Wedding Week: Our Reception

After being pronounced man and wife, Ian and I gathered with our wedding party in a room upstairs while our wedding guests went downstairs, found their placecards, and grabbed a drink from the bar.  I loved the time we all spent in the upstairs room to just catch our breath, hang out with friends and family, take more pictures, and get changed for the reception (Ian changed into a grey suit and I took off my mother's veil and changed into the birdcage veil I made). 

Bubbly!

Getting bustled up

Making our entrance to the reception.  We came out to "Purple Haze" by Jimi Hendrix ... another surprise from me to Ian.  This is the song that is played as his beloved ECU Pirates take the field for home football games.  He (and the other ECU grads at the wedding) LOVED this surprise.

Blessing the food

Listening to Dad's sweet toast to us

I made the "B" and "G" for the back of our chairs.  I love this picture that our photographer snapped from outside of the reception venue looking in through the window at us.  That mac and cheese we had as part of the dinner ... it was out of this world amazing!

After dinner, we all went back to the cake table, where Ian gave a really sweet toast to me.

After cutting the cake, Ian and I snuck up to the rooftop for some quick pictures during the sunset with our photographers.

We did our first dance to Ray LaMontagne's "You Are The Best Thing"

Dad and I danced to "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong before the DJ phased the song into "Miss Grace" so we could shag.

Ian and his mother danced to Rod Stewart's "Forever Young"

One more sneak-away for us outside to take a few shadow pictures.  Our photographers were so creative!

Last dance song of the night -- Black Eyed Peas "Time of My Life."  The DJ started out just having us on the dance floor and everyone surrounded us.  Then, when the tempo of the song picked up, he told everyone to join us on the floor.  It was perfect!

The reception ended and I went back to the bridal suite to change into my BELOVED Tory Burch gold getaway dress and do some touch-ups.  Everyone was outside getting their sparklers ready!

A quick kiss to Mom and we're off!

Our getaway car was a white Mercedes ... classic!

Don't be fooled into thinking the night ended there ... we totally went to a BAR!  It was such a good time -- most everyone from the wedding reception all went to the same spot and they were so happy to see us out!  The next morning we got up early, drove back to Charlotte, and caught a flight to Dominican Republic for our honeymoon.  I'll do a recap of that wonderful trip soon.

This weekend I'm headed to the wedding of one of my best girlfriends, Ashley, and her fiance Chase.  You met them in this weekend wrap-up post.  Can't wait to show you pictures of their gorgeous weekend!  Plus I am wearing the new Cynthia Rowley dress I got in Charleston recently tonight for the rehearsal dinner and I am in love with it.  Have a great weekend!