Monarch Post

The WEDDING! (part 2)

 

Mike said she was shaking as he walked her down the aisle, and then she giggled and stopped shaking just before he gave her away.  A guitarist played and sang "Marry Me" by train as she walked down the aisle. Ainsley asked after the wedding if he was good... she nervous heard him going down or coming back, she was so nervous. You wouldn't have known it, with that million dollar smile and Marilyn hip sway ;)
 

It was such a spectacular view and the weather was perfect for mid-September.

It did rain at 4:30 on the wedding morning though-- one of the most torrential rainstorms we've had. The guys were up making sure the basement didn't flood again, and then of course we were all up...the bride too, who stayed the night with us... hoping, praying, and crossing our fingers that the storm would roll on its way. It did and the the sun came out for us in every way.

And apart from two flower girls melt downs who refused to walk down the aisle, and one bridesmaid breaking her shoe heel off right before the ceremony, (she walked barefoot down the procession and being an actress she carried it off perfectly!) things couldn't have gone any better for this wedding. The ceremony was amazingly beautiful. (And yes, I cried a bit!)  

They were married on the ninth hole of the golf course right by our home. The ninth hole sits on a bluff with rolling greens and trees below, and our majestic mountains meeting aqua blue skies in the background made for an awfully stunning setting.

 

 

 

They made it through their vows without a hitch. You could feel the love between them and everyone there for them.

 

 

 
I'm thinking Christmas card photo material right here...

XOK

The WEDDING- part 1!

 
Oh, what a week it has been.... I'm still taking it all in!

So far this is the only photo of the wedding day I have. Way, way too busy talking, hugging, laughing, and dancing to take a single photo!

When the wedding photos are posted on the photographers blog, I'll link it and show you what a beautiful wedding day we all had. (I don't think I've ever been in a more love-filled, joy-filled, spirit-filled place in my life).

 
I did remember to take a few photos of the flowers the morning after the wedding. I knew our florist was an artist, but I still couldn't get over how gorgeous the bouquets and the table arragements were.

 
Ainsley's bridal bouquet.

The blue brooch belonged to my maternal grandmother, Millie Warner. A '50s costume jewelry piece... it fit the old Hollywood vintage dress/wedding perfectly.

 

Something old, borrowed, and blue all in one... Made me feel like she was there for the day too.

 
Roses, delphinium, ranunculus, and phlox in the most gorgeous shades of salmons, peach, orange, and blue became the tabletop centerpieces.

 
 
 
There are four leftover bouquets in our bedroom, and two bouquets in our bath this week. The rooms smell so heavenly. The roses heavy scent mingled with the nutmeg-spicey phlox makes for the loveliest room perfume!

 
 
(The photo booth was the hit of the night...!)

Back with, "The Wedding- Part Two" (and probably part three, four, and five... ;) soon!

XOKelly 

Oh and P.S.- I just remembered you can see her bridal photos, (if you care to) they are on our photographers blog now.

 

 

the wedding march

 
 
 
It's almost here! The cutest sweetest couple. And the prettiest wedding invitations I've ever seen! (Can you tell I'm partial to the couple here ;)

 
And the wedding... oh, it's going to be gorgeous!

 
The girlfriends shower seems like ages ago already; it's the post I've been trying to sit down and compose for forever now... on a dead run here for the last month putting together the shower and wedding details. I've decided on posting craft projects made for the wedding after the wedding... no more time left for anything else! Doing good to get this up today.

Company is in town and now it's down to the last little details, wedding rehearsal dinner, and the Big Day.

 
 
Our shower gift. If you are ever in the market for a wonderful all-purpose tote, Papaya! online is the store to order from. I've had a Papaya! tote bag for a few years now, and it's been used at the beach, the pool, as an airplane carry on, and as a craft bag. I think it's just the thing for a honeymoon trip to Hawaii. (Ainsley's girlfriends teased her about her crocheting projects winding up at the bottom of the bag, but hey, that's how the Henderson girls roll :)

 

 
I made Hawaiian barbecue sauce over shredded chicken for the main course. And of course, if it's a Hawaii beach theme party, paper umbrellas are very necessary ;)

 

 

 
When it was dusk, we lit Tiki torches around the yard. It was a sweltering summer night (we have so few of them here, they always come as a surprise) and the flowers on the cake melted before I could snap a photo.

 
But it still ate good...

 I fussed around forever to make this double fudge espresso cake for my coffee-loving girl. Two fallen cakes later, I bought a double fudge mix, added extra chocolate chips, a little cinnamon, and two teaspoons of instant espresso.

It worked.

So much for my Cake Boss fantasies...

 
We played a few games after dinner. I won the who knew the bride-to-be best game. Good thing, since I'm her mom. Kinda felt like cheating when I won the prize for first place.

This was my favorite shower idea though. Ainsley's friend, Alicia, the game maven, came up with this one too. Ribbon to wrap the stems of the bridal bouquet (with another layer of wide ribbon over the top of the printed ribbon to cover the writing) with all sorts of advice for staying happily married. Everyone wrote a few bits of advice.

My fav: laugh with each other and not at each other!

(Still can't quite believe my little girl is getting married!)

Be back mid-week next week, after the wedding is over and I've had a day or two to recover.

Wishing you a wonderful week.

XoKelly

(Crossing our fingers and praying for good weather for this outdoor wedding!)