Joy: Our Wedding – The Flowers
Written by Sara on August 20, 2010 – 9:06 am -After leaving the hair salon, my maid of honor Kristen and I headed to The Flower Shop in Sioux Falls to pick up our bouquets.
Remember those inspiration boards that I created for my bouquet and my girls’ bouquets on Style Me Pretty’s Style Circle? I brought these to Twyla, our florist at The Flower Shop, to use as inspiration for our florals.
Well, I can’t wait to show you how our lovely flowers turned out!
In the top picture, notice the sunflower bouquet on the left; that was my throw-away bouquet! It was wrapped in burlap and was simple but beautiful. The other bouquets in that photo are my girls’ bouquets; they turned out perfectly! Very organic – they look like they were just picked right from a field before the wedding! The bouquet with the succulent is Kristen’s, to make hers a little special, as the maid of honor.
As you can see in the bottom picture, the girls’ bouquets were wrapped in ribbon, and I had Twyla attach a brooch to each of their bouquets (I spent the months before the wedding searching flea markets and antique stores for brooches!)
And now, a peek at my bouquet (more of the full bouquet after I reveal my wedding gown!):
I had Twyla wrap the stem of the bouquet in burlap, to echo the organic, nature-inspired feel of our wedding (as well as the burlap on the reception tables!). I then wrapped a piece of lace around the stem – my great-Grandma Sophie made the lace! As you can see from the bottom picture, I also had Paloma’s Nest on Etsy make me a bouquet charm (my something blue! notice the blue string?). I just LOVED the bouquet charm; it says “i carry your heart with me,” after the e.e. cummings poem we had read during our wedding ceremony. I also attached to the stem of my bouquet a little brooch that Kristen gave me – it was perfect!
In my bouquet, Twyla used sunflowers, succulents, dusty miller, billy balls, lisianthus, spray roses and much, much more. It was literally the bouquet of my dreams – I couldn’t have been more pleased!
A big plus – I had Twyla ensure to utilize as many locally grown blooms for our flowers as possible!
Stay tuned for what’s up next: me and my girls (and Jordan and his guys!) getting ready, plus a full list of make-up products that my sister-in-law used to achieve my bridal look!
[Inspiration boards made by me on Style Me Pretty's Style Circle; all photos by the amazingly talented Creative Kindling]
Tags: bridal bouquet, bridesmaids bouquets, e.e. cummings, Etsy, Paloma's Nest, Sioux Falls, Style Circle, Style Me Pretty, succulent bouquets, The Flower Shop, vintage bouquets, wildflower bouquets
Posted in Adornments & Embellishments, Eco-Chic, Flowers, Inspiration & Insight, Our Wedding, Photography, Vintage Beauties, Wedding Recap, Weddings | 6 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
Another Abandoned Project: DIY Wildflower Garden
Written by Sara on May 6, 2010 – 9:07 am -
After much talk about how wonderful it would be to grow our own flowers for the wedding, my Mom and I decided to forgo this project for a few reasons.
1. The unpredictable South Dakota weather. We had no clue if the flowers would even grow, and since summer weather in our lovely state is about as predictable as where weeds will grow, we didn’t want to make the attempt and have it not pay off in the end.
2. Added stress (and expense!). While growing our own flowers for the wedding sounds like a wonderful idea, the practical application of it all (from growing the flowers to putting them together into mason jars to transporting them to the reception venue) was rather daunting.
What DIY projects are you dropkicking to the curb?
[Image via www.howstuffworks.com]
Tags: DIY wedding flowers, DIY wildflower garden
Posted in Budget Weddings, Decor, DIY, Flowers, Our Wedding, Weddings | 1 Comment »
Green Monday: Wildflower Wedding!
Written by Sara on March 29, 2010 – 9:21 am -
In an effort to be budget-friendly, my mother and I plan to grow a good-sized wildflower garden in our backyard this summer. We hope to put these wildflowers in mason jars and use these arrangements as part of our centerpieces.
While my mother and I don’t claim to be accomplished gardeners, we hope that with a lot of advice from a local greenhouse, we can honor our budget and the environment by growing our own flowers.
Do you have any green gardening tips?
[Photo: The Flower Expert]
Tags: DIY, wildflowers
Posted in Budget Weddings, DIY, Eco-Chic, Flowers, Our Wedding | 2 Comments »
Green Friday: Farmers Market Florals!
Written by Sara on March 12, 2010 – 9:00 am -
Happy Friday, readers! Last week I posted this inspiration board that I plan to bring to florists around Sioux Falls to serve as fodder for discussion on my dream wedding bouquet. As I mentioned at the end of this post, making this inspiration board got me thinking about flowers for my girls.
Each time I go to Hobby Lobby or Michaels, I find myself staring at each store’s selection of silk flowers … and feeling disappointed. I know that there are lovely, lovely silk flowers available to budget-conscious brides, but either I can’t seem to find these flowers in yellow, or I’m feeling sad that even the loveliest of silk flowers will never compare to the real thing.
So … I’m determined to find real floral alternatives for my girls! After a little digging online, I happened to find a vendor listing for the Sioux Falls Farmers Market. I hastily wrote a few emails to flower vendors who had contact information available online, and I quickly heard back from Seedtime & Harvest, located in Hull, IA.
I heard from Seedtime & Harvest staffer Alissa on the possibility of me (and my girls, or my Mom) making a trip to Hull, IA, a few days prior to the wedding to purchase flowers from them to utilize for my girls’ bouquets. Great news: not only are they willing to let us visit them on their farm to pick our flowers ourselves, they have MANY varieties of yellow flowers to accommodate us! The best part? Seedtime & Harvest’s flowers are certified organic, which fits in perfectly with our commitment to being as eco-friendly as possible!
[Photo: Taken by me of flowers purchased at the Minneapolis Farmers Market in the summer of 2008]
Tags: DIY wedding flowers, farmers market, Seedtime & Harvest
Posted in Budget Weddings, Eco-Chic, Flowers, Inspiration & Insight, Our Wedding | 1 Comment »
Our Wedding: Bouquet Inspiration!
Written by Sara on March 4, 2010 – 9:00 am -I’ve started to focus a little more on wedding flowers within the past week, and I’ve decided that I would like to use real flowers for my bouquet. After making this inspiration board (below), I’m even more excited about my bouquet!
Aren’t these flowers beautiful?! But with no flower market in sight here in Sioux Falls (apart from the farmer’s market, where we might try to get flowers for my bridesmaids), I think it might be best if I bring this inspiration board to a local florist to explain what I’m looking for in my bouquet. Maybe it will be possible for us to pick up loose flowers a day or so before our wedding, and for me and my mother to try to arrange them ourselves?
I am looking forward to starting this process!
[Inspiration board made via Style Me Pretty's Style Circle]
Tags: farmers market, Style Circle, Style Me Pretty, wedding bouquet
Posted in Adornments & Embellishments, DIY, Eco-Chic, Flowers, Our Wedding | 1 Comment »
Green Friday: Our Green Wedding Pledge
Written by Sara on January 15, 2010 – 9:00 am -
Happy Friday, readers! I am SO anxious for the weekend, even if I still have two shifts of work left. I may not have told you all that in December, I began working at Gymboree, the kids’ clothing store, here in our local mall. It’s a fun job, and is especially a nice break from the day-to-day office setting of my full-time job!
As I mentioned last week, today I’m ready to share with you all what Jordan and I are committed to doing to ensure that our wedding is “greener” than the average wedding affair. While I realize that we could be making more sacrifices that we are, Jordan and I feel comfortable with the choices we’re making thus far in our planning.
So, here’s our green wedding pledge:
1. We will inquire about and utilize recycled paper materials as much as we are able. I have already contacted a graphic designer at my father’s company (where our stationery will be printed) to investigate what our options are for recycled paper.
2. We will inquire about and utilize locally grown or organic food as much as our budget allows. I have already contacted our event coordinator at the Washington Pavilion, where our wedding reception will be held, about our caterers using locally grown or organic food. While we are on a very strict budget for our entire wedding planning, I am hopeful that our caterers will come back with a competitive quote.
3. We will incorporate plantable paper in at least one way throughout our wedding stationery. I love the symbolism behind the paper (just like our love is blooming, so will our guests’ flowers!), and it reinforces the purpose of renewable goods.
4. We will incorporate locally grown flowers as much as possible. My Mom and I have discussed the possibility of planting a wildflower garden in our backyard this summer from which we would take flowers for our reception decor. We also have beautiful peonies that bloom in our yard that we’re going to attempt to keep alive through the heat of summer. Last, as one of my dear friends mentioned to me in the past few weeks, sunflowers grow wild EVERYWHERE in South Dakota, and it wouldn’t be difficult at all to pick some, dress them up with ribbon and give them to my bridesmaids to carry.
5. While at this point I don’t believe we’ll be incorporating wedding favors, if we do decide to give our guests favors, they will be locally grown or locally handmade. I firmly believe in investing in the local economy!
6. We are utilizing my mother’s birdhouse collection as our reception decor, and are therefore eliminating extraneous waste or costs associated with renting/purchasing and then inevitably disposing of centerpieces.
7. We are supporting handmade goods by purchasing wedding accessories from Etsy. In the coming months, my veil and fascinator will be purchased via Tessa Kim’s shop on Etsy. In addition to those accessories, I also hope to purchase our guest book (remember this stump-inspired beauty?), jewelry for my bridesmaids, our cake topper, tutus for our flower girls, and monogrammed cuff links for our groomsmen from Etsy.
8. My Mom and I plan to make handmade napkins and handmade bout’s for our wedding day. By sewing our own napkins we A) cut down on rental costs at our reception venue, and B) eliminate waste that would be created by using paper napkins. By making bout’s for our guys out of fabric and/or non-floral material, we will again cut down on waste and will utilize renewable goods to accomplish the same effect as floral bout’s.
9. Jordan and I plan to build a photobooth to provide our guests with endless merriment at our wedding reception. I originally hoped to build our photobooth using found materials, and while that might still be possible, I am thinking of other ways to make our photobooth project green. As a start, we will be reusing our engagement session props for our photobooth (2 hearts on sticks, 2 mustaches on sticks, chalkboard + chalk). We also will be using a digital camera and tripod that Jordan’s family already owns, therefore cutting down on the waste that would be created if we utilized disposable cameras!
10. Last, I have a dream of being married by candlelight. I’m dreaming of an evening wedding (maybe 6:00 or 7:00), and being surrounded by candles. However, the candles we will utilize will be either soy or beeswax (lead-free, long-burning, made from renewable resources, not petroleum/paraffin).
How are YOU making your wedding green?
I’d love to hear from you!
[Photo via Dream Green Weddings by Caroline Ghetes]
Tags: Caroline Ghetes, Dream Green Weddings, Etsy, green wedding, Gymboree, Tessa Kim, Washington Pavilion
Posted in Adornments & Embellishments, Beauty & Polish, Budget Weddings, DIY, Eco-Chic, Flowers, Inspiration & Insight, Our Wedding | Comments Off
Our Wedding: So Many Blooming Choices!
Written by Sara on December 22, 2009 – 9:00 am -Happy Tuesday, readers! For me, today marks my second-to-last day at work this week – yay for Christmas! I am anxious to spend time with family this week.
Today’s post is all about flowers!
I already plan to incorporate green(er) floral choices in terms of our reception decorations – my Mom and I have discussed planting wildflowers in her backyard garden and utilizing these in mason jars adorned with lace and twine for our reception tables. I’ve also thought about frequenting the local farmer’s market the week of the wedding and picking up a few collections of flowers to utilize on our wedding day.
As you recall, I’ve expressed my disdain for shelling out hundreds of buckaroos for real wedding flowers that will merely die in a week, so I’m making friends with the idea of carrying silk or synthetic flowers. However, the more I think about it, I would love to carry real flowers myself on my wedding day. (As I say that now, I’m wondering if that’s fair to ask my girls to carry synthetic florals and to carry real ones myself?!)
Remember this inspiration board I made a few months ago on the Style Circle?
While I know that my girls will be carrying sunshine-colored flowers, I still haven’t concepted a clear-cut idea of what flowers I want to carry on our wedding day.
My Mom has always loved yellow roses and daisies, and I think they would make a beautiful combination for my wedding bouquet. I also LOVE these little button mums (that’s probably not at all what they are, but I love them), so I’d be delighted to have those in my bouquet as well. I also am a HUGE fan of sunflowers.
Yet, I once saw a bride’s bouquet that was completely beautiful – and white! She carried only one bloom, but it was beautiful – she carried only lily of the valley, tied with a ribbon. Here’s a lily of the valley bouquet found via the Boards on Wedding Bee:
How sweet, simple and lovely!
What are your thoughts, readers?
Real or synthetic flowers for me? For my girls?
What blooms should I carry?
What is your favorite yellow flower?
Tags: DIY centerpieces, mason jars, Style Circle, wedding flowers, wedding reception, yellow wedding flowers
Posted in Budget Weddings, Decor, DIY, Flowers, Our Wedding | 3 Comments »
Coral?!
Written by Sara on October 22, 2009 – 12:23 pm -Check out this Style Circle board – I am loving the idea of coral and slate grey…goodbye yellow?!
Credits: Karen Wise, Zoom Photography (4), Jose Villa, Olivia Leigh, Dollface Studio, Suthi Picotte
Tags: Style Circle
Posted in Decor, Fashion, Flowers, Our Wedding, Vintage Beauties | Comments Off
Sara’s Etsy Finds: Part II
Written by Sara on September 23, 2009 – 12:14 pm -Hi everyone! Happy Wednesday to you all. Today is like my Thursday; J and I are jetting off to Florida on Friday for a long weekend to celebrate our engagement – the trip is a gift from J’s brother, who is stationed in Kuwait with the Army National Guard. Big thanks for his service, and his generous gift to us! We’re very much looking forward to a mini-vacation.
Anyway, let’s get on with it: a few more Etsy finds to talk about today!
Looking to cut down on your floral budget, but still offer elegant boutonnierres to the men helping out with your big day? Look no further than Stitton’s Little Shop on Etsy – as soon I as I saw this adorable yellow and grey boutonnierre, I fell in love! Priced at $20.00 per boutonnierre, it’s a bit of a steep price for my budget, but I love Stitton’s work for the inspiration and creativity the shop has to offer! Stitton’s shop also offers beautiful jewelry and whimsical bridal hair fascinators as well; stop by and take a look!
This next shop is all about the beauty found in thematic touches, and if you’re planning to incorporate the holidays into your big day, take a look at AprilHilerDesigns on Etsy. In honor of fall, April has a bunch of autumnal-themed florals posted for sale, in addition to a few rather morose Halloween designs. Check out this beautiful autumn boutonnierre, which is currently selling for $9.00 per bout!
I found SO many beauties in this next shop that I can’t even decide which ones to show you! WhichGoose‘s shop on Etsy is full of natural floral crowns and bridal hair fascinators with a rustic touch, and each item is more beautiful than the last! One of my favorites is to the left; it’s named “All is Well” and would be absolutely perfect for an outdoor wedding full of whimsy and rustic touches!
Here’s another one of my favorites, just because I can’t resist showcasing WhichGoose‘s shop. This one is called “At Last.” How could you not sing Etta James’ big hit while wearing this beauty? This is so unbeliveable that I can’t believe I’m even saying it…but this fascinator is only $25.00!! Can you believe it?!
Anyway, I think that’s about it for today! One more post tomorrow before J and I head off on our mini-vacay!
Tags: AprilHilerDesigns, Etsy, Stitton's Little Shop, WhichGoose
Posted in Adornments & Embellishments, Beauty & Polish, Eco-Chic, Fashion, Flowers, Inspiration & Insight, Vintage Beauties | Comments Off