#685: he said.

photo by max.

"I love you because you believe in me. You've always done nothing but encourage me in anything that I do. With you by my side, I see no end to our success, happiness and love. You're my #1 fan and constant companion.

I never want to be without you."

#681: balloon.

the bridemaids took balloons down the aisle for this pretty wedding.


photo by michele waite via 100 layer cake.

brillz.

#664: light it up.

any excuse to have a party. or to buy a house with a backyard.


so gorgeous. instructions via once wed.

#630: our vows.

awwwww shiz. break out the kleenex yo.

i know i'm going to lose it when we say our vows to each other. we (as in I) decided to use the format sara and matt used. except we're cutting out the "because i love you ____________" bit.

so basically, we're going to each state 5 "i love you because ___________"s.

we finally finished them last night and i like them. we're clearly not trying to impress anyone with our wit or sentiment (you know. because we both have both in spades.) and i'm actually surprised neither of us went the overly-sentimental-gag-me or haha-so-funny-but-not-really route.

our words to each other are exactly that. words. words to describe what is normally very hard to put into words.

my favorite line from his vows: i never want to be without you.

i'm thinking of responding: suckaaaaaa.

#605: i'm not gonna do...

...what you all think i'm going to do. just because i have less than 2 months left.

*************************************

part of today will be spent doing some homeworkage. i'm going to study this post and all of the subsequent links shared in the comments.

i want our vows to be simple, strong, heartfelt. but not cheesy, dramatic, 'trying too hard'.

best of luck to us.

#567: big top.

via once wed.

to all those who plan to get married in a lovely tent. oh, and also to those who are not.

you know you love it.

#566: it never snows here.

but it could if you want it to.

indoors.
around the doorway.
at the altar.

just sayin.


instructions here via cypress and oak.

#514: thanks for your list, craig.

snapped a pic before loading them up. and yes. rock candy is back in the picture.


we are considering linen overlays to cover the base of the centerpieces. i bought 1 yard to practice with. in other words, we may or may not end up doing this.


we weren't even going for this. but do you see what i see.

p.s. a fake tulip bouquet.

$7.99 at michaels. for the little flower girls? so they can trash it as much as they want? fiance was all about it but i'm not so sure. what do you think.

#513: torn.

happy monday y'alls.

i'm curious.

1) how important is / was the music portion of your event?
2) how much did / are you willing to spend for a DJ (or live music or equivalent)?
3) if you had an ipod wedding, what were the pros and cons? and would you do it again without a doubt?
4) i've only reached out to 1 dj so far and he's going to put me out over $1000. eH?! i definitely don't wanna. thoughts?

please feel free to answer one or any or all of the above.

gracias.

#512: we gots it.

so. we did good this weekend.

we have our centerpieces.

and we know what we're doing for our ceremony decorations (sadly, we will not be doing anything garlandy. even after finding inspiration here, here, here, and here.)

squeals.

me = uber relieved. it feels soo good to knock this stuff off the to do list. srsly. i mean, there's still work to be done, of course. but now i have something to work with. ahhhh.

p.s. it's kind of cool when a theme just emerges out of nowhere. just sayin.

p.p.s. hope you all are enjoying the superbowl. i'm obviously not paying attention.

#506: Ruth 1:16

Entreat me not to leave you, or to return from following after you, For where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. And where you die, I will die and there I will be buried. May the Lord do with me and more if anything but death parts you from me.

via miss cheese.

#505: rainbow on acid.

when i shared what my bm dresses looked like, way back when, someone commented that they looked like rainbow on acid. i think it was meant as an insult. but i liked that description a lot. did i already share this with you? i don't remember.

anyways. i'm having commitment issues right now about the garland thing. who's not surprised? (i'm totally waving my arms around. you just can't see.)

ceremony space:


i was set on these. natural, frilly, muted, calm, soft, cheap, time consuming.


but i just saw these. funky, sparkly, colorful (in a rainbow on acid kind of way), wild, not-as-cheap, DIY-not-required.


and now i'm on the fence. frilly or funky, frilly or funky. or bare? grrr.

*************************************

a real (im) conversation.

me: so do you trust my vision for the decorations for our wedding? do you want to be included in the decision? or do you just want me to share.

him: just share. i trust you like i trust your banging outfits.

me: i'm thinking of hanging these off the chandeliers. during our ceremony. and your immediate reaction is __________....

him: holy crap that's cool. do you make these? or buy them? these look cool. can you put the branches into different shapes?

me: REALLY? that's so cool. i would have to buy them. i thought you were going to say i'm crazy or something.

*************************************

i never realized we say 'cool' so much. hm.

#492: i love coffee.

but that's neither here nor there.

filter prices for lay project:


$5.23 for 250ct via costco.


$2.51 for 100ct via amazon.


$1.89 for 100ct via greenline paper.

i'm thinking the softer, natural color would work better than stark white.

#482: next obsession.

i'm getting burnt out on garlands. although, here's another one. made entirely of cupcake liners. couldn't resist.


you are my fave via emilia of auburn & ivory. <-- p.s. love her blog!

anyways, so on to the next collection of inspiration.

lay bouts!





all bouts via twigs & honey.

so i was just going to post these for inspiration but now i'm starting to think that maybe i should leave the bout-making to a professional. and specifically to myra.

what would you do?

#478: i swear.

...this is the last of the banner /garland posts. maybe.


via frolic.


via black eiffel.

and a personal fave, from reader danielle who will be using these homemade goodies at her outdoor june wedding.



****************************************

thanks for your advice on the previous post.

i'll be making these beauts.

pam garrison via once wed.

brillz.

#477: pretty tissue.

...to add to my ever growing virtual folder of hangables.


etsy seller ay mujer via emily style.

see other related posts here:
post #474 <-- ceremony space + banners /garland.
post #476 <-- another. banner.

though i'm sure this won't be the last of my banner discoveries, it's time to make a decision. and by 'time to make a decision', i mean please help me.

1) yay or nay to adding something extra to the room by way of hanging something across the chandeliers? personally, i'd prefer to add some lighter colors to the space since the walls are such thickish green and the wood is so dark. what say you.

2) if you agree with me, which of the banners /garland do you think would work the best?

keep in mind that i don't plan to add flowers, candles, or extra lights to the room. the banner would be it.

p.s. i asked the venue. the bust on the mantle cannot be removed. haa.

#476: ...and another.

to add to the collection.


via once wed.

#474: the DIY garland contenders.

garland royale via eastside bride.

some of the others in the running:




to jog your memory (and inner designer), here's what our ceremony room looks like (minus the christmas decorations and fairy lights and petals and candles and hopefully the bust on the mantle).


i want to hang a little bit of something across the chandeliers, to give the room a "festive" element. i briefly considered hanging mobiles on string...but then ex-nayed that idea.

still debating which garland to use...if at all. maybe just some sheer ribbon would be enough. hm.

#473: thinking out loud.

so as it turns out, i don't really do wedding stuff unless i actually document that i'm DOING IT...on this blog. meh.

to recall last week, here's my to-do list for january. i haven't done much of anything on it yet. i think it has a bit to do with the new year blues i'm wrestling with (why i have this i don't know)...but i'm slowly starting the feel the fire up my @$$ and know i need to really do things NOW to avoid a meltdown later. meh.

so i'm going to put on my journal hat and jot my thoughts on our ceremony and reception procession. in other words, this is going to be a boring post.

ceremony:
music starts (sticking with just one song. no switching of the music when i start down the aisle.)
groom's mom with groom's brother-in-law
bride's mom with bride's brother
groom
groomsmen
flower girl #1
flower girl #2
bridesmaid with nephew (repeat 4x's)
bride and father of the bride
officiant says stuff
we say our vows
we hug the parents and give thanks
officiant says stuff
we're husband and wifey!

cocktails

reception:
music
bridesmaids and groomsmen are introduced
slideshow of bride and groom (this is a maybe)
bride and groom are introduced
groom brings bride to father
father/daughter dance
invite all father/daughters to the dancefloor
salad is served (bride/groom goes around to the tables)
main course is served
best man speech
maid of honor speech (ends with inviting us to our first dance)
first dance
invite all couples to the dancefloor
keep the music playing
(no announcement) cut the cake
dessert is served
bride and groom thanks everyone

and with that, i feel really productive. any comments?

#464: more idears.

thank you jd.

a felt garland? i think i can.

*step-by-step instructions on the purl bee.