The reception and more

  After we all receded from the ceremony we hid out in what is like a storage room in one corner of the hall.  (All being the entire wedding party and parents.)  If the wedding had been on the beach the bridal party would have had formal photos before the wedding, and the bride and groom and their families would have rushed in the limo to the vineyards to take family photos immediately after the I dos.  But the rain sort of spoiled that, so we all hid in the storage room until the guest left the wedding half of the hall, and then we all went back into the wedding half for the family photos. 

In the meantime the guests were enjoying some fabulous appetizers and a wine tasting (so I’m told cause I never got any) and then the bridal party starting with the parents were announced.  (Boy did it feel good to sit down, LOL)  Then the bride and groom had their first dance, and then Mike and I did our dance… ok… Mike doesn’t slow dance much and I hadn’t danced in years so we shuffled. And then the toasts, first big brother… I mean best man and then the maid of honor and then we ate… Well most of us ate, Mike and Kelly barely took a bite since they were visiting the guests.  Even after us Moms sat them down and ordered them to eat they barely took a bite. 

Shortly after we started eating someone said rainbow, the photographer grabbed the bride and groom, and many of us headed outside to see it.  It was not just a rainbow, it was a full, finish to end, rainbow.  The photographer took some great shots, and this is one of mine…  the rainbow made up for the rain, because we all know you can’t have a rainbow unless you have rain.  What an amazing site and such a good luck message for the newlyweds. 

Then the dancing started.  There was hardly anyone left sitting, just a few of us old folks, the dance floor was mobbed.  Speaking of mobs… the bridal party had arranged for a flash mob at the reception and it was amazing.  Here’s a link to one of the guests Facebook video of that, and don’t look for me cause I didn’t even attempt it. 

Kelly is saying "WOW, I can't believe you two are here!"

Dancing continued until the DJ announced the last dance and the party was over… well not quite.  There was an after party too!  After the guests had left we packed up what had to be packed up right away, like all the leftover food and personal belongings.  John and I came home and put away all the leftover food and then we changed clothes, and headed back out.  I’m not sure exactly who was more surprised to see us at the club, the bride and groom, the rest of the bridal party… or me!  (I don’t like crowds, I don’t like loud music and there I was at jam packed noisy club on a Saturday night) 

I don’t know what time I left, but I was on the limo bus with the bride and groom, some of the bridal party and a few guests.  First we dropped of the newlyweds at their hotel and then someone who had left their car at the vineyards and then we headed to where I’d left my car.  However… that couple usually go in and out of their house through their garage (like we do) and someone had locked the door between the garage and house and they didn’t have a key.  So they did what anyone would do… broke into their own home, LOL! 

When I got home, John and I took the last groomsman home and then came home ourselves.  It was 6AM when we finally hit the pillows. 

The phone rang at 8:30, Mike calling to say they were running late since we were all supposed to meet at the vineyards to clean up.  I told him everyone else was sleeping still.  When we arrived there everything was almost finished, so we sat around and talked some then came home.  The rest of the day and night people came and went all day long, right up to 10:00 when Mike and Kelly dropped in to get something they needed…  I climbed in bed at 10:30 and didn’t get up until 10:30 Monday.  I thought it was to be catch up day, but it was a repeat of the day before, our phone rang off the hook, family and friends who couldn’t be there calling for details, and Mike and Kelly even stopped in for lunch before they headed home to Maryland. 

Today John is back at work, and I’ve returned all the calls (I think) and answered all the emails, (ditto) and now am posting this.  All that is left is to catch up on the laundry and then I need to get organized for whatever comes next!

Thanks to everyone for your emails, phone calls, comments and best wishes!  It was the best wedding of my life for sure, 1000 times better than my own.  Next is … not saying because it upsets someone when I mention it although it doesn’t bother Steph at all… wink

PS. I had left over chocolate cake for lunch, yummy!