Photo: Lynne Brubaker
What do real brides have to say about the wedding planning experience? In the weeks leading up to her wedding, guest blogger Linley Taber shared the ins and outs of finding dance floor-friendly bridesmaids dresses, nailing a foodie-approved wedding menu, and more. With the big day behind her, Linley gives us a sneak peak of her gorgeous wedding photos and a few of her favorite details.
It's hard to believe that my wedding is now but just a memory—but oh, what a memory it is! On a gorgeous August night, 130 of our loved ones joined us at a hilltop farm in the Connecticut countryside. For me, the whole evening—from our outdoor ceremony, to sunset cocktails in the garden, to dinner and wild dancing under the tent—was nothing short of magical. Here are my favorite moments.
The First Look
After months and months of planning and envisioning our wedding, it was pretty off-the-charts surreal to wake up and realize today's the day. But it wasn't until I snuck up behind Michael, who I hadn't seen since the night before, that the enormity of everything hit me: Holy moly! We are about to get married! As he turned to face me, I was completely gobsmacked with emotion. It was a mix of gratefulness, pure joy, and that giddy, head-over-heels feeling we experienced when we first met—which, I'd argue, is the best feeling in the world. Cue the tears.
The Ceremony
As soon as I got down the aisle, the craziest thing happened: I was, for the first time in probably weeks, cool as a cucumber. This calmness in itself was a total surprise—I had fully intended on hyperventilating. But the other great amazement was being present enough to take in my surroundings: namely, our loved ones gathering before us. When else do you get to see all of your favorite people from all across your life, gathered before you? It was such a powerful moment—one I will never forget.
The First Dance
It's hard to have a bad first dance when your little sister is basically the next Adele and your new cousin-in-law is an ace guitarist. The two of them together, performing an acoustic version of Etta James' "Sunday Kind of Love" was pretty much soulful, tear-jerking magic. Michael and I didn't have any sort of fancy choreography planned—we just sort of went with what felt right. But you better believe I made sure we got in a few dramatic dips and spins.
The Dance Party
We knew that our '70s funk band would get the whole party busting a move, but we had no idea that would happen before dinner was even served. No sooner had the first few chords of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" floated out into the August night, than all of our guests were literally flocking to the dance floor. There was moon-walking, air-guitaring, fist-pumping, butt-bumping. (My own aggressive moves necessitated an earlier-than-planned costumed change into my short, sequined reception dress.) The verdict was in: this wasn't just to be a great dance party—it was going to be one for the record books.
—Linley Taber
Read more about Linley's wedding planning and inspiration here.
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