Meet the Mrs.

Yep. It's official. I am now a Mrs. Of course that had noting to do with the ring exchange, vow renewal, or the big party, but the fact that my dear friend Jessica (far right) was finally there to witness it. You see, she swore my marriage was a fraud until she could see it with her own eyes. Happy now, Jess?

All jokes aside, I can't actually believe it! All of the work and planning that went into the party was so worth it! Everyone had a fantastic time, and we got so many compliments on the little things. Of course, those are the things I worked hardest on, so I was thrilled that they were actually appreciated by our guests. Here are some of our favorite things that made the evening really special for everyone:

Frozen Del's Lemonade. We served virgin and alcoholic versions as our signature drinks with a little slice of lemon. They were a huge hit! Of course these are a R.I. tradition, but no one serves it at a wedding because we drink it all of the time at home. Being far away made me crave it, though! Plus they fit the color scheme, and matched the cake flavor, 'cause we're good like that.

Mini African Violets. The favors were another favorite! Did you know violets are Rhode Island's state flower? I had actually forgotten that trivia bit until I was hunting unsuccessfully for a supplier online. It made them even more fitting for our party, and they played double duty as centerpieces. I just hope some of them survived!

The Sweets. Monica at Ferns and Flowers is the best. I handed her a photo of a monstrosity of a cake from a magazine, and she made me a smaller, more homemade version for a fantastic price. It was beautiful and everyone devoured it. So often wedding cake looks lovely, but is dry and tasteless, but not hers! It was amazing, and I recommend F&F highly! The cookies my mother and I made were also worth all of the extra time. They pretty much disappeared!

The music. I sent emails to most of the people on our guest list asking for their Top 5 Must Have Wedding Songs. As was to be expected, I got tons of responses asking for every lame line dance known to man. Those were rapidly deleted. Sorry people! What we did get was a great mix of some fun ideas, and we sent them all on to my friend Peter, who offered to be our DJ for a steal. We also chose a huge mix of songs for the cocktail/dinner hour that reflected a summery feel, everything from Jack Johnson to Seals and Croft to Stevie Wonder. We were announced to "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" which seemed apropos considering we've been married a year and a half. For anyone looking for wedding songs that are not disgustingly cliche, feel free to borrow ours:

Matron of Honor Processional : "Here Comes the Sun" Instrumental by Fred Benedetti and Peter Pupping
Bride's Processional: "And I Love Her" The Beatles
Recessional: "You're My Best Friend" Queen
First Dance: "The Way I Am" Ingrid Michaelson
Cake Cutting: "Icecream" Sarah McLachlan

Let it be known that I did cave after several drinks and allow the Cha Cha Slide to be stricken from the No Play List. However, it was a tremendous disaster, as only three or four people knew it. The rest of us staggered around the dance floor like idiots while complaining loudly that the dance was moronic and too confusing. Actually, that may have just been me.

All in all, I'm sad it's over! I can't wait to get the photos back, all of which I will be linking here. Right now there are only a few teaser photos, stolen mostly from Jessica and Libby! Afterwards, E and I spent an amazing week at a little beach house at Sand Hill Cove, complete with visits from friends and family and perfect beach weather, got to Fenway to watch the Sox kick some butt, and basically relaxed. It was the best vacation ever. I just don't know what I'll do with all of my free time now! Anyone want help planning a wedding?