The cruise was amazing! Lots of food and tons of entertainment. I was so nervous about feeling motion sickness and I never did! Woohoo! We stopped in CoCoCay and did some snorkeling...a little panicking on my end...by fun overall! In St. Thomas we went to Magen's Bay and got rained out after an hour, but it was beautiful anyway! The bus ride there was a little scary though...those people are crazy drivers. We also did a little shopping after Magen's Bay. St. Maarten was our favorite stop by far! We started at 8am and our tour guide drove us to the top of the tallest mountain on the island...and we trekked down it! Not exactly romantic but it was super fun! Then we went downtown for some shopping and ate at the Hard Rock Cafe. We got to have dinner with some of the singers on the boat because we were assigned to a table with their brother! Marquee was a show with a bunch of songs from Broadway. Once upon a time was a show with several fairy tales set to modern day songs. This was definitely our favorite! There was also an ice show, a magician/illusionist, and two comedians. We tried to get on the Love and Marriage game show, but it was fun just to watch too! We had such a wonderful time!!
Rewind a little...
The rehearsal dinner was absolutely amazing! Everyone made it to the church for a quick run through (despite the trains...welcome to Olmsted Falls Kevin and Selb). Then we headed to Pier W in Lakewood where Rick and Nancy hosted a fabulous evening complete with High Def Riesling and an awesome view of downtown Cleveland over the lake at night! =)
My MOH stayed downtown with me in the Hyatt at the Arcade. We showered and unpacked our things so we could come back and get dressed quickly the next day. But, around 1:30am...we moved rooms! Our AC was broken and it was so hot!! So, with my dress and all me moved rooms in the middle of the night! However, it was worth it!! We slept for about 4.5 hours and got up for the wedding day festivities!
The wedding day was definitely the best day ever!!!!! 82 degrees and Sunny with very little humidity...who could ask for better! But it was funny, as many times as I hoped and prayed it wouldn't rain, I didn't even think about it until late in the day! Finally I realized...hey it didn't rain! I was just blissfully living through the day without thinking.
The day started early, 6:20 am. The bridesmaids and the moms went to David Scott Salon and Spa to get our hair/makeup done. They had mimosas and pastries! I didn't want to eat, I was too nervous. I had my first "moment" with tears when my hair was finished and I LOVED it!! I had my makeup done (and bought a lipstick for touch ups) and we were out of there by 10ish. Back downtown we hurried to get dressed while the guys got some pictures taken. Shout out to my cousins Brian and Michelle for delivering the flowers downtown!! Thank you!
The big reveal was about 11:00am...Greg and I saw each other for the first time!! We took a few pictures in the Arcade, and then piled into the Excursion Limo for more pictures! We went to a few spots downtown by the science center, rock and roll hall of fame, and 4th street. Around 2pm we dropped the wedding party off at my parents for lunch, and Greg and I took off for more pictures. We went to the grand pacific junction and the railroad tracks, and got a little personal time. =)
3:00pm...crunch time. My MIL...sewed me back into my dress that popped open during pictures. And Off to the church where I snuck in the front before anyone saw me! In the limo I was asked to pick...grapes or a turkey sandwich. I picked grapes. After those, they asked me to eat the sandwich, and I just couldn't. So...Brigitte took the turkey and cheese out and rolled it up for me...whatever works!! =)
I brushed my teeth with a wisp, ate a mint or five, got hair sprayed again, pinned my something old and something borrowed into my dress, put band aids on my feet, got sprayed with aerosol deodorant, and freshened my lipstick! By the way...I didn't actually do any of that...I stood in a small room at the front of the church while my bridesmaids gathered round and pulled through to get me ready to get up the 100 foot aisle!! I couldn't have done it without them! I also kicked a few people out of the room I was in...my apologies...nerves.
4:05pm...walking down the aisle with my dad! The first half of the aisle I was a little weepy. The second half I had the biggest smile I think I've ever had combined with choking back sobs! That was definitely the hardest part! It is very overwhelming to get married...and to have so many people gather to support you!!
We made it through the ceremony and family pictures without a hitch. My cousin Jasson and his wife Hannah (also a bridesmaid) drove us downtown to the reception. It was nice to have a minute to sit and the hard part was over! When we got to Windows, Brigitte and Hannah bustled my dress...that whole train got tied up with 13 sets of strings!
Greg and I were happy to be part of the cocktail hour. We made our grand entrance. The wedding party walked in to, I Gotta Feeling by Black Eyed Peas. And Greg and I walked in to, It's a Beautiful Day by U2. Speeches were made by Brigitte, Kevin, and Andrew. And dinner was served!!
We started rounding to each table and really tried to get to everyone!! We cut the cake to LOVE by Nat King Cole and the cake slice we cut was too small- so all we fed each other was frosting! Our first dance was to Blue Eyes by the Cary Brothers and it was amazing. (This was the first time Greg realized I had fake eyelashes on! lol.) Greg sent me "Blue Eyes" through Instant Messenger before we started dating and it became our song. I cried all the way through to Father Daughter dance to, I Loved her First. Greg surprised his mom with the song he picked for their dance, I hope you Dance. And I hope our guests enjoyed the in-law dance we added to My Wish! My Sister, Kelly, dedicated a song to us, I Don't Want to Miss a Thing by Aerosmith. This was very nice of her and meant a lot to us!
9:00pm we snuck out with the photographer's for some night shots on the bridge. It was a little rushed so we didn't miss the party, but I know they will be amazing! Then it was back to the party!! The Wedding party did a shot of some sort...I just took what I was handed. =) And there was a special Summer of 69 dance with Katy, Stephanie, and Kyle. I was so happy everyone danced all night and the party didn't end until midnight!
We did have some fun surprises for our wedding! The Avenger's was being filmed in downtown Cleveland so roads were closed and people were detoured! Janet Jackson made a special appearance! She had a concert in the outdoor amphitheatre right next door to Windows! And the Cleveland Indians played that night...I'm sure the fireworks at the end of the game were dedicated to us! =)
Thank you to everyone for joining us on our wedding day! We could not have asked for a better time!! We look forward to our life together and sharing it with all of you! Keep watching the blog for married life updates!
Love <3
Greg and Christine Beers
Photo Credits to: Selby B, Rachel F, Debbie C, and Beth M.
No comments:
Post a Comment