G + E Wedding : Reception

This week, I am sharing photos from our October wedding in the Pacific NW. (Getting Ready + First Look HERE; Pre-Ceremony Photos HERE; Ceremony HERE).

After the ceremony, we had forty-five minutes for guests to enjoy hors d'ouerves while Greg and I had photos taken of just us two by our photographers (in the Pre-Ceremony Photos post above). We also signed our marriage licenses during this time. It was nice to have a few minutes to ourselves before the reception and to soak it all in.

Once we got to the ballroom (conveniently located across the street from the chapel), we were greeted by our guests, my brother's father-in-law said a prayer for the food, and the buffet was opened. We had our plates already filled with food by our coordinator, so we sat and enjoyed the reception while filling our hungry bellies. It was great to sit down and scan the room, soaking in the reality that we were finally married and surrounded my loved ones. 

The menu was completely gluten-free (other than the bread that was served in baskets for guests), which was very important to us due to food sensitivities. The food was so good! The buffet options included herb-roasted fingerling potatoes with caramelized onions, wild field green salad (with pears, gorgonzola, red onions, candied pecans, balsamic vinaigrette. YUM!!!!), seasonal oven-roasted veggies, seared NW chicken breast with roasted shallot jus, and grilled tenderloin (with garlic, lemon, parsley). My family brought sarmale, stuffed cabbage rolls (a Romanian classic dish for weddings). I am practically salivating while I type this… The cooks did a great job and the food was delicious without being too heavy or making us feel gross afterwards. Four thumbs up from us two! 

 Our backdrop that was used for the ceremony was transported to the ballroom by my brothers. Dalia's Fine Design did a phenomenal job on the overall design! 

Our overal theme was rustic elegance. I wanted to incorporate a few things that personalized the decor. I love drinking tea, so I bought tea cups (and a friend bought me a few too!) from Goodwill and succulents were placed in them. Table cards were hand-made with Bible verses about love and placed on each table. Wooden cookies were decorated with a dainty doilies. We re-used the flowers that decorated the chapel aisle for our centerpieces, which saved money and still looked absolutely beautiful! 

I bought a huge W from a craft store as well as sage green paint and had a friend pain several coats.

Throughout the whole reception, we had live music. One of Greg's best friends played amazing classical guitar selections, followed by worship music played by my brother Sam. A few guests joined him later in the reception, which was not planned, but super awesome! 

Another unplanned part was when one of my parents' longtime friends came to our table and asked if she can present my mom with a gift. We agreed and she got the mic and said sweet words about my mom and presented her with a quilt she made for my mom. It was a very sweet way to honor my mom.

My aunt Emma made our beautiful cake. The top tier was gluten-free, which made it possible for Greg to enjoy his wedding cake! My mother-in-law made the beautiful bunting for the top of the cake that said Mr & Mrs.

We had a slideshow that I made and it showed photos of us growing up, followed by photos of us together.

Our photographers grabbed us towards the end of the reception and said they had a great photo idea. As you can see below, they are pure geniuses. I LOVE this photo!!

So, there you have it … our wedding! We loved it all and wish the day could have lasted longer because it seemed to go by pretty quick once the reception started. But, overall, we felt we were able to catch moments to selah, pause and praise, during the day. We had little stress the whole day due in large part to my dependable wedding coordinator, Jenn. She made sure everything ran smoothly and that we weren't disturbed with questions and concerns from the venue or vendors. She rocked it and we were so thankful!  

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Photography by Vio Regus Photography

Floral design by Dalia's Floral Design

Wedding Coordination by Jenn Pacurar

Venue: Abernethy Center (Ballroom)