A Woodside Wedding: Cocktails and A Few More Portraits

While we were taking formal portraits, the rest of our guests were enjoying the cocktail hour. We had three passed appetizers, an 8 foot cheese, bread and fruit table, champagne was being passed on trays, and the full bar was open.

Guests took the opportunity to sign our wishing stones on the guestbook/gift table, leaving us with words of wit, wisdom, or well wishes.

(Guest photo)

(Guest photo)

(Last names edited out by me)

(Guest photo)

And everyone marveled at Mr. Cola's LED escort cards--they were a huge hit, and only two people forgot to take theirs home at the end of the night!

(Last names edited out by me)

We scheduled it so that our wedding party formal pictures were taken first, so they could go enjoy part of the cocktail hour, while Mr. Cola and I took family pictures (detailed in my last post).

While everyone was enjoying the food and drinks we took a few posed formal shots of just the two of us.

And of course we had to have some photos with the tree swing!

Then Mr. Cola disappeared, so I took a last few individual shots.

Once we were released from our photographers, we only had about 10 minutes of our cocktail hour left. The first order of business was to bustle my dress, so I could actually move around. I still have no idea why we decided to do it on the lawn, and not go inside, but that's exactly what happened!

(The look on my face in this guest photo is priceless. I'm all "Um, why are we doing this here? But at least I finally have a Captain and Coke!")

(Here you can see what my dress looked like bustled)

Then we could finally greet our guests, have a drink, and celebrate for a couple of minutes, before it was time to serve dinner.
(Anyone recognize the lovely lady in the yellow dress? Why it's my blogger friend, The Perpetual Party Planner, and her soon-to-be husband. I'm so excited to go to their wedding next weekend!)

(With my co-workers)

And with these few minutes at our cocktail hour, it was time for dinner! How much time are you planning to (or hoping to!) spend at your cocktail hour?

Miss any wedding week details? Catch up here:

- I packed an emergency bag that saved my dress
- We had a crazy 4 days prepping for house guests and stuffing favors
- Shopping for a ton of wedding flowers to arrange ourselves
- Mr. Cola drinks a 40 and I have a night out on the town for our low-key bach parties
- A day of DIY'ing flower arrangements
- I kicked off our official recaps with my #1 wedding tip
- We began the weekend festivities with a sunset cruise for our wedding party
- We rehearsed our quick and easy ceremony
- I panicked, but we got our rehearsal dinner decorations set up just in time
- Our families met for the first time at our rehearsal dinner under the trees
- What went wrong on our wedding day, and my tips for future brides
- My bridesmaids and I got our hair and makeup done in the hotel suite
- I put on my wedding dress and became a bride
- The guys watched the World Cup, then got ready in 10 minutes
- Traffic delayed our decorations getting to the venue, and I almost ruined our first look
- We got to see each other for the first time on our wedding day at our first look
- We took some time for bride and groom pictures in the park
- I gave you a behind the scenes look at our family, friends and DOC setting up our venue
- Arriving at our venue and getting ready for the ceremony to start
- Everyone walked down the aisle
- Excerpts from our ceremony, and reading the vows we wrote for each other
- I interrupted our officiant, we exchanged rings, and with a kiss we were officially married!
- Wedding party and family portraits, and thoughts on missing pictures

(Unless otherwise noted, all photos in this post were taken by the very talented photographers of Shoot Me Now Photography)