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Ross and Leslie’s Wedding: Part Three
With beautiful wedding bands now on their fingers, Ross and Leslie walked back down the aisle as husband and wife after their emotional ceremony.
The bridal party followed the newlyweds into the waiting area and exchanged excited congratulations and enthusiastic hugs.
I quickly removed Leslie’s veil (which she borrowed from my friend Merri!) and fixed her hair so she could move about and mingle with everyone who was there to celebrate her special day.
While Ross and Leslie’s guests enjoyed a cocktail hour on the rooftop of The White Room in St. Augustine, we did our best to help the photographer corral the bridal party and the families of the bride and groom so she could snap a few formal photos.
Bride’s side of the family:
Groom’s side of the family:
Bridal party:
With our photos complete, the bridal party was free to enjoy the last of the cocktail hour while Leslie and Ross took some portraits by the water.
The remainder of the cocktail hour passed quickly and I did my best to chat with as many people as possible in such a limited amount of time. Why do weddings always seem to pass by in a flash!?
The view from the rooftop of Ross and Leslie’s wedding was incredible and I’m glad I got to sneak in a glimpse during the cocktail hour before the sun went down!
Once the bride and groom were done with their photos, we were escorted back inside so we could quickly go through the bridal party entrance before dinner.
The day before Ross and Leslie’s wedding, as Leslie’s bridesmaids and I worked to put the finishing touches on some last minute crafts, Leslie asked us to help choose the wedding entrance song for the the bridal party. She went through a bunch of songs, but the minute she played C&C Music Factory’s “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now),” we knew she had a winner.
Everyone got together in groups of four (two bridesmaids with two groomsmen) and busted a move as we were introduced.
We saw bridal party conga line entrances…
And lots of laughter…
As the only husband/wife duo in the bridal party, Ryan and I did our best to bring the heat and quickly made up a super-short choreographed dance entrance!
Of course the beautiful bride and her handsome groom had the best entrance of all!
Following their entrance, Ross and Leslie took to the dance floor for their first dance to “You’re Just Too Good To Be True” by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.
To quote Ryan, “I think they set the record for most kisses during a first dance!”
The love Ross and Leslie share was so apparent throughout their whole wedding day and watching the two of them sway together was so special.
After their dance, everyone was ushered inside. It was time to eat!
It was right at this moment that I started to feel my nerves kick in. I knew it was nearly time for my matron of honor speech, so while everyone else entered the dining room, I slipped off into a quiet hallway to review my speech one last time.
My dad kicked off dinner with a welcome speech that highlighted his love for Leslie and Ross.
He had everyone laughing with a story about the moment he knew Leslie and Ross would be together forever. (He saw Leslie care for a seasick Ross on a scuba trip by placing a towel “blankie” over him to make him feel better.)
And then it was my turn! I was nervous but I felt much calmer than I thought I would when I stood up to speak.
My speech lasted for a little over three minutes and I did my best to speak about the love I have for my sister, the love I have for Ross and the love I have for the two of them as a couple.
Here’s to the bride, here’s to the groom,
To the couple, their families and their future, too
May the smiles on their faces never fade
May they fall even more in love every day
Ross’ brother and best man, Jeremy, stood up next and gave a heartfelt speech that also had everyone laughing!
With my speech done, I felt like I could finally relax! It was such a treat to sit next to my sister during dinner since it gave me the ability to chat with the bride for a brief moment.
Once dinner plates were cleared, everyone walked out of the dining room to watch the bride and groom cut the cake!
Like Ryan and I did at our wedding, Ross and Leslie used the knife my parents used to cut the cake during their wedding more than 30 years ago!
I cannot say enough glowing things about their wedding cakes. Sweet ‘n’ Flour did an absolutely fantastic job with the four beautifully rustic cakes they created and every single flavor was phenomenal.
Brown butter and red velvet cake with vanilla bean buttercream frosting
Dark chocolate ganache cake with peanut butter buttercream frosting
Orange blossom cake with buttercream frosting <— The best!
And for Ross’ groom’s cake, Leslie surprised him with a “cake” make of Oreos since they both share an intense love for the delicious chocolate sandwich cookie!
(Big thanks to my friends Merri and Kaitlyn for assembling the Oreo tower cake!)
With delicious pieces of cake in hand, everyone headed out to the rooftop to watch Leslie and my dad enjoy their father/daughter dance to “My Girl,” which they selected thanks to a scene from our family’s favorite movie, Father of the Bride, when George and Annie play basketball in the driveway together!
Ross and his mother’s dance followed and the two swayed to Elton John’s “Blessed.”
And with that, it was time to dance!!!
I spent all the time I could on the dance floor breaking it down with Ryan, the bride and groom, my family and friends!
Our time on the dance floor flew by, and before we knew it, everyone was grabbing bags of granola from the favor table before it was time for Ross and Leslie’s big sparkler send off.
The sparklers were a hit and lit up the beautiful St. Augustine night!
It was the perfect ending to the perfect evening!
Congratulations to my sister and her wonderful husband!
I have all the faith in the world that your marriage will be filled with so much love and laughter. You truly are the perfect match.
I love you both so much.
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The pictures of Leslie and Ross’s wedding day are so, so beautiful! Did they go on a honeymoon?
Yes!! They went to Italy, Spain and France! They stayed in little places they found on VRBO.com and had an amazing time!
I love Leslie’s updo and the cake!
The cake was seriously soooooo delicious. I want it right now… for breakfast. 😉
I loved this post so much 😀 It started off my day on such a happy note. Also, it’s NATIONAL CHOCOLATE CHIP DAY! Thought I would let you know 😉
Hahha!!
Such a beautiful wedding, and such a beautiful bride! It looks like you guys had SO much fun 🙂
Beautiful couple. Lovely wedding!
What a beautiful day! I love Leslie’s dress. The back is gorgeous and she just looked so gorgeous!
Awe what a nice wedding!! I absolutely loved her cake!
Absolutely gorgeous pictures! Love the pic of you two hugging!
I love so much about this wedding! Gorgeous! Pinning up a storm right now, lol!
What a beautiful wedding! St. Augustine looked like a beautiful place to become husband and wife 🙂 and I’m sure your speech was magical 🙂
Oh boy, this brought tears to my eyes! You wrote this so well, Julie! I can tell that you’re so proud of your sister. The wedding was just BEAUTIFUL!
I see your sis had the same chairs you had to have for your wedding (frankly, who can blame you? They’re super classy!). It looked like an amazing and fun time. <3
Haha!! I love that you remember the whole chair fiasco! 🙂
Yes! I noticed this too! So funny that it stuck with me!
Looking at beautiful wedding day pictures may be one of my fav things to do, lol
Beautiful!!!!!!
That cross is stunning also!
What a beautiful wedding! I love the color palette and the homemade/rustic touches. Also, your sister has perfect posture – just looking at that photo during your dad’s speech made me sit up straighter! 🙂
Just beautiful ….. many blessings to Ross and Leslie …..
Stunning pictures!!! The black and white ones are particularly beautiful! That cake…oh my god each layer sounds awesome, don’t know how you could pick a favourite! Your sister really was a beautiful bride!
That cake is to die for. It’s the only wedding cake I’ve seen that I think is prettier than mine was!
Who was the photographer??- these pictures are SOOO beautiful!!!
Christina Block! She is credited and I linked to her website at the very top of this blog post if you are interested!
Thank you!!! she did a great job but then again she had a beautiful wedding and gorgeous bride to photograph 🙂
Their wedding looked absolutely beautiful!!! You can literally feel the love in those pictures. How lucky they both are to have found each other!!!
Ross & Leslie had an absolutely beautiful wedding!! So happy to see them so in love and beginning their life together!!
I feel like after every Wedding post I am in tears! As a long time reader I got to see their relationship from the beginning (Is that creepy? lol) Such a beautiful day! She is so lucky to have you as a sister! Your love truely shows!
Thank you for reading for so long, Alex! <3
“delicious chocolate sandwich cookie” – haha, I’ve never quite heard them described this way.
Ha!! Really? I think that’s how they’re described on generic versions of Oreos or something. 🙂
I think I meant the wording – it read a little odd to me when you described what Oreos instead of just using a pronoun. I guess it’s just a type of style, but I could see my old English teachers circling it in red.
The pictures and recap are really sweet BTW, I wish someone had done this for my wedding!
Thanks again for sharing your sister’s wedding with us. There were so many beautiful, unique touches and they truly look so happy. I especially LOVE their cakes. The wedding cakes are gorgeous and sound delicious and the Oreo cake is so creative! I, too, love Oreos, so am totally down with an Oreo cake.
Wow, I was blown away at all these wedding photos! Such a picture perfect and classy wedding!! Congratulations to the happy couple and your whole family!!
Wow!! That was a BEAUTIFUL wedding!!! That first photo on the third wedding post is the epitome of a perfect wedding photo! I love how happy your sister and family looked on that day!!
This is PERFECT! I love the flowers, signage, and the CAKE! How beautiful. Where in Spain did they go?
Barcelona!
That is the next place I want to go! I lived abroad in Salamanca and Madrid but never made it to Barcelona.
Their wedding pics are beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
Beautiful! Looks like it was a perfect day. Did anything go wrong?
What a fun and beautiful wedding!! It looks like everyone had an amazing time! Great song choices too.
Everything is so beautiful!!!! The cake was gorgeous, the dress, love the photos! Beautiful wedding!!
Aw! Your sis looked gorgeous and the photography is well done! Also, cute idea about the granola bar — was there any significance behind that, or do the bride and groom just really like granola??
That Oreo cakes is genius! What a fun and creative idea. I also love the idea of a granola bar for a favor…I’ve got to get invited to a wedding that has one of those 🙂
She got the idea loosely from my friend who had a trail mix bar at her wedding! It is a lot of fun!
Beautiful!! Who did the paper goods and signs for the wedding? I love the painted flowers
I actually put them all together once we had the design made by Leslie’s friend. I will get her contact information and get back to you!
Julie – thank you so much for sharing your sister’s wedding pictures. I feel like I am part of your family. I wish Leslie and Ross the best. They are such a wonderful, loving couple… You and Ryan are so very blessed with your families…..
Leslie is A BABE! Seriously, the most beautiful bride! I am feeling the need to pin everything about this wedding 🙂
Ha!! I agree! 🙂
Haha! An oreo cake- that is hilarious! Most creative groom’s cake 🙂 Great recap of the wedding! Loved reading about it 🙂
Oh my gosh! So beautiful. Everything-the photos, your sister, their love, the whole party, etc. Love, love! Great recap, Julie!! <3
What was for dinner?? 🙂
Salmon and beef tenderloin with mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables. Delicious!!
Yea for Leslie and Ross’ wedding part III!!! I feel so lucky for you to share such a special day. I loved everything and especially how the painted flowers showed up in different parts of the wedding to really support the theme of the wedding. I really love your sister’s style, it is the perfect combination of class, vintage and rustic elements. Are we lucky enough to get a peak into their honeymoon???? 😉
Haha!! I’ll ask to share some photos!
I love the color scheme and those flowers are too pretty!
These photos were worth every penny!! Congrats to Leslie and Ross!
Julie, forgive me if you’ve mentioned this, but is Leslie’s dress Badgley Mischka?
It’s by Watters and the dress is called Greta 🙂
Thanks! On my list to look at when I go dress shopping next Friday 🙂
loved this post!!! so beautiful….they all were…but this was the perfect finish!
What a beautiful wedding!
I love these wedding recaps Julie! It looks like you guys had a blast!
I am currently prepping for my own wedding and I’d love a post on any of the crafts / paper products you made!
Congrats to you!! And I’ll definitely keep that post idea in mind!
So beautiful, Leslie looks stunning and I love all the details. You have to tell us the arm workouts she was doing again!!
Beautiful! Where did she get her dress? I love it!
The brand it Watters and the dress is called Greta! 🙂
BEAUTIFUL! Right out of a fairytale!
Such a beautiful post, Julie! I actually felt like I was there with you guys! It looks like your sister had a perfect day. So precious!
Looks like an absolutely beautiful wedding! Congrats again to Leslie & Ross!