Mrs.KC's biography
****All photos were taken by my family. Please source me if you choose to use any of them elsewhere. Thank you****
Some background information...
The Kwanjula is a Ugandan tradition from my side of the family. It's a formal introduction ceremony of the bride's fiance to her family. It's also the public engagement ceremony whereby he asks for her hand in marriage after receiving the blessing from the bride's parents. This is traditionally done at the time of engagement, but due to those traveling from abroad, we had the ceremony the evening before our wedding.
The most fascinating aspects of the ceremony are the outfits. The women wear colorful ensembles called a basuti while the men wear tunics called akanzu.
My mom's friends in basutis & Representatives for my side of the family in kanzus:
The gifts are also an integral part of the ceremony. The groom is expected to bring gifts for the "bride price" or "dowry". It's customary in Uganda for the bride's parents to receive gifts such as cows, chickens, goats, fruits & vegetables, and other living staples.
Matt arriving w/the gifts:
Our ceremony...
The ceremony took place in my parent's backyard with about 130 guests who observed. Matt and his entourage arrived with the gifts and were seated on one side of the tent. My family was seated on the other side. The center was set up as a stage for where my entourage would come and greet Matt's entourage. It's also where I was seated for the entire ceremony.
The elders from my side of the family:
My bridesmaids! (minus 2):
Matt and part of his entourage:
Matt and I each had spokespersons who spoke in our defense on why we would like to marry.
I changed my busuti a total of 3 times. They do this to try and throw off who I am...so that Matt is confused as to whom he's asking to marry. (Yes, it's a comic affair!)
My sister (in green) and I:
In the end, Matt received the blessing from my father and officially proposed.
My parents!:
My mom had me crying during the blessing:
Our pastor came and gave a few words of advice.
Afterwards we partied with a feast (<--not kidding...I've never seen that much food!) also called a Kasiki which translates "bachelorette party". It was an awesome time! We had dancers perform and everyone got in on the action!
The whole day was a dream come true for us. To be surrounded by friends and family was so overwhelming and extremely blessing. We look back at the day now and wouldn't change a thing. Special thanks to our family and friends who worked hard to help us have the wedding we always hoped for.
Also, thank you to PW for helping me organize all those plans and execute them in style! This community was such a Godsend. We're now embarking on our new journey as husband and wife...and so far... we're loving it!
My best friend and sister (Matron & Maid of honor) spent the night with me in my room. I was grateful to have them close by just in case I got nerves!
We woke up at 7am. I needed to be at the "getting-ready" location by 8am...so I already felt like we were running behind. My family gathered together in the living room before I left to pray together. It was awesome having everyone together to just welcome God to be a part of our day.
I met my bridal party at a friend's apartment where the hairdresser and photographer were already setup and starting their duties. I plopped down on the couch and my cousin got to work on my hair. The bonding was unbelievable. We had a blast just talking and reminising as we got all dolled up. I'll have you all know I was constantly eating lol. I believe I had two muffins and some fruit. :)
After my hair was done I jumped in the shower and then weighed myself! haha... how happy was I to read 120lbs on that scale!? Woo hoo... I had lost 10 lbs since the serious kick-butt workouts! (the photog caught a shot of this too!) I then headed to the other room where my friend began to do my makeup.
My mom arrived and began steaming my dress. Once I was ready she and my sister helped me get into my dress. My bridesmaids had not yet seen my dress, so we stayed behind closed doors until I was ready. I came out and the room was silent! I looked at one of the girls and she was crying...which caused me to tear up too... so we had to cut that visual contact lol! The hairdresser touched up my hair and then we headed out!
My uncles picked us up and took us to my parent's house to get some outdoor pictures. Once we got out of the cars a few of my bridesmaids began singing "Going to the Chapel"...then they broke out in 3 part harmony... it was awesome...and the theme song up until we walked down the aisle! At my parents house we got some shots and then piled back up into the cars and headed to the church. We arrived and quickly ran in the back door!
Two of my bridesmaids had picked up Subway on the way so we all munched on those while we waited. Yes, I ate an entire six inch minutes before my wedding. :)
Before I knew it my photog was asking me to come out and see my dad for the first time. We had decided to do a "first look" right before we walked down the aisle. It was awesome seeing him!! He was so handsome! He kept saying how beautiful I looked! :) Before we knew it Mandy Moore's "Only Hope" began playing and the bridal party began the procession.
Right after the last couple entered, the ushers closed the doors and my dad and I lined up to enter. At the crescendo of the song they opened them back up and we began our walk down the aisle. I remember a lot of flashes...and then I locked eyes with Matt and it was like no one else was there. It was so weird...and so calming at the same time. The ceremony went beautifully...
Before we knew it, we were pronounced husband and wife and we were exiting the church!
Photographs by Brett Yacovella with Making the Moment Photography
Photographs by Brett Yacovella with Making the Moment Photography
Photographs by Brett Yacovella with Making the Moment Photography
I had a "first look" with my dad...
Photographs by Brett Yacovella with Making the Moment Photography
Photographs by Brett Yacovella with Making the Moment Photography
Photographs by Brett Yacovella with Making the Moment Photography
****All photos were taken by my family. Please source me if you choose to use any of them elsewhere.
Thank you****
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." - 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Narrated by Kathy...
We have a mutual friend who I was going to school with in college who was throwing a "welcome back to school" party our junior year. Matt was one of his close friends from home whom he invited. I spotted him as soon as he walked in the door and was definitely "intrigued" :-) My little sister (4 years younger...4 inches taller) was there with me, since she was in town helping me move in. Matt came by and started chatting her up, obviously pegging her as the older one... so wrong! haha. Needless to say, Jenny eventually steered him in the right direction and by the end of the night he asked for my number. I didn't think he would actually call...but the next day he asked if he could see me again. We've been together ever since...and it's always been our little joke about how we met!
Narrated By Matt...
"I wanted to make this night one to remember for the rest of Katherine's life. After months of blood, sweat and tears, I finally pieced together the components for a memorable evening. We started off with a delightfully, delectable dinner at the infamous Olive Garden. She had the option to order anything off the menu she wanted; appetizer, main course, and dessert. After gaining 10 lbs. each, we jiggled and wiggled our way to downtown Cleveland. The Radio City Christmas Spectacular featuring the Rockettes at Playhouse Square was the highlight of the evening (as far as Katherine knew). By the way, The bling bling was still in its box bulging out of my inner coat pocket. I had nowhere else to keep it hidden. On our way out the doors of Playhouse Square lay the sparkling downtown outdoor ice skating rink. Because Katherine dressed for summer during the blizzard of '78 on this wonderful night, ice skating was not an option any longer. Therefore, we drove through the deteriorating inner city admiring the christmas lights and window decor on the main floors of the skyscrapers. It was getting late by now and I was panicking because my moment to shine on the skating rink to propose....was gone. On our way back home to Katherine's mother and father's house, Kathy had lost that sparkle in her eye. She looked like the Golum on Lord of the Rings...only a little darker on the surface. She thought I was going to propose to her on this very night before she was to leave to Uganda for a month. I then told her that I still had one more surprise for her when we got home. That lit her eyes up again. When we finally arrived home from what seemed to be the longest 30 minute drive ever, I was literally shaking in my shoes. I gave her the whole lovey dovey speel, and crippled to one knee. The rest is history...Thank God!"
Hers: Three-stone emerald cut diamonds with princess cut diamonds down the sides and eight round pave diamonds on the side. (Total wt = 1.5 carats) My
band will be .5 carat princess cut diamonds similar to the sides of my e-ring. After the wedding I will have them sautered together.
Faux (His & Hers): For our HM, we're going to Jamaica! We decided we'd feel safer
if we left our real rings at home. I didn't want to draw attention to ourselves with a lot of bling, and we plan on doing some intense activities while away. Matt's was purchased as a work ring (He works a lot with his hands) through
Men's Jewelry Club for $4! I purchased my set through Avon for only $10!
Honeymoon ring Review: We don't regret purchasing and using our faux rings for our honeymoon. We never took them off and we felt safer knowing we weren't exposing our real rings to the activities we participated in. (rock climbing, snorkeling, dolphin swimming...) We would definitely recommend to anyone considering this alternative route. :)
Advice for Brides-to-be: These pictures are the first glimpse of the two of you as a couple. You'll most likely use these pictures throughout your wedding with Save-the-dates, invitations, photo guestbook, cardbox...etc. Take them seriously, but have a lot of fun! Your photographer will have recommendations as to what you should and shouldn't wear in terms of color, so take their advice. But most of all...enjoy yourselves! You're in-love...show it off!
Getting our engagement pictures taken was the first step towards planning our wedding. It was the first time I got the "this is really happening" feeling. A friend of a friend is an upcoming photographer who wanted to expand her portfolio into engagement pictures...she offered to shoot us for only $50 and we couldn't pass it up! She took over 200 pictures, but here are a few of our favorites. We used all of them to make a 12x12 guestbook. We're biased in saying we think they turned out great!
I'm first generation Ugandan-American. My parents were
born and raised in Uganda, Africa. Needless to say, there is a lot of rich culture and tradition in my upbringing. My FI and I wanted to incorporate as much as we could into the wedding. One of the main things we decided to do was an
introduction ceremony called a Kwanjula. It's a formal event whereby the groom is officially
introduced to the bride's parents. Traditionally he must present a dowery for the bride's hand in marriage. Obviously he had already received my parent's blessing, but this was a nice ceremony to have.
There is a traditional dress that I had to wear (actually I changed 3 times) during the ceremony. It's called a Basuuti...and can only be described as a modified kimono. Matt also has an outfit called a kanzu (think, tunic). The bridesmaids wore a kikoyi wrapped like a basuti.
>>>>> CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES FROM THE KWANJULA <<<<<
Invitations for the Kwanjula and Kasiki (public bachlorette party) - Front & Back
At the reception we also wanted to incorporate the traditional dance of my tribe (the Baganda). We found a group in Canada who came to perform live! The dance is hard to explain, but there are some videos out there on YouTube like this one. Think Hula dancing with some voltage. :) It's a gorgeous energetic dance. I think our guests really appreciated it.
>>>>> CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES FROM OUR RECEPTION <<<<<
Inspiration is defined as a divine influence or action on a person believed to qualify him or her to receive and communicate sacred revelation.
I'm not sure when it was when Matt and I decided on our wedding colors. We had been going back and forth for awhile, and nothing seemed to define us as a couple. We wanted something that was elegant but colorful enough to show off the cultural aspects. Choosing olive green and chocolate brown came easily. The accents of red/orange were a little more difficult...but I think in the end they highlighted our personalities perfectly.
This wedding I found here was exactly the look I'm going for! Has such a colorful yet romantic feel.
The larger one was used for the aisle runner. The smaller one was used pretty much everywhere else.
Fonts Used/Downloaded: Sheer Elegance, Mutlu, and Precious
I made boxes to ask my Matron of Honor, Maid of Honor, and Bridesmaids
Included in each box was:
- a photo album with the word "Journey" on it. It contains pictures of me and each girl through the years.
- a personalized hand-made card (thanks mom for the dress stencil!) with a poem and short note.
Cost Break Down:
Brown and Green 12x12 textured cardstock from a local craft store - $0.50/sheet (x 3)
Brown Ribbon - $1.00 for a roll
(My mom drew out the dress and I cut it out in green and tied on the sash/bow).
Cards were the premade cream with matching envelopes - $3 for a pack of eight
Photo albums were from Family Christian Stores - $3 each (x8)
Boxes were from Michaels - $4 (x8)
Photos - Walgreens $0.10/print! (approx. 15 pics/album)
Eight responses of "yes"....priceless!
Total = $73.50/eight boxes = $9.19
Advice for Brides-to-Be: I'm a DIY bride...so I took on the challenge of hand-making all our stationary. It took a long time...especially the invitations. But in the end, our guests were gushing over them. I think that made it all worth it! If you're planning on doing the same thing I hope the summaries and calculations I put together help you. Be ready to invest some time! :)
Save the Dates
I had our Save the Dates custom designed by our very own PWer jkiss, who did an amazing job! We had them printed into 4x5 magnets on Vistaprint. I made the holders with cardstock that matched the envelopes. Both were from Papermillstore. Same is being used for the invites. The back of the holder says:
"We're Engaged! Please use this magnet as a reminder to join us for our Labor Day Weekend Wedding! Love, Katherine & Matthew"
STD Cost:
- 200 Large Magnets = $97.03 (including shipping)
Bilingual Pocketfold Invitations
DIY inspired by our creative PW bride Abattyref (Detailed Instructions)
One side was English and the other Luganda. For the belly band, invite backing and envelope liners I used wallpaper from Sherwin-Williams
- Directions & Accommodations
- Reception
- RSVP and envelope (size: 4bar)
Invitation Cost: (Papermillstore and Sherwin-Williams)
-Brown cardstock (12x12) 65lb = $64.97 for 250 sheets
-Marble tan cardstock (8.5x11) 65lb = $20.97 for 250 sheets
-Marble tan envelopes = $32.97 for 250
-Wallpaper (accent paper) = $40.23/double roll x2 = $80.46
Total = $199.37/250 invites = $0.80 per invite
Photo Sharing Cards
As a way to get pictures from our guests we decided to set up a photo sharing site where our guests could upload photos they take at our wedding! We went with www.irave.com. We made a photo sharing page on our website with instructions and we're also sending out these business cards (www.vistaprint.com) with our Thank you cards!
Cost: (Vistaprint) $9.66 for 250 cards
Photo Guest Book
"Suite" Sign!
The dimensions are 5"x7". Pretty self explanatory in design and super easy! I made ours double sided!
Programs
I ended up going with the layered program design. It took a long time to cut all the sheets and print out enough for 250 people! But they turned out great!! Definitely a labor of love!
For those of you still deciding on whether or not to have a personalized outfit...do it! It's super easy and makes for some great photos. I decided to DIY my "Getting Ready" hoodie. I purchased the white hoodie and brown capri's from Old Navy and had it embroidered. I love how it turned out! I wore the hoodie to the airport when we left for our HM to Jamaica! I would also recommend getting just "Mrs. so-in-so" instead of "Soon-to-be" or anything referring to bride. That way you're able to get more uses out of it. Yes, I still wear mine all the time. :)
Cost Break Down
-Hoodie = $19.50
-Capris = $15.00
-Embroidery = $9.00
Total = $43.50
Details:
Dress: David's Bridal (T9579) - My mom (seamstress extraordinaire) changed the neckline to a subtle sweetheart and added a ruffled layer to the bottom that also extended my train. She also made my 4-point bustle. ($550)
Slip: David's Bridal - Fit and Flair Slip ($50)
Veil: Custom Cathedral length made by my mom! (fabric-$20)
Cardigan: New York & Company
Hair Flower: I made it...DIY Instructions
Brooch Bracelet: DIY ($30). Brooch from lafancybead (ebay). Pearls from Michaels. Clasps fromwww.Artbeads.com
Jewelry: Etsy seller Kymjewelry ($18)
Garter: "Cleveland Browns" - Garters by Kristi
Shoes: Chinese Laundry - Baldwin (Mink Satin) from www.heels.com ($49.99)
Longline Bra (David's Bridal Brand) - Glamour Accesories (Ebay Store - $52)
Advice to Brides-to-Be: If you have a friend who is talented in the area of Hair & Makeup, consider asking them to conduct a trial for you. I ended up having my hair done by my cousin and my makeup by a very good friend of mine. I couldn't have been happier!
My Inspiration:
According to PW's "look-alike" thread I look most like French actress Aissa Maiga. So I've been focusing on some of her look with hair and makeup. So far I've gotten a lot of inspiration, I can't wait for my trial! The bride on the top right is my inspiration for hair if I decide to wear it half down (most likely). :)
Actual:
The men wore chocolate brown tuxes with a subtle pinstripe. Matt had an ivory vest and tie and the Groomsmen wore green (fern) vests and tie.
From Tuxedo Junction
The Ushers were asked to wear a plain black suit and white shirt.
The FOB and FOG are both wearing the same tux but with different vests to match the mom's. FOB is wearing a wine color and FOG is wearing latte.
As a gift, I got Matt a boudoir book, a Fossil watch and socks (The GM's got matching pairs too!)
Along with their wedding day socks, Matt is made capcatchers for his GM's. We got the idea from PW's Jhoule87! They loved them!!
Matt's nephew was our ring bearer. He was 2 1/2 at the time of our wedding. He wore a brown tux like the GM. I had decided to make a ring box rather than a ring pillow... just to be different I guess. :) I got the box from Michaels and then spruced it up with some ribbon and a flower. Then Matt helped me use a glue gun to line the inside with velvet. I think it turned out great. :)
I had the opportunity to make ring-holder shells for my good PW friend Tami (Tovaqt). She had a situation whereby the ring bowls she had ordered fell through. Thankfully she loved them! You can read her reaction here.
I got the shells, flowers and ribbon from Michaels. I simply glued them together, packaged and shipped them to make it in time for her Maui wedding! (You want to see a breath-taking wedding then check out her bio...amazing!)
(Following photo courtesy of Melissa McClure)
So, since three of my bridesmaids are overseas, I figured it was mandatory that I have a newsletter for my bridal party. I know you can use templates on Microsoft Publisher...but I don't have that program, so I designed my own on Microsoft Powerpoint with Autoshapes. You can also go here and download a template from Microsoft Office.
Issue 1 - (December 2009)
Issue 2 - (March 2010)
Issue 3 - (July 2010)
Finding the perfect dress for the BMs was one of the hardest tasks!! I went to DB's with my little sister and cousin and had them try on some dresses. This one was the most flattering and as a bonus complimented my dress! Love the color (Fern) too! Style # F13573 --->
Since the dress is long, I let the girls pick their own shoes, between chocolate brown, bronze, or gold. I think they looked fantastic the day off!
I started purchasing the bridesmaid's gifts super early!! I'm a bargain shopper, so when I see deals I buy!!
- Tote Bag: Each girl got this bag I bought from American Bridal. They were originally $48.95...on Sale for $5!!(<--yes you read correctly!) I bought them in chocolate brown, and one for myself in white. I didn't get them embroidered so a coworker of mine made personalized tags for them. (She does stamped jewelry as a hobby)
- Velvet Hangers: To hang their dresses. I made hanger tags with some of the extra paper I had from other DIYs.
- Personalized Bouquet Vases: Refer to "Foliage" page.
- Flip flops: Old Navy Sale Recap!
- Wedding bling: I purchased them from You Pearl
For my Maid & Matron of Honor For the Bridesmaids
I ordered this tote bag from Vistaprint through a free promo offer. It says: "I'm in charge of the petals" and has her initials on it. (I didn't think it a safe idea to have her name on a bag she would use in public... she's only 3!) I put all her gifts in it same as how I handled the BM's gifts.
Gifts Include:
- A pearl necklace (pictured below)
- Coloring book & Crayons
- White Hankie embroidered with her name in blue
- Princess Barbie
Finding the perfect dress for my mom for the reception (she'll be
wearing a traditional garment for the ceremony) is the second most exciting planning event for me. I look up to my mom so much. She's the most beautiful God led woman I know and she's taught me so much! Did I mention she's gorgeous?
:) So, for mommy I saw her wearing a dark cranberry red color / Burgandy with some iridescence (Most likely a Taffeta) . The idea was to incorporate some ruching and have a fitted look. Also, since mommy is an amazing
seamstress...she decided to make her dress from scratch! :)
Here's a picture of my mom and the lovely dress she designed and made herself!
Advice for Brides-to-Be: Research ahead of time what flowers and colors you want for your wedding. Gather all the pictures you want into an organized inspiration board on a page (like Microsoft Word). Make sure you also have a picture of the bridesmaid dress and your dress (or at least a color swatch). Make several copies to hand out to florists during your first meet. This will help them get a great visual idea of what you want. Don't be afraid to be too detailed!
Ask for a quote based on what you want...but be aware that you may have to take away some if you go over budget. I personally took flowers away from the decor. I felt the bouquets were a lot more important.
BM's Bouquets: Think Oranges/Reds/Greens
- Circus Roses
- Burnt Orange Roses
- Burgundy/Wine Roses
- Green Kermit Poms
- Hypericum berries (Mahogany Brown)
I loved the idea of having the wedding party's flowers displayed at the reception like shown below. I got the vases from Michaels. They were originally $8 but I had a 50% off coupon!I purchased the initial charms (pictured above) from Michaels for $1.00 each!
Bride's Bouquet: Think White with hints of green
- Ivory Roses
- Green Tea Roses
- White Freesia or Ranuculus
- Hypericum berries (Green)
- White Lisianthus
- White/Ivory Pearl Garland
Boutineries: Think eye catching!
- Groom and Ringbearer - Ivory Rose, Green Berries, Italian Ruscus
- Bestman - Orange Rose w/brown mahogany berries
- Groomsmen - Circus Rose w/brown mahogany berries
I stumbled upon Making the Moment Photography in a Google search online. Their website is so informative. Even before we scheduled an appointment I knew I wanted them to capture our wedding day! We called and made an appointment to meet Brett (founder & Chief Photographer) at a local Starbucks. The main idea was to see if we "clicked" personality wise, check out their packages and see some of his work. Boy did we hit it off! Brett has such a down-to-Earth personality that is just contagious! He really made us feel important as clients (and we hadn't even agreed to sign with them yet). We got a chance to look through a photo book they specialize in and the pictures were absolutely breathtaking. Each of his photographers have a unique flair that just captures the moment perfectly. Well, we left Starbucks excited and decided to call Brett back the next day and book him personally as our photographer! Make sure you check out his blog! :) If you get the chance to sign up with them mention Matt & Kathy sent ya!
>>>>>MUST HAVE PHOTO LIST<<<<<<
My bridal shower was on Saturday, June 26th! The details were a surprise and it turned out gorgeous! The theme was indoor garden... I was shocked and had a blast!
I wore a white stapless dress w/pockets! (J.Crew). I accented with a golden yellow belt (Buckle) and matching peep toe shoes. :)
The shower went great! My BMs did an amazing job! Check out the recap!
DIY Projects
Moss Letters: By far the messiest of DIY projects so far. They only took about 2 hours and I'm really happy with the results. They will hang of the doors leading into the santuary. So when the doors are open they are visible in the lobby area. When the doors are closed (during the ceremony) they will be visible to the congregation.
Monogrammed Aisle Runner: This project didn't take as long as I thought it would. I purchased the fabric aisle runner from Linen Tablecloth. It was satin on one side and a crepe type fabric on the reverse (I painted the non-satin side). I used a computer projector to trace the monogram and then painted it using fabric paint. I let each color dry for an entire day. Afterwards I ironed it to set the color. :)
Finally found the perfect place for our reception! It holds up to 500 people (expecting 350). And has a separate bar, wine cellar, and outdoor patio! Did I mention our "included" Honeymoon Suite is in the hotel next door???
Inspiration:
We found our color inspiration for our reception here.
Upon entering, our guests will be greeted with a floral decorated escort card table with placecards arranged alphabetically. Each placecard will have a little animal (or mushroom) stamp to indicate each guests meal choice. Inspired by PW's JackieG!
Our venue comes with ivory table cloths so we're going to purchase chocolate brown satin table runners. They are also providing chocolate brown cloth napkins.
Tall Centerpieces: 15" cylinder vases with a ring of carnations at the top and curly willow coming out of the vase. River rocks will line the bottom of the vase. I think the carnations will be a combination of reds and oranges.
They will surrounded by tealights and floating candles on a round 14" beveled edge mirror (supplied by reception hall). Short Centerpieces will be small vases of green spider mums with birch branches.
The other tables will have sets of vases and floating candles... I want candles everywhere!!!
Cardbox inspired by its.nicsknack! Matt is working hard at it and I'll post a picture of it when he's done. :)
Our table numbers
Bathroom Basket poems:
Ladies: So happy you're here to share in our special day!!!
But should something happen to go astray,
Please help yourself to the contents within,
Hair spray (or Wet wipe), hand lotion, gum and even aspirin,
Use only what you
need and leave the rest,
It may be useful to another guest.
So repair the damage that may have been done,
Then hurry on back and join the fun!!!
Compliments of the Newlyweds
Men: If your skin feels dry, your hair out of place,
Your throat is parched, or whatever the case.
We've put this together to help you along,
Now get yourself out there before the next song!
Personalized Cocktail Napkins
I purchased napkins from Catering Supplies (700 for $13.86) and had a custom rubber stamp made by RubberStamps.net. We stamped the napkins using gold stamp ink (Archival Brilliance - Galaxy Gold).
We are offered a pre-selected plated dinner.
Hors d'oeuvres:
- Toasted ravioli (sausage beef)
- Stuffed mushrooms
- Meat & Veggie Samosas
- Fruit Tray
- Veggie Tray
- Cheese & Cracker Tray
Salad:
- Tossed Garden Salad with choice dressing of Ranch or Italian
- Basket of assorted rolls
Entrees:
- Chicken with Lemon Sage Sauce (pictured)
- Chianti Braised Short Ribs
- Pork Tenderloin with Apple Reduction
- Vegetable Napoleon
Dessert:
Wedding Cake
- White/Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Truffle Filling
- Strawberry Cassata
Advice for Brides-to-Be: We took a picture of the inspiration cake below to our baker and they said they could make it. When we got to the reception and saw it, we were pretty disappointed. There was decorative piping between each layer and the back didn't look very even. In the end, in pictures it looked fine and we actually paid under budget. If I would do it again...I would have a cake design that the company was known for perfecting. All-in-all, you get what you pay for. Oh, it was super delicious though!
The flavors we decided on are:
- Strawberry Cassata
- 1/2 Chocolate & 1/2 White with Raspberry Chocolate Mousse filling
- Sheet cake of probably Marble with Raspberry Chocolate Mousse filling
We're also planning on having a Ugandan cake made by my aunt (she's a professional baker in Kenya). That cake will be a spiced rum type cake. It's hard to describe without it sounding like a fruit cake lol. I can't wait though!
Our cake topper from Crafty Eddy arrived! I love it! He had it made and shipped in one day! I can't rave enough about his service. Now all I need to do is paint it with latex acrylic enamel. (Recommended)
After being at so many weddings, we wanted to have favors that people would actually take home and use! My FFIL makes homemade jellies and jam as a hobby and we thought that would be a perfect gift for our guests! Here is what the front and back labels will look like.
Side labels will be connected by a olive green ribbon wrap
The hexagonal jars (3.75 oz) will be packaged in square boxes with chocolate brown tissue paper and tied with a brown ribbon. Each box will also be stamped with our monogram!
Flavors: Black Raspberry, Black Berry, Tangerine, Strawberry Kiwi and Cherry
We DIY'd our "Thank you" parasol for pictures after the wedding. Here are the detailed directions! Matt was so helpful that I had to let him model it a bit! :) It was pretty tedious, but we both agree it was worth the time! We did one in English and another in Luganda (my parent's native language).
The parasol was purchased at Paper Lantern Stores. (Color: Chocolate Brown, Size: 32") The paint color is gold.
Photos courtesy of Making the Moment Photography
Our thank you cards were made through Vistaprint:
So our reception venue has a complimentary Honeymoon suite stay at the Holiday Inn & Suites located next door complete with its own whirpool tub! We'll be staying their our first night as husband & wife!
Honeymoon Recap: Click here to read about our honeymoon recap. We had an amazing time! The resort looked just like their website pictures...and the food was phenomenal! We can't wait to go back!
It's official! We're going to Montego Bay, Jamaica! We decided to steer away from Mexico due to security issues...just to be safe. We'll most likely take a trip down for one of our anniversaries. We found this resort in Jamaica for a steal through Expedia. We're so excited! For more pics click here or here and go to "photos and tours" tab
Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton Resort & Spa
The Lobby:
Our Room: We booked the Romance Suite (Bungalow). All the reviews rave about how huge it is! It has a large King Bed, 4-person Jacuzzi tub in the room, large flat screen TV, private outdoor shower and sunbeds!?!
FI and I recently purchased a house! And although I won't be living there until after the wedding, I already feel the need to nest! Check out the "Our First Home" and "Green Thumb" PW group!!
We're also bloggers now! Check out our blog!
12/12/09: We had a mini OH PW G2G in Columbus at Mimi's cafe! (fabulous food!) My FI joined us and gave some great insight from a guy's perspective of wedding planning! These ladies are so fabulous! We had a great time getting to know one another. Can't wait to plan the next one!
Booth shot: (left to right): Mrs.KC, jonniethm, futuremrscorwin
Ring shot: (clockwise from top): futuremrscorwin, Mrs.KC, jonniethm
5/20/10: We had another g2g for the NE Ohio crowd. It was a Thursday...and prime wedding season, so we didn't get as big a crowd...but still a great time! We met up at Houlihan's outside of Strongsville's mall. My friend (and BM) Kristin came. She recently got engaged and is planning a fall wedding in October. I hope she joins soon! The weather was perfect, so we sat out on the patio.
All in all it was fantastic... now we wait for VJB71010's July wedding to come up first! From left to right (both pics): VJB71010, Mrs.KC, and Kristin
We've decided to have photo books made after the wedding for each set of parents. We'll most likely get them made through Shutterfly since I just love how our guest photo book came out. My parents will have already received their extra gifts through our Kwanjula the night before the wedding (Ugandan engagement ceremony). So we'll have cards at the rehearsal dinner to express our gratitude and promise of a photo book.
Also, we found an old polaroid (<---that's right) or Matt's parents on their wedding day. (They eloped) So we're having it restored and framed to an 8x10 for display at our memory table at the reception. Afterwards we'll give it to them as a gift. :)
At the ceremony we will present both moms with a bouquet of flowers and an embroidered handkerchief. The one for my mom will be in Luganda, our native language.
Matt's will read:
Today a groom, Tomorrow a husband, Forever your son. Love, Matthew September 4, 2010
Mine will read:
Leero mugole, enkya mukyala, bulijjo muwala wo. Love, Kasalina September 4, 2010
(Today a bride, Tomorrow a wife, Forever your daughter)
I was a maid of honor in my best friend's wedding (khopkins) in August 2009. I worked on her shower and It was so much fun DIYing, because it helped me practice for my big day!
Theme: TIffany & Co. (actually... Kristin & Co.)
From the wedding...
