Eco-Vintage Weddings

Showcase Wednesday: Guest Post – Wedding Party Shake-up!

Hello readers! I’ve asked my dear friend Luke (film blogger extraordinaire) to write a post about his upcoming nuptials, and how uniformity within a wedding party is seriously overrated. Enjoy!

Luke here from Journalistic Skepticism. The lovely Sara asked me to write a little bit about my own tumultuous wedding planning experience. But I exaggerate – it’s actually been a relatively eye-opening learning experience. And before you become too confuddled, let me clear things up – yes, it is possible for a male to plan a wedding.  (Well, just barely at least.)

We’ve set a date for August 14, 2010 (based almost entirely on the economic sensibility of a late-summer wedding), and it will take place in Minneapolis, so hopefully the snow will have disappeared by then.  Though we’re currently living in Sioux Falls and plan to move out to the East Coast in June, we chose a location like Minneapolis to centralize our guests, who range from mostly Midwesterners to some out-of-staters.  Though neither of us are originally from Minneapolis, it’s a major city with more options in terms of site choices, and it’s a familiar, easy-to-get-to locale for our guests in neighboring states.

For our wedding my fiancé and I found ourselves in a predicament.  Though we were ready to name several people to be a part of our wedding party, when it came to traditionalism we faced a problem – our subset of friends included far more females than males.  In fact, our final tally of attendants includes two men and – count ‘em – 10 women.  When choosing our party, we opted for a mix of mostly college friends, siblings, and high school friends.  And with such a large core wedding party, it became easy to bestow some of the other ceremony functions on others, though we haven’t entirely filled every other role.  One of our as-yet-undecided bits is whether or not to have ushers.  Our ceremony count is around 100, so I ask you: are ushers really necessary?

But I digress. In lieu of the boy-girl pairs of the typical wedding, we opted for mix-and-match gender aisle-walking companions.  This shake-up also involved coining some new terms for our crew – groomsmaids and best women, since our best men ended up being some lady friends of ours.  And in order to break up the uniformity of having the many groomsmaids dressing identically, we opted for a single color scheme with three different dress options, a feature that I know many of the wedding party members greatly appreciated.  Because, let’s face it – everyone is built differently, so not every design is going to be suitable.  So to come to terms with the fact that these ladies were buying the dresses for keeps, why not opt for something they actually enjoy?

Our chosen groomsmaid attire

When planning a wedding, perhaps seamless traditionalism is your number-one concern.  But for the sake of picking the best possible wedding party, there’s something to be said for being a little gender-blind and breaking just a couple rules.

A big thank you to Luke for shedding some insight on how to beautifully break down the Wedding Industrial Complex’s so-called “rules.” I can’t wait to see the fruits of your efforts, Luke!

[Image credit: David's Bridal]

Green Friday: Feature & The DIY Bridal Files

Hello readers! Thank you all for your wonderful comments about our DIY Bingo Card Save the Dates; we’re so proud of them, and we’re so excited that you all love them just as much as we do!

Today isn’t so much a “Green Friday;” it’s more like a “Budget-Friendly Friday!” The girls over at DIY Bridal Files were kind enough to feature our Save the Date cards on their blog, so I wanted to show them a little love by introducing my readers to the sheer loveliness over at DIY Bridal Files.

Look for these girls to post twice per day on DIY goodness found all over the blogosphere! From Daily DIY projects to free printables, DIY Bridal Files is a one-stop shop for any DIY, budget-conscious bride.

Big thanks to the girls over at DIY Bridal Files for their feature! Go show them some love, readers – check out DIY Bridal Files here!

Have a blissful weekend!

What’s YOUR Favorite Wedding Movie?

Hello readers! What’s your favorite wedding movie? Mine is Father of the Bride (1991), of course!

I recently wrote a post for Luke over at Journalistic Skepticism on why this wedding movie is the film I return to again and again for an honest (and hilarious!) account of American weddings. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be analyzing other beloved wedding movies; be sure to stay tuned!

Click here to read this post!

Green Friday: Bravo Bride!

Good morning, readers! Today I’m showcasing yet another resource available to you budget-savvy, eco-conscious brides: BravoBride!

BravoBride exists as an online marketplace of gently used wedding-related items, spanning from wedding gowns to party & shower items to bridal jewelry. In addition to providing a user-friendly marketplace of wedding lovelies, BravoBride supports the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign by donating a portion of their proceeds to the charity.

Furthermore, when you shop on BravoBride, you’re not just getting the wedding items you need at a great price. You’re also making an eco-friendly choice to re-use and pass along.

Click here to visit BravoBride online!

NOTE: This post is not sponsored by the above company, individual, service or product line.

[Photo: Bravo Bride]

Our Wedding: Ceremony Inspiration

Good Thursday morning, readers! Today I wanted to share with you a few ideas I’m tossing around to make our ceremony reflect our personalities, love, and commitment to each other.

Have I sung my praises for Sara of A $2000 Wedding yet? She is unbelievably inspirational, and I seriously feel the positive vibes oozing from her blog each time I read a new post. On her blog, Sara has posted a variety of ceremony scripts, making her blog the only (as far as I know) resource for such goodness. You MUST check these scripts (and her blog!) out – her and her partner’s experience in wedding planning will fundamentally change the way you view your wedding.

Now that my praises have been made known, on to a wonderful idea that Sara and her partner Matt utilized in their ceremony in place of a unity candle:  they planted a tree, and also were wrapped in a unity quilt!

Jordan and I loved these ideas, but since we don’t have a house yet, we felt that we couldn’t plant a tree. So, we decided to incorporate the idea of a unity quilt into our ceremony. We also wanted to involve our family members and friends, and so we planned to ask them on our save-the-date cards to mail us pieces of fabric to us so that we could make the quilt.

However, Jordan and I are not sure that our family members and our friends will participate in helping us to put together our unity quilt; while we love our families and friends dearly, they’re traditional folk, and we’re not sure they’ll embrace the non-traditional aspects of our wedding. So, we’re in the process of reevaluating how we can express our unity at our wedding.

The always-lovely Dana from The Broke-Ass Bride and her fresh hubby, Hunter, incorporated a Box Ceremony into their wedding ceremony. To explain, I’ll borrow some text from The Wedding Bee’s Miss Cowboy Boot:

“The tradition goes something like this: The couple writes love letters to each other. In their letters, they detail why they fell in love with each other and what they really, truly admire about the other person. The letters get sealed up before they are read by the person they are intended for.

The sealed letters are brought out at the end of the ceremony. They are put into a wooden box that the couple supplies. Along with their letters, they put a nice bottle of wine into the box with two glasses. Once all is in the box, the wedding party hammers nails into the box to close it.

The point of all this? If, at any point, the marriage is in serious jeopardy, the couple is to open the box, read the letters about why they fell in love with each other in the first place, and drink the wine together before making any irrational decisions.”

I’m a big believer in protecting important things like marriage with your life, and this ceremony seems like an incredibly sufficient (and romantic) way to protect your marriage in its 11th hour of need.

Last, the Offbeat Bride (among others) has discussed including the ritual of a Ring-Warming in your wedding ceremony. I’m absolutely in love with this concept, which involves the passing of the wedding rings amongst the guests for their blessing.

What do you think, readers?

How will your wedding ceremony reflect who you are as individuals, and who you are as a couple?

[Photo Credit: Prime Number]

Green Post: Win Your Dream Green Wedding!

Happy Friday morning, readers!

We have an all-day strategic planning meeting today at the office, so instead of a lengthy blog post, I’d encourage you all to check out the Dream Green Wedding giveaway on Dream Green Weddings! Working to make your wedding green is a WONDERFUL way to showcase your green lifestyle on the most important day of your life!

Click here to learn more about the giveaway; entries are due by January 2, 2010.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

The Color Dilemna

Hi readers,

I’m back with more inspiration, yet I am still lacking a concrete decision.

This inspiration board from Adrienne on Style Circle caught my eye as I was browsing the Internet before work this morning:

I love how the navy and the green make for a sumptuous, almost refreshing look, and since I hope to have an ivory wedding gown, this board fits perfectly with my ideal wedding day. Add metallic silver and gold into this mix, and it’s so lovely for a European, rustic, vintage-inspired wedding.

However, I am STILL obsessed lately with yellow…readers, any ideas on how to incorporate my love for yellow into this color palette, or should I let go of yellow in favor of the rich hues of navy and green?

Images from Orchard Cove Photography, Q Weddings, Raya Carlisle Photography, http://www.stylemepretty.com/J, http://www.stylemepretty.com/h, http://www.stylemepretty.com/P, Lisa Lefkowitz

Style Circle Inspiration

It’s Wednesday, people! I can see the long holiday weekend approching!

I am STILL stuck on what our wedding colors should be; if you’re my maid of honor or my Mom, you definitely know this, but for the rest of you, here’s a brief inventory of the colors I’ve been tossing around this week:

1. Navy blue and candy pink
2. Mustard yellow and powder blue
3. Purple…everywhere
4. Coral, sunshine yellow and green
5. Muted blues, pinks, yellows, greens

And now, for today’s inspiration, found via Erica L. Hahn, an inspiration board artist on Style Circle:

Erica calls this “Coral & Sea Glass,” and she plans to incorporate these hues into her July 2010 wedding in California. How beautiful is this!

Here’s the quintessential question, everyone: our wedding will also be in July, and with our newly chosen venue, the day will have a European, vintage feel to it. The question is this:  what colors, to you, illustrate a European, vintage theme? I’d LOVE to hear from you!

Images from Kristin Vining Photography, ak event design, Distinct Occasions, Jenna Walker Photographers, Oh How Charming!, Lisa Lefkowitz, Blush Floral Design, Orchard Cove Photography, Lisa Lefkowitz, Distinct Occasions, Q Weddings, Lisa Lefkowitz, Orchard Cove Photography

Bridal Show = Success!

Good Tuesday afternoon to everyone! I hope this note finds you all enjoying sunshine and warm-ish weather; today marks a big return of the South Dakota wind!

This weekend my Mom, my maid of honor and I attended the B2Bee Bridal Show held in Sioux Falls. It was my first bridal show experience, and I have to say – it was a HUGE success! First of all, the champagne was a-flowing; you can’t go wrong with a bunch of women and a champagne bar! Plus, I tried some of the most AMAZING cake balls (yes, they’re literally balls of cake) made by an event planner in Huron, SD.

As my Mom, Kristen and I waded through the crowds in the trade show event hall, we (literally) stumbled upon a booth whose sign advertised an event hall in Sioux Falls named ”Vintage.” After sharing surprised looks with my Mom and Kristen, I wandered into the booth and began talking to the owner of Vintage, Chad. After glancing at pictures of the event space and looking at a price sheet, I told Chad I’d call him the following day to set up a tour of the space.

J and I went out to the Ultimate Golf Academy, where Vintage is housed, yesterday afternoon, and needless to say, within ten minutes of stepping on the grounds, we were hooked. The European-inspired space boasted exposed faux brick with terracotta-colored walls done in Venetian plaster (I know that term from my childhood days spent watching “Trading Spaces“). The space, which can hold about 120 people, is in the process of expanding into a pavilion space, which will hold more than twice the number of people! Chad expects the addition to be complete in Spring 2010, and while that’s cutting it close for a July wedding, we immediately trusted Chad’s expertise.

Housed in a secluded wooded area, Vintage also has many amenities to offer within our budget:  the beverage minimum for the full bar can include mini-golf and driving range passes, four “picnic” games (like bean bags and croquet), a sound system for music, and a big projecter screen (how fun would it be to play old movies on the screen throughout the night!!). I can already imagine how much fun our guests will have playing mini-golf, watching old movies, dancing and exploring the grounds. Plus, Vintage allows us to use our own caterer, which is EXACTLY what J and I were looking for! We really couldn’t ask for more from this space, and we already see that Chad is (and will continue to be) very flexible with us.

J and I left Chad with a few prospective wedding dates in mind (July 10, July 17 and July 30), and after we decide on a photographer and a church, we’ll reserve our date! It’s SO exciting to finally have solved such a huge piece of the puzzle in our wedding planning – we feel so fortunate to have found this space!

Invitation Inspiration!

Good Friday morning to everyone!

I apologize for not posting yesterday; one of my very good friends from high school was in town, and we spent the evening chatting about boys, playing games and reminiscing about our days at Brandon Valley High School. It was a blast!

Today’s post is a lot of fun – I’m beginning to hone in on what I envision for our wedding invitations! As you all are aware, I’m in love with all things vintage-inspired, and I desperately want to incorporate this love of old things and of tradition into my wedding while still keeping some elements new. I am starting to realize that J and my wedding will be a blend of “Something Old” with “Something New,” and I love that!

As of now, J and I are planning on a mid-July 2010 wedding, so instead of the deep browns and crimson reds and olive greens that I was imagining for a fall wedding, I’m now thinking bright and bold colors! Lately, I’m loving the idea of bright, fuschia pink flowers and cobalt blue dresses, ties, and linens. How fun does that sound!

If we indeed go that route, I found this WONDERFUL and (get this: FREE) invitation suite on IDIY awhile back, and I just love the simplicity of it! All we would need to do is change the wording to fit our needs, add our own personal touches to make it our own, and print away! These invites have an old-world feel to them that I love!

However, I’m also So. In. Love. with the invitation below, and I think I can tap the graphic design skills of a few friends and family members to get something like this done. It’s a new twist on a wedding invitation; get ready to scroll, people!

Hope you have a wonderful, restful weekend!

[Photo credits: IDIY]