Rock around the clock

Well, the party is over and I can honestly say that it was a great success. I was hoping to do a big post telling all about it and I probably still will. For now, I'm content to post a few snapshots that I took. I asked Uzz to come and serve as the official event photographer and he graciously agreed to do that for me, so I have a plethora of fabulous photos awaiting me inside one of the two giant cameras he used that day. I took pics until he arrived and then I retired my camera for the rest of the day. This photo is the only one my mom has of her wedding day. Something happened to her photo album and most of her pictures were damaged or destroyed.
This was the reception table early on. We added more to this area, including a very pretty tray that my good friend made for my parents. It is one of those where you can put photos under glass and she included a newspaper clipping of the anniversary announcement and the party invitation. It made a beautiful addition to the table. My sister-in-law arranged all the flowers. I bought a bunch of mums and baby's breath at Sam's and she placed them in vases I brought with me. My mom hates this picture of them because of dad's ugly hat.
This shot shows all the smiles that everyone had looking at the pictures and a photo album that I made of mom and dad through the years. I didn't have lots of old pictures, but I did my best. This is my aunt, on the left (my mom's sister) and my cousin on the right.

This is one of the photo tables we had along the back wall. I took three tables and decorated them with photos over the years. You can see a clipping of my dad, in his youth, and several of his buddies when they won some championship. Then, there is mom's wedding announcement. The photo album has lots of fun pictures, too.

This was dad and mom before they cut the cake. They looked really happy. Dad smiled the whole time. He had a blast. Mom looked stressed to me much of the time. I think she felt obligated to circulate and talk to everyone and she still didn't get to visit with all her old friends and family.

This picture is pretty funny because mom kept acting like she was going to stab dad with the cake cutter while she was posing for snapshots. I thought it was pretty representational of them, actually.

This was a cute shot, too. This is my nephew (in the orange) and my brother. My nephew was cracking up at his dad in the Eagle Scout picture. My brother and his family were wonderful at the party. I had been dreading him criticizing my party planning, but he was really pretty good. His family arrived early and helped me clean the reception hall (long story, but the last people to use it did NOT clean it up) and then to move the tables and chairs and get everything ready. I can't wait to see Uzz's pictures of the event. We took all kinds of family pictures, candids and more. He has some precious ones of Little Bit, who was an angel the entire event. She was very cute and really enjoyed the whole thing, prissy little girl that she is. I have to extend giant thanks to LabKat and my friend, TS, because without them, this party would have never happened. Those two women not only put up with me freaking out madly about 90 minutes before the party started (I knew I have been way too calm throughout six months of planning!) and they served as hostesses keeping the punch bowl full, cookies restocked (LabKat worked very hard at making sure that we didn't have any broken cookies on the tray by gallantly eating all the broken ones!) ... and they were wonderful at greeting people and being very sweet to help keep me from going bananas throughout the event - even when one of my aunts completely dissed me by ducking when I tried to hug her. *taking deep breaths* All in all, it was great. We had about 70 guests, give or take, and my favorite quote from the evening from another aunt: "I thought this was a come and go reception ... but, I haven't seen anyone leave!" I think that, alone, tells us what a great party it was even if I did have to keep my husband from spiking the punch.