Vow Renewal

Over the last several years, I’ve enjoyed every moment of helping others create the perfect atmosphere for their special events, be they weddings, birthdays, bridal and baby showers, or other important life milestones. But today I get to share with you something extra special – my own celebration! 2011 was the 10th (Diamond) Anniversary of my sister, Michelle, and her husband Peter, as well as the 50th (Gold) Anniversary of our parents, Bob and Norma. Michelle and I had been planning for the last few years to suprise our parents with a dinner with some of their dearest friends from around the country, following a sweet ceremony in the Gardens where she and Peter could renew their vows. And somehow, we actually pulled off the surprise! We even managed a surprise sea turtle birthday cake for my ocean loving brother-in-law whose birthday was just a few days away.

Thank you SO MUCH to our vendor team who took such good care of me and my guests for this special night!

My dear friend Jenna of www.jhendersonstudios.com was on hand to chronicle the night for us, and she recently sent me these photos to share with all of you. It meant a lot to us because Peter & Michelle didn’t get to have portraits at their wedding, and these are also the first professional photos we’ve had taken of our family since Peter joined us – what slackers we are! THANK YOU Jenna for fixing this for us! 🙂 Enjoy.

A big thank you to Caprice for this beautiful bouquet for my sister – she even flew in Plumeria from Hawaii after I told her it is my sister’s favorite flower and that Michelle and I got tattoos together with Plumerias in them! Also, thank you so much to Shannon at Southall Eden Paperie for creating these stunning invitations for us!

My absolute favorite shot of Peter & Michelle – the sweetest moment between two HOTTIES! 🙂

Jenna and I even snuck away for a few minutes to play around with a shot of me (admittedly the least photogenic person on earth). She was so patient with me and my complete lack of instictive modeling skills! Part of why she’s so great at what she does and can make anyone look fantastic in front of the lens. Also, thanks to wonderful makeup artist Meg Boes for giving us some fabulous faces!

Another thank you to Ralph Griggs, who has done so many ceremonies with us here over the years. It meant a lot to me that he was able to be a part of our night!

Look at these amazing cakes from The Bake Shoppe! The small one was a special anniversary cake for Mom & Dad, and the out-of-this-world sea turtle was Peter’s coconut birthday cake, complete on a bed of brown sugar sand!