Getting Hitched Part VII: The Reception

Our photoshoot took longer than expected so we didn't make it to the end of cocktail hour. We were a little disappointed that we didn't get to check out the scene, but we heard it was quite enjoyable. The cocktail hour was set up on the back patio of the farm house, just a hop skip and jump away from the ceremony site. We had a jazz trio there to keep our guests entertained and lots of yummy (I think, though we never actually ate much!) hor'dorves to fill hungry tummies. Our guests were welcome to linger in the sitting room of the farm house or walk around the gardens and grounds of the property. We had lawn games set up and of course access to the bar. I spent a good deal of time prior to the wedding creating a photo "clothes line" with pictures of James and I mounted on scrapbooking paper and clothes-pinned to a hemp rope. The photos were a collection of pictures of us as babies, adolescents and as a couple. We tried to incorporate as many pictures as possible of us with family and friends that were at the wedding as well. From what I was told, it was a huge hit! Extra pictures were placed on various tables around the patio as well. Inside the farm house, guests could pick up their place card that told them where they would sit for the reception inside the barn. They also had the opportunity to sign our homemade guestbook (more on that later) and a plate that one of my bridesmaids gave us for a shower gift.

As the cocktail hour drew to a close and everyone took their place at their table in the barn, the parents and the bridal party prepared for our grand entrance. Our band, Shaded Soul, did a wonderful job introducing us all. Everyone danced their way in and found their seat and then we were introduced for the first time as husband and wife. It was a special moment. We went right into our first dance, "Everything" by Ben Harper. It is one of my ALL TIME favorite songs and the lyrics are just perfect. Take a minute to listen to it, you won't be disappointed! Because the song is kind of fast and upbeat and because we aren't the most skilled dancers, we decided to take a series of dance lessons to prepare for the moment when we would have to dance in front of a huge group of people. We had such a great time at dance lessons - who knew! Our instructor, Natalie, is the spunkiest little lady. She's been teaching dance for like 40 years or something. Anyway, she's the best and helped us put together a really fun dance for this song. It was so much fun we have plans to go back and take more lessons.

Here's a video that someone put together of the song with the lyrics to give you an idea of what we danced to:



After the dance, my father, Alan, gave a welcome speech/toast. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I think it's safe to say everyone was really surprised. It was the funniest thing I've ever seen and heard. I wasn't really sure if it was actually my dad talking or some alien that had taken over his body. It was amazing. We didn't get it on video, but you can read a transcript of the speech on our wedding website, here. You really had to be there to appreciate it fully. Way to go, dad.

Next up was Krzysztof (Kris), James' best man. James and Kris have been bffs for life. Kris did a wonderful job. Caitlin, my maid of honor, was up last. Caitlin and I have been friends since she moved to our town in second grade. She also gave a wonderful, heartfelt speech as well (which she memorized!). Both of their speeches can also be viewed on our wedding website.

After many laughs and a few tears, it was time to eat! Our food was prepared by Little Farm Catering. All of the food was grown or produced locally. The meat was farm raised, grass fed, free range and reel caught (fish). We wanted our wedding to be as "green" as possible. By using local farms to supply the fruits, veggies, cheeses and meat, we reduced our impact on the environment and helped to support the local economy. Little Farm Catering did a wonderful job, though with so much going on, James and I barely got to eat anything at all!!

As dinner was wrapping up, we had Kryzstof grab the microphone and get everyone's attention. It was time to do our Polish Wedding Tradition. James' whole family is Polish so we wanted to tie in a little bit of their culture and tradition into the wedding. I had heard about this tradition through a friend and decided it would be fun to do at our wedding. As the tradition goes, the groom's parents present the bride and groom three things: bread, salt and wine (we used vodka instead of wine). With the bread, the parents give their wishes that their children will never go hungry or be in need. With the salt, they are reminding the couple that their married life may be difficult at times and they must learn to cope with life's struggles and persevere. James and I tore off a bit of the bread, sprinkled it with salt and chowed down. And then came the moment we all were waiting for...the shot glasses. One of the glasses was filled with vodka and the other was filled with water. As the tradition goes, whoever chooses the vodka becomes the "head of the house hold forever more". Sounds fun, right? Well, before we could actually get our hands on the shot glasses, James' dad had an unfortunate slip of his wrist and they came crashing down to the floor! Whoops! No worries though, my bridesmaids were on top of it and had them refilled and back in place in no time. So who got the vodka and who got the water??? Not that it would matter either way, but it was me (Cary) that officially became the "head of the household" once the shots were taken. It may have tasted bad, but it was sooooo worth it!

After that, the dance party really took off. Our band was amazing and everyone was on their feet for most of the night. Of course we took breaks for the father-daughter dance and the mother son dance. I danced to "How Sweet it is to be Loved By You" by James Taylor with my dad and James and his mom danced to "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You" by Van Morrison.

More dancing followed and then it was time to cut the cake. We had a small carrot cake (yum!) made for us and cupcakes made for everyone else. We were nice to each other and decided to pass on the cake smashing tradition.

And we danced some more and enjoyed the company of our wonderful friends and family!

Before we knew it we were dancing to our last song of the evening. The reception literally flew by! Everyone always says your wedding day is a blur. I don't think we necessarily feel that way - we tried to take several moments to step back and take it all in. I think we lived the day to its fullest. There certainly won't be another day in our lives quiet like our wedding day (though hopefully we'll have a few others that are just as special in our future). We'll be holding on to the memories for as long as we live. Keeping those memories is half the reason we started this blog in the first place. We may as well write them down while they're fresh. Then as our memories fade, we'll always have this to look back on.

Still, the night was over long before we were ready for it. It was a great party and hopefully the beginning of a long happy life together.

What's next (we're almost done!)? Getting Hitched Part VIII: The After Party and the Day After

How did we get here?
Getting Hitched Part VI: Just Us
Getting Hitched Part V: Bridal Par-TAY!
Getting Hitched Part IV: The Ceremony
Getting Hitched Part III: Da, Dum, Da Da...
Getting Hitched Part II: Operation "Pretty"
Getting Hitched Part I: Practice Makes Perfect