Wed Recap: Surprises for the groom and the guests

I really wanted our wedding to be full of surprises for our guests and especially my groom - as much as he would let me surprise him.  :)  I wanted the guests to feel like they were at a sentimental and emotional wedding but also a really fun and entertaining one unlike your typical 'processed' weddings where it's the same expected thing after the same expected thing.

Some of the ways I tried to infuse this uniqueness and creative surprises were with little extra elements that didn't cost much at all and yet added something fun or different to the event.  So here they are:

I'm going to start off with the video today because believe me, you just have to see this first little surprise for my groom *LIVE* :)  Then after you can read about each thing and see the pics :)

1)  Of course, you all know about the one main thing I did at our ceremony that truly set our processional apart from anything else the guests had seen.  I incorporated a spoof of the E! THS as a video to precede my walk down the aisle.  I loved playing it at the ceremony instead of the reception as most montages are now played because it kept the guests all looking in the same place and gave them something to laugh at during what is typically a traditional and sometimes mundane part of the wedding celebration. 

2)  There was a great surprise for Mr Fix It during the processional as well.  I have eluded to the $14 sign I had created in our wedding colors from VistaPrint.com in the past.  Well, I saw a version of this idea on a blog while browsing for parasols for my bridesmaids and just had to do it!  We had our eldest ring bearer carry this fabulous little sign down the aisle.

By Robert Mullins

By Jeff Ezell

By Kristin Jepson

Unfortunately, the two ring bearers in front of him didn't walk quite as fast so he ended up getting real close to them to where it took a minute for Mr Fix It to truly be able to see what the sign said.  But once he and all the other guests got a glimpse of it, they had some great laughs as seen in these photos:

By Robert Mullins

Check out Mr Fix It's face when he sees the sign his nephew is carrying:

Photo courtesy Janet Campbell

I love all the guests laughing in this one :)

By Tanya Beever

By Robert Mullins

3)  For our recessional, I loved the photos I have seen of guests tossing flower petals at the bride and groom.  The shots are just gorgeous.  But I really wanted *ALL* of our guests to get in on the action and so when I saw this idea of 'ribbon wands' on another web site, I just had to incorporate it.  It was sort of inexpensive to make the wands.  I think it was $70 for about 100 of them.  I made one for every other guest and we placed them on the chairs at the ceremony.  Here you can see the guests holding them and playing with them pre-ceremony.

By Robert Mullins

By Robert Mullins

This little one was so in love with them that she collected a bunch during the cocktail hour and made them into pom poms :)  (By Kathleen Wolsfeld)

I was kind of bummed about how this was executed.  I wish I would have made enough for every single guest to have one.  And I should have actually attached a little tag on them letting them know when and how they should wave them because most of the guests either didn't wave them very high or out the aisle at us or they only waived them for a brief moment.  Therefore, we didn't get the great shot I was anticipating of us kissing at the end of the aisle with all these little ribbons flying over the guests heads :(  This was a fail type of idea...but had I done it better (listed it in the program or used tags), I think the guests would have gotten into it more.  Instead, here are the shots we got of a few of them waving around (as you can see, the video footage looked way better than these photos):

By Robert Mullins

By Roseanne Rivoli

 

By Robert Mullins

At least somebody had fun with them :)  Mr Fix It's little niece

By Robert Mullins

4)  And my favorite surprise for Mr Fix It and the guests at the reception was definitely the chocolate fountain.  When we first contacted our caterer, he let us know that they included a chocolate fountain with dippers like strawberries, bananas, marshmallows, pretzels, etc during your reception after dinner.  Well of course, I was not happy with just your typical chocolate fountain.  So I found a site online called http://fondue4you.com/   This place lets you buy different colored chocolate for your fountains.  And they had a wonderful Tiffany Blue color to match our wedding colors!

I mentioned to our caterer that I found the site and asked him to check and see if the cost of their chocolate was comparable to what he normally paid.  He said he would handle it no problem and didn't end up charging us anything extra.  Steve from La Finestra catering was very accommodating throughout the process and we loved working with him.  And look at all he put out (there's actually a lot more on the other side of the fountain)

Though when Mr Fix It heard me confirm the 'blue chocolate' order, he flipped out!  He was pissed that I had yet another 'stupid little detail' that was probably extra money and thought I was going way over on the wedding details.  Plus he kept insisting that colored chocolate was going to taste *horrible*!  Well, come wedding day when that chocolate fountain was all set up, he was eating his words...and the chocolate!  It was the most yummy-licious freaking chocolate I have ever tried before!  I didn't notice it was set up until the very end of the night and as soon as I made my way over there I was all over that thing...as were all the guests.  They raved about it!  I highly encourage you to order this stuff...soooo good!

Photos by Robert Mullins

We made sure all the guests knew about it by including it on the little place card notes we tucked into each guests' napkins.  We also had our DJ announce it after our first dance to let everyone know to go check it out.  It was set up right on the other side of the fire place in the alcove just off the dance floor so lots of people made there way over there.

All in all, these little extra details which didn't really cost much extra truly gave our guests some memorable things to be entertained by that they didn't see at just every other wedding.  Oh, and of course there were the other things like the magician, photobooth, and flip flops that they loved as well.  Lots of fun surprises.

H-moon Recap: An open letter to the women who massaged us

Mr Fix It and I are huge fans of massages.  I even have my own personal aesthetician who does facials and massages and waxings for me on a regular basis - she was even at my wedding :)  One way Mr Fix It coaxed me into going to Bali was by raving about how you can get these cheap massages on the beach for like less than $5 for an hour!  Sign me up! 

Unfortunately, the women who offer these massages on the shoreline or on the cliffs are typically really old ladies who are not the cleanest people in the world and while I love immersing myself in the culture and truly do like interacting with the locals, they hound you about a massage even when you don't want one which becomes quite annoying.  Most of my time on the beach was spent faking that I was asleep :)

Before we left the land of Oz, we decided to get a massage in a place we passed at the local shopping mall we visited.  Below are a few letters to let these people know what we thought of our experiences:

To the Asian guy who gave me a massage in Australia:

I just wanted to thank you for the wonderful full body massage you gave me while I was visting the Gold Coast on my honeymoon in April.  $60 for a 60 min massage is pretty typical of the price we pay in the states and you did great considering it was a 'walk in' joint.

I do, however, want to apologize for my husband.  I guess having 'rooms' that are really only a bed with curtains between them might not be the greatest idea when you have customers who don't appreciate your services.  At first I didn't think anything of it when I heard him say a couple times that his girl was pushing too hard on him.  That is really unusual considering he usually likes deep tissue massages.  And maybe she didn't realize that he had just pulled his back surfing the day before which was why he was trying to get the muscles worked out.  Instead, he felt like she was reinjuring him instead of helping.

I felt really bad for her once he finally sat up in the middle of the massage and told her that he was done and wanted her to stop.  He tried to maintain his patience and be polite.  But when your manager came in to see what all the fuss was about, he couldn't keep it in anymore and just had to say that 'she didn't know what she was doing' and she shouldn't be giving massages.  You really didn't need to keep apologizing for her.  I felt bad that I think he almost made her cry.  It wasn't your fault and you did a fabulous job on me so no worries.

Thankfully, I found my hubby shopping down the mall and just let him vent for a few minutes about what a sucky job she did on him.  Next time, I'll just come by myself :)

To the two young ladies who work at the Balinese massage parlor we stopped in on our first night in Bali:

How can we ever thank you for the fabulous job you did when we stopped in for a massage during our honeymoon?  My husband had a horrible experience in Australia the day before and after a six hour plane ride, we were so excited to stroll past your shop just around the corner from our hotel.  Though your massage was about $25 for an hour, which was definitely more than the lovely old woman on the beach was offering, it was way worth it!

I would say you both had magic hands.  I must admit that I wasn't totally excited about *every* part of the 'Balinese' massage though.  I am not a fan of having the balls of my feet slammed against with your fist.  And the slapping sound I heard as you smacked my back at that one point was not anything I'd ever heard before whilst getting a massage.  It was also interesting to see you try to stretch my legs in ways that made me believe you thought I was a Gumby doll.  Unfortunately, I'm just not that flexible.

But regardless, I still felt great afterwards and my husband was feeling totally restored and repaired at this point.  It was a great end to our first night in Bali.

Kind of a bummer that we came back a couple nights later and you both weren't working :(  We ended up with a guy and girl that didn't quite meet up to the standard you had set.  By that point, I was truly over the whole massage experience in this part of the world.  Mr Fix It was not impressing me with these massages he raved about.  Oh well.  At least we had *one* good experience abroad...so thanks for that!

Source

To the old woman who wouldn't leave me alone while I was sunbathing at Bingin's beach:

I appreciate that you make your living by preying upon all the people who frequent the little eatery up there on the cliff top.  It was nice to have a place to grab some grub and lounge around for a few hours while my husband was out surfing in the water.  It was not so nice however to have you continually 'pinch' me in an effort to entice me into employing your services for a 'may-sauge'.  Really?  Pinching my arm up and down while I am trying to listen to my ipod and lay on a mat is not my idea of relaxation.  Maybe that's your idea of a massage but definitely nothing I've ever experienced before. 

I should have just given you $5 to get you to leave me alone and go away, but I was trying to be polite.  Thankfully, Mr Fix It did not make me go back there again the next day when he went to surf.  Lounging by my resort infinity pool was way more enjoyable than being attacked by the likes of sand crabs who think they are masseuses. 

Personal Photo

I like doing this (above) as opposed to this (below)

Kuta Beach Massages Source

At our final resort at the Blue Point Bay Villas, we scheduled a couples massage at what was truly a resort type spa...while not the greatest full body massage I've ever received, it was at least decent.  However, I felt the 2 ladies who were running their hands all over me and Mr Fix It's body were maybe just a little too friendly.  The woman who was massaging me gave me my first ever experience of a breast massage...something that most masseuses I've worked with have never done before.  When I mentioned it to Mr Fix It as we left the spa, he indicated that his lady also got a little touchy feely and came very close to his manhood at least one or two times to where he tightened up a bit wondering if he was going to be offered a 'happy ending'?

Source

This (above) was not as relaxing to me as this (below)

Source:  Blue Point Bay Villas

We ended our honeymoon with one final attempt at the Bali massage experience by getting a 30 minute head, neck and foot massage in the airport in Denpasar.  That was actually not that bad and you can't complain about getting a massage while stuck in an airport :) 
TODAY'S TIP:  Don't think that one culture's idea of relaxation will translate well into another culture!

Wed recap: The one where the bride doesn't know what the first dance song is

So if you didn't know about it, our first dance was one of those things that fell by the wayside during our planning process.  Originally, we fully intended to pay for dance lessons and have a choreographed swing dance.  But the day of our first lesson (which was supposed to take place at Dancing with the Stars' Cheryl Burke's studio), we cancelled our appointment because we were afraid we would have to put our dog to sleep that day.  Thankfully, he made it many more months but the dancing lessons became more of a stress than something we were excited about.

There was just too much going on with all the other wedding plans, work issues, family related issues and the uncertainty of what was going on with our doggie.  It was a pretty emotional time.  So we finally just agreed that we didn't have the time, money or motivation to perfect a choreographed routine.

Since we didn't really have 'a song' that was just 'ours,' I had no idea what we were going to dance to.  But Mr Fix It had mentioned several times in the year that he had a special song that he wanted to dedicate to me at some point during our wedding day.  I asked him to coordinate with our DJ if they thought it would be sufficient for us to dance our first dance to.  They both said it was a little 'fast' but if we wanted to bop or bounce to it, it would be fine.  The only condition was that Mr Fix It did not want me hearing it until our wedding day.  I was actually okay with this.  Though I was nervous about it (and with good reason as you'll see in a moment), it was kind of cool to know that there was something I would actually have to look forward to as a surprise for *me* since I had planned so many things for my guests and even my groom.  And I loved the idea of waiting to hear the song that reminded Mr Fix It of me on our wedding day.

So without further ado, here is the video of our first dance...I warn you that the video is shaky and the videographer walked around a bit so it's not edited video, but it will give you a look at our special moment.

Raw footage courtesy of Video Keepsakes of Beverly Hills

It was in fact so special because even though it was awkward to dance to a 'fast' song and even though Mr Fix It is not the greatest dancer :) and we looked really out of sync and such together, it was still our moment.  As the song began, it was hard for me to hear the words, so Mr Fix It decided to sing them to me in my ear.  We just swayed close together and I listened to these words and then it was seriously over before I knew it.

I was completely oblivious to all the people standing around probably bored out of their mind and wondering why we didn't break into a choreographed dance - my family and friends know this is totally my style and I know they were expecting it - but everyone else wasn't in the room at that moment.  And honestly, as you see us talking in the video, I have no freaking idea what the heck we were saying to each other in those moments :)

And just for fun, here are the lyrics to the song which I had to later listen to again on my ipod during our honeymoon to truly appreciate them.  It was really special because Mr Fix It always jokes with me that I was the first person he ever loved or had sex with which is so obviously not true considering he's been married and divorced and has left a plethora of women in his wake.  So it was kind of romantic to think that he truly thinks of me as his 'first' and his 'last.'  :)

Barry White - My First, My Last, My Everything

The first, the last, my everything

And the answer to all my dreams

You're my sun, my moon, my guiding star

My kind of wonderful, that's what you are

I know there's only, only one like you

There's no way they could have made two

You're all I'm living for

Your love I'll keep for evermore

You're the first, you're the last, my everything

And with you I've found so many things

A love so new only you could bring

Can't you see it's you

You make me feel this way

You're like a fresh morning dew on a brand new day

I see so many ways that I

Can love you till the day I die

You're my reality, yet I'm lost in a-a-a a dream

You're the first, the last, my everything

All photos by Robert Mullins Photography

H-moon Recap: Me, Tarzan...You, Jane!

One of the very coolest things we did on our honeymoon was a tree top walk in Lamington National Rainforest in Australia.  This little 'hike' was part of O'Reilly's Retreat where we stayed for only one day. 

I loved O'Reilly's because it reminded me of those summer or science type camps you would visit out in the middle of the woods in nature.   We had a great time hiking through the rainforest which I'll share in a future recap...but for today, I just wanted to share a few pieced together personal video clips of this little walk through the trees.

You walk along a boardwalk through the woods...we did this the morning that we left O'Reilly's and the sun was out and the birds were chirping and it was so nice out weather-wise.  Just off the boardwalk is a little set of chained together bridges that take you 'up' into the trees.  Most of the 9 suspension bridges that you walk through the trees are about 55 feet above the ground.  Though it's weird because you don't feel like you are really off the ground at all...that is, until you get to the two observation decks.  These are actually 110 feet off the ground and are only accessible by a metal ladder which is surrounded by a protective wire cage.  You'll see all this in the video.  So take a look...

It was actually somewhat scary climbing those ladders.  As I have mentioned before, my tough guy, Mr Fix It is afraid of heights.  So I spared him the embarassment of the video that shows where he started to panic a little climbing to the lower observation deck.  He didn't make it up to the second one like I did but I was so proud of him for pushing himself and climbing up with me. 

This was by far one of my favorite activities on our honeymoon.  What was your fave thing you did on your h-moon?  Or if you haven't gone yet, what are you most looking forward to on your h-moon or what was a fave activity on a previous vacation?

TODAY'S HONEYMOON TIP:  We found out about this little hiking adventure through the resort we stayed at.  So be sure to check with resorts and hotels you are visiting to ask them about referrals and suggestions on local activities and entertainment.

Wed recap: Embarassing the hell out of the bride and groom

That's really what toasts should be referred to...because most of them (at least the ones the guys give) are usually pretty embarassing.  In our case, our best man, Mr Fix It's brother started off his toast with a total perverted comment.  Watch my lovely reaction to this...and remember that I was very active in my church and that all of our guests know that I am a passionate Christian who tries to uphold and lead by example with some conservative and traditional values and morals.  :)

Best Man's Toast

In the end, it was very sweet what he said...short and sweet.  Probably a good thing.  But man, really?!?

Up next was my sister.  Of course the girls always talk a lot longer. And though it may seem like a long time, her speech flew by!  She was really nervous about it...she does not like speaking in front of crowds.  At one point, she even said she was just going to write a poem and recite it...which I would have loved because she writes amazing poems.  But I am so happy about the wonderful speech she shared...it was heartfelt, full of old memories and actually really funny, too!  She did great...and when you watch this, you'll get a great glimpse of insight into who both me and my sister are and our pasts as well :)

Matron of Honor's Toast

And finally, I just had to give a thank you speech. 

Bride's Thank You Toast

Mr Fix It is also not good in front of an audience.  It's funny because he is so loud and boisterous and extraverted in general but when it comes to gettin' up in front of a large room of people, he freezes.  Since I do not and I actually sometimes love speaking in front of crowds, I went ahead and handled our speech.  I wrote it out months before the wedding and read through it a couple times.  But never really memorized it.  On the day of, I just spoke from the heart and what I could remember of what I had written out and I loved it.  Though I have to admit, this would be the very last thing I'd have to do on the wedding day as far as speaking in front of everyone and I was a tad bit nervous and so glad to get this thing done. 

And those were the three lovely speeches that were shared at our wedding reception.  What do you think? 

Do you have any memorable stories from speeches you have seen, received or given at weddings?

TODAY'S WEDDING TIP:  I don't know if you did/plan on doing this at your wedding, but I highly encourage either the bride, groom or both to just share a few words. Doesn't need to be quite as long as mine, but just to say an overall thank you to those you love for celebrating with you.


All video clips courtesy of Video Keepsakes of Beverly Hills

Wed Recap: Traditions and Crazies

Today's video recap is one of my faves.  Mostly because it just shows me and the girls being ourselves and being silly while getting me ready and taking some photos.  I warn you that the video is shaky in some parts and may seem incoherent since it is a few pieced together clips.  :)  But I have to thank Gary Freedline of Video Keepsakes of Beverly Hills for the wonderful footage.  I love seeing the raw footage because it truly does take me right back to the moments of the day.

So, this post is all about the traditions...the something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.  I'll let you watch the video then I'll share some pics and a brief recap of the different items and their meaning to me:

Something Old

All of my jewelry became my something old for the day.  My earrings were a gift from my bridesmaid Lauren when I served as the Maid of Honor at her wedding 9 years earlier.  They were one of my favorite pairs of earrings and I loved being able to wear them on my special day as a reminder of the special place we've both held in each other's lives (I introduced her to her husband through mutual friends).

Photo courtesy Yan Freedline (Video Keepsakes of Beverly Hills)

My necklace and bracelet were custom designed by a jewelry maker, Jeanette Readinger here in Orange County.  I told her I wanted a brooch for a necklace and something smaller for a bracelet.  She sent me off to a local vintage swap meet where I found a brooch and a pair of clip on earrings.  I showed her some inspiration pictures of necklaces and bracelets I found on Etsy and she created a 'new' necklace and bracelet from the old vintage brooch and one of the clip on earrings.  I LOVED them and though I had doubts that the necklace would be too much with my extravagant gown, I absolutely loved how it all came together on the big day.  So many people complimented my necklace that I have decided to keep it to share with future ladies in our family so they can use it as their something old or borrowed.  Jeanette even said it was the prettiest bridal necklace she's ever made! :)

Something New

My Sabelle gown by Maggie Sottero and fabulous Jeanette red shoes by Me Too were my somethings new.  No need to say more...they were gorgeous and I loved them!

Photo courtesy Yan Freedline (Video Keepsakes of Beverly Hills)

Something Borrowed

I did not want to wear a veil on my big day.  Mostly because I didn't want to pay for one (they are ridiculously expensive) and because I knew that I did not want them in most of my pictures.  Unlike a lot of brides, I didn't plan on wearing a veil throughout the entire day and into the reception.  Not my thing.  But I did love the look of them in some photos and I also had my sister tell me that she regretted not wearing a veil at her wedding because it truly does make you feel like a bride.

So I came up with a wonderful idea...two of my girlfriends had gotten married in the 2 years before our engagement.  They were from the bible study that I lead and hold a special place in my heart.  I asked both of them if either would have any problem with me borrowing their veil for our ceremony and to serve as my 'something borrowed.'  One of them said she had unfortunately packed hers away and had it preserved, but the other one still had access to hers and was honored to share it with me.  And it was so perfect because it totally matched my gown with it's color and simple beading along the edges and it was the perfect length.  God has a funny way of working things out like that. 

Photo courtesy Yan Freedline (Video Keepsakes of Beverly Hills)

Since I only wore the veil for the ceremony, there was another super special item that I incorporated as an additional something borrowed.   This was passed on to me by my grandmother who just passed away this past Friday :(  It belonged to her sister, my great Aunt Geraldine.  It is a gold bracelet that was worn by my sister at her wedding and my cousin at her wedding.  When my Aunt asked me if I wanted to wear it as my something borrowed, I told her of course!  Then she mentioned that it was gold and didn't sound like it would go with my attire since everything was kind of silvery or white and sparkly.  But I remembered that the dress I switched into for the reception was ivory with gold embellishments!  Perfect match!  I wore the bracelet at the reception as seen here in our first dance and while giving my toast :)

And just for fun, here's a pic of it on my sister at her wedding almost 4 years ago courtesy of Eric Cotter of Jim Kennedy Photography:

Something Blue

This was the most special of all the things to me on our day.  Most girls go for the traditional garter as their something blue or perhaps a hanky with blue trim or a tag that can be sewn into your gown with your name(s) and/or wedding date in blue thread.  These are all great ideas and perfect ways to incorporate the 'blue' item.  But I didn't like the commonly done things.  So when Mr Fix It pulled out a bunch of his mother's old costume jewelry and asked me if I wanted to keep any of it, I was thrilled when I saw this pretty little blue brooch.  Mr Fix It's mother passed away when she was 49 and of course was not there on our day with us.  But I knew I wanted to find a way to honor her memory.  I had my florist, Allison of Flower Allie place the brooch on my bouquet and it was the perfect accent for the flowers and also went along with our decor and theme since our colors were a turquoise/aqua blue and cranberry red :)  I loved it!

Share time:  Did you follow this tradition?  And what were your 'somethings'?

Unlise otherwise indicated, all photos by Robert Mullins Photography

Wed Recap: I see you! (The first look that almost wasn't...)

There are many things debated by brides (and mothers...and grooms) when planning a wedding.  Perhaps one of the most hotly debated topics is whether or not to do a 'First Look' between the bride and groom *before* the ceremony and that infamous walk down the aisle.  I shared our reasoning behind our decision back here.  And I am very glad that we did this.

Like most things at our wedding, I had a vision in my head of how this was going to play out.  The difference between our first look and most other brides is that I did not want to deprive our family (and especially our mothers) of being a part of the moment when we first lay eyes on each other all decked out in wedding attire.  And thankfully, our venue provided a wonderful way for us to still have some sort of intimate moment but still have our family and wedding party members participate.

The maids (with family behind them) hanging on the patio waiting for our first look...

Of course, nothing goes according to plan and like other things on that day, this moment was almost ruined...by none other than Mr Fix It himself.  You will see in today's video that as I come out to begin taking photos with my bridesmaids, I am directing somebody to find our coordinator and the groomsmen and be sure they keep Mr Fix It held back when he arrives until I can hide out of sight.  The grounds were huge and there were many ways to get around the different areas.  But mainly, there is a little parking lot that we had parked in that takes you straight by the reception room and down towards the ceremony and dressing areas.  So I was pretty confident he would get held up there.  WRONG!

Mr Fix It decides to park upstairs and come down through the zoo into the ceremony area bypassing the reception room where all of the coordinators were working and the cocktail area where the guys had gathered.  So instead, while this shot was being taken:

I suddenly hear somebody say "There's John!"  To which I reply "No, it isn't...where?"  Sure enough, I caught a brief glimpse of Mr Fix It carrying his tux marching down a walkway straight to our ceremony area where I was standing all by my lonesome smack dab in the center of the chairs!  I start screaming at him to turn around and go back the other way and then all my bridesmaids start screaming at him to go back and smartly they all run over and surround me like a pack of protective wolves while I drop down into crouch mode on the ground in the center of the ladies. 

Mr Fix It is totally confused and has no idea what or why everyone is yelling at him but he must have suddenly got it because he did go back the other way finally.  The next shot in the video is me chiding the groomsmen for not handling like the only real duty they had on the wedding day - keeping track of Mr Fix It!!!  Unfortunately, no one - not the photographer or videographer - got any shots of footage of this little mishap as it unfolded.  It would have been funny.

Anyway, so as you'll see, I had our family all wait on the patio just outside the bridal cottage at the end of the bridge that leads to the ceremony.  Mr Fix It stood in the center of all the ceremony chairs/aisle with his back to me.  I made my way across the bridge and snuck up on him.

Also, note that in the world of wedding videography, some things are not always totally 'real.' As you'll see in this video, we had our first look (which felt a little awkward sometimes) and then the videographers had us go back and do a second take so they could shoot us from different angles. The second look is actually the one they used on our video trailer and we felt much more relaxed I think. Kind of silly but I loved it :)

This video was created with raw footage courtesy of Video Keepsakes of Beverly Hills

I love the look on Mr Fix It's face and how he looks like he is afraid to touch me in my gown. He just looked petrified. :) I love how our family was cheering in the background and how they screamed things like "Pinch his butt!" and "Save it for the honeymoon!"

And now for the pictures that captured the real moment of our first look:

This was the view from our family's vantage point taken by my cousin Bridesmaid A:

This is the first of many photos and video which include what I call my 'Frile' or 'smown.'  It is this horrible version of a smile and a frown which has some sort of emotion behind it.  It made it's first appearance on this blog in the Moments Before video recap last week and was obvious in yesterday's video interview as well.  :)

He is asking me if I am 'getting close' and says he can hear me

I think somebody said to 'Pinch his butt' which made me laugh!

The REAL first look!

Followed by our first kiss of the day!  Wowza!

I love this shot taken by my cousin BM A

He just kept stepping back and staring at me

I did in fact pinch his butt when I met him the first time :)

Our first look was not tearful as I had thought it might be.  Mr Fix It didn't even really smile the entire time.  The moment was just calm and collected and a little funny.  We got to hug, kiss and tell each other how wonderful we looked without having to stick to the script of a ceremony.  Mr Fix It got to be himself as was made obvious when he looks down my chest trying to see how it's possible that I have more cleavage than normal :)  And then he made his stupid, perverted comments which made the videographers laugh.  I couldn't get upset though because that is totally the man I married.  I just had to laugh.

The one thing I do remember which is not really seen or heard anywhere on the video is that in those moments he stepped back and looked at me and said "You look very, very, very, very, very, very, very pretty."  It was so funny...he said the word 'very' like 8 or 9 times.  It totally stuck out in my head and I have not forgotten it.  It was nothing like I expected it to be, but so totally perfectly us...nerves and all.

TODAY'S WEDDING TIP:  If you want to do a first look, do it!  Regardless of when you see each other on the wedding day, nothing takes away from what you feel the moment you walk down that aisle.  After our first look, during our ceremony, as I walked across the bridge, I glanced at the altar to see Mr Fix It, but then my gaze went straight ahead...all I could see were the guests and I smiled at them.  As I turned the corner to the main 'aisle,' I stopped for a moment holding my dad back.  I know I had a huge smile on my face and wasn't sure if I was fighting back tears or not.  But one thing I fully remember very powerfully was how breathless I felt...so much so, that I raised my shoulders and chest and took a huge breath of air - almost like a heavy sigh.  Then I made the march the rest of the way down the aisle.  From that moment on, my eyes were solidly fixed on Mr Fix It.

Unless otherwise noted, all photos by Robert Mullins Photography