You know that episode of How I Met Your Mother? You know, the one where Marshall and Lily get married, except they're not able eat any food at their reception and Lily gets totally bombed? Yeah, that one. Well, when Mr. Waterfall and I first saw that episode, we swore up and down that that would never be us. No, we were better than that! We would eat at our wedding, and it would be glorious. So we put a lot of time and effort into choosing a menu that everybody would enjoy, especially us. And then we didn't eat...
I don't know how or when, but at some point during wedding planning, we decided that receiving lines were tacky and we hated them.
So, like many other couples, we decided to skip the receiving line and greet every table during dinner instead. Of course, what I now realize is that nobody likes receiving lines; they're merely a way for the bride and groom to greet every guest without having to spend the night table-hopping. I really wish I had read Mrs. Palm Tree's post about visiting every table before my wedding -- it would have saved me so much heartache. You see, we became obsessed with visiting every table, and not only did we fail --we actually missed out on eating at our wedding, the one thing we swore we wouldn't do.
Before we go on, let's take a look at the menu, shall we? While our photographers didn't take any pictures of the food, our awesome guests sure did!
FIRST COURSE:
Our plan was to eat quickly and visit tables in between courses. What we didn't anticipate is that guests are generally very excited to see the bride and groom (duh!). Once the first few guests came up to say hi, chitchat, and take pictures with us, the floodgates were open and everyone wanted in on the action. I'm pretty sure a makeshift receiving line actually formed in front of our sweetheart table at one point.
We also didn't anticipate how much people would dance in between courses, since the dance floor was already opened. We showed up at some tables, only to find that half the guests were out shaking their bom-boms. Because of this, we ended up greeting some guests twice, and missing some people entirely.
My first piece of advice is this: eat when you can, where you can: whenever, wherever, people! I started my day off with an amazing bridal brunch, filled with chocolate. However, by the time we finished taking pictures and finally started dinner, it had been over ten hours since we'd eaten anything. Thankfully, BM Green Eyes was wise enough to stuff my face with appetizers while my dress was being bustled, or people would have had one hangry bride on their hands!
My second piece of advice would be not to schedule anything during courses. Since we wanted to visit tables in between courses, we had a few speeches during the meal, and nobody wants photos taken with food in their teeth, so...we didn't eat. At least, we made up for it by taking advantage of the Martini bar.
My last piece of advice would be to arrange for a doggy bag. By the time we got back to our hotel at 4 a.m. we were starving! I really wish I had thought to ask our venue coordinator or caterer to pack us up something to eat back at our room. To this day, we're so sad that we didn't get to enjoy all the yummy food. Actually, I had one bite of my steak, which was enough to taste it... and get brown sauce all down the front of my gown... Which brings me to my last piece of advice: stick to white food, especially if you're accident prone like yours truly. Thankfully, I had packed stain remover in my emergency kit, and we got the stain out in a second!
Married ladies, did you eat at your wedding? For those that are planning, are you doing a receiving line?
Next up, my dad gives a heartfelt speech and we cut the cake.
I don't know how or when, but at some point during wedding planning, we decided that receiving lines were tacky and we hated them.
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| image via degrassi.wikia.com |
Before we go on, let's take a look at the menu, shall we? While our photographers didn't take any pictures of the food, our awesome guests sure did!
FIRST COURSE:
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| Guest photo |
Tower of Mediterranean Antipasto (thinly sliced prosciutto, Genoa salami, capicollo, melon, bocconcini, grilled zucchini, tomatoes)
or
Tower of grilled vegetables (Vegetarian Option, not pictured)
SALAD COURSE (not pictured): Fennel, orange slices, on arugula citrus vinaigrette
MAIN COURSE:
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| Guest photo |
Grilled chicken breast pesto in a Genovese sauce, with garlic duchess potatoes, grilled peppers and a bouquet of asparagus
or
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| Guest Photo |
La Bavette de Boeuf (Flank steak), with bordelaise sauce, garlic duchess potatoes, grilled peppers and a bouquet of asparagus
or
Eggplant Parmiggiana (Vegetarian Option, not pictured)
DESSERT:
Wedding cake served on a mirror of strawberry coulis and fresh fruits
Our plan was to eat quickly and visit tables in between courses. What we didn't anticipate is that guests are generally very excited to see the bride and groom (duh!). Once the first few guests came up to say hi, chitchat, and take pictures with us, the floodgates were open and everyone wanted in on the action. I'm pretty sure a makeshift receiving line actually formed in front of our sweetheart table at one point.
 |
| Note my appetizer sitting on my plate/ Guest photo |
 |
| Couldn't miss these guys! BF Blue Eyes, Mr. Waterfall and BM Green Eyes/ Photo by BM Tiny |
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| MOH Long Legs, Honorary Bridesman/ BBF J, Mrs. Waterfall, Mommy Long Legs (don't they look alike?)/ Guest photo |
My second piece of advice would be not to schedule anything during courses. Since we wanted to visit tables in between courses, we had a few speeches during the meal, and nobody wants photos taken with food in their teeth, so...we didn't eat. At least, we made up for it by taking advantage of the Martini bar.
 |
| Interrupted once more... Observe how longingly I'm staring at my salad / guest photo |
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| A tender moment between Mr. Waterfall and Lil Waterfall. Also tender was my steak, which sadly, remained uneaten. |
Next up, my dad gives a heartfelt speech and we cut the cake.
All photos courtesy of the amazing Bachmann Photography unless otherwise specified
Miss a recap?
- We get it started with our wedding trailer
- We had a really intense wedding week
- We handle some last minute drama and get our nails did
- We practice getting married
- We eat all the French food
- We stuff our faces with chocolate
- The girls get pretty, oh so pretty
- The men suit up
- I put on my wedding dress
- I put on my veil and my entourage loses their sh*t
- I show you all my somethings
- We ride a vintage limo to the church
- The bridal party walks the walk
- We have a tearful “first look” on our walk down the aisle
- The ceremony begins with some lovely readings
- We exchange our vows and rings and have a blessing of the hands
- We finish mass, have a rose ceremony and sign the marriage register
- We take some pictures with our families
- We take a few bridal party pictures
- We take some pictures, just the two of us
- We skip cocktail hour, and spend some time with our friends
- We have a really fun first entrance
- We dance to our song
- Our friends give some heartfelt speeches
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