Sweetheart Tarts
November 8th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Many months ago, in honor of our first married Valentine’s day, I set out to bake these yummy treats for my beloved hubby.
Upon sharing our Valentine’s Day plans with the hive, I received more than a couple of requests to share the recipe and am happy to finally oblige.
*The Filling
Homemade Blueberry Filling from Scratch
(using supplies I had on hand, feel free to make changes)
What You’ll Need:
- 1 bag of frozen blueberries
- 1 cup of sugar
- water
- lemon
- Place blueberries, sugar, lemon (to taste), and water (just covering blueberries) in a pan and set to high.
- **Bring to boil and reduce heat to simmer on a low boil 30-60 minutes. Your filling is ready when it’s nice and thickened (a good way to test this is by dipping a spoon and removing it…if the filling coats the spoon with minimal dripping it should be thick enough)
**Note: If you want to hurry this process along you can use a thickening agent like starch or gelatin.
*Time Saver Tip: Alternatively, to save on time and effort, you could easily purchase pre-made pie-fillings at your local grocer. I even used cold hot fudge (for sundae topping) that I had on hand as an additional filling and it was delicious!
While, your choice of filling is happily simmering, and thickening up to ooey-gooey deliciousness, prepare your crust.
*The Pastry Crust
What You’ll Need:
- flour-2-1/2 cups
- egg yolks-2 small
- butter-3/4 cup
- sugar-1/4 cup
- salt-1/2 teaspoon
- ice water-4-6 tablespoons
First, you need to make the butter and sugar mixture…
Blend the butter and sugar mixture until light and fluffy.
Next, you’ll need to beat the yolks and add them to the butter mixture while alternating with the flour and salt.
Mix/blend dough with pastry blender while slowly adding the ice water until it forms a “crumbly”-looking mixture. Once it gets to this point you can roll it up into workable balls (you will need to work with a floured surface and hands to prevent sticking).
Once, your dough has chilled and your filling is ready you can go ahead to the next steps of rolling and cutting the dough, and filling the tarts.
Now, you can either pop these beauties in the oven at 375 degrees as is, or brush them with a nice egg wash and add some colored sugar for fun. I chose to do both! Bake until the edges are golden brown and allow to cool slightly before moving them off the pan.
Well Hello Again!!
September 27th, 2011 § 1 Comment
Hi everyone! I know it’s been ages since I’ve made an appearance on here, but I realized something this past weekend while Mr. Locket and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary. It has been one year since we both shared our vows, said our “I dos” and celebrated our union as husband and wife and it’s still been one year since I’ve shared all the details. I did begin my recap journey many months ago, but with the craziness of life I never finished. Well, life is finally slowing down a bit (before it speeds up) and I finally have extra time to come back here and finish what I started.
Oh my, so much has happened since I’ve written here last and these past few months have been a very exciting time for Mr. Locket and I. You see, we have a little surprise to share with the hive…
Yes, my friends, that is a bonafide baby bump and I have been busy growing it for the past 5 months! We’re both beyond excited for this next step in our lives as husband and wife and I’m excited to finally have a chance to sit back and finish sharing the rest of our recaps. So, here I am, back in action and ready to reminisce before life gets crazy forever. Oh how I’ve missed being here!
How Does Your Garden Sew? Part III: Ranunculus
March 22nd, 2011 § 5 Comments
Remember this series? Yeah, maybe not, but it’s back!!! Per many requests, I’ve finally had a chance to finish the ranunculus tutorial and am happy to share.
DIY Fabric Ranunculus Tutorial
The best thing about this tutorial is that petal size doesn’t have to be completely precise or uniform. The worse thing about this specific tutorial? This style of flower can be quite time-consuming to create because of the prep work and layering (If you plan on creating many of these flowers I would suggest breaking up the workload into two parts for prep work and construction)
Supplies:
- heavier weight poly synthetic fabric (amount will vary depending on how many flowers you plan to make, a single flower can easily be made from scraps)
- scissors
- needle
- matching thread
- lighter or candle flame
- felt or fleece (only need a small amount and can probably sub another fabric)
Part I: Flower Center & Prep Work (I don’t have many photos of this, but it is rather self-explanatory)
Starter “Petals” ( see photos 1&2)
Getting to this step is very simple. Similar to the garden rose tutorial, you will start out by cutting a strip of fabric. The only difference here is that your “petals” will be much shorter and smaller.
As I had mentioned before, this step doesn’t have to be 100% precise from flower to flower (I typically eyeball it based on experience). However, since many of you “need” specifics, I would imagine the petal cut dimensions would be ~1″ wide x 0.75″ high (I found it important to have petals wider than they are tall).
The full length of the petal strip can vary because you can add more than one together to create the desired effect. Here I used two short strips for a total of ~16 “petals” (8 per length). Once you are finished cutting, carefully heat seal your strips with a flame.
Flower Center (see photo 3)
Using bits of felt scraps, fold, roll, and stitch to form a small ball. The size can vary a bit depending on how large you want your finished product to be. (If you are planning on making a large, full flower you can save time by creating a larger center vs. using more layers of petals.)
Stitch Starter Petals to Center (photos 4, 5, 6)
To start, run a basting stitch through the “petal” strip and pull to scrunch (photo 4) so that your petals will easily form around the “ball” while stitching. Begin stitching your petals to the “ball” using a needle and thread. I prefer to work stitches into the base each petal by using a long button-hole style stitch as I go around (photo 5). Once your strips of “petals” are stitched you should had a center that looks like the photos 6 &7 .
Part II: Adding The Individual Petal Layers and Prep Work ( Again, I don’t have many photos of this)
Outer Petals Prep (see photo 8 )
For the outer layers of your flower, you will need a variety of individually cut petals (all to be flame sealed) in various progressively increasing sizes as seen in the image below.
Again, this doesn’t have to be precise, but petals should be short and flat similar to the shapes above and in photo 8.
Stitching The Outer Petals (photos 9-18)
Begin by stitching the first petal to the center you have already created. Next, layer on the second petal so that you are half overlapping with the one before it (photo 9). Continue the layering process all the while making sure to secure each petal with 1-2 stitches (I prefer to do a back-stitch through each to ensure it’s secured) . See photos 10-12.
Continue the process of layering and add larger petals as you go along. With each layer (see photos 13-18) watch your flower “grow”!
Before you know it, you will have a pretty ranunculus to be used as you please.
Happy Crafting!!
And, just in case you’re interested in catching up on the other two posts:
The Artsy Butterfly Giveaway!!
March 16th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Hop on over to my other blog for a fantastic giveaway for one of my new ring bearer bowls!
Here’s how to qualify (First, head on over to The Artsy Butterfly):
- Like me on Facebook and leave a comment letting me know (please give your FB name and initial so I can figure out who’s who)
- Retweet this post on Twitter and leave a comment with your tweet handle. (please include @SarahGisArtsyB so that I can find your tweets)
- Subscribe to my page and leave a comment letting me know that you’re following.
- Share giveaway details on your own blog. (please link to the post in the comments)
- Stop by my Etsy shop, check out my products and leave a comment letting me know what your favorite item is and why.
The contest is running from Wednesday March 16, 2011-April 1, 2011 Midnight. Winner will be selected at random using Random.org. The winner has their choice of floral contents to match their wedding theme.
Please stop over today to check it out!
Lockets In Love: The Ceremony Part II
March 9th, 2011 § 1 Comment
Hey all!! I’m finally back to finish up those recaps I began writing (what seems like) decades ago. As a refresher, so far you’ve seen the girls and I get ready, my dress, all the pretty details, and my walk down the aisle.
Upon reaching each other, our hands, like magnets, were instantly joined and our eyes locked onto one another (mine trying very hard to hold back tears).
The Judge jokingly stated “I was going to ask you both to join hands, but it seems you beat me to it!”
It put a smile on our faces and gave our guests a good laugh while he proceeded to begin the ceremony…
“We are gathered here at this time to witness and to celebrate the coming together of two separate lives.
We have come to witness the joining of Sarah and Craig in marriage, to be with them in the making of this important and everlasting commitment.
This commitment is the taking of another person in his and her entirety-as lover, companion, and friend.
Mom and sis looked on (apparently they were having just as hard of a time holding back the tears).
It is therefore, a decision which is not to be entered into lightly, but rather, undertaken with great consideration and respect for both the other person and for oneself. We give ourselves in love, but we do not give ourselves away. We do not destroy our individuality-that which brought us together initially.
Now we will take a moment to perform the unity ceremony, read by the best man, Harold.
“Today, Sarah and Craig, have chosen to commemorate their marriage through the celebration of the Sand Ceremony. This ceremony symbolizes the inseparable union of Sarah and Craig into a new and eternal marital relationship.
Sarah and Craig will simultaneously pour separate containers of sand into a common vessel. Each grain of sand in their separate containers represents a unique and separate moment, decision, feeling or event that helped shaped Sarah and Craig into the separate and unique individuals that they are today….
At that point we weren’t quite sure on whether or not we were supposed to pour the sand yet (hence the smirks), but we went with it anyway.
As they pour their separate containers of sand into a common vessel, those separate and independent individuals will cease to exist. Instead they will merge into a loving and supportive marital community…
Sarah and Craig, just as the grains of sand can never be separated into their individual containers again, so will your marriage be.”
We then took a moment to walk back to the arbor.
And, settled back into our places to listen on while my dear friend, Shannon, shared a reading of Pablo Neruda’s Sonnet XVII.
I don’t love you as if you were the salt-rose, topaz
or arrow of carnations that propagate fire:
I love you as certain dark things are loved,
secretly, between the shadow and the soul.
I love you as the plant that doesn’t bloom and carries
hidden within itself the light of those flowers,
and thanks to your love, darkly in my body
lives the dense fragrance that rises from the earth.
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 don’t 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 it is your eyes that close.
We stood there listening, staring at one another, knowing full well that in a few moments it would be time to share our vows. Vows, need I remind you, that I had just finished composing moments prior to the ceremony. Vows, that were so wonderful they are deserving of their own post, and because of this you must wait another day (I promise it won’t take months this time).
Did you have other rituals or readings during your ceremony? Were you anxious about reciting your vows?
**Photos courtesy of Anna Simonak Photography
Tap, Tap, Is This Thing On?
February 15th, 2011 § 2 Comments
Hello again! I know I just recently promised to delve back into our wedding recaps, but I wanted to share something with you first (and it’s wedding/marriage related).
February 14, marked our first Valentine’s Day (and nearly 5 months) as husband and wife. And, though I don’t believe in all the hype around the holiday (I think your loved ones should let you know how they feel every day) I still get excited every time it comes.
In our years together the day has been filled with so many wonderful memories. We’ve spent the love-filled day crafting each other homemade valentines, getting snowed in, preparing fancy feasts, dining out, and running a 5K. This year, my gift to him was a bountiful homemade breakfast and heart-tarts with homemade blueberry filling.
Personal photo
His gift to me? Absolute and udder perfection! But, before I give it away, let me preface with the back story (here comes the wedding stuff).
I may have already mentioned that we chose Be My Only by FM Radio as our first dance song, but what I didn’t mention is that prior to the wedding we each met with our DJ to record a special something for one another to be edited into the song.
And, on our wedding day we heard those special messages while sharing our first dance as husband and wife. It was such a perfect moment of which I’ll share more about throughout our recaps, but until then I’ll share this sneak peek.
Which brings me back to Mr. L’s Valentine’s Day surprise. After receiving my annual V-day stuffed bear and exuberant amounts of cuteness, I figured Mr. L’s Valentine’s surprises stopped there. But, while driving home from work, Mr. L let me know he had one big surprise waiting for me at home. I figured I would be met with either flowers, candies, or a fancy home cooked meal with romantically lit candles. But, when I stepped into our place everything looked normal.
There were no flowers, candies, nor fancy meal. Instead, we sat down and spent a portion of our first married Valentine’s day evening watching Watson’s Jeopardy debut. I was confused for a good while until Mr. L pushed our coffee table aside and asked me to stand up. Reluctantly I obliged, and while I did I heard a very familiar and special song begin to play.
Be My Only (FM Radio, edit courteous of Paradise Entertainment)
Be My Only-Locket Wedding Remix
And, so we danced together in our living room creating a new memory while reliving an old one. Did I mention how perfect a gift this was?
Mr. L was spot on with the gift and I had no idea he had obtained the song. Honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a more meaningful and thought out gift for our first Valentine’s Day as husband and wife.
How did you spend your first Valentine’s Day as newlyweds/newly-engaged? Did you keep things traditional or step out of the box?
Lockets in Love: Recap Refresh
February 11th, 2011 § 4 Comments
Hi hive!
*hangs head in shame* (or like Molly, tilts head with apologetic puppy eyes and frowny face)
Personal Photo-Sad Molly
I don’t want to bore you with a long drawn out explanation for my absence, so I’ll keep it short and sweet. Time slipped away from me while life was busy with new ventures, family, and recent holidays/travel.
Either way, I’ve been stuck on Part II of my Ceremony recaps for some time now. With the main reason being that I couldn’t for the life of me find all of our lovely and ever-so-meaningful handwritten vows and readings. Lacking these key ingredients meant slacking. Therefore, I slacked because I lacked, and when I finally found the integral parts it was January and I was a wee bit too busy to get back into the swing of things.
But, I am here now and making a comeback! So please be patient with me while I gather my thoughts and forge ahead into recap territory. In the meantime here’s a recap refresher to spark your memories and hopefully regain your interest.
Photos courtesy of Anna Simonak Photography (edited/cropped by me)
Photo courtesy of Anna Simonak Photography
Photo courtesy of Anna Simonak Photography
Photo courtesy of Anna Simonak Photography
Photos courtesy of Anna Simonak Photography (cropped/edited by me)
Photos courtesy of Anna Simonak Photography (cropped/edited by me)
Photo courtesy of Anna Simonak Photography
Stay tuned for Part II of our ceremony where you can read all about our personal vows, readings and minor ceremonial mishaps.
A Bee’s Life: Locket Edition
November 24th, 2010 § Leave a Comment
Before I start back in on my wedding recaps, I thought it might be fun to join in on this Bee Series…
How did I find Weddingbee?
Like many other brides before me (or like many of you ladies in the waiting boards), I found the bee pre-proposal. No, I wasn’t already planning my future wedding, or looking for ideas and inspiration, I was looking for answers. Answers to why my then boyfriend, Mr. Locket had openly purchased an engagement ring for me, but was taking forever to pop the question. It was quite the frustrating time in my life because I couldn’t share my frustrations with anyone. Mr. L made a point to tell everyone and their mother that he had bought the ring and that a proposal was in the works. The downside to him telling everyone was that I had to keep mum. I couldn’t inform my sister, my mom, or even my best friend about what he had done (even though they already knew) because he wanted everyone to believe I would be surprised when it happened. Well, to make a long story short he found a way to propose on his own time with a completely different ring. From that point on I couldn’t get enough of the bee. I began searching all the lovely DIY projects and became inspired by the bees that shared their planning process and their weddings.
My Application Story:
Once my engagement was official and wedding planning commenced I decided that it was both in my and my groom’s best interest to blog my wedding thoughts. If you’re a bride into wedding planning, then you know what I am talking about. Your thoughts (well, at least mine) were consumed with WEDDING! And, though I was over the top excited to have every conversation revolve around the wedding, I can’t say the same for Mr. Locket or my family and friends. So, I found my outlet in blogging and soon learned that I really enjoyed writing for an audience. I’ve always had the mindset that I couldn’t write coherently and that my grammar was far from acceptable (which admittedly is still not far from the truth).
As my blog writing progressed, I discovered that my writing began to take on a fluidity of its own and that I had gathered a small following. For those of you that blog, you know that it feels pretty darn amazing to get your first comment and to learn that real live people are actually reading what you have to say. I began to want more and had a great desire to share my plans and projects with other brides to be. As soon as I hit the 8 month minimum requirement I quickly sent out my application and eagerly waited a response.
Nearly 4 weeks passed and I was beginning to feel that this could be a good thing. They couldn’t possibly take 4 weeks to reject me, could they? Yes, they could. I joined the masses of many bees and faced my first rejection. Of course, I was bummed, but never became bitter. I figured that I hadn’t written enough about my wedding yet to share so I continued on and forged ahead. I kept writing and did my best to check and double check my grammatical errors. I began to focus on gathering more of a readership and wrote both for them and myself. Soon enough, I gathered the courage to apply again, and again, I was rejected a few weeks later.
At that point I admittedly began to feel rather dejected, but I’m not easily deterred so I continued on writing my blog and slowly drifted away from the bee. I began to put the majority of my focus into my own blog and even Mr. L began to notice that his notoriously known comma-splicer-fiance was slowly becoming a better writer. Granted, I was (and still am for that matter) far from perfect and envied the writing abilities of many of the bees. How could I really compare? I wasn’t throwing a huge fancy wedding, I didn’t necessarily have an extremely unique voice or wedding vision and I was born without an eye for proper grammar. But, I still couldn’t fight the desire to become a bee and I knew that I shared one very important characteristic with many fellow bees. Perseverance. With only a few months to go before my big day I sent out my final application, and you can probably guess that this third time was a charm.
On being a Weddingbee blogger:
I love it! It’s so great to share my ideas and inspire other brides. It is a true honor to be part of such a great community and words can’t explain how much I’ve gained from blogging for the bee. I’ve learned a lot about myself and of the compassion of others. As many other bees have said, it’s like gaining a whole new group of friends/family who are always there offering their advice and support. And, though there are no monetary or physical perks it’s definately reward enough knowing that my posts may inspire a bride in her wedding planning journey.
Advice for applicants:
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.
I know that many bees have offered the same wise words and I would be a liar if I didn’t agree. I am glad that I listened and reworked my blog and continued to develop my voice because I learned a lot about myself in the process and the end result was my acceptance to become a bee. I found that once I focused on writing for myself and my small audience everything became more natural and I was finally able to find my own voice. In the beginning I think I tried too hard to write how I thought Weddingbee wanted me to write and it ended up sounding forced and fake. It was not pretty. My best advice for those of you who would like to blog for the bee is to really develop your own voice. I also suggest that you put time and attention into each post you write. I find that quality over quantity of posts is much more important and that the little bit of extra time and attention will really pay off. I also think it’s important to blog because you enjoy it, not necessarily because you want to become a bee. I am always bummed to find brides abandoning their blogs because they felt discouraged after becoming rejected. If you truly love to blog keep at it, I am sure your readers will appreciate that you did.
A Heavy Heart And A Question Of What If…
November 19th, 2010 § 8 Comments
Hi Hive,
Remember me, Mrs. Locket, I used to blog here every other day, but have been mostly MIA (a.k.a giving you really drawn out recaps) for the past couple few weeks. The reason? Well, I’ve sort of been in hiding.
To be honest, I’m going through the post wedding blues. Yes, my wedding went off without any problems, and yes it was absolutely wonderful and I was completely happy throughout the day, but now looking back something (a big something) was amiss.
**Warning: Long post ahead with a hint of pity party.
Recently, you were reminded of the things that make me cry in the Best of the ‘Bee series, well, it reminded me that perhaps I should clue you in on the outcome. You may have noticed in Part I of my ceremony recaps that Momma Locket upheld the honor of walking me down the aisle and that father Locket was not there.
Well, here is where my heart pains come into play. I may have mentioned in passing that a couple of weeks before the wedding my father contacted me via e-mail letting me know that he now wished to walk me down the aisle. As you can imagine I felt such a flurry of emotions. A midst all the last-minute wedding plans I was dealt a tough card. How could he suddenly, so easily change his mind and assume that it would make everything better? Didn’t he know all the pain and tears his actions had caused me? Though it was a tough decision to make, I made the decision that he not come to our wedding and wrote him the following reply expressing my feelings and reasoning behind it.
Dad and Peter,
I am sorry I’ve taken so long to get back in touch with you regarding your messages and requests. I have been very busy in these last days before the wedding putting everything together and trying to figure out ways to pay everyone. I want you to know that I have no ill will towards you, but at this time think it best for you (Dad) not to attend our wedding. When you told me you did not wish to have any part of that day I was completely and utterly heartbroken. It has always been my dream to have my father walk me down the aisle on my wedding day and to hear that you did not wish to be there was devastating. I spent many nights crying and still get teary eyed when I see photos of brides and their fathers walking them down the aisle and sharing a father-daughter dance. I know that you think that you can mend your broken ways with a change of heart, but at this point you cannot. Unfortunately, your actions and history of actions has led me to believe that I cannot trust you. I cannot set myself up for let down. I want my wedding day to be happy, full of love, full of support and shared with people who truly wish to be a part of my life.
I want you to know that a part of me does still wish for you to attend because you are my father and at one point in our lives I was your little girl. Your little girl who was always so desperate for your attention and love. I am sorry that I have grown into a woman whom you believe you share no bond, but I am proud of who I’ve become and know that I will be okay. I wish there was a way to keep peace among all so that you could come without creating any upset; but, as you know this is not possible. You’ve always been unpredictable and we never know how you will react in a certain situation and I don’t wish to be full of anxiety and worry on a day that should be happy. I know that you say that the old father I knew is dead and gone, but what I don’t understand is that if he were truly gone why you would go through such lengths to cause me pain. Why would you put me in a situation where I could not rely on you? Why would you tell me that God doesn’t approve of my marriage when despite the many roadblocks he has provided us with the means to make it work. What I do know is that Craig is going to make a wonderful husband and one day a loving and supportive father. We’ve both learned through our experiences what it means to be a good parent. A child should be loved unconditionally and without question, failing to do so will only leave you and the child in misery. We can only hope to one day provide love and kindness to our own and be the best parents that we can.
I wish you the best and send my eternal love to you both. I understand that Peter does not wish to attend without you and I am sad to hear this. I know that it must be a very difficult decision to make, but it is his own and he must live with it. I do wish he could find it in his heart to attend, but understand if he does not feel comfortable. If he won’t make it I want him to know that he will be missed and will be in our thoughts. I hope you can understand my feelings on this matter and know that despite them I wish things could have turned out differently.
Take Care
Love,
Sarah
You may be wondering why I’ve decided to share something so personal with you all, and honestly I am wondering myself. The truth is that I need closure. I need to get these thoughts of “what if” out of my head and know that sharing my frustrations are the first step. I also feel that it is important to share because I am sure other brides are going through or have gone through something similar.
Here I am today standing by my decision, but wondering what could have been. What if I gave him a second (technically a bazillionth) chance and had him walk me down the aisle? Would my wedding have been any better? Would I stop looking back and feeling like I was missing something? Or could things have gone completely awry? I’ve read Mrs. Sock’s posts on how her wedding didn’t go as planned and have recently attended a wedding where the bride’s mother had a public outburst and it has me feeling that yes, I made the right choice. Unfortunately, that doesn’t necessarily make accepting it any easier.
While writing my recaps, I am constantly reminded that my dad and brother were not there. When I go through the group formal shots with the family, I get a little teary eyed. I am sad that they weren’t a part of a day that was so happy and precious to me and will have a hard time getting past it. I hate to complain because we did have an amazingly wonderful wedding filled with love and joy, and it doesn’t seem fair to think about it when so many others are not as fortunate.
In the end, it’s a matter of reassuring myself that I made the right choice. And, my father’s actions (or lack thereof) are reaffirming my stance. Post-wedding I had written him (again) to let him know that I had wished he could have been part of our day and sent him the link to our wedding album so he could feel that he still was. To this date I haven’t received any response. In fact, I haven’t heard from him since I sent the first letter. It reaffirms my belief that he is unreliable and stubborn and will not change. I need to move on and get rid of the “what if” mentality and know that with time it won’t hurt as much. Until then, I’m going to do my best to focus on the good and get back to recaps of a wedding that was in fact a happy one.
Lockets In Love: Our Ceremony Part I
November 11th, 2010 § 3 Comments
With the day gone in a blur behind me there I stood in the bridal suite, emotions awakened with a stomach full of butterflies and the heavy feeling of happy tears pushing on my eyes. I was just moments away from living out my little girl dream of walking down the aisle to marry the man I love.
Photo courtesy of Anna Simonak Photography
Though my dreams weren’t quite my reality, I couldn’t help but think back and reflect on how much of that little girl still remained within.
What I felt was overwhelming happiness, similar to that high you would get as a child when you knew something really exciting and wonderful was about to happen. No, I didn’t have cold feet, or feelings of regret or fear, nor any other feelings of true anxiety (except for those joyful dancing butterflies). I was completely elated to have the planning, worries, and the stress behind me–all I could think about was that in a few short moments I would be walking towards my soon-to-be-husband.
While we waited for the word, my brothers finished handing out programs and assisted in seating our guests.
Photos courtesy of Anna Simonak Photography
And, all the men gathered for their walk down the aisle…
Photo courtesy of Anna Simonak Photography
Our Judge/officiant patiently waited for the ceremony to begin…
Photo courtesy of Anna Simonak Photography
Photo courtesy of Anna Simonak Photography
And, then the music began to play…
A cue to the men (and us girls) that it was time to start.
Our wedding party walked the aisle to The Vitamin String Quartet’s version of Chasing Cars. With such a small group we decided to have each wedding party member walk the aisle alone. And, it worked out rather well for the most part. The men started things off and only two people had slight issues. Can you guess who had trouble walking the aisle alone?
First up was Bro-Locket…
Oh wait, I bet you’re wondering where that photo is, right? Well, turns out Bro-Locket was a tad confused and didn’t walk the aisle (I can’t blame him, he did miss the rehearsal). Instead, I was told that he walked along side the tent, realized he had messed up when he saw groomsmen Mike walk the aisle, and back tracked to re-walk the aisle the right way. You got that? Still a bit confused? Well, it went a little something like this.
Bro Locket saw Mike walk the aisle and immediately had that gut wrenching “OH CRAP I MESSED UP MY SISTER’S WEDDING” feeling set in.
Photo courtesy of Anna Simonak Photography
Okay, I kid, I’m sure he didn’t feel like he ruined the wedding, but I know he was rather embarrassed/mildly humiliated. Either way, he did what any person would do in that situation. He tried to make it right.
Photo courtesy of Anna Simonak Photography
Photo courtesy of Anna Simonak Photography
Photo courtesy of Anna Simonak Photography
Sister-Locket started things off and left many guests wondering why there was a random Kardashian look-a-like in the wedding. She was followed by my dear friend Catie whom was secretly engaged at the time to groomsman Mike—that sneaky couple informed us and every one of their engagement last month.
Photo courtesy of Anna Simonak Photography
Photo courtesy of Anna Simonak Photography
Photo courtesy of Anna Simonak Photography
Photo courtesy of Anna Simonak Photography
Photo courtesy of Anna Simonak Photography
Photo courtesy of Anna Simonak Photography
Photo courtesy of Anna Simonak Photography
Photo courtesy of Anna Simonak Photography
Photo courtesy of Anna Simonak Photography
And, slowly worsened with each step. Fortunately, by the time I had reached Mr. L he was calm and collected which helped me put away my “cry” face. He later told me that he thought he would cry until he “manned up” and pushed the almost-tears aside.
Photo courtesy of Anna Simonak Photography
And, finally the time had come for Momma Locket to give me away.
Photo courtesy of Anna Simonak Photography
Photo courtesy of Anna Simonak Photography
Stay tuned for Part II!
Did you have any issues with your ceremony processional? Did any other brides have a hard time keeping the tears away?
