Before the Mane Event: BBC Part 2

As I mentioned earlier, Sister Lioness coined the phrase "BBC" (a polite name for some people...better cry) to describe her goals for her rehearsal dinner slideshow.  What she meant by this was that she really wanted her slideshow to tug at our guests' heartstrings.  She spent months collecting baby pictures from parents, deciding on music, and playing on iMovie.  When we saw the final result, there wasn't a dry eye in the room.

Fortunately, Sister Lioness decided to post this slideshow on YouTube...so you get to watch it too!  As long as you promise not to laugh at how nerdy I was as a kid.  Promise?  Well, okay...


Do you think you'll incorporate some kind of multimedia into your rehearsal dinner?

Before the Mane Event: BBC

In the final weeks leading up to our wedding, Sister Lioness was busy putting the finishing touches on a slideshow that she had prepared to show during our rehearsal dinner.  Every text, every post, every tweet that I received from her during this time had one phrase repeating throughout: BBC.  Or, in the tweets, it was #BBC.  Yep, she tried to get it to trend.  What does "BBC" stand for?  Well, it refers to our wedding guests and what she hoped they would do.  She hoped that they would be so overcome with joy and emotion that they would cry.  The conversation went something like this:

Lioness: Is the slideshow sappy?

Sister Lioness: Heck yes it is!  They'd better cry. [Insert very tactful pet name for our collective rehearsal dinner guests] better cry!

Thus, BBC was born.  Alas, I was just as guilty of helping it to stick.

The first BBC moment at our rehearsal dinner occurred during Papa Lioness' toast.  He is a good speaker.  He does it for a living.  He's always had a way with words, and on top of that, he's a total sap.  After our guests finished eating, he stepped in front of our projection screen (more on that later...it's basically just our photobooth backdrop with a sheet over it) and asked for the floor.

What's that?  You'd like to hear the speech?  Well, fortunately, Papa Lioness emailed it over to me shortly after the wedding.  Enjoy!

It’s customary at these occasions for people to tell tales about one or the other of the happy couple, to ensure that each knows all they need to in order to take that next step in their relationship.  I will not be an exception.  While I cannot relate anything about David – he has been quite effective in not sharing any of his deep, dark secrets – I can tell volumes about Julia.

As parents, we are fascinated by our children, especially as we watch their personalities develop.  When Julia was about 1 ½, I recall watching her, feeling great pride as she did something, which would cause me to say “that’s me”, only to recoil in horror, as I realized, omg, that’s ME, and, if there was one thing I could change about my personality, that would be it.

Let me give you an example.  In Julia’s world – and mine – there is only one way to do something: the right way, which just happens to be her way.  Any other way of doing such a task is simply wrong.  Further, those who do things wrong are not just mistaken, often, they are of inferior, well, we’ll just leave it at that.  Have any of you observed Julia behind the wheel of a car?  Did she comment upon the behavior of other drivers, that was, of course, wrong?  Errant?  Perhaps even stupid?  Did she indicate her displeasure with any words or specific gestures?  If so, it’s not really her fault; it’s all me.

When she was an infant, we lived in suburban Washington DC.  While we had little money, we did have cable.  I was determined to make her into a fan of my teams.  Whenever the Orioles played, and their hero would come to the plate, I would bounce her on my knee, chanting “Eddie, Eddie”.  While she smiled, there was no recognition.  During college football, I taught her the words to the fight song of my beloved Oklahoma Sooners, both of them.  Nothing.  When college basketball rolled around, I explained what a Hoya was, what Hoya Saxa meant, so she could grow up to annoy all her friends, armed with this impressive knowledge.  Still nothing. 

Imagine my surprise when, years later, she goes off to college to become this rabid Florida Gator fan.  It was never just We Are the Boys; nope, it was pure good  versus pure evil.  Florida State?  At least they have a circus.  Georgia?  Ach, their coeds wear jean shorts with their pearls.  But, the greatest of all were her sainted Red Sox and, you guessed it, the devil itself, those New York Yankees. 

A few years later, I got the call that every daughter’s father dreads.  “Hi Dad; I have a new boyfriend, but you’re not going to like him”.  Realizing that I have no more than four seconds to come up with a respectful response, here’s what went through my mind: oh my god, he’s got ink from head to toe.  Or, maybe piercings all over, even in places that I don’t want to think about.  Or, his pants are so far down his backside that he’s exposing 4 or 6 inches of tidie whities. 

Finally, I said: “Gee, Julz, why not”?  She said “he’s a Yankees’ fan”.  My response was immediate and visceral: “I don’t think I could ever accept that”.  You see, I was raised in a household where my father once said that rooting for the Yankees was like hoping oil companies make more profit.  Certainly, no good could come of this.

Fast forward a few more years, to their first apartment.  In their dining room, they each had a desk, with their shrines over them: she with Red Sox, he with Yankees memorabilia.  I was hopeful; if they could work through this conflict of values, this good versus evil, this Red Sox/Yankees thing, there was a chance for this relationship.  Really, their zeal for their respective teams was more about loyalty and how they were raised than anything else.

But then, I thought about what they had in common: this love for the game of baseball.  I think if they lived in a minor league city, they would become avid fans of their team.  To them, baseball is a game of geometric precision, of tradition, of nuance, of inches.  It’s a game played in a park, in an urban setting during the lazy days of summer and has not changed much, except for a few minor tweaks, for over 150 years.  It’s a sport in which there is no clock, nor is the position of the ball over a designated spot always the determinant of scoring.  The individual’s effort on behalf of the concept of team is essential for success; World Series winners are full of them.  When the individual places self over team, you’ve got anti-harmony types like Manny Ramirez.  Each season begins with such optimism, as every team (this week) is in first place, with a shot at taking it all.

So, Julia and David, my congratulations.  May you continue to celebrate your successes yet not lord over another’s setbacks.  May your passion for this grand old game pale in comparison to the passions you share.  May you win lots of world series and may every day of your lives together feel like opening day, full of optimism and hope for what the day will bring to you.

  {Evan Hampton Photography}

I can seriously pick out the sentence that is being spoken during each of those shots!  I especially like how Mama Lioness is looking at me and Mr. Lion in that last one...she's so psyched.  BBC indeed!

Do you think you'll tear up during your wedding weekend?  Or are you not the crying type?

Before the Mane Event: Rehearsal Dinner

I had always imagined leaving rehearsal with some of my favorite people by my side, laughing all the way to our rehearsal dinner venue.  In actuality (well, for me anyway), there was too much business to attend to.  This person was staying in this place Friday night only, this stuff had to go over here, these people were carpooling but those people weren't.  We all went our separate ways, and I set out alone to drive to our new rehearsal dinner venue (you know, because the original venue had closed down).  Amid the chaos, I remembered that my gas light had come on in my car earlier that day...about 10 miles ago earlier that day.  So, I was late to my own rehearsal dinner because I had to get gas!

Turns out, I was lucky to be running late.  Things over at our rehearsal dinner venue were a mess!  Don't get me wrong, this restaurant is awesome; but, I don't think they were used to a party of our size, and they certainly weren't used to catering.  Fortunately, MIL Lion stepped into their kitchen (yep) and let her Latina mama powers take over.  After about 15 minutes, the curtains opened and our show was up and running!

I was greeted by a buffet filled with some of my favorite Cuban dishes, as well as tables filled with some of my favorite people.

With four of the five Lioness Bmaids and their "signivs"

{Evan Hampton Photography}

Our rehearsal dinner was dry, as our hole-in-the-wall venue didn't have a liquor license.  This worked out for the best, as we had to get ready the next morning at 6:00 AM (more on that later).  Also, it was the perfect excuse to get cute Latin sodas like these!

{Evan Hampton Photography}

I had told MIL Lion that I didn't need any decorations for our rehearsal dinner.  It was a very casual, low-key event, and I didn't want anything more than a good meal.  Well, she decided that we needed a little something, and made a last minute trip to Michael's.  Oh, and she snuck in champagne.  How awesome is she?!

{Evan Hampton Photography}

Unfortunately, we stuffed our faces too quickly to get a good shot of the food.  I assure you, it was delicious!  Overall, the dinner had a very laid-back vibe.  We were glad to be able to relax with loved ones before the big day.

What little extras are you planning on including at your rehearsal dinner?  Or are you like me, and you haven't really planned on having any at all?

Before the Mane Event: Bridesmaid Brunch

We've already talked about Wednesday, and I caught you up on my last minute projects that I knocked out on Thursday.  As Rebecca Black will tell you, Friday is next!  I'm so sorry.  You're going to have that song stuck in your head all day now, aren't you?  I can sing "It's a Small World" if you'd like!  No?  Okay then.

Seriously though, Friday is when the fun truly began!  I kicked off the wedding weekend with a brunch in honor of my bridesmaids.  I had reserved a cozy private room in the back of the Flying Biscuit Cafe in Candler Park, one of my favorite neighborhoods in Atlanta.  Since all of the Flying Biscuit locations are so bright and colorful (and since all five of the Lioness Bmaids were Gators), I figured an orange and blue theme was a great way to make my girls feel special.

I brought a blue mason jar which I filled with orange roses...

Then, I gave each bridesmaid a "party favor" of alligator-shaped soaps, as well as orange and blue earrings.  (They also received their bridesmaid gifts of shoes and fascinators that day!)

I also printed individual menus on some leftover cardstock.  I had discussed this menu with the store manager previously, but after he offered to print it out in "something cute, like Comic Sans," I decided to make them myself.

For those of you who are just reading this post to find out about the food (that'd be me if I wasn't writing this), allow me to list the dishes so you don't have to zoom in on that picture.

Appetizers:

• Field Greens Salad & Soup
• Fried Green Tomatoes
• Side of Love (cutest name ever!), which is a black bean cake topped with salsa verde and sour cream

Entrees:

• Egg-stravaganza, your basic breakfast: eggs, chicken sausage, turkey bacon, grits, and french toast topped with raspberry compote and creme anglaise
• Shrimp and Grits, topped with a roasted red pepper and tomato sauce
• Chicken and Black Bean Quesadilla
• Tofu & Tater Salad
• Biscuit Pot Pie, a twist on a Southern classic

Oh, and of course everything's served with a biscuit!

I decorated each place setting with a little monogrammed mug from Anthropologie, as well as a thank you note.

 They're making those faces because I decorated the thank you card envelopes with vintage Disney stickers.

They're making these faces because I included a photo with each thank you card.  Each photo was specific to that bridesmaid and taken early on in our friendship.  The most recent photo was taken in 2004.  Crying ensued.

As I inhaled my food (sorry, no time for a photo), I gazed around at the five women who surrounded me.  For years, these had consistently been some of the most important women in my life.  We became friends as kids, and our friendships grew as we grew.  I felt an incredible sense of pride towards the women they had become.

Then, the moment finally hit me: I was getting married that weekend.

When have you had one of those "reality" moments?  Pretty incredible, huh?

They Were Right

You know how people say that things can and will go wrong at your wedding?  The unexpected happens, and there's absolutely nothing you can do to make it better?  Well, we've had our fair share of that lately.

First of all, we met with our venue the other day to discuss final numbers.  Guess what?  They brought up the how-do-we-serve-cake debate, or "Cupcake Wars" as I have now nicknamed it, again.  I thought we had come to the compromise of serving the cupcakes and groom's cake family style so that our guests could choose, but we wouldn't end up paying for too much cake.  Well, they brought it up again because they thought I had made the "wrong" decision.  Yep.  That's the word they used.  Wrong.  I won the argument again, but I have a feeling I won't be so nice about it if it's brought up a third time.

Secondly, I'm down a bridesmaid.  Mr. Lion's sister has decided not to attend our wedding.  My FMIL is still very upset about it, so I don't want to go into it out of respect for her.  I'm actually okay with it.  I figure, if someone doesn't want to be there, I don't want them to be either.  Besides, being a bridesmaid is an honor.  If she doesn't want that honor, I don't want to give it to her.  It feels like I'd be taking something away from the other five girls who have truly been there for me.

Then yesterday, my FMIL sent me this text: "I can't get a hold of Coco Loco [the rehearsal dinner venue].  The phone just rings and rings, and the email says it's no longer in service.  I don't mean to scare you, but I have a bad feeling about this."  Shit.

Then, on a hunch, FMIL Lion googled "Coco Loco" and "closed."  She found an article that said that the restaurant, which has been open for 20 years, closed permanently last week.  Last week, as in three weeks before our wedding.  Like Miss Sloth, we no longer had a rehearsal dinner venue.  Unlike Miss Sloth, these guys didn't have the courtesy to tell us.  We found out from a newspaper article, and only because FMIL Lion's intuition is that awesome.  Can you imagine if she had ignored that hunch?!  We might have showed up after rehearsal waiting to eat food!

As you can imagine, I hyperventilated.  But only for about 30 seconds.  I thought to myself, "You don't have time to panic anymore.  That's a luxury you can't squeeze in anymore.  You need to be efficient right now."  And I moved on.  Mr. Lion and I tried a new Cuban restaurant last night, and made up a list of questions for FMIL Lion to ask today.  If it doesn't work out at this new place, we'll keep looking.

Yeah, this kind of stuff happens.  When you're planning something as detailed and as involved as a wedding, it's more likely than not that something bad will happen.  It's out of your control, but your reaction to it is within your control.  And your reaction is what matters.  I just wanted to let y'all know that I think a big reason why I didn't completely freek out is because of you, Hive.  I've read about your drama.  I've commented on how strong you are, and how much I admire your ability to push through it.  When I got that text from FMIL Lion, all I thought about were people like Mrs. Trail Mix and Mrs. Socks, who didn't let wedding-related disasters get to them, no matter how big or how small.  They focused on the marriage, and knew it would work out eventually.  I just wanted to thank all of you for being such positive role models.  You have no idea how much you inspire me.

Your turn!  Let's hear your most recent wedding vents :)

Gratitude & Grits

Though not as exclusive to the region as the groom's cake, it is a Southern tradition to thank your bridesmaids with a luncheon.  This is usually held the morning of the wedding, or during the afternoon the day before.  Unfortunately, our wedding is at 11am, so this ruled out "morning of."  Our rehearsal will be at 5pm the day before, so that made it a little too tight to squeeze in during the afternoon.  This lead me to my favorite meal of the day, brunch!

Some of my favorite places to brunch in Atlanta: Feast, Einstein's, Parish, Murphy's, and Ria's Bluebird

Sure, there are a lot of great brunch places around here.  You'd think it'd be tough to choose between all of these delicious locations, but it wasn't.  I wanted my bridesmaids to feel celebrated.  They've done so much for me, and many of them are traveling from out of state to stand by me on our wedding day.  I wanted delicious, casual food with a bright, colorful, fun backdrop.  I looked no further than the Flying Biscuit.

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The Flying Biscuit is an Atlanta tradition.  It began in Midtown, as a simple biscuit shop.  They now have several locations throughout Atlanta, and even a few in North Carolina and Florida.  They serve a lot more than biscuits now, too.  Think Southern food with a twist.  Oh, there's grits and bacon, but they also offer chicken sausage, whole grain pancakes, and omelets with arugula and goat cheese.  They haven't forgotten their roots though; the biscuits are still the most popular item on the menu.

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If you're wondering what that sauce is that's served with the biscuits, it's some kind of apple butter.  I don't know how to describe it other than "it tastes like Christmas."

I love the ambiance in the restaurant, too.  The mismatched tablecloths, handmade tabletop decor, and eclectic wall art are sure to convey a sense of fun as I thank my girls for all of their hard work.

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If the weather is nice, we can even sit out on the patio, which is Lion Corgi friendly!

Are you throwing a luncheon for your bridesmaids?  Where did you choose to do it?

One Last Invitation Reveal

We're having a traditional Cuban pig roast, called a caja china, for our rehearsal dinner.  The decor of the restaurant is bright and tropical, mostly with shades of red and turquoise.

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When we designed the invitations for our rehearsal dinner, we wanted to incorporate this tropical color scheme, but we also wanted it to go along with our invitation suite.  It seemed like a stretch, but then we found one element that could carry over.

The carving on the tree!  Now, how could we make an oak tree tropical?  By turning it into a palm tree of course!  Without further ado, here is our rehearsal dinner postcard invitation:

Does your rehearsal dinner have the same theme as your wedding?  If not, did you carry over some elements from your wedding into your rehearsal dinner?

On the Prowl

I had so much fun at my bridal shower, but unfortunately we had to rush out of the tea room and head home to change clothes.  I threw on a slightly less classy dress, and met up with the girls to kick off my bachelorette party!

Fishnets = ready to party!

No penis paraphernalia for this bachelorette, but my girls did glam me up with a tiara (shocker) and some faux lashes.

Lioness Bmaid Emily was just a little bit excited.

We posed for a group shot before heading out...

...but we made time for a few antics first:

We cabbed over to Loca Luna for a few caipirinhas...which are wicked strong, by the way.  Two cocktails in and my princess-themed sillybandz seemed pretty intense!

Also, at one point I made this face...

...which I did not know I was capable of making.

Sister Lioness and I had glazed-over eyes after a few hours at Loca Luna:

Then, I got stir crazy.  My friends asked where I wanted to go next  "I just wanna go drink a Guinness," I replied.  "I want a Guiness and I want men to tell me that Mr. Lion is the luckiest man in the world."

So, that's exactly what we did!  We ventured over to the Virginia Highlands and hit up a couple of pubs.  The good Irish girl that I am, I grabbed a Guinness...

...and I made friends with lots and lots of boys, who told me that Mr. Lion was the luckiest man in the world.  One of these new friends was dressed like Marty McFly from "Back to the Future," and I found this pretty hilarious at the time.

What kind of antics ensued during your bachelorette party?

Winter Wonderland: The Details!

Sister Lioness spent so much time and effort on the details of my shower, I simply had to devote an entire post to them!  Let's start at the beginning, shall we?

When guests first walked in, they were greeted with a table filled with mismatched teacups.  Guests were instructed to choose a teacup.  As you can see, the table was adorned with black and white "Alice in Wonderland" illustrations.

Each teacup included a homemade sugar cookie, as well as a few bags of tea.

My teacup had a tag with my name on it, but every other teacup had a tag that read "pick me."  Attached to that tag was a scroll that described what that teacup revealed about their personality!  At the end of the shower, we went around the table and read our scrolls.  The funny thing is that they turned out to be pretty accurate!  Obviously, mine was:

Teapots and ceramic filled with flowers served as centerpieces...

...and monogrammed teacups spelled out the theme for the day:

I sat in the middle of the table, mostly because the head of the table was occupied by the white rabbit himself.

And instead of a Cheshire cat, we had a Cheshire lion...a nod to my Weddingbee moniker!

I loved the literary motif.  It was whimsical, but a different kind of whimsical than our wedding theme.  How were your shower details different from your wedding details?

Winter Wonderland: My Shower!

As y'all may have heard, Atlanta had a bit of bad weather last week.  We got about five inches of snow where we live, and our Southern city is definitely not equipped to deal with such a thing!  The city-wide policy was to wait it out.  In the meantime, I sat on the edge of my seat waiting for the icy roads to melt...because my shower was that Saturday!  Fortunately, the highways cleared, most of the side streets got a little better, and all of my out of town shower guests were still able to come!

We donned some pretty dresses (with tights, of course), threw on some warm coats, and headed up to Marietta Square for some tea.  You may recall from these lovely pieces of inspiration and this fabulous invitation that Sister Lioness and Mama Lioness had planned a "Mad Tea Party" themed shower for me.  It was supposed to be reminiscent of "Alice in Wonderland," but more so from the novel than from any of the movies.  Well, I think my fabulous hostesses pulled it off flawlessly.  I walked into The Vineyard Cafe and entered a true wonderland.

A very long table, filled with 17 of my favorite women

I was surrounded by love.  Love, and lots and lots of delicious food of course!  I think I was grinning from ear to ear for the next several hours.  Mostly because I was just psyched, but also because I posed for lots of pictures!  First, with one of my two fabulous hostesses, Mama Lioness!

Next, I posed with my other fabulous hostess, Sister Lioness!

How awesome is that painting behind us?  Yay for hot air balloons!  Oh, if I may digress for a moment, I'm pretty proud of my hostess gifts.  I got Mama Lioness and Sister Lioness umbrella charms (Get it?  Shower?!), both very unique to their personalities.  Sister Lioness' charm had an umbrella and a locket, while Mama Lioness' had a beach umbrella with a piece of seaglass:

Locket by foowahu.  Sea glass by Seashaped.

Now then.  Where were we?  Oh yes.  We sat down for tea, and each of us received our own little french press with tea of our choice.

We snacked on fresh fruit, finger sandwiches, and an assortment of muffins, scones, and cookies.

Next, my guests gathered 'round as I opened my gifts.

Some of my favorite presents were the ones that weren't from my registry...

...and sometimes I was just excited about the gift wrap alone!

Lioness Bmaid Laura did an awesome job making my ribbon bouquet.

Next, we posed for some group shots.  First, with my fabulous bridesmaids!

I freeking love our buttons!  This one's my favorite photo from the whole day:

How gorgeous are those ladies?!  It was absolutely incredible to be surrounded by so many of my favorite gals.  It made everything feel a lot more real...I finally felt like a bride!  It was some of the most fun I've ever had.  I probably would have stayed all day if they hadn't kicked us out!

What was your favorite part of your shower?