We Start Today: Here Comes the Bride

Mr. Castle was ready to see his bride. I can only imagine what was going on in his head. Look at all the different emotions that were on his face!

Photography by the amazing Palos Studio

As I waited in the bridal suite with my Dad, I started to feel those nervous butterflies. I thought about how this event was the focus of my life for the last 15 months and I couldn't believe it was finally here. I joked around with my Dad and asked if he was going to cry. He said he wasn't, which was a lie because he definitely did. Right before we were about to walk out the door I noticed a huge beetle in my path! I didn't want it making a new home in my train...so I asked my Dad to please get rid of it. He saved the day by kicking it out of the way. Then it was time to go!

The music began, an instrumental version of "Rainbow Connection." We got our cue to go and we begain our journey down the aisle.

The way the entrance works at Padua is you come in from the side, stop at the top of the stairs and then make your way down the aisle.

I didn't want to look at Mr. Castle until I made it down the stairs. I know that sounds strange but I couldn't really see him over people's heads and I wanted to be able to make eye contact!

We made it down the stairs but I still couldn't see him...

But I think he could see me!

Since I couldn't see Mr. Castle I gave some love to one of my dear friends who was sitting on the aisle.

Finally I laid eyes on my groom.

And that's when the tears came. My Dad and I pretty much have the same face in this picture. We were both trying to keep our emotions in check.

When my Dad and I reached the front of the aisle we turned to each other. 

He gave me a huge hug and whispered, "I love you babe," in my ear.

That got me good. I was trying really hard to hold it together, but I was losing it fast. My Dad turned to Mr. Castle and gave him a big hug as well.

Look at my face!

Our next instructions were for my Dad to take my hand and place it into Mr. Castles. When my Dad went to grab my hand I was still dabbing my eyes with my tissue so I said, "Give me a second!" Of course my Dad, Mr. Castle and anyone else who heard started laughing.

My Dad placed my hand in Mr. Castles

Mr. Castle took my hand and placed it on his arm.

I was so excited!

Mr Castle and I walked up the steps an onto the gazebo. We were finally here and we were so ready to get married.

Miss a recap? Check it out below!                         

We start at the end with a surprise wedding video!                                            

We rehearse                                                                                                      

Our rehearsal luncheon                              

We start the day with singing, dancing, and an earthquake

I get my hair and makeup done

We arrive at our venue and Mr. Castle asks for some makeup

With the help of my Mom and bridesmaids I get into my dress!

I take some solo shots of me as a bride

My handsome groom and his men 

Some family shots and first look regret

Photos with my Bridesmaids!

I get a three generations photos with my Mother and Grandmother

Ceremony details

Waiting for the ceremony to start AND how our amazing vendors saved the day!

The Processional

We Start Today: The Processional

It was time to get married! Brent made an announcement to please turn off cell phones as the ceremony was about to start! Singer J and the groomsmen accompanying him started the first song for our families entrance, "Candle on the Water."

 All Photos by Palos Studio

"I'll be your candle on the water...."

We decided during our planning that we wanted all our family to walk down the aisle, including our siblings who were not in our bridal party. My brothers acted as ushers and Mr. Castles sister did a reading and we wanted them all to be a part of the processional as well. It ended up working out very nicely. The first to enter was Mr. Castles grandmother escorted by his nephew.

He was really excited to be wearing a tux but I don't think that excitement carried over into walking down the aisle. This is the only picture we have where he is not looking at the floor.

Next came Mr. Castles sister accompanied by her husband. The tears were already starting....

Then Mr. Castles parents entered. MIL Castle was trying to keep it together!

My 90 year old Grandmother, Nannie, was escorted by my middle brother.

Next Grandma T was escorted by my oldest brother.

And last but not least, my Mother was escorted by her baby, my youngest brother.

I heard a lot of comments on how excited my Mom looked walking down the aisle.

She originally wanted all three of my brothers to carry her in on a throne like chair, but that just didn't pan out. ;)

After all of our family was seated our musicians started the intro of their next song, "Till There Was You." Mr. Castle and his groomsmen (the ones who weren't also acting as musicians) followed our officiant Father Geoff to their places for the ceremony.

They made their way down the right side instead of down the center aisle 

Once the groomsmen were in place Singer J began singing the lyrics which cued the bridesmaids that it was their turn to head down the aisle.

"There were bells on the hills but I never heard them ringing. No I never heard them at all, till there was you."

Our photographer got a shot of each of them before making their entrance.

First was bridesmaid C. I love this picture because the face popping out and smiling on the right hand side is her boyfriend!

Next was bridesmaid S looking lovely.

Then bridesmaid L made her way down the aisle.

I had to include this picture because it's so amazing. Bridesmaid L was winking at her fiance, one of Mr. C's groomsmen! 

Next was Bridesmaid J with her beautiful turquoise necklace.

And finally MOH N made her way down greeting everyone with a smile! 

The last to enter were our adorable ring bearers. These brothers held hands and walked down the aisle like pros. I was glad we had them go last so their Mom could see them come down. They were so precious.

The younger of the two was definitely a little shy.

He hid behind his sign a bit. So cute.

They were so great! When they got to the front they had seats waiting for them with their Dad and grandmother.

Our family was seated and the bridal party was in place. Now it was my turn! 

Coming up next my big moment!

Miss a recap? Check it out below!

We start at the end with a surprise wedding video!

We rehearse

Our rehearsal luncheon

We start the day with singing, dancing, and an earthquake

I get my hair and makeup done

We arrive at our venue and Mr. Castle asks for some makeup

With the help of my Mom and bridesmaids I get into my dress!

I take some solo shots of me as a bride

My handsome groom and his men 

Some family shots and first look regret

Photos with my Bridesmaids!

I get a three generations photos with my Mother and Grandmother

Ceremony details

Waiting for the ceremony to start AND how our amazing vendors saved the day!

We Start Today: Let's get this show on the road!

Before getting into this post I would like to apologize for my extended absence. It's been a busy couple of weeks in the Castle household. First we jetted off to San Francisco to attend our first wedding as a married couple. We had an amazing trip and it was a very beautiful wedding. When we arrived back in New York we jumped right into throwing our good friends an engagement party! It was fantastic, but word to the wise maybe the Saturday before Halloween isn't the best date to try and throw and intimate party... Then, as most of you are aware there was this storm here... We are very lucky and fortunate compared to many others on the east coast. Last week was really surreal. You would think I had all this extra time to blog but my focus was on the news and what was happening in my beloved city that I call home. So please forgive me for my absence and keep sending prayers and good thoughts to all those who were affected by the hurricane. 

I left off showing all our ceremony details. At this point in the day our guests were beginning to arrive. Meanwhile my bridesmaids and I were hiding out in the bridal suite anxiously awaiting for the ceremony to start.

That period of time between coming inside after taking pictures and the start of the ceremony felt like an eternity. I was ready to go and get married but it still wasn't time yet. We has another mini dance party and then decided to take some pictures to try and kill some time.

MOH N with her sons. The best ring bearers ever! They were so patient and well behaved.

I had to get a picture with them too!

I don't remember what I was saying to him in this picture but I absolutely love it. 

Then I had to have a pre-wedding staged moment with my Mother

Singer J and I took some "Model shots"

I posed with my DIY ring bearer sign

Yeah at this point I was getting a little antsy....

Finally I had to get up and walk around a bit. It seemed like time was moving so slowly. I was ready to get this show on the road! 

I decided to re-read my vows and imagine myself saying them aloud. My vows were the only thing I was nervous about. I feared I would only be able to whisper them or they would be unintelligible because I would be sobbing. I also feared they wouldn't sound genuine. I wanted the meaning behind the words I wrote to shine through. I thought with the nerves and excitement I might end up sounding like a robot... I never really said my vows aloud before the ceremony and I was starting to think maybe that was a mistake. 

Finally our DJ/MC Brent from Entertainment Express came in to say we were almost ready to start! He also said he came to get some very important information... Our drink orders! He took the entire bridal party and immediate families drink order before the ceremony so that we could have drinks brought to us while taking pictures during cocktail hour. How cool is that!?

After taking everyone's drink orders it seemed like it was go time. My Dad had now joined us and my Mom had left to get in place for the processional. Brent and one of our coordinators from Padua said, "We're almost ready to go we just have one more question for you. Were we supposed to save a seat for Dads girlfriend?" This was a point where I could have had a huge freak out moment. No my Dad's girlfriend was not supposed to have a reserved seat, she was supposed to sit with my Dad's friends. I then learned that she had plopped herself down in the second row... I can only imagine what my face looked like when they told me that. I started stumbling something like, "No no no she can't sit there..." I looked at my Dad and said, " I'm so sorry Dad but she can't sit there Mom will freak out." My Dad agreed and said, "I have no idea why she is sitting there I told her who to sit with."

Like I said, I could have had a heart attack. Brent and our coordinator from Padua said, "Don't worry about it we'll move her. Not a big deal. That's why we asked." And that was it. They moved her and I could not be more grateful. I plan on writing about this in more detail in a later post but let me say now, if you have any possibility for family drama tell your vendors. If I had not previously told them about my situation with my parents they wouldn't have thought anything of my Dad's girlfriend sitting in the second row. That could have gone really badly but our amazing vendors went above and beyond to make sure everything was OK.

Crisis averted! Then all of the sudden it was time to get married!

All our guests were in their seats ready for the  show ceremony to begin! I was sooo ready to finally see my groom and marry the love of my life! Coming up next our family and bridal party processional!

*All Photos are personal

Anyone else have any stressful situations right before the ceremony was about to start? Did your vendors go above and beyond to make your day stress free?

Miss a recap? Check it out below!

We start at the end with a surprise wedding video!

We rehearse

Our rehearsal luncheon

We start the day with singing, dancing, and an earthquake

I get my hair and makeup done

We arrive at our venue and Mr. Castle asks for some makeup

With the help of my Mom and bridesmaids I get into my dress!

I take some solo shots of me as a bride

My handsome groom and his men 

Some family shots and first look regret

Photos with my Bridesmaids!

I get a three generations photos with my Mother and Grandmother

Ceremony details