Joy: Our Wedding – More Photos
Written by Sara on September 23, 2010 – 9:00 am -{Click here to catch up on our wedding recaps:
Hair appointments; Picking up flowers; Getting ready; The Gown; Our First Look and Girls & Guys Attire}
A few more photos for you all! Check out some of our fun posed shots:
Then, we moved downtown for some (super-fast!) outdoor shots – it sure was warm outside!
Check out our guys’ cool socks – a gift from us! :)
Then we returned to the chapel for some family shots!
Up next: pre-ceremony activities…and my nervous energy!
[All photos by the amazingly talented Creative Kindling]
Tags: argyle socks, posed photos, wedding party photos, wedding party posed photos, Wedding Recap, yellow & grey
Posted in Adornments & Embellishments, Beauty & Polish, Budget Weddings, DIY, Fashion, Flowers, Inspiration & Insight, Our Wedding, Personal, Photography, Venues, Vintage Beauties, Wedding Recap, Weddings | 6 Comments »
Joy: Our Wedding – Girl & Guy Attire!
Written by Sara on September 15, 2010 – 12:09 pm -
{Click here to catch up on our wedding recaps: Hair appointments, Picking up flowers, Getting ready, The Gown, and Our First Look}
While Jordan and I were having our “First Look” moment and snapping a few pictures, our bridesmaids, groomsmen, ushers and flower girls were getting dressed!
If you can recall, I had one heck of a time selecting a dress for my gal pals to wear on our wedding day. But, looking back, I couldn’t be more pleased with our final dress selection (dresses by Dessy)!
Here’s a picture or two of my beautiful bridesmaids; don’t they look gorgeous!? {NOTE: Preview pictures from the ceremony!!}
The guys (both groomsmen and ushers) looked equally fabulous in tuxes that we rented from Evelyn’s Floral and Formalware in Sioux Falls; I believe that the tuxes were Calvin Klein:
And, who could forget my darling little flower girls! Dresses were made by BoutiqueSophia on Etsy:
And now, the cutest baby picture ever: our niece and flower-girl-in-training, little Miss Harper:
Love that baby!
Up next: a few posed shots of my hubby and I, our wedding party, and our families! Stay tuned…
[All photos by the amazing Creative Kindling]
Tags: BoutiqueSophia, bridesmaid dress, Calvin Klein tuxes, charcoal grey bridesmaid dresses, Dessy, Etsy, Evelyn's Floral and Formalware, First Look, flower girl dresses, flower girl in-training, grey and yellow tuxes, Sioux Falls, tutu flower girl dresses, Wedding Recap
Posted in Adornments & Embellishments, Beauty & Polish, Budget Weddings, Fashion, Inspiration & Insight, Our Wedding, Personal, Photography, Vintage Beauties, Wedding Recap, Weddings | 3 Comments »
Joy: Our Wedding – Our First Look!
Written by Sara on September 10, 2010 – 11:09 am -I know, I know…it’s been awhile since I’ve posted a wedding recap, but here I am! Catch up on recaps here: hair appointments, picking up flowers, applying make-up and putting on my gown!
Jordan and I chose to do a “First Look” before the ceremony because we wanted to take all of our formal/posed pictures before the wedding. So, after I put on my wedding gown, shoes and jewelry, my maid of honor Kristen, our photographer Kara and I headed over to meet Jordan and Aaron, our other photographer who had been with the guys snapping photos!
I think I’ll just let the pictures do the talking here…but know this: Our “First Look” ended up being my absolute favorite part of the entire day.
Isn’t that so much fun?! How handsome is my hubby! I was floored, just so ecstatic to finally see him, to finally show Jordan my dress…it was such a perfect moment.
Up next: Bridesmaids & Groomsmen – a look at their attire!
Are you doing a “First Look” at your wedding?
[All photos by the outstanding Creative Kindling]
Tags: First Look, pictures before the wedding, Wedding Recap
Posted in Adornments & Embellishments, Beauty & Polish, Budget Weddings, DIY, Eco-Chic, Fashion, Flowers, Inspiration & Insight, Our Wedding, Personal, Photography, Vintage Beauties, Wedding Recap, Weddings | 6 Comments »
Joy: Our Wedding – The Gown!
Written by Sara on August 30, 2010 – 9:00 am -
After a morning full of hair appointments, picking up our bouquets and applying make-up, it was finally time to put on my wedding gown!
As you all know, I haven’t yet revealed the gown that I chose to wear – so, without further delay, here it is! I chose an ivory Alfred Angelo tiered lace gown with an ivory satin bodice and sash :)
The gown has since been discontinued (actually, this gown was discontinued a mere two weeks after we ordered it!) – I love knowing that I am one of the last women to wear this beautiful, vintage-inspired gown.
My Mom helped me get into my gown…
Then it was time for jewelry…
I wore beautiful pearl earrings that Jordan gave me as a gift; a Norwegian brooch that has been in my family for generations; a Norwegian necklace that my grandmother gave to me when I was young; a fun yellow-gold ring that I purchased from Galla15 on Etsy; and a lovely pearl bracelet that my friend and bridesmaid Serena gave me.
And then, it was time for my veil! I purchased my veil at a local bridal shop; it’s by Signature Bridal.
Next up were my (hand-crafted and homemade!) garters and my shoes, featuring shoe clips from BPoetic on Etsy!
And with a few tears from my bridesmaids and my Mom…
…I put the finishing touches on my bouquet (isn’t it beautiful!!)…
…took a few bridal portraits…
…and headed over to the chapel to meet Jordan for our “First Look!”
Coming up next: my favorite part of our day – our “First Look!”
What do you think of my gown? Was it worth the wait?
[All photos by the outstanding Creative Kindling]
Tags: Alfred Angelo, birdcage veil, BPoetic, bridal portraits, Etsy, First Look, Galla 15, Norwegian jewelry, Signature Bridal, vintage jewelry, vintage wedding dress, vintage-inspired wedding gown
Posted in Adornments & Embellishments, Beauty & Polish, DIY, Fashion, Flowers, Inspiration & Insight, Our Wedding, Personal, Photography, Venues, Vintage Beauties, Wedding Recap, Weddings | 4 Comments »
Joy: Our Wedding – Getting Ready!
Written by Sara on August 24, 2010 – 11:37 am -
After a busy morning of hair appointments and picking up our bouquets, my maid of honor Kristen and I finally arrived at Augustana College to start getting ready! My bridesmaids met us in what we affectionately called our “Getting Ready Room,” which actually was the make-up room that the theatre cast uses before each show. Full of mirrors and lights, the room was perfect for a bunch of girls getting beautiful!
So, as Kristen wrote furiously, finishing her maid of honor speech…
My new sister-in-law Larissa was my make-up artist extraordinaire!
My hair needed a few more bobby pins…
And just like that, my make-up was done! Larissa used mostly Bare Minerals products, as well as some Loreal and Maybelline eyeshadow and mascara to finish off the look. Larissa and I had two make-up trials before the big day to get the look exactly right – I’ve never felt so beautiful!
My Mom arrived at Augustana with my gown, and it was almost time to get dressed!
While we girls were getting beautified, the boys were getting ready across campus!
Stay tuned…the dress reveal is coming up next!
[All photos by the splendid talent behind Creative Kindling]
Tags: Bare Minerals, DIY wedding day make-up, Loreal, make-up, Maybelline, wedding day make-up, Wedding Recap
Posted in Beauty & Polish, Budget Weddings, DIY, Inspiration & Insight, Our Wedding, Photography, Venues, Wedding Recap, Weddings | 4 Comments »
Joy: Our Wedding – Get Beautified
Written by Sara on August 18, 2010 – 9:26 am -
And let the wedding recaps begin…
Waking up on the morning of our wedding day was extremely surreal. My lovely bestest friend in the whole world, my cousin and maid of honor Kristen, spent the night at my house the night before, and honestly, that was one of the best decisions I made – having her there right away in the morning definitely helped to calm my nerves!
Kristen and I headed to Salon Ne-Zhoni in Sioux Falls, where my bridesmaids and I proceeded to take over the salon for the morning. My sister-in-law Larissa arrived, too, and all 3 of us were whisked off to the beauty chairs for our updos.
As you can recall, I had a hair trial a few weeks prior, so my hairstylist and I were on the same page from the get-go. For my bridesmaids, we decided to have all of the girls wear their hair up and off to the right side…it looked super cute to have their hair all going the same direction!
My hairstylist Lisa began curling my hair…
Kristen took pictures…
I started to feel bride-y…
My hairstylist braided the back of my hair across my head (my favorite part!)…
And inserted my hair fascinator (courtesy of Y&E Bridal on Etsy…one of the first purchases I made, and one of the best)…
And I was done!
Larissa and Kristen were seriously gorgeous…
And then it was time for my other 2 bridesmaids, my friends Jessica and Serena, to have their hair done!
First, Serena got in touch with her inner Curly Sue…
And Jessica tried a new look…
But eventually, they were ready for the day!
You’ll notice the hair pieces in all of the girls’ hair…my Mom and I made those! We purchased very inexpensive fabric flowers from New York & Company, dyed them grey (they were ivory), sewed and pinned on some ivory lace, added a hair comb on the back and a bauble in the middle of the flower, and voila! I was so pleased with how they turned out.
We all grabbed a quick lunch at the salon, thanks to my lovely Aunt Becky…
And while Kristen and I picked up the flowers (which were HEAVENLY – I can’t wait to share them with you!), all of the other girls headed off to the church to get ready!
[All photos by the amazingly talented Creative Kindling]
Tags: bridesmaids hair, hair appointment, low wedding updo, wedding hair, Wedding Recap, wedding updo
Posted in Beauty & Polish, Fashion, Inspiration & Insight, Our Wedding, Photography, Vintage Beauties, Wedding Recap, Weddings | 20 Comments »
What We’ve Been Up To…
Written by Sara on June 16, 2010 – 2:52 pm -Hello readers! Again, I apologize for not posting much these past few weeks; it’s been a whirlwind to say the least. With only one month to go until the wedding (!!), Jordan and I have been hard at work finishing up last-minute details with our families and friends.
Here’s what we’ve been doing:
- Last week, I spent the evening building our photo booth with the great help of my future father-in-law. The photo booth turned out wonderfully; I can’t wait to see how it looks in our wedding photos! I hope to provide a full tutorial for you all at some point, so stay tuned…
- Made a list of must-have photos for our photographers, and met with our lovely photogs to discuss our wedding day. I’m SO excited that we’ve chosen such wonderful and supportive photographers; they will be so great to have with us on our wedding day, and I know that Kara will help to keep me relaxed.
- Started tanning! While I’m definitely not a fan of how bad tanning beds are for my skin, I do need to build up a base tan of sorts before heading off to Jamaica. So, I’ve stared tanning a few times per week!
- Started the napkins process! With the great help of my bridesmaid Serena and her mother, we’re making headway with the DIY napkins project! We’re about halfway through the project, and I plan to bring the last batch of fabric over to Serena’s home this week for cutting.
- Mailed our rehearsal dinner invitations. They turned out wonderfully, and we’re so excited for our Italian-themed rehearsal dinner!
- Ordered 3 one-half sheet cakes for our wedding reception. We ordered 1/2 sheet of red velvet (my favorite!), one half sheet of strawberry (Jordan’s favorite) and one half sheet of vanilla cake from a local bakery. I’m glad to have that completed!
- Set up a final meeting with our on-site reception coordinator and our florist to cover last-minute details. Both of these appointments are next week, and I’m excited to finalize all of the details!
- Set up a meeting to visit the chapel where our ceremony will take place. I’m visiting my alma mater, Augustana College, this week to set up decorations around the chapel to see what they look like. I’m excited to see how/if the pew bows will attach to the pews…frankly, that’s all I’m concerned about. I know that everything else will look great!
- Finalized gifts for the groomsmen and ushers; everything should be done next week, so I can wrap the gifts!
- Secured a classic car to transport Jordan and I from the ceremony to the reception!
- Got the guys measured for tuxes! Only a few of our guys have yet to do this, and they’re under strict instructions to do so ASAP.
- Finalized our wedding ceremony script. Yes!
- Trying to wrangle wedding pictures of our relatives; I only need a few more pictures, and we’ll be set!
I think that’s it!
Here’s what we have left:
- Our reception playlist. We’ve started working on it, but Jordan’s school quarter ends this Friday, so Jordan will have a lot more time to devote to finalizing our playlist starting next week. This is his pet project, and I’m excited to help with this process as much as I can.
- Getting a few more props for the photo booth, as well as finding/purchasing baskets for the day’s needs, a few picture frames, and a few props for our wedding photos on the wedding day.
- Figuring out what camera to use for the photo booth.
- Print the wedding programs. We’re waiting for the final OK from our officiant, and as soon as we have that, we’re good to go!
- Cutting table squares and a table runner for the reception; we are purchasing the fabric today, so it won’t be too long before this project is off our list.
- Sew a lining into our flower girl dresses. Again, the fabric for this has been purchased, so hopefully we can finalize this project soon.
- Purchase a gift for my personal attendant and our parents, as well as gifts for our hosts & hostesses and our ceremony reader.
- Gift-opening preparation and invitations.
- Bring my engagement ring and wedding band into the jeweler to be soldered and plated.
- Premarital counseling session with my uncle, our officiant, to discuss our personality inventory.
- Discuss our DIY tiered wedding cake with my mother, and maybe practice making a cake.
- Final wedding gown fitting; I’m so excited for this part!
- Final hair and make-up trial, as well as week-of beauty treatments; again, SO excited!
- Wrap gifts and box up ceremony/reception decor.
- Marriage license.
- Meet with our travel agent to finalize details for our honeymoon, and pack for our honeymoon.
- GET MARRIED!
Surprisingly, my stress level is rather low; while I know that there’s still more things to do, I feel remarkably calm heading into the final month before the wedding.
How are you handling wedding stress?
Tags: wedding timeline, wedding to-do list
Posted in Adornments & Embellishments, Beauty & Polish, Budget Weddings, Cakes & Cuisine, Decor, DIY, Fashion, Flowers, Honeymoon, Inspiration & Insight, Music & Entertainment, Our Wedding, Personal, Photography, Stationery, Venues, Weddings | Comments Off
Showcase Thursday: My DIY Garter!
Written by Sara on April 22, 2010 – 9:05 am -
Last week, my Mom and I worked hard on making a garter for me to wear on my wedding day. It turned out perfectly!
Materials:
-Sewing machine
-Lace trim (the wider the better)
-Ribbon (at least 1/2 inch wide)
-Elastic (1/4 inch wide)
-Adornments/Embellishments as desired
Steps:
1. After estimating how much lace and ribbon is needed by measuring the circumference of your thigh, sew the ribbon to the top or the middle of the lace trim, depending on how wide the lace is and your own personal preference. Sew along the top edge and the bottom edge, so as to create a tunnel of sorts to feed the elastic through.
2. After estimating how much elastic you will need by wrapping the elastic around your thigh, attach a safety pin to one end of the elastic and feed it through the tunnel created by the ribbon.
3. Make sure it fits and feels comfortable, then sew the two ends together.
4. Add embellishments to the garter (we used a lovely vintage brooch), and you’re done!
I’m so pleased with how it turned out! I estimate that the project took about two hours and cost about $20.00.
What DIY projects are you working on now?
[Photo by me]
Tags: DIY garter
Posted in Adornments & Embellishments, Beauty & Polish, DIY, Fashion, Inspiration & Insight, Our Wedding, Vintage Beauties | Comments Off
Our Wedding: Girls Getaway!
Written by Sara on April 20, 2010 – 9:00 am -
My lovely sister-in-law Larissa and I had a lovely girls weekend in Minneapolis this past weekend! We drove up to the Cities on Saturday morning, and hit up the Medford Outlet Mall on the way up.
My goals for this trip: A) purchase make-up and perfume to wear on my wedding day, B) find two dresses, one to wear for the rehearsal dinner and one to wear for the gift-opening brunch, and C) find socks for my groom and his guys.
I am so excited to say that I accomplished all of these goals! Larissa and I had a blast working our way through Sephora, a lovely beauty store where I purchased Bare Minerals! I am SO excited to finally have make-up that makes me feel wonderful.
I found a few super cute dresses at H&M, although I am not sure which one I will end up wearing for the rehearsal dinner. I also found a super cute green dress at American Eagle to wear for the gift-opening; it will look adorable with a jean jacket and sandals.
Last, Larissa and I found the most perfect socks for our guys at Express. They are grey and yellow argyle, and they are WONDERFUL!
It was a quick trip, but so, so relaxing; I needed some girl time!
How are you keeping your sanity while planning your wedding?
[Photo of me (left), my sister-in-law Larissa, and my mother-in-law Nachole ... beautiful ladies!]
Tags: American Eagle, Bare Minerals, H&M, Mall of America, Medford Outlet Mall, Minneapolis
Posted in Beauty & Polish, Fashion, Our Wedding, Personal | Comments Off
Our Wedding: Make-Up Trial!
Written by Sara on March 30, 2010 – 9:00 am -
Me, all beautified
My future sister-in-law Larissa is one gorgeous girl. She has a knack for styling her hair just right, and for making her face look so flawless after applying make-up.
Therefore, it wasn’t difficult at all for me to select someone to help me with my make-up on my wedding day. So, a few weeks ago, I spent a few hours over at Larissa’s home working on the perfect wedding day beauty plan.
While many of my friends have used (and fallen in love with) Bare Minerals make-up, after trying it for the first time a few months ago at an area salon and spa, I wasn’t impressed. However, after one make-up trial with Larissa, I was officially a Bare Minerals convert.
Here’s a breakdown of the Bare Minerals products that Larissa used to achieve my bridal look:
-Skin Rever-Upper (moisturizer)
-Get Started Kit in Fair (foundation)
-”A Little Sun” (bronzer)
-”First Class” (blush), found in the Get Started: Eyes, Cheeks & Lips Kit
-Lip gloss, found in Get Started: Eyes, Cheeks & Lips Kit
-Eye Highlight, found in Get Started: Eyes, Cheeks & Lips Kit
-”Smoked Clay” eye color, found in smoky eye kit
Happy Tuesday!
Tags: Bare Minerals, DIY wedding make-up, wedding day beauty
Posted in Beauty & Polish, DIY, Fashion, Our Wedding | 1 Comment »