The day started with - of course - HAIR and MAKEUP!!!
I was a bride who knew my mind. I knew bridal makeup was supposed to be pretty and dainty, but I also knew what I liked. I wanted smoky eyes, strong lips, and pulled back hair because June in California gets a wee bit warm. We also made our own invitations, from our engagement photos, with a sheer overlay with the ceremony and reception details, both mounted on burgundy cardstock.
As you can see, on our wedding day there was a new Harry Potter book released and some not so nice other news. We joked about giving copies of the new Harry Potter as favors but that would probably have exceeded our entire wedding budget.Our original cake baker ended up having spinal surgery 11 days before our wedding, so we scrambled to find a new option.
The result was just as beautiful as our original idea. I loved the scroll piping on the sides, and the dark red roses set off the buttercream beautifully.This is one of my favorite pics with my mom:
She is leaning in to kiss me, and about a second after the photo was snapped I pulled back and went "NOOOOOOOOOOO!" because she is a world-renown lipstick print maker. Of course, this photo holds a special place in my heart. My darling daddy passed away in July 2010 and I can still feel the pride in his eyes on my wedding day.
He looked very dapper in his tuxedo and was very nervous when we walked in, and during the Father-Daughter dance. Miss you always, Dad.In honor of our homelands, we had the flags of the United States and Peru draped on the table where the framed guestbook was set up.
We also had Peruvian food courtesy of my parents, and my husband's parents catered the other half of the buffet. So yummy!Instead of a traditional guestbook, we chose to have a matted frame:
Thanks to our Best Man, who reminded people to go sign it, we ended up with a frame full of signatures from our guests!Our wedding had a Midsummer theme since it was on June 21, so glitter and fairies abounded.
My mother-in-law bought this statue shortly before our wedding and I asked to borrow it for our programs.We were married under an arbor of greenery and flowers, it was a ceremony short on wordiness but long on meaning.
My dear new husband was my best friend then and now.Our wedding portrait.
It was right after sunset and the light was gorgeous. I love this picture because you can see so many details:
The embroidery on my dress, my gorgeous dark flowers, my rings, and the necklace I made. There was a huge fountain outside the room where we had the ceremony and reception, and our photographer had the great idea to take a photo of us with all the guests:
Lucky for us, there was a drought so the fountain wasn't "on".So that's the story of our wedding day, it was a day full of things that meant a lot to us - my parents' Peruvian cooking, our handmade invitations, programs, card seats, etc., our cousin doing the flowers, an aunt handling all the decorations - it was a blast and we have wonderful memories from that day.
In 3 years (for our 10th anniversary) we're thinking of a steampunk vow renewal. Who knows, we may actually do it!
