Our reception - much like all of the wedding - was wonderful! It was so great having so many of our close family and friends there to celebrate our starting our new adventures in life together. We began the reception with a cocktail hour, during which our guests were able to walk around the entirety of the Cloisters while we took some photos. Eventually, though, we were so thirsty and hungry that we joined them and got a chance to see how beautifully our caterer, The Pantry, had set-up our reception! That's not to mention the amazing food too!
The entryway displayed mostly items we had put a personal touch on. I wrote the names and table numbers on the place-cards; Jenn came up with the ideas for the schedule/chalkboard, guestbook/message box, and bubbles with ribbons around them for the send-off; and Jenn's mom made the British mailbox that was also our cardbox!
If we were pleased with how the entryway looked, we were astounded with the beauty of the outdoor reception. The centerpieces with flowers from Crimson and Clover were gorgeous, and the table linens in our wedding colors looked perfect in the outdoor light. A few personal touches, such as the pewter champagne flutes from my great aunt, our votive wedding favors reading "All You Need Is Love" (a tribute to our recessional and our favorite movie "Love Actually"), and the bride and groom signs from The Cloisters.
The reception officially started with introductions. The DJ introduced our parents first, then our bridesmaids and groomsmen. Unbeknownst to us, some of them had prepared mini dances!
Then it was time for our choreographed first dance. This was something special we had decided to do together, and we are so glad we did. I have some experience with ballroom dancing through being on the W&M Ballroom Dance Team my freshman year and then being a Teaching Assistant for the Ballroom 1 dance classes at W&M my senior year. Jenn had no experience before this, but she picked it all up very, very quickly! We first selected our song - "Better Together" by Jack Johnson. I then asked my Ballroom Dance professor if she would be willing to choreograph something and teach it to us, and she agreed. We ended up doing a Foxtrot on the stage in the Cloister's ballroom, and we think our guests really enjoyed it! Practicing at our homes in kitchens, living rooms, and basements really paid off!
Photos by:
Dani Leigh Photography
Catering by:
The Pantry
Flowers by:
Crimson & Clover
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