Our Wedding Day - Part Three: The Reception

Hope that you all enjoyed "Part Two" of the Newlyweds Next Door wedding series. I bet you can guess what "Part Three" is...


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This collage really sums up our wedding reception. It was such an awesome whirlwind time.

We had a fabulous Dance Band, The Ultratones!


We did our grand entrance into the ballroom to the USC Fight Song! Go Trojans!


We danced our first dance to Crazy Love by Van Morrison. We had taken dance lessons and we were still so nervous! Ha!


The Mr. gave me giant kiss when it was over!


Then we danced, danced, danced the night away.


I did some really fun DIY details for our reception...

Our escort cards were pencil starfish and the ribbon color that tied on the tag indicated meal choice.


I created several photo collages of us as kids and of us as a couple over the years for people to look at as they entered the ballroom.


Instead of favors we did donations to Alzheimer's Association and gave people a Sand dollar to signify that donation at their place setting.The text read:"A dollar for them, a dollar for you For each of our wedding guests we've donated a dollar to Alzheimer's Association."
We chose Alzheimer's Association in memory of my Grandpa Jack and in support of Mr's Fraternity Philanthropy.


I had toasting flutes made up for us and they sat our our sweetheart table.


Our reception centerpieces were giant glass cylinders centerpieces filled with turquoise beads and orange roses with floating candles on top surrounded by small tea lights and rose petals. We decorated each place setting with starfish and sand dollars. Each table was named after a beach that had significance to us.

This table was Dockweiler Beach, where I was baptized!

The ballroom featured aqua and tangerine uplighting. Loved it!


I designed our wedding cake with the baker. I wanted it to be beachy without being too cheesy. So I opted for just starfish and sand dollars and turquoise line running down it like water. On the table around it were pencil starfish and votive candles.


What I really loved out our reception is that we got to celebrate with friends from various parts of our lives -- childhood, high school, college, sorority/fraternity, work, church, and beyond. I think that's one of the coolest parts of a wedding, having almost everyone you're close with in one place.