WE'RE MARRIED!!!
PROFESSIONAL PICS
I've included my DIY stuff in here as well
DIY Gerbera BM bouquets
Napkins with DIY shell napkin ties
This was actually taken in our shower!
Me and our flower girl - she loved getting her pic taken and Chris loved her :)
Flower girl looking so innocent
Me by the chaise lounge
DIY Place Cards placed in sand on one of the tables
Table set up - wish it wasnt of this red table - the others had all white napkins on them instead of alternating
DIY wine glasses for each guest
One of the favors, we also did lemon pepper in black canisters
The Guys waiting to head down to the beach
I love this picture of my mom :)
The youngest pup Beamer posing like the little stud dog he is
The Guys. Love this look. Had originally wanted to go with the blue blazer but left it up to DH, so glad he picked this :)
The ceremony
My mom kicking it up ;)
A Moment
Eskimo nuzzles :)
aww Cole stopping to smell the roses :)
One of those had to takes ;)
OOH!
My parents
My wonderful new in-laws
Good shot of my DIY bouquet
The bridal party
Me and the guys
My brother having fun in the sand
Washing it away...
The cake. Not done the way I wanted, but still cute.
Cutting the cake, good view of the memory table as well
As a inside joke to my mom and uncle we had ducks floating in the pool. Here they are guarding our rings ;)
Beamer after falling in the pool...pugs arent known for their swimming skills ;)
One of my favorites! Us at the Wright Bros Memorial
Had to throw this in - seems stupid - but I love this pic - I want to hang it in my kitchen!
Pics from friends and family
One of the two pups all decked out :)
Walking down to the beach
My wonderful mom and maid of honor
My sister and bridesmaid
DH and GM - love the tan and white look :)
Ring Bearer and Flower girl - they were so cute! Flower girl loved the camera :)
Last minute DIY ring pillow made from a sand dollar, starfish and shells
Fighting back the tears :)
The shell ceremony
Flower girl
I never did so much kissing in public in my life!
Getting ready
I think there were just as many pics of the dogs as there were of us :). The little on cried through the whole ceremony because he wanted to be up with us
So far this is the best shot I have of the table setup
Everything was so wonderful! But whoever said it just becomes a blur hit the nail on the head! I'll add more pics soon - I need to upload organize them and then upload them - thats going to be a chore and a 1/2! But I wanted to get my reviews up as soon as I could!
Dress
Davids Bridal - Richmond A+
I was very weary about going with them - I had ordered a dress from there when I was in a wedding and they ended up burning it when doing the steaming a week before the wedding - and of course it was discontinued! - But I have to say they were great - we we were in and out in two hours with my dress and the bridal dresses ordered. They even came in early! (needless to say I didnt get my dress altered or steamed there ;)
Alterations
Angie - Northern VA - A+++++
Everything they say is true - she is absolutely wonderful - and prices are so reasonable (sorry - I know this doesnt help most of you!)
Catering
Sonny's Creative Kitchen - B
I'm really torn with this one. I loved working with Sonny - and maybe its partly my fault for not writing every detail down that we talked and emailed about and giving him the summary - but I guess he was just so reassuring that I felt confident that it would all be taken care of. First - one of his selling points was that he was at every event and that he even became the director and told people where to go and did whatever was necessary to keep things moving smoothly. But come Sunday afternoon, no Sonny... just his staff.. which seemed odd because even Sunday morning he was there to check out the layout of the house and said see you this afternoon.. but this is why I think so much fell through the cracks. He was supposed to pass apps - but they werent - they were just set out and the staff just stood behind the buffet line. The tables were supposed to be set but they werent all silverware and plates were at the line. The food was great and the staff very friendly - they even came back the next morning (we paid for set up and break down of tables and chairs) to break down because our guests were still sitting at the table. We also did a bbq night with him - and the food again was very good - but I didnt realize that it was not a drop off event - so we had to collect extra money from those who attended for the cost of tip and plateware! very embarrising - but we couldnt afford an extra $250 at that point - and it was mostly family - so they insisted on paying. So - I would definately recommend him - but I would make sure you had everything in writing and give it to him a few times...
Cake
Sonny's - B
Cake tasted GREAT!!!!!!!!! The only reason I am giving a B is because of detail. We only talked about it over the phone - (and in person) and requested one layer vanilla and one layer chocolate with different fillings - he got the fillings right but did them both vanilla. Again - it tasted great - so we werent too upset - just one more detail missed. We also sent a picture of what we wanted it to look like and bought the pieces for it - but he just put the pieces on the top layer... didnt set it up like we wanted - HOWEVER.... the cost was great!! only $2.50 a slice - so I feel a little guilty complaining - and in the end - no one else knew what the cake was supposed to be - and everyone loved it... so - like above - I would recommend him - but just make sure its included in your detail list..
Flowers
The Flower Exchange - A-
I ordered 100 roses, 120 gerbera daisies (red and pink) and 25 stephanotis all for $200!!! The roses and gerbera's were absolutely beautiful!!! they were still fully bloomed over a week later when we left and I hated having to throw them out! The roses even came de-thorned!! The reason for the A- was the stephanotis - they came with brown spots - I was able to use a few of them figuring there wouldnt be any shots that would show it. I called flower exchange and left two messages - but no return call. I emailed when I got home so I'll update this when they respond. But again - cant say enough about the rest of the flowers! Would definately recommend them!
Rental House
Carolina Designs - Just Peachy, Kill Devil Hills - A
The house was WONDERFUL! One of the nicest things about the wedding was that it all took place at the same place and that we stayed there as well. The beach was beautiful and the pool setting at the house was perfect for the reception. We were able to fit 7 tables around the pool. The top of the cabana worked out great for the "dances" (Even though we had about 20 minutes of rain for them - but otherwise we had sun - so I cant complain! - and the umbrellas made for good pics) The only complaint was that the KDH office doesnt open until May so we found out at the last minute when we were rushing for the rehearsal dinner that we had to go to Duck! The only saving grace was that anyone could pick up the keys and that we were able to get into the pool area and beach area which was all we needed for the rehearsal.
Chair/table/linen rental
Metro Rentals - A
Everything was there and waiting for us when we arrived on Saturday which was great because it allowed us put the napkin rings on that night instead of Sunday morning.....
Photographer
Chris Bickford - A++ (more pluses I'm sure once we see the pics)
Chris and Racheal were AMAZING!!!! Everyone - yes Everyone - commented on how great they were! I cant wait to see the pics! We even did a "remote shoot" around the Wright Brothers Memorial when he scoped out some great spots the night before! He is just so personable and so much fun!!! I would recommend him (and as most of you know already have ;) even before I've seen the proofs!
Salon
Diva's Day Spa - Kimberly - A++
This was a real thorn in my side through the whole planning - and I know a lot of the other OBX girls were having the same problems - In the end I had to suck it up and pay the $175 opening fee on top of the cost for all the hair do's - but I have to say - I have no regrets!! Kim was Amazing!!! She had all four of us done, hair and make up in just over two hours - and even cut my moms hair because it was so thick and as Kim put it "she wanted to bring her into the 21st century" :) Everyone looked fantastic - the makeup was perfect - which is a hard thing for me since I really like the natural look! I liked Kim so much I went back later in the week for a haircut - and plan on making the trek down there to get my hair done from now on (yes - a four hour ride!! - of course it being at the beach doesnt hurt ;)
MY ADVICE
If you are doing a beach wedding like this (a lot of DIY stuff and using a beach house) find at least 3 people (make sure you have at least one guy who can carry a lot) to be your "day of coordinators" (thats if you dont hire one - which I think is totally worth the cost!) I couldnt have pulled this off without my day of (a friend of my sisters), a family friend and my sisters boyfriend. They really pulled it all together and made sure everything was done! (Yes, I forgot to put a few things out - but that was my fault ;)
I'll post more pics when I get them - thanks girls for all your help - I honestly could not have pulled this off without you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Planning BIO
Paul and I met at work and have dated for about a year and a 1/2 now. He is the love of my life and everything I could ever dream of. We live in Ashburn, VA but are doing a small beachfront ceremony in Kill Devil Hills, NC. We havent been in years, but both wanted a small beach wedding :) Its funny you spend all these years dreaming of your wedding day and thinking of little details, how come your mind goes blank when its time to actually plan it! In other words - any advice is very welcome!!!
And if I have used your photos and didnt give you credit or you dont want me to post them - please let me know.
Us on a hayride last fall
Our pups, well the big one (Cole- after Univ. MD Field House) and the one on top (Beamer - after the VT football coach), the other one we are fostering. Yes I\'m pug obsessed ;)
my e-ring!!! I finally got it - its FI's great great grandmothers ring, but I replaced two of the three diamonds with saphires. I love the filagree and how different it is :)
I love this cake! And a friend of mine is going to make it for us (she makes cakes as a side job along with every other craft you can imagine!) Ours is going to be white with red bows and red dots.
We rented a house through carolina designs. I love the house (well minus the peachy colors ;) - we'll do the ceremony out on the beach and the reception at the house. Its a 10 bedroom house and we'll be staying after with a few friends and family here - cant wait!
Back Decks
I love the fact that the back deck has different levels and that they are covered in case of rain!
Cabana Deck and Walkway
After seeing houses with this cabana bar and the deck on top I knew I had to have one! We're not doing too many formal things - but i did want a first dance and the Father/Daughter & Mother/Son dance - so this deck is perfect for it. The walkway will serve as the aisle its long so I love the fact that it has a step up at the end - so he cant see me until the very end
Cabana Bar and Pool
Another shot of the cabana - and the bar! so cool! I'm going to have floating candles in the pool and possibly votives along the edge of it
Bar Idea
We're just doing wine and beer - I like this :)
Deck Lights
Hoping to decorate with white lights
Thanks Heather&Peter! I love this look.. I gave FI the choice but he seems to like it as well. We'll do red ties though.
BM dress (David's Bridal)
Mom(MOH but is standing in for SIL) and sister.This is the BM dress (In Red)
MOH dress (David's Bridal)
Mom (MOH) dress. looks so much better in person!
My dress (one size too small) I love it! (I was attempting to hold flowers in my hair) (David's Bridal, Richmond. I've heard horror stories (and have experienced them) but it's the only place in the area I could go and get a variety of styles. I never expected to find a dress my first time out - heck- we had outfitted the entire bridal party in less than 2 hours!
We\'re going to put a red ribbon around the waist and probably a red jewel in the center of the flower
Close up of flower and where ribbon will go. Mine is in ivory though
Save the Date. It folds up so no need for an envelope :) Its hard to see but those are hearts embossed in the card stock.
The magnet which attaches to the bottom of the STD
Close up of front page
Close up of the tabs
INVITES FINALLY WENT OUT! YEAH!!!
Invite with outside envelope. Used wax seal to close them and then put them in red square envelopes to send.
RSVP that folds into its own envelope
Used puffy stickers for the closure
Map. Opposite side has our contact info and information about the golf outing on Sunday.
Rosemary Sea Salt
FI and I both love to cook so I thought this was pretty unique and says something about us. Gotta love Martha!
Sand Table
I love this idea.
MORE PUPP PICS - Couldnt resist :)
Cole and Beamer in their favorite spot
My two lazy boys