This is tashasita's Purple Wedding!

Here are some awesome pics of our family BBQ and then getting ready shots the day of.

So the day before the wedding we all got together at my Uncle's House who as you can see has an awesome backyard and pool. He was awesome enough to host the party, put up canopies for food and bar, and even put up balloons and everything - was so cute and so amazing of them!

This BBQ was the first time all the family would meet, and the first time I would meet alot of them as well. At first, it was Mark's family on one side and mine on the other, but people started to break the ice and talk to each other (especially my Dad, brother and Uncle) and pretty soon, everyone was everywhere chatting like old friends. The food was awesome (catered from a local Jamaican restaurant) and the drinks were abundant (thanks to my fabulous brother) and it was great. I really got to know some of Mark's family and absolutely loved them. They loved my family too, and karaoke bonded everyone together lol. It was amazing. As I said in my last post, there were a few points where the entire backyard was singing and Mark and I just sat back and smiled. It was an amazing first night that brought our families together. I am always going to have such beautiful memories from this night. :)

The next day, my girls, my mom and I all went to MAC for makeup. I have some hilarious pics that my cousin took while we were getting our faces did. :)

Also included a couple of pics of my gorgeous cousin putting on her sari with the help of my awesome friend Sonia. :)

Tomorrow's pics/story will be surrounding the Ceremony, Family pics and Cocktail Hour. Stay tuned :)

I haven't done of these in a while and figure I will do one today, in tribute to my new fave book/outlook on life - The Book of Awesome.

This book rocks, just little things, here, there and all around us that make you happy. It spurs a great positive attitude and outlook on life. I think the author is somewhat of a genius and turns out that my cousin (through a good friend) and another good friend, know the author and think the same, and they both say that he's also a laidback and fabulous guy!

Anyway, my Friday Five is simple - list me 5 things in your Book of Awesome - ie. what things happen that bring you joy - this book as the cover states, lists big things and little things - like finding extra fries in the fast food bag (LOL), finding money in your pocket, dancing in the rain, etc. etc.

I've lsited lots of stuff on my blog that make me happy so I will give you a breakdown for this week!

My 5 for this week are as follows:
1) Finding a Starbucks card with money on it! WICKED.
2) Finding a little bit extra on my paycheque this week.
3) Seeing a sun shower -soooo awesome!
4) Finding out there's a hot yoga studio walking distance from my house!
5) A very happy baby learning to walk for the first time

My girlfriend and i decided that everytime we see something 'awesome' we are going to email it to each other and have an online log of awesome! HA! We're then going to keep a little book in our purses too, with our own books of awesome, to cheer us up if needed, or just have it ready to note down that next best awesome thing.

What are yours? Doesn't have to be from this week, but what are 5 little things that just make you really happy (smell of fresh bread, first snowfall, etc)

Please see post below for silver table runners, my wedding shoes and birdcage pictures which are for sale. The treble clef table number holders are on hold pending shipping details for fabulousbride. :)

Sorry for the low quality pics - my iPhone camera leaves something to be desired quality wise.

1) Votive holder set. Black glass with crystals at top. $10 for the set of 3 plus shipping.

2) 10 packs of these little metallic gel pens. Not gonna lie, bought these at the dollar store but they worked great for our wish cards. I will sell all 10 packs for $5 or 50 cents each. They are mini pens, about half the size of a regular Sharpie marker.

3) 2 glass vases shaped like wine glasses. $20 for the 2 or $10 each. Pick up may be better for these also if possible!

4) Single flower vases x 5 - 50 cents each (from dollar store)

5 & 6) Sand packages x 5 in various colours - white, silver, yellow, reddish pink, dark purple

7) 2 Pomanders - 1 lavender and 1 white. I only used 2 because they fit really nicely into the big wine glass vases I had. I didn't use them for the aisle after all.

8) Approx. 80 place cards. White with purple design. They are about 2" by 2" square with a fold in the middle.. I will take best offer on these, can't even remember what I paid lol

9) Lantern for ceremony. This was pretty cheap at Ikea. Will sell for $5

10, 11, 12) Frames - I have 5 - 4 are 4x6 and 1 is 5x7 size. All cool vintage style frames. Will sell for $5 each or $20 for all 5.

13) 2 vases. Glass is about 1/2 inch thick and vases are 10" high approx. I will sell both for $15 or $10 each

14) 2 baskets - can be used for bathroom baskets, or whatever. $10 for both

A few more pics/items on blog below. Again, I can arrange for delivery in GTA or Ottawa areas. Or in the Kingston (Ontario) area come to think of it lol

Hey ladies,


So I've got a few things I know I want to sell after the wedding. All prices can be negotiated. If you want what's here make me an offer. :) All items are available for delivery/pick up in the Ottawa area or the GTA. I am in the Etobicoke area of the GTA.

1) The table name holders - these are sturdy wire and shaped like treble clefs. They are the exact ones in the picture. They are really cute. I have 15 of them. I paid $81 for all, I will sell them for $50 plus shipping.

2) Silver table runners - I have 20 of them and 1 large tablecloth (round). These are all from efavormart. I paid $100 for all of these, will sell them for $65 plus shipping - they were never used.

3) My wedding shoes. They have literally been worn for an hour. However, I added a cream leather loop to the back of these so that you can add a strap or ribbon (I wore them with a sheer cream ribbon from Michael's). My feet are wide or I would keep these for sure, but after ONLY an hour at the ceremony, they were far too swollen to fit into these. These shoes are really nice just not made for me. Made for the girl who can wear high heels with ease :) The loops made them better but I just can't see myself wearing these again. They are a size 6 and fit like a 6 but if you have wide feet, they may be uncomfortable. Paid $150, will sell for $100 or best offer.

4) Birdcage - probably best to pick this up because it seems silly to ship this as shipping costs may be higher than the cage itself but if you really like it, I can definitely ship! I bought this for $25, will sell for $15.

5) I have assorted vases, 2 are shaped like wine glasses at varying heights, there are 2 10" cylindrical vases and 5 small single flower vases, approx 6" high (used for sand ceremony) - I will take pics of these later. I will sell all vases as a set for $30 or you can make me an offer on what you want.

6) I have 5 bags of Ikea sand in different colors - cream, silver, a pinkish red, violet purple and yellow. Will sell these for $1 each or $5 for all.

The rest of my items I will take pictures of, my iPhone will have to do as we're saving to buy a good camera, but I will update this later tonight with the rest of the items.

Hi lovelies,

This is more a blog of my ideas for thank you cards. I wanted to do something different..

I was debating either a film strip card or a storybook card and a tag line like "Thank you for being a part of our story" or something... Or structure it with the frames and make it kinda fairy tale like feeling to them - with pictures in frames and with the tag line "Thank you for sharing our love, laughter and happily ever after".. Everyone did call Mark my Prince that day/night! ;)

But I came across a bunch of things I really liked so figured I would save all the ideas and when I get the pics back, I can decide which one I like.

Wish Mark and I had taken that tree pic, it's too cute and so Bollywood lol. AND I took a pic like that with my BMs, just not with Mark. Ah well!

Anyway, any opinions on your faves or creative ideas/input are welcome. I'm hoping by blogging these ideas, either I or one of you will come up with a genius idea for our thank you cards. It's my last and final wedding project so might as well go out with a bang! LOL

xoxoxo
Tash

Hi ladies,

I am getting new pictures in from friends and family member so before I post new ones and then get better ones lol, I will take a break from posting pictures, and break down our vendors for any GTA or surrounding area girls. I was extremely happy with all of our vendors, they all did fabulous work and went above and beyond what they were contracted for. I truly enjoyed working with each and every one of them, and would absolutely recommend working with all of them!

1) Day of Coordinator/Wedding Planner - Maria Zabala. Maria was kind and generous from the beginning. With no confirmation that we would book with her, she provided us names and recommendations of florist and DJ (DJ I had also found through eventective.com) and she was professional, affordable and easy to get along with. Through the wedding planning, even though she was only contracted for day-of coordination, she was alot of help with little questions and recommendations. She provided alot of guidance and suggestions in the last month and came up with a complete itinerary to keep the day as on schedule as it could be. With all the weather and wardrobe delays, we were still only 20 minutes behind schedule, which was highly impressive to me. She was friendly, professional and efficient, and generally just a lovely person. She kept the day running smoothly and was my buffer if anyone had questions or concerns. She and her assistant set up the hall beautifully, and added some nice decor touches, where I had not shown her any mock-ups whatsoever. She was really great. A+++++
Maria Zabala - www.exquisiteaffare.com, info@exquisiteaffare.com
416-737-3660

2) Photography/Videography - Kristie Macor and Brenden Woods, Tied Photography, www.tiedphotography.com, info@tiedphotography.com
A picture is worth a thousand words as the saying goes. Kristie and Brenden are absolutely amazing. Their work speaks for itself on their site and also in our engagement pictures and netter's professional pictures. Thank you netter for this awesome recommendation! A photography recommendation was the first reason I came across and joined WBC. :)
Anyway, I hate pictures, and our engagement pictures made me love them ha ha. Kristie and Brenden are so good at what they do and genuinely make me excited about our pictures. They capture such beautiful moments and emotions, and they are very easy to work with. They are extremely calm and even-tempered but polite yet firm when they need to be (being bombarded by family members lol). They were an absolute joy to work with both at the engagement shoot and at our wedding. We did not get a ton of pictures, and are honestly debating doing a Trash the Dress/Suit shoot, both because we love working with Kristie and Brenden and because our picture time was cut short at the wedding. But I truly love this couple. They are fabulous and stayed for almost the entire reception, capturing all the dancing mayhem and madness! We had a great time with them, they went above and beyond any expectations we had time-wise and with how much video and film they shot, and we can't wait to see the final product! A++++++++

3) Florist - Princess Decor and Gifts - Nafeesa Mowla 416-898-7061
http://www.princessdecorandgifts.com
Nafeesa went above and beyond my expectations. I wanted pretty simple flowers. I really didn't ask for much at all. I wanted simple curly willow centerpieces with a few orchids and then the head table to have tea light and petals. Simple, right? What I got was beautiful centerpieces with multiple curly willow and orchid stems that looked very beautiful and very pricey. People were fighting each other during our centerpiece game to take these home lol. We also got taller beautiful aisle arrangements for the ceremony with willow and blue/purple orchids which were really lovely and a surprise low arrangement at the head table with blue orchids that I just fell in love with. She also did a great job on the bouquets - my BMs adored their pretty ivory rose bouquets and my bouquet was lovely - different purples and very beautifully decorated, and lots of mini calla lilies which are my fave. She also did a great job on our moms' corsages and boutonniere (even though I did not order a bout, she gave us one - it was big, but it was really nice if Mark was wearing a suit lol) and all of them were bigger and fuller than the pictures I had sent over. She exceeded my expectations by far and was very easy to work with and really affordable! I really did not speak to her alot, Maria was our liasion mostly, but when I met her to drop things off, she was great - professional and easygoing. A++++

4) DJ - Greg Laird, Essence Sound and Lighting, essencesound1@gmail.com, Tel: (416) 432-2266 or (905) 426-8911
Greg was fabulous. Another vendor who went above and beyond. A few weeks before the wedding, our plan for ceremony music went awry and I asked Greg if he could coordinate music. He immediately said yes and played a beautiful selection of music before the ceremony and during (he played songs I gave him but the perfect parts, faded it perfectly, just made it flow so nicely). That was not in his contract. Also, last minute (like 2 days before!), Mark's uncle had made a sweet slideshow and Greg arranged a projector, also no charge, and not in his contract. He did a great job with everything, played lovely dinner music and was absolutely wonderful to work with. He also gave us a fabulous party, lighting and music. I know I complained a bit about the Jamaican invasion, but really, that was due to a lot of Jamaicans running up to the DJ booth requesting reggae, and I still adore Greg. I know if I had been more firm on the diversity of music, it would have been done. And I had a blast, and partied it up, but I love reggae too lol. There are just some of my other guests who would have enjoyed more diversity in the music, but regardless, it was a fabulous party, and I do not fault Greg for this at all! Our family is pushy lol. Still gets an A+++++

4) Chair Covers - www.chaircoversplus.com Lisa Polsinelli, 905-738-2203
Lisa was easy to work with, had a great selectin of covers that even those who don't like chair covers (me) would love. I love the way they looked, her prices were very affordable, and they were beautiful and very clean on the chairs. I actually loved the look when I saw it, I will admit it!! A++

5) Venue - The Country Club - www.clublink.ca, Linda Magliocchi, Catering Sales Coordinator Tel.905.856.4317. 2226
lmagliocchi@clublink.ca
Linda was a joy to work with. She is fun, personable and very very good at what she does. We took almost all of her suggestions and ran with them, she knows how to structure an event. She went above and beyond with planning and also graced us with a song at our cocktail hour - she is a beautiful singer!! She sold us on the venue, between Linda and the menu, we loved it!
The menu and the Chef were amazing. We keep getting compliments on dinner and the food. The Chef really took our suggestions at the tasting and implemented them, and even the discerning tastes in the audience loved the meal. This venue offers menus from all cultures, and we were able to fuse together the Indian and Jamaican cultures and have a beautiful dinner buffet. It got rave reviews! :) A++++++

7) Invitations/Stationery - Amy McNall - fellow WBC bride (screen name trombonechick) www.unmistakablyyou.com
She is local in Ontario, but has designed invites for WBC brides in the US and elsewhere also! She can ship em! AMAZING to work with. Came up with like 5 variations of our invites and was uber patient with me. Her designs are great, I was picky lol. After we clicked on a design we were both happy with, the rest of the stationery was a breeeze! Amy did our invites, aisle runner, table names, favour tags, place cards, and various little poems. Everyone loved them and they were so pretty. I plan to scrapbook them cuz I just love em! Amy is amazing to work with and affordable! And at the eleventh hour when I misplaced a table name, she sent one ASAP so my tables were all uniform and gorgeous! Amy, you are amazing! A++++++


****************************************************************************

That's all I have. Our cakes were made by a family friend and I don't want to blog her info without permission, but if anyone in the GTA wants a lovely and inexpensive delicious cake, you can email me and I will call our friend. :)

Here are some more pics for you. I will share a few I like as I get them in. Mind you, these are all non-pro. I cannot wait to get the pro shots! :)

Hope you like them. Looking at these are making me really happy this am!

I read Nidhal's review yesterday and I cracked up. I was honestly debating the exact same thing - along with the same title - I think sometimes we were separated at birth lol.

*****************Caution: This will be hella long lol********************

Good/Recommend
---------------------------

1) Day of Coordinator - she is a complete asset and ours gets an A++++. Maria was amazing and became like a friend. Anytime I was feeling stressed I emailed her and she really came through on any day, but on the wedding day when I was bombarded with questions, it was soooo nice to be able to shrug and say "Ask Maria". She was an amazing wedding decision. GTA brides, highly recommend her. Maria Zabala - www.exquisiteaffare.com. Email: info@exquisiteaffare.com

Also, she was very reasonable price-wise and recommended an amazing florist and DJ.

2) Using www.eventective.com - this site helped so much in my wedding planning and found me lots of vendors, potential and final, esp. the DJ and Maria.

3) Favours - personalized and practical. Everyone loved our spice box favours, loved that they were usable and also personalized. They were a hit.

4) Serving our guests - Our guests loved this aspect and it enabled us to thank everyone one by one and also just give them a token of appreciation

5) Incorporating cultures - through the outfits, food and music, this was a hit. The Indian outfits looked AMAZING!!!! I walked in and looked around at Mark's whole family (all the guys) wearing Indian outfits, and it made me so happy. Everyone loved their outfits and wanted to wear them. The people who didn't have them actually wanted some lol. How cool! The menu too, we had numerous guests tell us how great the dinner was, and how it was the best wedding menu ever! :) That made me smile too!

6) Table names - people thought these were great, original and different. Just a little detail, but I loved that they were appreciated.

7) Bridesmaid cards personalized - my BMs loved their cards from Aimee114. They loved having them personalized and this was one of the fave parts of their presents.

8) Wish bowl/tags - our guests really liked these and they were fun to read. I will post some of my faves later :)

9) MAC for makeup - LOVED my makeup! Christine at the MAC (in the Bay) at Sherway Gardens ROCKS for my GTA brides. Best idea ever to go to MAC for makeup - you pay $50 but get it all back in product.

10) Unique elements to vows/ceremony
Everyone loved the sand ceremony, no one in our guest list was too familiar with it. It was a hit, esp. involving our moms. It looks beautiful in our home too. :) Also, the vows were a hit - non traditional but not completely our own, just different... and also the Hindu reading/mini-ceremony 7 steps. People loved that.

11) Unique cake/dessert selections. Our cakes cost us $150 and were a total hit! It was not conventional and not uber fancy but completely delicious, different and cheap. A total hit with the guests as well.

12) Simple but exotic flowers - our bouquets were pretty standard but mine had mini calla lilies throughout which are my fave, along with some other fun flowers. Our tables were gorgeous, the centerpieces made me super happy - curly willow and gorgeous orchid stems. I did not spend a fortune even though we had orchids because we did not have them in abundance, but the few that we had made a dramatic statement. Flowers do not have to be huge to make an impact.

13) Involve key family members - Our family was honoured to be involved - in the sand ceremony, as ushers, introducing the wedding party, MCs etc.

14) Choose lively MCs - my brother and Mark's uncle did a fantastic job. They are both the same personality - social, dynamic speakers and really helped the night flow and stay upbeat. They were amazing.

Overall, still the best day of my life. I felt so blessed looking into a crowd of people who were there to celebrate us, I felt sooo blessed looking at my handsome hubsy and knowing that this was only the beginning of a wonderful life. Our guests were so thankful for being a part of our day and have thanked us multiple times. Our families got along so well and cultural differences were mentioned, but in a good way. Many family members mentioned the joy they felt just being welcomed and accepted and I thank both families for opening their minds to each other. It was magical. I also cherish the fact that a few guests told us it was the most amazing wedding and display of love, and one guest who is undergoing some serious personal issues said "this makes me believe in love again". That to me was the best compliment ever. Love and days like this is not easy, but it is sooo worth it.

Bad/Don't Recommend:
---------------------------------

1) Make sure your limo driver knows where he is going. We were 20 minutes late because he insisted the club was on a different st. Stressed me out for no reason. Tell him which route to take and insist on it.

2) Shoes - totally agree with Nidhal on foregoing expensive shoes. Oh my word, those shoes HURT. We didn't get a ton of pics cuz it was humid as heck and my feet were swollen beyond belief. They are not uncomfortable shoes, but given the humidity and the length of time standing in them, they were not the best choice. Don't choose fashion over comfort unless they are cheap and you don't mind losing them after the ceremony, and don't wear a closed toe shoe in the summer - bad idea!!!!!!!!! I was in serious pain and changed into my flip flops as quickly as I could. If anyone does want the shoes I wore for less than an hour, I am willing to sell for half of what I paid. But my good conscience tells me to recommend that you wear them when the heat is less. OY OY OY!

3) Details are awesome, but make sure you don't get caught up. A lot of stuff was not used last minute - place cards, table runners, wedding sign. Sometimes a little goes a long way. If you do the details love them. Even if no one else notices them, you love them.

4) Boutonnieres -non-floral is the way to go. I didn't want the guys to have one, esp with the Indian outfits, but the florist made one and they put it on Mark. It was really big and falling over lol. I vetoed it quickly after the ceremony.

5) Allowing surprises at the reception. Screen all performances. There was a very offensive (unintentional) performance let in. I would not have let this be a part of our wedding if I knew what was being planned. Do not allow surprises or open mics. Some unpleasantness could have been easily avoided if I had just said no.

6) Two piece outfit - another thing that happened to me that happened to Nidhal. Besides the shoes coming off and me losing some height, I was already tripping on my lehenga even walking up the aisle in tall shoes. When those shoes came off and I lost a couple inches, the tripping got worse. It kept sliding down, I guess I lost a bit more weight than I thought. One piece is the way to go.

7) I loved our DJ, but I did feel that the Jamaican invasion took over with the music. I know I married a Jamaican but it was supposed to be a fusion of cultures and not a complete takeover... Be firm with your DJ on what you want. I gave him a list but that night, I did not really do enough to make sure the Indian side was represented and I really would have liked a better representation of my side, and my musical tastes in general, which are way more diverse than what was played. In general, the party was ROCKIN, but that was my one complaint. It didn't seem like it was the DJ's fault though at all, as he had a lot of family pressure to keep the reggae going, and not enough on my side to mix it up lol. So I still love him!

The Ugly:
------------

1) People dropping out last minute was a bit annoying. We lost almost 10 ppl but also, there were people calling last minute to tell me they couldn't come or to ask if other people could.. I stopped answering all of these.

2) It rained. ALOT. When we got to the venue there was a torrential downpour lol. I had to walk into the venue with the stupid limo driver who after getting us lost then asked me walking in, who was going to pay him. UGH. I just told him to chill and talk to Julie. Also, we were late getting to the limo and he lectured me on calling next time. I didn't even want a limo, and this is partially why. UGH.

3) My BMs saris malfunctioned. Multiple times. One lost the drawstring on her petticoat (a skirt that goes underneath) - it literally snapped in half and they had to find rope to go in the petticoat instead. Then my other BM was apparently too tall for the sari - I had NO idea that could even happen because a sari is sooo much fabric. I did not think they were sized at all! It was just crazy and I was trying to remain calm, but when we were more than an hour late and I wasn't going to be able to do any pre-ceremony pictures, I was a little upset. I still would have waited though, except that the limo was booked to go somewhere else. I gladly would have went to the venue with the photographers and let all the girls have the limo as well (would have been way less stressful) but the limo had to go as well.. Sigh..

4) Because of the rain, everything was displaced and I walked into the room guests were in. I really wanted some time and some pictures with Mark prior to the ceremony and that I was on edge, and to let me have a minute. It worked, he backed off and I had my moment with my hubsy. I was literally on edge before that, multiple people were asking me why I looked tense, and it really helped to have that moment.

5) There was a lot of family drama that weekend. I won't go into it, too personal, but remain calm and think clearly. Don't go into selfish - but this is my day mode completely. You are entitled to be a bit selfish, but remember this is about all the people who you love as well. Take a step back and know if you make time for people you love, even in the midst of your weekend, you will be rewarded. :)

My final recommendations to each bride:
--------------------------------------------------------

1) Be firm with what you want but entrust it to a DOC the day of and take the edge/pressue off yourself. Seriously, huge investment. So worth it!

2) Be firm with family members to go to your DOC with concerns and/or voice them another day.

3) Spend some time by yourself the day of your wedding. Pray, breathe, do whatever you can do to keep you calm. Like Nidhal said, have a few people who will keep you smiling and read something that will calm you down.

4) Give your photographers and DJ strict instructions so that when they get family pressure, they will know to say that the bride and groom want this. My divorced parents ended up in a couple pics together, I think I forgot to tell the photographers they were divorced! MY BAD!

5) Look directly at your groom and your reason for the day as you walk down the aisle and any stress will melt away. He is the real reason you are there. Nothing else matters.

6) Take some time and take a step away from everything, inc the dance floor and take it all in. It really does go soooo fast. I had a mini-moment with Mark - it wasn't long but it was crucial.

7) Enjoy your day. Don't let anyone's comments get you down. :) Carry a picture of you and your hunny and look at it often.

8) Eat. Make sure you eat. Assign someone to think of the little things for you. My sis-in-law was amazing and when we got to the venue, our DOC took over. I was well-fed. :)

******ADDITION TO GOOD/RECOMMENDATIONS: IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, MAKE ROOM FOR VIDEOGRAPHY! THE DAY JUST FLEW AND I AM SOOOO THANKFUL I HAVE SOME OF IT CAPTURED ON VIDEO! OUR PHOTOGRAPHERS/VIDEOGRAPHERS ROCKED!!!!! LIKE EXCEEDED OUR EXPECTATIONS BY MILES HOW LONG THEY STAYED, HOW PATIENT AND YET FIRM THEY WERE, AND HOW MUCH VIDEO THEY DID. THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!*****

I wish you all a beautiful day, with no bad, no ugly and all good!!!!!!!!!!

Before I launch into more wedding photos, I forgot a very fun night - my stagette. It was amazingly fun lol.

We went for a dance class - literally a chair/lap dance routine that was set to Christina Aguilera's dirty at a place in Toronto called Flirty Girl Fitness.

Then we went to Proof Vodka Bar - soo nice - at the Intercontinental Hotel downtown. So classy and pretty - and there, we acted like clowns and de-classified the place a few notches lol.

It was sooo great. My girls reserved a booth and they had many a shot. They had lots of appis - mostly greasy and not diet friendly and yet they made me eat so I wouldn't get sick. For a girl who doesn't drink, I had at least 5 shots, and 3 drinks and as the night goes on, you can see the glossiness and silliness take over my face LOL.

We had tons of fun, great drinks (Polar Bear shots are my new fave - thanks macbride for correcting me, I do NOT enjoy straight vodka shots lol) and wicked delish cupcakes. Mine had a wedding dress on top - adorable!

ENJOY!

Hiya girls, So I'm taking a break from our mini-moon today. We drove back home but we promised to spend a bit more quality time at home, just the two of us. I am a little sad that all the fun is over, but more than that, that Mark leaves in a little over a week. I know he will be back on weekends, but trying to get in as much time with him as possible now. :)

But wanted to come on and share a few more pics with you!

Here are some from the mehendi and also a couple from the family BBQ with the famous Father of the Bride shirt :) I may get more from the BBQ, but can't remember who took pics...

So Friday mehendi was very fun. I got a bit more elaborate of a design than I originally wanted and it was totally peer pressure lolol. But it was beautiful and I loved it! Even the guys loved it, Mark thinks I should get it permanently tattooed LOL. I think he's nuts but at the same time, it is beautiful. It does look better in the original state too, which is black, rather than when it comes off and is a deep red. I am sad to see it fade, but that's ok, I can live without multiple hours of pain bringing it back permanently LOL. I am a chicken!

Anyway so the mehendi, it was fun. But I had to sit still for an hour - I am NOT good at this!!!!!!!! But the plus side was I got fed, given water and had my mehendi set with sugar/lemon paste like I was royalty or a baby lol. Also, I got entertained when one of my mom's friends told everyone they were supposed to dance for me lol. The mehendi artist was amazing, and all in all a great night. Mark had his bachelor party that night which was amazing for him too when he finally got out. :) He was deterred by a bit of drama, but thankfully he still managed to really have a good night. Day 1 - mostly successful! :) Except my sheets that night - there was mehendi EVERYWHERE - use old sheets! LOL

Day 2- family BBQ. More drama, and the day started off horribly but no need to go into it because it ended brilliantly. It started out with two families on two sides of the garden at my uncle's house, and ended with everyone in both families singing karaoke with each other. Karaoke is a wicked ice breaker lol. And the love was abundant. The families bonded, sang and danced, Mark's two year old nephew yelled "rock and roll" in the mic a few times, and the night was amazing. I loved it. I took a step back with Mark at one point as everyone sang to "The Gambler" together, and breathed and smiled and just thoroughly enjoyed the families partying it up together. It was a beautiful thing. :) They got along sooo well. We left early to get some sleep and some people stayed. WICKED COOL :)

Hope you enjoy part I! More to follow!