and now...we party.

with rain still pouring outside, the first thing on our reception agenda was family pictures.

even though our backdrop wasn't sand and water like we planned, the checkered floor and funky wall background worked just as well.

and we were able to corral everyone for the pictures.

win, win.

mr. lesley and i are so blessed to have such great families who love and support us.

then it was time for the wedding party to make their grand appearance...

{have i mentioned yet how much we love and adore all these people?

they are the absolute best.}

then us...THE LESLEYS!

whoot, whoot.

after eating our delicious, amazing food courtesy of jay, our fabulous caterer, it was time for the speeches.

mr. lesley's cousin and best man sean recounted some of the ridiculous stories and adventures they've shared through the years.

finishing it off by passing down one of mr. lesley's grandpas's blazers.

bright pink and totally awesome. 

my nephew jayden wanted to be apart of the action.

there is nothing better than sweet words from a 6 year old.

{i love this little guy so much.}

and then, of course, there was my sister.

and even though she tried her best to hold back the tears, the moment she grabbed the mic, the water works started...

for both of us.

living with her while dating mr. lesley was one of the greatest gifts i could have ever been given.

i couldn't have asked for a better sister and friend to navigate the ups and downs of love and a new relationship.

and lastly, my parents shared.

as two people who have shown me the power of commitment and faithfulness, even when it is difficult {and you have a bunch of crazy teenagers running around}, they know their fair share of what it takes to make a marriage last.

their love gives me a lot of hope for our future together.

when the time for dancing was upon us, we started it off right with a song by one of our favorites, the weepies.

"somebody loved" was a perfect fit for us.

then the father/daughter, mother/son, and of course one polka had to be thrown into the mix.

before long everyone was joining in on the goodness.

as you could probably predict, an hour or two after the reception began, the rain clouds had officially moved out, and the weather was absolutely perfect.

so mr. lesley and i, along with our photographer, snuck out and went down to the pier for some sunset pictures.

looks like all that rain was worth it after all.

{yeah, i'm pretty much obsessed with all of these shots.}

we returned just in time to take a shot in memory of mr. lesley's cousin emma...

and keep on partying it up on the dance floor.

{all the best dance moves include a spin/twirl of some kind.

thanks ladies for making sure my wedding included such amazingness.}

of course, the boys had to make an exit and look super cool smoking their pipes...

while my sister and i jumped on the stage to karaoke our hearts out to "hold on" by wilson phillips 

{of course the mic's weren't turned on. don't be silly}.

one of my favorite moments of the night. 

hands down.

i told everyone i wanted karaoke at my wedding and they all knocked it down immediately.

i am here to remind you that where there's a will, there's a way.

everyone was eating. it. up.

we ended the night with a few more jams, including a little "thriller" action.

obvi.

then it was time to hand out sparklers and make our exit.

{note: people who have been drinking aren't usually the best with sparklers.

yes, they all thought it was a good idea to light them all inside. 

fortunately a few of the more sober ones convinced everyone to head outside instead:}

{on our way out to the car, i noticed all the candles were still burning.

so good for my heart to know our loved ones were still with us.}

we ran out to the getaway car...

husband and wife.

ready to start our new life together.

and so thankful to have spent the day celebrating with some of the best friends and family on the planet.

what a day.