Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Event of the Year

At the beginning of the year, my youngest daughter got engaged to a terrific young man, Noah Farris. After much consideration, June 23 was their chosen date. I really wasn't eager to plan a quick June wedding thinking that we would have a hard time finding rentals and vendors. Much to my surprise, and their delight, June 23 was available for all the vendors we wanted.

We also decided we wanted an informal, fun wedding and reception. There's no place like home for feeling comfortable - in this case my oldest daughter's home which is on just over an acre of land, with wonderful neighbors to help with parking cars, because, well, they had about 370 people on the invitation list (including children). Most venues don't accommodate numbers larger than 250, and our working number was 300.


By ceremony time, most of the seating was shaded, but the weather was a perfect 87 degrees. Tri-Citians are used to desert heat, so 87 really is pretty perfect.

And when putting on an event like this, having a big family that pulls together makes it easier and more affordable. Mystie and her husband hosted, using the event as incentive to get the yard spruced up. She's also quite an organizer, so she served as the wedding coordinator. Her husband had the parking people in place and even ran a shuttle service from the neighbor's down to the event. My oldest son loves beer and provided that beverage for the reception. Melanie, our artist, did all the graphic work on the invitations and programs, as well as getting them printed. She also decorated the front of the ceremony, and the groom's best man made and put up a wood cross in the center. My middle son, Brendan, served as the DJ, and the twins helped with manual labor. And then there's our church family that helped in decorating, set up, serving drinks and cake, moving tables and chairs. We are so blessed to have all these people in our lives!





All the Paulson clan
Noah's mom and I bought matching dresses and didn't know until arriving at the wedding!
Great minds . . . !







Since Kirsten and Noah went out for tacos on their first date, we had Hacienda del Sol cater. Their Mexican food is delicious and is the preferred restaurant for our employees. Our guests really enjoyed it as we had absolutely no leftovers and some folks went back for seconds.  The bridesmaids really got the party going on the dance floor and everyone had such a great time! Soon it was all over and the happy couple left the reception for a few sunset pictures. The next day they left super early for a honeymoon on the Big Island of Hawaii.


9 comments:

Pamela said...

How gorgeous! Congratulations to the happy couple.

Vickie said...

Oh Von. Oh Von!!! Congratulations my dear!!! I am so very glad for you all. What a tall SIL you have gained. ;) Gorgeous wedding. Love BOTH your dresses. I love that. HA! That last picture is so very special.

Vickie said...

Oh Von. Oh Von!!! Congratulations my dear!!! I am so very glad for you all. What a tall SIL you have gained. ;) Gorgeous wedding. Love BOTH your dresses. I love that. HA! That last picture is so very special.

Robin in Virginia said...

Best wishes to the newlyweds! It looked like a much loved (and fun) event.

Ann said...

What a wonderful experience this must have been! You are so lucky to have family and friends that could come together to create such a memorable day. Best of luck to the newlyweds!

Barb said...

Congratulations to your daughter and new SIL. What a beautiful wedding!!You looked lovely too!

Carol said...

Oh, how wonderful! I love that the whole family pitched in and made the day so special for the newlyweds. Love your dress and how cute is that that the mother of the groom chose the same one :) An outdoor wedding is sometimes risky, but in your case, it looks like the weather couldn't have been better. Wishing the young couple a lifetime of happiness :)

RJ said...

What a fabulous wedding this was. Everyone getting together and taking part made it extra special. The very best wishes to the new Mr. and Mrs. They looked so beautiful, handsome and very happy. RJ@stitchingfriendsforever

Kaisievic said...

Congratulation to your daughter and new son-in-law - what a wonderful wedding!