A HUGE thank you for all of the kind words and compliments!
lucyandroger, BleedBurntOrange, Haven, Laila, MsCushion, Sillyberry, nkarma, IrisAccents, sctsbride, Supers, kelpie, TravelGoddess, slg47, AustenNut, FrekeChild, Chiquitapet, Gypsy, Steal, TyTy, Tuckins, Lulu, Bee*, Fiery, jaylex, Niccoleben, Katamari, Getting Excited, Onedrop, Oddoneout, HawaiianOrangeTree, Loriken, Princess, DandiAndi, NakedFinger, PrincessPlease, MissJaxon, Yssie, Violet3, Purselover, vc10um, rhbgirl, pancake, diamondbuggy, Echidna, LitlFirecracker... and anyone who I missed, please forgive me, but a huge thanks to you too!
It means so much that you took the time to extend your congratulations to DH and I! Particularly those who have followed our journey! Overall, despite any drama, we are SO HAPPY with the way that things turned out, and I couldn't have felt more loved and welcomed into DH's family! If anyone had any hard feelings, they certainly didn't mention it!
The reception was WONDERFUL! Everything was perfect, and the venue that we used made everything super simple! My family had a blast, including my sister getting TRASHED at the hands of my friends, and my brother making a love connection with my college roommate! The older crowd enjoyed throwback and classic songs, and the younger crowd stayed until we literally had to kick them out. I didn't think that people would dance much at a midday reception, but boy was I wrong! We had just enough wine and champagne (on the table during meal and mingling) that everyone loosened up and had a blast! It was so wonderful to only have 35-40 guests (we paid for 40, but a few didn't show), it made it possible to spend time with each person, and we laughed and took pictures with everyone! It went by so fast, I definitely regret that we didn't try to hire a photographer for a few hours! We have a ton of pictures, but I wish we could have captured EVERYTHING!
DH and I did a first dance as a couple, and with all eyes on us, he told me that he was really happy that we did our wedding privately, because he felt so awkward and self conscious standing up there in front of everyone, LOL! He also did a dance with his mom, but it was a bit more up-tempo and fun. Everyone was so happy, and everyone pitched in anyway that they could. It was a wonderful day, and exactly what DH wanted, so I couldn't be more pleased. He even admitted that it was a much better idea than his original backyard BBQ suggestion. (and the food was actually pretty good for banquet food!) Afterwards we young folks all headed to a sports bar to watch our alma mater play, then we went out and partied as a group, and hit a winery the next morning, before DH and I did a family visit with his uncle and family who couldn't make the reception. We had the best, most exhausting time!