Rehearsal Dinner Dishing

As disappointed as I was about all the confusion during our rehearsal, which I’ll share details about soon, the rehearsal dinner is another story entirely!

Stephen’s parents were generous enough to host our pre-wedding celebration at Buca di Beppo, an Italian family-style restaurant known for its good food and fun atmosphere. Hungry and pumped up with excitement about the wedding, we headed over straight from the church for a relaxed meal with our wedding party, close family members and friends, plus out-of-town relatives.

Here, a few fun recaps from the dinner that got the party started!

Stephen and I smiled the night away as we drank, talked and toasted with our loved ones, many of whom we hadn’t seen in years.

Our guests had a blast using glass-safe markers to sign the two bottles of champagne I’d brought along, and also got a good laugh out of the cheesy “bride and groom” slipcovers I placed on top of each one. These bottles are now safely stored away for us to enjoy on our first anniversary!

Uncle Stephen, who my husband is named after, had everyone cracking up with funny and embarrassing family stories during his toast. I’d share a couple, but the groom would probably kill me!

The wedding party happily filled up on ravioli, pasta, tiramisu, and all the other yummy indulgences that left us beyond stuffed.

Where will you hold your rehearsal dinner, and who do you plan to include on the guest list? Will you host a separate party for out-of-towners?

(Photo Credits: Personal Library)

Wedding Day Tipping

Tipping can often be a tricky and touchy subject, so Stephen and I made sure to do our research about the expected courtesies well in advance. Plus, to ensure a stress-free day for ourselves, we then placed all of our tips and final payments in envelopes so that our coordinator could easily distribute them at the end of the wedding.

Here, the general tipping guidelines we followed.

• Photographer: Our photographer was the owner of his business, and the etiquette advice we read recommended against tipping.

• Hair & Makeup Stylist: I tipped between 10-15 percent for all services, just as I would following a regular hair or spa appointment.

• Baker: Since cake delivery and setup fees were included upfront in our total cost, we didn’t offer any additional tip.

• DJ: As thanks for a job well done, we provided a $50 gratuity at the end of the evening.

• Wedding Coordinator: We sent her a post-wedding “thank you,” rather than giving a monetary tip.

• Clergy/Church Ceremony Staff: All of the staff members at our church were paid according to a set fee outline, including the musician and coordinator, but we offered our priest a separate donation as thanks for his time and guidance, both on the wedding day and throughout our engagement.

• Reception Venue Staff: Our venue included an 18 percent gratuity as part of the overall bill, so there was no need to offer any additional tip. Before you tip, check your contract and receipts to be sure you haven’t already been charged for gratuities!

• Transportation: We avoided this category altogether by renting a van for the day, but the standard etiquette is usually 15-20 percent of the bill, along with covering any valet costs and tips that would otherwise be your guests’ responsibility.

• Videographer: Just as with our photographer, we didn’t offer any gratuities in addition to our videographer’s set fees.

• Florist: As with the baker, all setup and delivery fees were covered by our regular payments, and we didn’t leave a separate tip.

Have you given a lot of thought to wedding day tips, and do you agree with the guidelines we followed? Do you prefer that gratuities are worked into the final bill, or that you’re able to decide for yourself what percentage to pay?

(Photo Credits: Alex Neumann Photography)

Luaus & Leis

Call us cheesy tourists, but we just couldn’t leave Hawaii without attending a classic luau, especially since this was my first time visiting the islands. Though the food was just OK, and I hated the bland poi sauce that’s for some reason super popular, the hula dancers and show were incredible.

Sharing the legend of the first voyagers to Hawaii during ancient times, the performance was filled with song and fire-twirling. Plus, to get us in the Hawaiian spirit, we were able to string our own orchid leis onboard the ship earlier in the week.

As you can surely guess, these weren’t the only “touristy” things we did. By signing up for prearranged tours through the cruise line, we hit up many common hotspots before the week was over. But to keep things from becoming too predictable, we also rented a car for a couple days, which let us get out on our own and enjoy street fairs and “local” hangouts that were more off the beaten path.

Here, some highlights of our adventures.

I’ll definitely be back to hike Diamond Head, which we could see from our port in Honolulu.

 

Maui’s Iao Valley is lush and rainy. We also watched a kite surfing lesson at a small beach discovered along our drive to the island’s winery, where we sipped – what else? – pineapple wine.

Chickens run lose everywhere in Hawaii, where they live like wild birds! We saw this flock while stopped at a roadside market.

At Volcanoes National Park, we saw steaming craters and checked out the museum. That night, our ship also sailed past an active volcano, giving us a view (from a distance) of lava as it poured into the sea.

Sailing up the Na Pali Coast in Kauai was absolutely incredible!

Before catching our flight home on Oahu, we were able to visit Pearl Harbor, which was a must for history buffs like us.

When you travel, do you tend to go for popular tourist attractions, or do you prefer to seek the less common? What are some of your favorite sights in Hawaii?

(Photo Credits: Stephen Walrath)

Don’t You Know What Day This Is?

“While they were taking my order, I just wanted to ask, don’t you know what day this is?” my mom joked with me, my sister, and our hair and makeup stylists as she returned from her Starbucks run the morning of the wedding.

As excited as I was that day, if there was anyone even more pumped up, it would have been my mom. And with good reason! Between planning a wedding from across the country and balancing a busy schedule to boot, I would have been lost without my mom’s constant help and support. Did I need something picked up? My mom was there to handle it. Help reaching out to vendors early on? Mom was quick to assist. And finding a place to store all our DIY and store-bought treasures until the big day? Don’t even get me started.

Yes, this was definitely her day, too, and in light of that, I wanted to make her feel special by treating her to a little pampering. But, as a simple and humble gal, my mom doesn’t like to be fussed over. Professional makeup? Maybe. Manicure and pedicure? No thanks. And hairstyling? This freaked her out big time, and she was especially adamant about doing it herself.

But then, on the wedding day, the curls my mom tried to create in her own hair just didn’t turn out quite right, and she started to worry. As she watched my stylist Jana prettify me and the girls, I could see that she wished she’d agreed to have her own hair styled, too.

Wanting to make sure she was happy, I immediately talked to Jana. Not only did she agree to squeeze my mom in, but she agreed to do so for no additional fee. “Listen,” she told my mom. “You’re the mother of the bride today. In about a month, I’ll be the mother of the bride, too. So, don’t worry!”

In addition to being generous, Jana was very patient, making sure my mom was happy with everything she did, and that my mom wasn’t forced into anything too over-the-top. Of course, she came out looking gorgeous and feeling great, which continued throughout the evening while she danced the night away!

After the wedding, I was quick to send Jana a “thank you” card. In it, I thanked her for making me feel beautiful on my wedding day, but especially thanked her for making my mom feel as special and important as she deserved.

How do you hope to make your mom, grandmother, or another VIP lady feel special on the wedding day?

(Photo Credits: Alex Neumann Photography & Personal Library)

Presenting…Our Professional Photos & Slideshow!

When we hired Alex Neumann to be our wedding photographer, we knew our pictures would be amazing. But what we got back simply blew us away.

Each time I watch the slideshow below, I’m pulled right back into the excitement and joy I felt the day Stephen and I became husband and wife. Alex’s images truly capture the magic of our wedding celebration, turning our favorite moments into gorgeous memories.

The icing on the cake? Sharing it with our families, friends, and of course, all of you!



(Video Credit: Alex Neumann Photography)