The Reception

Jason and I rode in a limo from the church to the reception. It was so much fun to drive down Mill Ave in a limo with the windows down. All kinds of people were waving and cheering. I felt like royalty.

When we arrived at the Tempe Center for the Arts, though, we realized that Jason's brother had his wallet and there was no way for us to tip the driver! Amanda and Alex were walking in from the parking lot, and they ran in to see if they could find someone with a $20. Luckily, my brother Tim had some cash and we were able to send the driver on his way. I think we still owe Tim that $20.


When we came into the center, the DJ and all the TCA staff were there waiting for us. It was like I had created my own entourage and they were all there to help us with any little thing we might need. We walked past the cocktail hour and waved at some of the  guests and then we were sequestered in the dressing room until it was time for the grand entrance.

The grand entrance was great fun. I couldn't see how everyone was entering, but the laughter was a good indication they were being creative. When we came around the corner to enter the room, it was absolutely breathtaking.

Everything I had imagined had come to fruition. The tables were exactly as they should be. The centerpieces were stunning. The faces and smiles of the people in the room were sincere and heartfelt. It was perfect. 

During our first dance, I honestly had moments where I completely forgot about anyone else in the room. I would look up at Jason, who was singling to me and I would get totally lost in the fact that I was his wife and this was our first dance. I wouldn't change single thing about those three minutes of my life. They, too, were perfect. 

Here is a full-length video of our first dance!

I think my dad was crying before he even got to the dance floor. He held it together pretty well throughout the dance, though. We talked about how perfect the ceremony had been and about the significance of the song we were dancing too (Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle). When I was in junior high, my dad and I kept a journal together. One of us would write and entry and then another one would and we would comment on each other's writing, or share pur favorite memories. The title of our journal was Butterfly Kisses, so the song was, of course, perfect.

Jason's dance to Louis Armstrong's Wonderful World was my first chance to take a deep breath and look around the room. It was epic to see all the people I loved in one place.

When Jason and his mother finished their dance, the DJ had everyone stand up and get into one huge circle around the room. Jason and I had NO idea he was going to do this, and it was hysterical to see some people holding hands. He then played That's What Friends Are For by Dionne Warwick and the whole room burst into song and swayed back and forth.

For the umpteenth time, I couldn't fight the tears. I was so touched by all the love that surrounded us in the room! Right at the end of the song, the DJ called us into the middle of the circle, and we were suddenly, literally surrounded by everyone we loved. It was overwhelming and borderline magical.

We were finally all seated and ready to eat. The head table was served by the wait staff while the rest of the guests were served buffet style. The food was absolutely amazing. My Uncle Richard said a prayer and Lettice sang Irish Blessing. 

As we enjoyed dinner, the toasts began. First Ryan, then Isabel, Megan & Laura, and then my dad. They were all great in their own way. Ryan, who didn't prepare anything ahead of time was a little nervous, but shared a great story about the time I crawled out on a frozen lake to retrieve my sled. Isabel shouted, "Have babies so I can babysit already!" and Megan and Laura prepared the most amazing Marriage Survival Toolkit for us. Even my dad, who I thought would never get through his speech, kept his composure and gave us his well wishes.

Follwoing Dinner, Mike the photographer took us outside to catch the amazing sunset. Here are a few of those. 

When we came back in, it was time for the garter and bouquet toss. Derek Erickson, one of Jason's friends caught the garter and my friend Dee Dee caught the bouquet. We'll see which one of them ends up married first. :)

Next, it was time to cut the cake. Jason and I hadn't discussed ahead of time whether or not this was going to get messy, and I was a little nervous. I fed Jason a small piece, very gently, trying to set the example that I didn't really want it all over my face. He didn't get the hint. He started out very sweet and gave me just a small piece, but before I knew it there was frosting all over my nose. That's Jason though, so I couldn't be mad. All I could do was laugh it off. Plus, the cake was REALLY good, which made it much easier to enjoy. 

With the cutting of the cake, all of our 'official' reception duties were done. From there out, we were able to enjoy the photobooth, dancing, friends and family that were all around us. 

After the reception, there was a small dessert hour on the top of the Tempe Center for the Arts. This entire event was Jason's idea and it turned out perfectly. There was coffee, after-dinner drinks, chocolate mousse, brownies, cookies and more. It was so nice to have a moment to actually site down and chat with some of our guests. I think this was a rare thing for a wedding. Morst of the out of town weddings Jason and I have gone to have flown by without us really even getting to say hello to the bride and groom. We didn't want that for our guests, so we designed this after-party to be a low key event that allowed us to chat with all our loved ones. It was the perfect way to wrap up the evening. 

At 10pm, it was time for the fairytale to end. The guests all gathered at the entrance to the Tempe Center for the Arts. Jason and I ran through a shower of bubbles and off we went to spend our wedding night at the Tempe Mission Palms.