If I had a dollar for every person who told me my wedding day would be over before I knew it, it would probably be enough to pay for the whole thing! Sadly, those people were 100% correct; the day came and went in the blink of an eye! To be honest, everything after I passed out is kind of a blur. I don't really remember what songs were played or which guests we danced with-- I just remember dancing the night away, and just feeling so incredibly loved and happy. Since we failed at greeting every table, Mr. W and I decided to divide and conquer on the dance floor to ensure we would see everyone. It's silly, but every guest looked so ecstatic to dance with the bride and groom, even if just for a quick minute, so that is exactly what we did! The flipside of that is that we didn't get to really dance with each other a whole lot, which is a bit disappointing, but not a big deal since we have a lifetime of dances ahead of us.
Now, I'll let you in on a little secret. My most memorable dance with Mr. Waterfall was not our first dance, or our last! It was the second-to-last song of the night, "Solo Tengo Ojos Para Ti, by Juan Luis Guerra". I've already mentioned that I grew up listening to his songs, but that song in particular gives me chills every time. I love it so much, in fact, that we considered using it for our First Dance. But since it didn't make the cut, I made sure to include it on our must-play list. Somewhere after 3 am, after most guests had gone home and the lights were dimmed, I heard the first few chords and scrambled to find my new husband. What I loved about that moment is that everything and everyone else just kind of fell away. It felt like we were back in our living room, gently swaying, like we had so many times before.
You can listen to the full song here, it's lovely! The lyrics roughly translate to:
After the song ended, our DJ went right into our last song, "Save the Last Dance for Me" by Michael Bublé. Before we go on, let me tell you a little story: A few months before the wedding, I was hitting up the craft aisle of my local Dollar Store for the millionth time since getting engaged, gathering supplies for some project or other, when the song came on the radio. I had heard it so many times before, but that day, when I heard it, I started picturing dancing with Mr. W on our wedding day and I started crying. Right there, in the middle of aisle 5. An employee even came over to ask if I was alright, to which I replied with some incoherent sobbing , it was totally awkward. The point is that I just knew that had to our last dance!
We started dancing and all of the remaining guests gathered around us in a circle, singing along.
We twirled and enjoyed the last fleeting moments of our wedding day.
And that was it, folks! After the many months of planning, it was all over! I don't really have any regrets about our wedding day, except that I wish it had gone by a little bit slower. I wish we had been able to spend quality time with each guest, eat the amazing food we picked out, and take a million silly pictures in our photo booth. In short: to really let everything sink in!
All photos personal, courtesy of our guests.
Next up: a final look at some of our details!
Now, I'll let you in on a little secret. My most memorable dance with Mr. Waterfall was not our first dance, or our last! It was the second-to-last song of the night, "Solo Tengo Ojos Para Ti, by Juan Luis Guerra". I've already mentioned that I grew up listening to his songs, but that song in particular gives me chills every time. I love it so much, in fact, that we considered using it for our First Dance. But since it didn't make the cut, I made sure to include it on our must-play list. Somewhere after 3 am, after most guests had gone home and the lights were dimmed, I heard the first few chords and scrambled to find my new husband. What I loved about that moment is that everything and everyone else just kind of fell away. It felt like we were back in our living room, gently swaying, like we had so many times before.
Now, obviously, by this point, our photographers and videographer had long gone, but one of our guests captured the moment!
"I only have eyes, for you.You don't realize it, yet. You haven't noticed
And I love you more than I can say today. I only have eyes, for you
I always find time, for you. Any manner by which I can be by your side
An eternity can fit in a single minute of my love for you. I only have eyes, for you
I would see you always at the corner where I keep my heart, that only you live in.
I would see you always at the corner where I keep my heart, that only you live in.
Even if the sea loses a shore, or when your departure begins, I'd only have eyes, for you"
We started dancing and all of the remaining guests gathered around us in a circle, singing along.
"Every song has a coda, a final movement. Whether it fades out or crashes away, every song ends. Is that any reason not to enjoy the music?" - One Tree Hill
After the dance ended, we finished packing up the few decor items that were left (MIL W and Long Legs were so helpful and packed most of it up while we were still dancing!) and headed for our hotel.
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| While we waited for Papi W to bring the car around, we snapped these quick pictures of each other that perfectly sum up how we felt: exhausted, but oh-so-happy! The picture of me is Mr. W's screen lock picture; he says I was a cupcake bride :) |
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| My dress the morning after, as you can see, the bottom was in rough shape after getting stepped on and torn! |
All photos personal, courtesy of our guests.
Next up: a final look at some of our details!
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
- We miss out on eating a fabulous meal
- I have an emotional father-daughter dance with my dad
- We cut our gorgeous cake
- We toss the bouquet and garter
- We play the shoelywed game
- We toast each other
- We dance till I drop, literally
- We dance some more
- We break it down, Cuban style
- Our guests vogue for the camera
