The Nerds Wedding Week: Day Four - The Reception! AKA: Nerd Party

After our grand exit from the ceremony, we spent a few minutes digesting what had happened (holy crap we're finally married!) and visiting with the few guests that were leaving and couldn't attend the reception. The thirty minutes following that were spent posing for pictures with our wedding party with the exception of a five minute break after one of the groomsmen had run off to check the Steam Summer Sales for the day. Did I mention that the members of our wedding party are nerdy too?

Isn't he wonderful? Stupid sock kept disappearing in to my shoe!

After our quick photo session (we were hungry, so we hurried), we all began to make the drive up to the country club. I used the twenty minute drive to update both TJ's and my Facebook statuses and update our marital statuses. Finally we arrived at country club and wearing sunglasses and dancing as silly as possible, we entered the reception to Weird Al's "White and Nerdy." Guests were laughing, clapping, and having a wonderful time as we all danced as dorkily as we could. As soon as the song ended TJ and I had our first dance to Christina Perri's "A Thousand Years." It was such a sweet and loving moment as we could hold each, look at each other's goofy grins, and sway to the music. 

When our first dance as husband and wife concluded, we took the moment to thank everyone for coming, and to make a toast. Inspired by the love from our friends and family, we had written this:

TJ

Thank you all for sharing this day with us! I'm reminded of a quote from one our favorite movies and plays, “No man is a failure who has friends.” Well in that case, Nicole and I will never fail, for we love and are loved by many friends. It is thanks to all of you, that we are where we are today. You have helped shape us as a couple and as individuals.

Nicole

Sadly, not all of our friends and family are with us today, and we'd like to take a moment to remember those that we've lost over the past few years. One of those friends in particular has inspired me to share this quote from one of our favorite musicals, “There's only us, there's only this, forget regret, or life is yours to miss, no other road, no other way, no day but today.” Let us all live life, no day but today.

No day but today!

We were followed by our best man (our good friend David) and our maid of honor (my sister Danielle), who made sweet, funny, and heartfelt toasts of their own. David even ended his toast with the live long and prosper sign, which was such a wonderful and geeky touch. 

Afterwards we were supposed to begin dinner, but instead the floor was opened for others to make toasts of their own. We were surprised at how many people stepped up to say something! Most of the wedding party, some family members, and quite a few friends all shared stories about TJ and I, hopes for us, and well wishes for the future. There was a lot of love in the room.

After running about forty minutes behind, we finally made our way to the buffet for dinner. It was definitely a wonderful meal, and such a relief to finally eat! It was often interrupted by guests rolling their wedding favor dice on the table to try and make us kiss. A roll of 1-3 would make us kiss, but if you rolled a 4-6 you would have to kiss someone! TJ and I quickly ate our food so we could begin socializing with our guests and have a little fun dancing. This was followed by pictures with our families and even more dancing. Time wasn't just flying it was supersonic!  

Though I swore I would never have a "dollar dance," my bridesmaids had an intervention the morning of the wedding and encouraged it. Though the dance came with the nice bonus of having extra honeymoon money, the best part was getting to dance with our guests. We had such a great time dancing with everyone and made the night even more special (you girls were right, I was wrong, thanks for helping me get over myself). When it was time for cake cutting, I was beginning to feel the strain on my knee, but I was having so much fun I didn't care. We cut into one of the most awesome cakes that I have ever seen, nicely fed each other (despite our guests egging us on to smash it, we left them disappointed), and ran back to the dance floor for bouquet and garter tossing. 

Dollar dance with my buddies!

Most awesome cake ever! Yes that is fondant versions of TJ and I on the dragon's back

There was nothing too eventful about the bouquet toss, other than the DJ telling me to fake them out on the first throw, and my friend Viviana caught the bouquet. The garter toss was quite funny, TJ thought it would be entertaining to pull his checkbook from out under my dress, how he got it up there I still don't know. He then decided to take his time getting the garter out from under the dress....with his teeth. I married a silly man, that is for sure! Finally the garter was out, he tossed it, and our friend AJ caught it. 

He's been down there for a while, think he's okay?

Around this time a lot of guests were starting to make their exit, but the ones that stayed shared a special moment on the dance floor as we all put our arms around the person next to us and swayed back and forth as we sang along to Fun's "We Are Young." It was such an awesome moment, one that I'll never forget. In what seemed like the fastest four hours of my life, the reception was over and we made our way to the Mini that had been decorated by Mindy and Brendan (the decorations will be discussed tomorrow in our honeymoon blog post). Exhausted but exhilarated, we made our way to our hotel as husband and wife. 

 

The Nerds Wedding Week: Day Three - The Cermony from TJ's Point of View

As I got ready to walk down the steps toward the stage I started getting shaky in anticipation of the big moment. We had a little bit of trouble with the music queuing us to descend the steps but Doug (our efficient officiant) and I quickly solved the problem and waited for our ques. While going up on stage I progressively got more emotional and by the time I turned around to see all our guests I was a wet mess on stage. Waiting for Nicole's processional to start seemed so long, but when it did start my heart jumped because I knew she would be within view soon.

As I saw her walk towards me I could feel the anticipation continue to build within me. First seeing her face poke out over the chairs, because I had not seen her the whole day leading up to the ceremony. Then seeing the dress, because I was not allowed to see it at all till then. And finally seeing Riley and Darren flanking her in their kilts (Katelyn proceeded them as the flower girl, she was so cute!).

 Finally she was with in my grasp as she walked up the steps (that we used for our play Its a wonderful life) and I could not take my eyes off of hers. We stared at each other as Doug read his speech to the guests and as Valinda read her Apache prayer. We nodded and laughed as we vaguely heard what was going on around us.

Our hand fasting ceremony was conducted by our wonderful friend Silent Wolf, that made the whole thing so much better and more “us." Then I had a little something that I said to the kids, it almost got me to crying again and was one of the most special moment in the ceremony. Then came time for our vows to each other, we had to be ourselves so not only were we sincere but mildly amusing as well. Then the official ring ceremony sealed the deal with an awesome kiss and embrace and then we ran off to get ready for the party.

 

 

The Nerds Wedding Week: Day Two - The Ceremony (From Nicole's Perspective)

Hello again! Today we're going to talk about our nerdy and very awesome wedding ceremony from Nicole's point of view! The ceremony was held at the Beekay Theatre, which has a very special place in our hearts. We performed in three productions on the Beekay's stage, and it was also where TJ chose to propose.

Appearing one night only!

The bridesmaids wore black dresses and black Converse shoes, the groomsmen and ushers wore black cut-away coats and trousers with green vests and ties while rocking the black Converse as well. The adorable flower girl (my daughter) wore a cute green dress with black Converse low tops and the bridal escorts (my sons) wore kilts (Black Watch tartan for those interested) with black Converse high tops. Everyone looked awesome.

Not like I noticed though, because as soon as I walked down the right aisle making my entrance in front of the stage, all I saw was TJ. He looked absolutely handsome in his black cut-away coat, grey vest and grey ascot. He looked like he could have been getting married in the English countryside, if it were not for the black Converse high tops I could see peeking out at the bottom of his trouser legs. He already had tears in his eyes, and in those eyes I could see pure happiness and excitement.

As I got to the center stairs, I gave my two handsome escorts a quick kiss on the cheek before they took their seats with Nana. I then carefully navigated the steps as I took my place in front of my groom.

Our officiant was a friend of ours that we had met while auditioning for the play, "It's a Wonderful Life." He happened to be the director, and as time has gone by, we've become very close to his family. When we were trying to decide on who would officiate, we knew that we would need someone who is not afraid to speak, who understood our feelings about what we wanted for the ceremony, and someone that meant a lot to us. Doug is all of these things.

I honestly can't remember what was said at first, all I can remember is looking up at TJ's face, watching as his eyes would glisten until the tears would finally need to be wiped away. I began to feel my own eyes well up, the feeling of happiness was just overwhelming.

After Doug finished with his opening and his charge to TJ and I, we had the "Apache Wedding Blessing" read by our friend Valinda. The blessing goes like this:

Now you will feel no rain
For each of you will be shelter to the other.
Now each of you will feel no cold
For each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now there is no loneliness for you
For each of you will be companion to the other.
Now you are two persons
But there is one life before you.
Go now to your dwelling place to enter into the days of your togetherness
And may your days be good and long upon the earth.

 After the blessing we had a handfasting performed by another friend of ours who we had also met through "It's A Wonderful Life." I had made the handfasting cord myself and on each end was a charm that signified TJ or me. TJ's charm was the fleur de lis, a symbol of his French heritage and love of medieval symbolism. My charm was a Celtic knot, a nod to my Celtic heritage and a symbol of the timeless nature of our spirit. The handfasting went like this:

Above you are the stars, below you are the stones, as time doth pass, remember...

Like a stone should your love be firm like a star should your love be constant. Let the powers of the mind and of the intellect guide you in your marriage, let the strength of your wills bind you together, let the power of love and desire make you  happy, and  the strength of your dedication make you inseparable. Be close, but not too close. Possess one another, yet be understanding. Have patience with one another, for storms will come, but they will pass quickly.
Be free in giving affection and warmth. Have no fear and let not the ways of the unenlightened give you unease, for the God and Goddess is with you always.

 After the handfasting, TJ made a vow to love the children as his own, to love them and to care for them. It was a very tender moment, and we all sealed the vow with a family hug. The kids then took their seats once more and we began the vows we had written ourselves. Just a warning, we used our nerdy sense of humor in writing them, and these were mine:

In the words of Ben Folds: “I don't get many things right the first time, in fact, I am told that a lot. Now I know all the wrong turns, the stumbles, the falls, brought me here.” Nothing could be truer about this moment. As a believer in fate, I know with everything that I am, that we are meant to be together. In you I have not only found a best friend, companion, and partner for the zombie apocalypse, but my one and true soul mate. With you I have found something that is just as valuable as love, peace. We have encountered many obstacles in our relationship, but hand in hand we climbed each mountain, weathered every storm, slayed each dragon, strengthening our bond with each hurdle. In the campaign of life, you are the cleric to my ranger, and with our combined modifiers and skills we will crit whatever the DM of life throws at us.

As we are about to legally commit ourselves to one another, these are my promises: I promise to always be more understanding, than critical. I promise to encourage rather than dishearten. To trust you and respect you. To always be by your side no matter what obstacles may be in our path. And to love generously and selflessly every day even in that sleep of death what dreams may come, when we have shuffled off this mortal coil. I look forward to every moment as husband and wife, beginning with this.

 TJ, not one to be upstaged, countered with the sweetest, nerdiest, and funniest vows I had ever heard. Try and count the nerdy references he makes:

On this most excellent occasion, we declare to our friends and family our everlasting love for each other. Although before this day we have been practically married, this ceremony makes my declaration of love for you official. No one can tell us who we are to love but us, no authority can deny our affections, for there is no thing greater, imagined or real, than love shared.

These things I vow to you now:

I promise that I will take up the master sword to defeat our Gannons. I will be your paladin to protect and heal you. I will be your phoenix down when you have fainted.

 When you are cold and lonely, I'll cover you. When you got one nickel only, I'll cover you. When I touch you I feel happy inside, it's such a feeling I cant hide. Never gonna give you up, Never gonna let you down... sorry. (Yes, he rickrolled me!)

I will be your scruffy looking nerf herder. Hear this now: I will always come for you.

 

After this we exchanged rings, and were declared husband and wife and sealed our commitment with a kiss, after nearly thirteen years from when we had started this journey, we were finally there. We walked back down the aisle as husband and wife, to the sound of applause, cheers, and Taio Cruz's "Telling the World." 

 Ever part in my heart I'm giving out

Every song on my lips I'm singing out
Any fear in my soul I'm letting go
And anyone who asks I'll let them know

She's the one, she's the one
I say it loud
She's the one, she's the one
I say it proud

Ring a bell, Ring a bell
For the whole crowd
Ring a bell, Ring a bell

I'm telling the world
That I've found a girl
The one I can live for
The one who deserves 

To give all the light, a reason to fly 

The one I can live for, a reason for life

 

The Nerds Wedding Week: Day One - The Rehearsal and Rehearsal Dinner

Hello everyone, the nerds are back! Today we're going to kick off a week of wedding updates, so make sure to check back if you want to read up on the happenings that took place last week! Today Nicole is reminiscing about the Rehearsal and Rehearsal Dinner!

We had planned for everyone to be at the Beekay around 4:45 PM to make sure that we'd be started by 5:00 PM so we could arrive at the Rehearsal Dinner by 6:00 PM. But as anyone who has ever been a part of one of these things knows, things never happen according to schedule. 

To begin with, a wedding party member was running late and caught in traffic. One wedding party member was flying in right around the time the rehearsal would begin. Another had to work, and one was kept at work later than originally planned. It's okay, these things happen, and thankfully we had plenty of people to fill in for the time being. 

Prepping the theater

Since TJ and I were getting married in a theater, we wanted the entrance to be a little dramatic and of course, choreographed. So as the curtain was being set in place we were trying to explain how to execute this entrance and what kind of timing we should have. Sadly this took a half hour just to figure out, but miraculously we only had to run through it once because it was perfect! 

Success!

At this point we're coming up quickly on 6:00 PM so we skip any actual "vow" practice, figure out basic blocking for the stage, and do a basic tech run of the whole thing. The rehearsal is a success and we all head off to Triassic Legacy Vineyard for our rehearsal dinner.

Let me tell you how awesome this vineyard is. Normally they're not open on a Thursday, but they opened just for our group. They also took the time to plan what kind of wine tastings we'd want to do (we opted for a half flight since people would need to drive shortly after), and offered our group discounts on bottles of wine. That's just how awesome their staff is, their wine was really good too!

Triassic is one of the few wineries I've been to that has an area for picnics as well as complimentary propane BBQ grills. Have I mentioned lately how awesome this place is? So in between wine tastings we would eat grilled hot dogs and hamburgers grilled by David (our best man) and Mindy (one of our bridesmaids). The food was awesome, the wine was awesome, and the company was awesome. Overall an awesome evening! 

Just as we're getting ready to head off to the Bachelor/Bacheloretty Party the kids come running into the winery yelling, "There's a whole rainbow outside!" Sure enough, there was a complete rainbow on the hills beyond the winery. A good omen for sure.

Our wonderful friends and family