The Details - Pro Pics

As always, I give MAJOR, MAJOR credit to Kate Whitney Lucey for my awesome, awesome pro-pics!

Previously:
Getting Ready Pro-Pics
The Ceremony Pro-Pics
Bride and Groom/Clambake Pro-Pics
Reception Pro-Pics

Now on to the Details pics!

Because it was so windy, the escort card display had to be set up very close to side of the tent instead of at the entrance, but it still ended up working fine.

If you remember, during my escort card trail run I had a hard time keeping the little envelopes attached to the string. We actually ended up folding the flaps of the envelopes over the line and even in the gale force wind gusts, 99% of them stayed on the line!


The basket with all of our programs. We, like so many other people, ended up with A LOT of left over programs. However, it was because I made enough programs for our original guest list of 140. In the end, we ended up with 106 guests, and every last one of them took a program, so I am glad that I didn't skimp on them. One way we ensured that we weren't left with all but 6 programs, was asking our ushers to make sure that every guest received one.

I loved my bouquet! It was exactly what I envisioned and I was so happy that my florist understood what I wanted and was able to deliver!


Our centerpieces looked really great on the tables and fit into the feel of the day so well. In the picture above, you can see that the driftwood pieces got reassigned to holding some of the other items down to the table.

Our final vendor meeting with the clambake people, which was actually the first time I sat down with them in person, was two weeks before the wedding. At that point we knew that our guest list was going to be much less than what we had budgeted for. Knowing that, I was able to add some things to make our tables a bit more festive looking. The biggest addition, were the silver chargers. I am so glad we decided to add them because otherwise the tables would have seemed a bit bare, especially since we were having a buffet and the plates weren't pre-set. I requested that the caterer fold the napkins into squares, place the favors on the napkins, and then put all of that on top of the charger, and I really think the whole table came together fabulously!

Every time I came across my seating card while making them, I was surprised by the last name on them! I kept thinking, 'who is that?'

Our cake was soooooo good; Chocolate Bourbon cake with buttercream frosting. My biggest cake tip would be to completely forego saving the top for your 1 year anniversary. I mean, a year from now, I am barely going to be able to choke back a bite of it, so why waste the whole top? No, I say save two pieces and then take the rest of it with you on your honeymoon and use it for sustenance when you have raced like the wind to catch your train and missed lunch in the process...not that we planned that :)

Our guest book wish tree worked very well. I had purchased the pre-printed tags from Paper-Source. Interestingly, most of our guests wrote a message that related to the word on the back of their tag! I had been worried that no one would sign the wishes, but our sign coupled with multiple announcements by the band helped to ensure that every last guest signed a wish for us...except for both sets of our parents who apparently 'just never got over there'.


A close-up shot of one of our programs.

The floating candles looked lovely in their antique ball jars, and lent a beautiful, soft filtered light to each table.

Our menu tents were made the same way as our table tents. I am not sure that anyone even noticed them, but they didn't really take much to make them and I was glad they were there.

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So, now you have seen the whole wedding. I can not repeat myself enough that it was the most amazing day, and the joy I felt that day was well beyond anything I have ever experienced before or could have even imagined going into it. Going through these pictures with you all has been bitter-sweet because in a way, I feel like the whole thing is coming to an end. But I still have lots of honeymoon pics to share and some individual vendor evaluations to give, so I will continue to be around.

Thanks for all of your wonderful support! I have truly enjoyed sharing my day with all of you!!!

--Mrs Corn

Reception - Pro Pics

As always, I give MAJOR, MAJOR credit to Kate Whitney Lucey for my awesome, awesome pro-pics!

Previously:
Getting Ready Pro-Pics
The Ceremony Pro-Pics
Bride and Groom/Clambake Pro-Pics

Now on to the Reception pics!

Waiting to be introduced...

We headed straight to the dance floor for our first dance.


Getting those dancing lessons was a great decision; we looked like we knew what we were doing, without having an overly choreographed number.


My lovley MOH, Sara, and Turner, Mr Corn's brother gave beautiful, beautiful toasts!



I love this shot of our reception...everyone really loved the lobster!

One thing I wish I had been prepared for when cutting the cake was that we didn't have a plate and/or forks to feed each other with. Normally, the thought of feeding someone by hand really grosses me out, but since I was so engrossed with the process of the wedding, it didn't dawn on me that we had another option until after the moment was over.


Dancing with my dad was amazing. My father is handicapped and can not walk/stand for anything more than a couple of minutes. He specifically requested Butterfly Kisses (the cheesiest, and LONGEST song on the planet) back when I was in college and I had to oblige. Thankfully, I was able to work with the band to shorten the recording and in the end, when he got tired, he just sat on his walker. It was a very, very special moment and I really owe how smooth it all went to our fabulous, fabulous band!


After Mr Corn's dance with his mom, to "What a Wonderful World", I danced with his dad while he danced with my mom to "Somewhere, Beyond the Sea". I thought maybe our guests would get bored with all that dancing, but in the end it was a special moment that I am glad we incorporated.



For some reason, I had it in my head that I HAD to toss my bouquet...I mean, I have seen it done at 99% of the weddings I have been to since I was a kid. While in the process of doing it, I felt like it was really breaking up the flow of the evening and I was wishing I hadn't done it at all...but now that it is a couple of months later, I actually don't care either way :)


Our band was phenomenal and they really got the crowd rockin!



Soon it was time for our amazing evening to end. Thankfully, our photographer caught a few more shots of Mr Corn and I before we headed out.

Bride and Groom/Clambake - Pro Pics

Once again, I give MAJOR, MAJOR credit to Kate Whitney Lucey for my awesome, awesome pro-pics!

Previously:
Getting Ready Pro-Pics
The Ceremony Pro-Pics

Now on to the Bride & Groom and Clambake pics!


You'll notice that this is the last picture with my veil. After this picture was taken, I crouched on the ground and my mom and aunt took it out; the wind just made it hurt too much!






The fort coordinator allowed Mr Corn and I and our photographer up to the roof to take pictures with the view of Newport in the background.
I really love this shot of our reception tent. The guests were happily enjoying cocktail hour while we were taking all of our pictures. I would have loved to have taken the pictures before the wedding, but unfortunately it was not logistically possible. In the end, I really think it turned out well.

It was, uh, a bit of a wind tunnel in the stairwell to the roof of the fort!!

The obligatory bling shot.



After we were finished with our pictures, everyone gathered around the clambake area for an explanation of the traditional New England Clambake and then the dramatic reveal! Basically, they dig a hole and build a huge bonfire. Then they toss in some rocks and let them get very, very hot. After the rocks are heated, they put cages of lobster, clams, mussels, potatoes and corn on top of the rocks, cover them with rockweek (a type of seaweed that actually helps steam the food), and then cover that with sheets and finally canvas. They let it sit for about two hours and "hope for the best".

After the reveal, everyone went into the reception tent and the clambake people set up the buffet while we had our first dance, the toasts and the prayer. One of the best part of having a wedding?? You not only get to go first in the buffet line, but they actually split your lobster for you :) That and you get your very own cloth lobster bib :)

Let it be heard

Reader hwong14 commented on my Ceremony Pro Pics Post:

Mrs. Corn, I know you blogged about the wind before… did you guys use a microphone for the ceremony? If not, could the guests still hear? Was it a big deal? Thanks!

My sister is an ordained Presbyterian minister and she conducted our ceremony. She is a consummate professional, so I had no doubts that she would be able to project in any situation. But my friend, Sarah, whom we asked to read at our wedding, is rather soft spoken, so early on in our planning, I contracted with our band to have a sound-guy come early and set up a microphone for our ceremony.

I am glad we made that decision, especially because of the wind. Whereas we originally were just going to use the microphone for the reader, we ended up using the microphone for everything; the string trio and our friend who did our impromptu videography got tapped into the microphone.

From what I recall, the cost to have the sound guy come about an hour earlier than the band and run this was very reasonable. I am not sure how much it would be if you didn’t have a band, but I am sure it is something that could be worked out with a DJ as well. Or, if you are getting married at a venue that has a site coordinator, this could be something they can arrange for you.

An interesting sidenote: During the crazy-windy rehearsal, someone decisively declared to me, “uh, yeah, we're gonna have to lose the microphone”.

At that point, I could have had a minor meltdown, but instead, I thought to myself...'hmmmm...I am paying for a sound guy to come and set up a microphone. I am preeeeety darn sure he'll be able to handle the wind, and you know what? The only person who he will allow to cancel him, would be me, so I'm just going to keep my mouth shut.'

The next day, it was just as windy, and when I got to the fort, sure enough, the sound guy had set up the microphone and everything was peachy keen.

My advice here would be to trust your instincts and rest assured knowing that if you have hired professionals, they won't let anyone change your plans without consulting you first.