A Wedding Potion: 2013

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Love Potion #13: Formal Portraits that are Formal: Family Edition

Because we employed the ol' hide until everybody leaves trick, the church emptied rather quickly and we were able to knock out the customary Formal Portraits in Front of the Altar. (For the record, these formal portraits were actually formal in nature, as opposed to those that were not.) I'm not really a fan of these sorts of photos- everyone standing around, awkwardly posed, wondering when they'll be allowed to have a drink. You know who is a fan of these types of photos? My mom. All moms, probably. So we put on our best smiles and stood at the front of the church.

We started with the bridal party. Obviously we wanted the entire bridal party featured in a shot or two, but as I mentioned earlier, small children can be rather unpredictable, so this wasn't really possible. One of the twins just didn't have the patience to stand for pictures, his sister insisted on holding her new baby doll (a thank you gift from Mr Potion and me for being in our wedding), and though Mr. Potion's nephew consented to lining up in front of the camera, he didn't much like the idea of standing still.

So we let the little ones go and took a picture of just the "big kids":

Next it was time for the family portraits. We started by posing with my parents:

Next, my mom wanted a picture of us with our priest and altar server, since the former is a family friend and the latter is my cousin, and, like I said, these pictures were mainly for her anyway:

Next we swapped out Fr. Ninja for my cousin M E, S's little sister:

Then Mr. Potion's dad:

Mr Potion's mom:

My mom's mom, Grandma Bootsie:

My dad's mom, Mammaw:

And my mom's step-mom, Grandma:

I have more advice from the other side, Hive! If you plan to stand for a marathon portrait session:

-shift your weight between snaps of the shutter so your feet don't hate you, especially if you're in heels
-relax your face as your photographer fiddles with lenses and flashes and tests the light so your smile looks authentic and not painful
-know ahead of time which groups you want to pose with- it's helpful to hand your photographer a "must shoot list" before the day begins so you're not deciding then and there who should be in which photo

Will you be posing for the customary Formal Portraits in Front of the Altar after your ceremony?

*all photos by One Photo Gallery*

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Love Potion #0.5: Uh…Who is This Chick?
Love Potion #1: Dress Rehearsal
Love Potion #2: Gettin’ Our Hairs Did
Love Potion #3: Last Minute Details
Love Potion #4: Corsages for the Generations
Love Potion #5: The Boys Get Spiffy
Love Potion #6: “Formal” Portraits
Love Potion #7: Goin’ to the Chapel…
Love Potion #8: Proceeding with the Ceremony
Love Potion #9: Leaving Our Families to Cling to Each Other
Love Potion #10: And Then We Got Married
Love Potion #11: Our First Meal as a Married Couple
Love Potion #12: Boys Just Don't Smile

Monday, December 30, 2013

Love Potion #12: Boys Just Don't Smile

So now the Mass was over, we were officially married, and it was time to go get some food!

Father Ninja called us together for one final blessing and the closing prayer:

Then Mr. Potion and I led the recession from the church as our organist played Beethoven's Ode to Joy.

Three of the ladies in the bridal party were already married and before the ceremony, they all gave me the same advice, which I'll share with you now-

When you and your new Mister make it back up the aisle, HIDE. That is to say, as soon as you're out of sight of your guests, run as fast as you can to a secluded spot- preferably a room with a door that you should then shut- and stay there until your guests have left for the reception.

As it turns out, this was very good advice. We zipped around the corner to the room where I had gotten ready before Mass and just sort of...stared at each other for a bit. I distinctly remember one of us saying, "We did it!" and the other repeating the same, but for the most part we just admired our new rings and got lost in each other's eyes and yeah, okay, we made out a little bit- but just a little bit, so I wouldn't have to re-apply any make up before the hundreds of photos we were about to take. Because we were hiding, none of the guests were tempted to stand around chatting with us as they left the church- instead, they headed straight to the food and drink at the reception, allowing us to capture portraits at the altar and then join the fun without much delay.

The rest of the bridal party followed us out of the sanctuary (but not to our hiding spot!) and after looking at the photos, I realized something- for the most part, none of the guys (the groomsmen and the ushers) were smiling as they escorted the beautiful ladies up the aisle. I guess they forgot that there was a photographer there capturing the walk...or perhaps they were just so intent on their mission?

GMs J and E were the only exceptions:

But mostly the guys were all business:

Next came the parents and grandparents:

Finally, my cousin S and Fr Ninja marked the end of the recessional:

So, Hive, I pass on to you not one, but two pieces of wisdom for your recessional:

-When you make it back up the aisle, find a place to hide for what is likely to be your only alone time as a newly married couple until the end of the festivities
-Remind the guys in your bridal party that the photographer is there to capture every moment of the ceremony, including the end- so they should smile! Or at least look pleasant!

Fellow old married ladies- did anybody share similar advice with you before your big day?

*all photos by One Photo Gallery*

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Friday, December 20, 2013

Love Potion #11: Our First Meal as a Married Couple

So by this point, we were married! Time to go to Disney World!

Except we had to finish the ceremony first. And the reception. Details.

After our kiss (and a kiss on the nose for Mr Potion), my Cousin L read the Prayers of the Faithful.

We should have our hands folded like everyone else...but I grabbed Mr. Potion's hand and wouldn't let go for pretty much the rest of the ceremony :)

Next, we knelt before the statue of Mary to ask for her blessing over our marriage (and for some reason there are no photos of this. Sad.) while our cantor sang Schubert's "Ave Maria":

(Before you go getting any ideas- Celine Dion was not our cantor, as awesome as that may have been.)

Meanwhile, Fr. Ninja prepared the altar for the Liturgy of the Eucharist, assisted by my cousin S:

Our mothers presented the gifts- the unconsecrated hosts and wine:

And then it was time for the part of the Mass I affectionately call "Catholic Aerobics"- the bit where we sit, then stand, then kneel, then stand, then kneel some more:

My godparents (Uncle E and Aunt P) served as our Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist and served us our first meal as a married couple- the Body and Blood of Christ.

Even though many of our friends and family members are not Catholic, it was important to Mr Potion and me to celebrate our marriage within a full Mass so that our first act as a married couple was receiving Communion. Our faith is very important to us, so it seemed very fitting to kick off our marriage in this way, and to share our faith with our loved ones.

Did you include any special traditions in your ceremony?

*all photos by One Photo Gallery*

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