Updates! Get your updates here!

Yeah, when I was typing that title I said "here" in my head with a Boston accent, "he-ya". Heehee.

Anyway, lots of updates to be had! This week we bought our wedding rings! They're white gold - mine is 2mm and Dave's is 4mm. This isn't my ring, but it looks just like it!




We also ordered our cake topper! It doesn't go with our rustic theme, but it represents Dave and me perfectly. Skulls/skeletons for Mr. Punk Rock and Mexican Catrin/Catrina for my Latino obsession!




...and we finalized the plans for our ceremony programs. They'll look something like this, but you'll have to wait until the wedding to see the final product!

Defining the Aisle....

I know, I know.. I'm still on me-cation, but I haven't been crafting/sewing at all, which has been great!

I found this idea today online... and adore it!



Do you think this will look just as nice on a lawn?
If not, what would?
I'm not a huge fan of flower petals being spread about and a regular church runner would just look silly outside. Otherwise, I'm at a loss!

PS-We got our first RSVP in the mail today... Yay!

Ceremony Seating.

Ceremony seating has been on my mind the last few days. We're getting married on the lawn, in a rather large gazebo, that has no pre-arranged seating(photo #1). I completely want to avoid a haphazardly arranged mess of folding and lawn chairs (photo #2) and am trying to figure out to do that without making everyone stand! Standing, in my mind, is out. Sitting seems to be the only logical way to enjoy a wedding ceremony. We have 5 deacon's benches in the town hall (photo #3) that seat about 5 people each. In the name of uniformity, I'd think arrange them in rows of two, to create one aisle, would be the logical way. That leaves a bench, completely unused and wasted, in my opinion. It also only provides seating for 20 people, max. So, I am considering spreading quilts and blankets on the ground, in front of the benches, and maybe even making some burlap toss pillows (for accent and comfort) from any leftover burlap (I have tons of plans for "leftover" burlap!) to spread about the quilts too. This way, for those more able, we will have ground seating in front and benches in the back for the less able. I'd also like to figure out how to incorporate that fifth bench somewhere and make that our parents' bench. This way David's parents and mine will have a reserved space and one, hopefully, with a better view. Now, how do I do all this!?!?



Photo 1




Photo 2




Photo 3

Color Palette.

I was messing around with a program online that allows you to play with color palettes and create your own, so I created one for our wedding, of course!

Ceremony Aisle.

I don't know why, but I keep waffling all over the place for the aisle decor for the ceremony. I loved the idea of the feather flags, but they were too expensive. I loved the idea of 36" white balloons filled with helium and weighted down with mason jars filled with rocks, but, if there is wind, they will be all over the place and super distracting. I thought a minute about spreading flowers, specifically lavender buds, but they're so tiny, that it will hardly be noticeable.

So, as of right now, I like these ideas: mason jars with some rocks in them on the ground to mark the aisle and twine strung between the chairs, down the aisle, with little burlap triangle flags on them (maybe with an S monogram stamped on the flags, maybe not).

Today, I experimented a little with the idea. I attached fabric flags (scraps Dave had screenprinted for me, for a quilt) to twine and I really like it. They were very easy to do and I really like the look of them. Here's a pic of the flags I made, as well as, some of the inspirations I got all this silliness from!

Twine Orbs, Part Deux.

I wanted to share where my inspiration for the twine orbs came from and how the orbs look hanging, which is what they will be doing at the reception and/or the ceremony! The grapevine balls have lights, but I won't be adding lights to our twine orbs. It'll be a daytime wedding, no need. But they grapevine balls are also show with white paper lanterns... I love the contrast of the brown and white, and have considered hanging 36" white balloons in contrast with the twine orbs. We'll see. =)

DIY Weekend!

Dave and I had a super weekend! Saturday we worked on some DIY projects - I made some twine orb prototypes for the wedding and he made some t-shirts for our etsy store. Sunday we went to the horse track for the first time, met an older couple that could totally be us in 20 years, learned a bit about racing and got some sun! It was a wonderful weekend, indeed!

Here are a couple of photos of the twine orbs. I am thinking about using them to hang on the porch at the town hall or on the gazebo. I had thought about hanging them from the ceiling in the town hall, but it has such a lovely ceiling, that I'd really hate to detract from it with some half-assed DIY project. Maybe, though, they'd also look nice hanging in the windows of the town hall. Anyway, here are the ones I made Saturday.









Some things I learned during the project are:

♥I will need to use more glue in the glue/water mix for dipping the twine.
♥I will need to wrap more twine around the balloons, as the one that I had wrapped the most twine on, looks the best.


I think I might also like to get some tiny balloons (water balloon size?) and make some little ones. I think those might look cute on the tables, too. Long story short, they were easy to make, fun to make, quick to make, and very inexpensive. I definitely think they're something we will incorporate into the wedding.

Ceremony Decor.

...this is a continuation of what I have posted below. Another bride on wedfo introduced me to the below flowers. They're only $2.49 for a dozen! I think they're perfect for the centerpiece that I am leaning towards now (also below a couple posts). But I think they would be very cool to use, sporadically tied to twine, and hanging - much like this origami presentation below. =)









...so envision those flowers, tied to twine, intermittently (like the origami cranes are) and then strung in the openings of the gazebo, behind us. Here's a photo of the gazebo, too. In case you've forgotten what that looks like.

Decorating the Ceremony.

I want to decorate the gazebo that we will be getting married in, somehow. I have had many thoughts about this, it's still an open subject, for sure. I've considered twine orbs (DIY), 36" white balloons (I'm pretty set on these balloons being used to mark the aisle, weighted down with canning jars.), or "something" hanging - never quite sure what that something was, but definitely something that would sway in the wind, lend a natural feel. I think I may have found that "something".

During the search I mentioned below, I saw hanging origami cranes and thought something like that would be lovely. Origami is light, will sway in the breeze and can be adapted easily!

So my thoughts now are stringing origami flowers and birds and hanging them from the gazebo. The colors of the origami would be lavender, brown, white and chartreuse. And I think this would also be a nice way to tie the centerpieces below in with the ceremony. I like the idea of the ceremony and reception flowing into each other and not being separate events.

Here's a pic of some cranes doing what I'm envisioning my flowers and birds to do, as well as, a pic of a cute bird.

The Hands Ceremony

Stumbled across this idea for a ceremony and I actually cried while I read it.



The Hands Ceremony


Danielle and David, Please face each other and take each other’s hands, so that you may see the gift that they are to you.

These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow and forever.

These are the hands that will work along side yours as together you build your future.

These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch will comfort you like no other.

These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief temporarily comes your way.

These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes, tears of sorrow and tears of joy.

These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children.

These are the hands that will give you support and encouragement to chase down your dreams.

These are the hands that will hold you tight as you struggle through difficult times.

These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it.

These are the hands that will lift your chin and brush your cheek as they raise your face to look into eyes that are filled with overwhelming love for you.

And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.

♥

Spiritual Reading.

I had posted earlier an ee cummings poem that we would like to have read during our ceremony. I've since found this passage that I think would be lovely, too.


I Corinthians 13:1-13

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect; but when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood. So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Wedding Traditions...

I found this website that lists wedding traditions on it and thought it would be fun to include a page in the program with the history of them - and possibly include what we are doing/using to include said tradition.

What do you think? Good idea?


Here are some that I would like to include:


Bouquet

Wedding bouquets were originally made of such strong herbs as thyme and garlic, which were meant to frighten away evil spirits, and to cover the stench emitting from people who had not bathed recently!


Bridesmaids

Early Brides and Bridesmaids wore similar dresses in order to confuse evil spirits.


Bouquet Toss

In ancient times, it was believed that a Bride was especially lucky on her wedding day. Guests would sometimes tear at her dress for a souvenir piece of good luck to take home. The Bride's tossing of her bouquet grew from her desire to offer a good luck souvenir, and prevent guests from bothering her (and her dress!) during her reception.


Penny In Shoe

This is a European tradition to bring the Bride good luck, fortune, and protection against want. After the Wedding Day, the lucky penny can be turned into a piece of jewelry as a pendant, charm for a bracelet, or ring setting.


Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue

This superstition of the Bride wearing something that fits each of these four categories originated in Europe to ward off evil spirits. Something Old: This tradition symbolized the sense of continuity while making the transition from a single person to that of a married couple. Something New: This tradition symbolized that marriage represented a transition to adulthood. Something Borrowed: This tradition symbolized the popular belief that by borrowing something from a happily married couple, good fortune would follow the newlyweds. Something Blue: In ancient Israel, blue was the border color of the Bride's dress, symbolizing purity, constancy and fidelity.


Tossing Rice

By believing that newlyweds brought good luck, guests used to shower them with nuts and grains to insure a bountiful harvest, and many children to work the land. During years of a poor harvest, rice was tossed instead. This tradition continues today with rice or birdseed (where permitted), or bubbles to wish the Bride and Groom much happiness. Incidentally, it is not true that birds eating rice thrown after a wedding ceremony will cause their stomachs to enlarge and eventually explode. This myth may have simply evolved from church and synagogue employees weary from cleaning up after every wedding ceremony!


White Wedding Dress

This was made popular in the 1840's by Queen Victoria, who chose this instead of the traditional royal "silver" wedding dress. Prior to this, Brides simply wore their best dress on their wedding day.

Memorial Candle.

Dave and I both have had people in our lives that have left lasting impressions but are no longer with us. Today I saw this idea (on a wedfo) that another couple are going to use in their ceremony and I thought it would be very suitable for us to do something similar at ours.

They are printing this on cardstock and placing it onto a candle to be lit during the ceremony:

In Our Hearts
We thought of you with love today,
but that is nothing new.
We thought about you yesterday,
and days before that too.
We think of you in silence.
We often speak your name.
Now all we have are memories,
and your picture in a frame.
Your memory is our keepsake,
with which we'll never part.
God has you in his safe keeping.
We have you in our hearts.

On our special day today, we want to
honor those who could not be with us
here on earth, but that are in spirit.






I think this is wonderful, it brought tears to my eyes. =)

Goodbye Flags....

I really do love these feather flags...



I can't really accept that they cost $250 to RENT 6 of them. That's just craziness. So I have seen these balloons at various weddings online. (I know, balloons are so prom, relax - they're not regular balloons!) These balloons are 36" round and I would only get white ones.




I originally had thought about putting the flags and punched tin candle holders down the aisle, but now I am considering using these balloons with the punched tin candle holders. I'm not married to that idea. I think a simple aisle lined with candles is fine too. (Let me know if you have any ideas.) The balloons I think would look cool tied to the railings on the porch or weighed and lined up along the trees in the back of the field (depending on how much space we plan to use out there, to tie it in as one large space). These ideas are all with helium, but it's possible to just inflate them and hang them upside down too. Anyway, they're about $15 for 6 (plus the helium tank) much more reasonable. =)

I want to add this as comfort that I won't get out of control with balloons... THIS will NOT be our wedding! haha....

Alexandria Town Grange.

Photos of the Venue!
(Thanks Mom and Alex for taking these.)



View of Front from Old Photo I found Online.
(I'm thinking about incorporating this image in the invitations somewhere.)







View from behind.






View of the Gazebo, Side Yard (Green Field in Summer!) and Trees behind.
(Location of Service if good weather.)







View of Stage inside Grange.
(Location of Service if bad weather.)







Misc. Photos inside Grange.

Blessing Stones??

The more I think about the Unity Candle the more I think it could be something a bit different... I ran across this website; let me know what you think.


http://www.abeautifulwedding.us/vows_blessingstones.htm

Wedding Service.

We're going to write our own vows... and likely have two readings. One of the readings is a poem by ee cummings (posted below) and the other hasn't been decided yet, although I would like something from the Bible. If you have any thoughts, that would be helpful. I'd like to do a unity candle lighting. I'd like to have a single string instrument (acoustic guitar, cello, violin...) play before and/or during the service.



i carry your heart with me
ee cummings

i carry your heart with me
(i carry it in my heart)
i am never without it
(anywhere i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear no fate
(for you are my fate,my sweet)
i want no world
(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart
(i carry it in my heart)