Emily Creatives

Love Again: The Reception, Part 2

2009-08-17T20:24:00.001-04:00

The Rehearsal, Rehearsal Dinner, Rehearsal Dinner Gifts, Getting Ready, First Glance, Portraits, Loved Always, Pre-Ceremony, I Thee Wed, Post-Ceremony Hugs, Cocktail Hour, The Reception - part 1

After dinner it was time to dance and eat candy! What could be better than that, really?

The candy buffet is definitely my favorite wedding trend. It is the single most talked about detail from our wedding, to this day. Plus, it made for some great memories! (And interesting cocktails, later on in the evening a table of friends were drinking champagne flavored and dyed with rock candy, delicious... or something.)

Mr. Pineapple was worried that people would eat the candy necklaces off one another and it would turn into a fraternity mixer. I mean really, doesn't he know I come from a classy family?

Sister Pineapple and I know that sharing a candy necklace fulfills its one and only purpose. (If they were meant to be eaten solely by the wearer they would taste better and probably be wrapped in bacon.)

Groomsman Phil was in attendance to represent the Lollipop Guild.

Mike was upset that no one was sharing with him so he took matters into his own hands... or rather teeth.

Mike did a wonderful job as emcee and DJ. Having a laptop and sound system set-up was definitely the right choice for our wedding. I don't really come from a family of dancers and the crowd was small to begin with so music wasn't at the top of our budget priority list. After the announcements and official wedding stuff was done, Mike was able to pretty much let the computer do the hard work, with a few adjustments when needed.

He even got some of the employees from the River's Club line dancing, good times.

I spent a lot of the night exposing the nether regions of my wedding gown. Man, was that dress heavy! My hips hurt by the end of the night from so much weight pushing down on them. As you can see my wine colored crinoline was long gone. It was much too much fabric, I was too hot and too poofy to really dance.

One of my favorite photos, my nana and aunt Laurie dancing.

I love this one of my mom and sister too. Krissy thinks she doesn't look like our mom, ha!

The Pineapples-in-law, I am so lucky to be a part of their family.

I was a tired, hot mess by the end of the night. I could have fallen asleep in Mr. Pineapple's arms.

Next up a look back at the details.

Love Again: The Reception, Part 1

2009-08-16T12:20:00.000-04:00

I did something today that I have not done in a very long time. I continued writing my re-caps. It has been almost a year since Mr. Pineapple and I first married in a small cinder-block building in Clymer, PA.

When I last posted several months ago cocktail hour was over and the party was just about to begin...

The Rehearsal, Rehearsal Dinner, Rehearsal Dinner Gifts, Getting Ready, First Glance, Portraits, Loved Always, Pre-Ceremony, I Thee Wed, Post-Ceremony Hugs, Cocktail Hour

After the introduction of the parents, bridal party and Mr. Pineapple and I, began the speeches from Sister Pineapple, Krissy and the Best Man, Erik.

Erik and Mr. P. were roommates throughout college and beyond. There were a few months when the three of us all lived together in a house with five cats. (In case you are wondering, five cats is way too many.) If there was anyone who could embarrass Mr. P. it was Erik. So, I have to admit I was a bit worried what Erik would have to say in his speech. In the end it was lovely and endearing.

My sister and I were almost always at odds growing up. We were both very much into the arts, attending the same magnet school. We had all of the same classes and same teachers, but thought we could not be more different. She went off to Carnegie Mellon's school of design for college and I almost immediately crossed it off my list of colleges. I thought I had spent enough time following in my sister's footsteps. Well, some how I find myself in a pool of orange-brown Jell-o, wrestling my sister, at a CMU frathouse a couple years later during the week of my freshman orientation. I won the match and things changed.

My sister talks about hour our relationship took a turn when I started taking her out to lunch on my meal plan. We learned that we were not so different after all, in fact, it was probably because we were so much alike that we butted heads so often growing up. Now we are both graphic designers (I still claim she followed in my footsteps on that one) and we talk everyday. My sister's speech was so sweet and it made me glad to be, as she phrased it, her twin born three years late.

Next, it was time for free-J Mike to cue the first dance music.

Mr. Pineapple and I had been dating for just a few months and we were at our regular spot (and rehearsal dinner location) Smokin' Joe's. Mr. P. disappeared few a few moments. When he returned Howie Day's Brace Yourself starting playing from the juke box and he whispered into my ear, "I want to play this song at out wedding." And so was chosen the song for our first dance.

A few weeks before our wedding my parents were visiting from Florida. I had spent almost every waking hour painting and repainting our home. I was stuck on the wall along the staircase. I had peeled layers of wallpaper off the wall, paper that had been there for decades. It wasn't going so well. No matter what I tried I couldn't get all the little pieces off the plaster. So my Dad and I got to work hanging drywall. As we measured and drilled I asked him what song he would like for the father daughter dance. "Country. Anything but that woman, I don't like her." I guessed he was referring to Sugarland, "Yeah her, not her." So I picked My Little Girl by Tim Mcgraw, country, simple, sweet and not Sugarland.

We decided to cut our cake right after the dances and before dinner. This allowed for the rest of the night to just happen, uninterrupted. We cut the cake without too much trouble - after we got the knife into the layer. Did you know they sometimes put a layer of board on top of the layers for support? We didn't. Turns out you cannot really cut through the board...

As you can see, there was no cake smashing for us. Which really disappointed my normally shy father. So much so that he requested a do-over:

Sorry Dad, that's not happening. :)

Next it was time for dinner and merriment...

Love Again: Cocktail Hour

2009-05-07T08:02:00.005-04:00

The Rehearsal, Rehearsal Dinner, Rehearsal Dinner Gifts, Getting Ready, First Glance, Portraits, Loved Always, Pre-Ceremony, I Thee Wed, Post-Ceremony Hugs

The cocktail hour gave guests time to mingle and search the escort card trees for their seats. It also gave Mr. Pineapple and I the opportunity to sneak down stairs where hors d'ovres, drinks, and a few minutes alone were awaiting us.

I love this photo of my grandfather and Mr. Pineapple's dad because although Mr. P and I were not there I can imagine exactly what they were talking about. My grandfather, a man of epic stories, was probably telling FIL P. about the many weddings he attended, only briefly, to deliver the beautiful cakes my grandmother used to make.

Sister Pineapple played the role of videographer throughout the night. One of my favorite parts of the video was the cocktail hour. She went around to all of the guests and asked them who was the prettiest bridesmaid. Of course, since she was the one asking, everyone said "Oh, you Kristina!" Then she went up to Kim and Lindsay and said "I have been asking everyone who the prettiest bridesmaids were and everyone has said you two!"

Mom Pineapple also got ahold of the video camera a couple times throughout the evening. Much of her video is of herself, holding the camera upside down and eating giant pixie sticks. She is an artist.

Mr. Pineapple and I rejoined our guests with just enough time to say hello to everyone and hear the story of the prettiest bridesmaid before introductions.

Will you be visiting with guests after the ceremony or will you wait for the reception introductions?

Love Again: Post Ceremony Hugs!

2009-04-30T19:06:00.005-04:00

The Rehearsal, Rehearsal Dinner, Rehearsal Dinner Gifts, Getting Ready, First Glance, Portraits,Loved Always, Pre-Ceremony, I Thee Wed

Just a few moments after the wonderfully giant hug given to me by my hubby we were swarmed by the rest of the bridal party and our parents. Let the hug-a-thon begin!

Then it was time to bustle my gown. There were 11 ribbons to be tied, my sister and mother raced to see who could get the most tied first. While still not missing any. I am not convinced that 11 was overkill.

My sister's little fingers and working eyes won the race :)

After I was all tied up I took my gown for a spin (literally) just to make sure everything was tied down.

It was official, we were married again. This time we were able to do what we have hoped from the beginning, share our wedding with all those who truly loved us.

Will you be spending a few moments with loved ones after your ceremony? Or do you and your husband plan to be whisked away?

Love Again: I Thee Wed

2009-04-28T07:50:00.004-04:00

The Rehearsal, Rehearsal Dinner, Rehearsal Dinner Gifts, Getting Ready, First Glance, Portraits, Loved Always,
Pre-Ceremony

Hello Hive! Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Mrs. Pineapple and I am a slacker bee. 2009 has been a pretty rough year in the Pineapple household - health, money, friends, family - you name it and it has gone wackadoodle. I am very excited to have some time carved out of my new crazy schedule to finish sharing our wedding with you, the best is still yet to come!

My father has always been fairly reserved, but the moments leading up to him handing me off to Ryan he was absolutely beaming.

Walking down the aisle toward Mr. Pineapple was an amazing few moments. Although we had a fairly small number of guests there was an incredible energy in the room. The bride is supposed to walk slowly and take her time getting to the groom, but I just wanted to break free from my father and run up to Mr. P and give him an epic hug.

I have to admit, most of the photos of me from the ceremony are a little silly looking. I spent most of the time fighting back tears or a massive grin. It was amazing to hear the words that Mr. Pineapple had written for our ceremony. I wish I could marry him again, everyday.

Mr. Pineapple and I held hands throughout the ceremony. I didn't want to let go of him. I wanted to be able to squeeze him and really be there in the moment with him.

Bridesmaid Kim and I have been friends since the fourth grade when we suffered through Ms. Greenhill's class together. Even when we were nine years old Kim had a voice much much bigger than her tiny little frame. I used to make her sing on the bus and I would tape record her. Her voice amazed me and I was her biggest fan. Kim is an amazing friend who I know will always be there for me and I am so lucky that she was able to sing to us on our wedding day.

Finally it was time to let got of Mr. Pineapple's hand and pull him close for the kiss.

After we got back down the aisle and we were alone for just a couple moments, Mr. Pineapple picked me up and gave me a huge hug. This was one of the best moments of the entire night.

What moment are you most looking forward to?

Love Again: Pre-Ceremony

2009-03-12T18:31:00.001-04:00

The Rehearsal, Rehearsal Dinner, Rehearsal Dinner Gifts, Getting Ready, First Glance, Portraits, Loved Always

After returning to the River's Club after our portrait session the boys headed to the Men's locker room and the bridesmaids and I went to powder our noses. I wanted to get upstairs and hide away before the guests arrived, so Emily, the wedding coordinator for the River's Club, took me through the coat closet and into the ballroom where the ceremony would be taking place.

As you can see, we did very little to decorate the ballroom. We were working with a limited budget and would only be in this room for under and hour, so any grand ideas I once had were scrapped. The decor wasn't stunning, but the carpet was new and there was some simple decorative art on the walls.

The only things that we added were programs on each chair and the hand-painted aisle runner. (The runner was taped at the end to the floor, something I didn't take into consideration.)

Our ceremony and pre-ceremony music was performed by great friends of ours, Pete and John. Pete was also one of the groomsmen so there were moments when John played and sung solo. It worked out really well, with Pete just sitting and standing when needed. :)

They did an amazing job and I love that so many of our friends were able to be a part of our wedding.

So while Pete and John were playing to an empty room I was hidden away on the other side of a temporary wall. My bridesmaids were in the locker room finishing their touch-ups and I have no idea where anyone else was. This was a very strange, but relaxing, time for me. It seemed like I was sitting alone for an endless amount of time. Every few minutes my mom, Emily or one of the photographers would peak there heads in to make sure I hadn't run away.

This is one of the times my mom came to keep me company. The only way I could think to sit down without wrinkling my gown was to sit backward. I am indeed a classy gal. At one point all three photographers and Emily came in with worried looks on their faces. I don't even really remember what the crisis was, something about having enough time to get photos of the important moments before our contracted eight hours were up. I just kind of giggled and said to put the events in whatever order was necessary. I couldn't imagine actually caring at that point. (It turned out not to be an issue at all and the photographers left well after the cake cutting and such.)

One of my favorite parts about having all of these photos is seeing how genuinely happy everyone was. I was over the moon to have this time to share with our loved ones, but it is wonderful to see how over the moon happy others were too, like Krissy and Katie.

Finally, my best friends, sister and father joined me. We lined up to get ready for our walk...

Love Again: Loved Always

2009-03-11T18:25:00.003-04:00

The Rehearsal, Rehearsal Dinner, Rehearsal Dinner Gifts, Getting Ready, First Glance, Portraits

When I began my recaps for Weddingbee Mr. Pineapple asked me if I would be able to mention his mom, even though she would not be in any of the photographs. I have never explained our reason for getting married early to the hive, it just never seemed like the right time. Well, now is as good as any, I suppose.

Mr. Pineapple's mom was very sick last September so Mr. P and I decided to get married early, just in case she was not going to be able to make it to our October wedding. We wanted, more than anything, to be able to share our wedding day with our parents. So, the wedding in a week took place. My father flew to Pennsylvania from Florida where he joined my mother who had been staying with Mr. P and I. The day after Mr. Pineapple's mom was released from the hospital, she and Mr. P's step-dad were able to see us marry. Just last week Mr. Pineapple's mom passed away after fighting cancer with strength and courage for nine years. The services were attended by over 600 people and an amazing tribute to her life. She will always be loved and dearly missed.

Love Again: Portraits

2009-03-10T19:00:00.007-04:00

The Rehearsal, Rehearsal Dinner, Rehearsal Dinner Gifts, Getting Ready, First Glance

This post could be alternately titled "The Pineapples Publicly Display Affection." Mellon Park is a popular spot for skateboarding teens and pooping pigeons. Luckily, I think we managed to scare off both. We did have a small audience of on-lookers, one of whom said to her husband "Look at those beautiful flowers!" She must have been wondering how we managed to get peonies in October.

Here is a little bit of proof that your bridesmaids don't have to wear the same thing to look stunning. I purchased the shawls at H&M for $9 a piece, which was a pretty sweet deal. I chose the colors based on what I thought each girl would like the most. I had pretty much thrown the "wedding colors" concept out then window by that point.

Here at the boys all wearing different gray suits and ties we gave to them that sort-of matched.

All of the groomsmen have jobs that already required suits except for one, Mike (aka our free-j). Luckily, since he is an actor he was able to rent his suit from a costume shop. Talk about using your resources wisely.

I am not sure what the concrete stage thing we are standing on was originally intended for, but it was a great spot for our photos.

Have you noticed how we are on the verge of laughter in many of the photos? Well, Mr. Pineapple kept burping and blowing in my face. Awe, memories.

This is one of my favorite photos from the day. I'm not normally a fan of the tilt/wacky angle, but this one is an exception.

There is that sun again! Wow, I really cannot wait for spring!

Time to head back to the River's Club, pluck some fall leaves out from my crinoline, reapply a little lipstick and get hitched (again)!

Are you planning to have portraits taken at your ceremony site or somewhere else?

Love Again: First Glance

2009-03-09T19:29:00.006-04:00

The Rehearsal, Rehearsal Dinner, Rehearsal Dinner Gifts, Getting Ready

Mr. Pineapple and I decided to go ahead and do as many formal portraits as we could before the ceremony. Seeing each other before the wedding ended up not being a big deal anyway since we were already married. Any jinxing that was to be done had been at the Clymer magistrate.

Pittsburgh is known for its cold and cloudy days. Why it was 55 and sunny on an October day is beyond me, but I was thrilled. In fact, if it were any warmer the thousand layers of pouf may have made me melt. The boys waited at the Omni while we headed to Mellon Square Park. It was the perfect location for us: right behind the hotel, three blocks from the River's Club, surrounded by cityness but still with plenty of fall foliage.

One last look in the mirror for Mr. Pineapple.

We decided to do our best Abby Road impression. Lucky for us Pittsburghers don't go downtown unless they are on their way to work or a Stillers™ game.

I love this photo of Mr. Pineapple. He looks like a nervous groom about to wed! (Well, except that here he is already sporting his band.)

Then it was time for Mr. P and I to get all first glancey and such. Even though we were already wed, it was wonderful to see him for the first time in this way. He was finally able to see the dress that made me cry and I got to see him with a smile almost as big as mine.

For some reason these crazy girls in dresses were hollering at us.

Next, it was time for Mr. Pineapple to inspect my duds. I seem to remember flashing people like this a lot on our wedding day.

This is when Mr. P teased me about my "tiara." The only things he knows about bridal fashion he learned while watching me watch the wedding episode of Glamor Magazine's don't list. They said no tiaras, whatever mine was cute. ;)

One last kiss before portrait time.

Are you doing a first glance?

Love Again: Getting Ready

2009-03-08T16:32:00.007-04:00

Love Again:
The Rehearsal, Rehearsal Dinner, Rehearsal Dinner Gifts

Great news, hive! Last week Mr. Pineapple and I received the DVD containing our full resolution files from Mary Mervis. Mingwei Tay, the student and aspiring wedding photographer, provided us with our images months ago, but I wanted to share everything with you at once. So, it begins with getting ready.

Mr. P and I spent the night before our wedding in the Omni William Penn with some of our guests. Although it is traditional for the couple to spend the night apart I knew sleeping was going to be a challenge for me, especially without Mr. P by my side. I woke up at about 4am and that was it, I was awake for the day.

At 9am my mother, 4 bridesmaids and I met Mingwei at Philip Pelusi hair salon just a couple floors below our ceremony and reception site. I was a bit worried about getting my hair and make-up done so early especially since we still had a good deal of prep work to do upstairs. Jamie, the stylist, offered to create another appointment for me at noon to touch up my hair and do my make-up.

I didn't make any changes from my trial, soft curls and warm tones. I was really calm all morning until this point. Mary's photographers, Tammy and Marella, were meeting us at 1:30 to head over to the park where we were to meet the boys for a first glance and portraits. That meant an hour and a half to have my hair fixed, make-up done and get dressed. It was plenty of time in the end, but I was still for some reason nervous about the clock.

I was not fond of the idea of actually getting dressed in front of the cameras or even my friends so I hopped into my dress and called for my mom to zip me up. This was the next and final stressful moment of the day. After my fitting issues I was really really worried the dress wouldn't zip. My poor mother... while she was trying to get me zipped I kept saying "Does it fit? Is it zipping? Are you sure? Is it squeezing my back fat?" Two second later I was zipped and ready to get married (again).

The pearls that Christy is clipping around my neck were a gift from Dad Pineapple. They were perfect. Simple and definitely re-wearable. They completed my wedding jewelry, the only other pieces being pearl earrings Mr. P gave to me early on in our relationship and of course my rings.

Speaking of accesories, here is Bridesmaid Christy wearing the rose colored pearl earrings and necklace I made for my bridesmaids. My favorite part of the necklace was the copper rose clasp. I also gave each of the bridesmaids a wrap to wear since we had planned on taking photos outside.

Sister Pineapple and MOH, Krissy, wore a wacky teal hair flower I made for her. It was kinda quirky, but so is she so it worked.

Here I am showing off my crinoline and cowboy boots. I am so glad I decided to wear my boots the entire day. Not only was I completely comfortable and able to dance all night, but now the boots Mr. P bought my for my birthday a year earlier are even more special.

I was so relieved at this point to be ready and on time. Now I was able to relax and just be happy. After this point I didn't have any clue what time it was and I didn't care. I was definitely ready to see Mr. P again and squeeze him.

Here is a shot of the final clay bouquet made by Diane of DK Designs Hawaii. The bouquet is now sitting in one of the dishes from our candy buffet where I can admire it everyday, forever. Going with clay flowers was one of the best wedding choices Mr. Pineapple and I made.

Before I knew it we were heading out of the River's Club to meet Mr. P and the other boys.

Getting ready was the most nerve racking part of my day, what was yours?

Honeymoon in My Hometown - Rural Pennsylvania

2009-02-26T09:39:00.005-05:00

If you want to really honeymoon in my hometown you are welcome to pitch a tent by the lake on the farm where we live. However, you will be limited to eating what you can cook over a fire or traveling 15 miles to dine in at McDonalds. Clyde, Pa may not be an ideal honeymoon spot, but there are wonderful getaways outside of Pittsburgh in rural western Pennsylvania.

Emily Creatives

Love Again: The Reception, Part 2

Love Again: The Reception, Part 1

Love Again: Cocktail Hour

Love Again: Post Ceremony Hugs!

Love Again: I Thee Wed

Love Again: Pre-Ceremony

Love Again: Loved Always

Love Again: Portraits

Love Again: First Glance

Love Again: Getting Ready

Honeymoon in My Hometown - Rural Pennsylvania

I've Moved!

An Evening with the Candy Corns

Mom Pineapple, She's a Crafty One

Shannon and Timmy's Wedding

Love Again: Rehearsal Dinner Gifts

Love Again: Rehearsal Dinner

Love Again: The Rehearsal

The Rivers Club: Venue Review

Erg! Adventures in Gown Preservation

The Secret Life of Bees (Pineapple Edition)

Meet Annie the Versary Tree

Ohmigoodness! - The PWC

Cleveland Foodiemoon: The Brownstone Inn

Cleveland Foodiemoon: West Side Market

My Two Passions: Mr. Pineapple and Line Dancing

Deeeeeeep Breath... The Budget

Amazing.

Brace Yourself

All Wrapped Up

Centerpiece Mock-Up

Photo Projects: Table Numbers & Guest "Book"

"Getch Yer Programs!"

Mailbox Card Box

Mom Pineapple Did Me a Huge Favor

The Sweetest Addition

Clay Flower Completion!

Showered with Love: Highlights & Hostesses

Clay Flowers in Progress!

Showered with Love: Cake Contest

All Dolled Up

October 18th: The Sweetest Day

A Wedding in a Week: Getting Ready

A Wedding in a Week: Rehearsal Dinner and Cake

Emily Ink Etsy Store!

A Wedding in a Week: Bouquets

You do? Sweet me too!

A Wedding in a Week: The Last Day

A Wedding in a Week: Hair Flower

Invites for Another Bride

A Wedding in a Week: The Dress

A Wedding in a Week: The License

Our Second First Wedding

Making Up is Hard to Do

1 Little, 2 Little, 36 Little Wedding Cakes

Thank You! Already!

Wined and Dyed

A Something Old What to Do

Roll In the Reinforcements

And They're Off!

Lounge Seating

UPDATE: Dress (Not) Fitting Number One

Shower and Bachelorette Invites by MOH/Sister Pineapple

Neck Wear

Dress (Not) Fitting Number One

Being Accommodating

Will You Marry Me, Mr. Pineapple?

Bridal Guilt

Cake CAke CAKe CAKE! mmmmm

Non-Floral Bouquets

Non-Floral Centerpieces

Rehearsal Dinner

Color My Crinoline!