Recap: Church Portraits

After portraits in the garden, it was time to leave for church. When I stepped out of the limo, there it was in all it's beauty, the Cathedral of Christ the King.

We were early, which gave our photographer a little more time to snap some pictures. We knew there was an outdoor courtyard which would serve as the perfect backdrop for photos, so we headed that way. When we got out there, we were surprised to see the guys through one of the old, large windows! Luckily we already saw each other because there was Mr. CF looking out!

Of course I had to go over and greet my future husband!

So he ended up seeing my in my veil before the ceremony after all! But I couldn't be upset because it was SO romantic to see him reaching out to me through that church window!

We took few more pics before it was time for the the big moment.

Recap: The Bouquet

For much of our engagement, I was unsure if I was going to carry a bouquet on my wedding day. I didn't know if it was necessary and thought I wanted to carry something more sentimental down the aisle. I had a few things in mind, my grandmother's rosary, my mother's small bible, or the gold necklace that my dad wore everyday for over 20 years (which I inherited after his death).

Mainly, I really wanted to make sure that everything we incorporated into our day was meaningful. Traditions or customs that we didn't feel emotionally connected to, we chose to leave out. One example is that we didn't do a bouquet/garter toss. I eventually chose to carry a bouquet along with my dad's necklace down the aisle and was happy with my choice to combine both options. Now I just love looking at pictures of those pretty flowers wrapped in lace and secured with a pink cameo! My bouquet included English Garden Roses, Ranunculus, Succulents, and Scabiosa Pods.

 

{All photos are by Tina Rowden Photography 

Flowers by Bleu Soiree Productions}

Recap: Portraits

By the look on my love's face, you would think that it was the first time he saw my crazy high heels. But no, it was not. You see, I walked around the house in my shoes for several months before our big day! Breaking them in, adjusting to the height, and dreaming of the day that I'd finally be able to wear them while walking down that long marble aisle at the Cathedral of Christ the King. Being the jokester (and apparently good actor) that he is, Mr. Cuddlefish seemed shocked by the sight of my shoes (see picture below)! I just love him!

Below are a few more portraits we took before heading over to the church. 



Recap: The Guys

I shared some pictures of the beautiful ladies in our wedding party and want to make sure I show the guys some love too! You'll notice that our wedding party had three guys and eight girls. We never even thought twice about this (having an unequal number) as we just asked the people who we were closest to. We also had two wonderful ushers who you'll see pictures of later! The guys wore traditional Calvin Klein tuxes from Men's Warehouse. To my surprise, they even wore suspenders (something I wanted but Mr. CF nixed)! I guess at the last moment they decided to put them on. I love a man in suspenders!

Would you consider having an unequal number of guys and girls in your bridal party? Did you or your fiance decide on the guys attire?

Recap: First Look

Initially, having a "first look" was something that Mr. CF and I did not agree on. I wanted to have one for many reasons and he didn't (for his own very good reasons). Now, I'll be honest and tell you that my sweet husband did not have many demands when it came to our wedding. He simply wanted good food, not a whole lot of pink, some vanilla cake (he doesn't eat chocolate!), and for us not to do a first look. So, for a time, I put the decision on the back burner and considered not having one.

As the date grew closer, I started thinking about our ceremony time which was at 7 PM. I looked online at the projected sunset time and realized that if we didn't do a first look, we wouldn't have any portraits of just the two of us in the beautiful English garden. I also liked the idea of us first seeing each other in private, where we could take some time to cry, hug, kiss, and talk without having all eyes on us. I brought these things up to my love and he agreed that all of those things would be nice. I am so happy that we decided to do one! When I watch our interaction during this time on our wedding video I just cry a million happy tears. To see how we embraced and to hear the words we were able to share...it is just amazing. We definitely would not have had that moment if we saw each other for the first time in church.

I chose not to wear my veil for our first look so that there would be that added element in church. And for the record, we did have two layers of vanilla cake, good food, and not too many pink roses :)

Recap: The Girls

My girls endured the extreme August heat and were absolutely gorgeous in the process! We took a few pictures in the English Garden and used our cute umbrellas to shade us from the sun. I rented these vintage pagodas from Bella Umbrella (an umbrella shop based in Seattle, WA) and was more than pleased with the process. They were definitely a fun photo prop and worked well with the look I was going for!

My sweet niece Miranda was the perfect Junior Bridesmaid! She wore a wreath of flowers in her hair and a cute pink bubble hem dress.

My bridesmaids looked beautiful in navy gowns by Bari Jay. I just loved the sweetheart neckline, the flower detailing on the shoulder, and the soft flowing chiffon. Seriously, this dress was so flattering and looked amazing on everyone. It also fit the romantic garden theme of our wedding.

My Maid of Honor, Karla, looked elegant and stunning in a coordinating navy gown (also by Bari Jay). She picked this out on her own and I just loved the rhinestone pin on the shoulder and the chiffon train.

I am so thankful to have these girls in my life and it was a blessing to have them stand by my side on my wedding day!

Stay tuned for our first look!