Posts
Over the past few weeks, I've gained a new skill. Marketing reps should be quite proud of me; I now have plenty experience with cold calling friends, family, and strangers about our wedding.
Our invites were sent out a few weeks ago, and the RSVP date was this past weekend (I promise I'll share the details on our invites soon!). Out of the 175 people we invited, only 25 have actually RSVP'd, be it yes or no. The calling game has begun, and it's not fun.
At first it wasn't so bad - I called a few of our family and friends I was pretty sure were planning on coming. As suspected, they were just a little late with their "yes" RSVP. It's been wonderful hearing people say things like "I wouldn't miss your wedding for the world!", "Of course we're coming!", and "Viking-ninjas couldn't stop me!". Now we've gotten to the doldrums of the delinquency list. Now we're calling the maybes, and the most-likely-nos. And it's no fun.
The worst part is the "maybes" who are worried about coming to our wedding because it's at a campgrounds. The first thing I've heard from a lot of people is "we'll be staying at a motel in the neighboring city", and then "I have to catch a plane at 7am the day after the wedding", and after that the always popular "do we really have to bring sleeping bags?".
*sigh*
Yes. You really need to bring a sleeping bag. Don't worry, you'll be fine. The cabins are a little rustic, but they are heated. I understand that all the airlines smoked some crack a few years ago and decided to charge for checked luggage, but if you really don't want to pay $25 for an extra bag, we can arrange for you to rent a sleeping bag when you get to town (hopefully I can fit this into my already ballooning list of errands to run during my ONLY WEEK IN THE STATES).
It's really not advisable to stay at a motel in a neighboring city. While you mean well, it will only cause you more strife. Remember, our venue isn't exactly NORMAL. It's surrounded entirely by Nature Conservancy land, and the main access is via once-daily ferry. It is physically possible to drive to the camp, but only a handful of cars are allowed at the camp grounds. Since it's in a forest, the idea is to preserve it, not pollute it. READ: there's a reason we're recommending everyone sleep at the camp. It's easy. Driving to a "neighboring" motel is most definitely not.
Unfortunately, even those who are definitely coming to our wedding are having issues dealing with the uniqueness of our venue. Almost every phone call I make to our family and friends includes me selling the idea of our wedding. Here I am, living in another country, finalizing the plans for my wedding, and I'm left reassuring our guests that yes there are bathrooms (communal), and yes the food will be healthy, and no you probably shouldn't try to get a hotel in the neighboring town. Oh, and by the way, YES it will be a wonderfully fun and amazing weekend! I find myself telling our guests not to worry about the circumstances of our wedding so much, and it's really getting me down.
Why should I have to sell the idea of our wedding so much? At this point, I really feel like the best wedding gift anyone could give us is REALLY just their presence. I know that's what a lot of people say - "your presence at our wedding is the only gift we need!" - but seriously. It would be such a wonderful gift for our guests to chill out & go with the flow.
I understand that a lot of people think the idea of a wedding is to include as many family members as possible. By that notion, I should have planned my wedding to be at a country club or some other place that's easily accessible. That may be suitable for some people, but it just isn't for Mr. Bear Cub and myself. It's just not us. We wouldn't feel comfortable - it wouldn't feel as sacred or special unless we had done it our way. And our way is how we always feel comfortable - in nature, playing fun games (like frisbee!), and camping, singing, laughing, hugging. I know this means that not everyone can make it to our wedding - we understood that when we signed the contract at our venue. A wedding means something different to everyone, but I believe that above all else, it should be a community effort. For a short while, everyone puts aside their issues and worries, and works to make the wedding a success. Everyone together, and everyone with a positive attitude.
I have a pretty freakin positive attitude when it comes to our wedding, but recently it feels like it's being stretched too thin.
Have you had to sell the idea of your wedding to your guests? If you've had a few guests that have been nervous about attending your wedding for whatever reason, how have you eased their nerves? And how have you kept a positive attitude, while being beaten down by the nay-sayers?
18 August 2009
14 August 2009
Groomstyle & Dudestyle - Part 1
Mr. Bear Cub isn't exactly a tuxedo kind of man. And that's OK - I love him for it! I want him to be comfortable on his wedding day; I want him to take pride in what he wears. You know, just so long as it's nice. ;) He usually wears whatever he grabs first out of his drawer (of crumpled t-shirts), and usually the clothes that fill the drawer were bought by either his mom (several years ago) or me (now). He just can't be bothered with shopping for himself, unless it involves gore-tex or e-vent material, high-performance wool, or anything found for a steal at an REI scratch-and-dent sale. That's Mr. Bear Cub's style, and I love him! That makes it a lot easier for me to find his wedding day attire. ;) He's a practical guy - being able to wear these clothes after the big day is important.
At first I imagined him in a dark brown suit for the wedding, but then I saw this:
Perfect! Dark brown velvet/corduroy sportcoat plus british khaki slacks fit the bill! Last September, before Mr. BC & I moved to Chile, we hit up a J.Crew in Portland to see how they could help us out. It being fall, the corduroy jackets were in season! I can totally picture Mr. Bear Cub using his corduroy jacket to teach in when he's a professor at a university some day. :)
But since this is more of a formal affair, the darker chocolate brown is the way to go with the jacket! We got him the washed corduroy sportcoat in "stout", a crisp white button-down shirt, and Mr. BC picked out the tie himself!
The "ensemble" - waiting safely for us in Portland!
We only recently found the rest of his outfit - the slacks. I prefer to catch the sales on Jcrew whenever possible, and these slick slacks were on sale for $70!
While Mr. Bear Cub claims to not know anything about fashion, he must have good intuition - he absolutely loves a good pair of linen slacks. He likes to call them his "weekend pants" because of how comfortable they are! The Irish-linen suit pant from Jcrew is quite a bit nicer than his normal "weekend pants"; they'll be up-graded to conference- and weekend-lounging-status after the wedding.
As for the kicks, at first I had no idea what Mr. Bear Cub should wear. I have enough trouble finding my own shoes, let alone his! I certainly don't know anything about "wing tips" or whatever they're called. All I knew is that I wanted his socks to show. I love a good socks 'n peep-toe peep show, wedding style! Plus Mr. BC really really likes socks. A lot. Sooner or later I'll need to complete his look with the snazziest of snazzy socks. He wanted to wear bircken-socks (birckenstocks with socks), but I put the kibosh on that. ;) Besides, he needs to be comfortable dancing in these shoes!
grad students have all the fun
source: Patagonia, via REI
Now we have a bigger challenge: grooms-dudes & dudes-of-honor style.
Did you go against the tuxedo grain? Where did you get your groom's wedding day attire from? How do you think Mr. BC's attire is shaping up? :)
At first I imagined him in a dark brown suit for the wedding, but then I saw this:
Perfect! Dark brown velvet/corduroy sportcoat plus british khaki slacks fit the bill! Last September, before Mr. BC & I moved to Chile, we hit up a J.Crew in Portland to see how they could help us out. It being fall, the corduroy jackets were in season! I can totally picture Mr. Bear Cub using his corduroy jacket to teach in when he's a professor at a university some day. :)
But since this is more of a formal affair, the darker chocolate brown is the way to go with the jacket! We got him the washed corduroy sportcoat in "stout", a crisp white button-down shirt, and Mr. BC picked out the tie himself!
The "ensemble" - waiting safely for us in Portland!We only recently found the rest of his outfit - the slacks. I prefer to catch the sales on Jcrew whenever possible, and these slick slacks were on sale for $70!
While Mr. Bear Cub claims to not know anything about fashion, he must have good intuition - he absolutely loves a good pair of linen slacks. He likes to call them his "weekend pants" because of how comfortable they are! The Irish-linen suit pant from Jcrew is quite a bit nicer than his normal "weekend pants"; they'll be up-graded to conference- and weekend-lounging-status after the wedding.
As for the kicks, at first I had no idea what Mr. Bear Cub should wear. I have enough trouble finding my own shoes, let alone his! I certainly don't know anything about "wing tips" or whatever they're called. All I knew is that I wanted his socks to show. I love a good socks 'n peep-toe peep show, wedding style! Plus Mr. BC really really likes socks. A lot. Sooner or later I'll need to complete his look with the snazziest of snazzy socks. He wanted to wear bircken-socks (birckenstocks with socks), but I put the kibosh on that. ;) Besides, he needs to be comfortable dancing in these shoes!
grad students have all the funSo I hit up my other old faithful (besides the usual Jcrew), and found these stylin' sneaks!
source: Patagonia, via REIPerfect for the outdoorsy guy who just so happens to look sharp! Patagonia has some great footwear for men that don't always frequent Wall Street, but still want to get some dual-use out of their "nice shoes". As soon as he put them on, Mr. BC didn't want to take them off! These will probably turn into "weekend shoes". ;)
Now we have a bigger challenge: grooms-dudes & dudes-of-honor style.
Did you go against the tuxedo grain? Where did you get your groom's wedding day attire from? How do you think Mr. BC's attire is shaping up? :)
12 August 2009
Fiddle-ing their way to my heart
One of the things Mr. Bear Cub absolutely wanted at our wedding was a live band. Mr. BC plays guitar, has many friends that have been signed to labels, and always loved going to the Northwest Folklife festival while in college at UW. For him, our event wouldn't be the same without a live band, namely a great folk band.
I really don't know how you're "supposed" to find a band for a wedding. The odds of finding the right band, at the right price, in the right place seem ridiculously stacked against you. But somehow we found a band that fit us just right. We started looking several months ago on the MySpace music page for bands that fit into the criteria of "americana", "bluegrass", and "folk". Hopefully with a bit of an Irish flair, and specifically with a mandolin (we'd love to have Nickel Creek play our wedding, but that's just not going to happen). After several weeks of listening to bands in the Portland area, we discovered a lot of great new artists to listen to at home - but no band to sign for our wedding. We emailed a handful of bands, but few of them wanted to make the drive to the Oregon coast for a Sunday wedding. Boo. :( If you're in the Eugene area, go check out this band - I wish we could have booked them!
We were looking for a band similar to Mrs. Cherry Pie's and Miss Cowboy Boots - folksy, bluegrass, chill, and altogether awesome.
Then I followed Mrs. Joey's sage advice - I listed an ad on craigslist for a band. Miraculously, I got an email (from a real band!). I've never been so sure about listing ads on craigslist, nor how well they work, but apparently they do! Amazingly, the band that emailed was just what we were looking for - mandolin, folksy, irishy, upbeat, and *gasp* they also randomly specialize in latin music! Since we've been making our home in South America, we decided it would be fun to learn some salsa moves for the wedding! Luckily our band will be hip to that jive. ;)
For our wedding, Mr. Bear Cub and I booked the talented Terracoustic band from Portland. They feature a mandolin, a six-string fiddle, and an upright bass. You can check out their myspace page here, along with band member pages here and here.
Mr. BC also wants jam-sessions to be a prominent part of our wedding weekend. He has envisioned friends bringing their instruments, laughing and playing together by the camp fire. We've invited our band to stay with us at the camp for the entire weekend, and especially to jam with us! (I might even break out my flute ;) )
Terracoustic will be playing our reception at the camp lodge, and we've asked them to learn two songs for us. The first one we will dance to, and the second will be a surprise for everyone, including you. ;)
I've shared with the hive our indecision with regards to our "first dance" song. I really wanted to dance to Somebody Loved by The Weepies, but in the end, I realized that it wouldn't be the best song for a male voice to cover. Our song was staring us in the face, and we didn't even realize it until day 1 of our dance lessons. Mr. Bear Cub started playing a song by Nickel Creek, and it just fit.
(this video is much better, but can only be viewed on youtube)
The song is called "When You Come Back Down" - it's definitely not the SAPPY love song that "Somebody Loved" is, but it holds special significance to us (plus it will be easier for our band to cover!). When Mr. BC and I had just started dating (3 years ago!), he sent me this song, and told me that when it came on his ipod while on a long bike ride, it reminded him of me, and it made him think fondly of me. I've since then grown to love Nickel Creek (and Mr. BC!), and I think the meaning of the song fits us. We both think it's important to let each other chase our dreams, but we want to be there for the other if need (or want) be. Mr. BC always tells me how proud he is of me for chasing my dreams; he'll support me in my wishes, and I in his.
If you're having a band play your reception, how did you find it? What are some other good bands you've found along the way? Are you keeping anything about your reception entertainment a secret from your guests?
I really don't know how you're "supposed" to find a band for a wedding. The odds of finding the right band, at the right price, in the right place seem ridiculously stacked against you. But somehow we found a band that fit us just right. We started looking several months ago on the MySpace music page for bands that fit into the criteria of "americana", "bluegrass", and "folk". Hopefully with a bit of an Irish flair, and specifically with a mandolin (we'd love to have Nickel Creek play our wedding, but that's just not going to happen). After several weeks of listening to bands in the Portland area, we discovered a lot of great new artists to listen to at home - but no band to sign for our wedding. We emailed a handful of bands, but few of them wanted to make the drive to the Oregon coast for a Sunday wedding. Boo. :( If you're in the Eugene area, go check out this band - I wish we could have booked them!
We were looking for a band similar to Mrs. Cherry Pie's and Miss Cowboy Boots - folksy, bluegrass, chill, and altogether awesome.
Then I followed Mrs. Joey's sage advice - I listed an ad on craigslist for a band. Miraculously, I got an email (from a real band!). I've never been so sure about listing ads on craigslist, nor how well they work, but apparently they do! Amazingly, the band that emailed was just what we were looking for - mandolin, folksy, irishy, upbeat, and *gasp* they also randomly specialize in latin music! Since we've been making our home in South America, we decided it would be fun to learn some salsa moves for the wedding! Luckily our band will be hip to that jive. ;)
For our wedding, Mr. Bear Cub and I booked the talented Terracoustic band from Portland. They feature a mandolin, a six-string fiddle, and an upright bass. You can check out their myspace page here, along with band member pages here and here.
Mr. BC also wants jam-sessions to be a prominent part of our wedding weekend. He has envisioned friends bringing their instruments, laughing and playing together by the camp fire. We've invited our band to stay with us at the camp for the entire weekend, and especially to jam with us! (I might even break out my flute ;) )
Terracoustic will be playing our reception at the camp lodge, and we've asked them to learn two songs for us. The first one we will dance to, and the second will be a surprise for everyone, including you. ;)
I've shared with the hive our indecision with regards to our "first dance" song. I really wanted to dance to Somebody Loved by The Weepies, but in the end, I realized that it wouldn't be the best song for a male voice to cover. Our song was staring us in the face, and we didn't even realize it until day 1 of our dance lessons. Mr. Bear Cub started playing a song by Nickel Creek, and it just fit.
(this video is much better, but can only be viewed on youtube)
The song is called "When You Come Back Down" - it's definitely not the SAPPY love song that "Somebody Loved" is, but it holds special significance to us (plus it will be easier for our band to cover!). When Mr. BC and I had just started dating (3 years ago!), he sent me this song, and told me that when it came on his ipod while on a long bike ride, it reminded him of me, and it made him think fondly of me. I've since then grown to love Nickel Creek (and Mr. BC!), and I think the meaning of the song fits us. We both think it's important to let each other chase our dreams, but we want to be there for the other if need (or want) be. Mr. BC always tells me how proud he is of me for chasing my dreams; he'll support me in my wishes, and I in his.
If you're having a band play your reception, how did you find it? What are some other good bands you've found along the way? Are you keeping anything about your reception entertainment a secret from your guests?
A Past Life
Hi Hive!
Remember me? Lil' Miss Bear Cub? I feel awful for being so MIA recently. It's amazing how much gets piled on your plate at one and a half months out!
The primary reason I've been gone for so long is because this past weekend I went to my best friend's wedding. I didn't date my best friend (à la Julia Roberts), but I did date her husband's brother for 3.5 years. My best friend - my own MOH "E" - got engaged while I was still dating him! I think they've been together for a cumulative of 11 years now. Some of the best things come with time. The bride & groom - E+E - had one of the most amazing weddings I've ever seen. I didn't take any pictures myself, but I didn't need to. Everyone else in attendance was a photographer there! I plan to post a recap on her wedding when I can get my hands on some pics. ;)
You want to know what it's like to go to a wedding at your ex-boyfriend's parents home?
It's awkward. Very, very awkward.
Planning a wedding doesn't usually include thinking of exes, let alone seeing them a month before your wedding. Mine does. I've known since before I met Mr. Bear Cub that I would be going to my MOH E's wedding, that it would be at my ex's parents' home, and that he would be there. As it just so happens, with his new(ish) girlfriend, too.
This was all sorts of awkward, but I love MOH E, so I tried to make the best of it. Her wedding was amazing, so it didn't end up mattering that much. But here's the thing - this wasn't just any ex. We were together for almost 4 years. I thought we were going to get married. I used to live at his parents' house with him, take dinner with the family every night, and visit the grandparents on holidays. Really, I was part of the family. I baked and knit with his mom, I went surfing with his brother, and I am best friends with his other brother's (now) wife. Needless to say, I was pretty certain we would actually be calling each other sister-in-law one day!
Then some things happened, we grew apart emotionally, and I made the biggest decision of my life. I moved to New Mexico for grad school, and he decided not to move with me. I hadn't wanted to meet anyone in NM. I had wanted to finish a masters degree in 2 years, and move back to California. But I met someone, and now I want to spend the rest of my life with that little bear. He's so much better for me in every way, and I can't wait to marry him in a month.
My ex and I haven't exactly been on the best terms. We're civil, when need be. Which I think is interesting, based on how we split. We didn't fight, neither of us really dumped the other. We realized our lives were going in different directions. For a while I tried to be friendly with my ex, but it hasn't seemed to stick at all. He keeps pushing me away, and then he does something to show that he cares just a teensy bit, and that he wants me to be happy. Aren't exes such a weird thing? I don't know if he or his gf know that I blog for WB, so I'll try to keep this as light-hearted as possible. I did meet his girlfriend at my MOH's wedding, and if she's reading, I'd like her to know that I think she's great for my ex. I think she's sweet, helpful, and I'm very glad their together (I'm too shy and non-confrontational to say so in person!).
I have a philosophical beef with "exes", in an abstract way. I know Harry told Sally that men can never be friends with women - they will only ever want to sleep with them - but is this really true? Can't you replace that "love" feeling you once had for someone with a "sibling" feeling? I wish very deeply that I could have a friend/brother relationship with my ex. He's a very interesting person, and I like to keep interesting people in my life. I don't want to be with him romantically. I could see hanging out with him like one hangs out with a brother. Or maybe sending him a book once in a while that I think he'll like, to let him know I still think he's cool (but I think Mr. Bear Cub is cooler ;) ). I know it's a fact of life, but why is it so hard to maintain a friendship with an ex, especially when the breakup isn't bad?
When I visited his parents' home for the wedding, his mom welcomed me with open arms. She was so happy to see me! And his grandmother was excited and happy to learn I was engaged! I had a wonderful time catching up with his family, but he ignored me completely. I guess it was easier for him to continue telling himself that I don't exist.
Mr. Bear Cub has been a dream about my wishes to be friends with my ex. He's been very understanding, and supportive - I'm very lucky to have a partner that cares this much for me.
Am I strange to think that people can move on completely, and evolve their relationship to a true friendship? Does this ever actually happen? In your realization that you wanted to spend the rest of your life with your fiancé (or husband), how have you made peace with the exes in your past life?
Remember me? Lil' Miss Bear Cub? I feel awful for being so MIA recently. It's amazing how much gets piled on your plate at one and a half months out!
The primary reason I've been gone for so long is because this past weekend I went to my best friend's wedding. I didn't date my best friend (à la Julia Roberts), but I did date her husband's brother for 3.5 years. My best friend - my own MOH "E" - got engaged while I was still dating him! I think they've been together for a cumulative of 11 years now. Some of the best things come with time. The bride & groom - E+E - had one of the most amazing weddings I've ever seen. I didn't take any pictures myself, but I didn't need to. Everyone else in attendance was a photographer there! I plan to post a recap on her wedding when I can get my hands on some pics. ;)
You want to know what it's like to go to a wedding at your ex-boyfriend's parents home?
It's awkward. Very, very awkward.
Planning a wedding doesn't usually include thinking of exes, let alone seeing them a month before your wedding. Mine does. I've known since before I met Mr. Bear Cub that I would be going to my MOH E's wedding, that it would be at my ex's parents' home, and that he would be there. As it just so happens, with his new(ish) girlfriend, too.
This was all sorts of awkward, but I love MOH E, so I tried to make the best of it. Her wedding was amazing, so it didn't end up mattering that much. But here's the thing - this wasn't just any ex. We were together for almost 4 years. I thought we were going to get married. I used to live at his parents' house with him, take dinner with the family every night, and visit the grandparents on holidays. Really, I was part of the family. I baked and knit with his mom, I went surfing with his brother, and I am best friends with his other brother's (now) wife. Needless to say, I was pretty certain we would actually be calling each other sister-in-law one day!
Then some things happened, we grew apart emotionally, and I made the biggest decision of my life. I moved to New Mexico for grad school, and he decided not to move with me. I hadn't wanted to meet anyone in NM. I had wanted to finish a masters degree in 2 years, and move back to California. But I met someone, and now I want to spend the rest of my life with that little bear. He's so much better for me in every way, and I can't wait to marry him in a month.
My ex and I haven't exactly been on the best terms. We're civil, when need be. Which I think is interesting, based on how we split. We didn't fight, neither of us really dumped the other. We realized our lives were going in different directions. For a while I tried to be friendly with my ex, but it hasn't seemed to stick at all. He keeps pushing me away, and then he does something to show that he cares just a teensy bit, and that he wants me to be happy. Aren't exes such a weird thing? I don't know if he or his gf know that I blog for WB, so I'll try to keep this as light-hearted as possible. I did meet his girlfriend at my MOH's wedding, and if she's reading, I'd like her to know that I think she's great for my ex. I think she's sweet, helpful, and I'm very glad their together (I'm too shy and non-confrontational to say so in person!).
I have a philosophical beef with "exes", in an abstract way. I know Harry told Sally that men can never be friends with women - they will only ever want to sleep with them - but is this really true? Can't you replace that "love" feeling you once had for someone with a "sibling" feeling? I wish very deeply that I could have a friend/brother relationship with my ex. He's a very interesting person, and I like to keep interesting people in my life. I don't want to be with him romantically. I could see hanging out with him like one hangs out with a brother. Or maybe sending him a book once in a while that I think he'll like, to let him know I still think he's cool (but I think Mr. Bear Cub is cooler ;) ). I know it's a fact of life, but why is it so hard to maintain a friendship with an ex, especially when the breakup isn't bad?
When I visited his parents' home for the wedding, his mom welcomed me with open arms. She was so happy to see me! And his grandmother was excited and happy to learn I was engaged! I had a wonderful time catching up with his family, but he ignored me completely. I guess it was easier for him to continue telling himself that I don't exist.
Mr. Bear Cub has been a dream about my wishes to be friends with my ex. He's been very understanding, and supportive - I'm very lucky to have a partner that cares this much for me.
Am I strange to think that people can move on completely, and evolve their relationship to a true friendship? Does this ever actually happen? In your realization that you wanted to spend the rest of your life with your fiancé (or husband), how have you made peace with the exes in your past life?
My Best Friend's Wedding
Hi Hive!
Remember me? Lil' Miss Bear Cub? I feel awful for being so MIA recently. It's amazing how much gets piled on your plate at one and a half months out!
The primary reason I've been gone for so long is because this past weekend, I went to my best friend's wedding. I didn't date my best friend (à la Julia Roberts), but I did date her husband's brother for 3.5 years. My best friend - my own MOH "E" - got engaged while I was still dating him! I think they've been together for a cumulative of 11 years now. Some of the best things come with time. The bride & groom - E+E - had one of the most amazing weddings I've ever seen. I didn't take any pictures myself, but I didn't need to. Everyone else in attendance was a photographer there! I plan to post a recap on her wedding when I can get my hands on some pics. ;)
For the time being, I'll give you a sneak peak into their wedding website.
my browser was doing funny things - "Español" has the same font as "English normally ;)
The front page to their wedsite (that the groom designed from scratch) featured a hand-drawn image of E+E. I love how it really looks like them, and it looks like a heart. :) Several members of the bride's family were coming to the California nuptials from South America, so they directed their guests to both an English and a Spanish version of their site.
(click to enlarge)
The groom's a pretty good artist, so in addition to drawing their "monogram" (really, the heart picture of their faces together), he scanned in pieces of paper to look like the moon, clouds, and a rolling hillside. The best part of their wedsite was that the little pieces of "paper" MOVED. The clouds moved past the moon, and the hills slowly rolled, just as the countryside changes as you hike through it. Their wedding was at the groom's parents' home between Half Moon Bay and Redwood City in the Bay Area. It's really quite beautiful there.
a good place for cycling, too!
E+E were very practical with their wedding plans. Their beautiful wedsite directed people to exactly what they needed to know - the "who what when where how" of a wedding. Sweet & simple, and I think it worked fantastically. Plus their RSVP was on their wedsite, so that meant no extra fumbling with RSVP cards. E+E uploaded a picture of each person that RSVP'd yes to their page "who's coming". This was a great way to place a picture with the face of other guests!
My MOH E and her husband did not have professional photography, so I hope to get some pics to share with you soon! I feel very excited to showcase their wedding, because, while they don't necessarily balk at the Wedding Industry, they certainly tried to make their wedding completely their own. They had their wedding at home. There was dancing for those who wanted to dance. The brother of the groom used his fire-engine bar. There was a pig roast. There was home-made honey wine (brewed a year in advance!). There was standing room only at the ceremony. The brother of the bride officiated (with a book on how to survive ZOMBIE attacks!). There was no assigned seating at the reception, the mother of the groom baked the 5-TIER layered cake, and my dear E+E were happier than I've ever seen them. It was truly the embodiment of their lives together, their families, their friends, and their happiness, and I can't wait to share it with you.
Remember me? Lil' Miss Bear Cub? I feel awful for being so MIA recently. It's amazing how much gets piled on your plate at one and a half months out!
The primary reason I've been gone for so long is because this past weekend, I went to my best friend's wedding. I didn't date my best friend (à la Julia Roberts), but I did date her husband's brother for 3.5 years. My best friend - my own MOH "E" - got engaged while I was still dating him! I think they've been together for a cumulative of 11 years now. Some of the best things come with time. The bride & groom - E+E - had one of the most amazing weddings I've ever seen. I didn't take any pictures myself, but I didn't need to. Everyone else in attendance was a photographer there! I plan to post a recap on her wedding when I can get my hands on some pics. ;)
For the time being, I'll give you a sneak peak into their wedding website.
my browser was doing funny things - "Español" has the same font as "English normally ;)The front page to their wedsite (that the groom designed from scratch) featured a hand-drawn image of E+E. I love how it really looks like them, and it looks like a heart. :) Several members of the bride's family were coming to the California nuptials from South America, so they directed their guests to both an English and a Spanish version of their site.
(click to enlarge)The groom's a pretty good artist, so in addition to drawing their "monogram" (really, the heart picture of their faces together), he scanned in pieces of paper to look like the moon, clouds, and a rolling hillside. The best part of their wedsite was that the little pieces of "paper" MOVED. The clouds moved past the moon, and the hills slowly rolled, just as the countryside changes as you hike through it. Their wedding was at the groom's parents' home between Half Moon Bay and Redwood City in the Bay Area. It's really quite beautiful there.
a good place for cycling, too!E+E were very practical with their wedding plans. Their beautiful wedsite directed people to exactly what they needed to know - the "who what when where how" of a wedding. Sweet & simple, and I think it worked fantastically. Plus their RSVP was on their wedsite, so that meant no extra fumbling with RSVP cards. E+E uploaded a picture of each person that RSVP'd yes to their page "who's coming". This was a great way to place a picture with the face of other guests!
My MOH E and her husband did not have professional photography, so I hope to get some pics to share with you soon! I feel very excited to showcase their wedding, because, while they don't necessarily balk at the Wedding Industry, they certainly tried to make their wedding completely their own. They had their wedding at home. There was dancing for those who wanted to dance. The brother of the groom used his fire-engine bar. There was a pig roast. There was home-made honey wine (brewed a year in advance!). There was standing room only at the ceremony. The brother of the bride officiated (with a book on how to survive ZOMBIE attacks!). There was no assigned seating at the reception, the mother of the groom baked the 5-TIER layered cake, and my dear E+E were happier than I've ever seen them. It was truly the embodiment of their lives together, their families, their friends, and their happiness, and I can't wait to share it with you.
30 July 2009
chugging the crazy juice...
I saw this earlier, and thought WOW
BEAUTIFUL!
Maybe it just looks like a bunch of yarn to you, but to me, that looks like soft, supple, delectably cozy wedding-wear to me! So I did what any bride drunk off the crazy juice does. I spent time thinking about it.
Bad idea. I like it. It's pretty. Here, this might help you visualize -
Yup. Still cute. Still like it. Crap. Well... I'm going to be cold on the September evening, aren't I? I'll need some sort of... SHRUG or WRAP, won't I? Of course I will. Don't be silly, little Bear Cub.
I couldn't stop with just one pattern. Oh NOOO... I had to check out my usual free-pattern fix - Knitty. And OF COURSE there are some pretties on there I started drooling over...
"Seascape"
and then I fell into the rabbit hole of lace. Ohhh I love lace. Lace so prettyyyy.... (remember, I'm still boozed up on the crazy juice.)
I have the yarn. I guess you know by now I'm a knitter. I used to knit a lot. With knitting, comes yarn hoarding. I have a LOT of yarn. So much beautiful yarn, begging to be donned as a wedding day arm-warmer.
In particular, I have about 7 shades of this yarn:
No joke. I have 7 shades, and 10 skeins (balls) of each color. 70% merino wool & 30% silk? Yes, please! It feels so good, I just want to rub it on my cheeks. Mmm... yarn..
RIGHT. WEDDINGS. Gotta sober up here a bit.
This looks wedding-y to me.
I started knitting this particular pattern a few years ago, but that's a lot of lace, and I ended up not having the time.
Hmm... this is sounding like a wacko idea. Knit a lace shawl/scarf/shrug, with less than 2 months before the wedding? Am I crazy?
Knitters in the hive - how much effort/time do you think it would be to knit a lace wrap thing? Is it worth it?
All you lovely buzzing members of the hive - are these shrugs/wraps really beautiful, or am I off my rocker? Should I save my time, or invest in a beautiful hand-knit wrap?
BEAUTIFUL!
Maybe it just looks like a bunch of yarn to you, but to me, that looks like soft, supple, delectably cozy wedding-wear to me! So I did what any bride drunk off the crazy juice does. I spent time thinking about it.
Bad idea. I like it. It's pretty. Here, this might help you visualize -
Yup. Still cute. Still like it. Crap. Well... I'm going to be cold on the September evening, aren't I? I'll need some sort of... SHRUG or WRAP, won't I? Of course I will. Don't be silly, little Bear Cub.
I couldn't stop with just one pattern. Oh NOOO... I had to check out my usual free-pattern fix - Knitty. And OF COURSE there are some pretties on there I started drooling over...
"Seascape"
and then I fell into the rabbit hole of lace. Ohhh I love lace. Lace so prettyyyy.... (remember, I'm still boozed up on the crazy juice.)
I have the yarn. I guess you know by now I'm a knitter. I used to knit a lot. With knitting, comes yarn hoarding. I have a LOT of yarn. So much beautiful yarn, begging to be donned as a wedding day arm-warmer.
In particular, I have about 7 shades of this yarn:
No joke. I have 7 shades, and 10 skeins (balls) of each color. 70% merino wool & 30% silk? Yes, please! It feels so good, I just want to rub it on my cheeks. Mmm... yarn..
RIGHT. WEDDINGS. Gotta sober up here a bit.
This looks wedding-y to me.
I started knitting this particular pattern a few years ago, but that's a lot of lace, and I ended up not having the time.
Hmm... this is sounding like a wacko idea. Knit a lace shawl/scarf/shrug, with less than 2 months before the wedding? Am I crazy?
Knitters in the hive - how much effort/time do you think it would be to knit a lace wrap thing? Is it worth it?
All you lovely buzzing members of the hive - are these shrugs/wraps really beautiful, or am I off my rocker? Should I save my time, or invest in a beautiful hand-knit wrap?
From Chile, With Love
What do a baby bear...
... and a cutie-patootie poodle have in common?
se hablan español, they love weddings, and they want to spend Saturday evening with YOU!
Miss Poodle is coming to visit me this weekend, and we'd love to meet you on BeeTV this Saturday evening and talk about all things wedding! We'll be celebrating in true Chilean fashion with Pisco Sours - cachai??
Don't forget to stop by and visit us on BeeTV this Saturday evening at 6:00pm EST.
Besos!
... and a cutie-patootie poodle have in common?
se hablan español, they love weddings, and they want to spend Saturday evening with YOU!
Miss Poodle is coming to visit me this weekend, and we'd love to meet you on BeeTV this Saturday evening and talk about all things wedding! We'll be celebrating in true Chilean fashion with Pisco Sours - cachai??Don't forget to stop by and visit us on BeeTV this Saturday evening at 6:00pm EST.
Besos!
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