Sunday, September 30, 2012

Now it's Time to Say Good-bye...


I opened with a Disney reference, so it seemed only fitting to close with one as well.

Yesterday marked my 10 month anniversary blogging with Weddingbee (hard to believe) and so I, somewhat reluctantly, pushed "publish" on this post.

Hive, it has been an absolute pleasure to share our wedding journey with you. From our engagement to our wedding day; the good times and the not so good; and plenty of tips along the way. Thank you for reading our story and, in many ways, being part of it - from helping me make a decision on a bachelorette location to dressing Mr. Turkey.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

a phiLOVEdelphia story: After the Party it's the After Party (and Brunch)


The photographers left just after midnight, meaning that we had professional photographs technically covering 2 days!

Despite them leaving, I promise you...the party did NOT stop.

Instead, there were photos (and incidents) like this

Monday, September 24, 2012

A Perspective on Blogging (From the Other Half)

Before I officially  "close" the Turkey story (yup, we're just about there), the Mr. wanted to pop in and share his perspective on our journey. So, Hive, please welcome back Mr. Turkey!!

Hello - Mr. Turkey here! Over the past year while Mrs. Turkey has narrated our wedding odyssey, I have had the chance to watch and observe the process of going from an applicant, to an accepted blogger Bee; from Miss Turkey to finally Mrs. Turkey. 

I always found it interesting that at every major milestone I would be able to sum up the highlights to my parents in under 60 seconds, however, that same milestone would somehow inspire two weeks worth of individual blogs, stories, reviews, and recommendations (with accompanying visuals of course).

I was forced to take pictures to support all these stories.
This one didn't make the cut when telling the story of our 1 month anniversary (is that a thing?)

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Philadelphia Vendor Review - Part II

If you missed it – here’s Part I of my Philadelphia vendor review. As a reminder, there are 4 ratings:
  • Highly Recommend 
  • Recommend 
  • Recommend with Reservations 
  • Do Not Recommend 
…and everything is based on experience / opinions from me and Mr. Turkey (info on timing for booking vendors can be found here).

STATIONARY: Two Paperdolls

Paper was very important to me – I mean, this is the Bee who wrote 4 posts on Save the Dates (I, II, III, IV). And, because of that, I 100% splurged in this area.

Full paper suite
Nicole was my point of contact throughout my time working with Two Paperdolls. She was incredible to work with and the designers were so responsive to feedback. They also just "got it". I went in with sketches on paper and ideas and they brought it to life in a way that I definitely could not.

From my scribbles in our initial meeting to a beautiful welcome map (right picture by Two Paperdolls)

Thursday, September 20, 2012

a phiLOVEdelphia story: True Life - We Had a Wedding Crasher


I’ve been holding out on you Hive, but the title says it all.

Sometime late in our reception, I recall looking over and seeing a woman in purple dancing next to me. Thinking perhaps the signature cocktail had gone to my head, I turned to someone next to me, asking, “is that person wearing a tank top?” and was answered in the affirmative.

All photos are by Philip Gabriel Photography (with some obvious photo destruction editing by me). 

Head image from here

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Philadelphia Vendor Review - Part I


I’m a big fan of vendor reviews…heck, reviews in general. From Trip Advisor to Yelp, I often rely on the “wisdom of the masses”. So, to pay it forward, I will be reviewing our wedding vendors over the course of two posts. I have also put all of these reviews online, although in slightly different form (not as narrative).

I’ve also chosen to give a quick “rating” for each vendor to somewhat mirror the online starring systems (Weddingbee vendor reviews use 5 stars, for example). I came up with 4 ratings:
  • Highly Recommend 
  • Recommend 
  • Recommend with Reservations 
  • Do Not Recommend 
Essentially, we gave the highest recommendation to anyone who we felt went above and beyond what was required for their role.

Before I jump in, want to mention that all these comments/thoughts are purely mine and Mr. Turkey’s, based on our experiences. For information on when we booked each of these vendors, you can reference my post here. If you have any specific questions, feel free to reach out.

Monday, September 17, 2012

a phiLOVEdelphia story: Our Favorite Dance of the Night


Don’t judge us, but our favorite dance of the night was not our first dance or even the dances with our parents.

You may recall our interest in the “Cupid Shuffle” (you can see a video of how that went) and we asked for Journey’s anthem “Don’t Stop Believin’” to close the night, but it was Jellyroll’s rendition of LMFAO's “Party Rock Anthem” following my dance with Turkey Dad that was our favorite memory.

All photos are by Philip Gabriel Photography.

How could it NOT be? We ended up with this amazing photo

Thursday, September 13, 2012

a phiLOVEdelphia story: Photography Challenge


I mentioned early on that I didn’t give our photographer Gabe a shot list. While this is technically true, I did make a hefty request of him just before the wedding.

Although the photos would help us remember the day in its entirety, with approximately 200 people joining us from all across the country (and abroad), we wanted to remember them as well. Now, we did have a chance to spend time with many of our guests during cocktail hour and walking around during the meal, but I knew photos with each and every person would have been cumbersome.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

a phiLOVEdelphia story: Just Dance


This is how Mr. Turkey and I remember our wedding:

All photos are by Philip Gabriel Photography.


Sure, there were other photos that showed us how we felt, but this is what it looked like. An absolutely PACKED dance floor…until the wee hours of the morning.

It had just switched over into May 13 at this point...do they look like they're slowing down?

Monday, September 10, 2012

a phiLOVEdelphia story: Savory and Sweet

In the midst of all the dancing and talking, we managed to find some time to feed our guests.

Now, where we have no professional photos of our yummy appetizers at cocktail hour, the Gabes were kind enough to capture dinner and dessert. Commence drooling...

All photos are by Philip Gabriel Photography unless otherwise noted.

For their first course, all of our guests received what Best Man / Brother M affectionately called a "hockey puck".

Mmmm "hockey puck"

Thursday, September 6, 2012

a phiLOVEdelphia story: Special (and Surprise!) Dances


You’ve already seen Mr. Turkey and my first dance, but there were still 2 additional “formal” dances in our schedule for the evening.

Mr. Turkey and I both thought long and hard about the dances with our respective parents. Well, to be honest, I think Mr. Turkey took a little longer, as the song choice for me and Turkey Dad had been decided early on in the planning process.

For Mr. Turkey, you know that lyrics were important, so when MIL Turkey sent him a list of song options, we had to listen to each and every one several times for him to make a decision. Ultimately, they decided on “My Wish” by Rascal Flatts. That’s right, another country song. Mrs. Turkey for the win!!

All photos are by Philip Gabriel Photography.

"I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow...and each road leads you where you want to go..."

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

a phiLOVEdelphia story: From Heartfelt to Humorous

After a little dancing workout, we took a seat in our personalized chairs for some refreshment. At this point in the day, both Mr. Turkey and I had held it together, but as Turkey Dad took the microphone from Jellyroll, we remarked that the speeches might be the end of our “no tears” streak.

All photos are by Philip Gabriel Photography.

You all have seen the same snippets of all the speeches that we have professionally recorded so far (full video expected soon!), but Aunt P was kind enough to have taped Turkey Dad. This means we had a little more help when it came to remembering his words!

Turkey Dad knows how to handle a mic

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

a phiLOVEdelphia story: Let's Get it Started

After our first dance, guests joined us on the white dance floor to boogie. Jellyroll kicked things off with "I Want You Back".

All photos are by Philip Gabriel Photography.

The rockin' band (notice the men wearing blue to coordinate with our colors!)
I warned you that most of my dance photos included an open mouth...
Now, we had a bit of a unique schedule for the wedding. The following was the order of events following our first dance:
  • Dancing
  • Toast: Father of Bride
  • Appetizer
  • Toast: Maid of Honor
  • Toast: Best Man
  • A little more dancing
  • Salad
  • Groom and Mother Dance
  • Bride and Father Dance
  • Some more dancing
  • Main Course
  • EVEN MORE DANCING!!

Monday, September 3, 2012

a phiLOVEdelphia story: First Dance as Mr. & Mrs.

We had made our entrance and transitioned into our first dance...did you guess the song?

Despite being the (second) hardest decision of wedding planning, Mr. Turkey and I settled on a song where the lyrics spoke to us - "I Hope That's Me" by Brad Paisley. I already mentioned that we failed to practice for our first dance and although our video made it appear that we knew how to dance, some of the pictures tell a different story.

Now, I could show you just the pretty dance pictures, but because I felt like we made a mistake in not practicing (even a quick practice dance in the living room would have helped), I'm sharing the good with the bad. Enjoy the photos of us looking at our feet and missing each other's hands, along with the ones where we appear to be pros (thanks for catching those fleeting moments, Gabe).

All photos are by Philip Gabriel Photography.

Somebody's gotta scratch your back
The places you can't reach
Say something that'll make you laugh
That's exactly what you need
And I hope that's me, I hope that's me

Thursday, August 30, 2012

a phiLOVEdelphia story: Making an Entrance

Cocktail hour ended with the sounding of a bell (or xylophone...my memory is fading) and it was time to get the party started!!

Jellyroll started with some upbeat music for introductions, bringing many guests to their feet and ready to dance. The parents were up first.

All photos are by Philip Gabriel Photography.

The hosts of the evening, Turkey Mom and Dad, entered to "Crazy in Love"
Mr. Turkey's parents were introduced with "Can't Turn You Loose"

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

a phiLOVEdelphia story: Cocktail Hour in the Cassatt Lounge (and Garden)

While Mr. Turkey and I took a quick stroll around the square and checked out the reception space, our guests were settling in at the Rittenhouse Hotel's Cassatt Lounge and Garden for cocktail hour.

All photos are by Philip Gabriel Photography, unless otherwise noted.

My beautiful cousins - G, L and M
Turkey Dad (middle) and some of his friends
Some of Mr. Turkey's family take advantage of the outdoor space

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

a phiLOVEdelphia story: The Vision Comes to Life

I absolutely love the posts where you see all the little (and big) details come together at a wedding. You've recently seen Doe, Elk and Porcupine's days brought to life...and, if you don't mind, I'll take you through the Turkey details!

Whether still in the planning stages or already a Mrs., you understand the hours of planning and coordination it takes to come up with a theme and design for your big day. Along with the photos below, I will link back to the inspiration and vision that has been shared during my time blogging for the 'Bee.

However, before we get to the photos, I must give credit where credit is due. It was approximately nine months before our wedding that we booked our florist / event designer, Evantine. They, along with the staff at the Rittenhouse Hotel, are 100% responsible for taking our ideas and bringing them to life on May 12th (you know, while we were primping). Mr. Turkey and I cannot possibly thank them enough.

With that, I'll stop teasing (although we did give you a sneak peek) and get to the good stuff. Warning - lots of photos ahead!!

All photos are by Philip Gabriel Photography, unless otherwise noted.

The escort card table gave guests a first look at our colors and flowers

Sunday, August 26, 2012

a phiLOVEdelphia story: Moments After We Wed


So, the Turkeys had made it official and with that declaration of Mr. and Mrs. came an excitement in the air that I can’t quite describe. We stood in the wings of the church and watched our friends and family exit, heading to the celebration that we had carefully planned for 14 months. The fun was about to begin!

The original schedule called for a couple more family pictures in St. Patrick’s including grandparents. However, between all our excitement and some quickly departing relatives, we went with the flow and headed out of the church towards the Rittenhouse Hotel.

All photos are by Philip Gabriel Photography.

Husband and wife!

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

a phiLOVEdelphia story:...Gonna Get Married!

When I left you, Turkey Dad and I were about to make our trip down the aisle.

I honestly can't remember a thing going through my mind as we walked. The nerves (and tears...and cursing) of Friday night had passed.

All photos are by Philip Gabriel Photography.
Love how MIL Turkey is looking at Mr. Turkey and Aunt J is looking at Turkey Mom
I was all smiles (and carrying the bouquet too high)
When we reached the altar, Turkey Dad hugged me and then Mr. Turkey, whispering in his ear before returning to his seat next to Turkey Mom. 

Mr. Turkey won't tell me what he said!
Now, although our ceremony was personal and all readings were chosen with care, it was fairly traditional for the Catholic Church.

I am more than happy to share the texts of our readings, music choices and vows with you all, but for those taking the self-written route, there are many more eloquent and creative Bees that have come before me (most recently, Elk shared her ceremony; there's also the frequently referenced Cherry Pie post).

So, in lieu of words, I will share the remainder of our ceremony with you all in images.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

a phiLOVEdelphia story: Going to the Chapel...

With all the photos done, it was time to get out of the heat...and into the church!

All photos* are by Philip Gabriel Photography.

Our church, St. Patrick's
When guests arrived, they were greeted by cousins M & G, given a program and escorted down the aisle.

Programs courtesy of Two Paperdolls
While being seated, they were treated to a beautiful rendition of  Mozart's "Laudate Dominum" by cousin N.

Grandpa Turkey (and others) looking up at N
Being downstairs in the chapel, the bridesmaids, Turkey Dad and I were able to hear N and WOW, she was amazing.

Some guests asked us where we found the "opera singer" for our wedding
As the mothers were seated, N did a second song, Schubert's "Ave Maria".

SMIL Turkey and her two sons, R & S
I'm surprised Turkey Mom is smiling and not crying - she cries every time N sings
As "Ave Maria" came to a close, everyone took their cue to head into the main church.

Mr. Turkey shares a final moment with Best Man / Brother M
The bridesmaids cheered me (and the marriage) on
The extra "boost" from my ladies made me feel very excited and ready for the long (uneven) walk to my groom. When "Pachelbel's Canon in D" began, so did the processional.

D was the first one down the aisle
We had chosen Pachelbel's Canon because although there was not a separate song for my walk with Turkey Dad, the song lent itself well to a lovely organ "swell" for our entrance. Oh, and it was another homage to "Father of the Bride".

Beautiful women, all in a row
With my veil and dress poofed and laid flat by MOH J (and Father M - seriously, he was like a priest DOC), all Turkey Dad and I had to do was wait...

...and, left together, right, right together, left
What were the moments like before your walk down the aisle?

*Minimal editing done by me - to blur our last names for privacy

Sunday, August 19, 2012

a phiLOVEdelphia story: Final Photo Spot Before We Wed

After the Art Museum, we had just one final stop before heading to St. Patrick’s to get hitched. As I mentioned earlier, Mr. Turkey really wanted to attend cocktail hour. This meant getting all the photos done before officially becoming Mr. and Mrs.

You’ve seen pictures of the two of us and our bridal party, but we still had to get some pictures with ones who loved us most – and for the longest – our families!

We decided to do these photos in Rittenhouse Square because of its proximity to both the church and the Rittenhouse Hotel, where everyone was staying (and we’d party a bit later).

You can see on our welcome map just how close everything is (under 2 minute walk)
Photo (and booklet) by Two Paperdolls
Thank goodness the photographers had already scoped out a location for these photos because the park was hopping! There was an arts fair going on, meaning lots of tents…and even more people. They had found a secluded area for our first look, but this spot must have been more difficult since there were more than just two people being photographed. I bet you’ll barely realize there was any commotion as you see these images!

All remaining photos are by Philip Gabriel Photography.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

a phiLOVEdelphia story: Turkeys Take the Art Museum (Part II)

You’ve seen plenty of Mr. Turkey and me the last couple posts, so now it’s time to move onto the wedding party shots. I haven’t talked a ton about our bridesmaids and groomsmen in this blog (you know, privacy and all), but it must be said that we were incredibly lucky to have the people we did at our side on this big day.

From family to childhood and college friends, Mr. Turkey and I felt beyond honored that everyone made the sacrifices and trips necessary to be part of our wedding celebrations (you have read about all the ladies’ amazing contributions to my fashionista shower and bachelorette). We tried to say thank you to both the men and women at our rehearsal, but the bottom line is that nothing will every truly express our full gratitude.

However, beyond the “mushy” stuff, these people made our day FUN. You’ll see photos of them tearing up the dance floor later, but for now you’ll have to settle with some more traditional pics. I think it will be easy to see why nerves were limited, the day went so smoothly and our resounding memory from May 12th was pure and simple joy.

All photos are by Philip Gabriel Photography.

Like I said...pure and simple joy

Three Months (and Lots of Thank Yous) Down

We interrupt our recaps to share a brief perspective on the quarter year that the Turkeys have been married. To some it may be a short period of time, but considering the fact that we’ve lasted longer than the Kardashian – Humphries union, I think it’s something to celebrate.

And celebrate we did - with champagne (yes, again) and a red velvet cupcake
It’s been a crazy busy three months. Just the other day I was asking coworkers what happened to June and July…I hardly remember them!

Some highlights of the summer so far (excluding the honeymoon) - from breweries to beaches;
bridesmaid dresses to Baseball Hall of Fame and everything in between

Monday, August 13, 2012

a phiLOVEdelphia story: Turkeys Take the Art Museum (part I)

When I mentioned there was another Philadelphia landmark on our schedule for photos, several readers mentioned the Philadelphia Art Museum* and, well, they were right!

All photos are by Philip Gabriel Photography.

Veil Gone Wild : Art Museum Edition

The Art Museum is another special Philadelphia location for the Turkeys - I've been a Young Friend member for numerous years and our first "fancy" event together was a gala honoring the opening of their Cézanne exhibit.

Since you've seen a lot of our mugs so far, I've posted the top 12 couple shots at the museum (to commemorate our wedding date of May 12th). Trust me, this was a serious exercise in restraint...and editing.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

a phiLOVEdelphia story: Broad Street Beauties

After the first look, it was time for bridal party photos.

There are many beautiful locations around Philadelphia to take photos - from the parks (Rittenhouse Square, Washington Square, LOVE Park) to the historic sites* (Old Christ Church, Elfreth's Alley, Carpenter's Hall) to the landmarks (30th Street Station, Art Museum, Boathouse Row). Between our engagement session, rehearsal dinner and wedding day, many of these places were on our "list".

However, there was one place that was a "must do" from the very beginning of our engagement - Broad Street and City Hall. So iconic, so "Philly"...even Mr. Turkey agreed it was the perfect spot for pictures!

In fact, with our original venue, we were thrilled with the opportunity to be right on Broad Street. Mr. Turkey and I made plans with Gabe to do bridal party photos there before cocktails and then have just the two of us sneak out at the end of night with the lights of the city around us.

But as you recall, our story took a bit of a turn and we changed venues. No longer were we on Broad Street or anywhere close enough to pull off a nighttime shot. But we were able to find room in our schedule for the day to make a stop here for photos. And it was totally worth it!

All photos are by Philip Gabriel Photography.

Photos like this make me so happy we had a city wedding...U-Haul and all

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

a phiLOVEdelphia story: A Joyful First Look

It was decided very early on that Mr. Turkey and I would do a first look.

First, we live together, so any "bad luck" worries were out the door. Second, our wedding ceremony was late (6:30pm).  And, finally, one of Mr. Turkey's only requests (throughout the entire planning process) was to attend the cocktail hour.

So, based on the Turkey-created schedule for the day, we had ample time to do photos before officially becoming Mr. and Mrs.

All photos are by Philip Gabriel Photography.

Totally unplanned, but in holding my veil, I have a pose like the Rittenhouse statue

Monday, August 6, 2012

a phiLOVEdelphia story: Bridal Portraits (and Some Tips)

So...I was dressed, but we still had time before our first look. Now, bridal portraits weren't anything I seriously considered (heck, I didn't even have a list of requested shots), but in following the instructions given to me that afternoon...well, they happened!

If you know me, you know I'm not big on solo shots. I'll usually grab someone to join me and have been known to photoshop others into my pictures. Earlier this year I even tried to convince my coworkers to do a group headshot (fail). Blame it on years of posing solo for Turkey Mom.

We were dancing to "Car Wash" - the towel was my prop
I tell you this and share the below images to help other brides who might be nervous about this part of the day. You saw that the photos I loved most from our day were not posed or forced at all...so it would seem only reasonable that portraits would be my least favorite. However, this was not the case.

Just like during our engagement session, Gabe made me feel incredibly comfortable. Despite the fact that I had no idea where to put my hands or where to look, he helped me through the process and made it less awkward. I say less because, don't get me wrong, it was still slightly uncomfortable being the only one photographed (thank goodness the girls were doing their own photo shoot).

So, I'll do my best with the photos to share with you what I was told to do and you'll see just how easy it is to have the fancy bridal portraits. Model I am not. I simply followed basic instructions (and had a fabulous photographer).

All photos are by Philip Gabriel Photography.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

a phiLOVEdelphia story: Becoming a Bride

Our recaps have taken to us when Mr. Turkey is about to head down for the first look. However, we'll back up just a little bit, since, based on what you've seen so far...I'm not even dressed!!

After capturing all the little details, it was time for my dress' close-up. Even now, almost three months post-wedding, I am still incredibly obsessed with my wedding dress. Thank you, Edgardo!

All photos are by Philip Gabriel Photography*.

From stuffed to FREEEEEE
There are plenty more solo dress shots, but I'll spare you and keep the majority to myself! But warning: this post does have lots of photos ahead!!

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

a phiLOVEdelphia story: Gettin' Spiffy

If the girls got lovely, then I suppose it was up to the guys to get spiffy.

As you all know, the men have it a whole lot easier. Even their schedules for the day were less detailed than those for the ladies.

Men's schedule - some details edited out
I realize there's a pretty strong possibility that all these schedules were thrown out and the guys just texted each other before arriving. However, everything went off without a hitch, so whatever!

All photos are by Philip Gabriel Photography.