Reception Shendigs

The reception was an elegant, but fun affair. 

From candles in teacups to champagne and the hot chocolate bar, we basked in the ambiance, enjoyed some really great toasts, & filled our bellies.

[Cake by Cecila Villaveces Cakes in Athens, GA] 

[handmade sign by my bridesmaid, Laura McKinnon]

[seating chart]

[programs & madlibs]

[hot chocolate bar]

[S'mores trail-mix favors]

[the estate table]

The entrance:

This was so much fun! My cousin, and phenomenal musician, Pat, announced the beginning of the reception with my favorite 'The University of Georgia Battle Hymn' [if you don't know it, listen to it here]. This song is played at the beginning of every UGA football game and it gives me chills every time. It was only fitting to incorporate our love for the Dawgs into our reception! 

Reception Entrance Song:  

You Make My Dreams Come True by Hall & Oats.

First Dance Song: 'Home' by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes 

[my parents giving the welcome & the blessing]

[my sister & MOH giving her toast]

[the future Mr. & Mrs. Borgognoni]

[Kyle, the Best Man, giving his toast!]

[Cake by Cecila Villaveces Cakes in Athens, GA]

The Cake:

My mom and I had the opportunity to go and taste the variety of flavors the Cecilia's had to offer, and let me tell you-- it was not any easy choice…hence why we ended up getting 5 different flavors! Our cake wasn't going to be enough to feed the whole crowd so we had a few sheet cakes hiding in the kitchen… ;) Although I didn't get to try all the flavors, I heard they were a hit! 

McCray realized about a year before our wedding that he had never had a piece of wedding cake before. Yes, he was a wedding cake virgin. Since we were engaged when he made this realization, he decided (despite the 4+ weddings in between) to forgo all wedding cakes until our big day. As we cut our cake (which we should have practiced//it's not as easy as it looks) and put a bite into one another's mouths… we tried to smile for the camera… But honestly, it was really bad! The top layer must have been a mishap as other slices were a great improvement, but I will never forget the look on McCray's face when his hopes and dreams of losing his wedding cake virginity to the perfect slice were crushed. 

Father-Daughter Dance Song: 'Little One' by Chicago 

Mother-Son Dance Song: 'I Knew What I Was Getting Into' by Misty Edwards

[my grandma dancing with HER son, my uncle, during the mother-son dance!]

[lol]

[some of my dear high school friends- celebrating over a decade of friendship!]

[part of my adorable sorority family- what a blessing they are to me!]

[McCray's college crew!]

[the tossing]

It would be a lie to say I remember every minute of the reception as well as I do the ceremony- but what I do remember was being surrounded and well loved by some of my favorite people.

For more wedding fun-- check back soon for family photos, coming up next!

If you missed them: check out our gatsby rehearsal dinner, wedding morning, first look, & ceremony! 

Ceremony Bliss

Our wedding ceremony was unforgettable and hands down my favorite part of the wedding.

[invitations by dawn]

The best way to put it was that our Ceremony was unique and SO us. 

My most memorable moment of the day was the 5-10 minutes when I was waiting upstairs alone to walk down the staircase and down the aisle. The songs being played were Christian worship songs that were a declaration of our love as a couple, which is modeled after how Christ loves the church. As I listened to the songs, I was overwhelmed by the beauty of Jesus and how he had made McCray for me. Seeing my bridegroom waiting for me was such a precious moment. Even though I'm not much of a crier, I couldn't help but tear up (and smile) with such joy! 

[save the date via wedding paper divas]

[shoes by modcloth.com ; I added the ribbons for my 'something blue']

[this hanger was a gift from our fabulous photographer, Lauren Wright Payne!]

A few of my dearest friends from high school who helped hand out programs before the ceremony!

The Grandparents

The Parents

The Vows:

We wrote our own vows which I highly recommend. We laughed and cried through them, as did the audience. I might have even slipped in "I promise to be your best friend…with benefits"... [haha]

The Feet Washing:

Our first act of marriage was to wash one another's feet. We modeled this after Jesus, who washed his disciple's feet and then told them to go and do likewise. It is our desire to serve one another selflessly throughout our marriage. 

During the feet washing, our bridal party read some of our favorite Bible verses about marriage & love. Let's be real, I have a lot of favorite verses…so we weren't sure if they'd fit in the foot washing timing or not-- but it worked out perfectly! 

The Prayer:

When our friends and family laid their hands on us and prayed, it was so powerful! We felt so blessed to worship and pray with all of our loved ones around us. 

Our friends and fabulous musicians, Nate Moore and Shelby Frank provided the music for our ceremony

The Music:

Processionals: 
Come to the Table by Rick Pino
Made A Way by Matt Gilman
Do You Know The Way You Move Me? by Corey Asbury/Misty Edwards

Bridal Processional: Where I Belong by Corey Asbury

During Ceremony:
Waterfall by United Pursuit Band
I Want to Know You by Chris Quilia

Recessional: On Top of the World by Imagine Dragons

If you're still reading-- check back soon for the reception & other fun details.

If you missed them: check out our gatsby rehearsal dinner, wedding morning, & first look! 

Happy Friday!