Reception...well, almost.

I know, I know, you want pictures.

Before I continue on with photos from our wedding reception I wanted to ask you if you knew why we chose that particular date?

We were asked a number of times if it was significant somehow and people wanted to know the concept behind the invitations. I thought I'd share some insights on that for those of you still curious.

From the time we started planning we knew that we wanted the wedding to be in the fall and that the reception needed to take place in the courtyard next to the apartment on the Westside where I've live for the last 5+ years. Originally we were planning on the wedding taking place during a regular Mass at the Cathedral. It's a bit old fashioned and a little out of style to do it that way, but it's a lovely way to have a meaningful wedding while sharing the celebration with the rest of your usual congregation. It's done much like a baptism, following the homily.

A date was set upon, November 2, 10:30 mass, and we moved forward with the planning. Months later we were told that we would not be allowed to have a wedding during Mass on that date as it was a holy day- All Souls Day. Just as the anxiety of losing our date started to sink in (mind you, the church schedules well over a year in advance for weddings), we received another call from the Cathedral...the wedding on the books for noon on November 1 had just cancelled and would we like to take that instead? Clearly that was the day that we were meant to have our wedding, in our own Mass on All Saints Day.

This was perfect.

All Saints Day is one of my very favorite days and it coincides with another holiday that is special to our neighborhood, Dia de los Meurtos. The parade and the celebration for Dia de los Meurtos happens every year literally steps outside my front door. Dia de los Meurtos (in English Day of the Dead) is truly a happy day. It is believed during this day the spirits of friends and family who have passed away have divine permission to visit the living. All over Mexico (and our neighborhood) altars are decorated with flowers, fruits, candles and incense. It's an occasion to come together with family to share food and music and remember that the dead are never forgotten because once a year they visit the earth to share these gifts with the living.

Now that's a party we thought.

And so this guided us with our invitations. Designed in tandem with Brady Vest at Hammerpress Letterpress here in Kansas City (Westside neighborhood buddy of old and fantastic craftsman artist extraordinaire), we had a vision. Eddy wanted an invitation that was cool and sustainable (less waste- no fussy envelopes or inserts for the landfill please) and I wanted an invitation that was reflective of me as a graphic designer and made with my hands and Brady's. Done. The form was kinda Eddy's brain child (with the perfs and the detachable mailable rsvp). Brady and I worked it from there. Post printing I hand sewed a heart milagro* onto each invitation while Eddy addressed the mailers with his fancy pants architect handwriting.

*milagro (in English means miracle, also known as ex-votos) metal pieces are offered to a favorite saint as a reminder of the petitioner's particular need for a miracle, or they are offered to the saint in thanks for a prayer answered. Attaching these to the invitations was our way of encouraging people to ask for what they might be needing in their hearts, say a prayer for our marriage or simply to feel the goodness of the community that we are a part of.

And then a boatload of our nearest and dearest helped us make it the most fantastic day we could have ever hoped for. Neither one of us has our head in fairy-tale land, but boy, did that day exceed anything we had ever experienced. Many thanks all. Many many thanks.

Ok, pictures now.