Hawkily Ever After: Rehearsal, Dinner, and Cocktails

The wedding rehearsal wasn't really what I expected. Perhaps I had overly-romantic notions of what it'd be like. Or maybe I just underestimated my clumsiness.

It all started with a missing groom. The wedding party agreed to meet in the hotel lobby prior to walking over to the chapel, but Mr. Hawk was nowhere to be found. Since the hotel restaurant/bar was open for business, we had a sneaking suspicion of where he might be hiding out. One by one groomsmen and bridesmaids "went to check" the restaurant and never came back out. Eventually I went in myself and found them all sharing beers at the bar. Apparently my uncle had found Mr. Hawk waiting alone and invited him to join the family for a drink. At the time I was annoyed. (Seriously Mr. H, how could you possibly be distracted by a tasty cold beer?!) Looking back at it just makes me laugh. They were ready for the festivities to begin!

Luckily for them, I think we must have had one of the shortest rehearsals on record. It went by so quickly I didn't even think to take any photos. We basically practiced our entrances and exits and called it a day. Did anyone have a more involved rehearsal? The brevity of it really blew my mind!

Post-rehearsal we walked our way over to the Green Leafe for dinner and drinks. While everyone was getting seated, I attempted to walk over to the manager to retreive our drink menus. I say attempted because about two steps in, the heel of one of my shoes got caught up in the bow of my other shoe. I landed in a heap on the floor. I swear the entire restaurant turned silent until I hopped up. My wedding party stroked my ego by telling me it was a very graceful fall, but I felt like an idiot. I think it was at that moment when I finally let a lot of the wedding stress go. I was so thankful to only have a couple bruises and also grateful that I got my embarassing moment out of the way before the wedding!

Still laughing about my fall

I'm happy to report that the rest of the evening went exactly as planned. We met up with family and friends for a post-rehearsal dinner cocktail hour at the groom's favorite haunt, the hotel bar. It was a really nice chance to catch up with family who traveled in for the wedding. It was also a great way to blow off some steam!

As always, it started off so innocently with a few cutesy photos.

BM T, MOH A, and I

BM R

  

But we definitely had our share of fun!

So excited with MOH A

All the beautiful bridesmaids

 Some of the bridesmaids even decided to have a little karaoke jam session!

I love the intensity!

Around 10:30, MOH A and I decided to call it a night and left the festivites, but the party continued without us. Mr. H and most of the wedding party closed down the bar around 1:30! Thankfully I left my camera with Mr. Hawk, so I didn't miss out on these gems.

M checking out BM R and T in the background. Hilarious!

Crazy face.

More karaoke and dancing!

Did y'all have any drama-filled moments before the wedding? Please tell me I'm not the only one who completely embarrassed myself during one of the wedding events!

Hawkily Ever After: The Day Before

The few days leading up to my wedding were a blur. Momma, Daddy, and Sissy Hawk all flew in the Wednesday before our Saturday wedding, and I have a really hard time recalling exactly how we spent that time. I know we ran some errands, I completed some last minute projects, and we even squeezed in a Richmond Squirrels game Thursday night to "de-stress," but the only thing that really sticks out in my memory was the emotion I was feeling: anxiety, stress, and panic were surging through me. The multitude of tasks to be completed kept me spinning. It really came to head the day before the wedding.

Daddy Hawk and Mr. H had planned a round of golf for Friday morning, while Momma H, Sissy H, MOH A, and I were to make the drive to Williamsburg together. The morning came and I was feeling frustrated that Mr. Hawk was taking it easy on the golf course, while I ran around like a chicken with my head cut off. Don't get me wrong, I was happy to have my favorite men bonding, but at that moment it felt like the world was on my shoulders alone. I'm pretty sure I was cursing Mr. H as I hurriedly cleaned out his car last minute.

Because we had so many items to transport, Mr. H and I switched vehicles for the drive. We packed up my larger SUV with all the wedding items, while I drove his smaller sedan. It didn't seem like an issue until the vehicle was packed with bags and we ran the last errand: picking up the wedding dress.

Poor MOH A and Sissy Hawk had to withstand a one hour drive under the puffy pink heat of my dress bag. There was not an inch of extra room.

Once we arrived in Williamsburg, it was another whirlwind. We checked into the hotel, only to turn around and grab lunch before heading to the nail salon. I received two hours reprieve with my bridesmaids while we enjoyed manicures and pedicures, but at that point I was in a haze. I remember slowly sipping on some crappy coffee, trying to perk up, while my insides were swirling. At that point I could have crashed, but we still had so much left to do.

Did anyone else experience a quiet, internal panic the day before the wedding?

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

We review our planning journey

Hawkily Ever After: A recap before the recaps

I recently received this lovely little package from my photographer.


Gifts!

 It also, of course, contained the flash drive with all of my wedding day images!

Horray!

But before I jump straight into wedding day recaps, I figured I'd do a short review of our planning journey for those of you who might not have been around. Here is the Hawk engagement: Cliffs Notes version.

Mr. Hawk and I met through mutual friends. A few years later we became an official couple. We moved in together, went ring shopping, and I got a little impatient before Mr. H asked me to marry him in March of 2011.


 We decided to have our wedding ceremony at my alma mater in picturesque Williamsburg, Virginia, but faced some sticker shock when picking our reception venue. We settled on Legacy Hall, which was both beautiful and affordable. Since we saved on our venue,  I found myself drooling over upgrades like chiavari chairs and professional lighting.


The Wren Building. Photo by Holland Photo Arts

We found a fantastic DJ, and I was thrilled when we decided to rent a photobooth, which would also serve as our guestbook. Mr. H was pretty laid back when it came to planning, but let me know that pulled pork HAD to be a part of the reception menu. Not being big fans of cake, we also decided to serve cupcakes as dessert.

When it came to color scheme, I originally thought I wanted to incorporate gray, but eventually decided on a more spring-y palette. Yellow bridesmaids dresses and bow ties definitely fit the bill.


Top row, from left to right: Bouquet via Kelly’s Wedding Flowers Gallery; Love Birds Topper via Vintage Green Modern on Etsy; Cupcakes via Wedding Magazine / Cupcakes by Cakes by Robin; Monogram via Charming Little Nest / Monogram by Southern Proper Monogram; Shoes via Hayden Olivia / Photo by Critsey Rowe; Sign via Family Attic on Etsy; Arrangement via White on Rice Couple
Bottom Row: Table setting via Green Wedding Shoes / Photo by Edyta Szyszlo Photography; Bouquet and bow ties via Southern Weddings / Photo via 1313 Photography; Lemonade stand via Brenda’s Wedding Blog / Photo by Bello Photography / Styling by Desiree Spinner Events

For our paper elements we incorporated our engagement photos in our save-the-dates. Our invitations featured a hand drawn image of our ceremony spot. I obsessed over monograms, and it became a theme featured on hand-painted glassware, matchbook covers, tote bags, seating chart, OOT bags, and OOT information packets.

My lovely ladies threw me a fun bridal shower and bachelorette weekend in DC to celebrate my last single days. Our impending marriage started to feel more real when we bought our wedding rings and finally obtained our marriage license.


When our wedding day arrived, we followed the timeline to a "t", but it was still over in the blink of an eye.


Photo by Valerie Demo Photography


I can't wait to relive every moment of our special day with y'all. Now, on to the recaps!

First up: The day before we wed!

The Secret Life of Bees: All About Mrs. Hawk

It's been quite a while since the last post in this series, but I've always enjoyed reading more about my fellow bee bloggers. Y'all already know so much about the planning that went into my wedding, and soon you'll know all about the big day when I begin my recaps. Even though I've shared a few little secrets with the hive, I think that I still may surprise you...

I have a serious obsession with music. So much so that my iTunes library has over 5,000 songs. That's enough to play music for over 15 days straight. (And that was after a major clean up of music I hadn't listened to in years!) I honestly believe that this obsession has lead to music lyrics taking up more than half my memory. I mean, who the heck still remembers all the words to Raffi songs at my age?!


Image via Amazon

Baby Beluga? Down by the Bay? All still stuck in my brain. And I'm childless. From my first concert (Amy Grant!) to my most recent (Avett Brothers!), music has always just stuck with me.

Since I've announced my music obsession, I'm sure it will come as no surprise that I was a dancer most of my life. I've pretty much done it all: jazz, tap, modern, ballet, pointe, lyrical... You name it, I've probably danced it. (Well, except ballroom. I'm pretty sure Mr. H would rather break his foot than have to ballroom dance with me.) One of my favorite dance memories was being a part of my high school's dance team, The Emerald Belles. During football season we would perform high kick routines (most often in cowboy boots and sparkly hats).


BM T and I



A full-length shot (although we typically wore plain green skirts) with a baby Sissy Hawk! Isn't she precious?

During the winter, we would compete in more traditional forms of dance like modern or lyrical, but high kick was still our specialty.

High kick during a pep rally. (I'm in the middle!)

My time in Texas certainly left a significant impact on my life. So when my family decided to move back to Virginia, I was considerably upset. Even though I was in Nashville for college, I was still pretty devestated  about leaving. Being a rebellious 19 year old, I decided to get a tattoo (about the size of a quarter) to show my Texas love.

Other random facts about Mrs. Hawk?

I'm Hispanic (from my mother's side). I can speak Spanish, but I'm far from being fluent. In fact the last time I spoke on a regular basis was when I Momma Hawk and I traveled through Spain.


Photo by Valerie Demo Photography, cropped by me

I'm not much of a coffee drinker, but I have a serious love for tea, especially Tazo brand. I keep enough in my house that I could give Starbucks a run for their money.

A peak into my pantry

I have a not-so-secret obsession with shopping. I thought about sharing a photo of my closet, but I'm actually a bit embarassed about it's current state. At any given time, I have at least one window and an app open on my phone for browsing different things. Mr. Hawk is apalled at the amount of shopping-related emails I receive.

Just the ones I've received within the last couple hours...Mr. H may be onto something here...

So tell me, can anyone relate to one of my secrets?

*All photos personal unless noted otherwise*



POP QUIZ: Your engagement story!

A few months back, Mrs. Pin Cushion posed some interesting questions about relationship behaviors in a two part series. Curiosity got the best of me, and I couldn't wait to ask a few questions of my own. I want to know all about your engagement stories! (And if you join in, I promise to spill my own dirty details!)

Tell me about your relationship...

1.) How long were you with your SO before you got engaged?
a. Less than 6 months
b. 1 year
c. 2 years
d. 3 years
e. 4+ years

2.) Did you live together prior to your engagement?
a. Yes.
b. No.

2.) Did you ever considering yourself to be waiting for the ring?
a. No.
b. Maybe? We planned on becoming engaged, but I never got to the point where I felt impatient.
c. Yes, we talked extensively about marriage, and I was getting a bit antsy.

Tell me about the proposal...

3.) Was your proposal a surprise?
a. Yes, I was completely caught off guard.
b. Yes, the actual proposal was a surprise, but I knew it was coming. (Did you go ring shopping? Did your SO start to act differently?)
c. No, it wasn't a surprise. (Is your SO horrible at keeping secrets? Did you find the ring? I need details!)

4.) Where did your proposal take place?
a. At a public place (restaurant, park, etc.), but it was just the two of us
b. At a public place with friends and/or family
b. At home, just the two of us
c. At home with family and/or friends

Tell me about the ring...

5.) My engagement ring's stone is a ...
a. Diamond
b. Sapphire
c. Ruby
d. Moissanite
e. Emerald
f. Something else - Do tell!

6.) What cut is the stone?
a. Round
b. Princess
c. Emerald
d. Cushion
e. Oval
f. Asscher
g. Something else

7.) Were you involved in selecting the ring?
a. No, not at all.
b. Yes. I showed my SO pictures of rings I liked
c. Yes. We went shopping together, but the ultimate selection was made by my SO.
d. Yes. I picked out the exact ring.

After the proposal...

8.) What is the first thing you did after the proposal?
a. Spent time alone with my new FI
b. Celebrated with or called family
c. Celebrated with or called friends
d. Posted the news on facebook/twitter

9.) How long is/was your engagement?
a. less than 6 months
b. 6 months to a year
c. 1 year to 1.5 years
d. Over 2 years
e. Still undecided

Since I promised I'd share, here are my answers!

1.) B - We were together a little over a year.
2.) A - We were living together for about seven months.
3.) C - I'll admit it. After we went ring shopping, I was antsy. (Antsy might not be strong enough.)
4.) B-ish/C-ish. We had shopped for the ring so I knew it was coming. Unfortunately Daddy Hawk might have called me looking for Mr. Hawk while we were on vacation in NYC. And he might have mentioned that Mr. Hawk had been trying to get a hold of him. At that point, it wasn't a big surprise.
5.) A - Mr. Hawk proposed in Central Park, but being that it was a Sunday morning, there wasn't a soul in sight.
6.) A - I'm a pretty traditional gal in a lot of ways. (And so is Mr. H!) I never even thought about something other than a diamond.
7.) B - Before ring shopping, I wanted an emerald cut, but once I tried on a princess cut, I completely changed my mind.
8.) C - I gave Mr. H my top three picks, but to be completely honest, I made it 100% clear which one was my absolute favorite!
9.) A and B - We were traveling back home that day, so we enjoyed a couple hours of alone time. Once we were through airport security, I immediately called Momma Hawk (and then bought a wedding magazine). Mr. H posted "game over" to facebook.
10.) C - We were engaged for 14 months.

I can't wait to see how my answers line up with the hive!

Hawks on Honeymoon: Lessons Learned

Our all-inclusive resort honeymoon was perfect and just what we needed: a lot of relaxation with a sprinkle of adventure. As with most experiences, we came away with a lot of good memories and some lessons learned. Here are the Hawks' honeymoon words of wisdom:

Don't overpack!
Overpacking is kind of my M.O. so it's no surprise that I had way more than necessary for our trip. During the day, I lived in bathing suits and coverups. At night, I would throw on a sundress for dinner and drinks. Packing three bathing suits was spot on, but four pairs of sandals? Overkill. I wore one pair in addition to my daytime flip flops. I can't even recall how many outfits I packed, and the jewelry I bought was such a waste of space. In retrospect, I'd bring a handfull of dresses, one pair of shorts, and a couple of breezy tops. The jewelry would be left at home.

These earrings are the ONLY piece of jewelry I wore the entire week (beside my rings, of course!)

Prepare ahead!
This is mostly in reference to dinners (if reservations are necessary) or activities. Mr. H and I were pretty good on this front. Restaurant reservations had to be made daily. We made them first thing in the morning and we were able to get into the restaurants we wanted. As a part of the "honeymoon package," there were also extra reservations to be made for a candelight dinner on the beach, breakfast in bed, and a flower-filled bubble bath. These activities could all be reserved at once. Since they were pretty popular, making them upon arrival was pretty necessary.


Breakfast in bed. So much food!

Particpate!
Well, this one might not be for everyone or every situation. Mr. H wasn't about to join in on the "Mr. Sexy" contest nor was I interested in shaking my tail feather for all the guests in the women's competition, but we did find things to join in on and had a blast. At the tequila tasting, we tried delicious strawberry margaritas, and at the "White Night" party we sampled rum-infused coconut drinks.


Delish!

We also made sure to try Mamajuana, a drink famous in the Domincan Republic for being an aphrodesiac. (Sadly neither Mr. H nor I felt any different after drinking it, but we did bring the recipe home...Just in case.) I also joined in on some dance lessons that were so much fun.

Mamajuana!

Tervis tumblers are a lifesaver!
Okay, so this one really doesn't seem nearly as important as the others, but I cannot stress enough how crucial they were. All mixed drinks were made in small cups, which would be fine if we had planned to sit at the bar the entire time; however, we were more interested in floating in the pool than being bar flies.


Tiny little cups

The bartenders were more than happy to serve drinks in our tumblers, which allowed us to be in the sun and kept our beverages extra frosty cold while we lounged about.

My "Hers" cup making an appearance (and yes, Mr. H definitely was carrying around a "His")

 What's the best advice that you could give future honeymooners?

Hawks on Honeymoon: ATV Adventure

Wanting a super-restful and relaxing honeymoon, Mr. H and I spent most days relaxing in the pool, walking the beach, or floating in the ocean.


Relaxing in a poolside "valley bed"



Views along the beach



Our resort in the distance

 

However we didn't want to spend the entire week on the resort. After looking at several options and speaking with another couple that had previously been to Punta Cana, we decided to sign up for the Punta Cana Boogie tour. With the promise of getting dirty and exploring more of Punta Cana, we were more than ready for our ATV adventure when they picked us up at Majestic Elegance.


Maybe Mr. Hawk wasn't so ready... looking a little apprehensive

  

So excited!

Once we arrived, the tour guide gave us a run-down of how to operate the ATVs. Punta Cana Boogie had several different vehicle options, but we Mr. Hawk chose the "monster boogie" for its speed. He quickly claimed the driver's seat, which I was more than okay with.

Pre-tour: still clean!

We started on some dirt paths and then were lead along rocky beachside terrain. 

Holding the "oh s***! handle" (like I did the ENTIRE ride)

 

At the point where the Atlantic meets the Caribbean

 Then we explored some jungle-like areas and got a little wet.

 Near the end of the tour they brought us to a stretch of beach to swim, cool down, and relax.


(And to take silly jumping pictures)

   I loved this part of the beach. It was so quiet and serene. There was not a soul around.



No resorts or tourists here!

To finish up we visited a small hut where our guide taught us about the process of making Dominican cigars. Mr. Hawk even sampled one.

Looking at this photo now, it could be a bit suspect. It's a cigar! I swear! :)



Covered in dust, but happy!

 Overall, we really enjoyed the Boogie tour and would definitely recommend it to others traveling to Punta Cana. We anticipated getting a little more dirty than we did, but I think driving the "monster Boogie," which was higher off the ground, kept us less muddy. No complaints here!

Anyone else doing an adventure-type activity on their honeymoon?