Entertaining our guests

While we were off taking photos around the park our guests had two hours to waste before dinner. As the venue was 40 minutes from Winnipeg, where most of our guests were from, I didn't expect them to drive home between ceremony and reception which meant that I needed to occupy their time so that they weren't bored.

We opened the bar at 4:30, immediately after the ceremony was over, and had the appetizers we made on Thursday put out buffet style by our servers (the Girl Guides). Of course I've had no luck documenting the appetizer portion of my wedding as no one seems to have taken pictures of them during cocktails. I don't even know how the presentation of them ended up looking! People told me they really enjoyed everything and it was gone quickly, which is good!

But I would have really liked to see what it looked like! Hopefully a pictures will surface one day...

Along with the appetizers & cocktails, our DJ moved his system from the ceremony location back to the reception venue to start the background music.

We got lucky with our venue, in that it was a beautiful campground and park so our guests were able to stroll their paths, walk across the bridge and if that wasn't enough I also set up a photo booth area for people to pose for their own pictures.

Originally I thought to do a DIY automated photo booth but trying to figure out what camera to use, how to have people remotely click, etc gave me a headache! I decided to ask one of my many amazing friends to man the booth during cocktails and take the pictures manually. I later posted them on our flickr account for people to download.

Here a few of the shots he took...

Lastly we set up lawn games, borrowed from our parents, for people to play. This wasn't just used during cocktails but after dinner and speeches. If you have the space at your wedding I strongly recommend it. Not everyone enjoys dancing all night and it is a fun way to occupy the kids that come.

{One of the many signs I made for the day, its actual printed to look like a chalk board via Mrs Bunting's DIY Faux Chalkboard on Weddingbee - Photo by Darren Hull Studio}

{My aunt playing lawn golf - photo by Darren Hull Studios}

Just the two of us

With everyone else taken care of, we spent the last 1/2 hour before dinner taking pictures of just the two of us. Here are a few different areas in the park that we shot at...

Posing with our wedding party

After the family and group photos were taken, I desperately had to visit the little ladies room. So as I ran with my bridesmaids for a much need bathroom break, the guys started taking pictures...

We joined them shortly and MOH K climbed up in the tree with the guys...

Our next shots were action ones, our photographer lay on the grass as we ran towards him and the guys jumped over. I think this is one of my favourite pictures as the guys all have the most ridiculous facial expressions in their mid leaps...

We had to do a few takes as I wasn't running fast enough in my heals. It didn't help that the first time we started running my crinolines started sliding down my legs!

Next we moved to another area of the park where we took pictures with me and each of my bridesmaids(we were really lucky to have a venue with so many photo opportunities with in a few steps from each other, it definitely helped us keep on our tight schedule!).

{Me and MOH M, my sister}

{Me and BM K}

 

{Me and MOH K}

My Mr also got a few more shots with just him and the groomsmen...

There was a walking bridge at the park, (capacity was 7 people I think!) which was our next photo opportunity...

We finished our wedding party pictures on the grass in a nice big pile up (another one of my favorites)...

Do you have your photo locations picked out yet? Are they at your venue or will you be driving from location to location?

Picture Time: Altogether now...

Before all of the guests dispersed from the ceremony, to grab cocktails and appetizers, visit the photo booth, play games or mingle we ushered everyone over to a clearing in the trees to take some group shots. I really wanted a pictures with everyone that came to send out with out Thank you cards.

With over 150 guests it was a little tight to cram everyone in to the shot but we did it. Not sure how some people ended up where they did, though. (Specifically my sister's husband is in the far left corner and my BM K's husband is in the far right corner...why they weren't standing by their spouses up front...I don't know...)



After the group photos were done we spent a little more then 30 minutes doing our family portraits. I think family is very important and wanted to have group photos with each of our extended sides.

First we took pictures with our parents...

{My Father & Mother}

{Both of our parents}

{My in laws}

{FIL, MIL,Us, BIL, Future SIL}

Then came my Mr's extended family...

{MIL's extended family....far right is our photographer, my Mr's cousin, and is the ONLY picture he 'approved' with him in it:)}

{FIL's extended family}

And then my side of the family...

{My mother's extended family...she is actually the oldest of 9 children and I'm the oldest of 20 grandchildren, so if everyone could have made it this would have been ALOT bigger!}

{My father's extended family...he only has one sister so this side feels a lot smaller}

{My immediate family...this is where it gets tricky, my family are not the biggest fans on my brother's girlfriend and wanted a picture with out her but I didn't want to step on any ones toes. Some how it ended up being just my brother, sister and parents with us and my BIL wasn't in it...}

We did get him back in, but also my brother's girlfriend, for a picture with my father's mother.

And then we did a picture with my BIL's immediate family...which didn't include my brother's girlfriend....Oh how fun it is to try not to hurt peoples feelings and still get the pictures you want!

With the group photos done, we had 1 1/2 hours to finish our wedding party pictures and couple poses before supper. In hind sight I definitely would have allotted at least another hour for pictures!!

The Ceremony: With Great Pleasure...

How quickly half an hour flies, we are almost at the end...

Closing Remarks


D: C and her Mr, go now into the world and fulfill your lives. Live vibrantly. Hold fast to your ideals. Challenge one another, and give each other new experiences of joy. Love one another in sickness and in health, for better or for worse; and may the roots you grow together be deeper and stronger than anything you could have imagined living by yourselves.

Pronouncement of Marriage

D: Through the statement of common spirit and the exchange of rings, you have joined yourselves in a shared destiny. By the love that has brought you here today, by the vows you have exchanged, and by the integrity of your commitment, you may now seal your vows with a kiss.

D: Families and friends, it is with great pleasure I introduce you Mr & Mrs K, Husband and Wife!

Recessional

D: The Marriage Certificate will be available just inside the Cabana at the Guest Book table for you to sign. Please before everyone enjoys some cocktails and appetizers, the bride and groom would like everyone to convene just on the other side of this tree for a group photo.

With the ceremony over we headed over to where we would do the group & family photos. At this point I have to go to the bathroom but don't want to make people wait...

{All photos by Darren Hull Studios}

The Ceremony: Love is like a Ring

After we exchanged our vows we still had a few more things to do before we were announced Husband & Wife.

Exchange of Rings

D: Love is like a ring. It comes from humble beginnings, rock dug up from the earth, the metal liquefied, poured, molded, cooled and polished. Love, like the ring is the process of making something beautiful where there was once nothing at all.

With that in mind, BM B, may I have the rings?

Her Mr, place the ring on C’s finger and repeat after me:

My Mr: With all that I am / With all that I will become / With this ring / I thee wed.

D: C, place the ring on your Mr’s finger and repeat after me:

C: With all that I am / With all that I will become / With this ring / I thee wed.

Signing of the Marriage Certificate

(Marriage Certificate inspired by Quarker Marriage Certificates I saw online, made by my mother)

D: In the presence of the love of family and friends, C and her Mr will now commemorate their vows by signing their marriage certificate.

As members of their community, having been present in caring witness of this union and as a promise to honor and support their unity, we ask that you take a moment after the ceremony to sign the certificate.

Love Reading #3

In closing, I’d like to have MOH K and MOH M please step forward and read an excerpt from “I Like You”, by Sandol Stoddard Warburg

(When researching different readings to use for our ceremony, I was very particular on find ones that reflected our personalities and beliefs but didn't focus on religious doctorine. One of my favorite bloggers, Ms Awesome, had used "I Like You" for her ceremony and when I read it I thought it was perfect. Unfortunately, I didn't think I had enough time to have the entire poem read like Ms Awesome did but rather pick out a few excerpts that I felt best reflected our relationship.)

MOH K:

I like you and I know why.
I like you because you are a good person to like.
I like you because when I tell you something special, you know it's special
And you remember it a long, long time.
You say, "Remember when you told me something special?"
And both of us remember

If you go away, then I go away too

or if I stay home, you send me a postcard

You don't just say "Well see you around sometime, bye"
I like you a lot because of that


And I like you because when I am feeling sad
You don't always cheer me up right away
Sometimes it is better to be sad
You can't stand the others being so googly and gaggly every single minute
You want to think about things
It takes time

MOH M:

I like you because if I am mad at you

Then you are mad at me too

It's awful when the other person isn't
They are so nice and hoo-hoo you could just about punch them in the nose


I like you because I don't know why but
Everything that happens is nicer with you
I can't remember when I didn't like you
It must have been lonesome then
I like you because because because
I forget why I like you but I do

Even if it was the 999th of July
Even if it was August
Even if it was way down at the bottom of November
Even if it was no place particular in January
I would go on choosing you
And you would go on choosing me
Over and over again

{All photos by Darren Hull Studios}

The Ceremony: Making Our Commitment to Each Other - Part 2

*For those that read my blog via google reader or other feeds may have seen a variation of the post a few weeks ago. My edits didn't save and it didn't look like it was suppose to so here's how it should have read...

My turn had finally arrived and with my vows safely in my hand, thanks to my BM K's husband, I started...

My Mr - ever since I was a little girl- I’ve been dreaming of the day I’d find someone I love enough to share a life with.

I’ve always known the type of wedding I wanted, surrounded by family and friends I love, but I never knew the type of man that I would want standing by my side. Our love was never a fairy tale where I fell head over heels in love at first sight but my love was honest and grew naturally as I slowly fell in love with all of the quirks that make you the person for me.

You bring balance to my chaotic life and for that I love you. I love that you are practical and have a rational mind. I love that we can laugh together even when you choose to say the most inappropriate things. And that your geeky side comes out when you and your brother recite lines from obscure movies to quiz each other.

You are honest and dependable. You show passion and understanding every day that we are together, and for that, I love you.

I vow that I will always be honest with you and will listen to you with an open mind. That I will continue to make time for us to just cuddle on the couch to watch an episode of our latest TV favourite or taking an afternoon walk.

I will communicate openly with you and patiently repeat myself when you inevitably forget.


I will be your calming voice when things get to be too much for you and you start to worry.


Lastly, I vow to stand beside you through everything life throws our way and smile because I have you.


With all that I have and all that I am –in the only way I know how- I promise to love you forever.

{All photos by Darren Hull Studios}