Ya Mon! The Reception Continues & The First Dance(s)

Dances, you ask? Why yes, there was certainly a lot of dancing going on at the Quiche reception. As a matter of fact, the dancing began before the dancing was "supposed" to begin - during dinner! A slight mix-up with our Dell-to-MacBook playlist conversion resulted in a few songs that were, um, out of order. No worries!

When my and Mr. Q's favorite Tim & Faith duet started playing, we knew we had to get up and karaoke. Yes, I quasi-karaoked at my wedding. SCARY! But fun :)


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I used my Red Stripe as my mic, Mr. Q used a butter knife....classy...

Knowing that most people would want to dance dance, I only chose few slow songs. I emailed our married guests a sly note feigning exasperation at picking our first dance song & asking what their first dance was in order to get some suggestions ;) Those songs ended up being our slow songs of the night - it was really sweet.

Mr. Q's cousin (& our yogi/videographer) and her husband hadn't danced to "their song" since their wedding day 14 years ago!


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LOVE these two!

& occasionally, a song would come on that require us to shake it. So, we did!


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Now that we were nice & warmed up for Dance Party USA via Jamaica, it was time to cut the cake & dance our (second) first dance.

What do you think? Did we smash cake all over each other?



Um, NO.




It's a popular song these days, but this song has been a mantra for us for many years. Better Together. Jack Johnson is one of the best singer/songwriters out there & his music is always filtering through our house.

"There's no combination of words/ I can put on the back of a postcard
No song that I could sing / but I could try for your heart
Our dreams - they are made out of real thingshttp://www.blogger.com/logout.g
Like a shoebox of photographs / with sepia-tone lovin'



Love is the answer at least / for most of the questions in my heart
Like "Why are we here" and "Where do we go / and "How come it's so hard"
It's not always easy / and sometimes life can be deceiving
I'll tell you one thing / it's always better when we're together



"It's always better when we're together
Yeah, we'll look at the stars when we're together
Yeah, it's always better when we're together"



"I believe in memories / they look so, so pretty when I sleep
Hey now, and when I wake up / you look so pretty sleeping next to me
But there is not enough time / There is no, no song I could sing
and there is no combination of words I could say
but I will still tell you one thing
We're Better Together"

Next up, everyone else gets down!

Pictures, unless noted by a *, by Ashley Colhouer.

____________________________________________
Previously in the Quiche Jamaican Extravaganza:
Ya Mon! Back to Reality
Ya Mon! “Goin’ to Jamaica & We’re, Gonna Get Maaa-arried”!
Ya Mon! Who Zip Lines Before Their Wedding?
Ya Mon! Reggae Sailing
Ya Mon! Practice Makes Perfect
Ya Mon! Rehearsal Dinner/Party/Bonfire
Ya Mon! Jamaican Mornings
Ya Mon! Getting Pretty
Ya Mon! Crewcuts Model (aka Boys Getting Ready)
Ya Mon! The Dress, The Dress, The Dress!
Ya Mon! Our First Look & The Attack of the Veil!
Ya Mon! The Ceremony Begins...
Ya Mon! The Ceremony Continues
Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Wedding Party
Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Family
Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Bride & Groom
Ya Mon! Flowers & DIY Details
Ya Mon! The Reception Begins

Ya Mon! The Reception Begins

With portaits and cocktail hour complete, it was time to head to the tented deck to start the party! I was so lucky to have my friend Lisa introduce the bridal party for us. She knows everyone in the party...and can pronounce their sometimes complicated names ;) Thanks Lis!


As "All You Need is Love" (the Lynden David Hall/Love Actually version, a nod to our engagement) started playing, the kids made their way in...



Followed by GM B-Fresh and Bethany, drink in hand & dancing away :)



What a lucky guy, escorting in two of my Chicago girls!



GM R and the Sisters Quiche had a choreographed entrance that stole the show. Double twirls, dips, kisses, the whole shebang!



& finally, Mr. & Mrs. Quiche. I just love this picture of us!!



After we were settled and our food was served, and Mr. Quiche changed into Groomsmen garb, it was time to delve into the speeches. I've mentioned before that (try as I might!) I had a really hard time crying leading up to & during the wedding. Which is a shock, because I am a total, 100%, tried & true SAP! Needless to say, our Best Man's speech brought on the waterworks. He is our biggest supporter & is always rallying around us. I appreciate his friendship so much.

His speech inspired a slew of more speeches, which made me the happiest bride. I absolutely LOVE SPEECHES. The more, the merrier!











I am a painfully shy person, especially when it comes to any type of public speaking. Mr. Quiche is the exact opposite & shines on stage. He speech to me, our families, my friends, & to each of his groomsman was, simply, perfect. It ranged from quirky and fun to sweet and romantic. sigh. I love this man!



"...as you may know, her family loves anything that can be dipped or scooped in a chip or piece of bread..."



"...and lastly, and most importantly, my wife, my bride, the love of my life & partner in crime..."



"...tonight I consider myself the luckiest man alive because I have married my best friend..."


(this is one of Mr. Q's favorite pictures. I have to say that I agree with him!)

"...Mrs. Quiche, I love you! We truly are 'Better Together'"



I will treasure these quiet moments from our reception more than any other part. Being surrounded by such love is exhilarating!

All pictures, unless noted, by Ashley Colhouer.

____________________________________________
Previously in the Quiche Jamaican Extravaganza:
Ya Mon! Back to Reality
Ya Mon! “Goin’ to Jamaica & We’re, Gonna Get Maaa-arried”!
Ya Mon! Who Zip Lines Before Their Wedding?
Ya Mon! Reggae Sailing
Ya Mon! Practice Makes Perfect
Ya Mon! Rehearsal Dinner/Party/Bonfire
Ya Mon! Jamaican Mornings
Ya Mon! Getting Pretty
Ya Mon! Crewcuts Model (aka Boys Getting Ready)
Ya Mon! The Dress, The Dress, The Dress!
Ya Mon! Our First Look & The Attack of the Veil!
Ya Mon! The Ceremony Begins...
Ya Mon! The Ceremony Continues
Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Wedding Party
Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Family
Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Bride & Groom
Ya Mon! Flowers & DIY Details

Ya Mon! Flowers & DIY Detais

Before I finish up my recaps with the reception, Faux-to Booth and (an awesome) TTD, I thought I'd share our details with you that I didn't get to prior to the wedding. What better way to show them then complete & in action?


My tray of goodies :)

A loooong time ago, I talked about flowers. I thought of DIY'ing my and the bridesmaids bouquets using a local wholesale distributor. I must admit that I am glad that I opted to leave this one to the pros. Well, part of it at least. Our wedding package included a bridal bouquet, but we would have to purchase (quite pricey) bridesmaid bouquets. After seeing the quality of Mrs. Tulip's orchid bouquets, I decided to order a pink orchid bouquet from Save On Crafts. I liked it & showed it to a few different people who couldn't tell they were fake & decided to run with it. They were $7.99 each.



I semi-DIYed these by wrapping the stems with pink ribbon and securing with pearl straight pins. Now see the bouquets in action!



I opted for an all pink orchid bouquet - there was no additional cost for this :)


My bouquet had its own little photo shoot the day after the wedding. I was so sad that I couldn't take it home with me! Picture by me.




What is that pretty blue sparkly number? Why, it's my something blue! The always lovely Mrs. Perfume suprised me with this gorgeous vintage brooch as a little wedding gift. It was perfect because I didn't have a "something blue" yet & I knew this would fit right in with our scheme. sigh. I love Weddingbee! You rock, Perf!



Next up is my big ol' DIY hair flower. I threw this together a few weeks before the wedding using a deep pink peony from Ikea. I had the blue beads leftover from a necklace project 4 years ago (see Mom & Mr. Quiche? There IS a benefit to never throwing anything away. I saved at least 50 cents.). I layered the petals with fuschia tulle, stiched it all together with a clip on the back & viola! a Big ol' hair flower that I wore for our TTD.


Picture by me

& lucky you! A TTD teaser :D



And finally, our aisle decorations (you may want to hold on to your chair for this one). These were also a semi-DIY that we haulded down to Jamaica with us. I found the pomanders at JoAnn's during their post-Valentine's Day sale for $4! The shepherds hooks were also a JoAnn's find at $3 each. I tied them into our theme with leftover navy ribbon for a grand total of $7 each. Considering the local florist charged $40 for a fresh pomander, these already constructed faux florals suited me just fine.



2 more floral projects to go! These are projects that I shared with you before the wedding - floating petals for the aisle (an up close shot by Sister Quiche Nen) and the flower girl flip flops.






This post goes out to all of you who gasp at floral quotes. There is a reason that wedding flowers are so expensive - it really is an art. If you're looking to save money in this part of your budget, don't lose hope! There are many ways to achieve an outstanding look without an outstanding budget.

Are you semi-DIYing any of your flowers? Are you opting for faux vs. fresh (or a combination of both)?


All pictures, unless noted, by Ashley Colhouer.

____________________________________________
Previously in the Quiche Jamaican Extravaganza:
Ya Mon! Back to Reality
Ya Mon! “Goin’ to Jamaica & We’re, Gonna Get Maaa-arried”!
Ya Mon! Who Zip Lines Before Their Wedding?
Ya Mon! Reggae Sailing
Ya Mon! Practice Makes Perfect
Ya Mon! Rehearsal Dinner/Party/Bonfire
Ya Mon! Jamaican Mornings
Ya Mon! Getting Pretty
Ya Mon! Crewcuts Model (aka Boys Getting Ready)
Ya Mon! The Dress, The Dress, The Dress!
Ya Mon! Our First Look & The Attack of the Veil!
Ya Mon! The Ceremony Begins...
Ya Mon! The Ceremony Continues
Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Wedding Party
Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Family
Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Bride & Groom

Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Bride & Groom

Doing the First Look allowed us plenty of time before the ceremony to take pictures. We really had a blast sneaking off to different areas around the resort & taking fun pictures. And besides, we didn't want to miss the entire cocktail hour ;)

Since Red Stripe was flowing like water all weekend, we thought these shots were apropros.





Mr. Quiche doesn't really like to have his picture taken, but I do, which is why there are more solo shots of me than him :)



Then we headed off to a secret garden tucked beside the tennis courts







I love sun flare shots, as does Ashley, so we took a ton of pictures like this! My "pose" looks so forced in the other though, so I'll just show this one.



Okay, enough of the lovey dovey shots already! Time to have some fun with color!



We love this picture so much that it ended up on the invites for our Ohio reception (more on that later)!


So cute, right?!

We then had to pull ourselves away from each other and get ready for the ceremony



Mrs. Quiche: "I do" Mr. Quiche: "I do". Sweet! Time for a few more pictures! & look at that - the sun is setting, making for some warm, happy pictures.



The must-have feet shot. I kinda wish we had one of the fun, bright sandals/argyle socks shots...but I didn't have fun, bright sandals and Mr. Quiche wore brown socks & his old Kenneth Cole shoes (which were taken off immediately post-ceremony), so a barefoot shot it is!



I love the look of the moody blue sea in the background of this picture.



& finally, another kiss for my groom :)



Again, thank you for making it through all of our posed portraits! I promise to return next week with cocktail hour, our entrance, the reception, etc.!

All pictures by Ashley Colhouer.

____________________________________________
Previously in the Quiche Jamaican Extravaganza:
Ya Mon! Back to Reality
Ya Mon! “Goin’ to Jamaica & We’re, Gonna Get Maaa-arried”!
Ya Mon! Who Zip Lines Before Their Wedding?
Ya Mon! Reggae Sailing
Ya Mon! Practice Makes Perfect
Ya Mon! Rehearsal Dinner/Party/Bonfire
Ya Mon! Jamaican Mornings
Ya Mon! Getting Pretty
Ya Mon! Crewcuts Model (aka Boys Getting Ready)
Ya Mon! The Dress, The Dress, The Dress!
Ya Mon! Our First Look & The Attack of the Veil!
Ya Mon! The Ceremony Begins...
Ya Mon! The Ceremony Continues
Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Wedding Party

Ya Mon! Srike a Pose: The Family

Weeeee're back with more portraits - this time, it's all about family. I don't really have anything witty or even remotely interesting to add to this post. Sorry! Without any further ado, our families...

First up, with Mama and Petey Quiche





I had to get one with just Mama Quiche :) What can I say? I am a total mommy's girl! I wouldn't be where I am today without her.



With the Sisters Quiche next...



Too formal, let's try this again!



Now this is more like it :) As the middle child, Sister Quiche Sis (on the left) is ALWAYS in the middle of every picture we take...and we take lots of pictures, trust me. Anyway, I totally got to steal her space! Thanks for giving it up this one time, sis!



Who are we missing?! Oh yeah - Mama Quiche, get in here!!



Then it was time for pictures with Mr. Quiche's mom! MIL Quiche :) I think that's the first time I've ever used that acronym, by the way.





All together now..



All of the Quiche family kids love each other. YAY! I was so close with my cousins growing up & I love that they are all the same way.







I think my nephew was tyring to get the girls to laugh, what do you think? He is always cracking us up :D


Hi Philip!




Mr. Quiche, Mini Quiche A & J and I then snuck off for a little photoshoot of our own. May I present to you, the new Quiche Family.




Okay everyone, thanks for bearing with me (again!)!. Only one more portrait post, I promise! But, that one is a fun one. We played model and had a blast with Ashley & Philip...coming up!

All pictures by Ashley Colhouer.

____________________________________________
Previously in the Quiche Jamaican Extravaganza:
Ya Mon! Back to Reality
Ya Mon! “Goin’ to Jamaica & We’re, Gonna Get Maaa-arried”!
Ya Mon! Who Zip Lines Before Their Wedding?
Ya Mon! Reggae Sailing
Ya Mon! Practice Makes Perfect
Ya Mon! Rehearsal Dinner/Party/Bonfire
Ya Mon! Jamaican Mornings
Ya Mon! Getting Pretty
Ya Mon! Crewcuts Model (aka Boys Getting Ready)
Ya Mon! The Dress, The Dress, The Dress!
Ya Mon! Our First Look & The Attack of the Veil!
Ya Mon! The Ceremony Begins...
Ya Mon! The Ceremony Continues