As we left the bridal suite for the last time, holding Meghann’s hand, I was finally able to appreciate all the details that Meghann worked on for so many months.

The snowflake theme greeted me as I walked past the bench and reception area, towards the ceremony and altar. Meghann’s sweet Aunt Betty Anne, who served as her wedding coordinator extraordinaire during the process helped Meghann and her family organize and collect snowflake inspired pillows, lanterns, lights, and décor which provided small details at every glance.

As I approached Bo and the other guests, I was able to see the hand written, chalk board wedding program which I volunteered to write earlier this month. While I don’t believe I am crafty, I do tend to have neat hand writing which came in handy for this task.

(Photos via Anne)

The simple baby’s breath arrangements, lining the aisle provided a perfect yet simple pop of white. The mason jars, hanging from the shepard’s hooks had the same rafia detail as the bouquet in my hand.

As I took my place along the other bridesmaids, I saw just how well the khaki suits and navy ties coordinated with our navy dresses and rustic boots against the simple altar and wooded background.

The ceremony itself was the most original I’ve ever witnessed.

Short and very personal it included two readings, including Falling In Love Is Like Owning A Dog which made the audience laugh and nod in agreement. They also had the courage to write their own vows, promising to always respect each other and treat the other as an equal, among other things. My favorite part of the ceremony was when they sealed their vows with a pinky promise – such a sweet touch.

Don’t they look happy?

After the ceremony, it was time to head over to the covered reception area and enjoy a cold drink.

The guests and wedding party enjoyed drinks and appetizers while the bride and groom took a few pictures together. Anne and I were finally reunited after what feels like forever! Bo and I had a great time getting to know Matt, whom we met for the first time Saturday night!

We were luckily able to sneak in a few laughs with the bride and groom before they made their official entrance!

If you ever want to get a bride and groom’s attention during a wedding reception I highly recommend greeting them with a glass of wine or bottle of beer!

The next hour included dinner, speeches by the Best Man and Matron of Honor, and the infamous Jack Daniels toast during which time the father of the bride toasts the new couple and then takes a swig from the fresh handle of Jack. This handle was Mr. Anderson’s largest yet it was gone in minutes! Everyone was volunteering to help finish the bottle!

This was definitely a first for me but such a great time and as Meghann and her family said, it’s their way of welcoming people into the family.

For the next 3 hours we danced and danced. Their DJ was beyond amazing, playing songs that made you never want to take a rest from the dance floor. Their dance floor was always packed and everyone had a blast busting a move. These pictures are a perfect summary of the dancing, A lot of fun, a little crazy, a little blury, and filled with ridiculous dance moves. 

A quick picture break between dancing with Anne, Meghann, and Mary!

The ladies in navy smiling with our happy bride! All the hard work and planning paid off!

Bo and I are so thankful we were able to be part of the special evening and spend so much time with Meghann and Derek’s friends and family. After hearing about so many of their friends, especially their Tampa friends, it was wonderful to hang out with them!

Question: What is your favorite wedding dance song? Mine is hands down Sweet Home Alabama if I’m at a Southern wedding or Don’t Stop Believing!

I can’t believe the weekend’s festivities have already come to a close for us. Bo and I are sipping smoothies at the Orlando Airport right now, waiting on our 12:15 flight back to New York City. After 3 straight weeks of travel, we chose an early flight over the wedding brunch. While we so wish we could review the night’s events with the wedding party and friends but sometimes an afternoon at home, especially on a Sunday, wins.

Meghann has happily told all wedding guests that she has no issues with us sharing pictures via our social media outlets over the next few days. I love this idea as it allows she and Derek to enjoy this time while also sharing some first glimpse of the wedding day with those who were there physically and in spirit along with those who have read about her planning via her blog for the past year.

Before the Wedding

After the run and breakfast, the bridesmaids and mothers spent the morning relaxing together at Meghann’s house while we all had our hair and makeup done. I really enjoyed this time with everyone as it gave us some down time together in between the excitement of the rehearsal and the wedding. Over the course of four hours we each had our makeup done by a local Mary Kay consultant who had done Meghann’s makeup trials previously. She was really friendly and asked a lot of questions to ensure that she did our makeup in a way that we would each like.  In addition, the woman who did Meghann’s hair trials came and did up do’s for each of us. She happily obliged Pintrest inspired requests and took her time, ensuring that she used plenty of bobby pins and spray so our hair would withhold the hours of photographs, dancing, and humidity.  While Meghann didn’t require any of us to get our makeup or hair done we all chose to enjoy the luxury of having someone else do our hair and makeup. We were also able to don our bridesmaids gifts, personalized cotton waffle weave robes, during this time. I loved the robe as I do not have one and it is the perfect weight and length for everyday use!

We hung our dresses up so they could get some air and would be ready to go once our hair and makeup was done. This also allowed us time to make sure everyone had their boots, socks, necklaces, sweaters, and any other needed accessories. By coincidence, we all wore pearl earrings with our outfits which worked perfectly!

In case you’re interested, our bridesmaids outfit included cowboy boots of our choice, matching gray cardigans from American Eagle which were on sale during the holidays, and navy JCrew bridesmaids dresses which we found on sale earlier this year. The dresses were flattering on each of our figures due to the V-neck and loose, flowing cut.

Around 3pm we headed over to the wedding venue, Birdsong Barn, for Meghann and Derek’s first look followed by bridal party and family pictures. Due to the early sunset this time of year, they opted to do majority of the photographs before the wedding which also would allow for them to spend most of their time enjoying the wedding versus taking pictures. We were worried when the breeze picked up around 3pm, as the Weather Channel had predicted rain to begin at 3pm. Each minute that passed during pictures rain free was truly a blessing and Meghann wouldn’t let anyone talk about the weather until pictures were over!

Once the bridesmaid photos were done I was able to captures a few candid shots of the family and groomsmen shots.

 

Just as guests started to arrive, the photo session ended allowing us time to grab some water, food, and a quick rest in the bridal suite before the wedding.

Okay, maybe it allowed time for swig of rum too, courtesy of the guys.

Finally, it was time to walk down the aisle!

I’ll be back later with Part 2, the wedding ceremony and reception!