Monday 28 February 2011

The Clarke-Novak wedding

Round 30: February 2032
Calvin Clarke and Aaron Novak are both 29.

Narrated by Aaron Novak

Calvin and I set our wedding date in February, knowing it would probably be extremely hot on the day, so we decided on an indoor, air-conditioned venue.

That was probably a wise decision. We had a lot of guests, which would have just made it hotter.

I don't think I would have cared. I was just so happy to finally be marrying Calvin.

Right up until he proposed, I'd all but given up hope it would ever happen for us.

I'm just so glad Calvin changed his mind. It felt good to make it official.

As excited as I was about getting married, I was relieved to have the ceremony over with. Even though our guests were just family and friends, it was still nerve-wracking for me.

Calvin and I held our reception in the church's attached hall. We chose it because we really don't have much money and it's a really nice place.

We didn't realise my parents were planning on paying for the venue anyway. That was welcome. It let us pay for catering and all sorts of other expenses that cropped up.

We also thought Calvin's niece, Sylvia, might enjoy the swing set outside, seeing there weren't going to be any other kids there.

She did like the swing but she spent more time playing on the lectern inside the church. Rose and Joanna hauled her out of there so many times!

Sylvia did a lot of mingling as well. She's always like that at weddings. The kid is not shy.

It was probably a good thing Sylvia kept herself busy because she might otherwise have seen something untoward going on. I don't know how many times I saw the curtain on the photo booth moving a little suspiciously.

My brother, Connor spotted Troy and Josie heading in there but they definitely weren't the only ones.

I guess weddings put people in a romantic kind of mood.

Calvin and I have been together for so long that most of our family members had met each other well before the wedding but since we got engaged though, both sides have been actively trying to get to know each other better. Kendal was already friends with Mum but Dad and Kendal become closer now too, since they both joined the hood council.

Maia was my "best girl" at the wedding and she was one of the first to congratulate us afterwards.

Even though Calvin and I have enjoyed having the flat to ourselves, it's felt a bit strange without Maia there so I was so happy she could be there with us.

She moved in with Ethan about six months ago and it all seems to be going well. I have to admit that I was a bit worried that Ethan would want to get serious, Maia wouldn't and he'd get his heart broken. But moving in together is pretty serious, so I was worried about nothing.
I haven't seen Connor as much since he went off to college, so the reception was the first opportunity I've had to meet his girlfriend, Audrey. She seems like a sweet girl. Though anyone would seem sweet after his last girlfriend, I guess!

We had quite a traditional reception. We did the cake...

Dad gave a great toast to us. It meant a lot, because things haven't always been so easy with us and Dad.

He's pretty comfortable with the idea of Calvin and me now but he had some trouble accepting it when I first came out to him.

Troy gave a good speech too, though his was more in the vein of saying as many embarrassing things about Calvin as he could.

Sylvia really liked it anyway!

There wasn't much room inside and for much of the day, it was a little hot outside for dancing. It cooled down towards the afternoon though and we all headed outside.

It was really beautiful actually, with the pond. It was just my kind of thing.

It was all perfect.

Kendal and Lake paid for the honeymoons of their other kids and now that we're married, they've been kind enough to give us the same gift. We decided to go to Three Lakes. We've been there before, but never just the two of us.

We stayed at the same hotel Troy and Josie and Patience and Rob stayed in for their honeymoons. Walking into the lobby, the place had obviously changed a lot in the last year! They weren't particularly impressed by it but we thought it was amazing.

Seeing Calvin's parents were paying, he insisted on splashing out and getting the best room in the hotel. We spent a lot of time in there, so I think it was worth it.

We did get out and enjoy the great outdoors a few times as well though.

Calvin is not really an outdoorsman though. He likes his creature comforts and he was glad we had a nice comfy hotel room to go back to.

We're back at home now, though still feeling quite relaxed post-honeymoon. We're expecting Kendal to start asking us about starting a family any day now.

For the moment, we're content as we are - just us and the cat. We might start talking about having kids in a year or two.

Extras:

I've been using Apple Valley's design preferences post as inspiration for any new places I decorate lately, which has meant that I've assigned favourite colours to all my Sims. Seeing Aaron's is white and Calvin's is yellow, I decided that those would be their wedding colours.

I didn't like this one when I first took it but I think I might like it a little more now.

I think this is my favourite one though.

Aaron and Calvin with Calvin's mother Kendal and his stepfather, Lake. Kendal finally has both her big boys married off! She's just waiting to be a grandma now. ;)

The boys with Aaron's parents, James and Madelyn.

The very small bridal party: Maia, Aaron, Calvin and Troy.

Aaron and his brothers, Connor and Ethan.

Calvin and his brothers, Chris and Troy and his stepsisters, Patience and Rose.

Outtakes:
Josie apparently still doesn't like Maia. Or maybe she's just bitchy from hormones (or just from being Josie).

Yeah, I don't know. Is this even a thing? I don't think I've seen a Sim do this before.

The icon in Chris's queue had Connor's face on it and was labelled "Greet". What the hell kind of greeting is that?!?

I never noticed this before but shy Sims hate that glass-clinking that Sims do after the toast at weddings! Aaron was traumatised at the idea of making out with Calvin on cue!

I don't know what Chris's problem is here (one year under the drinking age, maybe?) but I like how James and Madelyn are looking at him like "what the hell is this kid's problem?"

I basically just think everything Audrey does is adorable. I love her!

And the grooms were pretty cute themselves!

Children jump way high during toasts! She's all the way up near James!

Just a couple of extra dancing pics! I always take too many of that!

Notes:
  • This lot is Laura's First Grace Church. I've had it sitting in the hood for ages but I will definitely be using it again. I have made some minor changes but the lot is very, very playable and handled my enormous wedding just fine!
  • Aaron is a Clarke now. I'm kind of excited about getting that name going again and there are so many Novaks already! Besides that, I kind of like alliterative names for Sims, so I didn't want Calvin to change his name.
  • The photo booth was very, very active during this wedding! ACR was working overtime! I spotted Troy and Josie in there (twice, which was weird) but I think just about every couple at the wedding might have had a go!
  • One of the couples will have a lasting reminder of their photo booth encounter, because somebody got knocked up! It will be written in but I'm not ready to reveal who it is yet. If anyone wants to make a guess in Comments though, have at it!
  • I had a really awesome photo of Calvin and Aaron in their hotel room but I can't find it now. I hate when that happens. :( But Calvin and Aaron stayed at the newly refurbished Sky Vista Hotel. I finally got sick of looking at that ugly Maxis thing!

18 comments:

  1. Awww, what a lovely wedding! They both looked so handsome and so much in love.

    I like the church a lot and I think it's great that in Sullivan gay couples can get married in a church.

    My guess for the mysterious pregnant couple is Sarah and Nick. They're the most likely couple IMO since they're both family sims. But I know you're not going to say anything anyway until you're ready :)

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  2. Sari, thanks! It's about time these two tied the knot. ;)

    I kind of liked that about holding this wedding at a church too. I don't know if there are any churches here who will marry gay people and even if there are, the marriages wouldn't be legal. :\ I love that everything's equal in the Sims.

    Good reasoning for your guess there but yep, I'm keeping my mouth closed for now. ;) Nick is actually a Knowledge Sim, with Family for secondary. He's got so many skill points though that he doesn't really have many knowledge-related things left to achieve! So he's all about the babies.

    Thanks for reading. :)

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  3. It just dawned on me as I was reading the update, Clarke, is my oldest teacher's last name too. OMG, she had family in Sullivan. *grin*

    Man, that booth sees TONS of actions during my weddings two. Which resulted in two pregnancies I think over the simyears.

    As a guess, I'm going to say Patience. I think she got knocked up!

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  4. Awww, well of course it's playable - I built it! If my lots are nothing else at all, they're at least playable, lol! I love what you did with the reception hall though! Your chairs and tables are so much prettier than mine!

    But oh, what a lovely wedding! I'm so glad to see these guys finally hitched! :)

    I'm just in LOVE with all the gowns! So pretty! Especially Patience's dress! I love anything she wears - she's such a little fashion plate! lol!

    And LOL! I love wedding hookups (knockups?) I can't wait to find out who it is!!!

    And sorry, I'm so hopelessly behind on my commenting - I'm behind on comments everywhere - but I've been reading and I wanted to jump in here! :)

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  5. Very nice wedding, but then again I wouldn't expect anything less from you :) My guess is also Patience and Rob, but then again it could be an oppsie with Conner and Audrey :) I know who it wasn't-Troy and Josie :P

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  6. What a nice wedding. It was nice to see these 2 finally tie the knot and to get mini updates on some of the guests. Ethan and Maia look so cute together and glad they're still doing well after moving in together. And it was nice to see Audrey there since I forgot already that she's dating Connor lol. I could definitely see Troy giving an embarrassing speech at the wedding. He just seems like the type. Gotta love it! And I LOL'd at that pic of Josie glaring at Maia. But Rob looks pretty ticked about something, too.

    And yay! You got to use the new hotel. Everything run smoothly? Now onto the important thing. Who got knocked up. Hmm, the options are Patience and Rob, Maia and Ethan, Connor and Audrey, and Nick and Sarah. Oh and Finn and Victoria but I didn't think you'd let them have another kid so soon, especially since they already have 3.

    My guess is for Maia and Ethan since I pegged them for having an oops baby a while ago. :) I'm excited to find out! You should put up a poll LOL.

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  7. Riverdale, LOL, you make me laugh! I wonder if she was invited to the wedding. ;)

    Every time I see my Sims jump into that booth, I think of two things. The first is that they must be contortionists. I've squeezed into a photo booth with another person and I can't imagine doing anything but sitting. The second is that the photo booths in the Sim world must be disgusting!

    Nice guess. If it is Patience, it'll be a pretty, pretty baby, I'm sure. I can't wait to see her and Rob's progeny.

    Thanks for reading!

    Laura, I figured it would be playable when I downloaded it, seeing you've used it yourself and you always talk about how your computer is such a dinosaur! But I was very, very happy with it. Those tables are Maxis, by the way - they're just the Seasons tables, recoloured in white with a custom tablecloth thrown over them.

    Well, I didn't get to use any gowns for Calvin and Aaron, due to the incovenient fact that neither of them are girls, so I had to play dress up with someone! And I'm very picky about what I put on Patience. ;)

    I seriously feel like adding a photo booth to every single one of my lots now! I've never had a wedding hookup before. Figures the first time it would happen, there'd be a baby come out of it!

    And don't worry about being behind on comments, really. Just jump in wherever, whenever you like. :)

    Thanks for reading!

    Apple Valley, thank you! Connor and Audrey, eh? I didn't think anyone would guess them, actually. You'll have to wait to find out!

    Thanks for reading!

    Danielle, Ethan and Maia were being quite adorable throughout the whole wedding. I love when couples act like that when I'm not controlling them. :) And yeah, we haven't seen much of Audrey and Connor since they got together, so I'm not surprised you forgot.

    I figured Troy for the kind of guy who'd give the kind of speeches my Dad gives. Everyone loves them, except the subject! And Calvin is so serious, so I think Troy would enjoy ribbing him a bit.

    Yep, all was well in the new hotel, though I confess I didn't have them in Three Lakes for very long. I was so tired and ended up just saying "all right, you've had 12 hours here. That's enough honeymoon for you!"

    A poll! I'm definitely going to do that! Why didn't I think of that?! LOL. After I finish with comments today, I'll put one up.

    Thanks for reading!

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  8. This was such a beautiful wedding! I've been meaning to download's Laura's church lot so my sims will have another place to get married. And I'm looking forward to finding out who got knocked up!

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  9. Ack! Lost my comment! The wedding was beautiful, nice and understated. Patience looked awesome, and Victoria looked great too. Sylvia was super adorable, she's a funny girl.

    Madelyn and James' expression is funny!

    With the pregnancy, I was thinking you had rolled good for them (since they were on the lot), I hadn't realized someone had gotten pregnant from the photobooth! What great memories. It'd be funny if it was Maia at Aaron's wedding. lol.

    Looking forward to the reveal!

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  10. I want to know how you pose them! I have the pose boxes and I do the boolprop cheat. It just seems to take me forever to get a nice pose. Does it take you long or do you have some tricks/tips that you can share. I also have the freeze alarm clock but even then its a pain to unfreeze everyone one by one. Thanks!

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  11. Such a lovely wedding! Everybody looks great! And they seemed to have had a good time on their honeymoon!
    And Sylvia seemed to have had a good time at the wedding as well, even though she was the only child there.

    About the pregnancy; everybody is making me doubt about my first thought, but I'm going to stick with it anyway! So my gues is Maia and Ethan :)

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  12. This is just beautiful! I love every shot, including the adorable shots of Sylvia in the swing and behind the lectern (she is a real scene stealer).

    thank you for the link to the Apple Valley design preferences post. I can sure use something like that.

    How did you get so many people on the lot? I haven't attempted that recently, but I know it's coming up and I kind of dread it.

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  13. Sarah, I'm glad you liked it! I definitely recommend Laura's church to anyone looking for that type of lot for their hood. I have the church that I held Lia and Gordon's (and also Eliot and Cordy's) wedding at but it's really much too small. And forget about holding the reception there!

    All will be revealed in time. ;)

    Thanks for reading!

    Maisie, Blogger has been a total ass with comments for the past few months. I wish they'd get the hell on it and fix it!

    Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed the wedding. I always find it fun to get everyone dressed up and then let them loose and see what happens.

    Oh, I see what you meant now! No, February is not Rose and Joanna's month (this is referring to a Twitter conversation between me and Maisie, for anyone who's confused!). :( It's someone else's month though and you'll find out who in due time.

    Thanks for reading!

    Bernz, hmm, no, I wouldn't say it takes me a long time to pose. Once I've decided on what pose I want to use, the whole picture is pretty easy and quick to set up.

    I do not use Freezer Clock on every single Sim in the picture. I only use it on the Sims who are being particularly stubborn or in other specific circumstances where I know they won't hold their pose, for whatever reason.

    You mentioned that you're using pose boxes, freezer clock and the boolprop cheat. Are you also using OMSPs? They're vital. You should also get the Look at Player hack.

    You'd have to be a bit more specific about your problem for me to be able to help you any more though.

    Tanja, thank you! Calvin and Aaron had a pretty nice time on their 12 hour honeymoon, lol! Sylvia always seems to find ways to amuse herself, despite being the only kid in the family. Hopefully, she'll have a little brother or sister sometime soon.

    I'm surprised Patience and Rob are winning the poll, because I actually thought everyone would choose Maia and Ethan. Not that I'm trying to influence the voting at all - it may or may not be them. It's just that I've talked so much about how Maia doesn't use BC and I'm continually surprised that she doesn't get herself knocked up, lol! Anyway, you'll all find out soon enough.

    Thanks for reading!

    S.B., thanks, I'm quite happy with how the shots came out with this wedding. Sylvia is a cutie. Currently an only child, so it makes sense that she'd be a scene stealer!

    The Apple Valley Behind the Scenes blog has all sorts of fun ideas to individualise your Sims and I've used a few of them. I use the money styles and the ideal family size posts a lot as well.

    In my hacks post, there's a link to Squinge's Community Lot Parties hack. I have one of my Sims use their cell phone to invite everyone to the lot. For the event I think you're talking about, I think you'd probably be better off using a teleporter to bring everyone in. The only reason I use the party option is because I don't think you get the options for the cake and champagne otherwise.

    Whatever you do, make everyone selectable as soon as they enter the lot. I find it makes everything a bit laggier but if you don't, they tend to wander off lot. Even if you use the parties hack and they're a guest, that's still not enough to keep them there.

    Thanks for reading!

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  14. Wonderful on so many levels Carla, it was heartwarming and real, like I was attending a real wedding. And I continue to be in awe that you can get so many people on your lot.

    I did select them as soon as I got them on Liam's lot, and still the lot crashed. So no big weddings in my future! LOL!
    Nicely done!

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  15. Drew, thanks! I'm so glad you liked it. I do love a wedding. I crash plenty during weddings but I'm just persistent in forcing the game to do what I want! But I was lucky this time.

    LOL, making them selectable definitely does nothing to prevent crashing or lagging. If anything, it ups your chances of getting a crash. I didn't crash this time but I have crashed with weddings many times before.

    One thing you could try, if you wanted to try the wedding thing again, is temporarily making the lot residential. That way, you could invite people as you normally do and they'll stay on the lot until the end of the party (which you can add more time to with the Social Adjuster section of InSim, if necessary).

    Thanks for reading!

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  16. What a lovely wedding and honeymoon! It's so sweet to see the families together. Especially to see James and how well he's handling it now. It was so realistic that he'd have trouble with it at first but grow to accept it.

    Oh I can't wait to find out who got knocked up, lol!

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  17. Yet another beautiful wedding for the Sullivan Sims. :)

    That Sylvia is something else! She's so outgoing, and it is hilarious that she kept playing with the lectern. It's also hilarious that the photo booth was er...well-used for this wedding. I wonder who's knocked up! :)

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  18. Lunar, that's always my favourite part of playing through the weddings. I love watching who goes to sit with each other, who mingles, etc. It's fun.

    Aaron's coming out was tough for James and for Aaron but they've come a long way. James actually really likes Calvin now (and that was directed by him, not me), so I figure he's much more at ease with it now.

    I will reveal who got knocked up...eventually. It won't coincide with the closing of the poll but hopefully, it won't be too long after that.

    Thanks for reading!

    Rachel, thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

    I'm going to have fun with Sylvia as she gets older, I think. She's actually quite a serious little girl (I love having serious Sims, seeing most of mine turn out playful), so she was letting loose a little here!

    "Well-used" is definitely a good word for that photobooth. I feel like I need to go in and replace it, or at least give it a good scrubbing! I'm very excited to finally reveal who got knocked up. Some of you will be quite satisfied with yourselves and I think some will be quite surprised.

    Thanks for reading!

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