Wedding blogs, if not filled with pictures, are simply just musings. This blog, without its occasional spattering of pictures, would just be terribly boring. I love photography, I love fine art photographs, I love pictures of the quirky details -- I love it all.

But now, as I face the task of making a list of "must-have" pictures, I find myself struggling.

How detailed do I get? Where is the line between being a control freak and demanding "pictures of guests laughing" versus letting our photographer do what she does best?

I have complete faith that our photos will be gorgeous -- I just don't want any of my "details" to be overlooked.

So, below is a random assortment of pictures I love. Maybe they'll provide me with the perfect amount of inspiration when compiling my list.

Oh, and I welcome (most) suggestions. Please don't suggest any family/group type photographs, because that's simply not what I'm interested in. We'll take those, don't worry, but right now, I'm looking for helpful suggestions on what photographs speak to you (or what photographs you wished you would have gotten at your wedding).


The quintessential ring shot. Already on my list.

Simple, yet perfect.

Sweet. And I love the blue shoes peeking out.

Perfect timing.

I love it. Who knew you could capture so much personality without seeing any faces??

I Need a Vacation.

Recently, I've had a lot of people asking me if I was nervous or if I was overwhelmed. I always say no to both (especially the nervous question!), but lately I've begun to feel overwhelmed. It's nothing I can't handle -- I've certainly planned other events that require timelines be created, speeches be written, people be directed, etc. But, now I'm finding it difficult to plan a rehearsal dinner, a wedding, a reception, an afterparty, and a honeymoon. I feel completely on schedule with the wedding stuff, but I feel like I've devoted no time to planning our honeymoon, and that is not typical of me.

When I travel, I make itineraries. Several, actually. I create budget spreadsheets, get directions to local restaurants, book excursions early on, program taxi numbers in my phone --- the works.

With 7 weeks until we leave for our honeymoon, we still haven't booked the hotels.

I know, I know, I suck. But I've been working on it.

Today, for instance, I just booked a day trip on this:



We'll be sailing the seas, or rather the Pacific Ocean, on this catamaran. We depart at 8:30 in the morning, sail until 10, and then dock at the Low Isles, part of Coral Cay and the Great Barrier Reef. We'll get to snorkel, lounge on a private island, have lunch and afternoon tea, then sail on back to town.



I want to be here, now. As in right now. Or better yet, 10 minutes ago.



Is it terrible that when people ask "Are you excited for the wedding?" I usually respond with "Yeah, but not nearly as much as for the honeymoon."

I think this post has given me a kick in the tush to go and book our hotels tonight.

A Weak Moment...

I was having a weak moment last Thursday, trapped in wedding-land, where all I could see were artistic photos and wedding magazines, and purchased these:

Well, 10 of these, to be exact. In blue.

I pictured a fun picture like this:


(coincidentally taken by our lovely photographer).

I picture cute pictures in the garden of my sisters and I, each holding one of these, and the extras sitting in a basket for the guests who wanted to stroll in the sunny rose garden...

I admit, it might not have been my finest moment, but at $4 each, I thought it was worth it.

Besides this moment of weakness, the rest of the month has been going pretty well. Just wait until you my to-do list at the end of the month!!! I am on top of it! And really, with 56 days until the wedding, I need to be! Things are creeping up!

In the Mail!

On Sunday, I picked the envelopes up from the calligrapher, and surprise, they're fabulous!

Yesterday was a flurry of stamping, stuffing and sealing, but this morning, there was a stack of 100+ invitations ready to head to the post office.

Here they are, in all their final glory:



The completed "invitation suite":

You can see the DIY envelope liners that I did (with the help of my lovely sister Nicole) back in January. I think they turned out quite smashing! :)

Knowing what I do now would have saved me some time, money and aggravation, but the truth is, this probably wasn't as painful as it could have been. And, when all is said and done, the final product is really close to my original vision (and hey, maybe even better?).

I'm so glad to have this done! Now, onward to tracking the responses! I know this will be a fun task, because I was already handed back a blank one from one of my coworkers where he wrote in that there were 148 people attending...haha.

Grateful.

Today's my 23rd birthday (I know, I know...I'm young. My coworkers affectionately call me a zygote). In honor of this, I thought I'd do something a bit different. So, without further adieu:

23 Things I'm Grateful For (and a surprise at the end!)

1. Thomas. There are not enough words in the world to demonstrate how grateful I am to have this wonderful specimen of a man in my life.
2. My family. Through it all, they encourage me, keep me grounded, smile with me, laugh with me, cry with me...Whether or not it's a late night or early morning phone call because I just need to talk, or it's just a lazy Sunday morning thumbing through the Sunday ads while eating Mom's pancakes, they're always there.
3. My nieces. While certainly a part of #2, their smiles, hugs, sloppy kisses, giggles, and sweet words bring me more joy than I ever knew possible.
4. Dunkin' Donuts coffee. Starting now, these are in no particular order. But seriously, I love this coffee.
5. My job. Everyone has moments of frustration, but overall, I love my coworkers (who I'm grateful for, too! Yay for bringing me cookies today!), have great flexibility, and pretty much enjoy what I do. And I get a paycheck. Not too shabby.
6. Our house. More specifically, the whirlpool tub that I used for the first time last night. (Side note: I'm not particularly grateful for the muscle pull in my back that required me to use the tub. Stupid working out.)
7. My puppy. Once you get past his crazy barking fits and his occasional temper tantrum, he's a sweet, sweet boy who loves to cuddle with me at night. More than once I've woken up to find him sleeping on the other half of my pillow...haha.
8. My friends. I'm so very grateful that they haven't ditched me after all my hair-brained schemes...you know who you are, girls! :)
9. A sense of humor. Seriously, people are boring without one.
10. J.R. Watkins Apothecary Lemon Cream body cream and hand lotion. These 2 bottles are within 6 inches of my hands at all times at work. True love, people, true love.
11. Fresh flowers. I pick up a bouquet weekly at the store, and they just make me smile.
12. Sweet Iced Tea with Lemons. Constantly chilled in my fridge --- yum! :)
13. My BlackBerry. I'm connected ALL the time, and I love it. I told Tom last night that I would never, ever have a normal phone again.
14. My past. It's shaped me to who I am now, and brought me to where I am, and I'm always grateful for that.
15. Love Actually. If this movie had never come about, my life would be less rich.
16. The opportunity to travel. I'm so thankful that I can go where I'd like and experience what I want. Not everyone has that opportunity!
17. New clothes. I got a bunch of new clothes yesterday (an early birthday present). There's something about putting on a brand new outfit that just boosts your self-esteem. :)
18. Flip-flops. My life would not be complete without these.
19. My ability to write. Whether or not I'm making one of my crazy lists, writing for work, or just blogging for fun, writing has always been a creative outlet, and I'm so grateful I've discovered it and used it to my advantage.
20. Chocolate. What list would be complete without it?
21. Manicures and pedicures. A guilty indulgence that I'm most definitely grateful for.
22. My GPS. I'm grateful that I never have to worry about getting lost again.
23. My finished wedding invitations. Yep, you read that right. They surprised me and arrived yesterday. Ta-da!

Oh, sweet, sweet love.

Happy Birthday to me!

Shipped!

My invitations were shipped today, with 3-day shipping, which should put them on my doorstep on Friday.

What's so exciting about that, you ask?

Well, Friday's my birthday, and I couldn't ask for a better birthday present! YAY!

How weird is it going to be HOLDING my wedding invitation? Ahh...so strange!!

I just can't believe how soon everything is creeping up. It feels like just yesterday I was complaining to Tom that we wouldn't be married for another 2 years and pricing out a huge outdoor tented affair...and now it's 2 months away and couldn't be more perfect!

I still have moments where I kick myself for not coming up with clever favors, or not renting a photobooth (I priced one out over the weekend before coming to my senses), but then I have my moments of clarity, too. For being so detail-oriented, I find it funny that my vision of the wedding day no longer includes any details. All I see is Tom, waiting for me at the end of the aisle, and blurs upon blurs of family and friends smiling upon us. And then it hits me --- that's all that matters anyway.

He Did It!

First, he did this:



Then, he got this:



...and ended up here:



Three must be his lucky number...In his 3rd collegiate track season, Thomas threw 16.33', shattering his previous PR (and school record) of 6.08'. Jumping up from 11th to 7th in the nation, Tom won his 3rd All-American title in the Men's Outdoor Shot Put. With these three titles to his name, Tom is tied with one other athlete at his university to have the most career All-American titles, and he still has another year left next year (which means the possibility of 4 more titles!).

I am just absolutely bursting with pride and happiness for Tom. I've seen firsthand all the work that he's put into the last 6 months of track (and the 4 months of training prior). He spends an estimated 15 hours a week practicing, 10+ hours a week lifting weights, and another 5-6 hours a week running and doing other drills at a separate training facility. I can't even begin to count the number of times he's come home caked in mud and sweat, only to find a layer of sunburn underneath. He works so unbelievably hard, is so constant, unwavering and diligent --- I've never met another person with the determination he demonstrates.

I'd be lying if I didn't say that I'm not happy track season is over. I squealed out loud when he told me he was taking off the summer at the gym! It's just nice to have him around more. There have been a few rough spots this year, trying to balance our time together, his time practicing, his time competing, and then trying to fit everything else (school, work, family, etc.) in. But, weekends like this make everything make sense again. They make all the time apart, the 6+ hours I spend at a track meet, the strain of having another major priority in his life, all of it, worth it.

Who knows what the future will hold for us...this weekend alone he's had people approaching him about job and training opportunities...but the one thing I do know is that I'm happy to just be with him, chasing dreams together. :)

And thus endeth my sappiness. Sorry, but there has to be one of these posts every once in a while.

Knowing When to Throw the Towel In - THE FOLLOW UP

It's official -- we're definitely going the professional route on the calligraphy.

I am SO pleased with this decision. I know it's going to turn out absolutely fabulously, and don't regret the price tag!

This is the script we're going with:

Flourished Copperplate:



Our calligrapher, Katie, of Belles Lettres Designs, is fantastic at what she does, obviously. I think it's quite a gift to be able to do calligraphy, and have always admired those that could.

We've opted to go with the white ink on the blue envelope, even though it will cost more. There are still just a few aspects of my vision that I'm unwilling to relinquish.

I'll be dropping off the addresses tomorrow, and in lightning speed, they should be ready sometime next week!! Pictures will definitely follow! :)

PS - I was able to successfully sell my Gocco, so we're not incurring any extra costs here! Holla for the budget!

A Little Late to the Game

Did you know that March is designated as "National Crafts Month"? I did. And I've started my celebration late.

It's no surprise that I love me a good project, especially one that has instant results.

I actually started these organza flowers a few weeks ago as a test run. They were pretty simple, actually, and I had churned out 3 in less than half an hour. Plus, I only spent $10 on the organza, and I have plenty left over!



Mine are made out of blue and green, and I'm hoping I can figure out a way to make them into hair clips for my nieces. The ones I made were a bit more curly around the edges, but I like them that way. If I figure out a good use for them, I'll be sure to post the final result.

Last night, I left the wedding projects behind and moved into home decor. Not for my house (though those projects are beginning to swirl in my head, too!), but for my nieces' bedroom. The two oldest of the bunch are moving up to a "big girl" bedroom to make room for little Charlotte, who will be arriving in just 6 short weeks! So, last night, I dug my trust little sewing machine out from the depths of my closet, fired it up, and whipped up 2 pairs of curtains and 3 throw pillows. Tonight, I'm finishing up the last of the 3 pillows. Soon, Becca and I will start with the last of the accents, which I'm most excited about. I'll definitely post some pictures once the room is finished!

Since I was already on a crafty roll yesterday, I ordered a new set of calligraphy pens and white India ink to address the invitations.


(Clever calligraphy from Once Wed)

I informed Tom that once I finalize and verify all the guests' addresses, I'll be launching a hostile takeover of his computer and printer so I can begin the printing, then will start the white ink process in batches throughout April and May. This way, June will roll around and all I'll have to do will be to purchase the stamps! :)

And what's an envelope without an invitation?



That's right --- I'm breaking out the Gocco. I know I've made a series of false promises with this, but I really have no choice anymore. I have to start this and figure it out, in case it doesn't work...

And maybe, just maybe, if I'm not too burned out, I'll finally start on the ribbon wands I mentioned.

I've purchased a TON of ribbon a few weeks ago, but I still have to purchase the dowel rods for these and the flower girl wands and paint them before I begin anything...

A Recap Among Recaps

So this is going to be a ridiculously long, picture-filled post. My apologies.

But, as we stand 4 months out from the wedding, here's the plans/inspiration so far:

This is the bouquet that started it all; Most of my decisions have stemmed from this picture:



The ceremony venue:



The apparel:

The ties for the gentlemen:


The flower girl dresses:

Symbolic of the black dresses my sisters are wearing:

My HOT shoes (but in blue):

The accessories:

The rings:

The paper:

Invitation inspiration (but blue, not pink):




The programs:


The favor boxes:

The details:

Our wine "guestbook":

Our personalized brick:

So I think it's shaping up nicely!

Wedding Philosophy...

So this morning, while making my blog rounds, I stumbled upon another great post by Meg over on A Practical Wedding. I always identify with what Meg writes. I've highlighted in red my reactions to what she wrote:

The 4 Keys to Having a "Practical" Wedding:

• That you have a honest wedding. That your wedding budget (whatever it is) reflects who you are, and what you feel you can afford to spend. That when you think of your wedding budget you don't feel ill and wonder, "oh dear god, how are we ever going to pay off this party?" I mean, in my experience *any* wedding budget will make you feel ill now and then, but most of the time it should make you feel confident like, "Hey, it feels like a lot of money, but we're spending smart, and we can do this thing." Amen, sister! So glad we nixed the $20k budget!
• That you tried to spend less then you can afford. At the end of the day, it's nice to know that you have a little in the bank in case of an emergency, and you didn't blow it all on one day. (I'm aware that this is not always possible. In my most broke days a marriage license would have felt like more then I could afford!) Yes! I'm a deal-hunter! This is sooo me. We're paying for the wedding and honeymoon in cash, and will still have a savings! Yes!
• That you have a laid back wedding where you care more about having a wedding that reflects who you are then meeting some arbitrary criteria, whether they are set by a wedding magazine or a blog. Hey, us again! We're on a roll! Haven't I tried (though I've slipped at times) to focus on WHY we're getting married, not HOW?
• But there is one thing that I care about most of all: I think how you spend your money is more important than how much you spend. When I look back at what we've spent our money on, the decisions I feel the best about are the ones where we put our money towards things we believe in. I don't feel best about the affordable wine we bought at Bevmo (though I think it was a smart choice), instead I feel the best about the wine that we bought on sale from Meeker - our favorite funky, low brow, small, local winery. When we bought Meeker wine, we helped support a business that we want to thrive in a difficult economic environment, and I feel great about that. I've tried to look at our wedding budget as money we are going to spend regardless, and tried to allocate it to people, businesses, and local artists that we want to thrive. Hmmm, if I stretch it, this one might be us, too. Though we're not having an all out eco-friendly, locally-grown wedding, we are doing our best to make conscious decisions about how and where we spend our money.

It's funny, because I was planning on posting something thoughtful today, anyway, that this showed up on my Google Reader. It's one of the few wedding blogs that doesn't just churn out pictures of over-priced (but gorgeous) weddings that focus on the invitations, the bridal dress, the venue, etc.

This weekend, I had a "Eureka" moment. Tom and I had a fairly laid back weekend, and the only "wedding" moment was when we tried on our wedding rings (which was a pretty spectacular moment, by the way!). The rest was all wedding-free, and it was so nice returning back to who we are as a couple, as opposed to Tom and Beth, the groom and bride. It's so very easy to get caught up in the plans, the budget, the etiquette rules, and the details, that we forget to relax and enjoy ourselves. :)

So, as March begins to come to a close and we head into "the crazy months," I plan on making a concerted effort to keep my head screwed on straight and my stress to a minimum. The "Will it matter in 10 minutes? 10 days? 10 years?" question will be one I ask myself more often.

Any maybe, just maybe, I'll remain practical until August.

Shoes Make a Heart Happy

I love shoes.

Even though you will find me wearing flip-flops on any given day, including winter, I still love (and collect!) shoes. What did I bring back from Germany? Wine, nutcrackers and shoes. Red peep toe stilettos, to be exact.

So it's of no surprise that I'm taking the task of finding my wedding shoes pretty seriously. Pretty seriously, indeed.

Every time I enter a store, I head to the shoe section and peruse the selection. Saturday's trip to the mall was no different. I was actually about to pass a store up when my mom convinced me to look inside.

I'd been searching for shoes like these, but in blue:




And what did I find? This exact shoe in the perfect blue! With an original price of $59.99, these shoes became destined for my wedding when I found out they were marked down to $19.99. Score!

I love love LOVE them! :)

Again, just one more example of how waiting can bring good things into your life. Had I purchased the $60 shoes and paid another $15 to dye them, I'd be out an extra $50, run the possibility of the dye bleeding if the grass was wet that morning, and not be completely satisfied anyway.

In other Tom news, I won't be posting tomorrow, since I'll be heading up to Terre Haute, IN for Nationals. As it stands, Tom is still ranked #7 nationally, in both events. If he finishes within the top 8 (out of 14), he'll be honored with the title of All-American! I'll be taking video and pictures, and hope to post his results in the evening. (He's in charge of packing the camera and the dock, so if I don't post, you'll know why...). This whole experience is still very surreal. He's been waiting for this moment for four years. I know he'll be splendid and turn out the performance of his life! :)

Be back tomorrow evening with updates!

I'm Not Sure What I Like More...

(from A Practical Wedding)

I'm not sure what I like more --- the DIY flower tree, or the photograph itself.

Some DIY Details...

So unfortunately, this is the best picture I have of our ceremony site. Once the weather warms up, I plan on taking a run over there with my florist, so I'll be able to report back with better pictures.

Until then, bear with me and use your imagination...



So the paver walkway extends past the staircase, and then splits around a small flower bed, then meets again. The path continues for a distance to the parking lot, I believe. The garden is actually tucked behind a building, so it is not visible from the parking lot.

As a dual-purpose project, I'm thinking of creating some path markers. I saw this featured on OnceWed:

Ribbon wands:

Pinwheels and ribbon wands:

Now picture these ribbon wands, with a bit thicker stem and thicker ribbons, spaced every two feet or so, lining the path to the tent. As a project that will cost less than $20, I think this is something that would make a big impact with little effort (similar to the sheer sashes being tied to the chairs!).

Ribbon is on sale at a few craft stores right now, so maybe I'll talk a gander at the selection, calculate it, and make a final decision tonight...

And the Results Are In...

Before you watch the videos, please note that the order is screwed up. I know this, but since I don't have the files on this computer, Blogger isn't letting me switch the order. So, read the first part, watch the second video. Then, read the second part and watch the first video. Got it? Good!

Saturday was possibly one of the longest meets I have ever been to, and I've been to a lot of meets.

During the warm-up for the guys' weight throw, a guy broke a crossbar off of the throwing cage, and for safety reasons, we had to wait until they could fix it. So, for an hour and a half, we sat and waited. And waited. And waited some more.

In the meantime, Tom, who had been up all night with a fever and cough, was doing his best to rest and quell his queasiness. When he woke up that morning, the first thing he said to me was "I can't even lift my head off the pillow. How am I going to throw?"

Eventually they fixed the crossbar, and Tom mustered up the strength to do this:



Not only did this throw (coming in at 17.43 meters) place Tom in the lead, it also broke every existing conference record and secured him 7th place nationally. Yep, nationally. Like, all 50 states nationally. How cool is that?

Since he was in the lead by over 2 meters (almost 7 feet!), his coach had him sit out through finals so he could conserve his strength. The poor guy was so sick that he was running to the bathroom in between events and throwing up... :(

But, he somehow managed to do this:




This throw, in shot put, measured at 16.00 meters. Again, this was enough to place him in 1st, break all existing conferences records, and place him in 7th place nationally. Too funny, isn't it?

In weight throw, Tom and his teammates placed 1st, 2nd, and 4th. In shot put, they placed 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. At the end of the meet, in addition to receiving his medals, Tom was also named Men's Field Athlete of the Meet.

To me, it's unbelievable that despite how sick he was (and he was pretty dang sick, people), he was able to make this his best meet EVER. I guess it really shows you how important mind over matter is.

And it really shows the mettle that this kid's made out of.

I am bursting with pride, and just so happy he's made it to this point. I am extremely lucky (despite my complaints at times!) to be sharing this journey with him...

Oh, and I promise, back to wedding stuff the rest of this week. I have some exciting stuff! :)

The Best of Both Worlds...

So I'm not sure why I've been so philosophical and thought-provoking lately. Sometimes I wonder if the "doom and gloom" of the economy really is hitting everyone, and every one's moods, more than people think.

For Tom and I, this has meant that we've really stopped to take inventory of our life, both current and future. Because of this, I've been trying to stay away from the wedding blogs and websites that only follow the "pretty" stuff, because we all know there is more to a wedding than that.

This morning, upon checking my Google Reader, I was greeted with the best of both worlds:

A gorgeous picture:

(via StyleMePretty)


I LOVE those blue shoes just peeking through...

And some sound advice from Rebecca, guest blogger @ A Practical Wedding:

"I knew, too, that I am the only person who can ruin my wedding -- by letting the small stuff get to me -- and as long as Thom and I were married at the end of the day, it was going to be the best day of my life (so far!). "

Good advice!

Color Obsession

I can't help it. I know some people (that means you, Becca!), find this combination ugly, but I can't help but love it every time I see it.

Oh marigold & gray, how I love thee!


(via StyleMePretty)

Ummm, No Thanks

So in the course of our planning, we've decided to nix a lot of traditional wedding elements. Some of this was simply because we didn't like them, others was based on money, and yet others were because we didn't feel it fit our needs.

So here's a quick run-down of what we're abstaining from:

A videographer:

This isn't to say that we don't appreciate the medium, but I simply cannot rationalize paying upwards of $2,000 for a tape we'll never watch. If I had all the money in the world, maybe...

The Garter:

We're also nixing the bouquet toss...

Fancy cake servers:

Nixed because we're not having...

...a wedding cake, either:

This is probably one of the most shocking decisions for others to understand. Neither one of us are drawn to a cake...?

a DJ:

We're hooking our iPod directly into the sound system at Maggiano's and hitting play...

Professional hairstylists/makeup artists:

I've never had good luck with the professionals. Because my hair is so thin and fine, traditional hairsprays only weigh it down, they don't really help hold the style. I've had far more success by just doing it myself with a few bobby pins and hot rollers...

I'm sure there's far more I can add to this list like chair covers, an ice luge, matching bridesmaid dresses, save-the-dates, a five-course meal, photobooth, customized postage or a sweets table. It's not that I necessarily find anything wrong with these things -- I just find them too traditional or too expensive for our taste.

Many of these traditional elements are not necessary, but in an effort to make their weddings grander than previous weddings, many brides buy all of this stuff, and pay top dollar for it. We've said since the beginning that this day is supposed to reflect us as a couple, not the current trends of the wedding industry. This isn't a "stand up against the man" point of view-- we're simply trying to reign back in the emotions and meaning of the day. I would be lying if I said Tom and I were not materialistic. I find most people are these days anyway. But in good conscience, I could not find myself debating the merit of an ice luge when I would much rather focus on the fact that I am committing myself to a marriage that morning.

It's definitely easy to get caught up in the materialism of the day (everyone remembers my favor box debacle). It's a constant effort to keep myself in check and remind myself of the purpose of the day.

Who knew planning a wedding was so multi-faceted?