Vintage Leaf Cone Update

I finally found a photograph to show my faithful readers the desired effect we are going for! It looks here a bit like rose petals, but you can see some leaf outlines. I hope it goes well!

I bought twice as many leaves as I originally was considering, and have decided to use the 8" doilies instead of the 10". Hmmm. Let's see here. Twice as many leaves in less space....

Lastly, I looked up how to yellow paper. I must have forgotten from middle school, all it takes is a pot of tea! The difficult part is going to be finding a place for 120+ doilies (because of course for everything I make I need to remember to make an extra one of for us!) to lay flat to dry in our one bedroom apartment. This is going to be a long process! But fun. I love the hands-on aspect of weddings and cannot WAIT to really delve into the DIY projects and get to see the final product!

We "Fell" In Love

This is what I worked on today. I'm not sure if this is really feasible, but it fits really well in our vintage theme. They are little toss cones for our guests to throw the contents of on us as we walk up the aisle after the ceremony.

The one above is of course a very rough sample of one. I chose doilies because the lace around the edges creates a vintage, old-fashioned feel. I wasn't sure whether to use the 10" or the 8", but looking at the finished product, I think if we go this route I will switch to the 8", as I don't think an awful lot need to be put inside each one, and the smaller doily will give the finished cone a fuller look.

As for the leaves, from what little literature I have been able to find on the subject, it seems the experts say to use fake silk flowers, as the real leaves crumble too easily and may stain my dress...Yikes! It's so hard to know how many to put in each one, so few brides have done this before! I was thinking to put six leaves in each one, but now am thinking that may be too few. Hmmmm....

Back to the doilies. Tomorrow I'm planning on researching how to create that yellowed look on paper, to give the stark white doilies a more romantic, vintage feel. More to come on that later.

I hope this turns out alright! I'm very excited to have something different and unexpected!

Remembering Our Loved Ones

So many family members are unable to be with us on our wedding day, despite how much they would have loved to attend. We would like to remember them on our special day, without making it seem like a memorial service. We have come up with the following ideas:

First, my bridal bouquet will look something like the one above. Of course, as Matt has already pointed out, I need pink flowers, not white (I am well aware that white is traditional. I am not a traditional bride). That said, I love the brooch bouquet aspect of the one that is shown, and the main focus is on the ribbon in the middle that will be holding my father's wedding ring. This is meant to symbolize that he is with me as I walk down the aisle.

Second, the ring bearer will hold a homemade "copy" of Last of the Mohicans with our rings placed inside. As a future librarian, I love the book idea. It is also a nod to Cooperstown and its namesake. But most importantly, this is my father's favorite book. And so it only makes sense to use this one.

Third, the cake topper is my grandparents'.

Fourth, each bridesmaid, in addition to their bouquet, will carry a white rose which they will place in an antique vase as they take their place at the front of the reception. These flowers are meant to symbolize those who cannot be at our wedding. Nothing will be said about this at the ceremony, but we will say something tasteful in the program.

Finally, our favors will be mini bookmarks. On the front will be our engagement photos. The back will say something to effect of, "to show our thanks to you for sharing this special day with us, we have made a donation to the We Move Organization, in loving memory of Richard Haan, father of the bride.
Mr. and Mrs. DeCarr
Oct. 9, 2011"

Our Vintage Wedding Cake

My mom just offered us the use of my grandparents' wedding topper!! I love this for two reasons: first and most importantly, because my grandparents cannot be there to see us get married and so I would like very much to know that they are there in spirit, and secondly, because it takes the modern aspect of having cupcakes and gives it a vintage spin.

While I am on the subject of the wedding cake, we'll definitely do the cupcakes on a square tower, but will still have the single cake layer on the top for us to cut, which is where the topper will sit. We've been thinking of yummy fall flavors to offer our guests. So far (only as ideas, nothing is concrete, we need a baker first!) we have: gingerbread, pumpkin, carrot, spice, and for our chocolate-lovers out there, red velvet (as it was brought to my attention this afternoon that it is simply a chocolate cake with red food coloring! I was aware of this, but it's enough of a change to make me think it's ok...must be the same disfunctional brain cell that thinks cupcakes taste better than cake)

Homemade Vintage Postcards

This is Poipu beach on Kauai, HI. We took this photograph while we were there last year, and through the magic of photoshop, surprise! It looks vintage!!

What do I plan on doing with a bunch of faded photographs, you may ask? Well, dear reader, let me tell you. We loved the idea of naming our tables instead of using table numbers. That way, no one feels like they are at the "leftover table", and it adds a bit of interest. We are using names of places we have visited that hold meaning to us in some way. For example, we spent a week on Poipu beach. We will also be using 3 Mile (where we got engaged), and multiple other locations that we haven't thought of yet!

As for how to let the guests easily locate their tables, we are going to create "vintage postcards". After using photoshop on each picture, we will print them out and then stick them to brown cardstock. On the other side of the cardstock, I have found some lovely deep pink polka dot cardstock that has words written on it in lightly visible cursive, made to look like someone was writing a postcard. Over this cardstock we will place small plaquards that state the name of the table in a fancy, yet readable, script.

So far this is quite a fun project, and I am looking forward to many more to come! If anyone would like to know how I created these photographs, please feel free to leave a comment or email me and I will be happy to forward the directions along!

Snips and Snails and Walrus Tails

As a vintage touch, I was thinking of having a Brooch Bouquet for myself. I love the old-fashioned look of the feathers and antique pins so eloquently placed throughout the arrangement, and it gives a very vintage feel for what is to not only be my bouquet, but also our sweetheart table centerpiece. I'm hoping to create this using bright pink flowers to add the modern flare I crave.

As for its use as a centerpiece, I would very much like to find some sort of 1920's vintage vase (perhaps sterling silver? I'm undecided on this at the moment) to place the bouquet in for the reception. I don't know how many brides reuse their bouquets in this way (I've seen the bridesmaid bouquets get reused for centerpieces at multiple weddings, but have never paid close enough attention to the bride's), but I love the idea that we would have a different centerpiece from everyone else.

Ladies and Gentlemen, We Have A Theme!

I will keep this one short, as the next multitude of posts are also concerning our theme. I originally thought we were too eclectic of a couple to acquire a theme. Looking around our apartment, we don't particularly have a style to call our own. But then, most of our furniture has been inherited or gifted to us from family members no longer in need of an IKEA bookshelf, or the coffee table given to them as a wedding present, 60+ years ago. But despite how we may not have chosen these items, they still describe us. As we pick other items to accent our first apartment, I've noticed we select modern pieces that have a vintage feel to them. And so, our wedding is: Vintage With A Modern Twist.

More to come on this later.

Getting To Know You

These are the "getting to know you" packets I just created for the girls. It includes all the info they may need to get to know each other, as well as any expectations I may have of them (which hopefully isn't too much!)

If anyone is interested, I got the idea from: http://eliseblaha.typepad.com/golden/2009/03/envelope-pocket-love.html She has wonderful ideas, and is cleverly crafty!

Each pocket envelope contains four cards: one for attire (which is pretty empty 15 months out!), one for expectations (such as ceremony, reception, and rehearsal), one for introducing the seven of them to each other (I included each girls phone numbers and emails so they could easily get in touch for planning purposes), and the last one is a promise to not become a dreaded bridezilla!

I also included the link to a bridesmaid wiki I have set up for myself and the girls to use. It is quite simple to learn to do and set up! The wiki allows us all to have a more flowing conversation (all too often I have received partial emails where someone is answering a question that I cannot see, or some how each member of the email is missing a piece of information so that the email as a whole does not make sense. The wiki will hopefully put a stop to this!)

I can't wait to mail these out to the girls!!

Saying YES to the Dress!

I can't believe I did it. After visiting only one bridal salon, I have found my dress! It was actually the first one I told the consultant I wanted to try on, but I had her save it for last, before I made any rash decisions. I like to be thorough!

We arrived at the salon, and she helped me pick out 7 dresses, each of which I absolutely loved. I would have been ecstatic had I chosen any of them. I was quite surprised to find that I loved the dress with the pick-ups, and the mermaid-style! I thought for sure I was set on a satin A-line strapless dress, the typical one you always see.

Of course I'm not writing down what I ended up with, you'll just have to wait another 451 days to see, dear reader! But I will say this: listen to the consultant, because they're listening to you and what you like. Be open and willing to try on styles you originally threw to the sidelines, you may surprise yourself!

The Arrival of the Bridal Party

We haven't figured out any of the logistics involved in this endeavor, but our hope is to have both bridal parties arrive to the Otesaga by boat! The above photo is boats at Brookwood Gardens, where the bridesmaids would be leaving from. I love this idea, but unsure of how it would work with getting ready and such. Hmmm...so much to think about! If anyone is going to see us arrive, we need to be somewhat ready...maybe our hair and makeup could be done prior to the boat, and we could all wear "bride" and "bridesmaid" tank tops and sip champagne on the boat! Then, if we arrive half an hour before the ceremony, all we would need to do is slip into our dresses.

This idea, of course, depends on the weather. Such iffy upstate NY weather. If it snows at all, it won't work. It's exciting for now just to think about!!

The Official Playlist

No, no, no...I'm not this crazy. We do not have our entire wedding playlist picked out 15 months before the wedding. We do, however, know what type of music we want to play, and have people lined up to play them.

For the ceremony we have booked the Amherst String Ensemble. They have a lovely, classic sound, and I love that I can have a violinist and guitarist play music as I walk down the aisle. The musicians will continue through the cocktail hour, playing jazz music on the veranda. This was an easy decision for us, as both Matthew and I were in jazz band in high school.

As for the reception, we wanted classic frank sinatra, tony bennett style music played through dinner. Of course at a lower volume so people can hear each other talk, but not so low that guests cannot hear what music is being played. What a fine line to walk! After dinner though, anything goes! Well, almost anything. We of course, like any other couple, have a "must play" list and a "never play" list. We are open to suggestions and welcome input from any of the guests, and plan on having a place for guests to offer suggestions on our wedding website. All we want is a party that our guests will have fun at and remember for many years to come!

To cake, or not to cake?

I know it's irrational and makes absolutely no sense, but I've always had a passion for cupcakes, throwing traditional cake by the wayside. Somehow the cutesy little morsel has always tasted so much better than its more largely sliced counterpart, despite the fact that in reality I'm sure they actually taste exactly alike. And so, like so many other brides before me, I have chosen to go the way of the cupcake. It is not due to budget, or look, or the sake of being non-traditional. No. It is simply because some non-functional braincell in the back of my noggin actually believes that cupcakes taste better. And yeah, they are just completely adorable!

If I were to have a traditional wedding cake, I love, love, LOVE the look of square cakes. They are so sleak and modern looking. It wasn't until last night that I thought, why not have square cupcakes? And a square cupcake tower? That way I can have the look of a traditional square cake, within my cupcake parameters.

And it was just now that I came across the picture posted above. Mini wedding cake cupcakes! I'm sure the bride who originally posted the photo used them as favors, as this is a very popular thing to do, but how cute would it be to use them as my actual cake? I'm not saying I'll actually do this, I may wake up next week thinking, "what a stupid idea that was"...but I do love the idea of square cupcakes.

While I'm on the subject, I thought long and hard about renting a cupcake tower, seeing if the baker could provide one, or even asking the Otesaga if they have one I could use -- I'm sure they do. But I thought, how fun would it be to have my own, that I can take home after the reception, and use for years to come at my children's birthday parties. Creating my own family heirloom. I love it. And so the search for a modern-yet-classic square cupcake tower begins.

The Extraordinary World of Etsy

Ah, Etsy. My newest obsession. For all things handmade, etsy is THE go-to website. I had never heard of it before, but on the advice of other brides-to-be, I ventured over, and entered a world unlike any other I had ever been in! It is the only website I have ever been to where one can buy a robot with a lightbulb for a head, a garter, a diamond ring, and a flask decorated with cupcakes all in one place.

Some things seem a little overpriced, but you must keep in mind that these are hand-crafted items, not mass-produced in a factory. It is this special, homey touch that will add a special look to our wedding day. So far, I have found a card box, calligraphy address stamp, cupcake wrappers and stand, bridesmaid gifts, and cake cutter/toasting glasses. I still have no idea if we'll end up with any of these items, but it's nice to look!

I strongly suggest you check the wonderful world of Etsy out...but please be sure to have at least 2 hours of free time. You're going to need it!

The Stationary Dilemma

I never in a million years would have thought that there were so many stationary options out there! Where does a bride even begin?? Do you want ivory cardstock with brown lettering? Pink ribbon? Raised lettering? What font? How do you want the wording?

Not to mention the other stationary items. Thank you notes, wedding announcements, escort cards and programs all need to follow the same theme of the invitations. Considering how often I'll be looking at this pattern, it is of just as much importance as the wedding colors!

Which brings us to the oh-so-important design. The formality of your invitations directly reflects the formality of the wedding as a whole. How am I supposed to make such important decisions so early in the planning process?

Although we're a casual couple on a day-to-day basis, we enjoy dressing up for formal events from time to time. And so, the idea of the semi-formal wedding was formed. But what on earth does semi-formal stationary look like?

And then comes the calligraphy. Do we pay for a calligrapher? Or should we just try our best to hand-write the addresses ourselves? Should we spring for a self-addressed stamp in a calligraphy writing, or is this just cheesy? How many addresses can we stand to write before we want to move just so we can write a different address??

In the end, I'm quite pleased with what we ended up with. After a little tweaking (the kit I purchased does not involve both our wedding colors, which is an important aspect to me), they will be, dare I say, perfect!

The Bridal Party

(If anyone is interested in the template for this design, instructions can be found on the Martha Stewart website - it's a Valentine's Day craft)

One of the first things I did as an engaged woman was to choose my bridesmaids. These are the girls who are going to help me through all the stress and the fun, tell me if I look silly, and most importantly, to stop me from becoming a bridezilla!

I wanted to be as creative with this as I could, and so I took out my trusty laptop and began to google photos of bridesmaid invitations. Most of them were cards that can be opened, and seemed a bit impersonal to me. The minute I saw the wheel idea I thought, how different and unexpected!

I love each and every one of my bridesmaids like they were my sisters. They are the girls I can go to for answers to life's pesky questions, to pick my life up when I'm feeling down, and to hang out with at a moment's notice. And I hope they know they can do the same with me. They are the girls I want to be around for the rest of my life, and I truly hope they realize how special they are!