So, I've decided to let a video clip show you what an amazing night it was, and I'll just share a few random impressions.
I'm still completely blown away by how generous all the sponsors were. Not only did people jump at the chance to donate their services, what they provided went way beyond anything I expected. The flowers by Pollen were exquisite. The sweet table provided by Luscious Layers was gorgeous and delicious (I still daydream about those coffee-flavored whoopie pies). The food served by Entertaining Company was wonderful. Bleeding Heart Bakery's cake was spectacular. Toast and Jam DJs made sure everyone was out on the dance floor (especially me). And I Do Films made sure to capture all the special moments (hopefully not the ones where I was on the dance floor!)
And Jeremy Lawson, our fantastic photographer, was so vital to this event turning out as it did. From the beginning, he was instrumental in getting other folks on board and was the most enthusiastic supporter and advocate. And the pictures..... wow! The ones I've seen so far are incredible! Well, except for the one of me dancing. We won't talk about that one.
The amazing thing is that no one asked for anything in return. A guest at the wedding asked me why there weren't business cards on the tables to advertise the various sponsors. And I realized that no one had even asked to do so. It just wasn't about that. The whole night was about celebrating civil unions and, most importantly, our great couples.
And speaking of the couples...... I can't believe that we found twelve wonderful, nice, deserving people! Seriously, each of them was a delight - and so gracious. They were such a pleasure to work with and made everything so much more fun. And what's really cool is that they all bonded right away. These were twelve strangers - they all had different stories and came from different backgrounds, but they hit it off. It was incredible to see them become the "Under a New Moon Family."
And finally there are the three people I will be forever grateful to:
Lauren, from Catalyst Ranch - my tireless partner and voice of reason throughout all the planning. Without Lauren, none of it would have been possible.
Beth from SQN Events and Heather from Greatest Expectations - they took the reins and never looked back! There is no way the night could have been so wonderful without them. I can't even list the many ways they helped, but they truly kept things moving (and kept me sane). Wedding Planners are amazing - and Beth and Heather are wedding planning goddesses.
This whole experience has been wonderful. It was more work than I had imagined, turned out bigger and better than I could have ever dreamed, and was worth every second of effort.
As corny as it sounds, this was truly a labor of love. Everyone participated out of love and gave their very best. Everyone involved, from the couples to the sponsors, have given me so much joy..... and now I'm gonna cry again.
So I'll stop writing and you can watch the video.....
