Bio

The lovely and talented Ashley Riddle, owner of Up Do's For I Do's, did my makeup and hair.
She did an amazing job. My hair was just what I wanted and it held up all day and all night while remaining comfortable.
Ashley also did all of my bridesmaids' hair. She did a fabulous job. Everyone was very happy with their hair.

Ooh, are we done?

I wanna see!

Phew, ok time to take a breather and take it all in.

Meanwhile, the beautiful bridesmaids were getting ready.

And now for some gratuitous dress shots. Everything from the ribbon on up was custom created by
the wonderful seamstress Dawn Brooky at I Do-I Do Wedding Gowns in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

I must say I highly recommend wearing ballroom shoes for your wedding.
In my real life I live in sneakers, Skechers, and flip flops.
I was in these shoes all day and all night and I was doing the full on far out hippie groove twirl
for a few hours at the end of the reception. I didn't even notice my shoes.
I purchased them from DanceShoesOnline.com

I'm in!

OK, zip 'er up.

Now I'm really in! Can you see how relieved I am that it zipped up all the way?

And lastly, the finishing touches.

Our ceremony took place at ThorpeWood's Scott Smith Pavilion. It is a beautiful forested location in Maryland's Catoctin Moutains.
ThorpeWood owns over 150 acres of land. The only thing we could hear nearby was the running stream a few yards away.
It is an idyllic and peaceful location.

Our lovely programs. It was a pleasure working with Twisted Limb Paperworks on these.
They allowed me to design the pages myself and send them the Photoshop files, and then they assembled the programs using my page designs.

The chair decor. I purchased the buckets and the ribbon, and DaVinci's Florist did a great job putting them together.

The beautiful arch. I was thrilled with how this came out. This is also the work of DaVinci's Florist.

Our guests start to arrive and enjoy the lemonade and champagne set out by our fabulous caterer, Canapes.

More guests arrive and are seated.

The best man, Jason, and Jason's stepfather.

Jason goofs off with his groomsmen.

The processional begins with the grandparents and parents.

Jason and the wonderful Rev. Richele Eraso proceed down the aisle.

Our guests wait patiently as the rest of the bridal party get ready to proceed.

We're coming!

In the picture on the right, you can get a good glimpse of my purple crinoline.

The bridal party processional.

About to walk down the aisle!

Jason catches him first glimpse. He later told me he couldn't believe how beautiful I looked. (yeah, yeah, but that's what he said)

The bridal processional was hilarious. Prior to the wedding Jason put together a sound file for this and gave it to our DJ, the awesome Ken Rochon with Absolute Entertainment.
The track starts off with the opening notes the traditional Wagner Bridal March, and is interrupted by a prominent record needle scratch sound.
After a pause, it goes into Do Wah Diddy.
It was hilarious. During the pause after the needle scratch, you could hear a collective gasp come from the guests, and lots of laughter when the song started.
The perfect way to set the stage for a fun ceremony that captured our offbeat personalities.

Click here to see the video clip!

We were all like, hi!

Can you believe we're really here?

OMG everyone's here!

Wow.

Look I'm wearing the cufflinks you gave me!

I see!

Aren't the bridesmaids so beautiful?

Oh yeah, the ceremony. Let's get down to business.

Our readers did a fabulous job.

The readings made me a wee emotional.

At which point Rev. Richele reminds us we can hold hands.

The wine sharing ceremony.

Our vows.

During the vows, the most amazing part of the day occurred.
For those of you who don't know, my mother lost her battle with cancer a couple of months before the wedding.
During our vows, the wind picked up. I believe that was her way of letting us know she was there. I'm sure of it.
Later on in the day many of our loved ones independently approached me and said they felt the same thing,
that when the wind picked up during our vows, my mother was making her presence known.
This is the memorial candle that was lit for her before the ceremony.

Many felt her presence.

The ring exchange.

Some final words.

We are pronouced husband and wife.

Hey you kissed too soon! OK now you may kiss.

And the recessional.

Greeting all of our guests.

And a shot with the lovely Rev. Richele. We love you!

Music

Prelude:
Sigur 3 (Untitled) - Sigur Ros
Cherry County - Leo Kottke & Mike Gordon
Te Veo - Leo Kottke & Mike Gordon
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring - Leo Kottke
The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) - Simon & Garfunkel
I am Hydrogen - Phish
Bliss - Phish

Bridal Party Processional:
The Memory of Trees - Enya

Bridal Processional:
Do Wah Diddy - Manfred Mann

Recessional:
Here Comes the Sun - The Beatles

Ceremony

Presentation:
Who gives their blessing on this union between Jill and Jason?
-We do

Convocation
Family and friends, it is my great pleasure to welcome you to this joyous celebration of the marriage between Jill and Jason. We are gathered here today I the midst of verdant spring, a time for new beginnings in relationships as the natural world around us bursts forth with new life. While the first flowers of spring are breathtaking in their beauty and sweet to the senses, we know well that it takes many seasons and the survival of many storms for the fruit of these perennial flowers to bloom once more. Similarly, it takes time for love to grow, mature and ripen. This spring wedding reminds us that, like the seasons, human life – the life of the spirit and the emotions – moves in cycles. To be in a loving relationship does not guarantee an eternal summer. To make a sincere and honest commitment does not promise an end to all struggle. What a good relationship does offer is the opportunity for renewal. It provides the shared hope that after every winter, spring, in all of its splendor, will come again. In marriage, we make a commitment to weather patiently the cold and bitter times, to protect and tend to the original seed of love until it blooms once more. We are here to celebrate beginnings and to acknowledge that love, as anything else we could have abide for long, requires sustaining care and nurturing. In making this declaration to their families and friends, Jill and Jason express their eagerness to undertake this lifelong responsibility in seriousness, love and joy.

Invocation:
All knowing Spirit, we invite you to join us in this ceremony binding the lives and the destinies of Jill and Jason. As they speak and we witness the words that will bind the till’ the twilight of this life, allow the intentions uttered, in their hallowed dialogue, to stand true in time and run deep as a singing river throught the landscape of their lives.

Reading 1 (Excerpt from the Velveteen Rabbit, by Margery Williams):
“What is REAL?” asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. “Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?”

“Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse. “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but Really loves you, then you become Real.”

“Does it hurt?” asked the Rabbit.

“Sometimes,” said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. “When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.”

“Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,” he asked, “or bit by bit?”

“It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the Skin Horse. “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get all loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”

Reading 2 (To Keep Your Marriage Brimming, by Ogden Nash):
To keep your marriage brimming,
With love in the loving cup,
Whenever you're wrong admit it;
Whenever you're right shut up.

Reading 3 (Two Trees, by Janet Miles):
A portion of your soul has been entwined with hers.
A gentle kind of togetherness,
while separately you stand as two trees
rooted in separate pots of ground,
while your topmost branches come together,
forming a miracle of lace against the heavens.

Address:
Jill and Jason, there is no other love in the world like yours. There’s no other like like the one you will share. As two pebbles in a pool spread ripples forever outward, your two lives will blend into one and widen and grow through all the days of your love, yet each of you will still be you. Two people, separate, original and independent, even in your togetherness. Just as the flame of two candles can burn apart from and another and yet blend their light to brighten the same room, you will be as one and still be two. A wonderful adventure awaits you as you go forward today to build a world as wide as your wishes and as dear as your dreams. It will be a world where even problems can bring you closer as you solve them together. A world where you can live the story of your love, a story that’s never been told. You’ve already shared so much from the time when you first met…and your marriage is the beginning of a deeper sharing, a wider awareness, and a greater happiness as you gaze outward in the same direction and look inward at the feelings that are closest to your heart. There is no other love in the world like yours. There’s no other life like the one that you will share. And there’s no joy to compare with the kind you’ve wished for today, tomorrow, and always.

Expression of Intent:
The union of your hearts, minds and souls has long taken place within the intimacy of your relationship, and this celebration is the outward manifestation of the love that you, Jill and Jason, share, Do you stand here today to be joined together in the state of marriage, to choose only your beloved, and to walk, side by side alog the path of husband and wife for all the days of your life?
-We Do.

Wine Sharing:
Wine is the symbol of the spiritual nature of love and wisdom. It is the fruit of the vine and the Tree of Life. Together, partake of its nectar and gladden your hearts and souls as your journey upon your path together. As you have shared the wine from this cup, so may you draw contentment, comfort and felicity from the cup of life. May you find life’s joys heightened, its bitterness sweetened and all things hallowed by true companionship and love.

Consecration:
Now that you, Jill and Jason, have heard these words about marriage, we ask that your hearts remain open, always, with gratitude for the miracle that has befallen you, for such radiant happiness is a blessing. May the promises you make to one another, today, before this gathering, be kept for all the days of your lives together in an atmosphere of light, love, and of laughter.

Vows:
Jill/Jason, I promise you my love, my life, and my soul. True love is as the seasons, changing as the years pass. The part of us that must not change is the love we hold for one another. Winters will chill us, but the fire in our hearts will remain. I promise to follow the path of our life wherever it leads, and to never let go of your hand as we walk along together.

Ring Blessing:
The ring is an endless circle, the symbol of the Universe, of Infinity. It has neither a beginning nor an end. It is complete in itself, always in peace and harmony. These wedding rings are the symbols of the unending love and friendship that you, Jill and Jason, share. Let your lives come together today and forever, like the unbroken circles of these rings.

Ring Exchange:
This ring is a symbol of the unbroken circle of love. I my love to you freely, and it has no beginning and no ending. Wear this ring, Jill/Jason, and be reminded that the more we love, the more love we have to give.

Marriage Pronouncement:
Now, let each person here offer in his or her own way, a silent prayer, that the merged spirit of this gathering engulf and bless the union of Jill and Jason. In as much as Jill and Jason have grown in knowledge, respect and love of one another; because they have agreed in their desire to travel forward in life together seeking an even richer, deepening relationships; and because they have pledged themselves to meet all of life’s experiences together, we, their family and friends rejoice! Therefore, by the power vested in me by the State of Maryland, I now pronounce you husband and wife. May all that is noble and beautiful be with you both always.

Benediction: Jill and Jason, may all that you have already become – which has brought you to this day – and all you will become in the days ahead be a lifelong journey through love and light. May you always be brought beautifully and steadfastly into the presence of yourselves and one another, and may you live long and happily, fulfilling all that you wish, hope, and dream. You may now kiss!

Presentation:
It is my pleasure to present to you for the first time as husband and wife, Jason and Jill ****.

The reception took place in ThorpeWood's beautiful lodge. It is a timber frame lodge that is entirely "green".
It was built with all recycled materials, electricity is from wind-generated sources, the restrooms have composting toilets, etc.
The facility is stunning, we are thrilled we were able to have our wedding in such a beautiful, environmentally-friendly location.

The cocktail hour begins. Our guests seem pleased with our beverage selection.

Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves.

We descend the stairs to be announced as the new Mr. and Mrs.

Rock and roll!

Our first dance, to "May This Be Love" by Jimi Hendrix.

And now for dinner time. Some shots of the room and the decor.

Eat, drink, and be merry.

The best man's toast.

The cake cutting, to Adam Sandler's "Grow Old With You".

The mother/son dance, to "In My Life" by the Beatles.

The father/daughter dance, it's polka time!

We sort of threw our own thing in the middle there.

Party time!

Looks like little Kyle is enjoying himself.

Everyone's just having a grand old time.

This uncle in the foreground has since informed me he had a too few many, and requested that I dispose of the evidence.
*neener*

The ladies take a moment to get a lovely shot with Grandma and Grandpa.

And now for the moment we've all been waiting for, the band takes the stage for a smokin' set.
For one night only, The Spastic Wolverines!

Tim Palmieri on guitar:

Jordan Giangreco on keys:

Chris DeAngelis on upright bass:

Adrian Tramontano on drums:

And we all proceed to rock out.

Later on, we dance to our song, the same one the band was playing when we got engaged.

Our invitations. I worked with the fabulous invitation designer Christine Barbour, owner of PaperZest on the design of our invites, and she also produced them.
The wrap paper came from Creative Papers Online, which is a fabulous resource if you are DIY invitations. They have an amazing selection, especially of decorative and hamdmade papers.
The band paper came from Twisted Limb Paperworks. They also have fabulous invitations and other paper products. We were so thrilled with how they turned out, and we received many compliments.

My beautiful bouquet. Thanks to Sharone with DaVinci's Florist for doing a great job on the flowers.

The boutonnieres and corsages.

I bought these amazing pieces from an antique store in Lucketts, Virginia. I scattered them around the lawn adjacent to the cocktail hour and the bar.

I DIY the escort cards with lavender sprigs. It was a trying project but they came out great!

The DIY table numbers featured our beloved foxhound Rufus.

DIY centerpieces.

Favors were little jars of Star Thistle honey from Marshall Farms in California.
I made the labels and added the raffia ribbon.

We had gorgeous Michael Aram Tree of Life toasting flutes.

I picked up these lovely votive holders for the "sweetheart table" at World Market.

Fireplace arrangements.

I loved our guestbook. It was designed by Tasha from Tasha Rae Designs. She was fabulous to work with.

The card box was another DIY project. I used mostly materials from Michaels and added a tag once again featuring Rufus, who loves to sniff.

Our cake was AWESOME. Thanks to ML from Canapes for making our vision a reality.

The cake "topper" (in quotes because it sat beside the cake) was custom made by Rainsend on Etsy. We have a thing about penguins.

I purchased our beautiful cake serving set from the fabulous knottie dizze.

And finally, our rings. My ring was custom designed by Tor at Nupen Jewelers in Fairfax, Virginia. Jason's ring is from David P. Virtue.

We went to Roatan for our Honeymoon and stayed at Barefoot Cay. I highly recommend Roatan if you're looking for a nice tropical getaway with nice a nice beach, adventure, and fantastic scuba diving that's off the beaten path. And we personally feel Barefoot Cay is the best place to stay on the island.

Here's our cabana on Barefoot Cay: