Capitalizing On Our Strengths

DIY. Do It Yourself.

As an at home wedding, this will be a largely DIY event. We will be landscaping the grounds of my parent's house ourselves, my FH will be painting the house himself, we will be taking care of the decor, the favors, the paper goods, and the list goes on.

We are definitely capitalizing on our strengths. As a crafty bride, I wouldn't dream of outsourcing certain projects, and with my FH as a former contractor, painting the house is his duty. And with gardeners in the family, and a lovely terrain, we wouldn't dream of having the wedding anywhere else.

We even had lofty ideas of taking care of the flowers ourselves, and with our previous plan of potted orchids, that would have been a cinch... however, now that this "theme" has taken a different turn, I think its time to call in the professionals.

I'm dreaming of soft, beautiful, and full centerpieces, and a bouquet that I likely couldn't even begin to attempt to make myself. I think that paying for the look of professional flowers and the ease of not having to DIY the day of, will be entirely worth it.

Flower inspiration to follow.

Now, to find this professional who can make this vision a reality.

Whimsical Vintage Garden Party

I love this description. I think that a "Whimsical Vintage Garden Party" suits our location perfectly.

The details will be a nice mix of a backyard, garden, casual wedding that blends vintage & traditional elements, while still being a laid back, DIY kind of affair.

Here is a "vintage" detail that I love:

Chandeliers:





Now, I've decided *not* to go with a million chandeliers (though, the impact would be fantastic), rather, a couple of strategically placed lights.

Also, for cost and logistics purposes (we are having a tented wedding, ie. limited electricity), I am looking into candle chandeliers as opposed to electric.

I think it will be lovely.

The Lounge

One detail that has remained somewhat constant is the idea for a lounge areas, though this in and of itself has gone through *many* revisions.

It started as a cool, comfortable, and stylish area for guests to sit during the cocktail hour. Then I realized that this furniture (which my fiance lovingly agreed to build) would only get utilized for a mere hour, as I *highly* doubt that anyone will meander back to the cocktail hour location during the course of the wedding, as its somewhat removed from the reception location.

The next revision was that pottery barn-esque furniture would grace the dancefloor area, as well as either side of the tent, fitting with our streamlined, minimalistic, spa-like feel.

I was envisioning this:



Then came along the "Whimsical Vintage Garden Party" idea, and though the above could still work, how fabulous would this be:

(See the first picture on this board)

Click on the picture to make it larger (Thats a *must*!)



That vintage settee is so gorgeous. My mother would love it. And, it would fit in lovely with the whole vibe of the entire day. If only they didn't cost an arm and a leg.

I had budgeted in a certain amount for FH (future husband) to build the furniture, so maybe, just maybe, if I'm the luckiest girl in the world, I can find something that fits in our budget.

Oh, and, I've *got* to invest in scotchguard. Drunken guests, drinks, and vintage furniture *do not* mingle well.

Letting Go

I've said it before, and this blog is testament to it. I've been through a million different ideas when it comes to everything from flowers, to the ceremony. Because I *love* photography, and inspiration boards are my favorite way of figuring out whether something works, I've got a tremendous collection of wedding inspiration (ie. pictures) saved on my hard drive.

And I'm attached to them.

Even though I've thrown lots of ideas out, I just can't clear out my "Wedding Files". What if I want to suggest something to another bride? What if I decide I need to see that picture of a collection of white potted orchids once more? What if....?

I even have a feeling that my computer is running slowly recently *because* of my humungous photo collection. Maybe I'll wait until after the wedding to clear it all out. But what if...?

Ah. The life of a digital pack rat.

My Other Love

Martha comes a close second.

I just love her. And I'm not afraid to admit it. I'm able to put her record aside and embrace all of her crafty goodness.

From her culinary abilities, to her around the house and outdoor genius, to her lovely wedding ideas, I just love.it.all.

Some of the great ideas I've collected from her in the wedding planning process that I think will make the cut:

This lovely ring pillow:


This is a DIY project (find instructions via the link above) that I'll be repurposing for an undisclosed project. :)




I *love* these sheets. They are on sale
starting at $7! I am considering purchasing some to cut up with pinking shears and calling it a day on napkins.

Its a toss up between Martha's Tissue Paper Pom Poms and paper lanterns. They both will provide an orb-like effect that will mirror my dress, and add their own, very special kind of interest to the tent ceiling, but its such a hard decision! (Then there's this feeling that a crystal chandelier would add a special touch, and that really throws a wrench in things!)



Cheese plate:



I've blogged about this before, can you tell I'm attached?

There is (next to) no way that this would ever work for us. We are hosting an outdoor even in the middle of July. Its really too, too bad.


Seriously, the list goes on.

The waiting.

Its killing me.

We have had a *long* engagement. And we're still waiting.

By the time our wedding rolls around, we will have been engaged for a lengthy 2.5 years, and together for a total of 8!

When I share this with people I get one of two responses: "You'll be thankful to have so much time to plan." and "What are you crazy, lady? Why the he** are you talking to me about your wedding when its so far away???"

Whatever the case, blessing or otherwise, this wait is making me crazy!

Every time I get excited about the idea, I find myself giddy with no where to go. Ugh.

In the meantime, maybe I should work on my looming Master's Thesis!

:(

"Tea with Milk"

Everyone has such crafty names for their colors, up until now, I've been calling my colors of choice kraft, white, aqua, and blush, but I think "tea with milk" is a much more appropriate name for "kraft", or "grocery bag". "Tea with milk" just sounds so lovely (and delicious).

This inspiration board mixes "tea with milk", "muted aqua", "blush" and white very well, I think. Blush will come via the flowers, and muted aqua will likely be featured in napkins and/or table linens, the Martha Stewart Poms I plan to feature, and possibly some glassware (vintage aqua bottles, maybe??).




(I would love nothing more than having a cheese station, [it is definitely a favorite food of Jim and I] but somehow I don't think its appropriate for an outdoor wedding in July, unfortunately!)