A Foxy Fête: Say That You'll Stay

Before I knew it, and before I was really even ready for it, Frank the DJ announced and started playing the last song of the night.

I don't know about you, but I'm obsessed with Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist. And I'm obsessed with this song. And from the moment I first heard it, I wanted it as the final song played at our wedding. (Never mind the fact that we weren't even engaged yet.) So no, not everyone knew it, and not everyone knew if they should dance to it or not, but once they saw Foxy and I take over the dance floor, the sentiment caught on.

All photos by Exclamation Imagery unless otherwise noted.

The best part is, from the look of these pictures, one would think Foxy was quite the dancer and was out on the dance floor all night.

Except he's not and he wasn't.. but he made the best effort he could, and knew to at least join me for the final dance of the night and one of my all time favorite songs!

 And then, just like that, it was over.

But wait!! There's more!! A bit earlier in the evening, we had our DJ announce and invite everyone to come to our after party at a bar down the street, which he mentioned again just after the final song played. I actually think that's part of the reason After Hours was the perfect last dance song.. we had every intention of keeping the party going!

Guests say "Yay! More party!" (In my mind at least.)

So as the reception wrapped up, several guests immediately started their brief four-block trek to the local bar while Foxy and I said our goodbyes and thank you's to those guests not able to join us for the after party.

Somewhere in the middle of all this, we started realizing that our decorations in and around the pavilion were being taken down very quickly. Like.. here one minute, gone the next, with many of our guests still mingling about. I also noticed out of the corner my eye that John (the owner of the venue) was somewhat confusedly talking to a group of people not involved with our wedding.

Long story short, a wedding was supposed to take place at the Vandiver the next day, and they scheduled their rehearsal for 9pm, the night of our wedding.. basically, the exact second ours was over. And I'm pretty sure no one at the Vandiver knew or remembered that.

At that point, all I wanted to do was get out and go to the bar. I mean, literally every time I had a sip of wine and put my glass down throughout the day, it disappeared. I probably drank the equivalent of half a glass of wine all afternoon/evening. So was I a little annoyed that these people were just kind of taking over our venue with our guests still there? Of course. Did I let it go about five minutes later when I finally made my way to the bar? Totally. So not worth the agita.

And with that, I kicked my heels off for the first time that day (go me!), couldn't find my fancy flip flops, and ended up wearing MOH Blondie's that were two sizes too small.  At that point, I sooo didn't care. My feet were free, I needed a drink, and it was time to party. Again!

Miss a recap? Catch yourself up!

It's Wedding Week! - The week of the wedding started out pretty hectic, but we made it through (relatively) unscathed.

We're Cool People (who had to deal with a slight change of plans) - On Friday, we made our way to the venue, had a relatable moment on the radio, and learned about some last minute changes that we made an effort to take in stride.

Practice Makes Perfect.. And Crabs Don't Hurt, Either - After most everyone was settled in on Friday evening, we had our rehearsal followed by the best dinner ever - a Maryland crab feast!

Rise and Shine! - Wedding morning was soon upon us, and I woke up at the crack of dawn ready to get prettified.

Pretty Women - Over the course of the next several hours, myself and the girls hung out, got our hair and makeup done, had a photo shoot, and drank champagne.

Dressing Up - Soon enough, it was time for me to slip into my dress!

Dapper Dudes - At the same time, Foxy and his guys were ironing and getting into their suites - and Foxy was opening his wedding day gift!

The First of Many Looks - We had our first look, and both felt so much better after being able to see each other for the first time that day.

A School Bus Photoshoot - Our vehicle of choice for the day was a school bus, which we turned into a photo op both inside and out!

Smiles and Sun - The photos continued by the lighthouse and pier.. with sunglasses and a few funny stories along the way.

ALL The Family - We then met up with family at the lock house for even more pictures, and I started getting a bit antsy and having problems with my dress.

And Then There's Us - I kinda-sorta-maybe forgot all about couple and bridal pictures. Thank goodness for our amazing photog reminding us!

Final Touches - Slight chaos then ensued in the minutes before the ceremony started, consisting of me getting sewn into my dress and the boys getting their bouts pinned on at the last minute.

And So It Begins - The guests arrive, the wedding party lines up, and the ceremony space is revealed - complete with programs, white knots, and bubbles!

All I Want Is You, Will You Be My Bride? - The time had finally come - we all made our way down the aisle while my stepdad and stepbro played and sang a beautiful, acoustic version of "All I Want Is You".

Take Me By The Hand and Stand By My Side - In other words.. the ceremony!

Bubbles and Bustles and Beverages, Oh My! - Bubbles are blown, my bustle is tied in, and cocktail hour commences with lots of love, hugs, and drinks.

The Guestbook - The final version & reveal of our fingerprint guestbook - and some tips, should you want them!

I'd Do Anything For You - The reception kicked off with our oh-so-intricate first dance sway to Wake Up by Coheed and Cambria, which our guests joined in on halfway through.

Make 'em Laugh, Make 'em Cry - Which is exactly what we did, thanks to our bestest friends' amazing and beautiful toasts.

Food & Details - All the details about our cocktail-style reception and rustic decor.

Good Times, Bad Touch - Our guests got down with their bad selves on the dance floor with a lot of finger pointing, interpretive dance, and.. our very own rendition of Bad Touch. 

Faux-to Booth Fun! - We said no to veggies and yes to a sorta last-minute DIY photo booth!

Tatted Up - One of the most fun and unexpected features at the reception was our temporary tattoos that many guests ended up sporting proudly all night!

Let Them Eat Cake! - Foxy tried to commandeer the cutting, but we got things under control with a delicious, non-smashing cake exchange and some champagne.

A Foxy Fête: Let Them Eat Cake!

Somewhere in the middle of all the dancing, cake happened. Nom.

All photos by Exclamation Imagery unless otherwise noted.

Before we go forward, several things about said cake:

1. Since we opted for buttercream icing, I was told that if it happened to be exceptionally hot the day of our wedding, the cake tiers would need to be separated and on three different cake stands. Long story short, I hated all the ones the cake place had, I attempted to find my own, then attempted to make my own, then gave up. Then we lucked out with the weather and they didn't need to be separated after all. Huzzah!

2. I totally used fake flower petals that I got at Michael's to decorate the table. I never thought I would have done that in a million years. I know tons of people love 'em and use 'em, but they just aren't my thing. Then I saw them in colors that matched the petal colors I requested on the cake, and it was game over, man. And I loved it.

3. Our photog totally asked if I wanted a close up/detail shot of "the cute little squirrels" on top of the cake. Except they were foxes.

Ehh, squirrels, foxes, they're both adorable.

And the masses seemed to agree - there was lots of love over our cake table! Whoever arranged everything (Officiant Em? Jaime? Bueller?) did a fabulous job with everything.

This is from when we were actually cutting the cake.. my dad (guy with the camera) just cracks me up!

So anyway, as I started to say.. somewhere in the middle our dancefest, the cake table was rolled to the center of the dance floor as Speak Slow by Tegan and Sara started playing. We took our places and got ready to slice that baby.. when Foxy decided he should go all ninja with a samurai sword and tried to take over. Again.

Photo by Mrs. Guinea Pig

I probably made that face for about half a second, which Mrs. Guinea Pig somehow managed to catch. Total awesomesauce.

Scary moment over, we proceeded to cut the cake the right way. You know, with the bride taking control.

At this point, I think all breaths were held. Anyone who knows Foxy would expect a piece of cake being smashed all over my face.

Anyone who knows me would know that I would not let that happen. Then again, anyone who knows the both of us would still expect some cake smashing.

Alas, I think I threatened talked to Foxy enough to ensure a nice, proper bite of cake. I mean.. I would have been so sad if it got smushed on my face. That cake was freaking tasty. A bite on my face was a bite not in my mouth.

I'm actually quite impressed that Foxy even ate his piece - the man hates cake. And the only flavor he really tolerates is red velvet.. which was in the top tier. You know, the one we weren't going to cut into. Oh well.

At least I know he enjoyed our proceeding toast, done with the gorgeous flutes my lady love HK made for us!

Then it was time for everyone else to dig in, and for the crêpe station to turn from savory to sweet.

(Sorry, I had to post this picture again.. it was too delicious not to!)

At this point, I was starting to get a little sad. Cutting the cake meant that we were nearing the end of the reception sooner rather than later. Even though I knew the night would still continue for a handful of us, I didn't want what was happening right then, in that moment and with so many of my loved ones, to stop. One of my few regrets is that we weren't able to have a longer reception (due to time limits and local noise ordinances) - so I knew I had to enjoy the rest of the celebration to its fullest. Back to dancing it was!!

I even got my token dip!

Miss a recap? Catch yourself up!

It's Wedding Week! - The week of the wedding started out pretty hectic, but we made it through (relatively) unscathed.

We're Cool People (who had to deal with a slight change of plans) - On Friday, we made our way to the venue, had a relatable moment on the radio, and learned about some last minute changes that we made an effort to take in stride.

Practice Makes Perfect.. And Crabs Don't Hurt, Either - After most everyone was settled in on Friday evening, we had our rehearsal followed by the best dinner ever - a Maryland crab feast!

Rise and Shine! - Wedding morning was soon upon us, and I woke up at the crack of dawn ready to get prettified.

Pretty Women - Over the course of the next several hours, myself and the girls hung out, got our hair and makeup done, had a photo shoot, and drank champagne.

Dressing Up - Soon enough, it was time for me to slip into my dress!

Dapper Dudes - At the same time, Foxy and his guys were ironing and getting into their suites - and Foxy was opening his wedding day gift!

The First of Many Looks - We had our first look, and both felt so much better after being able to see each other for the first time that day.

A School Bus Photoshoot - Our vehicle of choice for the day was a school bus, which we turned into a photo op both inside and out!

Smiles and Sun - The photos continued by the lighthouse and pier.. with sunglasses and a few funny stories along the way.

ALL The Family - We then met up with family at the lock house for even more pictures, and I started getting a bit antsy and having problems with my dress.

And Then There's Us - I kinda-sorta-maybe forgot all about couple and bridal pictures. Thank goodness for our amazing photog reminding us!

Final Touches - Slight chaos then ensued in the minutes before the ceremony started, consisting of me getting sewn into my dress and the boys getting their bouts pinned on at the last minute.

And So It Begins - The guests arrive, the wedding party lines up, and the ceremony space is revealed - complete with programs, white knots, and bubbles!

All I Want Is You, Will You Be My Bride? - The time had finally come - we all made our way down the aisle while my stepdad and stepbro played and sang a beautiful, acoustic version of "All I Want Is You".

Take Me By The Hand and Stand By My Side - In other words.. the ceremony!

Bubbles and Bustles and Beverages, Oh My! - Bubbles are blown, my bustle is tied in, and cocktail hour commences with lots of love, hugs, and drinks.

The Guestbook - The final version & reveal of our fingerprint guestbook - and some tips, should you want them!

I'd Do Anything For You - The reception kicked off with our oh-so-intricate first dance sway to Wake Up by Coheed and Cambria, which our guests joined in on halfway through.

Make 'em Laugh, Make 'em Cry - Which is exactly what we did, thanks to our bestest friends' amazing and beautiful toasts.

Food & Details - All the details about our cocktail-style reception and rustic decor.

Good Times, Bad Touch - Our guests got down with their bad selves on the dance floor with a lot of finger pointing, interpretive dance, and.. our very own rendition of Bad Touch. 

Faux-to Booth Fun! - We said no to veggies and yes to a sorta last-minute DIY photo booth!

Tatted Up - One of the most fun and unexpected features at the reception was our temporary tattoos that many guests ended up sporting proudly all night!

A Foxy Fête: Good Times, Bad Touch

The one thing I wanted to do at our wedding was dance. Dance to good music, to be more precise. This was probably the only occasion in my life that I would be able to have complete control over the playlist, so I was more than ready to go when the lines at the food stations started to wind down and the "dinner music" switched over to Rhythm of Love by Plain White T's (aka, the official start).

All photos by Exclamation Imagery unless otherwise noted.

So no, I didn't really dance to that song, per say.. but I sure was singing along and swaying my hips like it was my business. I think Frank the DJ caught on, because the dancin' music kicked up right after!

(Disclaimer for the pictures to come: I was literally on the dance floor for all but one or two songs, so I'm kiiiind of in almost every picture. So is MOH Copper. I promise I'm not obsessed with us.. we're just picture whores, evidently. Don't judge.)

(PS. There's also a crap ton of pictures.)

(PPS. There's also a video at the end that you *might* want to watch. Just sayin'.)

To be honest, for the majority of pictures, I have no idea what the eff is going on, what was playing, or what we were doing.

I think this was Lady Gaga? Put your paws up, baby!

This about sums it up.

Then there's the pointing pictures. Where we're all just.. pointing.

I'm thinking maybe this was One Direction..?

Of course, no playlist is ever complete without a little Call Me Maybe action..

..and I also had to make sure that I reunited with my fellow UArts dance majors, and pulled out a coordinated combo or two from way back in the day. (Yes, that happened.)

I had a few personal favorite moments - the first of which was where MOH Copper and I serenaded each other to Hey Micky by Toni Basil. It's.. a thing.

Next up would be whatever the hell happened when Foxy was airborne for a good thirty seconds.

My caption for this is "Yay! We're boys! We do boy things!"

I of course also loved seeing everyone else enjoying themselves on the dance floor, as well. We didn't have as many people up and groovin' as I thought we would, but for the few moments that we were able to get a lot of people on the dance floor, it was pretty awesome!

Sad but true story - I danced more with MOH Copper's dad than my own!

Love this one of Foxy Mama and her longtime friend!

Those two are too stinking cute.

So are these two.

And these two.

And these two!

With all the fun and excitement, I didn't want to miss a moment. I recall having to pee for pretty much the entire length of the reception, but absolutely would not go relieve myself for fear of missing a song that I just had to dance to. Priorities.. I had 'em.

Anyway, as I mentioned, we had a lot more spectators that I thought we would, but no matter. Our amazing photogs were still able to get some quality shots of them, too. These are actually some of my favorite photos to look at, since I missed actually seeing it all happen. Sometimes those hidden, subtle moments are some of the best!

I'm obsessed with this picture - Foxy, his dad, and his next door neighbor/father of Foxy's best friends all throughout childhood.

And finally, I want to share with you the moment that I had been eagerly anticipating for over a year.

If you recall, my goal for the wedding was to learn all the lyrics to Bad Touch by Bloodhound Gang. (Totally normal.) Which I did. And which I had to convince Frank the DJ to actually play, since he pointed out that "there's no censored version". Psh. Censored. I have it on good authority (Foxy Mama) that no one who didn't actually know the song had any inkling as to what was really being sung.

And so.. here it is. Warning: I'm awkward.

You're welcome.

So. What did I learn with all this? For one, that not as many people were dancing as I thought there would be, but whatevs, it still looks like everyone was enjoying themselves! And two, that I make the worst duck/open mouthed/stank face when I dance. I think MOH Copper put it perfectly when she looked through the pictures and said,

"Thank god you got married first, now I know how much of an idiot I look like when I dance and I will not be doing that at my wedding."

Glad I could take one for the team.

Miss a recap? Catch yourself up!

It's Wedding Week! - The week of the wedding started out pretty hectic, but we made it through (relatively) unscathed.

We're Cool People (who had to deal with a slight change of plans) - On Friday, we made our way to the venue, had a relatable moment on the radio, and learned about some last minute changes that we made an effort to take in stride.

Practice Makes Perfect.. And Crabs Don't Hurt, Either - After most everyone was settled in on Friday evening, we had our rehearsal followed by the best dinner ever - a Maryland crab feast!

Rise and Shine! - Wedding morning was soon upon us, and I woke up at the crack of dawn ready to get prettified.

Pretty Women - Over the course of the next several hours, myself and the girls hung out, got our hair and makeup done, had a photo shoot, and drank champagne.

Dressing Up - Soon enough, it was time for me to slip into my dress!

Dapper Dudes - At the same time, Foxy and his guys were ironing and getting into their suites - and Foxy was opening his wedding day gift!

The First of Many Looks - We had our first look, and both felt so much better after being able to see each other for the first time that day.

A School Bus Photoshoot - Our vehicle of choice for the day was a school bus, which we turned into a photo op both inside and out!

Smiles and Sun - The photos continued by the lighthouse and pier.. with sunglasses and a few funny stories along the way.

ALL The Family - We then met up with family at the lock house for even more pictures, and I started getting a bit antsy and having problems with my dress.

And Then There's Us - I kinda-sorta-maybe forgot all about couple and bridal pictures. Thank goodness for our amazing photog reminding us!

Final Touches - Slight chaos then ensued in the minutes before the ceremony started, consisting of me getting sewn into my dress and the boys getting their bouts pinned on at the last minute.

And So It Begins - The guests arrive, the wedding party lines up, and the ceremony space is revealed - complete with programs, white knots, and bubbles!

All I Want Is You, Will You Be My Bride? - The time had finally come - we all made our way down the aisle while my stepdad and stepbro played and sang a beautiful, acoustic version of "All I Want Is You".

Take Me By The Hand and Stand By My Side - In other words.. the ceremony!

Bubbles and Bustles and Beverages, Oh My! - Bubbles are blown, my bustle is tied in, and cocktail hour commences with lots of love, hugs, and drinks.

The Guestbook - The final version & reveal of our fingerprint guestbook - and some tips, should you want them!

I'd Do Anything For You - The reception kicked off with our oh-so-intricate first dance sway to Wake Up by Coheed and Cambria, which our guests joined in on halfway through.

Make 'em Laugh, Make 'em Cry - Which is exactly what we did, thanks to our bestest friends' amazing and beautiful toasts.

Food & Detail - All the details about our cocktail-style reception and rustic decor.