I'm Amy, and I love to plan and design events! Weddings, parties, corporate events - whatever the occasion, I love to make it fabulous. Thanks for stopping by! It's nice to meet you!
Well, are you ready to hear the ending to this wedding story? Let's see. At last count, we have a few guests trickling in to the reception venue, the ceremony has been postponed, a modified reception is about to begin, and the groom is Missing in Action.
Word had spread fairly quickly to the guests that the ceremony was postponed, so few of them actually showed up at the ceremony site. Those that did were redirected to the reception. The bride was still at the hotel trying to find her groom and their families were now hanging out with me at the reception. Well, except for the groom's father and a few groomsmen. They went to the chapel for a little photo session. (I guess it seemed like a good way to kill time since they were all dressed up.)
Jeff, the ever-resourceful venue manager at Houston Station, finally found an officiant that was willing to brave the elements and conduct a ceremony. The only catch, she needed to help a stranded friend before she could head our way. This could take a few hours, but hey, it was better than nothing. Now, we just needed the bride and groom to give us the green light. Would they still want to get married on this soggy day or wait until they could have their dream ceremony at the beautiful Scarritt-Bennett? We wouldn't have an answer until the groom was found.
Sometime around 1:00 or 1:30-ish our prayers were answered! The groom and a trusty groomsman showed up safe and sound! Yay! They actually risked life and limb to leave their subdivision and return to the wedding. Trust me, the photos of the flooded road they drove through made my heart stop. But there was no time for a tongue-lashing. He needed to talk to the bride and put her fears to rest. Together, they would decide whether or not to go through with their marriage plans.
They weighed the pros and cons of postponement. The families gave their two-cents. And.... drumroll please! The answer was yes! If the officiant could make it to the reception, they would say their vows and exchange their rings on this extraordinary day.
Now on to the photos. Remember that renegade photographer I mentioned? He was still at the chapel. So the families, the bridal party and the bride and groom all convened for wedding photos before coming to the reception. I mean, why not? We had some time to kill and everyone looked so dapper. Finally, I got the call that they were on their way to Houston Station. Let the reception begin!
Yes, we had the reception before the ceremony. Since our original wedding plan was long gone, we just decided to throw convention to the wind. We had about 35 guests (including the wedding party) so the celebration began. Drinks were poured, food was served and coffee was brewed. And finally, the bridal party arrived. This is where the fun begins. Did I mention that the bride and groom are professional ballroom dancers? Oh yes. For their grand entrance, they choreographed a special number with the entire bridal party. So now we have dancing! It's a bonafide party now! And lucky for you, we have a video clip to share. (Just remember, I'm a planner not a videographer.)
Happy days are here again! It's 3:00 p.m. and we get a call from Belinda Leslie (the fill-in officiant) that she found her stranded friend (whew, what a relief) and would be with us in an hour. (At this point, we still had not made contact with the original officiant and I was growing increasingly worried. Thankfully, his call finally came through and he was stranded at home. I was so glad that he had not gotten stranded en route to the ceremony.)
Speaking of the ceremony! Belinda arrived, and we spent a few minutes (literally) going over a ceremony plan. The venue staff put together a little vignette on the dance floor, and I got the bridal party prepped and ready to go. Remember how we don't have any musicians? Right. Can I just say I love all you iPhone addicts? Thanks to technology, we came up with a couple of songs for the processional and recessional and the wedding began. Vows were spoken, rings were exchanged and true love declared.
We finished out the evening with the traditional cake cutting, toasts and first dance. So I guess you could say that it all ended as planned.
Well, except for that bittersweet ending I mentioned. Later that night, I got a call from the bride. Their beautiful new home in Bellevue was full of water. Instead of spending the next two weeks on a warm sandy beach, they would be cleaning and gutting their new house.
This sweet couple remained strong through it all. They took their vows to heart -- "For better or worse" they will survive. No, they will do better than that. They will prosper and love will prevail. Congratulations Alex & Johnny!
Special Thanks to all who went the extra mile for this wedding:
Hether & April - my talented and hard-working assistants
Scott Davis - Notable Blends, for putting together our sound system and serving up the BEST coffee delights in Nashville
Houston Station - Jeff & his staff who went above and beyond to make it all work
Belinda Leslie - you saved the day! Thank you for officiating!
Ryan Kenner & Uncle David- photographers extraordinaire!
Nashville Event Lighting - Misty who set up in torrential rain and never stopped smiling
Music City Tents - for delivering in the downpour and setting up with a smile
Dai-Mic & Heather for making it through the flood waters to serve the libations
Sweet Mrs. Johnson - thank you for braving the weather to deliver a delicious wedding cake
previous comment should have read:
Amy...A.K.A Superwoman!!!
LOL!!!
...later girl!
Posted by: Vickie / Bella Weddings | May 17, 2010 at 03:45 PM
Amy ...A.K.S. Superwoman!!!
Enjoyed reading about the day!
Posted by: Vickie / Bella Weddings | May 17, 2010 at 03:43 PM