Our Wedding Reception

12/31/2017

WHEN RYAN AND I WERE PLANNING OUR WEDDING, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO US WAS THAT OUR GUESTS HAD A FABULOUS TIME. WE WANTED TO HAVE A GREAT PARTY, WHERE EVERYONE COULD CELEBRATE WITH US. AND A CELEBRATION, IT WAS! I HAD A FEELING IT WAS GOING TO BE A GOOD NIGHT WHEN THE DANCE FLOOR WAS PACKED BEFORE THE SALADS WERE EVEN SERVED..

LET ME BACK UP A LITTLE TO OUR DANCES. AFTER OUR BRIDAL PARTIES AND RYAN AND I GOT ANNOUNCED, WE HAD OUR FIRST DANCE. RYAN'S DAD, BOB, INTRODUCED US TO "DANCE LIKE NOBODY'S WATCHING" BY DONAVON FRANKENREITER AND WE WERE INSTANTLY IN LOVE. HERE'S SOME OF THE LYRICS:

Sometimes my life is smooth Then it gets real tough
That's when it seems you come around And separate all that stuff
Forever gentle Just a touch of grace, And you are the sun,
the moon, the rain And every summer breeze That fills the sails
of every little boat Out on the waves
And we'll just dance like no one is Ever watching
And we'll love each other 'til The early morning
And we'll be together, girl Through stormy weather
And we'll stay together 'Cause there's no way in hell I'd ever let you go

THE SONG WAS PERFECT FOR US: SIMPLE AND HAPPY.

NEXT, MY DAD AND I DANCED TO BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. WHEN I WAS A LITTLE GIRL, I WOULD PUT ON MY YELLOW BELLE GOWN EVERY DAY AND POP IN THE MOVIE. WHEN MY DAD WOULD GET HOME FROM WORK, WE WOULD DANCE TOGETHER. IT WAS ONLY FITTING TO USE THIS AS OUR WEDDING SONG. WE WANTED TO ADD A LITTLE SOMETHING AT THE END, SO WE HAD THE DJ FADE INTO "ALL AMERICAN GIRL" BY TRAIN , A SONG MY DAD AND I LISTENED TO EACH WEEK ON OUR WAY TO MY PITCHING LESSONS. IT WAS A GREAT TIME LEARNING TO DANCE WITH MY FATHER.

FINALLY, RYAN AND HIS MOM, DIANNE, DANCED TO "HAPPY PEOPLE" BY LITTLE BIG TOWN. IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL WATCHING MY HUSBAND (STILL GETTING USED TO THAT WORD!!!) DANCE WITH HIS MOTHER. THEY DID A WONDERFUL JOB AND THE SONG PERFECTLY EMBODIED THE TWO OF THEM.

FOLLOWING DANCES WERE SPEECHES. MY SISTER, WHO WAS THE MAID OF HONOR, GAVE A WONDERFUL SPEECH FIRST AND SPOKE ABOUT MANY OF THE MEMORIES WE SHARED GROWING UP AND THE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP WE SHARE. IT WAS SO KIND HOW SHE WELCOMED RYAN INTO OUR FAMILY. (GREAT JOB, ANNIE!) NEXT, RYAN'S BEST MAN, ERIC DID A FANTASTIC JOB. RYAN HAS KNOWN ERIC HIS WHOLE LIFE, SO WE WERE LUCKY TO HAVE SUCH A GREAT GUY AS THE BEST MAN AT OUR WEDDING. FINALLY, EACH OF MY PARENTS GAVE SPEECHES, WHICH WERE BOTH VERY MEANINGFUL. WE ALL TOASTED, AND IT WAS TIME TO DANCE!

THE FOOD WAS PHENOMENAL AND THE MUSIC WAS GREAT. WE ALL DANCED THE NIGHT AWAY (...AND MANY PEOPLE EVEN TOOK SHOTS!) IT WAS A REAL PARTY. I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT WAS WINDING DOWN WHEN THE MAITRE D' PULLED US ASIDE AND TOLD US IT WAS TIME TO CUT THE CAKE. AT THE VERY END OF THE NIGHT, WE HAD A BONFIRE OUTSIDE ON THE BEACH BY THE LAKE FOR GUESTS TO ENJOY S'MORES.

OVERALL, WE HAD THE PERFECT NIGHT AND WE HOPE EVERYONE ELSE ENJOYED THEMSELVES AS MUCH AS WE DID! CHECK OUT THE PICTURES!