Rehearsal Dinner

I never posted about the rehearsal dinner! It was FABULOUS. Way to go Mama Languasco. I was beyond floored with the details. There was a poker theme because the rehearsal dinner is all about the groom and Jon loooves poker! Speaking of which, check out this awesome groomsmen cake (often done at rehearsal dinner as not to upstage the wedding cake). It is a poker table and has all the names of the groomsmen - Jon with the winning hand! Jon's mom and I designed this together and it came out fabulous. It was half yellow cake, half chocolate cake, with raspberry. Yum!

Hehe -- look at this cute poker set Jon's mom made us! Each guest got a poker chip as well. "To Have and to Hold 'em!" -- so creative and cute. One of my favorite momentos.

The ladies & I 

The groomsnen (sans Andrew) and Faja Languasco, haha... with a last name like Languasco I should probably consider having a mafia family. This lends some good inspiration. :) 

Bride & Groom

 The night ended with a double rainbow -- we were taking it as a good omen not to receive rain the next day (and it worked!). I swear you could see the end of the rainbow, I almost wanted to go down there and dig for gold ;)

Wedding Advice: Venue

Planning timeline
I think this is the first thing that should be done. I booked my venue over a year in advance (February 2010). Venues, especially popular ones, can book that early. Make this your first priority. Plus, it sets the tone for the entire wedding!

Suggestions
-Choose a location that adds to the essence you are going for! Modern? Try an art gallery. Vintage? Try a historic site. But do your research! I chose a historic site but there are also many limitations with that such as certain fire restrictions, liability policies, vendor restrictions, etc. Think about what the venue can do for you. I chose a historic site with a garden -- instant way to lower flower costs if you want.

-Ask the right questions before booking. Don't want any other weddings going on at the same time? Be careful about booking a wedding at a large hotel (think Bride Wars at the Plaza!).

-Is the venue all-inclusive? This can save a lot of money! I had to rent tables, chairs, silverware, and linens but that is one thing a venue like a hotel can be very good for.

Professional Pictures -- In!!

Yay my pics are in! Now I'm looking through and seeing if there were any specific poses/shots I missed and we will do those during our re-bridals at the end of July! A few favorites...

Sacred Reading

This was the sacred reading we used in our ceremony, read to us by Jon's godfather.

My love, you have searched me and you know me;

You know when I sit and when I stand;

You understand all of my thoughts from afar.

My journey and my rest you study,

With all the ways you are familiar.

You stand before me and behind me

And place your hand within my hand.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me.

Where can I go from your spirit?

If I go to the heavens, you are there;

If I go to the netherworld, you are there.

If I take the wings of dawn or settle at the furthest ends of the sea,

Even there your love shall find me

And your heart will draw me back.

Psalm 139

Our wedding website

Oh yeah! I forgot to link it here. Our wedding website can be found at...

http://www.caroandjon.com/ !

It'll be up for the next year then I will not renew it. I have put up some guest-taken pictures from the wedding here for the time being. Plus everything else about the wedding as well as Jon and I. I highly recommend creating a wedding website for when you get married. Granted, I should have debuted mine a lot earlier but I like to think it was still a little helpful, as well as a good vehicle to show aunts & uncles pictures who are not on facebook.

Honeymoon in Jamaica: Sneak peek!

Professional Pictures

I just spoke with my photographer today, he said the pictures will be ready next week! Ahh it can't come sooner :)

I think I will just post my favorites on my website (and facebook if I can upload all the rest of my backlog in time!) instead of giving out the password to the uploaded ones on my photogs site... that will be for family only :)

Also, Jon and I just scheduled our "re-bridals" session! I never used my engagment session so Jon and I have a "free" session left. Bridals are when the bride dresses up and takes pictures in her dress before the wedding, so re-bridals are when you do that after. However, I can't not include Jon! I am currently trying to decide on a location -- any good ideas in the DC area? I've also thought about doing shots in the portrait studio, but I think I am leaning towards outside. The venue would have to be very different from Oatlands. I am also having another bouquet and bout made -- this time I will do a colorful one! We'll have to get Jon in a colorful bowtie, as well. I'm thinking of doing something funky for the flowers so stay tuned.

Only a few days after the photoshoot Jon and I will pack up and move to Atlanta. While I am continuing my job search, Jon will help his father with the opening of his family's second restaurant. Jon will love the feeling of being a manager again. Bye bye, Bodos!!

Groomsmen "Sexy Can I" Dance

Check out the dance our groomsmen made up... granted, they got really drunk before performing due to stage fright haha, but still a bang-up job. Jon is on the far left in the black vest :)

Check out the video on YouTube here!

6.18.11: A Day to Remember!

I just wanted to take a second to document my favorite (and not so favorite) parts of the day!

The day started out a little rough; I had initially planned on taking pictures at a room at Lansdowne Resort but Jon and I were not pleased with the quality for the price so we booked a suite for Saturday night at the Ritz instead (note to the gentlemen, who probably don't read this anyways haha: ALWAYS DO THE RITZ!! :). Thus I had to get ready at my house in lieu to stay in the area. Not ideal but the dining room/living room area is pretty so it was okay.

I went to get my hair and make-up done, and for those of you following me on facebook my hairstylist called out on emergency three days before, yikes! So I was given a new person... the "best." Needless to say, I was not very impressed... I actually did not like my hair very much BUT I knew my lovely gay make-up artist would make everything better! Ladies... get your make-up done, its worth it! It might seem like a lot... but its for the photos :)

My Dad forgot the programs and bubbles. That is actually a pretty big deal, but since Mother Nature let the rain hang off I didn't let it get to me. We used the bubbles at the end and then I was able to make my recessional song a surprise which I initially wanted (Clocks by Coldplay - the instrumental strings only version).



Okay... Jon will kill me for saying this but when he teared up (lets be real - cried like a baby ;) during his vows -- that was great! I tried so hard not to tear up. Actually it was pretty easy haha. He said I have no soul... but he says its alright since I decided to change my last name :).

We unanimously agreed that we should have gotten dance lessons... we can't dance.

I was so impressed with the flowers... they were amazing and all I had hoped for & more! Our colors were light pink and raspberry and I had her add a touch of lavender... it really gave the pieces depth and dimension. LOVED them.

My dress petals kept falling off during the reception when they'd get caught under peoples shoes... if you found one its good luck ;)

Both our limo/bus rentals were free upgrades... hello white stretch limo and... stripper pole party bus? Sweet.

Overall it went by without a hitch! In hindsight it would have been nice to have a wedding planner (separate from my catering coordinator who liked to act as one or even separate from the Oatlands wedding consultant) -- someone that always touches base with you throughout all the mayhem! Some of the bridesmaids bouquets were left behind and I would have liked to dry one rather than have it thrown away.

Yes. All the extra flowers went to my house. So pretty. I'm drying my bouquet and Jon's bout for a keepsake as well, yay!

We did it!!

Languasco Family, Est. June 18, 2011

Still waiting on the professional pictures, so excited! I will try to make a few posts in the coming weeks regarding lessons learned and good tips picked up along the way. Also, once I get my professional pictures in, I will make a couple collages and "feature" the wedding and all my vendors, similar to what legit wedding blogs do (see this cool blue & green wedding in Elizabeth Anne Designs).

Apologies for dropping off the face of the earth after March... closing up the conference (which still isn't done, sigh), finishing my thesis & classes, looking for a job (still in the works!), tying loose ends with the wedding, & graduating got the best of me ;)! But now it is all over, like they say it sure does go by quick! So quick it is a little bit hard to savor and enjoy it... but for those of us into photography, it is well worth the pictures. Then I will branch off into a separate blog to start detailing the married life :)