Dinner and Toasts

Dinner and Toasts

When we got up to dinner, I was a little concerned about seating as I saw folks starting to squeeze up together, but I talked to myself and told myself that someone else would fix it.

We did dinner buffet style (leaving plates on the buffet, but silverware and glasses on the tables). There were pitchers of water on the tables as well as wine, and beer, lemonade and iced tea at a self serve bar on the side.

We didn't do assigned seating except for the head table so we were sure WE would have a place to sit. I loved being a part of the action and not alone with my bubbs, but away enough that our photographer captured both of our favorite shots from the wedding.

My brother ended up MCing the toasts and they were wonderful. My best friend, sister, BUbb's brother, my dad, step mom, and a couple other relatives made speeches. We only had one awkward "rachel getting married" speech, which is still talked about today, and I had a hilarious Uncle make a plug for his restaurant in his speech. I did ask my friend and sister to prepare toasts as well as Bubb's brother, but everyone else got up there on the spot.

*diy speaker system: the lake provided one sound system down by the lake for dancing, so my dad brought an amplifier he had laying around and a microphone and just set those up outside the house. It was free and a great easy solution for toasts.

Dinner was beautifully set up (though I wasn't thrilled with all of the colorful flowers strewn about after the fact, but in the moment I kept saying "it's so beautiful" in my post ceremony bliss) and most of it was delish. The local tri-tip was to die for.

(food photos NOT by Sabine Scherer, or how it was set up on the buffet)

I had secretly picked up one of our favorite bottles of expensive wine on the way up, so I surprised Bubbs with it and we drank that at dinner for a special treat, though the wine the guests enjoyed was another one of our favorites as well.

(I'm cooking a baby right now and that photo of dark red yumminess makes me CRAVE red wine)

Two big bummers with rentals: I ordered 10 glass pitchers for water on the tables and they delivered plastic ugly ones, the other was that I asked the rental place for large white porcelain bowls for serving dishes and again we ended up with ugly plastic. Shows you that you really need to double check that stuff if it matters. It didn't end up mattering at all.

The other big bummer was that the Lake staff was supposed to move the port-o-potty out of the way, but I guess they forgot, so it is in some of the photos as well as the caterer's truck. I was bummed about it a little during the dinner, but got over it quickly and don't think about it at all at this point.

When dinner was about over, my brother picked up the microphone and invited everyone to bring a bottle of wine from the table and their flowers down the hill for pie and dancing. I didn't ask him to do that, but he was so cute and it was a great idea (more flowers!) and really added to the group fun dynamic of the night.