<p>S! and DIL’s wedding celebration was last weekend. We survived! I am in the process of wading through the many pictures our friends and I took, and will have them on a Shutterfly site. </p>
<p>To recap, S & DIL had a civil ceremony last summer because she came into the US on a fiancee visa after her employer’s law firm screwed up her work visa. They had always planned to have the ceremony this summer, and so this was what they considered their “real” wedding where her dad and sister could attend.</p>
<p>Venue was a local arts facility (indoor because DIL can’t handle heat), DH and S2 did the cooking, I did massive DIY, colors were royal blue & silver, big splurge was a contradance band that played at UChicago. No videography, no showers, bachelor/ette, engagement parties, no limo/horses. Bride’s sister read from Terry Pratchett, S2 from Doctor Seuss.</p>
<p>We had 12-15 people staying at our house every night from 7/28 through 8/7. It was crazy, but they were close friends and relatives who were indispensable helpers. We had a corn shucking party, an Agricultural Collective Expedition to pick peaches, berries and veggies at the local PYO, enough cars to shuttle those who arrived by plane, and it was a hella good time. My nieces/nephews were enthusiastic and helpful throughout, and we had enough hands on deck that noone was too overworked. A big shout-out goes to CCer eddieodessa, who came down and helped with setup – and she has never even met me! I am so grateful and touched at her generosity.</p>
<p>Originally expected 60 guests, high end estimate was 80. We had 100. (!!!) </p>
<p>A few observations to start out:</p>
<p>1) Do research in advance. There were sites that had great stuff at cheap prices, but the shipping costs were horrendous. I had the most success with places that did not market specifically to the wedding industrial complex.</p>
<p>2) Get the creative stuff done well in advance. By the week prior, I was down to things that had to wait until things like menu ingredients, etc. were finalized. We did print production the last week. I started sewing in late March. I finished the tiara the night before the wedding. </p>
<p>3) If you are renting goods, COUNT EVERYTHING. We counted silverware, plates, tables, chafing dishes, but took it for granted that the labels on the linen bags were correct. Bad move. Take them out and check count and size. </p>
<p>4) Delegate. </p>
<p>5) It is a lot easier to decorate tables if all items for each table are in one box. I had copier boxes labeled with items for that table as well as a diagram for how to set it up. Makes it easy for anyone to grab a box and be useful.</p>
<p>6) Make lists. I had a 14 page master list, This did not include the lists-within-lists for craft projects, supplies, etc.</p>
<p>7) If you live in a major metro area, look a bit further afield for vendors. In our area, bakeries in Bethesda charge a fortune for cupcakes/wedding cake. One of the exercise physiologists at my cardiac rehab got married last fall and she told me about a place 20 miles north of us. The cupcakes were fantastic and half the price of Bethesda.</p>
<p>8) I got a few things from Etsy – was uniformly pleased with my purchases. Support creative artists!</p>
<p>9) Pinterest is wedding porn – but I got some great ideas for DIY.</p>
<p>10) The serving company we hired was worth every penny. They knew what they were doing and made it seamless.</p>
<p>11) People contradanced! I was so thrilled! I was worried that there would not be enough of a critical mass, but folks got out there. They also wore the silly hats! Some dressed up in Renn Faire costumes and other “dapper” clothes and looked marvelous. A few folks juggled, others plopped on the floor and played the games S had brought for the occasion, and folks got the many geek memes we had buried in the day’s events.</p>
<p>12) There were no disasters, things flowed well, both my kids made me cry with their toasts, people felt the love.</p>
<p>I am crossing my fingers that the photographer paid attention to the shot list, but I am not terribly optimistic. There were angles I saw him miss that I would have shot myself, but everyone talked me out of putting my camera down to be present in the moment. S and DIL viewed the photo shooting as more of a chore. Since it rained that day as well, there were no outside shots, and they didn’t want to go out with me to the state park the next day to take them. While they will probably be happy with the pics, I’m not sure I will be.</p>
<p>Fire away with questions - I’ll probably think of more stuff as I go along.</p>