We opted not to do a send-off like many couples. The Botanical Garden doesn’t allow sparklers (even though they make for gorgeous photos), and our nighttime reception basically prevented us from doing any other cute idea. I did entertain buying maroon and orange pom-poms from a Virginia Tech bookstore until I found out they’re $1 each. Umm, $100 for a send-off?
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| My super artsy photo from a sister’s wedding in 2009. |
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| Our last shot of the evening. |
Because of this, our wedding had a rather anti-climatic ending. Many of our guests trickled out during the reception and made good use of our shuttle bus. Mark the DJ announced last call shortly before 9:30. Fun fact: our guests closed out the bar. Like absolutely no wine and only a few bottles of beer were left at the end of the night. Right around 9:30 (the end of their contracted time), Mark said, “Thanks for coming. Drive safe. Good night,” and started packing up his gear. I was shocked that he didn’t at least announce a last dance or song. The remaining guests were left milling about the dance floor. Luckily, the bus was waiting outside, so they piled in in two last trips to the hotel. They continued drinking at the hotel bar (which they also drank dry) then headed across the parking lot to a Ruby Tuesday’s. We have classy friends.
Our caterer packed up the left-over food and set it out for us. Mac and I changed back into our street clothes (since we both dressed at the Botanical Garden) then we packed up my car and my parents’ car with our presents, some decor, the food, and the cupcakes. Our wedding planner wisely suggested that our guests were welcome to the centerpieces, so we had less stuff to take home.
Mac and I double-checked everything with our planner and headed home. My parents stopped by to drop off what was in their car, and we enjoyed a quiet drink reminiscing about the highly successful evening. I realize that it’s highly unusual to end your own wedding this way, but it was nice to wind down after the day’s chaos in our own house. We also really enjoyed sleeping in our own bed (and not just because we didn’t have to pay for a hotel room). PS. That wasn’t meant to be dirty or suggestive. Our bed feels like a cloud after a long day.
All photos (but the first) courtesy of Carolina MediaStar.
Our wedding weekend:
Friday, we rehearsed, relaxed over dinner, and hosted an open house. Wedding morning dawned bright and early, we got prettified, then had our first look. We waited for some guests and headed down the aisle. Our ceremony was short and sweet, and we finished our family portraits. We were introduced at our reception, ate dinner, raised a few toasts, shared special dances, and didn’t smash our cake. Our married friends enjoyed an anniversary dance, and we embarrassed our single friends. We rounded them up for some group shots then snuck out for some private moments while they danced the night away. We partied til the end, packed up the car, and enjoyed a quiet night in our home. Sunday, we said goodbye over brunch and drove into the sunset to an Outer Banks honeymoon.
