God knows where she got the idea.
It could have been a case of matrimonial dementia. Maybe a madness triggered by long hours of high-stakes toddler-tending and potty training.
Whatever its origin, it proved to be an episode of insanity whose symptoms included both bloggerly excess and bridal distress.
It took the form of something my friend Tori termed the “Very Bloggy Wedding,” destined to revolutionize the worlds of wedding planning and WordPress applications alike.
(Both blogger and bride-to-be, beware.)
So, it was that Tori asked readers of “The Ramblings” to plan her upcoming nuptials, selecting via weekly vote everything from bridemaids’ dresses to bouquets and launching both the traditions of reception ribbon walls and cowboy boot center-pieces.
And so it was, as well, that I, a virtual stranger, was designated the unlikely Very Bloggy Wedding correspondent and asked to report to Tori’s readers the Very Bloggy events I witnessed– to assure them their selections had mattered when it came to the actual unfolding of ceremony and reception, alike.
Today, then, I am here to fulfill a promise–to offer a report.
In short, it was bridal brilliance, a WordPress wedding at its very best. It was bloggerly boldness here-to-fore unseen and nuptial inventiveness unprecedented in the admittedly short-lived history of Very Bloggy Weddings.
Without further adieu, I offer you a photo-journal of the Very Bloggy events as they unfolded on a downtown Nashville rooftop on a stunningly sunny April evening.
With the car parked and wedding gift in-hand, my partner Sara and I set off to find the roof-top venue.
Very Bloggy wedding gift in hand!
The street scene outside the wedding location was alive with cowboys and country music.
The streets of downtown Nashville--
Was this really right location?
Did the invitation actually say 411 Broadway?
When we entered the building, we were keyed up to the roof-top in a private elevator, and when the doors opened, were immediately greeted with hugs by Tori’s mom Vicki, near the now-famous ribbon wall.
The Very Bloggy Ribbon Wall with messages from readers--
A wedding toast to Tori and Tom from Emily in Tokyo!
Very Bloggy boot bouquet--
Pre-wedding music--
We met groom Tom and Tori’s son Thomas before the wedding.
Thomas and Tom with pre-wedding jitters.
Thomas got high on old-fashioned, rock candy before the wedding even began.
Candy boy in ruby slippers--
I socialized with Tori’s mom and aunts before the ceremony started.
Are they all really tall, or am I just exceedingly short?
Finally, we were seated, and the Very Bloggy Wedding got under way.
Very Bloggy Bridesmaids, wearing the dresses and necklaces readers selected--
The bride and her dad on their way down the aisle--
Tori and Tom wrote their own vows, and tears were shed as they were read.
Employing a Pop Tart metaphor, Tori talked about Tom as a gift of grace.
Exchanging Very Bloggy rings--
The minister presented the newly weds to assembled friends and family, having forgotten “You-may-kiss-the-bride,” which had to be tacked on afterward.
Meet the married couple--
Oops————
A Very Bloggy after-thought.
In the receiving line, I met the Very Bloggy bride for the first time.
We both cried!
The reception immediately followed the ceremony with food, family, and dancing.
Very Bloggy finger foods included pimento and cheese and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, along with macaroni and cheese and Southern sweet tea.
Tori’s cousins sat with Sara and me–across from the cowboy boot bouquet.
Top-heavy bouquets kept tipping on the windy, downtown roof-top.
Eventually, the Very Bloggy dancing got under way.
Shall we dance?
Dancing with dad--
Dancing with the little ones--
Tori's mom Vicki dances with her grandson.
Bride and groom cut the red velvet wedding cake that readers of “The Ramblings” selected.
Very Bloggy Wedding cake--
Let them eat cake.
The Very Bloggy family–
Tori's Aunt Lori, Uncle Joe, Grandmother Hannah, Aunt Traci, and Mom Vicki (L to R)--
At reception’s end, Tori, her mom, and I got to talking with seeming seriousness.
Why don't I remember what we were talking about?
But knowing Tori, I knew we’d be laughing again within minutes.
As always with Tori, what she shared was pee-your-pants hilarious.
Then, as the evening ended and the sun was setting, Tori looked out over the city skyline with son Thomas.
The perfect ending of an even more perfect day--
Tori had to be wondering what the future holds for her newly official family–who her son would grow to be, how she’s amazed by the grace that love bestows.
As we left the event that evening, my partner Sara and I fantasized about the day we, too, could legally wed, either in Tennessee, where Tori and Tom had, or in the state next door where Sara and I now live.
But in the meantime, we had arrived at the wedding that night as virtual strangers and left only hours later with a reinvented form of friendship, one born of the community built around blogging and the best social media has to offer–a friendship not just with Tori and Tom, but with their extended family, as well. (Heck, Tori’s aunt Traci invited us to her daughter’s wedding in Atlanta next month.)
It’s a weirdly wonderful, Very Bloggy world me now inhabit.
(If you, too, need a highly trained, Very Bloggy Wedding correspondent to crash your catered event, I’m available–not to mention free–except for the low, low cost of peanut butter and jelly, finger sandwiches, of course.)
Sorry my Very Bloggy Wedding duties took me away from your blogs this weekend. I should be back to regular reading today.
Note: If you are new to my blog, you might like to know that, though I’ve been lax of late, I am writing a memoir and blogging about growing up in an organized crime family. (The post you’ve just read is not part of that series.) For a list of my memoir posts, click here. If you are interested in reading any of my protected posts, please email me at kownroom@yahoo.com or let me know in the comments below, and I will gladly share the password with you.
Kathryn M. McCullough 
What a fun-filled, magical kind of day; I could “feel the love” from here.
You did a fantastic job, Bloggy Correspondent you :). And that dress is has the perfect colors in it for your skin tone … Well done!
MJ
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So glad to hear you enjoyed this post, MJ. The evening was so much fun–a totally blog-worthy wedding. If you know anybody who needs a semi-professional wedding crasher, let me know. Hugs, my friend.
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Oh, oh, oh!! Your correspondence and photographs were perfect!! The day looks incredible! I’m the provider of the fabulous Stella & Dot jewels and boy EVERYTHING came together so well. I love seeing the inspiration to reality. I’m so happy for Tori!!! Thank you so much for being our correspondent, I just couldn’t wait to see some pics! Coretta Gray, Stella & Dot Jewelry Stylist
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Wow, I’m so thrilled to hear from you. I loved those necklaces! And, goodness, it was a fun time, to say the least. Your jewels made the evening sparkle!
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Tori spins magic with her words, and now she has spun a magical event. She tossed it to you, and you not only caught it, you were able to share it so beautifully with us. Tori could not have had a better friend to bring the bloggy wedding to us. I, for one, am so grateful.
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Oh, thank you, Renee. We had so damn much fun, I can’t even begin to tell you. And, indeed, it was magical–so, so magical! Great to hear from you, my friend. Glad you think I covered the event well. God, Tori did such a lovely job! And she was gorgeous!
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Tori turned her wedding day into what all marriages should be – fun! How great, and I absolutely love the red shoe theme.
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Isn’t the red shoe theme a hoot? How fun was that! All the little nephews wore those red sneakers. They were darling! Great to hear from you today!
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I missed you this weekend but what a marvelous bloggy wedding tribute! I loved it!! Absolutely loved it! You did look like you were in the land of giants there!!! 🙂 Kudos to your photographer ( I suspect Sara!!!) and for the absolutely wonderful post about a wonderful day. So glad you had such a magical weekend and best wishes to the sweet and beautiful happy couple!
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I missed you this weekend, as well, Beth Ann.
Yes, Sara took a lot of the photos. She did a lovely job, didn’t she? I took only a few–knew she could capture it perfectly. I’ll tell her you said so. Thanks, my friend!
Hugs to you from both of us!
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Great pics from what looks like a beautiful day. Love the one of you standing outside what could easily be mistaken for a liquor store! Glad to see these, makes me feel a part of it as well. Congrats again to the newlyweds!
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Oh, thanks so much for reading. I know what you mean about the building. It SO seemed we must have had it wrong. Then up on the elevator we went, and the doors opened onto magic. So glad the photos helped you share in the event!
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ahhh this made my morning. I love how simple the wedding was. simple, elegant and full of love.
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Yes, yes! It was exquisitely simple. And Tori was so goregous in that dress. Great to hear from you today, my friend!
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Well done! You’re a fabulous wedding correspondent. Perhaps you have a new career in store as a wedding blogger?
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Ha, ha! Who knows. I have to say, it was a LOT of fun. I would never have imagined doing such a thing–going to the wedding of someone I had never actually met. But, goodness, it was perfect. Would do it again in a second.
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I’m so glad you were there, and were able to share the joy of the day with us as well.
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Oh, thank you, Lisa. It a magical evening–perfect weather–and a stunningly simple event. Tori pulled it off brilliantly, as you might expect. Hugs————
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Ohmygosh! What a vibrant, playful, fun-filled event. ALL weddings should be patterned after this — I love it! Thank you for taking us along.
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Goodness, Laurie. I have never met you, but I imagine you would have loved it, as well. Isn’t it wonderful the things blogging does for us–the world it opens to us–and the dear, dear people. I’m so grateful!
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What a GREAT post — and I loved every one of the photos!! I’m not even famliar with Tori’s blog, but I love her already … thanks so much for sharing this completely original, utterly charming event!!! You’re the best, Kathryn!!!
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Betty, you would love Tori–and her blog. She is a brilliant writer, and that may be an understatement. If you have never read her work, you are in for a treat. She just turned 25, and can do things with words I could only dream of. And, good God, she’s funny!
Great to hear from you today! Hugs———-
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I love your dress. You looked great. Also like those boot vases. How fun is that? You did a great job writing about their wedding. If my partner, Bronwyn, and I ever get married (illegally or otherwise), will you write about ours? One day, maybe.
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Thanks so much, my friend. I can’t tell you how honored I would be to “cover” your wedding–so totally honored! I would love to write about a lesbian wedding–legal or otherwise. Hugs, Tori!
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First of all, I loved your dress and the beads!
Your pictures captured the magic of the day! I smiled through your whole post! How wonderful that you got to participate in the events, and then share the day with the rest of us. I see a new career in your future. 🙂
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I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the post. It was the most fun we’ve had in a while, and Tori’s family is wonderful and welcoming. We felt so at home, it amazed us, actually. I’d actually love to write about more weddings. Thanks for reading!
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Looks like that was a lot of funny…you did a great job of capturing the events with photos and words.
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Gosh, Charlie, I can’t even begin to tell you how fun it was! Thanks for reading, my friend!
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Reblogged this on Kana's Chronicles and commented:
One of the most amazing things about blogging is the network of FRIENDS I’ve found here–people I know and love even though I haven’t “technically” met them. One of those dear friends is Kathryn McCullough, whose post on a “Very Bloggy Wedding” (where blogging-friends PLANNED the wedding, and then attended, meeting the blogging-bride in person for the first time) is a perfect example of how blogging truly changes our lives and friendships… Click the link here to see her post–it’s a MUST-read. 🙂
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Thanks for reblogging, Kana! You, too, are one of those dear blogging buddies! So glad to hear you appreciated this post!
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what a glorious way to spend your weekend away … looks like that was a beautiful wedding, and how delightful that you finally got to meet face to face on such a special occasion. Your Bloggy Wedding reporting skills are excellent, and the photos really helped bring us all into the event. Very well done, and congrats to the newly married couple!
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I’m so happy you enjoyed this very bloggy wedding post. It was good to get our of town, and amazing to be invited to the wedding of someone I had never actually met! It truly was a delightful evening. Thanks for reading, my friend. I’m sure Tori and Tom appreciate the congratulations.
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Ah, wonderful! Thank you for keeping us apprised, both visually and with your words, of how the much anticipated Very Bloggy Wedding went down, so amazing that you and Sara could make the trip. I sense a friendship has solidified.
Look out, Barbara Walters!
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Yes, friendship solidified, indeed–and even with her family whom we loved. What a great group of people. I was honored to be invited. Actually, Nashville is only a 3-3.5 hour drive from our house–plus, my cousin lives there, so we had a place to stay. It was a wonderful weekend away for us! Thanks for reading, Deanna!
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So beautiful!
And of course you already posted about it! That is one of the things I love about you!!
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The wedding was delightful–simple, sweet, and over-flowing with love. Tori was a gorgeous bride. So glad you appreciate my already writing about it–but it took most of the yesterday to pull this together. I am such SLLLLLOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW writer! Thanks for reading, Chrissy!
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You and Sara could legally wed out here in Washington, you know. Tara and I would be happy to toast your nuptials with peanut butter and jelly finger sandwiches!
We’re both hoping we can meet you guys someday. As much as we love to travel and have a fondness for meeting other bloggers, I’m sure we’ll be able to work something out. Besides, Tara has a close friend who lives in Tennessee and would love for us to visit. We’d be close enough then to make it happen for sure.
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If you make it out this way, you could stay with us, as well. You should come for the horse races at Keenland in October. The track has both a fall and spring meet. We have a big house with plenty of room. You could pretty much have the second floor to yourselves.
I knew you, of all people, would get a kick out of the pb & j finger sandwiches. There were so many young kids, I thought it was a briliant idea. They were the cutest little things.
Good luck with the unpacking.
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Excellent post and terrific pictures about a lovely event, Brenda Starr! I hope one day in the not too distant future Tori will return the favor and report on her site about your and Sara’s Very Bloggy Wedding.
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Ha, I love it, V! I wish the same thing. It’s so strange to think that we have something in this country called the “Defense of Marriage Act” that, in fact, limits who can marry. To think that gays and lesbians can only marry in a handful of states is so, so sad. What an unlikely person to “cover” a wedding! Glad you enjoyed the post.
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Kathy, you and Sara were the perfect friends to share the day with, and Lord knows you deserve a medal for taking so well to my giant, crazy family 🙂 I can’t wait for the day I can write this blog post about your and Sara’s big day!
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Tori–we’ve been Freshly Pressed, my friend–the post from last week!
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Oh, Tori, I can’t wait either. You will defintely be my Very Bloggy Wedding correspondent! And we loved your family. Your family pales in comparison to mine–as you might have guessed! Hugs to you! It was such a lovely evening. And you were gorgeous!
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I love this, Kathy! If I ever get over my fear of love… and commitment, you will be my very bloggy blogging guest and wedding correspondent! These photos are lovely (I really like Tori’s red shoes) and they remind me of how small, loving and connected our world really is. Are you going to go to the wedding in Atlanta next month? When you and Sara wed, can I be your very bloggy blogging guest correspondent?
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Though Tori may want to cover my wedding, we will definitely invite you. Why couldn’t I have multiple Very Bloggy Wedding correspondents? The more the merrier, right? You could be my West Coast correspondent. How does that sound, my friend? I can have Mark of Mark my Words help you. He and his girlfriend from Portland say they are comging, as well. God, we would all have such very bloggy good time! Hugs to you, dear heart!
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Goosebumps are rolling up my arms! What a wonderful idea to have bloggers plan your wedding, bloggers attend and bloggers blog about it! There were so many really cool ideas that came from the blogging community!……This post has me desperate to meet you and Sara. With Jim’s work schedule and the kids traveling is something we rarely (if ever) do. I think the last time I was out of Ohio was…..TEN years ago! Sad, but true. I am actually working on hatching a plan. My friend Renee just said we need a road trip, just us girls. The cogs are spinning!….You know what I love most about the wedding food? As a displaced southerner (my family is all from Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia–my parents are first generation Yankees), I loved the mac and cheese and the sweet tea! Yummy!
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And DON”T EVEN GET ME STARTED banging my liberal stick on DOMA! My blood pressure is rising as I speak! (or should that be type?)
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Oh, Miranda, so glad to year you are hatching a plan. You and your friend are welcome to stay with us. Oh what fun we would have!
And about this post–Tori has such great ideas and is such a wonderful writer! Check her out, Sista! Hugs to you!
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This is just wonderful. I am sitting here in the Highlands of Scotland reading all about this wonderful idea. I have a family and I’m also a caregiver and so getting out and about isn’t that easy. Blogging has opened up a whole new world to me and THEN I discover this wonderful post and the opportunities blogging brings. Thank you, you’ve made my night.
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I’m so delighted to know this post spoke to you. Isn’t it amazing the opportunity blogging brings? It has literally changed my life. I can’t wait to check out your blog. My partner and I want to visit Scottland sometime soon. Hope your evening gets even better!
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What a beautiful, interactive event! You were a great Bloggy Correspondent, could there be a Very Bloggy Red Carpet gig in your future??
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Ha! Love the notion of a Very Bloggy Red Carpet. What a hoot! So happy you liked the wedding post!
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Kathy, thanks so much for sharing these pictures. I love the ones of you and Tori. I hope I too get to meet her someday. Lord knows we’ve tried. Several times. 🙂
And, I’ll come to your and Sara’s wedding and be your correspondent. Just tell me where and when. 🙂
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Oh, you are such a sweetie, Andra. Tori is a ton of fun, as you might have guessed. I know you would enjoy her. We’d love to have you cover our wedding! Thank you! Hope you’re having a great day!
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Hilarious pic of you and the relatives! You did a great job reporting and Sara did a great job taking pics! Well done Kathy! Thanks for doing it for us! We all loved every word and pic!
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Thanks Emily. Glad you enjoyed my “reporting.” It was such a fun evening–and fun to see your photo on the ribbon wall. I’ll tell Sara you enjoyed her photos. Did you see the one of you and me on FP today?
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I did! Congratulations to you! I sent you an email about it. I never expected to see us smiling on a FP front page! So happy for you!
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So glad you got to see it. May not be the best photo, but at least our smiling faces showed up! How fun. I will check out your email. Hugs to you, Emily!
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You and Sara are the official correspondents of the Very Bloggy Wedding. Thank you for taking us there with you. What a special day. I loved seeing all the details that readers had picked out make their way into Tori and Tom’s special day. And how even more special that you were able to share it with them.
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So glad you enjoyed the Very Bloggy Wedding I was able to bring your way. Isn’t it fun to see how true Tori remained to the items readers selected? It was a wonderful evening, for sure!
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Great job on the corresponding, Kathy! I’m so glad you were able to attend Tori’s wedding and meet the wonderful woman in person! You ALL looked fabulous at the event– now I’ll have to go wander over to the FP page and see what’s happening! 🙂
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Oh, Dana, so glad you enjoyed my wedding coverage–though Sara gets the credit for most of the photos. Tori is every bit as wonderful in person as she is in her blog. Wasn’t she gorgeous?
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Looks like so much fun !I love the decorations especially the cowboy boot bouquet 😉
xx Kel
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Isn’t the boot bouquet a hoot? They were fun, but kept tipping over in the wind. Thanks so much for reading Kel. Great to hear from you this evening–though I know it’s tomorrow morning for you. Hugs—–
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What a bloggolishis wedding! And, Kathryn, may I say you look absolutely stunning in your boldly-colored outfit? I love it. It really looks like it was a hoot of a wedding with some down-home fun. Great photos!
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Oh, thank you, Monica. That is actually my favorite dress–and it’s so comfortable. Tori’s wedding was huge fun. Have to give Sara credit for most of the photos. I’ll tell her you appreciated them. Hope you have great day, my friend!
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Oh my! For real? To funny, and exciting! Maybe they want a “photographer” too?
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Yes, they did have a photographer. But you would have been a great one, Jeff! Great to hear from you this Wednesday. Hope you are doing well!
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You could work for E! or Access Hollywood…anywhere! You are a great correspondent! Thanks for sharing with us!
On a side note- I hope that you will be able to be married in the near future. It’s one of my biggest pet peeves that you can’t!
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Ha, you made me laugh, Jamie. Love it. Don’t know that wedding correspondent is my ultimate calling, but it would sure pay the bills, wouldn’t it?
I hope we get to marry soon, as well. Thanks for mentioning that. It seeems kind of crazy that we have something called “The Defense of Marriage Act” that actually limits who has that right. Maddening!
Thanks so much for stopping by. Glad you enjoyed the post!
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That looks like the best wedding ever! I am so envious that you got to meet Tori first! It’s good to know she is just as hilarious in person. On the serious side Kathy……. and don’t kick me through the screen for asking this…..but just how tall are you? 🙂 Either those women are Amazons….. or you are really vertically challenged my friend…… which is it? 🙂
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Tell me about it, Mark! I am nearly 5.2 and was wearing heels–at least 2.5 inch heels. They were all tall. It was like the Very Bloggy Land of Amazon. I felt like a Munchkin!
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What a special day! I love weddings so much and look back on my own as my favorite day! What sweet photos!
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It was, indeed, special. We had so much fun. Glad you enjoyed the photos. Wish I could take credit, but Sara took most of them. Great to hear from you today!
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What a beautiful bloggy wedding! Thank you for sharing. The bloggers did an excelent job with the details. Loved it!
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I thought Tori’s readers did good job, as well. It was a lovely wedding–and so fun to meet my blogging buddy in person. Thanks for reading, my friend.
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Kathy, I’m just dying to dive back into your blog and this post was a wonderful example of one of the reasons why – the community! You make a wonderful bloggy wedding correspondent [and congrats to Tori, Thomas and Tom]!
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How great to hear from you, Rose! Glad you enjoyed my wedding coverage. It was a lovely affair, and it was so fun to meet my blogging buddy. Hugs to you, my friend!
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Nice reporting! Great photos! What a unique, cool, and very bloggy scenario.
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Thanks for reading and taking the time to commment. It was a lovely wedding. Hope you will stop by again soon!
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Oh wow! I’m trying to think up a bloggy event here in northeast Ohio that you and Sara can come photograph and write about — photo-journalblogging correspondence . . . or something like that. This was fantastic!
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I think organizing a Very Bloggy something for that area would be a total hoot. Are you really trying that? What could I do to help? Do you know Robin? Shall I put you in touch with Miranda?
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That would be fabulous! Yes, I know Robin via her blog. We live so close but have never met face to face. I have not “met” Miranda yet, but now that I know she is in our neck of the woods, I would love to connect with her. Maybe we could put together something for this summer. What do you think?
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I think it would be awesome. Miranda (scatteringmoments) is on my blogroll. Actually, I think she and her husband are coming down here to Lexington, so Sara and I can meet them sometime soon. At least we are trying to plan that. I will check and see if the email I have for her is different than the one on her blog.
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Great fun. Thank you, and I’m assuming Sara, for letting us all share in this fun event. Gotta love rooftop events.
You look great in your photo, BTW.
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Thanks, Christine. Yes, Sara took most of the photos. It was a lovely wedding and wonderful evening. Great view, as well! Thanks for reading.
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Kathy, I love your coverage of my girl’s wedding, and Sara’s awesome pictures! I love, too, having gotten to meet you two and spend some time together. I better get an invite to your wedding!
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Oh, Vicki, it was such a lovely evening–and we had so much fun! It’s not often you meet virtual strangers and immediately feel so at home. We will definitely invite you to our wedding!
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It was so good to find a moment to sit down and read about this much-publicized bloggy wedding. (And I cried, too, when you and Tori met.) Hoping someday you with have a wonderful wedding–in which all your bloggy friends have helped contribute.
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You are so dear, Kathy. It was a delightful evening. So happy to hear you could appreciate the emotion! I hope Sara and I can marry before long and that all my bloggy buddies will have helped!
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I think you are the perfect wedding correspondent. You captured it all so well. It looks like great fun! 🙂
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Oh, Robin, it was fun. We had a marvelous time. So happy to hear you think I did my job well. I was honored to be asked–that’s for sure!
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