The Best Day of My Life — Take Off Your Party Dress

September 15, 2018

Perfect. There’s no other word I can think of to better describe our wedding day. It was absolutely perfect. A large part of that can be thanked to the endless amounts of planning that went into place and the amazing team of vendors we worked with, but of course it was really due to the fact that I got to marry my best friend and spend the day celebrating with all of our loved ones.

Here we are, one month later and I’m still in complete bliss. We got our photos from our incredible photographer and I can’t help but look through them all the time trying to relive that perfect day. There are literally hundreds of images so I won’t post them all, but hopefully you can feel the emotions from the photos below (I know I can!).

The morning started off quietly as we all arrived at The Gardens to start hair and makeup. Our venue had the most beautiful bridal suite, full of natural light and cozy places to lounge and get ready. Jessie (my amazing coordinator) and her assistant took care of all our decorations and vendor arrangements so I was able to completely relax and enjoy the day. Chris and his groomsmen started the day off with a hike before arriving to the venue around noon.

I felt calm and relaxed all morning but that started to change once I put on my dress. I knew this dress was the one from the first moment I tried it on. And although I’d worn it a few more times for fittings and alterations, putting it on “for real” made me feel nervous and anxious all of a sudden. I couldn’t believe the day was finally here and everything was starting to feel like it was happening so fast — the excitement and adrenaline were real!

We decided to do “first look” photos and see each other before the ceremony. I’m so glad we did because I couldn’t wait to see him and it also helped to calm my nerves a bit.

Right after the ceremony, we had a light cocktail hour with appetizers and drinks. Although we were busy taking photos the entire time, our catering crew was sweet enough to put each of the appetizers aside so we could enjoy them when we had a minute to sneak away!

Just as everyone said it would, the reception flew by as quickly as the rest of the wedding day. I guess the phrase “time flies when you’re having fun” really holds true here. Right after our grand entrance, Chris and I had our first dance together as husband and wife. Then we had our central coast BBQ dinner served buffet-style and I honestly wish I had more of an appetite that day, the food was amazing! After dinner, we had the sweetest toasts from our Best Man, Maid of Honor, my mother-in-law and father. I may or may not have bawled my eyes out during our Father-Daughter dance, but I heard that just about every one else in the place shed a tear or two too (when we get our wedding video back, maybe I’ll share it and you’ll see!). From the dinner to the dancing to the bouquet and garter toss, it was truly a night to remember forever.