FSTDT Forums

Community => The Lounge => Topic started by: erictheblue on November 02, 2012, 11:03:23 am

Title: Going to the Chapel...
Post by: erictheblue on November 02, 2012, 11:03:23 am
I have referred to this before, but this time, I am going to make a thread about it.

I am (finally) getting married tomorrow. We've been planning for 3 years, but the day is (almost) here.

Neither of us like stuffy weddings or receptions, so our wedding is a costume party. The wedding party is all in medieval or Renaissance garb. Sylvia's parents will be in Civil War garb. (Her father does re-enactments.) Sylvia's attendants are her brother and one of her long-time friends. (Her sister-in-law was originally going to be one, but she "started going to church" after their daughter was born and "now believes." She decided she wasn't comfortable being in a pagan ritual.) The Maid of Honor is another long-time friend of Sylvia's. My attendants are two of our best friends from Florida. The Best Man is a gaming friend of mine, who happens to be the person who introduced me and Sylvia. The flower girl/ring bearer is the 8-year old daughter of my attendants.

The wedding and grooms cakes are from /Charm City Cakes (http://www.charmcitycakes.com/) in Baltimore. If you have seen the show Ace of Cakes on Food Network, that is the bakery. The wedding cake is Cthulhu and the groom's cake is a dice bag.

To prove that we are geeks, we got the One Ring (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Ring) (in silver) as our wedding rings. None of our friends or family know that. We'll be waiting to see how long it is before someone notices. The rings will be held in a Pokeball until it is time to exchange them. (We're using fake rings for the rehearsal. Sylvia will switch the rings tomorrow morning.)

Contrary to the title of the thread, the ceremony is being held at a hotel, not a chapel. We picked the site (Hyatt at Dulles Airport) about a year ago. Along with the site, we got the services of a wedding coordinator, who has been amazing. Questions, issues, concerns, recommendations, the wedding coordinator has been there to help us. (We found the DJ after she gave us a list of companies that have done weddings there before.)

The rehearsal is tonight. We're having it catered by California Pizza Kitchen.
Title: Re: Going to the Chapel...
Post by: Mechtaur on November 02, 2012, 12:34:03 pm
Congrats!
Title: Re: Going to the Chapel...
Post by: RinellaWasHere on November 02, 2012, 01:41:47 pm
Best of luck! Congratulations!
Title: Re: Going to the Chapel...
Post by: Jebediah on November 02, 2012, 01:56:26 pm
Aww, that sounds like a really cool wedding. Congrats!
Title: Re: Going to the Chapel...
Post by: JohnE on November 02, 2012, 02:57:27 pm
Congratulations! Sounds like a fun wedding.
Title: Re: Going to the Chapel...
Post by: Morgenleoht on November 02, 2012, 04:21:01 pm
Awesome! Yays!
Title: Re: Going to the Chapel...
Post by: nickiknack on November 02, 2012, 04:21:53 pm
Congrats, sounds like it's going be an awesome wedding...
Title: Re: Going to the Chapel...
Post by: ironbite on November 02, 2012, 04:58:11 pm
....so you're gonna be like 2 miles from me?

Ironbite-AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME!?
Title: Re: Going to the Chapel...
Post by: ThunderWulf on November 02, 2012, 05:00:14 pm
Wow!  Congrats!!  :D
Title: Re: Going to the Chapel...
Post by: myusername on November 02, 2012, 05:02:14 pm
Awesome. Hope everything goes well for you.
Title: Re: Going to the Chapel...
Post by: SpaceProg on November 02, 2012, 11:39:35 pm
Hehehe... Sounds like that wedding is gonna be cool as hell.  Especially the Cthulhu cake.
Title: Re: Going to the Chapel...
Post by: JohnE on November 03, 2012, 01:10:50 am
You know you have to post pictures, right?
Title: Re: Going to the Chapel...
Post by: ironbite on November 03, 2012, 01:47:55 am
especially seeing as how I might forgo sleep to crash a wedding.

ironbite-i'm that damn close
Title: Re: Going to the Chapel...
Post by: erictheblue on November 03, 2012, 06:31:04 am
especially seeing as how I might forgo sleep to crash a wedding.

ironbite-i'm that damn close

It starts at 3. If you crash it, please introduce yourself to me at some point.
Title: Re: Going to the Chapel...
Post by: ironbite on November 03, 2012, 08:54:25 am
Not sure how you'll miss me.

Ironbite-as I'll be the loud one in his underwear screaming for "ERICTHEBLUE!?  HAS ANYONE SEEN AN ERICTHEBLUE?"
Title: Re: Going to the Chapel...
Post by: SpaceProg on November 03, 2012, 09:11:54 am
... I think it would be wise to actually expect that, as I can see Ibby doing just that.
Title: Re: Going to the Chapel...
Post by: kefkaownsall on November 03, 2012, 09:18:23 am
Congrats take pics  ;D
Title: Re: Going to the Chapel...
Post by: erictheblue on November 03, 2012, 09:28:23 am
... I think it would be wise to actually expect that, as I can see Ibby doing just that.

I didn't doubt it for a minute...  :o

I'll have my phone, so can use that to get some initial pictures to post. The real (professional) pics will have to come later, obviously.
Title: Re: Going to the Chapel...
Post by: ThunderWulf on November 03, 2012, 04:07:29 pm
... I think it would be wise to actually expect that, as I can see Ibby doing just that.

I didn't doubt it for a minute...  :o

I don't think anyone on here doubts Ibby would do that.

Also, the Cthulu cake sounds badass.
Title: Re: Going to the Chapel...
Post by: erictheblue on November 04, 2012, 08:33:33 am
The wedding went very well. I'm only home long enough to unload stuff from the car, so don't have time to write a lot. I'll tell more later.
Title: Re: Going to the Chapel...
Post by: QueenofHearts on November 04, 2012, 09:47:06 am
Kind of cool, you got married on the same day as one of my best friends.  :)
Title: Re: Going to the Chapel...
Post by: SpaceProg on November 04, 2012, 10:58:49 am
I'm hoping Ibby crashed it in the manner he said he would...  And you have pics of that.
Title: Re: Going to the Chapel...
Post by: Cerim Treascair on November 04, 2012, 01:15:57 pm
Ah! Wonderful! *hugs!*
Title: Re: Going to the Chapel...
Post by: Normandy on November 04, 2012, 02:42:34 pm
Sounds like an awesome wedding.  Congratulations!  ;D
Title: Re: Going to the Chapel...
Post by: Askold on November 04, 2012, 02:48:14 pm
Hugs for everyone!

And congratulations to Erictheblue and Sylvia.
Title: Re: Going to the Chapel...
Post by: ironbite on November 04, 2012, 04:11:08 pm
I'm hoping Ibby crashed it in the manner he said he would...  And you have pics of that.

....I fell asleep.
Title: Re: Going to the Chapel...
Post by: SpaceProg on November 04, 2012, 06:47:56 pm
:-|

Oh well...   Congrats anyway, Eric and Sylvia! :D
Title: Re: Going to the Chapel...
Post by: erictheblue on November 04, 2012, 10:04:59 pm
I'm hoping Ibby crashed it in the manner he said he would...  And you have pics of that.

....I fell asleep.

I feel so unloved...  ;)  All joking aside, I did look for you during the reception, trying to find someone I didn't recognize who could be you. There was one guy I didn't know, but he was clearly with a woman who I also didn't know. Since you didn't say anything about bringing a date, I decided that wasn't you. (I later found out they were friends of Sylvia.) The only other people neither Sylvia nor I knew were a group of women who work with Sylvia's mother.


As promised, some of the more amusing story from the wedding and the reception. These are in no particular order.

1) My father-in-law had 4 words to say during the ceremony - "her mother and I." But when the officiant asked "who gives this woman to be married?" he just stood there. I'm sure it was not as long as it seemed, but I was starting to wonder if he had heard the question. Finally, he realized he was supposed to say something, but was so flustered that he said something along the lines of "Sylvia's mother and father, uh, me."

2) The flower girl/ring bearer had 2 jobs - standard flower girl stuff, and putting the Pokeball that held our rings on the altar. She got to the altar and realized there were still rose petals in her basket. Rather than just putting the ball on the altar, she proceeded to stand there and continue to throw petals out. She did this until all the petals were on the floor, even though Sylvia, Sylvia's mother, and the maid of honor were trying to whisper to her to just put the ball on the altar. I guess she was concerned that she was doing it wrong if she didn't drop every petal she had.

3) Since we knew people would be in costume, there were little hand fans (the kind that you flip open and wave) that guests could have if they wanted. During the cocktail hour, my aunt turned to me and asked "what is the significance of the fans?" Managing not to laugh, I answered "if you get hot, you use them to cool off."

4) During the ceremony, the DJ was wearing a suit with a vampire cape. We assumed that his company policy said he had to be in formal attire, but had added the cape just to fit the costume theme. At some point during the ceremony, I realized that he was now wearing a Star Trek uniform shirt. Since he was thin and bald, he bore a marked resemblance to Capt. Picard. I assumed he had ducked out briefly to change his shirt. I found out this evening that no, he had just taken the cape, jacket, and dress shirt off while behind his table, revealing the Star Trek shirt.

5) About an hour before the ceremony, the best man, the other 2 guys in the wedding party, and I decided we needed food, so we headed out to the best man's car. Of course, this meant we had to walk through the lobby. Did I mention we were all in costume at this point? I was dressed like the man in the back of this photo (http://www.moresca.com/product_info.php?products_id=119) (but all shades of red and yellow), but had knee-high red and black leather boots (http://sonofsandlar.com/products-page/boots/nine-boot-square-toe/). The best man was dressed in all black, including black knee-high buckled boots (http://sonofsandlar.com/products-page/boots/low-buckle-boot-2/). Both the best man and I were wearing hats like this man (http://www.holycow-leather.com/), but with long feathers attached to the hats. My brother-in-law was wearing a green and black plad kilt, a loose green shirt, and boots like mine, except his were all black. The last guy was wearing a shirt and vest like mine, black pants, black knee-high boots, and a red cape.

The looks we got were priceless. People were trying to figure out who we were suppsed to be. My BiL said he heard someone say "nice skirt." Since he is 6'1/185cm and built like an ox, I assume the person was either trying to be funny or had a death wish... When we got back, we sat down at a table right by the door so everyone walking in or out got a great look at us. When we headed to the elevator to go back upstairs to finish getting ready (I had to put on my belt and sword), a woman that was standing by the elevator quickly jumped on one and must have smashed the "Door Close" button, because the doors closed much quicker than normal!

6) I was not sure the officiant (who is a long-time mentor and friend of my wife) was going to be able to get through the ceremony because she was crying so hard. A few times, she had to pause and catch her breath before going on. However, when we got to the point where she declared us married, she was crying too hard to speak. The maid of honor (who was standing next to the officiant) said later she was wondering if she would have to pick up where the officiant left off!

7) Our wedding rings were a huge hit. After the ceremony, my brother-in-law went to Sylvia and asked to see the ring. He looked at it, then looked closer. Sylvia told him that yes, the ring is what he thought it was, and he started laughing. The maid of honor looked next and announced to the room "their rings are the One Ring!" At that point, everyone else came over to see for themselves. (We were in a room with just the wedding party and Sylvia's parents, so "everyone" does not mean all the guests.)

Edit: Regarding pictures... I had my phone with me to get pics, but could not get any during the ceremony. The lights were too low during the reception and I don't have a flash. Once we get pics from the photographers, I'll post some.

Edit 2: One of my friends posted this pic of the cake. (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3850765793748&set=a.3571023120356.2126618.1416338874&type=1&theater) Cute, isn't it?
Title: Re: Going to the Chapel...
Post by: SpaceProg on November 05, 2012, 02:47:40 am
Tried to view the cake... said content was either unavailable or I didn't have permission to view it.  Ia!  Ia!
Title: Re: Going to the Chapel...
Post by: FirsthandTuna on November 05, 2012, 08:02:28 am
The wedding cake is Cthulhu and the groom's cake is a dice bag.

To prove that we are geeks, we got the One Ring (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Ring) (in silver) as our wedding rings. None of our friends or family know that. We'll be waiting to see how long it is before someone notices. The rings will be held in a Pokeball until it is time to exchange them.

Congratulations on the awesome wedding and also finding the awesome woman who agreed to this!
Title: Re: Going to the Chapel...
Post by: Sleepy on November 05, 2012, 10:45:43 am
I feel bad for your father-in-law. That sounds like something I'd do.

I'm glad to hear it went so well, though! I wish I could've crashed it, too, as I'm very close.
Title: Re: Going to the Chapel...
Post by: Jebediah on November 05, 2012, 10:51:15 am
My dad had to say the same thing at my sister's wedding. He had to take a Xanax before the ceremony to get through it.

It sounds like a great wedding. The flower girl story is adorable.
Title: Re: Going to the Chapel...
Post by: Yla on November 05, 2012, 05:19:25 pm
Congratulations!
Title: Re: Going to the Chapel...
Post by: erictheblue on November 06, 2012, 08:48:58 pm
OK, as promised... Pictures...


Sylvia's dad walking her down the aisle

(click to show/hide)


This is just after the ceremony, outside in a gazebo at the hotel.

(click to show/hide)


Since everyone knows who is in charge in a married couple... (You can also get a good look at my sword)

(click to show/hide)


Sylvia before the ceremony

(click to show/hide)


I'm about to toss the garter, but it's a good view of my entire outfit. (I took the sword off before the reception.)

(click to show/hide)


First dance.

(click to show/hide)


The One Ring(s)

(click to show/hide)


Would you worry if you saw this crowd in a hotel lobby?

(click to show/hide)


The Maid of Honor, the Best Man, and the Flower Girl/Ring Bearer

(click to show/hide)


The entire wedding party

(click to show/hide)

The cakes

(click to show/hide)


Sylvia made beaded flowers for all the carried bouquets. Just wanted to brag on her a bit...

(click to show/hide)


We all think the DJ looks like Capt. Picard...

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Going to the Chapel...
Post by: Sleepy on November 07, 2012, 12:47:32 am
Those are kickass costumes. And I love the DJ.
Title: Re: Going to the Chapel...
Post by: JohnE on November 07, 2012, 01:32:27 am
You got to wear a sword in your wedding? Fuck yeah!
Title: Re: Going to the Chapel...
Post by: SpaceProg on November 07, 2012, 01:33:25 am
Oh, man... I would have loved to have been there.  That looked like so much fun.  Don't know what my costume would have been though...

Those beaded flowers... wow, they must have taken her forever.

The Cthulu cake and the dice bag... awesome.

Love DJ Picard, yo... he's makin' it so.
Title: Re: Going to the Chapel...
Post by: erictheblue on November 07, 2012, 04:38:14 pm
You got to wear a sword in your wedding? Fuck yeah!

The best man also has a sword, though his is more of a Roman-style one. You can kind of see it in the picture of the guys. He asked me about a week before the wedding if he could wear a scabbard as part of his costume. I told him I'd have a sword, so he could wear his as well if he wanted. He jumped at the chance.


Oh, man... I would have loved to have been there.  That looked like so much fun.  Don't know what my costume would have been though...

We weren't picky about what people wore, so long as it was a costume. (Actually, we didn't say people had to be in costume, just that costumes were strongly encouraged.)

Quote
Those beaded flowers... wow, they must have taken her forever.

A few weeks, working a few hours a day. (Not every day.) Her mother made beaded bootineers for everyone as well. (You can see them in some of the photos.) The only people who had real flowers were Sylvia's parents.

A lot of people had the same reaction to Sylvia's beaded bouquet - "You aren't going to throw that, are you?" The thing was rather heavy (we call it "the mace") and could have hurt someone! The thrown bouquet was actual flowers (spider mums).

Quote
The Cthulu cake and the dice bag... awesome.

During the cocktail hour, Sylvia, her mother, and I snuck into the reception room to check out the decorations and the cake. Although it's hard to tell in the picture of the wedding party, her mother is wearing a rather large hoop. Sylvia walked in far enough for her mother to enter. Her mother stopped in the doorway, and I was stuck in the hall because there was no way I could slip around the skirt. I kind of had to push my mother-in-law along so I could get in to see it.

Yes, the cakes are awesome. (BTW, Cthulhu has a d6 with 6 pips showing to represent the "d6 investigators per round" that it eats.)

Quote
Love DJ Picard, yo... he's makin' it so.

The DJ company sent us an electronic evaluation form to fill out. I kept going and going about how awesome he was. Sylvia and I had so many guests come up to us and tell us how much they loved the music selection and the DJ.
Title: Re: Going to the Chapel...
Post by: kefkaownsall on November 13, 2012, 09:02:41 am
Congrats ma :D