Wedding : The Honeymoon

Matt and I chose to go to Kansas City for our honeymoon. We debated back and forth between driving to North Carolina, the Gulf Shores in Texas, or to save money and go to Kansas City. We decided on the latter as Matt and I had never been there together and it was going to be the cheapest option for us. We don't do much traveling, so Kansas City was such a treat!

Upon arrival we went to the Country Club Plaza. We were starving and hastily ate at P.F. Changs as it was convenient and something Matt had never tried. It was delicious and all but we really couldn't wait to eat at the local restaurants Amanda Watters, from the blog its the little things, recommended we try. After eating we strolled through the shops and Matt purchased these coasters from Anthropologie for me for a wedding gift. I had been pining over them for way too long!

We checked into our hotel, Harrah's, which was really nice. Matt and I had only ever stayed in a hotel together once before, in our four years together! This is where our down time came in, where we hadn't planned enough to do so we went to some shopping mall and got gelato. So fancy, I know! It was fun just to people watch and eat delicious gelato. I had planned on going to dinner but we were so full from lunch that we decided to just go to a movie. Matt had been wanting to see the new Godzilla because Brian Cranston, from Breaking Bad, was in it. We went to the coolest movie theatre, Screenland Armour. When we got to the theatre we were so confused because it also housed a bar and mini arcade.  Such a great idea. I know we have the Moxie Cinema here in Springfield, but they so often play such pretentious movies that no one has ever heard of. Don't get me wrong, I've seen some great movies there but when you'd like to have a drink and see a big Hollywood production you can't go to the Moxie. And surprise, Brian Cranston, is only in Godzilla for a split second!

The next day we went to the Blue Bird Bistro, recommended by Amanda, for breakfast. I loved how they served water out of wine bottles! And the skylights were so beautiful. We had a delicious breakfast of the 17th Street Benedict and Strawberry Mint Pancakes. The coffee was also tasty! Matt was able to talk with the owner of the restaurant about their farm-to-table menu and what the farmers markets are like in Kansas City. I loved that we had our honeymoon during the middle of the week so that we could do things like talk to the owner of the restaurant about produce.

We drove around the neighborhood Blue Bird Bistro was located in for about an hour. The houses are so well taken care of and we loved how there were old houses mixed in with super modern houses. I wish Springfield would take a cue from KC!

To get that tropical feel of a honeymoon far far away we went to the aquarium. We didn't realize it was such a kid-friendly place but still had a lot of fun. We were able to touch some sea urchins and listen to the stories of some of the sea creatures. We will definitely take our future children there and maybe even to Lego Land.

Even though there wasn't much going on at the River Market on a Tuesday we decided to check it out. We went into the coolest farm store, Planters Seed & Spice Company. I bought Matt a broadfork for a wedding gift, which he has used religiously on the farm since.

After browsing we returned to the same neighborhood to eat at The Westside Local, another recommendation from Amanda. We sat out on the deck which was such a cool little spot. Matt ordered Windhaven Burger and I had the Kale Salad and the Chicken Salad Sandwich. I think I had the best bite of a burger I've ever tasted at this place and my chicken salad sandwich was to die for. I want to move to Kansas City for these two restaurants alone!

While in Kansas City I had to visit the art museums. I was sad to find out that the Nelson was closed while we were there but we did manage to visit the Kemper Museum. I love modern art and I especially love the kitschy art of Wayne Thiebaud. I remember Matt standing next to me in front of a piece by Helen Frankenthaler, I was just in awe of the thing and Matt just started laughing. I got so frustrated because he just doesn't get her work!

We gambled a little later that night. Let me tell you, I did not enjoy gambling one bit! And I don't know why anyone enjoys it. How can you throw your money away like that? I think we lost all our gambling money in a matter of five minutes! I was not happy.

Our honeymoon was a sweet little trip for us. So if your in need of a nice budget friendly getaway Kansas City is the way to go. Ask bloggers you like in cities you want to visit for recommendations too! Thanks to Amanda, we were able to try restaurants made for us.

Our next trip away from Springfield is a float trip at the end of the month with our dear friends. 

What did you do for your honeymoon?

Wedding : The Reception

Our wedding reception was a blast! We had Happy Chef Catering Co. serve our guests Rosemary and White Wine Garlic Chicken, Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes, and Green Beans Almondine. My mother made gallons and gallons of homemade wine and we also served our favorite craft beer, Tow Head, from Mother's Brewing Company. My mom also made all but two of the tasty cakes, Matt's mom made the other two. From what I've heard they were all amazing.

Afterwards, we were forced to do the obligatory feeding of the cake and crossing the arms with champagne. I did not want to do this, nor did Matt! I think we specifically stated to our DJ that we did not want to do this, but what's a girl to do when the DJ announces to all of your guest that your going to do it? You do it. Our DJ kept insisting that we needed more photos of those two moments, thus the strained faces. I was mortified because I was struggling to keep the champagne down as I do not like champagne much.

For our first dance, Matt and I, chose Tom Waits - Picture In A Frame. It was such a long song so we started laughing because we were awkwardly dancing for so long. I danced with my dad to Billy Joel's, "Vienna." None of the other fathers and daughters were dancing until I forced my brother and his teenage daughter to dance near the very end of the song.

I had so much fun dancing with my nieces and nephews. I would pull some layers of tulle up to my chest and the girls would run under my dress. The girls couldn't stop giggling! My sister-in-law kept asking me to dance with my nephew, which he was very apposed to, but I finally grabbed him and made him dance with me. He had fun, I'm sure of it!

My friends from college came in for the wedding from KC and St. Louis and I'm so glad we got a picture together. We were all in the art education program at Missouri State University together. We missed our dear friend, Becca, because she moved to Colorado with her sweet husband and adorable step children. After the wedding several of us shared the thirteenth photo with our professor from the program.

Durring the anniversary dance there were so many sweet couples on the floor. Matt's brother, Taylor the best man, and his girlfriend Hana didn't hear that the dance was for married couples and entered the dance floor and were the last to leave. We were cracking up! The marriage advice we received from the  couples that had been together the longest was hilarious and slightly inappropriate! It was so nice to see my parents and Matt's parents dancing next to each other so happily. We are very lucky to have parents still together. It gives me so much hope for our marriage.

When I went to throw the bouquet I realized that Brandy, our officiant, was not in the group of girls. I asked the DJ to wait and went to grab Brandy from outside. I love the photo of the bouquet in the air with my sister-in-law, Brandi, reaching out for the bouquet. I so wish that she or my sister, Hollie, the maid of honor, would have caught it. Brandy caught it and I was hysterical because Brandy and Kyle, our photographer are together. I just thought it was so funny!

The last two shots are the groups Matt and I spend the most time with. Our close friends, Mike and Catie, weren't able to be in the photo as they had to go home and take care of their sweet baby we love so much.

We have such beautiful friends and family and I am so thankful to everyone who came out to spend the night with us!

Did you do anything differently during your reception? I'd love to hear about it!

Wedding: The Ceremony

Our ceremony was extremely non-traditional.

I'm having a hard time remembering what everyone walked down the aisle to because we made some last minute changes at the rehearsal. Don't you love the photo of my sisters holding hands before I reached the pergola with my parents? I think it is the sweetest photo I've seen of those two together.

Though I don't remember the song my wedding party walked down the aisle to, I remember that my parents walked me down to Cold Play's, "Reign of Love." In the ninth photo I have this pained smile on my face because I had just tripped over my dress skirt at the sight of Matt's Grandfather who I care for so very deeply. Matt's Grandfather is very old and I was worried that he might not be around for the wedding and I was so grateful that he was. I let out this yelp at that moment which is why my dad is looking at me worried and my mom is laughing. 

Matt and I are not religious and we didn't want to use a judge to officiate our wedding so we asked our friend Brandy to be our officiant. For those of you who know Brandy she was the perfect person to stand up in front of one hundred friends and family members to marry us. She made the witnesses laugh with a comment about how she has known Matt since middle school when he was the only boy able to grow a beard. The humor calmed us both down. She also forgot to tell the witnesses to sit after I had reached the pergola, which made me laugh. We asked her to read this quite lengthy excerpt from Plato's Symposium:

Humans have never understood the power of Love, for if they had they would surely have built noble temples and altars and offered solemn sacrifices; but this is not done, and most certainly ought to be done, since Love is our best friend, our helper, and the healer of the ills which prevent us from being happy. 

To understand the power of Love, we must understand that our original human nature was not like it is now, but different. Human beings each had two sets of arms, two sets of legs, and two faces looking in opposite directions. There were three sexes then: one comprised of two men called the children of the Sun, one made of two women called the children of the Earth, and a third made of a man and a woman, called the children of the Moon. Due to the power and might of these original humans, the Gods began to fear that their reign might be threatened. They sought for a way to end the humans’ insolence without destroying them. 

It was at this point that Zeus divided the humans in half. After the division the two parts of each desiring their other half, came together, and throwing their arms about one another, entwined in mutual embraces, longing to grow into one. So ancient is the desire of one another which is implanted in us, reuniting our original nature, making one of two, and healing the state of humankind. 

Each of us when separated, having one side only, is but the indenture of a person, and we are always looking for our other half. Those whose original nature lies with the children of the Sun are men who are drawn to other men, those from the children of the Earth are women who love other women, and those from the children of the Moon are men and women drawn to one another. And when one of us meets our other half, we are lost in an amazement of love and friendship and intimacy, and would not be out of the other’s sight even for a moment. We pass our whole lives together, desiring that we should be melted into one, to spend our lives as one person instead of two, and so that after our death there will be one departed soul instead of two; this is the very expression of our ancient need. And the reason is that human nature was originally one and we were a whole, and the desire and pursuit of the whole is called Love.

We received some very strange looks from our guests and Matt thought it was a little weird, but I found the reading so beautiful and important that he respected my wishes to include it in the ceremony.

Matt and I wrote our own vows. Matt spoke so eloquently while I held back tears and used a croaky voice to get mine said. So many of our friends and family came up to us and said those were the sweetest vows they had ever heard. Some of my family, including my oldest brother, hadn't had a chance to get to know Matt. The vows, my brother said, assured him that I would be well taken care of.

We exchanged our rings wile announcing, "With this ring I thee wed." Matt slid his Great Grandmother's tiny gold wedding band on my finger. I wrote about the ring in a post about our engagement here. This ring acted as my engagement ring as well. Friends thought it weird that I didn't have an engagement ring, I'm just not a fan of jewelry and I'm glad Matt knew this about me. I ordered Matt's silver ring from PraxisJewelry on Etsy. His ring has the texture of tree bark. Look at the header of my blog for a picture of both rings!

After our kiss we jumped the broom. A tradition Matt wanted in the wedding. It was a very fun moment to jump just after we had been pronounced man and wife. Matt and I walked back down the aisle to Thelonious Monk's version of, "I'm Confessin'."

I am so happy with how the ceremony turned out, it was definitely an experience I will cherish.

What did your wedding ceremony look like? Or what might you want your wedding ceremony to look like?

Tomorrow I'll tell you about our reception!

Wedding : The Portraits

Taking bridal portraits was more fun than I thought it would be, though in most of the photos I didn't have a smile on my face because I was so nervous!

While posing for the portraits, my photographers asked me for the reason behind the use of the Geronimo balloon. I answered with an, "I saw it on Pinterest and liked it!" And then I immediately felt embarrassed because there was nothing of importance behind the balloon and shouldn't everything put into a wedding be important? I suppose it did have a purpose as an eye catcher on the highway for our guests.

My mother, as mentioned in a previous post, used to be a florist when I was little. She made my bouquet which came out so beautifully! My favorite pieces of the bouquet were the huge bright pink peony from Matt's mother's garden and the Silver Dollar Eucalyptus stems that added in a perfect touch of greenery. My sisters, the girls with dark hair, carried a small bunch of tulips.

My dress was made by misdress on Etsy. It was a quite the leap of faith to buy I dress I wasn't able to try on but none of the dresses I tried at David's Bridal were what I wanted. After hours and hours of browsing Etsy I finally found the dress closest to my dream dress, convinced my mother that all would be fine, and we ordered it. I was so excited when it fit perfectly. I wore earrings from Loft, where I worked during my time as a substitute teacher and durring my first year as a teacher. On my feet were a pair of Seychelles which were so comfortable to wear for hours on end.

I asked my sisters to wear a blush pink dress of their choosing and they chose well. My friend Brandy, the blonde, initiated the wedding and wore a similar dress to my bridesmaids. My mom wore the cutest peplum dress and my dad bought a new suit for the occasion. They looked pretty darn fancy!

After taking these photos my sisters had to lift each and every piece of tulle in my skirt to get bugs, ticks, and wood chips out from the layers. I found a tick in my hair later that night. Oh the things you will do to get a good photograph!

Tomorrow I will post about our very non-traditional ceremony!