Wedding at the Courthouse: Summary

Hello all! Well this is getting a bit ridiculous- over a year later, and I can't manage to finish a few recaps of my wedding day. It's not that I'm lazy, it's just that married life is a bit busy, and I also have a very hard time with uploading large pictures to blogger. Here is a link to my Flickr if anyone is interested in courthouse wedding photos.

So, according to my google analytics, I have around 250 visitors per week! I know most of you must be here for courthouse tips, judging by the number of e-mails I get (but no comments:( ), so I'd like to give a quick description of our reception.

I walked in at around 6:00 when people were just arriving, and I was blown over. This place is the most beautiful reception hall I have ever seen when it is set up. The tables were set up correctly into 5 long banquet style, and 12 rounds of 10. The centerpieces of ostrich feathers and gold birch branches and place cards for the long tables were in the correct spots. The bar was set up with my high top cocktail tables and long black linens with the wedding crosswords on top. The make shift photobooth was all ready with the props. The DJ was there. The cakes were on the cake table looking delicious. It is SO HARD to completely envision everything you have planned, and the reality was better than anything I ever hoped for!


After ooing and awwing over everything, I went over to the photobooth with some of the bridesmaids and took some silly pictures. We had the photobooth in the nook off the to the right where the elevator doors are. The bar was behind the columns in the hallway area, almost in front of the door to the nook on the right. Then I got one of my signature drinks (mojito), and proceeded to chill at my cocktail hour and talk to everyone who came out for me. This experience was almost surreal -people I have known from every stage of my life were all there for me and having drinks with me. I got to talk to many people that I wouldn't get to later in the night. DON'T MISS YOUR COCKTAIL HOUR!

My husband and I are living in Buffalo, NY, so we had Anchor Bar chicken wings at our cocktail hour, which they will ship. My caterer was amazing, and charged us a small fee to set these up and heat them. The cocktail food table was set up in the hallway behind the columns on the right in the middle. Guests went crazy over these chicken wings, it was one of the best decisions we made. Guests also loved the wedding crossword I made and had printed, and many of them were filling them out. It was such a great ice breaker and conversation starter, I urge people to do something like this.

Almost before I knew it, it was time to get introduced. The DJ was set up on the left hand side of the room, dead center. We came out for the introductions from the grand staircase on the other side. About acoustics, I couldn't hear anything the DJ said on the mic from back in the staircase area. There are certain places where the acoustics suck, and that cannot be denied. However, people in the main hall could hear mostly fine.

The whole bridal party were introduced, and then my husband and I. We walked straight to our cake table, and cut the cake to "Sexyback." After a little cake smooshing (by me only), it was time for dinner.

I know many people have questions about catering. We had a buffet, and it was perfect. Stations are also a popular option, which I also looked into, but we didn't go for. Ultimately, stations are usually way more expensive, and also have a bit of a more casual vibe. I decided that I would rather have everyone eat at once and get it over with, and then we can move onto the dancing! Stations work best for weddings with constant mingling and no sitting, and if you want everyone to sit and pay attention, there is not much point to having them. I am also against sit down meals for almost any wedding, and especially the courthouse, and I will explain why. The courthouse has no kitchen, so your caterer will either make the food ahead of time, or will bring a make-shift kitchen. Sit-down wedding meals at even a catering hall with a kitchen are usually not that good. They are rushing the food to get so many out at once, and some people may want less or more, and it ultimately leads to wasted food. Also there is the general confusion over who ordered what.

Our buffet was hot, replenished often, and delicious! Everyone took as much or as little as they wanted. We had a carving station, which is the right way to do beef at a wedding, and I got many compliments on the food. In the very back of the courthouse, the columns were draped off by our caterer, with the kitchen behind. The buffet table was set up directly in front, and tables were called up.

After eating very quickly, my husband and I made table rounds for about 45 minutes. This brought us to about 9:00 and time for the first dance. Being on the dance floor by ourselves with a slow song playing, the music was echoing. It wasn't awful, but the echo was there. Not all songs will do it. Our first dance was "I'll Look After You" by The Fray, and it is a song that lends itself well to echoing. The dance with my father to Frank Sinatra had much less acoustic issues. The fast dance songs when there were many bodies on the floor to absorb the sound had even less issues. And we had tons of people on the floor- after the parent dances, everyone got down! We had dance circles, line dances, slow dances- a little something for everyone, and it was amazing! Our DJ was pretty good, there were a few instances where I didn't like the song he was playing, but it mostly worked out. At around 10:30 most of our guests disappeared for 15 minutes to watch the fireworks on Lake Erie (it was 4th of July)!

We had a completely stocked bar with 10 varieties of beer, 6 kinds of wines, champagne, and any kind of liquor and mixers you could ask for. If you need to be cheap, DON'T DO IT ON THE BOOZE! People will talk about that for years. On the flip side, we still get compliments on our bar. There were alot of people at the bar at any given moment. I might change the bar's placement more towards the center to put people where the dancing was and encourage more people to mingle. You will have to judge what is best based on how many guests you have and what kinds of tables. The photobooth was popular as well, and the props we had such as wigs, leis, and Hawaiian skirts made it out onto the dance floor!

My mom had a candy bar with all green candy set up as a surprise to me during this time! It was on the cocktail table in the right hallway. We also had the favors set up in the entrance to the courthouse, to the left of the security desk. We had packs of sparklers with our monogram on them, and boxes of our cake. I also later mailed prints of the photobooth pictures in our thank you cards.

All too soon, the night was over. We had an after party set up at a bar downtown, so alot of us went over there. The security guards were great to us all night. Here is a little tip- they will know what time is in your contract to shut down, and start herding people out. The beginning time is much more flexible. Your caterer will have access to the hall all day, so what is the big deal in starting a bit earlier? My contract said 6:30, but my invitation said 6:15, and some people came at 6:00. They will not turn people away..I think you can stretch this at least a half hour. At $525/ hour, every little bit helps.

Another tip- my biggest gripe of the night is that the lights were not dimmed enough for dancing. The electrician is in your contract, and should be on call for you. The ball got dropped on this, and the place remained in full light most of the night. Now it is gorgeous in there, so not a big deal, but I spent about $250 on led candles, and they did not really get seen. Make sure someone takes charge on this.

The bathrooms- not great, but not too horrible. Stick a bathroom basket in there and call it a day.

The courthouse is amazing, so take advantage! You do not need many decorations because people will be too busy staring. You can also get away with being a bit goofy (wedding crosswords, photobooth, Hawaiian skirt props) because of the elegance of the courthouse.

I'm still willing to answer questions (daas325@gmail.com), and I have a budget post in editing, because I know a huge questions is: "how much!" Well, I am going to answer that for you soon!

4th of July: Morning of the big day!

I had a hard time sleeping just like I knew I would. I guess you're never too old to feel that Christmas Eve like level of excitement. My sister and I slept together in my childhood room, and I read some of her book (ironically, it was "Something Borrowed"). I slept for a few hours but kept waking up, so I went downstairs to sleep on the couch at around 7. At around 8, my cousin Mary, the make-up artist, and Julie, the hairdresser showed up. It was time to get started!

I was going to be last to get my hair done, so I went upstairs to wake up the other girls, and I went back into my room and laid down for a little bit longer. I really just laid there and tried to reflect on the meaning of the day ahead and get myself ready for the craziness. After a few minutes, I felt ready, so I went downstairs to grab a mimosa, and went out to finish up my flowers, which I talk about here.

After sitting outside in the gorgeous morning sun, I came inside to have some fruit and breakfast, and my sister gave me the most adorable presents! She had wrapped up 4 separate gifts into "Something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue." Even the wrapping paper and bags were coordinated to the themes! She gave me some antique handkerchiefs as something old(Wrapped in red, black and white-inside joke!), an absolutely beautiful cream clutch with a peacock feather beaded on the front as something new, broaches from my cousin for my bouquet as the something borrowed, and sexy blue lingerie as the something blue! She was so amazingly sweet.

Picture taken by my mom

Also, since I am the queen of last minute, I decided that I wanted someone to tape my ceremony( I didn't hire a videographer due to last minute business, and my inability to meet with anyone in Cleveland this close to the wedding). My dad called up my aunt, and they rushed over their video camera, while I called a bunch of my friends to see who would tape. I also realized that I was short one reader, so my amazing friend Jackie and her boyfriend, now fiance Whitey stopped by to pick up the reading and do it for me! So it ended up that we left the camera at home anyways, so I thought that there was no video, until Scott's sent us the video he took on his phone! It actually turned out awesome, and is just what we wanted. You can see us walk in, hear our vows, and walk out. Not intrusive at all, and all we needed. Wow, typing all of this out, I can't believe how much stuff worked itself out for a wedding, and what an amazingly lucky day I had! I would never never recommend that anyone leave so many details up in the air as I did.

Meanwhile, I was watching my bridesmaids getting their hair done, while Mary did my mom's and Scott's mother's make-up. Picture taken by my sister

She also put false eye-lashes on my bridesmaids. Finally it was my turn for make-up! Mary had done my make-up for a friend's wedding the year before, but we had had no other consultation for this day. I trusted her completely. I told her I wanted a very dramatic look, especially for the eye make-up. I was getting false eyelashes, and decided to use golds for my eyes to match the theme of the wedding. I knew it would look intense in real life, but would look amazing in pictures. Here she is studying me before she begins! (Outfit consists of my hubby's boxers, and a Victoria's Secret bridal hoodie gifted from BM Jen).

Picture taken by mom

After she put the eyelashes on, my eyes began to water badly. This had never happened to me before, but required a lot of eyedrops before they felt ok. Halfway through the make-up, Julie was ready for me, so then I had two ladies working on me. I felt like a movie star! For my hair, Julie first pulled the top part up as I had wanted, then added in the extensions she had sewn onto combs for me. My hair was so long, it didn't need any extra length, but I wanted a bit more fullness. Then she curled all the pieces, and added my birdcage veil and flower. During my hair, I gave Scott a call just to make sure everything was moving on the boy's end. When he answered the phone sounding like death, I was a little worried (it was around 11 at this point). I could tell he was very hungover, and their night must have gone on for quite awhile after we left. He assured me he was up and moving, so I got off the phone hoping all was well. The limo was scheduled down to the minute, so nothing could afford to go wrong or run late.

My hair ended up taking much longer then we thought, so I was scrambling around to put on my stick on nubra, and get into my dress. There were all these people in the house at this point, grabbing last minute things to take to the ceremony, that I couldn't find anywhere private to slip on my dress where my photographer, Corey Ann, could still get pictures. Finally we settled on the living room.

I put the dress on and zipped it up, before I realized that we had never actually buttoned the buttons before, and had no hook for them! My bridesmaids came to the rescue, all of them helping to button up the millions of small buttons on the back. One popped off right before, and I suppose I could have freaked out, but I laughed it off and said we needed to get on the limo and get going. I wish I would have gotten one or two posed pictures in front of my house though :(

Off we were to the ceremony, with a bottle of champagne!

Note: Unless otherwise specified, all of my wedding photos were taken by Corey Ann of Corey Ann photography.

4th of July: Rehearsal Day

Friday morning was a little dreary and rainy, but it cleared up to be a sunny day later in the afternoon. My mom, my sister, and bridesmaids S and J had manicure and pedicure appointments, and the boys were taking the many boxes of wedding stuff down to drop off at the courthouse.

I got a call about halfway into my pedicure from the boy saying that the Courthouse doors were not open. I had an issue the last time I went down to the Courthouse which led to me almost not getting in when I had an appointment to do so, and this really angered me. I had asked for and been granted privileges to drop some stuff off earlier in the day than they usually allow for weddings because it was a holiday(day before the 4th of July was the government holiday this year), and no one would be at work except the guards. There is a serious communication break down between Wanda, the coordinator, and the guards who open the doors at the Courthouse. I really hope it has been resolved since then. I called and left a rather hysterical message for Wanda, but the boy called back and said they got in after pounding on the doors for awhile. This was one of my very very few bride freak outs, so I didn't feel too bad about it.

Other than that, the salon was soooo relaxing! I was immediately handed a mimosa right when i walked in (which I later needed)! I had had my hair cut and highlighted, plus a facial the previous weekend at my salon in Buffalo, so I was already feeling seriously pampered. My sister booked the appt, so I don't remember the name of the place, but I would highly recommend it. I'll be sure to ask her and post it here.

After the salon, we came back to the house, and the fun was starting! Bridesmaids C and K had arrived by plane, and various of our other out-of-town friends had picked them up and were hanging out at my house talking to my dad. It was almost surreal to have them all here and to know that this wedding was really going to happen!!!

I took a shower and started getting ready for the rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner. It was kind of crazy with all the girls in the house getting ready, but my sister did my make up and Bridesmaid C did a beautiful job on my hair. One of the boy's groomsmen was driving in from New York and was extremely late getting to our house, which got me a little rattled, but we eventually packed it all in and were on our way to the church.

We made it to the church only 5 minutes late. I was feeling a little flustered with people calling me for directions 2 minutes before they were supposed to be there, showing up late, or not changed into church clothes yet. I also forgot the wedding party presents at home and sent back the other car to go get them. In retrospect, I should have brought the pew decorations and put them on during the rehearsal, because it became an issue the next morning when I realized there was no one to do it! No matter how much you plan, there will be small things you forget about. Hopefully, it won't actually matter to you on your wedding day.

My gorgeous jewel- toned dress was made from silk chiffon by BCBG. I got it on e-bay for $60!!! I am holding my bow bouquet from the shower, and that's my sister standing right behind me, keeping me calm!

This is inside the beautiful St. Michael Church in Independence. The rehearsal was quick, with us practicing where we would walk and stand, and a quick overview of the vows we would say. We opted for the traditional words of a Catholic ceremony, which we would repeat after the priest. Even though I no longer consider myself a Catholic, the weight of tradition behind these simple words is very moving and perfect. I have a complicated relationship with religion, but I respect the power of the vows and the ceremony in its own right.

After the rehearsal we made our way downtown to Ponte Vecchio, where we had the rehearsal dinner on the outdoor patio. The night was clear, and while it wasn't very warm, it was comfortable. The patio is a little bit of an awkward set-up, but we had around 60 people come to our rehearsal dinner, and it didn't seem too cramped. It's long and narrow, so people need to sit in tables of 4. The food had to be set up as a buffet inside to accommodate all the tables for a party this large, but it worked out great. The food was amazing! We had appetizers, including crab cakes, and the buffet included chicken, salmon, green beans, pasta, and more food that I can't remember. I was too keyed up to eat much. We also had an open bar for two hours before dinner, and one hour after.

The view from Ponte Vecchio is amazing - it looks out onto the whole city, where we were able to see a few fireworks shows. After dinner, I gave a short speech thanking everyone for coming, and we passed out our gifts to the wedding party. The girls got their jewelry for the wedding, earrings and a bracelet, and I had given them all engraved flasks during our trip to Vegas. We gave the boys flasks, their wedding ties, and cigars, so a few of them lit them up outside after dinner. We stuck around for awhile all talking and socializing. Our groups of friends all know each other from college, so there was alot of catching up to do.

On the patio, my five best friends from college and I.

At our table on the patio, my brother, his girlfriend, and my sister.

After dinner, chatting outside the restaurant.

We stayed at Ponte Vecchio until around 10, before the younger people decided to take the party over to The Chophouse on W St. Clair Avenue. We invited all of the out-of-town guests to the rehearsal dinner, which was why we had around 60 people there. Only a few people couldn't make the drive down to Cleveland in time for the dinner, and they met us at the Chophouse. There was a group of about 40 of our childhood and college friends there talking, drinking, and having a great time. It felt so amazing to have us all in one spot again. I think this may be my favorite thing about weddings - the chance to have all of your groups of friends meet and hang out, and reminisce. I would strongly recommend to build in time for socializing and actually talking to all these people that came so far to see you. It cost a little more to invite all of these people to the rehearsal dinner, but it was more than worth it.

At around 11:30 or 12:00, the girls and I decided it was time to get home and rest up for the next day. The bridesmaids were sleeping at my parents' house with me that night. The guys were going to stay out and have a little bit of a bachelor party for the boy, since he never got to have one with all of the guys being so far away (little did I realize how bad of an idea this would turn out to be...oops). I kissed the boy goodbye for the last time as an unmarried couple, and went home to try and get some sleep!

The last single girl kiss!