Chow Down! The Rucksack Menu!

A couple of months ago our menu tasting with our caterer was rescheduled due to a conflict. It was a sad day and an anxious 3 weeks as we eagerly waited and crossed our fingers that the food would be as amazing as we hoped. (Spoiler alert - it was)

I found Forks & Fingers through Weddingwire, saw a menu on their website that I liked and then emailed with Stephanie a few times to get the price and feel where we wanted it. When we met with Mark & Stephanie the first time, we talked a little bit more and then sort of left it up to them. They're totally brilliant and came up with a menu that's beyond perfect and definitely matches with our casual beach chic wedding. 

Onto the tasting! It's nearing lunchtime here and looking at these pictures definitely has me salivating over my keyboard here.

First up, we tried one of our signature drinks: a vodka spiked watermelon lemonade. Mr. Rucksack really needed it after a long day at work. I don't usually love watermelon, but this was tasty. 

We arrived a little early with Momma Rucksack, so we waited and drank and chatted until the hor's devores came out. Stephanie even put on some Buble to set the mood.

The first thing we got to try was a watermelon spoon with jalapeno oil and cilantro. They were so refreshing. Again, this made me change my outlook on watermelon. If you peek in the background you'll see our gourmet pizzetas too. New Haven is known for its pizza, so this was really important to me. We tried two kinds: a classic mozz with basil and fire roasted tomatoes followed by a goat cheese and raspberry pizza.

The Rucksacks don't eat usually gluten, but we cheated a bit to taste a bite of each pizza. Obviously we had to try them for the sake of our guests, right? The raspberry pizza may be one of the best things I have ever put in my mouth.

Momma Rucksack is halfway through her first Whole30 on her way to joining the Paleo cult, but she was kind enough to join in the tasting too. Thanks for taking one for the team, Momma Rucksack! ;-)

When I asked for steamers, I had no idea what Mark and Stephanie had in store. When each serving of clams came out in their own individual pots, I just about peed myself from excitement. There are also some chicken fajitas on that little plate. They were good too, but OMG individual steamer pots!

 Trying the fajitas. We're not in pain, I promise.

Next up we tried the salad! Mr. Rucksack thought there was too much stuff on it, but he is crazy. I got to have a bite of goat cheese, strawberry, golden beet, pomegranate and balsamic with every piece of lettuce. That's my kind of salad!

We tried hard to pace ourselves so that we'd have room for the entrees, but we were still shocked to see the big feast we had ahead of us. Below is our buffet in action (minus the veggie kebobs which I didn't get a photo of.). You guys, we each got one of these plates so I didn't have to share with anyone! From left to right: asparagus risotto, grilled lobster tail, summer corn succotash, grilled steak kebobs, and some sort of amazing chicken with asparagus, kalamata olives and feta. It was incredible times a million.

This was the best "wedding food" I've ever had which is pretty perfect since our one big requirement was "no typical wedding food." Honestly, I would have been thrilled to order any one of those items at a restaurant. (I asked if I could come back every night for dinner, but apparently they have other events....boooo)

My mom agreed that it was incredible, but said she's planning on playing down the awesomeness when telling everyone else about the food. "That way, their minds will be blown!" She said. She's weird.

Did you choose a caterer that would give you non-traditional wedding food? How did your tasting go?

All I Do is Cry

Guys, I have been super emotional lately. Like verge of my period, commercials make me cry kind of emotional. The closer we get to the wedding, the worse it seems to get. And these tears aren't just stress tears. In fact, most of them are happy tears.

Happy tears while talking to FMIL Rucksack

Mr. Rucksack coaches a youth lacrosse team in our town and they recently had their last game. The boys range in age from 6-9 and they are just the cutest. The tiniest 6 year old on the team scored his first goal in the very last minute of the very last game and guess who cried? Nope, not his parents. This girl. I mean, full fledged tears. I am just ridiculous. But seriously, it was the best moment. All the kids on the team rushed him and hugged him and kept telling him how great he was. They are the best. (And I'm crying again)

Mr. Rucksack and GM Brobot on the field

Anyway, it's become apparent that at least until the wedding is over, this is who I am now. The crazy lady that cries at the drop of a hat. I thought it was just me, but it turns out this emotional stuff is contagious and I think it may have finally gotten passed on to Mr. Rucksack. (Although he still claims it's just been really dusty at home lately...)

 I recently shared that I wrote a lot of our ceremony. Which means, of course, I plagiarized huge portions thanks to the internet (my college professors are shuddering right now) and then added in some twists such as the love story. It turned out beautifully and both Mr. Rucksack and our officiant love it.

The true test came when I made Mr. Rucksack sit down and go through it with me. We took turns reading it and refining our readings and by the time we finished reading the love story we were both crying. Ahem...I mean there was a lot of dust in the air. If our preview tears are any indication of what's to come on our wedding day, we're both screwed!

We also decided on two very special people to do the readings at our wedding:

FFIL Rucksack and his mini-me, Mr. Rucksack

Even though Mr. Rucksack is a self proclaimed Momma's Boy, Mr. Rucksack and his daddy are really close. They talk on the phone often (mostly about the weather and the lawn) and are just plain adorable together. FFIL Rucksack will be reading the second reading in our ceremony which falls right in between the love story and the I Do's. I suspect there won't be a dry eye in the house on the beach.

Irish Blessing of the Hands:

These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow, and forever.

These are the hands that will work alongside yours, as together you build your future.

These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch, will comfort you like no other.

These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief fills your mind.

These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes; tears of sorrow, and tears of joy.

These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children.

These are the hands that will help you to hold your family as one.

These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it.

And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged, will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.

Momma Rucksack and her Wayne

Our first reading of the evening occurs just after our officiant's welcome speech. After agreeing on an excerpt from The Princess Bride, Mr. Rucksack and I decided that Wayne would be the perfect person to read it. Wayne and my mom started dating just a few months before Mr. Rucksack and I did so our relationships have really grown together. Although he's only been a part of the family for a couple of years, he is one of my favorite people and I hope to one day officially call him my stepdad. Perhaps another wedding is in the future for the Rucksack family? (Hint Hint Wayne...)

An Excerpt from The Princess Bride

Buttercup was raised on a small farm in the country of Florin. Her favorite pastimes were riding her horse and tormenting the farm boy that worked there. His name was Westley, but she never called him that: Nothing gave Buttercup as much pleasure as ordering Westley around.
“Farm Boy, polish my horse's saddle. I want to see my face shining in it by morning.”
“As you wish.”
'As you wish' was all he ever said to her.
“Farm boy, fill these with water...please.”
“As you wish.”
That day she was amazed to discover that when he was saying 'As you wish', what he meant was, 'I love you.' And even more amazing was the day she realized she truly loved him back.
“Farm boy...fetch me that pitcher.”
“As you wish.”
"Westley had no money for marriage, so he packed a few belongings and left the farm to seek his fortune across the sea. It was a very emotional time for Buttercup.
“I fear I'll never see you again.”
“Of course you will.”
“But what if something happens to you?”
“Hear this now: I will always come for you.”
“But how can you be sure?”
“This is True Love. You think this happens every day?”

With all of this mushy stuff in my brain, it's no wonder I'm been an emotional mess lately!

Who will be reading at your ceremony? Are you gunning for a wedding tear-fest too?

Evolving Tablescapes

Our tablescapes have been a continuously evolving thing. Once we picked the Surf Club as our venue, we quickly settled on our colors: navy, pink and aqua with touches of gold. The color pink evolved from blush to fuschia as I got a feel for our wedding and the overall scheme changed as I found new details to add in.

Originally, with blush still in the mix I wanted something soft and romantic. Early on, I had found our Anthropologie vases and built this tablescape around our then colors:

I loved the way they looked, but still thought they were missing something. I added navy and white striped runners and mocked up the indoor part of our venue with the tables and lanterns set up.

As cute as it looked, something still wasn't quite right. Maybe it was too girly or didn't quite match the fun laid back vibe we were going for. So I went back to the drawing board and switched the colors around slightly. I definitely liked the navy tablecloths more than the pink. So one decision down!

From here, I added a couple of finishing touches. I was finally getting somewhere, headed straight to wedding perfection city. I decided bright flowers were the way to go and added cute little flag table numbers.

The big moment of revelation came when I found these paper napkins at Target. Adding them to the tablescape along with our bamboo plates gave us a whole new look and I loved it. It was bright and fun while still being totally beach chic.

I was even able to find lanterns that coordinate perfectly! Score!

I am so happy with the final outcome and can't wait to see how the final tables match my mock-ups. I definitely recommend mocking up your tables and room if you can because not only did it give me a great sense of how things will come together, but I'll also be able to use these pictures to show my coordinator how I want everything set up. (Type A much?)

Did your wedding scheme evolve over time too?

Head of the Class: A Post about Who Sits Where

Seating arrangements are not something I’m looking forward to. I’ve tried a few mock-ups, but since our RSVPs have only just started to roll in, I really have no idea who or even how many who’s to expect. 

Instead, I’ve been trying to finalize our head table. (Again, something that should be simple but which I’ve taken upon myself to make undeniably more difficult)

In a perfect world, I’d have everyone sitting at one giant table ala the Queen's dinner parties, but our venue doesn't exactly allow for this type of setting.

Via Daily Mail

One popular head table type that I am downright opposed to having is the sweetheart table.

While I totally understand why so many brides choose to go this route, I want to hang out with our friends! I mean, I eat dinner with Mr. Rucksack almost every night, but I rarely get all of my friends together in one place. I just know that I would be jealous if all of our attendants were having all sorts of fun without us.

The traditional head table also includes the Best Man and Maid of Honor along with their dates. If we were to go with this set-up, I'd probably switch the order so that Mr. Rucksack could sit next to his bestie and me next to my cousin.

 

Next up we have the parental table. This is another oldie but goodie that includes the parents of both the bride and groom in addition to the best man and maid of honor. I'm not opposed to this idea, but with so much family coming in from out of state, I know my mom will want to celebrate with them too. 

 The next table set-up is something I like to call the 6th Grade Dance Table. In this popular table arrangement, all the groomsmen are on one side and all the bridesmaids are on the other. It certainly makes things easy, but I don't like the idea of completely separating everyone. In our case, it also makes the table ridiculously long. Longer than last supper long.

Rather than splitting up the genders, we could scatter the bridal party around the table to ensure that everyone mingles and has fun. I also like this arrangement because it allows for Mr. Rucksack's sister and her husband to sit together. Since neither of them will know anyone else in the wedding party, they may be more comfortable together than on opposite sides of the table. Same goes for GM Brobot and MOH Tessa who are brother and sister.

Of course, that still leaves out the dates. If we included them, it would look something like this:

Yikes! That's a whole lot of people! (And that's just including the dates I know for sure will be coming) This particular arrangement also brings additional awkward considerations such as "strong personalities" that don't really get along with all parties involved. It took me a really long time to even come up with a More the Merrier prototype because I kept thinking "Wait, A and N don't get along, so I have to separate them...." and repeat.

Right now, I think we'll most likely go with the Scattered VIP Table. I think it's the table arrangement guaranteed to give me the most amount of fun and I think the dates can band together for an hour while we eat dinner. That shouldn't be too hard, right?

What kind of head table will you/did you have? Are there any other alternatives I should consider?

Personalizing our Wedding Ceremony

Since Mr. Rucksack and I will be married by a Justice of the Peace on the beach, we have a lot of leeway to be able to personalize our ceremony. And by we I mean I. I will be personalizing our ceremony. With a little input from Mr. Rucksack such as “No I don’t like that reading” and “Sure, I’ll list the things I love about you.”

We had one hell of a time finding someone to marry us - which let me tell you, is absolutely the last thing I thought would be difficult. It’s one of those things I sort of took for granted. Originally, I assumed we would be married in a church. But after visiting several churches in our new town, Mr. Rucksack and I just didn’t find one that we really clicked with. 

We then decided to have a good friend marry us, but quickly learned that Connecticut has strict rules on the people that can legally officiate a wedding. 

We reached out to a few pastors and officiants in the area to find that they were either booked or away on vacation. 

I finally reached out to a Justice of the Peace that I found on the Town of Madison website. Our new JP, Mitchell, emailed me a few standard ceremonies to choose from and I took it upon myself to jazz them up. 

One element that I knew I wanted added was a personal story about our relationship. Weddingbee Pro, Jessie Blum’s, suggestions for creating a love story were especially helpful and I began writing small, wedding appropriate memoirs to be folded into our marriage address.  The most difficult part of this was keeping it short. I absolutely love the true story of how we met, but the long version is better shared over drinks with friends than our wedding ceremony. So I wrote this instead:

Before Mr. America and Miss America met, they didn’t know if they would make it to this day. Mr. proclaims that he saw himself as a lifelong bachelor and Miss was starting to think that maybe all of the Disney romance and magic her mother had tried so hard to make her believe, wasn’t in fact, real.

So on a late summer night when they both ended up at a Karaoke bar, they weren’t looking for love so much as they were looking to belt out classic renditions of “Copa Cabana” and “Hot Stuff.” And yet, something about the girl in the orange Ralph Lauren sweater made Alex want to get to know her better  - even if she was on a date with a different guy. He says he went back the following week just hoping to get a chance to talk to her, and luckily she returned – this time alone.

A first date at a wine bar led to outings at local vineyards and a Ferris Wheel kiss at the Dhuram Fair. Miss and Mr. both say that they knew right away that somehow this was “different.” They quickly became inseparable and a freak October snowstorm, coupled with margaritas from Mezcal, had them admitting that their relationship had very quickly grown into love. (Mr. had actually proclaimed his love for Miss one week prior, but since there was beer involved Miss made him rescind his proclamation. To this he responded: “Fine, I take it back. But I don’t because I love you!”)

(Cue laughter)

From here I’m going to add a section about the things we love about each other, again taking Jessie’s advice on what to think about:

• What do you love about your partner?
• What actions of his/her say “I love you”?
• What do you admire about your partner?
• What have they taught you?

I’m going to keep this a secret until the wedding, but they’re pretty sweet and funny.

Did you write your ceremony script? What did you personalize?