When Don and I started planning this wedding, we both agreed that we wanted it to be a community affair, with all our friends and family gathered together and working together to make it happen. We recruited people to make invitations, take pictures, deliver things, pick things up, decorate and more.
We didn’t have a wedding party with just four or six or eight people. We had a wedding party of 104 people. So, we knew we wanted to invite everyone to a rehearsal dinner of sorts - our Welcome Picnic.
Thankfully, we had a GREAT location. Our friends, the Dickerson family, offered their house and property as a venue. Don and I can’t thank them enough - not only for offering a place for the Whitesides to host the Welcome Picnic, but also for a million other things during the weekend.
Here are some pictures from the wonderful evening.
We're so excited the wedding weekend has finally arrived.
Just a few of my wedding elves pictured here.
The Talent Showcase. Kate and Matt sing while Ed plays along. Genie Gratto also sang. So did Ed. Tiff Bridge made us laugh (seriously, a Facebook wedding?). Patrick Whiteside served as emcee.
Here you can see what happens when a little girl's hair gets stuck on a bride's earring the night before her wedding.
I was very happy to see so many people the night before our wedding, but for me the best part happened during Don’s toast / thank you speech.
He proposed to me. For real this time.
Don to Susan: Will you marry me? Susan to Don: Yes, I will. THAT'S HOW YOU DO IT.
The first time he proposed, Don forgot to ask, “Will you marry me?” I said, “I do.” This time around, we both got it right.
Almost as good as the proposal, was the food. Classic Eastern Shore fare - steamed crabs, steamed shrimp, fried chicken. YUM!
Maryland blue crabs. Oh my!
We’re very grateful to Don’s parents for hosting this affair. Everyone had a great time (as I recall, and judging by the pictures).
The Welcome Picnic hosts, Penelope and Eric Whiteside
May 8th, 2009 at 10:25 am
It was such a fantastic time