Our Wedding: The Reception

(if you missed part one, check it out here)

Following the ceremony, the wedding party piled on a bus to head downtown to take some photos at our beloved St. Louis locations (the Arch, Busch Stadium, and Washington Avenue).  Our guests were invited back to a family member's house for light appetizers and drinks for a few hours until it was time for the reception.

This photo cracks me up because the three on the left are obviously the goofiest people ever, and it truly shows in this photo

I love candid shots

This photo and the one below are 100% candid as we were walking to our next location.  I just love the candid shots!

We stopped traffic to take a photo in the middle of Washington Avenue

having a dance party at Busch Stadium

Their signature photo pose

totally candid and in the moment

Our reception was exactly as I wanted.  We had a vision of no natural light, dark linens, with pink and white accents, feathers, lilies, and candle light everywhere.  And we achieved just that.  The compliments we received on our reception made all the stress worth it.  In addition, we wanted our reception to be more of a party than a formal event.  We are very laid-back, fun people and we wanted our reception to reflect that.  Thankfully, we successfully achieved that.

We started out with an introduction that had our guests laughing and ready to party!!!

Toasts, followed by dinner, lead to the first dances, and cake cutting.

Now we prayed over our guests (as they prayed over us at our ceremony)

 Our First Dance

Father-Daughter Dance

(I love how Nick is in the background, watching us)

Traditionally it's the Mother-Son Dance, but for our wedding, it was the Aunt-Nephew Dance (she's his second mother so it was just as special)

 

Cake Time!
We went with a very non-traditional cake.  We are fun personalities and as I mentioned early, we wanted a fun party atmosphere.  This was a cake Nick and I completely designed and felt very fitting!

Nick isn't a huge cake fan but his favorite dessert is Rice Krispie Treats (he's a simple man).
I had a family friend make him a giant Wings of Gold Rice Krispie Treat, (covered in fondant) as his Groom's "Cake:

Keeping with Navy wedding traditions, we cut the cake with his sword!

The moment the dance floor was open to the guests, it was packed until the last song.  {I'm coming back to comment on this post almost two years later, and we are STILL having people tell us our wedding was the most fun wedding they have ever been to and we certainly know how to throw a party!}

We are all either singing "Sweet Caroline", "Don't Stop Believing", or the Fresh Prince of Bel Air Theme Song...all classics for my family and friends 

And we can't forget the bouquet toss!!!

Another one of my favorite parts of our wedding was when I was called out on the dance floor for what I thought was the garter toss.  The DJ set out a chair for me to sit in and then the next thing I know, Nick comes up to me, with his Navy boys, singing "You've Lost That Loving Feeling", ya know, Top Gun style.  It's one of Nick's favorite movies and he's obviously in Naval Aviation so it was more than fitting.

I've never been a wedding where the large group of single men truly wanted the garter...I'm talking throwing elbows and stuff!!!  It was great!!!

Look at the fight and determination!

As luck would have it, the one that didn't really care, my brother, it happened to fall into his hands.
(Nick's reaction is priceless)

Of course my brother and his partner were excited!  And they just got engaged so it's their turn next!!!!

That's our wedding in a nutshell, which was hard for me to do.  It was the most magical day and I wish I could relive it every single day.  These words and accompanying picture truly do not do it justice!!!!

Nicholas and I are so blessed to have over 240 of our friends and family come help us (especially all of the out-of-towners!) celebrate and you all are a large part of the reason that we had a gorgeous day, a kick ass party, and a beautiful marriage.

All photos seen on this blog page are copyright of i Kandi Photography {unless otherwise noted below the photo}

To view more photos from our wedding, click HERE

Our Wedding: The Ceremony

I will fully admit to being that little girl that dreamt about her wedding from a very young age.  In my mind, it was all about the dress, flowers, and decor.

Then I met Nicholas and my ideas changed.  I was still obsessed with having a beautiful wedding with all the perfect details that go into that day, but I was now simply focused on the wedding as the first day of forever.  I couldn't stop thinking about my marriage.  Every day that we got closer to the wedding, the less those details mattered to me.  Our entire relationship had been long distance (I was always in St. Louis and he was always on the East Coast {first in South Carolina and then the last four years in Maryland}.)  I was ready to end the long distance and finally start my life with Nicholas.

After almost two years of planning, our wedding day had finally arrived.  Despite making my mother sleep with my the night before, I didn't sleep much.  I woke up early, unbelievably excited.  Not a single ounce of nerves in me.  Everyone assured me they'd set in later.

I showered and met my amazing bridesmaids at the salon where we all indulged in mimosas and a light breakfast while getting our hair and makeup done.

Afterwards, we all piled into the limo and headed to the Saint Cecilia Catholic Church in St. Louis, Missouri.  One of the amazing things about our beloved hometown is that has a large Catholic community and a lot of the older churches are just gorgeous.  I've wanted to get married at Saint Cecilia for many, many years and I was happy that this part of my wedding dream was not becoming a reality.

The back of the church

The ladies hid in a room in the church, with guys hidden away in another room.  Nicholas and I opted to do things very traditionally and we not only didn't see each other before the ceremony, but we didn't speak to one another until we met at the alter.

I am so in love with my wedding shoes.  Nothing says bride more than a giant pink bow!!!

Something Borrowed: Six Pence in a Shoe (not pictured)
Something Blue:  Nick's replica USNA ring he gave me, {which was later attached to my bouquet}
Something Old:  {Maternal} Great-Grandmother's handkerchief given to me by my Grandmother and my {Paternal} Late Grandmother's brooch {which was also later attached to my bouquet}
Something New:  My brother and sister bought my veil for me

Mike, the Best Man and Nick's cousin, delivering red roses, a card, and a gift to me from Nicholas
(even though we agreed no gifts because our puppies were going to be our gift to one another.)

Nick is known to all of his friends back home as "Obie" and they've called me "Mrs. Obie" for years now.  I found it only fitting that this be my hanger for our wedding day.

Giving Nick a little message, via our videographer, for him to view once we got our wedding dvd back.

My mother and sister helping me into my dress

Dad putting the six pence in my shoe

Nicholas measuring and getting his uniform ready

Shining his shoes

Leah, my sister and Maid of Honor, delivering a letter to Nicholas from me

Nick's sword

Nick wrapping his sword and tying the knot, with the help of Rob

Practicing their Arch of Swords one more time.

After everyone was dressed, pictures were taken, gifts exchanged, it was finally time to make our way to the back of the church for the ceremony.  Everyone kept asking me how I felt.  How did I feel?!  Cloud nine?  Is that an emotion?  I had absolutely zero nerves.  Nothing but incredibly euphoric feelings.

Apparently this emotion was felt by everyone.  I had so many people tell me that their favorite part of the ceremony was my walk down the aisle.  Everyone commented how my entire walk down the incredibly long aisle, I had the largest smile on my face, as did Nick, and our eyes were locked the entire time.  We never glanced at our family or friends.  From the moment those doors opened, our eyes were locked on each other, smiling.  I could tell that he was thinking the exact same things I was, and apparently this caused many, many tears throughout our gorgeous church.  Our priest even commented after the ceremony that he very rarely sees a bride and groom so much In Love and so focused on one another.  Through the entire ceremony, our eyes never left one another.

Nick's Uncle Scott and Aunt Debbie walking him down the aisle.

It was important to me that I had both of my parents walk me down the aisle.  I am incredibly close to both of them, and my mother is my absolute best friend, so we decided to forego tradition and do things our own way.

Nicholas watching me walk down the aisle

Everyone has their hands raised over us, praying for our new life together

Following the ceremony was one of my favorite parts of the day, The Arch of Words.  This is a Navy tradition welcoming the bride to the Navy.  At each set of swords, they lower and the couple is told that the rite of passage is a kiss.  Julius, Nick's roommate and best friend the past four years and now a brother to us, was part of the last set of swords.  After he declared that the rite of passage was a kiss, upon our exit, he swatted me on the butt with his sword, announcing "Welcome to the Navy, Mrs. Oberkrom!"

We loved this tradition as did our guests.  Being from a non-military town, 99% of our guests had never been to a military wedding.  To see our friends come marching out, calling out commands, and witness such a tradition brought many tears and laughs to our guests.  I learned that it wasn't only my favorite part of the day, but also a moment our guests will never forget either.

My entire family (on my mother's side).  This is the family you hear me talk about ALL.THE.TIME!

The most amazing grandparents ever.  If Nicholas and I can have a marriage only half as great as theirs, I would consider it a success.

My amazing family!

My Dad

My Mother

Nick's Family

our adorable ring bearer, Kaedon

our flower girl, Mia
(who told me I looked like a princess and it was the best compliment ever!)

All photos seen on this blog page are copyright of i Kandi Photography {unless otherwise noted below the photo}

To view more photos from our wedding, click HERE