Joy: Our Wedding – Ceremony Decor!
Written by Sara on October 30, 2010 – 7:00 pm -{Click here to catch up on our wedding recaps:
Hair appointments; Picking up flowers; Getting ready; The Gown; Our First Look, Girls & Guys Attire, More Photos, and Jitters and Communion}
Before we get into the actual wedding ceremony, I thought it would be fun to show you how we decorated the chapel space! Because the chapel at Augustana is already so, so beautiful, we wanted to keep the decor simple. So, we lined the center aisle with candles in mason jars tied with ribbon…
And after a failed attempt at creating these tissue paper pom-poms to hang on each pew, I purchased these rustic-looking burlap bows from Etsy! I purchased these from a seller who had used them for her own wedding; how fun! I added some grey and yellow ribbon to these, and I also adorned each bow with a brooch that I purchased at an antique store in Lincoln, Nebraska, before Jordan and I were even engaged!
We also placed seven beeswax candles on the altar to honor our grandparents who have passed away. We used yellow mulberries (from my mother’s collection!) to adorn the silver charger plate.
Also, now would probably be a great time to show you our guestbook, which we placed just outside the sanctuary in an entryway. From Etsy seller Lovliday, we had our guests stamp their thumbprints on this canvas and sign their name nearby. How fun!
Next up: A glimpse into the readings, music and prayers that we used in our ceremony!
[All photos by the outstanding Creative Kindling]
Tags: burlap pew bows, Creative Kindling, Etsy, guestbook, Lovliday, mason jars, simple ceremony decor
Posted in Adornments & Embellishments, Budget Weddings, Decor, DIY, Eco-Chic, Inspiration & Insight, Our Wedding, Personal, Photography, Vintage Beauties, Wedding Recap, Weddings | 2 Comments »
Joy: Our Wedding – Jitters and Communion
Written by Sara on October 24, 2010 – 8:48 pm -{Click here to catch up on our wedding recaps:
Hair appointments; Picking up flowers; Getting ready; The Gown; Our First Look, Girls & Guys Attire and More Photos}
Hello, readers! After a LONG hiatus full of teaching, grading, and learning (I’m a graduate student and I also teach English Composition to college freshmen), I’m back with another recap post!
After we finished up with our posed pictures with the wedding party and with our families, my girls and I headed back to our “getting ready” room to relax before the ceremony. My sister-in-law Larissa touched up my make-up, I re-curled part of my hair that had fallen victim to the humidity, spritzed myself with perfume, and then all of a sudden, my Dad arrived to take me back to the chapel for communion with Jordan. As soon as my Dad arrived, I began to get nervous…not nervous to marry Jordan, but nervous to walk down the aisle and have everyone look at me!
It was very important to me that Jordan and I take the time to have communion together before the ceremony, so with about 20 minutes to go, Jordan and I met my Uncle Rick, a retired Methodist pastor who married us, for communion.
This ended up being one of my most favorite parts of the day, mostly because I knew that in the moments to follow, my entire life was going to change. My heart was beating, my palms were sweaty, and all I felt was nervous excitement. It was wonderful to have those few moments alone with Jordan before the ceremony!
After Uncle Rick completed the communion blessing, Jordan headed out to ready himself to escort our mothers and my grandmother into the sanctuary. I frantically called for my Dad to help calm my nerves before the ceremony, and soon enough, it was time to line up!
Stay tuned for a peek at our ceremony decor. I promise, I’ll try and blog very soon!
[All pictures by the amazingly talented Creative Kindling]
Posted in Adornments & Embellishments, Beauty & Polish, Budget Weddings, DIY, Inspiration & Insight, Our Wedding, Personal, Photography, Vintage Beauties, Wedding Recap, Weddings | 6 Comments »
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 – 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 »
Coming to you from inside wedding week…
Written by Sara on July 12, 2010 – 9:52 am -…and we’re looking good!
Hey y’all – it’s wedding week here in our neck of the woods!
Projects left to complete:
- Make our tiered cake.
- Make a tiny loaf of bread for communion.
- Line the flower girl dresses.
- Febreeze the burlap table squares.
- Finalize the wedding day agenda.
- Confirm cake, flowers.
- Pick up my wedding gown!
- Add wedding dance playlists to ipod and back-up ipod.
- Make signs for tables.
- Pull together props for photos.
- Put together my “just in case” bag for the wedding day, full of safety pins, sewing materials, etc.
- Finish packing for the honeymoon.
I’m sure there are other little things to finalize, but that’s all I can think of right now.
I’ll try and post one more time before our wedding this weekend!
Tags: Wedding week
Posted in Budget Weddings, DIY, Our Wedding, Personal | Comments Off
18 Days Out…
Written by Sara on June 29, 2010 – 3:14 pm -
…and I’m feeling fine!
That’s right, readers – dare I say that my obsessive need to work ahead has paid off…here are the projects we have left:
- Cut squares of fabric for the tables. When we’ll get it done: this weekend.
- Sew a lining into the flower girl dresses. When we’ll get it done: this weekend.
- Gather (and print, if necessary) a few pictures of Jordan and I for a photo feature. When we’ll get it done: by Friday.
- Wrangle and frame few more wedding pictures of our relatives. When we’ll get it done: this weekend, hopefully.
- Practice making our DIY tiered surprise wedding cake. When we’ll get it done: this weekend, hopefully.
- Print and mail gift-opening invites. When we’ll get it done: this needs to happen ASAP!
- Fold napkins. When we’ll get it done: first round tomorrow, second and final round hopefully next week.
- Reception playlist. When we’ll get it done: probably next weekend; it’s about 70% done right now.
- Silhouettes (of Jordan and I) for frames. When we’ll get it done: next weekend; we just need to format and print.
- Finalize pew decor. When we’ll get it done: tonight.
- Purchase gifts for our parents and our ceremony helpers. When we’ll get it done: next Friday (payday!).
- Tie baker’s twine on the programs. When we’ll get it done: Probably the week of the wedding…eek.
- Take photos of decor, pack up decor items in boxes according to tables. When we’ll get it done: next weekend. BIG project, but I hope to have lots of help.
- Get our marriage license. When we’ll get this done: the Wednesday of the wedding week.
I have my hair trial and my final make-up trial on Thursday and my final gown fitting on Saturday. We also are having our premarital counseling session with my uncle, our officiant, on Saturday. We also turn in our guaranteed guest count to the Pavilion on Saturday. My wedding week beauty treatments are all scheduled, with the exception of a manicure appointment…truthfully, I may just paint my own nails!
Things are coming together really nicely – I hope that I’m not forgetting anything!?
[Photo: www.free-flow-coaching.com]
Tags: DIY wedding, Wedding zen
Posted in Budget Weddings, Cakes & Cuisine, Decor, DIY, Fashion, Music & Entertainment, Our Wedding, Personal, Stationery, Weddings | 2 Comments »
Featured on the Gotham Bride Guide!
Written by Sara on June 23, 2010 – 9:00 am -
Big news, readers: our DIY wedding invitations were featured on the lovely Gotham Bride Guide!
Click here to read the full post; a big thank you to the folks over at Gotham Bride Guide for featuring us!
[Photo: Gotham Bride Guide]
Tags: DIY, DIY wedding invitations, Feature, Gotham Bride Guide
Posted in Budget Weddings, DIY, Our Wedding, Stationery, Weddings | Comments Off
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