Monday, March 5, 2012

Walking on Sunshine: Time for Toasts


After all of our guests had taken their seats it was time for Mr. Gazelle and I to make our grand entrance into our reception.

Almost immediately our guests started clinking their glasses and we were more than happy to oblige with a kiss.
Brother Gazelle was our Master of Ceremonies and he did a fantastic job.  He's one of the best, most natural and funny public speakers I know.
He kept us all entertained.
I figured that after all of the yummy appetizers at cocktail hour that our guests wouldn't be quite ready to tuck in to the huge dinner we had waiting for them.  This was a perfect time for a few toasts!  Our Best Man kicked things off.

His toast was wonderful, sweet and heartfelt.  He advised Mr. Gazelle to never forget that initial excitement when you first start dating someone.  Even though I'm now his wife he told Mr. Gazelle to remember that I'm also still his girlfriend.  With more clinking of glasses after the toast Mr. Gazelle and I kissed.
It was then time for my Maid of Honour to make her toast which was also sweet and funny.
Time to raise your glasses!

As my maid of honour came back to take her seat I gave her a big hug for her sweet words.
Our guests started clinking their glasses mid-hug so my maid of honour thought that kiss request was directed at her.
Surprise!
And now it was time to eat!


Were you surprised during your toasts?


*All photos courtesy of the amazing Sakura Photography*


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Sunday, March 4, 2012

Walking on Sunshine: the little details

Time to share all of the little details that I put a lot of thought and hard work in to!

Our seating chart was one of the first things our guests saw as they came upstairs.  I still love the idea that we came up with.
Our guest book sign in a simple frame from IKEA with one of my favourite milk glass vases.
We didn't have a slideshow but I did put out a couple of baby photos of Mr. Gazelle and I.
Our upstairs reception room at the Brock House.  We fit the maximum number of people in there that we could - 50 people in the main room and 6 people and a photo booth in a connected room.  I loved the fireplaces, the beautiful molding, the chiavari chairs...
We kept the decor very simple with our zinc letters, photo frames and milk glass bud vases.
I wasn't too concerned about keeping up our purple theme for the flowers in the bud vases, I was more interested in keeping them inexpensive.  The day before the wedding my girlfriends and I went to Costco to raid the roses in the flower department.  The flowers there are great quality and a great value.
Our bouquets rested in larger vases on the head table.
For the wee ones I left a colouring book with stickers and crayons at their seat.
Our favours of Russian Earl Grey loose leaf tea with homemade shortbread cookies rested on our guests' bread plates.
I made a sign pointing the way to our photo booth with the free download from The Wedding Chicks.
Our cake topper was so adorable.
I loved our wedding cake which was exactly as I envisioned.
I gasped when I saw our reception room.  It was just as I hoped it would be.

Did your reception space come together just like you imagined it?

*All photos courtesy of the amazing Sakura Photography*


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Thursday, March 1, 2012

Walking on Sunshine: Cocktail Hour

As soon as our ceremony ended cocktail hour on the lawn started.  Mr. Gazelle and I got to the end of the aisle, we kissed, and the amazing staff at the Brock House were ready to hand us a glass of wine.  Our bridal party joined us for a toast.
Hive, this is the part where I have to eat my words.  Way early on in the wedding in the wedding planning I said my motto was *just say no to bubbles.*  My aunt brought bubbles...
If she hadn't brought those bubbles we wouldn't have gotten amazing photos like this one:
Cocktail hour went by in a blur.  I remember lots of hugs (and seriously, check out those bubbles in the background)...
I remember lots of smiles...
And lots more hugs...
And plenty of cheers...
We have photographic evidence that there were appetizers (and I heard that they were amazing) but I was so busy trying to say hello to all of our friends and family that I barely had time to eat any of them.
We also took some time during cocktail hour to take some family photos...which my niece was a total ham for!
The ribbon wands were a huge hit with the little ones at our wedding during the cocktail hour.  My niece and her second cousin met the week of our wedding for the first time and they got on like a house on fire.

Before I knew it our guests were being ushered inside the Brock House for dinner.  My Gazelle and I found each other and had time for a quick smooch.
While we waited for our guests to make their way inside we took the opportunity to see just how much fun it was to play around with those ribbon wands.
Soon we were told it was time for us to head inside for dinner.  Good thing...I was hungry!
Did you have a cocktail hour right after your ceremony?  Did that cocktail hour just zoom by for you like it did for me?

*All photos courtesy of the amazing Sakura Photography*


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