Wedding Recap 3: The Reception

As soon as the ceremony was over, it was party time! We had done our pictures before the ceremony because we wanted to be able to enjoy the cocktail hour with our guests. 

The Back River Fiddlers led the guests up the hill to the reception site with a tune, Pied Piper style.

Most people headed straight to get a drink!  We had a dingy (that's a little boat for all you non Mainers) filled to the brim with beer, white wine, and prosecco. Next to the dingy was a table with red wine, water, soda and signature cocktails. Rory's drink was a Cape Newagener (vodka cranberry) and mine was a Maine Summer (blueberry vodka, club soda, and pineapple juice). Guests could put their drink of choice into a lovely turquoise blue mason jar.

There were lawn games scattered around the yard (including this lovely homemade corn hole set) so people had something fun to do as they wandered the yard and socialized. My Mom put so much hard work into getting the yard ready and it showed. Her flowers looked beautiful!

We provided the drinks and cold appetizers ourselves, and had a caterer handle the buffet and hot appetizers. The caterer was Craig Andrews, who owns my favorite restaurant in Boothbay Harbor, Andrew's Harbor Side. He makes the absolute best crab cakes in the world. I ate about a million during cocktail hour! We also had chicken satay, veggie satay, and bacon stuffed mushrooms for hot appetizers. 

I had such a good time catching up with all my friends and family. I even gathered all my college friends for a Wheaton photo!

After cocktail hour, we announced the wedding party and then it was time for our first dance. We took dance lessons this summer to prepare, but I don't think anyone could tell! We did a waltz to Norah Jones "Come Away with Me." Everyone said it was so cute how could see Rory counting out the beats as we danced. 

Then it was dinner time. We had a buffet with clam chowder, salad, butternut squash ravioli with sage butter, haddock lester, Jack Daniels steak tips, Pigs Fly spinach and garlic ciabatta, and confetti rice. I had a little bit of everything and it was all incredible!

But, I tried not to overly stuff myself because I knew that I had to sing next. Family music sessions are a big tradition in my family, so I had to find a way to work one into the wedding. My Mom, Aunt, Cousin Lindsay and I sang the Bob Dylan song "Make You Feel My Love" while Rory and his Mom danced. It turns out it is not that easy to play the guitar in a wedding dress!

Next, I danced with my Dad and then the real dancing started. I danced my dinner down a little bit so I would have room for cake! Rory and I both kept our promises not to smash cake in the other person's face. 

We had chocolate, vanilla, and white layers and I tried a bit of each!

Then it was back out on the dance floor. I danced and danced and danced. The DJ was great and totally played to the crowd. My friends and I were into musicals in high school so he played a Grease medley and some Footloose. We got everyone out on the dance floor. It was just such an amazing feeling to look around the dance floor and see all my friends and family from so many different parts of my life. 

We finished the evening with a bonfire and fireworks. We had planned just to do a few fireworks, but then one of Rory's friends surprised us with a giant supply of them so it was quite a show! I just love watching fireworks out over the ocean. The bonfire was such a nice way to wind down the evening. 

Last wedding post coming soon: our wedding night in the Cuckholds Lighthouse. 

Wedding Recap 2: Preparations and the Ceremony

I woke up on Saturday with this surreal feeling: after all the expectation and preparation, it was finally my wedding day! I started my day in the best way possible, I got to go for a run with my college friend Jen. It was a great way to calm down and catch up with an old friend. After my run, I gathered everyone and taught a yoga class.

Even though I felt like I had a million and half things to do, I knew it was important to take that time for myself at the beginning of the day. After running and yoga, I felt relaxed, full of joy, and ready to tackle preparations. 

It was a busy morning! We had to get the reception site, ceremony site, and food/drink ready to go. Luckily, I have amazing friends and family! People volunteered to do everything from ironing all the tablecloths, to fetching ice, chopping veggies. 

I waited until noon to have my hair done because I didn't want to ruin it before the ceremony even started. Until that point I had running around like a maniac, trying to check in with everyone on every detail. But, once I sat down and started my hair I let it all go. I just trusted that everything would turn out well!

After my hair and make-up, it was time to get in my dress. I was so excited for that moment because then I'd be a real bride!

Once I was in my dress, I felt like time started to absolutely fly. We decided to do our pictures before the wedding, so first up was our first look. Rory stood down by the water and I walked up behind him. Once I was there, he turned around. It was an amazing moment when we remembered exactly how much we love each other. 

After pictures, we hid back inside the boathouse as guests started arriving. I had a little something to take the edge off (thank you to my MOH for the adorable flask). 

Our flowers also arrived. The Boothbay Region Greenhouses did our flowers and they did an amazing job. I know nothing about flowers, so I just said I wanted something "oceany." They were beautiful!

The ceremony site turned out amazing as well. My family did such a good job making my vision a reality. We left some of our normal nautical decor up, such as our lobster buoy tree. Our neighbor even hung a lifeguard buoy to reassure Rory just in case our float did sink!

It was just what I wanted- simple, elegant, and ocean inspired.

When the music started, I got butterflies in my stomach. The music was particularly special, because it was provided by my Mom's band, The Back River Fiddlers. We processed to Cannon in D and they played it so beautifully.

I heard a round of laughter as the dogs walked down the aisle in their flower girl tutus (Dixie was afraid of the crowd and had to be carried)

Finally it was time for me to make my appearance! My Dad escorted me to the top of the ramp, where I met Rory.

I am proud to say that the floating ceremony went off without a hitch! It was a little windier and wavier than during the rehearsal, but we didn't sink, no one fell in, and we didn't drop the rings in the water! We wrote the ceremony ourselves (for the full text click here) and I thought it was lovely. We chose to write our own pre vow thoughts to share with each other and I was proud of myself for getting through both his and mine without sobbing! Before I knew it, we were kissing and it was all over. We were married!

I recessed off the float first, and I remembered, this time, to wait for Rory. During the rehearsal I forgot both times!

Presenting Kiersten and Rory!