Merry Christmas from the Giovagnoli family!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Pickle sends her best...
Pickle requested, since her mama is so late getting her Christmas cards out this year, that I post our family card to the blog. We argued a bit over it...I didn't want to spoil the surprise for anyone still waiting to receive their card...but in the end, her desire to make known her Christmas tidings won out.
Merry Christmas from the Giovagnoli family!
Merry Christmas from the Giovagnoli family!
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Rehearsal-ing
I'm just going to jump right in here...
Prior to the rehearsal, the plan was to move all of the supplies and the cake to the reception space, where I would assemble the cake and then we would rehearse and go to dinner. I love that, no matter my experience to the contrary, I always generally assume that things will go smoothly as planned. Ha! Please imagine four different friends and family members each holding a tier of the wedding cake in their arms standing around as we (Justin, actually) find someone to let us into the space that we'd been told would be unlocked for us. Imagine that one of those people is Mark, who had specifically and unequivocally requested to not have to do anything related to moving the cake...he was the guy holding the 16 inch bottom tier weighing 30 lbs with the terror transparent in his eyes. When the space was unlocked, we entered to find the gorgeous antique table on which the cake was to reside missing in action. We called our site coordinator who stated that in the five years she'd been working there, she'd never seen that table moved from its usual resting place. I will admit that I panicked just the slightest bit since we were already running late and I really, really, really didn't want to have to assemble the cake the morning of the wedding. We ended up assembling it on another table, leaving it to the caterers to move it to the proper table the following day.
The cake & rehearsal...
Our photographers came for the rehearsal to shoot a few photos and test out what it would be like to cope with the utter darkness that would be the scene for the wedding the following evening. We rehearsed for a whopping ten minutes and then headed to Shield's Tavern for the rehearsal dinner. It was wonderful, despite having to be divided into three tables. We actually were in a room with several other groups of people, one being a large family group. Justin and I chose to do our thank you toast to our parents regardless of the audience and for the rest of the evening the group would intermittently clang their glasses with their flatware, the universal signal for Justin and I to kiss. There was a couple in the group that had been married for over 50 years who congratulated us...it was such an honor!
The rehearsal dinner at Shield's Tavern...
We rang the evening in with a crowded open house of friends and extended family at our condo. In my heart of hearts, there is nothing that fills me with a deeper contentment than a house full of family and friends. Give me spilled drinks, half-eaten snack food left harry-tarry in the oddest nooks and crannies, and noisy rambunctiousness any day of the week...I LOVE having so many hearts and smiles under my roof (even if the roof is rented), eating, drinking, and being merry.
In that, my final night as CRapp, I went to bed with such a tremendous sense of belonging and a steadfast excitement to marry this exceptional man, I hardly have the words.
Prior to the rehearsal, the plan was to move all of the supplies and the cake to the reception space, where I would assemble the cake and then we would rehearse and go to dinner. I love that, no matter my experience to the contrary, I always generally assume that things will go smoothly as planned. Ha! Please imagine four different friends and family members each holding a tier of the wedding cake in their arms standing around as we (Justin, actually) find someone to let us into the space that we'd been told would be unlocked for us. Imagine that one of those people is Mark, who had specifically and unequivocally requested to not have to do anything related to moving the cake...he was the guy holding the 16 inch bottom tier weighing 30 lbs with the terror transparent in his eyes. When the space was unlocked, we entered to find the gorgeous antique table on which the cake was to reside missing in action. We called our site coordinator who stated that in the five years she'd been working there, she'd never seen that table moved from its usual resting place. I will admit that I panicked just the slightest bit since we were already running late and I really, really, really didn't want to have to assemble the cake the morning of the wedding. We ended up assembling it on another table, leaving it to the caterers to move it to the proper table the following day.
The cake & rehearsal...
Our photographers came for the rehearsal to shoot a few photos and test out what it would be like to cope with the utter darkness that would be the scene for the wedding the following evening. We rehearsed for a whopping ten minutes and then headed to Shield's Tavern for the rehearsal dinner. It was wonderful, despite having to be divided into three tables. We actually were in a room with several other groups of people, one being a large family group. Justin and I chose to do our thank you toast to our parents regardless of the audience and for the rest of the evening the group would intermittently clang their glasses with their flatware, the universal signal for Justin and I to kiss. There was a couple in the group that had been married for over 50 years who congratulated us...it was such an honor!
The rehearsal dinner at Shield's Tavern...
We rang the evening in with a crowded open house of friends and extended family at our condo. In my heart of hearts, there is nothing that fills me with a deeper contentment than a house full of family and friends. Give me spilled drinks, half-eaten snack food left harry-tarry in the oddest nooks and crannies, and noisy rambunctiousness any day of the week...I LOVE having so many hearts and smiles under my roof (even if the roof is rented), eating, drinking, and being merry.
In that, my final night as CRapp, I went to bed with such a tremendous sense of belonging and a steadfast excitement to marry this exceptional man, I hardly have the words.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Wedding Week...
I know that I've been terribly behind in my blogging and I'm so sorry! I initially began writing this gargantuan post attempting to fill in all of the details of the past weeks in perfect chronological order, but (thankfully!) thought better of it. So be prepared for the bits and pieces that are likely to pop up as I settle in for the remainder of my holiday respite from school...
Wedding Week
Can I tell you how excited I am to be married? The week of our wedding was incredible. As friends and family poured into Williamsburg from all over the country, Justin and I were just overwhelmed with how fortunate we are to be so undeniably loved by so many magnificent people.
My bridesmaid and best friend, Erin, and her husband, Mark, came in Tuesday from Florida and were just on top of it, no matter what "it" happened to be. Mark even sat on the couch tying little tiny brown ribbons to little tiny candles for the ceremony...100 of them!! Erin ran errands, stopped to pick up coffee, and stayed up late even when I wasn't sure what it was I meant to be accomplishing at the late hour! She and her brother, Mike, even stayed to help me put the layers of rolled fondant over the layers of wedding cake after I realized that I'd never actually fondanted a 16 x 4 inch tier before (I meant to practice that...oops!). Picture the four of us (Justin woke up to help us) covered head to toe in cocoa powder with arms under the fondant past our elbows trying to move it over the cake without tearing the fondant, hitting the cake, or in anyway misshaping what will be the base of the wedding cake...quite a sight to be sure!
It was also wonderful that, aside from the cake, just about everything was done by Wednesday. Wednesday evening actually ended up being this fantastic, laid back evening that is one of my best memories of the week! Justin's parents came in that day, and although his Dad was under the weather and stayed back to sleep, his Mom came over to our place and hung out. My longtime friend and bridesmaid, Kim, arrived with her daughter, Avery, and her brother and new sister-in-law, Brian and Seema. Our friends, Jennie & Rebekah also came by to spend some time...Jennie was our officiant and she couldn't have done a more perfect job! We lit a fire, cracked open a few beers, and just enjoyed being surrounded by the exceptional people that we are privileged to call our friends!
A little snapshot of Wednesday...
And Thursday...
Friday was "spa day" for the girls and "golf day" for the boys. The girls spent the morning sipping mimosas, eating breakfast pastry, and getting beautified, while the guys ended up having a perfect, albeit slightly chilly, day hitting the links. We (the girls!) had a gourmet lunch at the Williamsburg Winery before everyone headed back to get ready for the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner.
Spa Day...
Ladies Who Lunch...
Keep an eye out for a post about the rehearsal & rehearsal dinner...an adventure it was!
Wedding Week
Can I tell you how excited I am to be married? The week of our wedding was incredible. As friends and family poured into Williamsburg from all over the country, Justin and I were just overwhelmed with how fortunate we are to be so undeniably loved by so many magnificent people.
My bridesmaid and best friend, Erin, and her husband, Mark, came in Tuesday from Florida and were just on top of it, no matter what "it" happened to be. Mark even sat on the couch tying little tiny brown ribbons to little tiny candles for the ceremony...100 of them!! Erin ran errands, stopped to pick up coffee, and stayed up late even when I wasn't sure what it was I meant to be accomplishing at the late hour! She and her brother, Mike, even stayed to help me put the layers of rolled fondant over the layers of wedding cake after I realized that I'd never actually fondanted a 16 x 4 inch tier before (I meant to practice that...oops!). Picture the four of us (Justin woke up to help us) covered head to toe in cocoa powder with arms under the fondant past our elbows trying to move it over the cake without tearing the fondant, hitting the cake, or in anyway misshaping what will be the base of the wedding cake...quite a sight to be sure!
It was also wonderful that, aside from the cake, just about everything was done by Wednesday. Wednesday evening actually ended up being this fantastic, laid back evening that is one of my best memories of the week! Justin's parents came in that day, and although his Dad was under the weather and stayed back to sleep, his Mom came over to our place and hung out. My longtime friend and bridesmaid, Kim, arrived with her daughter, Avery, and her brother and new sister-in-law, Brian and Seema. Our friends, Jennie & Rebekah also came by to spend some time...Jennie was our officiant and she couldn't have done a more perfect job! We lit a fire, cracked open a few beers, and just enjoyed being surrounded by the exceptional people that we are privileged to call our friends!
A little snapshot of Wednesday...
And Thursday...
Friday was "spa day" for the girls and "golf day" for the boys. The girls spent the morning sipping mimosas, eating breakfast pastry, and getting beautified, while the guys ended up having a perfect, albeit slightly chilly, day hitting the links. We (the girls!) had a gourmet lunch at the Williamsburg Winery before everyone headed back to get ready for the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner.
Spa Day...
Ladies Who Lunch...
Keep an eye out for a post about the rehearsal & rehearsal dinner...an adventure it was!
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Cut the Crapp...I got married!!!
I have to keep this unfortunately brief, but know that I have an ENORMOUS amount of "stuff" that I can't wait to write about once this round of finals is behind me!
The wedding was amazing. Amazing. I don't have words that are even remotely sufficient to capture what a week it was... possibly the most incredible of my life. So much love. Amazing.
So before I get back to the books here, I thought I would share our photographers' AWESOME work. They captured the essence of the evening so well. Shout out to Mobbs Photography! They were fun, professional, and have been endlessly patient with my million and one questions about how to work my camera! I can't recommend them highly enough!
So here's the show!
The wedding was amazing. Amazing. I don't have words that are even remotely sufficient to capture what a week it was... possibly the most incredible of my life. So much love. Amazing.
So before I get back to the books here, I thought I would share our photographers' AWESOME work. They captured the essence of the evening so well. Shout out to Mobbs Photography! They were fun, professional, and have been endlessly patient with my million and one questions about how to work my camera! I can't recommend them highly enough!
So here's the show!
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