A Big Mac, Riverboat, & Royal Wedding + Name Change!

Happy hump day everyone- yes there is LOTS going on today! Well technically the big mac, riverboat, and royal wedding are all wrapped up into one sweet wedding I’m about to share but the NAME CHANGE sits all alone.

Yes. It is done. I officially and legally changed my last name {GULP}. Dropped my now-maiden name completely because it would have just been a complete tongue twister. And I’m not gonna lie, it is just plain weird. Don’t get me wrong, I am very, very excited to be a part of an awesome new family line and to take the last name of my husband {GULP, that reference is still new to me too, lol}. I guess when you’ve been signing a name on just about everything since you went to Pre-K, then yeah, picking up a new one is a little different.  Even Mr. Oceanside got wide-eyed when he first saw it on my social security card! Haha, I think he thought “uh-oh what the hell did I get myself into?!?” But of course to make the new name really, really official, because you know it just doesn’t stop with the drivers license and social security card, I updated my Facebook account with the new name! {BAM!} It’s done. I am a STEAPLE!

Now onto tackling over the next year or two all the other gazillion accounts, profiles, email addresses, work documents, etc that need to be updated…{sigh}

Okay so what does a Big Mac, riverboat, and the Royal Wedding have in common? Well this sweet, intimate Maryland wedding of course! Captured by FlickFoto Photography along the Susquehanna River, this adorable and newsworthy couple took their vows in front of 50 guests.

What’s all this newsworthiness stuff about? Wellll…today’s couple, Lisa and William shared the same wedding date, April 29, 2011, as Prince William and his bride, Kate Middleton! ABC picked up Lisa and her own Prince Charming, William’s wedding story and published it a few days before the Royal Wedding. Cool right?!

Oh you want to know a little more about the Oceanside couple? Here’s more from the beautiful bride, Lisa: Bill and I met while we were both working at McDonald’s. I was 16. He told me when he met me that he was going to marry me one day. We remained friends, but didn’t date until I was 27. My job relocated me to another state. Bill quit his job and moved away from everything and every one to be with me. I knew then that one day I would marry him!

Because our wedding location was so different we didn’t want to go theme-y (light houses, boats etc) The only thing I wanted was Bling! We were able to find swarovski crystal bouquets for myself and the girls and we were able to have the same crystals in the mens flowers. Everything else was pretty low key. However, I had my garter custom made. It had a Big Mac charm sewn on it, to remind Bill of how we met! =)

We moved back to Harford County the year we were engaged. Havre de Grace is a town that Bill and I both love. We started researching wedding venues where a ceremony and reception could be held in one location. When we happened upon the Lantern Queen Riverboats web page we knew it was where we were going to be married!

What challenges (if any) did you face while planning your wedding? I was working full time (45-50 hours a week) and Bill was working full time, so I felt alone in a lot of my wedding planning. Finances were a factor as well. We faced some hurdles along the way. Bill’s suit was perfect, but my Dad and my Bridesman’s suits were far from acceptable. (Mens Warehouse) I’m not the kind of person to complain, but 9 days before my wedding I was freaking out that my guys were not going to be dressed for the wedding!! Time and money were tight during those months!

What was the best thing about having a destination wedding? Share your best wedding weekend moment! My favorite moment during the wedding has to be when we said “I do”. We had some special touches during the ceremony that we loved also. After the Captain of the Riverboat asked if there was any reason the two of us shouldn’t be married (and of course no one had a reason!) He called our Mom’s up to the front. Bill and I wanted our last “single” kiss to be from the women who gave us our first kiss. Emotions were high after that! When we walked down the aisle as a married couple and formed the receiving line, both my mom and mother-in-law circled and hugged me. That moment was so special to me.

What is your best advice for other couples considering a destination wedding? My advice to couples planning their wedding: remember that your wedding day is for you. Not your sister, or Mom, or guests. If you like it and it means something to you, do it. Also, there is no rush. My engagement was almost 2 years. I took it slow, and the pay off was the wedding of my dreams!

I love that they shared their last “single” kiss with their moms *squish*! What a moment that must have been and so special for their mothers to be a part of. Such a beautiful intimate wedding and so glad I could share it!