Saturday, May 17th, 2008
So browsing around, I came across this: “10 Strangest Wedding Laws Still on the Books“. Worth a read and a laugh, though some are quite disturbing: in Alabama it’s legal to marry your brother/sister, in Wisconsin you can marry your house. This just makes me wonder what ’sanctity of marriage’ people think they’re protecting by banning same-sex marriage….the sanctity of a relationship between a person and their house? Still, funny stuff.
Sunday, May 11th, 2008
So the hottest trend is ‘green weddings’ and though we’re not intentionally heading in that direction, it turns out a lot of decisions we made based on other considerations (style, budget) are actually putting us in the ‘green’ camp. Not that surprising, I suppose, considering I’m marrying a hippie. Dirty hippie.
Anyway, I wish I’d found this website a year ago. Seriously. Their free planning tools are the best I’ve seen so far, and without being preachy or totally absurd they have some great suggestions for being aware of environmental impact.
Sunday, May 11th, 2008
I’ve been thinking a lot about the dress - more than I expected from myself. And though I didn’t end up going as non-traditional as I had originally been thinking, it still will inevitably raise some eyebrows. Although not as many as this would:
“On a sunny, August day in the Berkshire Mountains, 600 guests stood waiting to witness Pamela and Lee tie the knot. But as the bride walked down the aisle, no one marveled at her wedding dress.
She wasn’t wearing one. And Lee, her husband shortly to be, wore little more than a top hat and bowtie. As for the audience, some people wore hats and others had shawls around their shoulders, but most did not dress at all that morning. Only 12 were fully clothed.”
Actually, one of the venues we were originally considering shares it’s name with a nudist resort in California, and we nearly considered putting “Formal wear optional, google the venue for more information” on the invites.
Wednesday, April 30th, 2008
I didn’t think I actually cared that much about “the dress.” I have done my fair share of dressing up, dressing down, and dressing generally outrageously in my life, and so thought I had gotten it all out of my system. Which is why I wanted something simple, easy, and light (as in, not weighed down by a ton of beading and boning, or yards of train). Trying on dresses with Mom was useful, it helped me realize that while I was right, I was also wrong. I did care more than I thought I would about what I would look like, what I would be wearing. Although for me, comfort is still the first priority, I want to look fabulous.
So when we decided (Martha, who is making the dress, and I that is) to actually make the dress (in ivory!), I was excited and a little nervous. I mean, now all the decisions are my own, so if I’m not specific, or if I don’t think of something, then I have no one to blame but me. But it’s nice to be able to really get exactly what I want, and on top of that have one of my favorite people making it for me! Anyway, we finally found a pattern and the amazingly gifted Mrs. Smith altered the neckline for me. Then we found the fabric, remarkably easily and for remarkably little, and the pieces started to come together.
I’ve now tried on a cotton version of the dress, and it’s hard to imagine anything more perfect for me. I’m so happy with the fabric, the pattern, and the fact that not only did I spend well under the price of a ‘wedding gown,’ but it’s exactly right for me, and will be something that even though I might never get to wear again, I will treasure forever. I just can’t wait to try on the actual dress!!
Tuesday, April 29th, 2008
Well, after an extremely productive (and expensive) day last Thursday, I left the country and again panic began to set in. Have we thought of everything we need to do? (Obviously not). Do we really know what we’re doing? (Never have). If I didn’t have Matt doing way more work than the typical groom-to-be I would be utterly lost. But I’m feeling lost a bit without a checklist. I thought once we had the location and caterer down, the fun would begin. But I feel like the details take even more work (and they do, which is why they’re the details. *sigh*). So thank jeebus for the Offbeat Bride (.com) and her checklist.
And thank jeebus for my Man of Honor and his kickass girlfriend for going over tomorrow night to help address and stamp the save the dates. I hope they got self-adhesive stamps…otherwise, that’s a lot o’ lickin’. And as soon as they’ve gone out I’ll finally be able to put an image of them up here. I don’t want to ruin their awesomosity…not that anyone reads this anyway.
Saturday, April 19th, 2008
In one fell swoop we got a date, a venue and a caterer Thursday! Woo hoo, hot damn, finally, it’s about freakin’ time, and all that. Yes, it’s official, they have my deposit, I have their signature and we’re going to get ourselves hitched!
Friday, April 4th, 2008
so based on this very cool project:
(by “yibba” on indiebride)
i decided to try my own candle lanterns. and success - it was actually incredibly easy and i’m really happy with how the test-run came out! just bought some translucent paper from PaperSource, some cheap drinking glasses from the local Goodwill and some Superglue™ from CVS and voilá!
now we just have to make sure that candles are ok to use at EDS, but even if they’re not i think these could be really nice decorations.
Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008
Habitation
Marriage is not
a house, or even a tent
It is before that, and colder:
the edge of the forest, the edge
of the desert
the unpainted stairs
at the back, where we squat
outdoors, eating popcorn
where painfully and with wonder
at having survived
this far
we are learning to make fire.
Margaret Atwood
Thank you, KG, for sharing this with me - a beautiful poem by one of my favorite poets!
Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008
The last of the invitation supplies arrived yesterday, so now we’re ready to actually begin making them. I’m totally excited, we had a blast in PaperSource and Pearl Arts and Artist Supply getting ideas and feeling up all the gorgeous papers (there’s still that dragonfly paper at PaperSource I’m thinking about doing something with….). And best of all, we ordered everything online for less than a third of the price of ordering the invitations I’m trying to replicate (with a few additional touches). We’ll see how it goes - I need to find a giant paper-cutter first….
Wednesday, March 26th, 2008
so wedding dress shopping happened. it was exactly what i was expecting, which is to say, there are no dresses like the one i imagine in the bridal-shop-world. though we only went to one. luckily MOB and Suse were with me, ready to mock and giggle and basically make it bearable. once they got seeing me in the big white gowns out of their system that is.
first i was forced into the modern-day equivalent of a corset, and a literal petticoat. i know this is normal bridal underwear, but i want to be able to breathe, eat cake, dance, and not feel like i’m wearing body armor. my stomach isn’t perfectly flat, and i’ll live with it. thanks. more cake please. so begarmented in these things in which i could barely move i was thrown into (or rather, the dresses were thrown onto me) several large, white, strapless dresses with as much train as i am tall. and, expectedly, i disappeared in the sea of white and crazy. there was some oohhing about how ‘bridal’ i looked, and veils may have been placed on my head to complete the look, but i was too busy wondering how anyone would want to spend a day in a dress that weighs as much as they do and trying not to pass out from lack of oxygen. finally i shed the under-armor and was much more comfortable, but still overwhelmed by the immensity of the dress. i kept saying “this is just too much dress for me.”
then we got to the tea-length ones, which was the length i already knew i wanted. we all agreed the were much much better on me. in fact, MOB even sort of fell in love with one:
of course, it’s meant to be tea-length, but doesn’t come in petites so hits me waaay too low. and it was unbelievably heavy. there was quite a lot that would need to be fixed on it for it to work. plus, i just look better in red:
(if you look carefully on the left side of the picture you can see MOB’s rapt reflection as she admires me in red and proceeds to tell me i look like a bridesmaid and not the bride)
so we gave up at the bridal store. took some notes and went to betsy johnson where i was rewarded for being non-traditional by getting an awesome little black steampunk dress.
i think the moral of the story is that i’m particular enough in my tastes and odd enough in my size that it will be better to have one made for me. and i like the lace (and it makes me look more ‘bridal’ according to MOB) but i also like the red. so i’m thinking something along the lines of this:
or perhaps that’s too much red? i’m still kind of unsure. maybe ivory lace with red accents would be better? a reversal of this color scheme from Kimera Designs:
like this lovely thing from Candy Anthony:
or one of these Jessica McClintock ideas:
suggestions?