That Wedding: Hometown Reception

After a full week of absolute gluttony and decadence while on our Relaximoon, it was time for us to put on our wedding attire for the last time and pose as bride and groom. We had gone back and forth so many times about whether the hometown reception was a good idea, or even necessary, but now that it's over I'm really glad we took the time to spend some time with the community that helped raise me.

I wish I had a camera in my hand as we drove up the road to the reception site. Our dear friends who hosted the party for us had sprinkled their property with lamps, torches, and twinkling lights. It looked magical. Guests were directed to park in a lot a few hundred yards from the house, and if they didn't feel like walking (it was a cold October night!), they were escorted up to the house on golf carts.

I smiled as I walked into the tent. I was so happy that we had decided to create our centerpieces ourselves, because it meant we would be able to re-use them later. For very little money we had created a cozy and beautiful atmosphere for the evening.

Of course my mom was walking around with camera in hand before the reception started. I don't think she can leave home without it.

The food! Oh the food was amazing. We worked with Jeff and Michelle of Sage Catering out of Yakima, WA. They worked to create a completely personalized meal that had our guests raving. Their presentation was really got me, since I'm a detail person, and Jeff went out of his way to make all of the food look at delicious as it tasted. If you are a central Washington bride, get in contact with them! I'm really happy with what they did for us.

When they asked what kind of menu we were interested in serving, I mentioned that we would love to have a fusion of foods that described the childhoods of both That Groom and myself. For the Polish dishes they made mini cabbage rolls, pierogi, potato pancakes, sernik (Polish cheesecake with chocolate glaze), and poppyseed cake. That Groom couldn't get enough of the poppyseed cake and said it was some of the best he has ever had! The American style dishes included beef satay, sliders, french fries, crudites, fruit and dip, mini apple pie bites, and chocolate decadence.

I wasn't surprised when many of our guests went straight for the food line instead of coming to see us! Here are the pierogis, don't they look delicious?

Guests were greeted by this frame as they entered the tent. It's a wedding gift from That Groom's aunt, and the pictures are of my cute little husband as a boy with his grandpa. The poem is in Polish, written by his grandfather about the time they spent together. We really wanted to find ways to make the decor and atmosphere very personal at this reception, and putting this poem on display really set the tone for the night.

For the festivities, I did my favorite fancy hairdo. My sister wasn't there that evening, and when talking to her a few weeks later she said, "I heard your hair looked really great that night!" I also loved being able to put on my birdcage veil one last time.

I love this picture of my new husband and my dad.

Who would be crazy enough to have an outdoor tented reception in Washington state at the end of October? We would!

My grandma knit me this very cozy, very soft shrug to keep me from turning into a popscicle that night. Now that the wedding is over, details like this shrug that I can use over and over in my everyday life are my very favorite.

It got so cold that our fabulous hostess dug into their snowmobiling closet for some heat packs. Once the guests saw mine they started asking for their own set as well. I spent most of the evening holding them over my ears and nose.

When I created the postcards for our guestbook at the Seattle wedding, I made sure they were general enough that we could use them for our hometown reception as well without anyone realizing that we made them pull double duty.

The little ones stayed entertained with a free wedding themed coloring book I found on the blu sky designs blog.

We had one of the images from our After Wedding Shoot with my mom on display. I love when couples sprinkle images for guests to look at throughout the reception space.

Although it was quickly thrown together, the slideshow of images from our relationship was a big hit. I was really overwhelmed by the amount of gifts we received. It was wonderful to spend time with so many people who care about us.

Compared to our wedding extravaganza the previous weekend. our hometown reception was a really laid back and informal event. There was no first dance, no cake cutting, and no bouquet. What we did have was good food, family, friends, laughter, and love. I realized that these things are all we ever needed.

Koniec. The End.

Previously:

That Wedding: Bridesmaid Party!
That Wedding: Whole Foods (Rehearsal-ish) Luncheon
That Wedding: Harbor Sailing
That Wedding: Putting My Face On
That Wedding: The Gift Exchange
That Wedding: Dressing That Bride
That Wedding: Bridal Details
That Wedding: The First Look
That Wedding: Into The Woods
That Wedding: Woodsy Family Portraits
That Wedding: To Wed! To Wed!
That Wedding: Showered With Love, Coins, and Hugs
That Wedding: Group Shots With a Little Spice
That Wedding: Those Groomsmen
That Wedding: The Whole Party
That Wedding: Me and My Maids (+Manmaid)
That Wedding: Ring Ceremony Prep
That Wedding: The Ring Ceremony
That Wedding: Let Us Whet Your Appetite
That Wedding: Photobooth
That Wedding: We Dance
That Wedding: Dining Details
That Wedding: Toasting
That Wedding: Bridesmaid Cake Pull
That Wedding: 8 Lovely Cakes
That Wedding: Bedding Down
That Wedding: Grand Exit