Teaser shots from our incredible photographer...

I hardly need to re-state how perfect our photographer Ken Clunk was. Absolutely everything, from the first meeting to the engagement shoot to the ridiculous amount of shooting the entire weekend of the wedding, was even more than we dreamed for our photos. They stayed up with us Friday night for the s'mores party, even cleaning up some of the mess at the end so we could get to bed at a reasonable hour (totally above and beyond the call of duty). Then they were up first thing in the morning so they didn't miss a moment of getting ready, and didn't stop shooting until everybody had cleared out of the reception.

Their dedication was so special to us, and only added to a weekend already full of love, family and friendship, and one heck of a wedding celebration! And the images! I just about died when I first saw our incredible engagement photos, and now I am at the edge of my seat waiting for the rest of the wedding photos to come back to us.

From the teaser shots he sent, we're in for some incredible shots that really captured the joy and emotion of the weekend. And, not only that, he did some incredible tinting and filtering to give many of them a sweet vintage look that fit with my vision of the event.

Reading each other's love letters/vows as we got ready.

The wedding rings handmade by me, and the book that served as the
"ring bearer pillow"

The locket I wrapped around my bouquet along with some vintage
lace from my Grandma Plank's collection. The left side is a photo of my
mom's parents on their first date, and the one on the right is my dad's
parents on their wedding day.

Exchanging rings. I actually couldn't get the ring over John's knuckle
in the crazy heat/humidity, so he had to help!

The kiss and the recessional. Such incredible shots!

First look on the bridge. Love how old this photo looks with the
black and white. Also, what an awesome angle! 

Portraits in the gazebo, and one of the coolest shots of the wedding party
on the wall overlooking the lake.

Close ups of the table decor; the handmade flowers (made out of tissue
paper and vintage sheet music), and photographs of our grandparents.

Some of the greatest party shots ever. Gives you a sense of how off the
hook our reception was (yes, I know I'm too white to say that).

More party shots. Look at the crazy energy in the room!

Being cute, and impromptu sing-alongs. We rocked out to Piano Man
and everybody linked up and sang along at the top of their lungs.

I cannot stress this enough: making a good investment in a photographer we loved was one of the best decisions of the entire wedding planning process. We felt so comfortable with him, and I'm sure he and wife were able to capture every detail to help the wedding day live on. So beyond excited for the next month to fly by so we can reminisce in style and treasure these memories forever!

All photos courtesy of Ken Clunk: [http://www.toomuchawesomeness.com/danaandjohn © 2011 Kenneth Clunk]

Garter

John and I decided the garter toss tradition was creepy. We've seen it at so many weddings, so we don't knock you if you do it, but we just thought it felt a little weird to have him crawling up my leg under my skirts with all those family members at our wedding. Plus, I didn't have a spare bouquet to toss, and I certainly wasn't going to get rid of mine, which was everything I dreamed of and more.

Thus, in my heart I knew the garter wasn't really an important detail in the grand scheme of things. It wasn't going to be an old, new, borrowed or blue. But then I stumbled across Florrie Mitton's garters on etsy:

Perfection.

It's girlier than I would normally go, but there was something about the fluffiness of it, and that amazing applique, the glittery tulle. But it was way out of my price range ($92), so that seemed to settle it. It sat in my favorites and I would look at it longingly from time to time.

Then, a month or so after I discovered the garter, I discovered this listing in one of my favorite millinery suppliers. So I ordered it, cut it apart into individual appliques, removed the cheap sequins and pearls, and tea-dyed them (it sounds really labor intensive, but it wasn't that bad).

Dana: That looks just like the applique on that garter!
Hmm...

De-sequined, ready to be tea-stained.
Did this while watching The Social Network with John.

Yes, that may or may not be Harney & Sons Wedding Tea
in that tin. I'm so cute.

I left the appliques in for about 40 minutes. I guessed
as I went along, checked for color every now and then,
and removed them when they looked slightly darker
than I wanted them to be (since they dry lighter).

Also tea-dyed some lace leaves while I was at it, which
I use in my hairclips/fascinators. It smelled amazing as it dried.
I like that they're dyed in wedding tea, even though nobody
would know that detail without my telling them.

Wedding Tea is basically Vanilla/Rosebuds/Lemon, in a
white tea (of course). It was one of my favorites long
before being engaged.

After that I did some searching for nude colored glitter-tulle, and found one in a color called sand. From there, it was simply a matter of beading the appliques with 3 and 4mm swarovski bicone beads in silk (which I had lying around from other jewelry projects), and champagne seed beads in the leaves. This was the tedious part; I only completely beaded a handful of pieces before getting caught up in other projects. I may finish the rest and turn them into necklaces, like this one:

A finished applique. This one became a lace necklace a la White Owl.

So much better with the tea stain and the different beading. The
original trim looks so cheap in comparison.

I'm actually wearing this necklace as I write this entry! :)

From there, I asked John's mom to help me by sewing it all together. She has a sewing machine, so she gathered the tulle on elastic so it would fit around my leg. I basted the applique on it and I think it turned out great!

My one regret is that I added a bit of watercolor to the original applique, which wasn't diluted enough to get the gently muted effect of the original. It turned out too green and wasn't as subtle as I had hoped. I considered carefully taking a seam-ripper and removing the original and replacing it with one of the regular, un-painted versions, but I loved it just the same. I can't wait to see pictures of me getting ready, pulling the garter on and the like. Should make for some nice photos.

The garter added a fun layer of tradition to my day to have it, even if it wasn't my something-anything. I recommend having it, even if you're a non-traditional bride. As with many things pertaining to weddings, when do you ever get to do this again? How often do you wear garters in real life? Or big white dresses? Or veils?

Program and Wedding Ceremony

The program cover, which matched the recipe card attached
to our vanilla extract favors.

I was inspired to share our wedding ceremony for several reasons. First, one of my favorite bloggers, Kathryn of Snippet and Ink, did the same after she got married. I also read this ceremony which stopped me in my tracks on Peonies and Polaroids; it's one of the most beautiful wedding ceremonies I'd ever seen. Those were always some of my favorite posts on any wedding blog I followed. Wedding blogs typically focus on the beautiful images, the plethora of photographers and weddings to feature and inspire brides in their planning. There's nothing wrong with that, but it's surprisingly difficult to find sources for ceremonies and unique ceremony readings.

I did a lot of digging, so much so that I can scarcely remember where everything came from. I reread most of my books of poetry, hoping to glean wedding readings I hadn't thought of before. I read forum posts and researched the history of wedding traditions to explain them in the service.

From the moment we got engaged I knew the ceremony was important to me. What's more, I wanted to write parts of it, personalize it, and make it special. There's nothing wrong with going with a traditional or religious ceremony and having the officiant handle it, if you feel a connection to those traditions. I am a girl that loves vintage but doesn't accept every tradition at face value. We incorporated what felt right to us ("With this ring, I thee wed."), added things that fit into our tastes and our views (the ring warming ceremony, substituting a long Walt Whitman reading before the vows), and subtracted some things that we didn't like (the garter toss, saving the top tier of wedding cake, the unity candle).

I had many guests tell me that our ceremony was beautiful and seemed to be a perfect expression of us as a couple. That's the highest praise I could ask for, because it was our intent and I'm so glad everybody was able to share in those words and actions with us. It is, after all, the entire point of the wedding day!

So, I give you our wedding ceremony, with some notes along the way.

The Marriage Celebration of Dana and John

August 6^th, 2011

The grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for. -Allan K. Chalmers

To Gene Plank, Jack Plank, John Blasko, Edna Blasko, and William O'Bryan, who could not be with us today:

Perhaps they are not stars, but rather openings in Heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy.

Prelude-The Rockport Strings
This is my string quartet, and I orchestrated/arranged all of the music for the ceremony with the exception of the Andrews Sisters song in the Processional, which John arranged for me in order to feel more connected to the music for the ceremony (awwww).

I Will The Beatles 

Eight Days a Week The Beatles

Do You Want To Know A Secret The Beatles

In My Life The Beatles

A Kiss to Build a Dream On Louie Armstrong

Because The Beatles

Dream a Little Dream of Me The Mamas and the Papas

Processional

I’ll Be With You in Apple Blossom Time The Andrews Sisters (arr. by John!)

Jóga Björk 


How awesome is it that I walked down the aisle to Björk?! John is the one that finally talked me into doing this, because I was waffling and thinking of going with all swing music or all Beatles, but I couldn't seem to find the right song to walk to. I loved the Björk, but didn't know if it would feel out of place since I couldn't really find anything else that fit with it. John finally said, "How many people have Bjork in their wedding?" He thought it was so awesome, and I had to agree that it had been the frontrunner from the start. 


The intro has such weight and presence, which is a nice touch for a bride. The best bridal processionals have a little intro, a moment to alert the guests to stand (our guests were standing the whole time, but you know what I mean). I like how it's a love song, but slightly bent to one side: "All these accidents that happen, follow the dots, coincidence makes sense only with you."

Welcome

Opening Prayer

            We thank you God for this most amazing day

            For the leaping greenly spirits of the trees

            And for the blue true dream of sky; and for everything

            Which is natural which is infinite which is yes

            ee cummings

I liked this little verse instead of a more traditional opening prayer. I like how it incorporates nature since we were outside in such a beautiful landscape.

Declaration of Intent

Do you, John, take Dana to be your wife, and will you love her faithfully and without reservation, no matter what?

When John said I do, our officiant said "I thought you might say that."

Do you, Dana, take John to be your husband, and will you love him faithfully and without reservation, no matter what?

I said, "Absolutely" and then John and I high fived. It wasn't really planned, but it sort of fit us perfectly. Everybody laughed and I smile to think about it.

Our officiant also ad-libbed a lot. He added in a line here where he asked the guests to affirm that they will do all they can to uphold our marriage. I am so glad he included it, since I didn't think to write anything specific, but I love the sentiment that it takes a village and it takes the love and support of your family and friends to strengthen your bonds.

Presentation of the Bride

Officiant: Who gives this woman to marry this man?
Bride’s Parents: She comes of her own accord, with the full support of her mother and me.

My mom joined my hand to John's as a symbolic gesture so it wasn't just my dad giving me away. My mom didn't think she could make it up the aisle without crying (also the aisle was a little small because the guests had to stand), so we had her meet us at the top. I admit I stole this presentation from Snippet and Ink. I love the recognition that I was giving myself to John, but that the support of my family were important to me as I made that choice.

Readings

Dr. Cox from Scrubs

Relationships don't work they way they do on television and in the movies. Will they? Won't they? And then they finally do, and they're happy forever. Gimme a break. Nine out of ten of them end because they weren't right for each other to begin with, and half of the ones who get married get divorced anyway, and I'm telling you right now, through all this stuff I have not become a cynic. I haven't. Yes, I do happen to believe that love is mainly about pushing chocolate covered candies and, y'know, in some cultures, a chicken. You can call me a sucker, I don't care, because I do believe in it. Bottom line: it's couples who are truly right for each other wade through the same crap as everybody else, but the big difference is they don't let it take them down. One of those two people will stand up and fight for that relationship every time. If it's right, and they're real lucky, one of them will say something.

I was so excited for everybody to hear this "reading." John's best man, our dear friend Andy, did a fantastic job. Not only did he completely channel Dr. Cox, he memorized it! I was so bowled over. He took the mike and introduced it as "A reading from Scrubs." It got a few laughs (esp. the part that mentions the chicken), which is great, but I love how it cuts to the heart of making a relationship work. This wasn't some flowery poem listing how I love thee. It was such a wonderful choice for us.

From “Love Songs of the New Kingdom” trans. John L. Foster

     Your love, dear man, is as lovely to me

As sweet soothing oil to the limbs of the restless,

     As clean ritual robes to the flesh of the gods,

As fragrance of incense to one coming home

     hot from the smells of the street.

It is like berries ripe in the hand,

     like the tang of grainmeal mingled with beer,

Like wine to the palate when taken with white bread.

     While unhurried days come and go,

Let us turn to each other in quiet affection,

     walk in peace to the edge of old age.

And I shall be with you each unhurried day,

     a woman given her one wish: to see

For a lifetime the face of her love.

My bridesmaid (and our new roommate!) Priya did a beautiful job on the second reading. She read it with such sincerity and the words sounded so natural. She had a wonderful flow and took her time with it so the words could sink in. I just loved this reading, and loved her presentation of it.

Officiant’s Address/Homily

Exchange of Vows

Vows Adapted from Song of the Open Road by Walt Whitman

Officiant:
 Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road,

Healthy, free, the world before me,

The long brown path before me leading wherever I choose.

Henceforth I ask not good fortune, I myself am good fortune,

Henceforth I whimper no more, postpone no more, need nothing,

Done with indoor complaints, libraries, querulous criticisms,

Strong and content, I travel the open road.

From this hour I ordain myself loos’d of limits and imaginary lines,

Going where I list, my own master total and absolute,

Listening to others, considering well what they say,

Pausing, searching, receiving, contemplating,

Gently, but with undeniable will, divesting myself of the holds that would hold me.

Allons! The inducements shall be greater,

We will sail pathless and wild seas,

We will go where winds blow, waves dash, and the Yankee clipper speeds by under full sail.

Allons! With power, liberty, the earth, the elements,

Health, defiance, gayety, self-esteem, curiousity;

Allons! From all formules!

The efflux of the soul is happiness, here is happiness,

I think it pervades the open air, waiting at all times,

Now it flows unto us, we are rightly charged.

To see no possession, but you may possess it, enjoying all without labor or purchase, abstracting the feast yet not abstracting one particle of it.

To take the best of the farmer’s farm and the rich man’s elegant villa, and the chaste blessings of the well-married couple, and the fruits of orchards and flowers of gardens.

To take to your use out of the compact cities as you pass through,

To carry buildings and streets with you afterward wherever you go,

To gather the minds of men out of their brains as you encounter them, to gather the love out of their hearts,

To take your lovers on the road with you, for all that you leave them behind you,

To know the universe itself as a road, as many roads, as roads for traveling souls.

Say only to one another:
Dana, I give you my hand!

John: Dana, I give you my hand.
I give you my love, more precious than money,

John: I give you my love, more precious than money,
I give you myself before preaching or law:

John: I give you myself before preaching or law.
Will you give me yourself?

John: Will you give me yourself?
Will you come travel with me?

John: Will you come travel with me?
Shall we stick by each other as long as we live?

            John: Shall we stick by each other as long as we live?

John, I give you my hand!

Dana: John, I give you my hand.
I give you my love, more precious than money,

Dana: I give you my love, more precious than money,
I give you myself before preaching or law:

Dana: I give you myself before preaching or law.
Will you give me yourself?

Dana: Will you give me yourself?
Will you come travel with me?

Dana: Will you come travel with me?
Shall we stick by each other as long as we live?

            Dana: Shall we stick by each other as long as we live?

I was re-reading Leaves of Grass, and returning to Song of the Open Road (a favorite poem of mine), the last lines struck me. It was almost palpable. I said to myself "These are wedding vows. These are our wedding vows."

When I showed them to John, he loved them immediately. But we wanted to incorporate more of the poem, so we both combed over it, selecting our favorite verses and Frankensteining them together. It was such a collaborative effort, and absolutely my favorite section of the ceremony as a result.

Blessing of the Rings/Ring Warming Ceremony

If I Fell The Beatles 


The quartet did a beautiful job, vamping and repeating and looping the song when the ceremony took longer than expected. Our guests really took the meaning of the ceremony to heart, and I could see them holding the rings and sending us their prayers and good wishes!

During this ceremony Dana and John will exchange rings. They have have entrusted the keeping of the rings with John’s best man, Andy Boron. These rings are the visible signs of their commitment to one another.

As this ceremony proceeds we ask that the families of John and Dana take part in the warming of the rings.

We ask that you, their family and friends wish them health and happiness, and all that is noble and good in life.

Andy will now pass these rings to the families of John and Dana and I ask that each family member hold them for a moment, warm them with your love, then pass them on to the next person. I ask that all present voice a silent wish or prayer for this couple, for their marriage and their future together.

When these rings come back to Andy they will contain, in their precious metal, that which is more precious, that which is priceless: your love and hope and pledge of support for this union.

Our officiant took a moment before this reading to explain the significance of wedding bands, and of our particular wedding bands. He spoke a little about history, ad-libbing from a passage I saw here on Peonies and Polaroids.


Wedding rings are the oldest tradition of all, outliving by centuries the white dress and even the “I do.” The first evidence of rings as marital symbols dates back some 5000 years to the deserts of North Africa; Egyptian art depicts wedding rings worn by both husband and wife. The circle shaped hieroglyph stood for eternity, by no means a uniquely Egyptian symbol. The hole in the middle represented a gateway through which the wearer passed into a new partnership that endured even in the afterlife. These early rings were woven from the reeds and grasses that grew along the Nile and typically only lasted a few months before being replaced anew. They wore it as we do, on the third finger of the left hand, believing that it intersected a vein that went straight to the heart. This tradition passed to the Greeks and then the Romans who called it the vena amoris, or vein of love. The vena amoris intersects the upper-right crease of the palm, which soothsayers came to call the “love line.”


He then told the guests how I had made the rings, but that I did so as a tribute to my grandmother, who made my parents' wedding bands, and how I had even used some of her old silver to make John's ring. This part had my Aunt Laura in tears; she was so moved by the inclusion of our family. I explain a little more about the ring warming in this post, if you're interested. I also talk more about the connection to my grandmother and her silversmithing here.

Exchange of Rings


Our officiant went traditional here, and I loved it. We did the whole "With this Ring, I thee wed" bit, which I've always loved. I had a hard time getting the ring on John's finger (couldn't get it over his knuckle), so he had to help me!

Declaration of Marriage

Embrace and Kiss

Introduction of the Couple

Recessional

Everything Michael Bublé

In lieu of a ring bearer pillow...

Yes, I cut a hole into a vintage book. It wasn't the most kind I've ever been. But, to be fair, I tried to read the book first, and it was dry as dust. I kid you not. With a title like "Their Wedding Journey" I expected a sweet romance that ends with a wedding. 

Nope. It's a story about some boring Victorian couple who take their honeymoon way after their wedding. Also the bride is slightly older than most brides (which in those days probably meant she was like 22 or something). The honeymoon is pretty much to Niagara Falls. The book wastes time on pedantic descriptions of the travel conditions and awful, awful dialogue.

I say this to justify myself, but really, I don't feel that bad. If the book had been more interesting I would have kept it as is and displayed it on a table or something.

But the hole in the book didn't look like much until I added a small ring box and teal ribbon (not to mention the rings!). The ribbon was courtesy of my maid of honor, who had brought it to tie treat bags at the bachelorette party, because yes, she made party favors for my bachelorette party. She is so classy and southern and I love her to death. The ribbon looks green in the photos, but I took the photos at night, so that's probably why. Blame it on lightbulbs+no ambient light+my camera skills.

Why did I even bother, you ask? I mean, I could have handed Andy the rings in a regular little ring box, he could have kept them in a pocket, and not have a huge book to carry around. Well, the answer is ring-warming.

Alex, one of the groomsmen thought I said "ring-worming" when I first told him about it. Not quite the same. This is the point in the wedding ceremony planning where couples decide they need to add another layer of meaning and ritual, and basically make up their own. Some of these ideas catch on and are used in many weddings.

I've seen couples planting trees using the soil from their childhood homes (so cute). I've seen unity candles, where your mothers light a candle representing your family and you take those candles and light a larger candle representing your new family (I've also seen brides and grooms then proceed to blow out their family candles, which bugs me every time because I don't like the symbolism there). I've seen sand ceremonies where it looks a little like sand art you do at summer camp and then you display this random hurricane vase full of sand in your wedding colors on your mantel in your new home (not as cute, but practical for a beach wedding I suppose).

But I found one that I really thought would fit John and I. A ring warming is where you actually pass the rings through your guests. The idea is that they will hold the rings for a moment, think of a wish or prayer for the couple, and pass them on. By the time the rings come back, they are then stronger and more precious since they contain the love and support of your friends and family.

What I like about this ceremony is how it recognizes everybody: not simply your mom and dad or your immediate families. I know that my relationship with John is the result of a lot of conversations with friends (especially before we were together when they were all trying to convince me that John was madly in love with me and I should pursue it). They say it takes a village to raise a child, but I also think  it takes a community of family and friends supporting your marriage for it to truly succeed.

Thus, we had a ring warming. I could have placed the rings on a pillow (and I had ideas to cover one with vintage handkerchiefs or scraps of my grandmother's lace), but it seemed so strange to me to have a pillow when we didn't have any small children to act as the ring bearer. Andy with a frilly little pillow? Funny, but not quite right.

This was one of my favorite details from the wedding. Our officiant explained how I had made the wedding bands as a tribute to my grandmother, so the ring warming took on an extra significance as the guests examined my handiwork and gave us their blessings.

At first I wondered if this was going to be cheesy in practice, but I had so many people at the reception tell me it was a beautiful, meaningful idea and a wonderful way to include the guests in the ceremony. My aunt was in tears thinking of her mom making wedding bands and me carrying on the tradition. I was beaming as I watched the book travel through our families and friends and I really felt that it added something to the exchange of rings to feel all that love and support radiating out from our loved ones.

Making the Wedding Rings

You may remember way back when I posted about my plans to make our wedding bands (which is also one of my favorite posts I've ever written for this blog).

Well, it happened, with the help of my friend Emily (who is the reason I found our photographer, as I mentioned in another previous post). John had to leave for marching band camp that day and was unable to be there with us, so I made sure to take plenty of pictures. And now, I'm really glad I did, because I love being reminded of the process. And what a process it was; I almost didn't have a band for John at all because we couldn't figure out why the sterling was cracking apart. Then, on my ring, the solder didn't seem to want to take and we kept having to heat and reheat the ring under the torch (which was nerve-wracking because gold is softer and I was scared I would melt it and ruin it!).

All in all, it was a long day of work (over 6 hours), but I was so proud to be able to do this myself as a tribute to my grandmother, who made my parents' rings and whose tools and silver I used to make our rings. Emily was amazing, stepping in when I asked for help and really making sure I left with rings that I was completely in love with. 

Here's a small tour of the process:

All the raw materials laid out on a vintage jewelry box that I keep my
grandmother's silver tools in (files, jewelry saw, hammers, solder, etc).

The three large sterling pieces were for John's ring, the two small 14k
 white gold pieces for my ring(s), and the postage-stamp sized piece
of 18k white gold solder that I had to special-order for my rings.

The jewelry saw, all beeswaxed up and ready to go, and through
the blade, the measurements for our rings. Mine was about 2.2"
and John's only took 2.6"

Gotta love the singed bit all around the spot where I annealed John's ring.

Before I made any of the other rings, I made a practice ring with some
spare sterling silver. It ended up being a size 5, which fits right on
my pinky finger.

The practice ring without any sanding (hence the obvious seam).
I liked the matte look of it without any polishing.

After annealing, I stamped the three blanks for John's rings.

The first blank shattered like peanut brittle after annealing it. Emily was
stunned; she said she had never seen that happen before. The second
ring formed a small crack in a later step. After calling a few friends
 for advice (and trying to fill the cracks with solder, which was futile),
we let the third ring air-cool instead of quenching it.
It was the little ring that could.

So I practiced stamping on the broken ring. I knew I wanted to stamp it
with a quote from Walt Whitman's Song of the Open Road (which
we used in our ceremony), but I couldn't decide between three
quotes. The quote ended up choosing me, because a second ring
cracked after this point.

The ring that didn't break apart. Hooray!

Emily got a great shot of me soldering what would become John's ring.

You can see the seam so clearly in this shot. It was pretty much invisible
by the time I was done with it!

Holding up my engagement ring in the light right before I formed
the white gold to fit around it. It had such a nice sparkle I
decided to take a picture.

After bending my ring around my engagement ring, we had to keep
hammering it around the ring sizer to make sure it didn't completely
lose its shape.

You can see all the scratches and marks from the pliers and the hammer.
That's the fun part of working with gold; it's so soft it shows everything,
so I was advised to keep a fairly light touch with it.

It almost looks like a different metal when you hold it up against my
finished engagement ring, doesn't it? But don't worry; after
many many hours of filing and sanding and buffing,
it looked like a perfect match.

Of all the DIY projects for the wedding, this one was the most intimidating and the most satisfying. I can't believe I made our wedding bands with my nascent metal smithing skills. I am so proud of this accomplishment but also so glad I didn't give in and buy bands out of fear. What an incredible experience, and such a meaningful tribute to my family history.

Post-Wedding. Where the REAL blogging about the wedding begins.

I am now officially in the happily ever after. I am a Mrs. to his Mr. Other than the shiny new rings on our fingers, things are pretty much back to normal around here. We made our first meal as newlyweds (stir fry with a spicy korean sauce), ate some of the leftover wedding cake (which is some of the best cake I have ever had), and reminisced about the wedding over a glass of wine.

You all may have noticed a sharp drop in the number of posts in the days leading up to the wedding. It was such a flurry of activity that I simply couldn't catch my breath a moment, but pictures were taken along the way and hopefully I can fill you all in on the details and how it came together before the professional photos come back (which are going to be incredible. I can feel it in my bones).

Reflecting on this wedding will be a phase of its own, and I fully intend to share with you all the little projects, the memories, and the pictures as I go. It's my way of processing the work that went into the big day, all the little details that didn't really matter in the scheme of things, but made the day more beautiful and memorable.

For now, let me just say that the wedding was perfect, because it was full of the things that truly matter in life: seeing our loved ones, feeding them well, and celebrating our commitment to one another.

Photo by our dear friend (and talented photographer) Myles Nickolich.
Check out his blog here.

The Bouquets

The inspiration for my bouquet. Isn't it lovely? Originally spotted on Style Me Pretty,
with photography by Yasmin Khajavi.

I was struck by that bouquet. In all my searching and saving of images, I kept coming back to this bouquet. It's so classic and stunning. I've always loved cream colored roses, so combined with dahlias, white astilbe (the greenish-white lacy stuff coming out the bottom-I had never heard of astilbe before the florist told me what it was!), this was just the perfect bouquet.

The only flower I wanted to change: the yellow/peach roses. Our color scheme had a pale peach in it, but no yellow, so I wanted to keep my bouquet in the palette. So we went with pale peach roses and cream colored cabbage roses with a hint of blush at the centers.

The bridesmaid bouquets were much less elaborate. Since we had to transport all the flowers ourselves to Mohican, in coolers, it was vital that we bring loose stems instead of six completed arrangements, for space reasons. So I went with a simple but striking choice: purple alstroemeria with variegated pitt. The bridesmaids assembled their own bouquets the morning of the wedding while getting ready (and while I was off taking photos with John) and wrapped them in champagne floral lace. They turned out incredible and really popped against their jade and teal dresses.

When I picked up my bouquet the morning before the wedding, it was perfection. It was wrapped similarly to the inspiration bouquet, with ivory ribbon and little pearl-topped pins. Pretty, but too traditional for me. So I dug through my tiny collection of lace from my grandmother and found the most stunning rose lace to re-wrap my bouquet.

To top it all off, I wanted to wrap vintage gold heart lockets around the lace, with photos of my grandparents on their wedding days (since none of them could be with me on mine). It was a way that I could carry them with me down the aisle, in my heart (and literally, in a heart!). I scoured vintage stores and Etsy until I found two perfect lockets for the task: one with etched and tinted daisies and the other a tiny, delicate heart with a purple flower flanked by green leaves. They looked stunning when hung together on a delicate gold crinkle chain, and I've worn it as a necklace ever since the wedding.

It all came together so beautifully. If I could have changed one thing about the wedding, it would have been to include more flowers somehow. I loved working with a florist and the bouquets were just incredible in action.