but the guests had to take cake to go. There just wasn't enough time. But no one cares!
it's your day! Enjoy it! Celebrate your love! And remember to take a moment with your husband to sit and watch the party you planned. Take a deep breath and just be.
Have really enjoyed this sub, love seeing the photos and hearing the fun stories. Good luck to everyone!!