Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Monumental Love: Ending with a Sparkle

After the second line, the band was all done playing and guests made their way outside to line up for the sparkler exit.  It's really adorable that some couples do a private "last dance," but we didn't have anything like that.  I think we might have been posing for a couple more pictures with guests and just chit-chatting until we were told that everyone was outside waiting on us.  Very special indeed.

The sparkler setup, which served as a way to let guests know when we'd be wrapping everything up. | All photos by Eau Claire Photographics unless otherwise stated.
I purchased the 36" long, smokeless sparklers (these, specifically) so that the pictures would come out clear and we'd have a good amount of time to make this epic exit (four minutes, says the website and our test run).  I totally recommend this brand, the only thing I would have changed was my quantity.  I bought approximately one million more than we ended up needing, so we used the rest of them for New Year's Eve.  


A bit of heckling from Sphinx's friends.  The phrase they use is "You go on, git!" and I knew that's what they were saying as soon as I saw the pictures.  Obviously I was oblivious to this at the time, just soaking it all in.


More crazy Pyramid faces.  I'm sure you're going to miss those...


We stopped in the middle of the arcade for a little smooch and some foot-popping action.


I could probably attribute it to being a New Orleans thing, but our guests were pretty darn good at the waving and cheering.

 
And just like that, we were done!  We ran off down the sidewalk, laughing, hand in hand.


Okay, so yes, that last part is true, but technically we only ran one building over.  We went back into the Board of Trade through the back entrance we had used to enter earlier in the night.  So we got the official exit out of the way, which prompted most guests to leave, but we were also able to go back to the bridal suite and collect our bags and make sure everything was all wrapped up with the venue.  A few guests grabbed us for some pictures once we were back inside, but for the most part we didn't have to linger around visiting with too many people, like we probably would have without the sparkler exit. 

When we were really ready to leave, we realized that several guests were out enjoying the seats in the courtyard.  I'm not sure how long the venue let them stay, but I was glad to see that area getting a little bit of attention once the festivities inside were complete.  We exchanged hugs, goodbyes, and thank yous approximately a few dozen times and then walked back to the Windsor Court where we would be spending the night.  

Actually, we walked back with MIL and FIL Sphinx, because they needed to collect some bags left in the room.  Which like...isn't the situation you'd really imagined would happen.  Something about the new in laws escorting us back off at the bridal suite felt very medieval (and funny) to me, but it worked out for the best.  MIL Sphinx was able to undo all the tiny buttons on the back of my bolero for me!  Thank goodness, I hadn't really figured out the best way to get myself out of that thing!

Of course we had to grab a picture of the new hardware! | Personal Photo
We sat down for a few minutes on the couch, and that's when I realized that I hadn't done that all night.  I remember stepping off the dance floor at one point eat an extra slice of cake, but I did that standing up.  Also (since we're on this level), I realized that I never had to figure out how to use the restroom in a wedding dress.  That situation just didn't come up from when I put it on to when I took it off.  A bit weird, but also really convenient.  Thanks, body. 

While we were enjoying resting our feet, and recounting everything that had happened, we started getting some text messages from friends asking if we were coming out afterwards.  Our reception ended after midnight, so I never made plans for an after party location, but we were happy to keep the night going a little longer.  I changed into my sundress from the bowling party the night before (geez, how many posts ago was that?), while Sphinx rocked the tux because he hadn't packed a change of clothes.

First married selfie together, heading out to the bar! | Personal photo
The rest of the night was pretty chill - just drinking and chatting at a cute little sidewalk bar near the hotel.  We had plenty of friends and family drop by to chat about the wedding (J, who caught the garter, kept repeating how classy and elegant everything was) and just catching up in general.  It wasn't so much a "weight off my shoulders" moment so much as just a very zen feeling overall.  It was the perfect way to end our perfect night.

So with that, our wedding day - and all of the official recaps - are done.  I've still got a handful of posts that I still want to share: vendor reviews, general advice, maybe a budget (I'm still on the fence, since money talk is so awkward, but let me know if that's something you'd like to see.  If it's helpful to someone, I don't mind sharing!).  Thanks for sticking around for this recap journey with me, y'all!  It's been so fun reliving all the moments of the day with the Hive!

Previously on the Pyramid Wedding:
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)