A Foxy Fête: It's Party Time! (Again)

When people ask what my favorite part of the wedding was, the first thing that always comes out of my mouth is the after party.

All photos personal.

I mean, with a group like that to tag along with, how could it not be?!

Now of course I loved the ceremony and our first kiss. I loved hanging out with my girls all morning. I loved our first look, and dancing the night away. But the after party was the first time all day that Foxy and I weren't the sole focus. We weren't hosting anymore. We could just do our thing, and everyone else could do theirs. And, you know, I could actually imbibe in a full drink (or five).

Take note of those pictures for a hot minute. First off, that is not the alcohol making me red as a tomato. That's the sunburn I got during the ceremony due to my lack of sunscreen application. It got progressively redder throughout the reception, but came out in full force at the after party. Whatever, I didn't have any more fancy pictures to take, I'll take it. So future brides, let this be a lesson to you: if you're having an outdoor wedding.. wear sunscreen!

Secondly, I decided to ditch the whole change-into-a-little-white-dress thing I was toying with a few months prior and just rocked my gown all night. And why not? I mean, when the hell else am I ever going to wear that thing?!

And I have to say, I was rather proud that I was able to keep it on all day, and more importantly, have it stay in place, despite all the dancing and dipping that went down. A few friends even asked me how the heck it was staying up, and I simply did not have an answer for them. Other than the fact that it was taped and sewed to my body, and I didn't even want to think about how to take it off later. #foreshadowing

Anyway! Once the reception was officially over and everyone had dispersed, Foxy and I made our way over to the Laurrapin Grille just a few blocks away where a decent amount of our friends and family had already commencing imbibing and enjoying themselves.

We were even eventually joined by Scott, one of the ah-mazing bartenders at our wedding.. turns out that his boyfriend manages and bartends at the Laurrapin! He and I were actually chatting it up a bit at our rehearsal and reception, so of course he joined in on the post-wedding shenanigans!

He even snuck a video of a few of us jamming out to some CRJ at the bar. So we're obviously Facebook buds now.

The best part is clearly my friend Mark-0 getting his groove on, too.

As for Foxy, the after party scene was decidedly his time to let loose. While I was pretty ok with all eyes on us throughout the day, he was very much not a fan. He's more social in intimate settings, if that makes sense. So when the wedding was over and our whole crew pretty much took over the Laurrapin, he was much more in his element!

Let's just say... there were a lot of shots consumed by all parties involved.

Like picklebacks. (I still just don't understand those.)

And.. something white and creamy. (Ha! That's what she said.)

And car bombs.

And car bombs with MOH Copper's dad. #normal

Needless to say, everyone seemed to be having an awesome(ly drunk) time. We clearly weren't the only two people who wanted to cut loose that night!

I don't know. Puppet..?

If you can't tell.. this is Foxy's "yeaaa I'm getting a bit tipsy" face.

To be honest, everything is kind a blur at this point. (Are you surprised? No.) However, I distinctly remember bonding with Foxy's brother. And when I say bonding, I mean harassing him with hugs. Because when I learned the man didn't like hugs and mush and all that fun stuff that I dole out like candy on a daily basis.. well, you know. I had to keep it coming.

Besides, I think he was one or two sheets to the wind at this point, so he didn't mind much.

Funny story: Starting around midnight, guests slowly started to filter out, leaving just myself, Foxy, and his brother to close out the bar. Somewhere around 2am (and many an interesting conversation later), we made the short walk back to the Vandiver.

At this point, I was feeling relatively ok. Tired as all hell seeing as I'd been up and moving for a good 21 hours at that point, but otherwise ok. The boys were a different story.

About 10 minutes after we got back to our room, Foxy had to hit the bathroom. I'll let you use your imagination on that one. I took this time to start figuring out how to get out of my dress.. except I couldn't. Brideslady M seriously sewed that thing on - namely, the fabric around the zipper was sewn together, so the zipper couldn't come down unless the thread was cut apart. I knew I wouldn't be able to cut it myself (not for lack of trying, trust me), so I had to ask Foxy. I had to have my currently sick and not-exactly-sober new husband cut me out of my wedding dress.

Cue panic.

Not to worry though, everything was obviously ok! He was a champ with his coordination skills and my dress suffered barely any damage. It now resides safely in a ball in a plastic bag in my closet, because no, I have not gotten it cleaned or pressed or whatever yet. No judging.

As for Foxy's brother? Word has it he woke up on the bathroom floor.

And thus, I'd call the after party a hit! ;)

Are you having an after party once your reception is done? Do you think you'll rock your wedding dress all night, or do a quick change?

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.

Say That You'll Stay - Before I knew it or was really even ready for it, the last song of the night came on. Foxy and I danced it up and relished the moment, but were eagerly anticipating the next part of the night.. the after party!

Boys Like Gifts, Too

Huh. Who knew? ;)

Truth be told, I started writing this post the week before the wedding, and then.. life happened. I even made up a cute little "keep out" icon! (You know, because all of Foxy's groomsmen totally read my wedding blog. Or not.) So.. I'm going to use it anyway.

I'm just kind of obsessed with his little top hat. Anyway. Moving on.

Way back in the day, Foxy and I had the idea to brew some beer and possibly hand it out as favors or have it be served during the reception. Then our DOC told us that Maryland liquor laws were silly and we wouldn't be able to do either of those things (you could drink them on site in the privacy of your room, but they couldn't be consumed in public/where our reception was). However, once again, y'all made my life and came to the rescue with your suggestions of giving it to the bridal party as part of their thank you gift!

Since I already had the ladies' gifts picked out, we decided to just do this for the guys. Foxy planned on giving each groomsman a six pack with four or five different home brewed beers, as well as a personalized beer mug. Here's the totally normal, not frivolous, most used sample one he ordered.

He also ordered one with his name on it. Which he doesn't use. Just this one.

And so, two months before the wedding, Foxy had a massive beer brewing fiesta and made something like 30 gallons of different varieties of beer (5 gallons per batch). After several weeks of fermentation and forming carbonation, we had a little taste test to see which beers would ultimately go into the gift!

After several sips and faux-expert comments, we had our final four: Peach Coffee Stout, Irish Blonde Ale, Hefeweizen, and English Breakfast Ale.

Next came the fun part (well, the taste testing was the fun part, but I liked this too!).. assembling the gifts! Foxy used some of the boxes from his beer making kits to pack the glasses, and I pimped out said boxes with tags and a brief profile of each beer. (The beer itself ended up going into gift bags that Foxy packed about 5 minutes before the rehearsal dinner.)

I totally love how they came out, and all the guys seemed to really dig 'em. At least according to Facebook, they do!

What's the best gift you've ever gotten as bridal party member?

Lush Lemonade

It started out with a cute little picture of a drink in a mason jar.

Image via The Wedding Chicks | Photo by Bradley James Photography

Then I became convinced that we needed to have a signature cocktail (rather than a champagne toast) at the wedding. The next step was to decide what the signature cocktail would actually be.

I debated something simple like a blueberry gimlet, or maybe something more unique like a blackberry basil lemonade. I asked for your opinions, scoured the internet, tested out different cocktails.

Then I noticed this fantastic looking pink concoction posted by our very own Miss Mink a while ago.

From Andrea Hubbell’s blog / Photo by Andrea Hubbell Photography

Apparently this is one of the drinks served at her venue, Pippin Hill, called "Pucker Up Punch". I figured, since it looks amazing, it has to taste amazing too, right?!

I gathered the necessary supplies:

Absolut Ruby Red, X Rated Fusion Liquor, lemonade (Crystal Light, yo!)

Now, I tend to have a heavy hand when it comes to mixing drinks, but it totally works with this tasty beverage - one shot Ruby Red, one shot of the liquor, then fill and mix with lemonade.

Of course I had to put it into a mason jar with a stripy straw to get the full effect. And guys? It was good. It doesn't taste like there's alcohol in it, which is both awesome and dangerous. I was afraid Foxy wouldn't like it - it has an incredibly soft hint of grapefruit (he hates grapefruit) - but he went bananas over it. Like.. has had multiple glasses this week. We had our friends try it out as well and there were thumbs up all around!

My only changes would be to make it with pink lemonade instead of regular, as it makes the color much more pink and much, much prettier; I also want to add some fresh raspberries or strawberries to spruce it up a bit.

We're still trying to come up with a good name, but for right now we're sticking with "Lush Lemonade". 'Cause that's exactly what it is. Lush. And orgasmic, but I don't think "Orgasmic Lemonade" would go over too well. Or maybe it would. ;)


The last step is to make sure our venue, the Vandiver Inn, can acquire all the proper ingredients (mainly the Rated X Fusion Liquor). Here's hoping!

Did you come up with your own signature cocktail (if you had one) or did you pull inspiration from elsewhere?

The Drink That Wasn't

I won 't keep you in suspense. It's beer.

Delicious, homebrewed beer.

A little under a year ago, Foxy decided to buy a starter at-home beer brewing kit.

The goal was to start by using the the all-inclusive beer kits (that small box at the bottom), which have all the ingredients you need to make whatever kind of beer you select, along with detailed directions on how to do so. We eventually aimed to become proficient enough to experiment with making our own beers - as in, instead of using a kit, we'd chose what grains and what yeast and how long to boil it all, etc and so forth. No directions. 'Cause we don't follow anyone's rules, not even our own. (Reference?!)

So.. what's the point in all of this? Wonderful question! The point is that we ultimately wanted to craft our own beer to serve at the wedding. Seeing as we are only having a beer and wine open bar, we thought it would be faboush to include a homebrew in that selection. The thought was to possibly have one type at the rehearsal dinner and name it something dorky like Still Single Stout (Foxy gets credit for that one), and another one at the reception named something along the lines of Happily Ever After Hefeweizen. We could slap fun labels on them, people would drink and be happy, we'd have a fun, unique element - perfect, right?

Well, yes, up until we brought it up to our DOC and she quickly nixed the idea. Unbeknownst to us, Maryland has some very silly rules and regulations on alcohol - both on what can be sold and what can be consumed. The gist of it is that you are not allowed to consume alcohol purchased outside of the venue; you can bring it, but it can't be opened. All alcohol has to be originally bought and provided by the venue itself. This rules out any hope of bringing our own beer, not to mention the fancy-shmancy bottle of champagne we've been specifically waiting to drink for the wedding/wedding night.

Major bummer.

The option is always there to possibly give a homebrew out as a favor, but there is no guarantee that people won't open them, and I really don't want to deal with any issues that may potentially arise from that. Also, I already have an amazeballs idea for favors(!).

Thus is the story of the drink that.. wasn't.

Does anyone else brew beer (or wine) (or moonshine) and hope to have it at your wedding? Have you run into any sticky issues when it comes to alcohol permits/laws?

Drinkage

I should start off by establishing that we have decided to only serve beer and wine at our reception. We're both big wino's and Foxy seriously loves his beer. We realistically can't afford a full open bar, and we really don't see the need for a cash liquor bar in addition to an open beer and wine bar. I know people have varying opinions on this, but it's the best option for us.


Now on to the good stuff. For a small extra fee per person, our venue also allows you to do a champagne toast and/or a signature cocktail to serve throughout the night. Given our budget, we can only realistically do one or the other.


On the one hand, a champagne toast would be pretty schweet, because let's be real here: I LOVE champagne (or sparkling wine as the case may be).

Not really a good descriptive photo, but it's def a usual Sunday afternoon ;)

Plus, I love the look and feel and vibe of a true, classic champagne toast. And some of the the pictures can be unbeatable!

Image via What It Costs | Image via Pinterest from These tings Take Time
Image via Pinterest from Free People

Now on the other hand, a signature cocktail is just so fun. For one, it would ensure that there would be at least some type of liquor for those (lovely) sticklers who aren't big  beer or wine fans. Second, we could have fun creating a name for it like "Blushing Bride Blueberry Gimlet" or something equally as dorky and mushy. Third.. and unashamedly one of the biggest selling points for me.. is that we could put said cocktails in super cute glasses!

 

Image via Luna and Chloe Weddings | Image via Green Wedding Shoes, Photo by Jackie Wondersjackiewonders.com

Oh yes. I'm a total sucker for the mason jar glasses and stripy straws.

Needless to say, we're pretty set on the signature cocktail - ultimately, we figure people will be more than able to toast with the drinks they will have in front of them instead of champagne. Now we just need to decide what kind of cocktail to serve!


What kind of bar, if any, did you have at your wedding? Any good signature cocktail ideas??