Bishop Wedding Part 5: The Reception

After all of our pictures were finished Joe and I entered the reception. In between the ceremony and reception our guests were able to make their way up to the reception area, grab a drink, and relax. Before we started dinner and the other festivities, we went around to every table to hug all of our friends and family and thank them for coming. We had around fifty people and it felt so special that we were able to talk to every one of our guests. 

I cannot believe that we do not have a single photo of our dinner! When I went through the thousands of pictures, I was sure I would find even just one, and I didn't. Salad was served first, then for the main course we had chicken cordon bleu, mashed potatoes, vegetables, and dinner rolls. I was especially sad we didn't get a photo of the dinner because the chef decorated hearts from spices all around our dinner plates. 

When we did our tasting I knew right away that the chicken cordon bleu had to be served. I am still kicking myself for not eating more of that dinner. I should have had someone box it up for us but I was a little side tracked, just being married and all.

As dinner was finishing up, it was time for speeches.

First up was Joe's best man Anthony, his speech was funny, but still very sweet. He gave us all a big laugh by asking me to place my hand on the table, then asking Joe to place his hand on top of mine and then making the joke that this would be the last time he would have the upper hand.

Then it was my sister Connie's turn. She had to go and give a seriously sweet toast that made me tear up. She quoted Pablo Neruda: “I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you simply, without problems or pride: I love you in this way because I do not know any other way of loving but this, in which there is no I or you, so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand, so intimate that when I fall asleep your eyes close.”  
I had this quote put into our wedding album, it will always make me think of this day. 

Our first dance was to "Dancing Away With My Heart" by Lady Antebellum

After more dancing it was time for the bouquet toss. We played "All The Single Ladies" Duh.
I know my sister was gunning for that thing. But it was the youngest of the bunch, my cousin Jamie who caught it. I guess that's bad news for the rest of the girls because there is still at least ten years before she can get married.

We knew that we wanted a small cake, and then different flavored cupcakes. We opted for the main cake to be red velvet and the cupcakes were: spice, oreo, and champagne. They were so delicious. Instead of keeping the top tier of the wedding cake for our one year anniversary, we kept one cupcake to freeze. 

That's my "Don't you dare get this cake all over my face" look. He's a smart guy, and knew to get that cake fully in my mouth.

We danced, we mingled, we drank champagne. It was a blast being around so many of our closest family and friends. It went by so fast, it was truly the best night.

Beauty Box 5: December ~Merry and Bright~

Today I'm here to share my month subscription box from Beauty Box 5. I would normally share this a bit sooner (like last month), but it came a little late last month probably due to the holidays and the mail services being so crazy. 

Beauty Box 5 ships to the US (free shipping) and Canada ($3.00 shipping) 
$12/month or they also have annual subscriptions for a cheaper rate. 

Here's what I got:

Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Moisturizer: This is a certified organic moisturizer. I have really been enjoying this. Normally I get nervous with new facial products, but this is very hydrating which is great for my dry skin. 

Jaqua Hand Creme - Pink Champagne: This lotion smells amazing! I have this in my purse to use daily.  

Absolute New York Nail Polish Remover Pads: These are really handy. I am the type of person that hates having chipped nail polish and when it does chip, I want it off right away. These are perfect to keep in my bag for emergencies. 

Nanacoco Nail Polish: This was definitely a big disappointment for me. I am not a fan at all of Nanacoco nail polishes, they are just not up to par with any other polishes. 

Not pictured:

Lucky Brand Lucky Number 6 Perfume: I was supposed to get this in my box but I actually didn't for some reason. 

Overall I will use 3/5 of the products this month because I didn't get a chance to try out the perfume. 

Use the coupon code: "FREEBOX1" For a free box to new subscribers! 

* I was sent this box to review and give my honest opinion.*

Dollar Bins Y'all.

Hi guys, I'm here. I'm blogging. I showed up today, and I'm pretty happy I had time to sit down and do this!  I'm gonna tell you about my weekend, because that's sometimes what bloggers do on Mondays.

This weekend was pretty mild to say the least. Saturday night, we went to my mom's house and played Fibbage. If you don't know what Fibbage is, it's a game that you can get through the Amazon Fire Stick thing that my mom has and it's so much fun, guys! You all play from your smart phones and try to get people to believe your lies. I never win, but that's okay.

Sunday I got up exactly one hour before I actually needed to yesterday. Why? Because this crazy Target obsessed lady (aka - me) saw an Instagram the night before of some super cute Valentines Day dollar spot stuff and I had to have it all. Had to. I needed the washi tape, page flags, jars, string, and whatever the heck else was in that Instagram. I. Love. The. Dollar. Spot.

Going to Target on a Sunday before work is pretty magical, it was empty and I was sure the dollar spot would be fully stocked. Nope. Wrong. It was all picked over. Are there people with secret inside information on when Target gets the best stuff? If so, I want in too. I found a mason jar, that was actually $3.00 - why is it called the dollar spot when they throw in $3.00 items anyway? I'm not complaining though...a deliciously smelling candle, and two bins because I am a makeup hoarder.

So of course I picked up a random assortment of things to fill the void left from disappointment. I needed more makeup remover wipes anyway.

$36.00 later, and a Starbucks in hand I felt a little better having to head to work on a rainy Sunday. Spend money to make money? I don't know.

Then we had brownies and watched The Golden Globes because, Amy and Tina.

Well, that's all for today. If anyone is reading this and has fully stocked dollar spots, tell me what you got so I can live vicariously through you.

Byeee.

Bishop Wedding Part 4: The Reception (Venue & Decor)

Happy New Year everyone! I'm back for another wedding Wednesday! This has been one of my favorite blogging days since getting our wedding photos back. I am going to be cutting the reception posts into a few because there are so many different things I want to show and talk about that would make for a way too long blog post. This week I am sharing our reception venue and decor. 

As I've said before, I loved that the venue where we got married was all inclusive. I wanted to find somewhere that we could hold both the ceremony and reception so it was easier on our guests and not to waste any time. 

The venue at Riverlakes is so beautiful, not to mention the staff was amazing. We had an outdoor wedding and then our guests were escorted to the reception area which is indoors/outdoors. The entire room had sliding doors that opened out to a large patio that we used for dancing. 

For our gift to our guests, I wanted to make sure that it represented our fall wedding. Of course, Pinterest wins again because we made s'more bags for everyone that were stamped with a sticker saying "sending you s'more love" with our wedding date. 

The napkins were purchased from The Knot website, and I made all of the chalkboard signs. I framed our engagement pictures and our invitations and had them placed around the reception as well.

As you can see, the centerpieces also have curly willow incorporated.

Next week, I'll recap the entire reception!

Here's the rest of our wedding recap in case you've missed any. 

Part 1: Getting ready

Part 2: The ceremony

Part 3: The wedding party