Hawkily Ever After: Family Formals

Once the excitement died down, many of our guests headed to cocktail hour while we took our formals. Our photographer, Valerie, suggested against doing photos at the altar. She advised that in her experience, they tend to appear overly stiff. We went back to Wren's courtyard area, which was the perfect backdrop.

We started with our adorable niece and flower girl, who now thinks I'm a princess because of the wedding. Isn't that sweet? Our next photo was with my new in-laws...

... and then Mr. Hawk's immediate family.

 Momma and Daddy Hawk were up next...

...and Sissy Hawk jumped in.

I am so glad that we chose to do our formals outside because the light streaming through the trees was just lovely for our newly combined Hawk family photo.

Although we chose not to take individual shots with each family in attendance, we did a giant group shot of my side family...

 ...as well as Mr. Hawk's.

This kept our formals short and sweet, and allowed us to head straight to cocktail hour! But before we did, I asked Valerie to take one last photo: a shot of new rings!

Are you planning on doing a lot of formals? Or would you like to keep it short and sweet?

All photos by Valerie Demo Photography

Miss a Hawk recap? Don't fret! Catch up here:

We review our planning journey
We rehearse and welcome our guests
The girls get pretty
I share my bridal details
Mr. Hawk becomes a groom
Our first look
We take photos at Crim Dell Bridge
We explore campus for more photography
The groomsmen ham it up
The bridal party channels their inner model
The entire wedding party regroups
My last moments as a Miss
Welcome to our wedding ceremony
The bridal party procession
Miss Hawk's walk down the aisle 
We're married!

We were surrounded by love during our impromptu receiving line

It Feels Like Home

Hello Hive! I just arrived back home after a ten day vacation visiting my family in California.  It was a much-needed break, but I can't believe how much I missed the Weddingbee community! I'm back, fully refreshed, and I can't wait to share what I've been up to! Of course my vacation had plenty of relaxation and good 'ole family time, but it was also full of plenty of wedding-related activities. I even made some time to grab a burger with Miss Doe and Mrs. Lemon. (Thank you ladies for hanging out with me! It was such a treat.)

But more important than completing wedding tasks and what really stuck with me throughout the trip was the feeling of family, of comfort, and of love. Although Mr. Hawk has spent time with my family before and even came on a trip with us last year to Arizona, this was the first holiday vacation he spent with my family. It was by no means a "test," but it was definitely an incredibly important time for us. Family is of the utmost importance to me, and I couldn't have hoped for a better outcome.

My family welcomed him with open arms, and he participated in our annual ornament exchange. Momma Hawk even ordered him a stocking to display on our mantle and included him in the family Christmas card. I guess the best way I can describe it was that it felt completely "right." Like everything was as it should be and almost felt like he should have always belonged. I really couldn't have asked for more, which is such a great feeling as we're about to join our families together. I can't help but look forward to our future holidays together.

Our ornaments! Mine featuring one of our e-session pictures, his with our engagement date

Was there a time when you felt like you just clicked with your future in-laws? Were the holidays an important time for you and your SO?

All photos personal