WEDDING RECAP // COCKTAIL HOUR

Our initial game plan after the ceremony was to hop on the bus, head to Mears Park in downtown St. Paul and snap a few more photos, and then head over to The Bulldog in lowertown for a drink. When we exited the ceremony we realized it had gotten a bit cooler, and had rained- so the ground was wet. It started to sprinkle as well after got on the bus. I was happy with the photos we got beforehand, and didn't want to schlep into the park, in the cold and rain and mud (since that portion of downtown was under construction) just to get a few more photos. So, we pulled an audible and just headed straight to the bar. This is a long winded way to say: I hadn't exactly planned on having a bunch of photos at the bar on my wedding day. One of the things Matt had said though that he was very adamant about was having some time with just our wedding party immediately after the ceremony to decompress and relax- and I will say, it was really nice to have that. We played shuffleboard, had some drinks, chatted, and it was fun to kind of escape the craziness of the day and all the people and just hang out with our friends.

 

 There was a bar crawl scavenger hunt going on, and M's sister Katie got asked if they could put a temporary tattoo on her..haha:

After The Bulldog we piled back on the bus- which was a rolling dance party in and of itself. Our photographer drove separately so there's no professional pictures from that- but lets just say there were 2 stripper poles, and Dana was manning the ipod- so there wasn't a dull moment.

Earlier in the week, with the dismal weather forecast, we had some concerns about cocktail hour being outside. I had presumed there was no other available space and we were stuck with the outdoor pavillion. So, when M asked me to ask our coordinator if we could move it inside I rolled my eyes but obliged anyway. Thank GOD I did because she was able to offer us some indoor space- that is typically the cafe at the zoo, since the zoo was closed early for winter hours.

We arrived at the tail end of cocktail hour and got to enjoy more time with our guests. (some of which I spent in the bathroom dealing with "the issue", alas. It all worked out. :)) 

Cocktail hour came to a close, and it was time for Matt and I to make our grand entrance. :)

Up next: reception- dinner and dancing!