Tuesday 6 March 2012

The Benton-Sitko wedding

Round 33: July 2037 (Winter)

Charlie Benton is 25 and Camilla Sitko is 24.


Narrated by Camilla Sitko

The morning of the wedding was a bit more hectic than I would have liked. Charlie stayed at his parents’ place the night before, so it was just me, Grace and Everett. Who decided to get up before dawn to check out the snow.

I don’t know if it was the pancakes I made them for breakfast or if they were just excited, but they were going a little nuts.

I was so grateful to Dad. When he came over, he took them outside to play (in the snow, no less!) to burn off some of their energy, while I got ready with Mum and my sisters.

Which came with its own set of problems. The dress I designed for Lila and Adelaide had a low back, so it showed off the tattoo that Adelaide got a few weeks ago.

Mum didn’t know about it and she wasn’t happy. She kept going on about Adelaide’s future job prospects and how the tattoo was going to ruin the wedding photos.

Thankfully, I managed to calm her down. Adelaide could easily hide that tattoo for work, if she needed to and as for the wedding photos, it’s my wedding. If I don’t care, I don’t see why Mum should.

She didn’t really agree (not because I was wrong, just because she’s so terribly stubborn) but she did promise to save any other tattoo complaints until after the wedding.

Our ceremony wasn’t exactly as I imagined it in the beginning. I was thinking of an outdoor ceremony, at Charlie’s parents’ place but we ended up getting married at First Grace Church instead.

Getting married in the middle of winter made an outdoor ceremony a risky prospect and given the heavy snow on our wedding day, I think we made the right choice.

It’s a pretty little church, so it really wasn’t much of a sacrifice.

Charlie and I decided to write our own vows and use those for our wedding. Our relationship hasn’t really travelled along a traditional path, so we thought personalising our vows would make it more meaningful for us.

Charlie’s were really beautiful and so him. I could have cried!

I was very nervous about the ceremony but it went very smoothly.

I could still hardly believe we were actually married but I couldn’t wait to relax a little and enjoy our reception!

We kept our original plan to have the reception at Charlie’s parents’ place. It’s big enough and it let us saved a lot on costs.

I know it was stressful for Tate and Zelda to prepare their house for the reception, as much as Charlie and I helped out. On the day though, Zelda told us they were thrilled to host everybody, which was nice.

Mum would not have been so excited about that. She’s not big on entertaining at all. I don't think she would have had such a good time with Dad at the reception if she was hosting.

Mum even seemed to have forgotten about Adelaide’s tattoo, at least temporarily!

Dad made a lovely toast and talked about how much Charlie and I had grown over the years and formed such a good family unit.

And he threw some jokes in as well, so that even the kids didn’t mind the speech!

It was incredibly sweet in general. Dad is the one to go to for sentimentality and I sort of take after him.

By the time the toasts were over, Tate was looking hungry so we told him he could go ahead and serve lunch.

Tate did a buffet, rather than a sit-down meal, so it was very casual.

Some of us ate at the dining table and some just sat on the couch or stood, wherever there was space.

People were mostly quiet during lunch, which Tate took as a good sign, figuring they were obviously too busy enjoying the food to talk.

Except for Charlie's nephew Jude, who talked to anyone who’d listen. Charlie always says that kid could talk underwater.

Our kids have their own little quirks. Everett shoveled his food into his mouth in what seemed like seconds and spent the rest of lunch time doing some very interesting dance moves, on his own in the corner.

And Grace used the pocket of her flower girl dress to hide a little bottle of bubble blowing solution. She was having a fantastic time with that.

Tate made all the food for the wedding, including the cake. He insisted on doing it for free but once I saw it, I felt a little guilty about accepting it. He did such a beautiful job.

Charlie and I had a little fun with the cake. If you can’t shove food into your beloved’s face on your wedding day, when can you?

Everett was very keen to get to the cake! After Charlie and I took our pieces, he was right behind us for his share!

This was followed by more shoveling.

Grace isn’t very big on cake at all, so she had a little dance with Dad instead.

Dad is such a cute grandpa. I love watching him with Grace and Everett.

Charlie and I are still deciding if we want more kids but I know Dad would be totally on board with that, if we had another.

I don’t think we even noticed the lack of chairs apart from when we were eating. It caused a lot of mingling, which was good.

The Benton and Sitko families mesh very well together, so it was an opportunity for everyone to catch up.

Even though it was my wedding, there were a couple of people there I hadn’t met, like Sophie’s new boyfriend Oliver. They’ve been together since January but we hadn't yet been introduced.

I really liked him. Very different from the other guys Sophie has dated since graduation but seeing she wasn’t that into any of them, that’s a plus.

You don’t have to talk to Oliver for long to see how much he likes Sophie. He seems totally in love with her.

I had to go and find Sophie right away and tell her how happy I was for her.

Sophie is pretty happy herself. She deserves a great guy like Oliver.

Our neighbour, Susannah, brought her boyfriend Daniel as her date. I’m amazed I hadn’t met him yet, given he’s over at Susannah’s every weekend.

Daniel is quite shy, so I don’t feel like I got to know him as well as I got to know Oliver.

But he’s quite sweet and I have my fingers crossed for him and Susannah.

They were almost surgically attached at the wedding, so I think things are going well between them.

I even got to spend time with my new husband! We both got so busy mingling at the reception that there were times we thought we might lose track of each other.

Although even if we had, we knew would could make up for that on our honeymoon.

Charlie’s family own a beach house and they were generous enough to let us stay there for the duration of our trip.

They even had Grace and Everett stay with them, so it was truly relaxing and romantic for us.

It’s not right on the shore but it’s close enough. It was literally just a few minutes down the street on foot.

And there’s a pool in the backyard, for those times when walking a few hundred metres to the beach is still too much effort.

It was such an amazing honeymoon. Charlie even came back with a tan!

Not that it lasted long! We've been back in Sullivan for a few days now. We're missing the beach but looking forward to starting our married life together.

Extras:

This one is my favourite!

Charlie and his brother Jack and sister Josie.

The happy couple with Charlie's parents, Zelda and Tate.

And with Camilla's parents, David and Kirstin.

Camilla with her sisters and bridesmaids, Lila and Adelaide. Do Camilla and Lila look alike or what?! I think the only difference between them is that Camilla's eyebrows are arched and Lila's are straight.

Charlie and his groomsmen, Jack and Connor.

A little family portrait of Camilla and Charlie with their twins, Grace and Everett.

And finally, the entire bridal party!

Notes:
  • I know lots of you were looking forward to this wedding, so I hope it didn't disappoint! I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. :)
  • Charlie's favourite colour is blue and Camilla's is grey, so I tried to work those colours in. I was so excited to find those grey dresses for Lila and Adelaide! Let's forget that it's winter. ;) They were inside the whole time anyway. Also, I have been dying to use that little veil on somebody since I started this hood! I almost used it on Olivia but it didn't really match the dress and her hair was bleeding into it like crazy.
  • I went ahead and gave Charlie his trust fund too, seeing he's close enough to 25 and dammit, it's my hood, lol! I'll probably let him and Camilla stay in their apartment one more round though.
  • Oliver's wants panel was filled with Sophie wants. I really love it when I see that from my Sims when they're not even on a date. Awww!
  • Adelaide got that tattoo when I played the last college update but seeing her back and shoulders were covered the whole time, you didn't see it. I'd forgotten all about it until I put her in that dress, actually! I can't imagine David is too thrilled about it either but he's more likely to let things go than Kirstin.
  • I actually got through this entire wedding without crashing, probably because I let my computer take a break between the ceremony and the reception. My computer was still not happy though! It really needs to be retired and I'm in the process of picking out a new one right now.

28 comments:

  1. The wedding was so beautiful. I loved all the little details and Camilla's little veil is just adorable. Do you remember where you got it? Also, the bridesmaids dresses are gorgeous, WCIF?

    I can imagine Kirstin wasn't too happy to see Adelaide's new tattoo! But it's on her for good so it's pretty useless to start ranting about it.

    That's great you got through the wedding without crashing. Maybe you could send your old computer to me when you get a new one, lol!

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    1. Thank you, I'm so glad you liked it! I try to make it suit the couple but I think this was probably mostly Camilla's aesthetic. ;)

      Yep, Adelaide's tattoo is well and truly permanent but Kirstin is not one to let an opportunity to voice her opinion go by. She just had to let Adelaide know she wasn't happy about it!

      I'm still checking on your WCIFs. I thought the veil was by Peggy but I couldn't find it there. :\

      Thanks for reading!

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    2. Okay, it turns out the veil IS by Peggy but it doesn't seem to be up at her site any more. It was a donation item though, so you might be able to find it somewhere less legitimate. ;)

      The dresses are available here though: http://clarejosephine.livejournal.com/30894.html

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  2. Such a gorgeous wedding! Its so great these two have finally tied the knot. The little church wedding was just so adorable and I had to laugh at Kirsten's reaction to the tattoo- its just like Adelaide! I love the men suits and how Everett's matched. Where are they from?? I need to get me some of them :) My favourite picture is definitely the one with Charlie, Camilla and the kids. Its just such an adorable family portrait!

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    1. It seems like it took a while for Charlie and Camilla to get married, although Camilla is actually only two years out of college! They've done a lot more living than most couples their age, I guess.

      Adelaide and Kirstin tend to clash a little. I think Adelaide would have been secretly pleased that her tattoo got up her mum's nose so much. She's still going through a rebellious phase.

      I'll check the suits for you next time I'm in game and get back to you. :)

      Thanks for reading!

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    2. Me again! I wasn't able to find any direct links for you but the adult version of the suit is by Amaryll (whose LJ name is witheredlilies, though I'm not sure if that's where she put these suits) and the child version is by Trapping (LJ name trappingit, but again, they could be at GOS or elsewhere). Hope you can track them down!

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    3. Thank you so much! I think I've found them.... it took a while :) Can't wait to use them in my game!!

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    4. Good, glad you managed to grab them!

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  3. The wedding was wonderful and you do such a great job at chosing all the details. I adored the bridesmaids dresses and Susannah's dress and the tattoo scene was adorable and funny at the same time. Can't have a wedding without a little drama :P

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    1. Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! Picking out all these kinds of details and not having to spend any actual money is a lot of fun. :) I kind of want Susannah's dress for myself in real life.

      Heh, the drama does spice things up a little!

      Thanks for reading!

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  4. Beautifull wedding, as usual! I loved it.
    Both Charlie and Camilla looked pretty and they looked so happy to be there :)

    I loved their kids, it always nice when kids can entertain themselfs :)

    As always; those posed shots are fantastic!

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    1. Thanks! I never planned to keep Charlie and Camilla together forever, pre-babies, but they made a go of it and ended up being quite well-matched. ;) And they're adorable.

      I love having kids at weddings. I only invite them if they're closely related to the couple, which happens less often than you'd think. So I was glad to have Grace and Everett, as well as Jude there.

      Thanks for reading!

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  5. Lovely wedding! Poor Adelaide, busted by the bridesmaid dress, lol! ;) But it looks like everyone had a great time and congrats to Charlie and Camilla!

    Every time I see Everett I always think that you can tell he's definitely a Benton. He looks just like his dad and granddad! :)

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    1. On some level, Adelaide enjoyed the fuss her tattoo created, so I wouldn't feel too sorry for her. ;) Everyone enjoyed themselves after that, especially the happy couple.

      I know, right? Everett is such a clone of Charlie, who is in turn a clone of his dad. Who was pretty much a clone of his mother. Those are some strong genes. :)

      Thanks for reading!

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  6. Lovely lovely wedding!! Glad you didn't have any major problems through out the wedding and even with a house full everyone seemed to have a wonderful time.

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    1. It's a bit easier to do wedding receptions on residential lots, because Sims seem more willing to actually stay on the lot. That means I don't have to keep everybody selectable like I do on community lots. That right there removes a lot of strain on the computer.

      Glad you liked the wedding!

      Thanks for reading!

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  7. Gorgeous wedding! I really love the story of Camilla and Charlie, they didn't have a promising beginning, and everything pointed at them being like Susannah and Sam, but they've really meshed together well and matured together. I'm glad it's working out so well for them, they are a very cute little family!

    I loved the posed shots and I do believe that Camilla and Lila are the most identical twins I've seen in the game. When they were teens, I had a hard time remembering which was which and had to keep hopping to their profiles to check the hair!

    Loved Everett and Grace, they looked like they were living it up, and Grace with the bubbles was a cute moment. I liked the mingling and little updates with Sophie and Susannah with their respective guys too. I love Sophie with Oliver! Hope they get married and have a handful of kids, he's so tall, I'd love to see the height of their kids.

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    1. Charlie and Camilla definitely could have easily turned out like Sam and Susannah but they worked really hard at it staying together. I guess though, in their case, it wasn't really an issue of compatibility but of maturity. It was the other way around for Sam and Susannah.

      I could tell Camilla and Lila apart by the time they were teens but I had the worst trouble when they were younger. I was constantly having to check their profiles myself! They're definitely the most identical twins I've ever had.

      Grace and Everett had a great time. I thought they'd play more with Jude but they all were more interested in talking to the adults!

      Hmmm, without checking, I think Sophie and Oliver both have the same eye colour. So I guess I could just choose whose height I wanted them to take after! Getting ahead of ourselves, as usual. ;)

      Thanks for reading!

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  8. Can I just say, Adelaide just seems like such a character? I can't wait to see what antics she gets in as she gets older.

    This wedding was lovely and intimate. I'm actually relieved that they didn't come back from the honeymoon pregnant. I guess they would be more careful then a lot of couples but these sims do have a mind of their own.

    lol at Everett dancing alone in the corner.

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    1. Adelaide is an interesting one. Completely different from everyone else in her family and kind of a rebel. I'm not sure what she'll do after graduation!

      Charlie and Camilla were actually being careful when they got pregnant the first time. So they do use birth control...for all the good it did them!

      Everett dancing was even weirder in game, because he was turned around to face the wall. Weirdo. LOL!

      Thanks for reading!

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  9. What a lovely wedding! I think it worked well, despite the winter weather. I love that veil on her! It looked so elegant. :)

    Oliver seems very nice, and Daniel is such a cutie in those glasses! I'm looking forward to seeing how those relationships turn out.

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    1. I'm pretty pleased with how it all turned out. Winter's okay, as long as everyone can stay warm inside. :) You can see that I gave zero consideration to the weather in anyone's clothing though!

      I think Susannah and Sophie are quite lucky with their new guys. Both are really good men (and quite handsome to boot). I'm going to have Sophie and Oliver appear in the next Gottlieb update and I'm hoping her family all like him too. :)

      Thanks for reading!

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  10. LOL @ the whole tattoo fiasco. Glad it didn’t affect the wedding and reception. The wedding was so beautiful, despite the fact that they wanted an outdoor wedding! Camilla looked gorgeous. Love the veil. I remember you saying at N99 that you’ve been waiting forever to use it. I really liked the reception at Tate and Zelda’s house and will have to remember that for the future. I’ll have to make sure I have houses big enough for all those sims, first! LOL. All the kids were just too cute, with Everett eating his hand, Jude talking everyone’s ear off and Grace blowing bubbles. So cute! Glad to get a quick peek in at Sophie and Oliver, and Susannah and Daniel. Hopefully each couple will be planning their own weddings in the near-ish future!

    The posed photos were great, as usual. I’m gonna have to check if I have that one posebox (the one where they’re facing each other and Camilla’s arms are over Charlie’s shoulders). You’ve used it a couple of times and it’s such a nice pose.

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    1. I think I've said that everywhere about that veil now, lol. It's so pretty.

      Ha, not many of my Sims have houses big enough for wedding receptions either but Tate and Zelda are absolutely loaded, lol! I really like doing the home wedding receptions every now and then though. It feels quite traditionally Simmish. ;)

      I would check that box for you if I could but as I said elsewhere, I can't boot up! I think it might be by bingyue though.

      Thanks for reading!

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  11. You throw some of the best wedding. Very pretty and I loved the cake. Beautiful.

    Kristin sounds like my mom, who complains everytime she sees my tattoo and I have had it for almost ten years.

    Everett is so cute dancing in the corner by himself.

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    1. I'm so glad you liked the wedding. :)

      Yeah, once a tattoo is on, it's on. No use complaining about it! Adelaide's an adult now, so her skin, her choice. Kirstin will have to get used to it. Or, seeing it's on her back, maybe she won't see it so often anyway!

      Everett is a cutie - he's like a mini Charlie.

      Thanks for reading!

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  12. OMG, OMG!!! They're the cutest little family and their wedding, of course, had to be the same! They look so beautiful!!!! I've always loved Charlie and Camilla, and the kids! (soooooo darn cute!)
    Awww, I can't get enough of your wedding, with the whole family, and your gorgeous posed pictures at the end! (now that I tried a bit these Pose player, I'm even more in awe at your ability to take group and couple pictures!)

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    1. I had to make sure a stylist Sim like Camilla had an appropriately lovely wedding! It was fun for me to do the details of this one, as well as just finally getting Charlie and Camilla married. I love their little family.

      Heh, posing pictures, at least in TS2, is really more about patience than anything else! You definitely need a lot of that sometimes though!

      Thanks for reading and commenting!

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