Recap: Georgia Welcome Baskets

Many of our guests traveled to Atlanta to be with us on our wedding day. We definitely wanted to welcome them to the great state of Georgia with a basket full of goodies!

Contents of our welcome baskets:

A Bushel Basket

Wedding Weekend Itinerary

Bottle of Coca-Cola

Jelly Belly Pack - Peach

Georgia Peanuts

Personalized Door Hanger

Welcome to Georgia Mason Jar Tag

and a peach of course!

Recap: Reception Details

I had so much fun planning our reception decor and was excited to see my vision come alive on our wedding day! Everything, from the romantic table linens to the hand-picked milk glass vases, helped pull together our my vintage garden theme :) I am now inserting a real-time quote from Mr. CF regarding the outcome of our reception decor, "hmm...it looked good babe!" Success!

 

Stationary (Escort & Table Numbers):  Jenny Bevlin

DIY Ribbon Wand Tutorial:  Here

Chiavari Chairs:  We Rent Atlanta

Photography:  Tina Rowden

Bird Place Cards:  Timeless Paper

Flowers:  Bleu Soiree Productions

Birdcages:  Pottery Barn

Linens:  BBJ

Recap: Cocktails in the Garden

Our cocktail hour started at 8:30 pm, immediately following our ceremony. Guests made their way to the Mansion from the church and were greeted by pretty flowers and a classical harpist.

 Soon after, they were enjoying the music, drinks, and hors d'oeuvres under the full moon.

The Mansion on Peachtree arranged a private room for Mr. CF and I to relax in while our guests were at the cocktail hour. They had food and drinks for us and were on hand to get us anything we asked for. I know I should have tried to relax during that time but all I could think about were our family and friends! I wanted to be out in the garden with them, enjoying their company and the beautiful scenery. I ran out onto the 2nd floor balcony which overlooked the garden and stood there for a minute, unnoticed. I took it all in and reminded myself that I was watching MY wedding. It was beautiful and real and the people I loved most were right there! A good friend of mine eventually noticed me and everyone looked up as I waved. I, alone, had my royal balcony moment but where was my cuddlefish? Oh right, still eating in the other room! I ran back to him, grabbed his hand and said "let's go!" We hurried downstairs and enjoyed some extra time with our guests. It was great! :)

Recap: The Ceremony

Our ceremony was beautiful and emotional. Okay, I guess I'm a little biased! But seriously, every song and reading we chose was deliberate and meaningful. My girls walked down the aisle to St. Anthony's Chorale, a somewhat somber song but fitting none the less. You see, my father's favorite saint was St. Anthony, patron saint of lost and stolen items. I never found out why he was his favorite, but I do know that St. Anthony played an important role in my life growing up. Whenever I'd lose something, I'd pray to him and, almost immediately, the item would show up. 

My dad was very Italian (obviously) and, you know those Italian men, they like to wear gold chains. When my mom first met my dad his birthday was coming up soon. Their relationship wasn't truly defined just yet so she was unsure of what to buy him as a gift. She chose a gold chain with a St. Anthony medal hanging from it. He put it on and didn't take it off...ever. When my dad was hit by a car later in life while crossing the street, the paramedics cut his necklace off of him. They couldn't get the clasp to open (it was fused shut since he hadn't used it) so they had to cut it. After his death, I got the necklace and my mom had it repaired. I carried that down the aisle with me along with my bouquet.

So, our organist recommended that we choose a slow song to have the girls walk down the aisle to as it would more appropriately lead into "Ave Maria". Ave Maria is a very prayerful piece and has always been a favorite of mine. Long before I was engaged, I dreamt of walking down the aisle to a vocalist singing that song. Our organist said that in his 25 years at the church, he never saw a bride walk to Ave Maria and wasn't quite sure if it was appropriate for the occasion. I, on the other hand, believed it was a fitting choice as my mother was giving me away. It was a dream that I was not willing to let go of and in the end he supported my decision, played it on the organ beautifully, and recommend the most amazing soprano to sing it for us. The music far exceeded my expectations.

At the alter, my husband was not the only one waiting for me. A photo of my dad (in which he was wearing a suit and tie with his hand in a bag of potato chips) was present along with a candle that was lit by my sister in his memory. It was wonderful seeing him up there! Here are a few of my favorite ceremony photos!

Recap: My Walk Down the Aisle

And so it was time to get married! I was anxious to finally get to see all of the people who traveled from near and far to share this day with us. I was also excited to take part in our wedding ceremony, a full Catholic mass, the whole hour of it! Sure, it was fun picking out my attire and planning our reception decor, but the event I was most looking forward to was our ceremony. The serious part of it all, where I would finally be able to state my vows before God and before our closest family and friends. 

I took my mom's hand and felt at ease and ready to go! She, on the other hand, was not so relaxed. She often said over the course of my engagement that she had inherited all of my nerves. She was right. If I got stressed or second-guessed my decisions for even one minute, I would talk to her about it and then I immediately felt better and let it go. Despite her worries about executing such a big event, and tripping down the aisle, it all went smoothly as I knew it would. My mother provided me with endless love and support throughout the whole wedding planning process and it was such an honor to have her walk me down the aisle. I wouldn't have wanted any other person by my side during that most important moment of my life.

The music started and off we went!

The cantor sang "Ave Maria" beautifully.

I was SO happy! Mom was still worried about tripping! :)

There, at the alter, my handsome groom was waiting for me. I was so ready to be his wife!

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.