Wedding Recaps - Toasts

Hello dolls!!! 

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a FABULOUS weekend!!!

Now... Where were we??

Oh yes... The bridal party made our grand entrance into the reception and took our seats at the head table. 

The head table, with a few stragglers.... :)

By this time our guests had started to eat dinner and quiet down....

which was the perfect time for toasts! 

Funny story: 

So... know how its traditional for the groom's best man and the maid of honor to give the toasts?

Not our best man. Dusty isn't a public speaker. 

He begged and pleaded with Mr. M to not ask him to give the toast... 

In fact, I don't doubt that he would've just disappeared if Mr. M had asked him. It's just not his thing. 

And that's ok. :) We had the PERFECT replacement. 

Mr. M's sister, Stephanie. 

The only girl with three younger brothers, she was more than up for the challenge. :)

She began with a tease toward Dusty about how he was Mr. M's perfect best friend.

He can drink beer. 

He can team rope. 

But he can't speak in public, so that's where she came in. :)

Well all laughed and Dusty blushed as Steph called him out on not giving the toast. haha. 

She told stories of Mr. M when he was little... 

How he was the youngest of the four and she had so hoped to have a sister... 

How if he was a girl, his name was to be Kassandra. 

Kassi for short. No kidding! It really was!! 

But then how everyone, especially his new wife (me!) was so glad he'd been born a boy. 

It was the perfect toast for Mr. M. :)

 Then it was Kayli's turn. My sister. My maid of honor. 

And do you know what she did... 

She said she would like to take this opportunity to make a toast. 

She pulled a toaster from under the table. And made. a. toast. 

LOVE the look on her face!!! She was quite pleased with herself! hahaha

It was hilarious. Had the whole room laughing. ;)

While her toast was toasting she did say a few words though... 

She said a few sweet things about having me as her sister... 

And how she was excited to have a new brother that teased her and loved her like the two she already has. 

At that point... I nearly cried. Didn't shed a tear all day.... and almost cried listening to my sweet little sister. 

:) Love that girl. Love you Kayli. 

Up next... the cake! :)

Wedding Recaps - Reception Entrance

Wow! I haven't shared a wedding recap in several days!!!

Over a week!!! 

Sorry about that... 

Let's just say I didn't have the CD with the pictures on it... 

And copying and pasting from Facebook takes WAY too much time... haha. 

SO... 

After our lovely wedding ceremony... And some random group shots...

It was time to enter our reception! 

We lined up at a side door into the clubhouse and waited for Miss Tessie to announce each couple...

Cole and Charli

Victor and Megan

Brent and Kayce

Kenny and Meghan Jo

Dusty and Kayli

Mr. and Mrs. M!!!

For some reason, there wasn't a picture of Brett and Tracey... 

Maybe because we all kinda popped in and pretty much ran to our table... 

it was all Karen (our photographer) could do to get these! haha. 

Once we sat down, it was time for dinner and toasts! 

Meanwhile... My aunt, uncle and cousins had started serving dinner. 

There was a HUGE line around the corner and out the front door to eat.... 

Plus all the tables we had set up inside were full. 

That's really when it hit me HOW many people actually came to celebrate our day with us. 

Later I was told they thought they'd served over 200 people at dinner...

That's AFTER some left without eating! 

We are so blessed to have so many good friends and family!!!

What about you? Did you have a large turnout at your big day? 

Or just a small, intimate wedding?

Yumm!!!

For our reception, we're going the all about us route!

 Plan your reception menu -- decide on a caterer and hash out a rough price per head.
The Knot.com

Mr. M and I both love us some tacos.

And steak. But steak is EXPENSIVE.

So Taco Bar it is!

We're doing sort of a Mexican food buffet with the focus being a taco bar.

Build it yourself style I think...
We won't have a specific caterer...
But rather pull it together from several different sources thing...
haha.

There weren't many taco pictures on Style Me Pretty, but you get the idea.

For the casual atmosphere that we're hosting, a buffet will be fun.
It will also encourage getting up and moving around...
Don't want anyone to get bored.

Also, there's not going to be a whole lot, um any, extra room most likely, so a sit if you want, stand if you want, inside or outside idea will work best.

What did you/are are you planning to do for your reception eats?

Full, sit down dinner? Buffet?

What are you or did you serve?

Anyone have any fun ideas related to serving up some Mexican food, buffet style?

Wedding Guest Book

Our Guest Book came in!!! Where I ordered those Christmas cards from Shutterfly.com, I received a FREE 8x8 photobook as a thank you!!!

I made my free book into an Engagement photo guest book! The plan is to purchase some Sharpie pens, no smudge if possible because the pages are glossy... Then guests can sign around the pictures! On a few pages we even posed a couple fun questions for guests to answer. i.e. Favorite memory of Mr. M and Kassi? Wishes for Mr. M and Kassi?

(My sister laughed at me for continuing to say Mr. M even though his first name is on everything... But that's ok. Mr. M he is! ;)

I really like how it turned out and now it's something fun that we can set out in our future home to share and not just a book full of signatures that nobody will want to look at!

Click here to view this photo book larger

What do you think? Like it? Did you do something interesting or fun for your wedding guest book? Or have something fun planned?

Baby, why don't we just dance...

We've booked our DJ!!! Another check on the checklist!

 Book your reception band or DJ, sign the reception music contract, and send a deposit.

Checklist from theknot.com

Yet again, we were lucky that our photographer, Karen of Treehouse Photography, just so happens to be married to a DJ. :) Who we've heard does an excellent job!

So friends, say hello to Frank of Amplified Attitude Mobile DJ/PA!!!



We'll have primarily country music played during our reception, as well as a few requests that we plan to list for Frank before hand... (add another item unchecked to the checklist....)

Now to decide on a few special song selections. I really think I'd like to do the traditional dances, like first dance, father/daughter dance etc... But I don't know exactly the dances we'll do, or the songs will choose.

We will definitely be playing, "Why Don't We Just Dance" by Josh Turner! Super fun song!!!

Oh yeah.... we have to include the Dollar Dance!!

At my friend's wedding, they did the dollar dance, where guests "pay" to dance with the bride or groom. It was way fun!

Any suggestions on dances to incorporate?

Or special songs to have played??