And the Band Played!

Well, it took me a while but I'm finally here- my last recap post!  In some ways it's sad (I was sad to see the day end; and it's sad that it's taken me so long to finish my recaps!) but every time I look at these photos it's impossible not to smile!  We front-loaded our reception with all the traditions so really, from the beginning of dinner we were all dancing.   And that was SUCH a good idea!  We danced before the food came out, between courses, and of course, after dinner.  I don't think I will have to convince you how much fun it was (all images from Jessica Morrisy of course)!  But advance apologies for the picture-heavy post.  What can I say, last but not least!!

And how did we get here?  Checking In;  Practice Makes Perfect: The Rehearsal!; The Rehearsal Dinner!; The Rehearsal Dinner Slide Show; Girls Gone Wild!; Got Mah Hairs Did; The Guys Get Groomed; The Girls Get Glammed!; Get Me To The Church on Time!; The Moments of a Lifetime: Our Ceremony!; Love, Snow, and Portraits!; Mayhem and Cocktails!; These Are A Few of My Favorite Things (from the reception); Getting This Party Started; Here’s to Eternity!; Priorities: Cake!

Rielly and Sean's Rustic, Romatic Engagement Shoot

Today I'm super psyched to be able to feature the kind of photos that simply make me melt every time I look at them.  These photos were taken by Sanderson Images for my friends Rielly and Sean out in western NJ (near Bucks County, PA) and really, you don't need to be told much more than that.  They speak for themselves!  Of course, it helps that it had rained that day, which made the greenery ultra vibrant, and the sky indulgently moody.  I think we now know why rain is considered good luck on one's wedding day.  And what's even more awesome, is that these two are tying the knot THIS WEEKEND and I get to be a bridesmaid!  Remember the Paper Porn from a few weeks ago?   Yep, no surprise, that's their wedding!  I can't wait to feature more!  Congrats to Rielly and Sean!

 

Pillowcase Dresses!!!!!

I know, five exclamation points is a bit much but it's hard not to write with so many when I see pillowcase dresses.  These are a recent discovery of mine, one that has turned into a full-fledged obsession.  There is something so lightweight and airy and comfy and kid-appropriate about a pillowcase dress.  They are inexpensive to make, can be made with recycled or vintage materials, and can be totally customized to match a wedding.  I think they're the ideal flower girl dress, and I also love that they're re-wearable.  If only I was 28 years younger.  If you don't like these, you have no soul.  I mean it, I am in love.  Or maybe I just need to get knocked up.  But that's another blog post for another day...

Even if you're not a seamstress yourself, you can score adorable pillowcase dresses on etsy.  Take a look at what my own quick research revealed (all images link to their source)!

[caption id="attachment_2745" align="aligncenter" width="200" caption="KayKape's version ($19.99)"][/caption]

Crisp in blue from TheUptownBaby ($25)

[caption id="attachment_2741" align="aligncenter" width="233" caption="From Main Street Bowtique ($40)"][/caption]

Hummingbirds from CreativeBee706 ($20.99)

[caption id="attachment_2742" align="aligncenter" width="200" caption="Also from Main Street Bowtique ($54)"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2740" align="aligncenter" width="289" caption="Girlie Bow's Damask adorableness ($20)"][/caption]

Priorities: Cake!

At this point in my recaps I'm going to skip around a bit, because after the toasts, we ate dinner but of course, there was lots of dancing between courses!  And after some of that dancing it was time for cake- and then more dancing of course!  Our wedding cake was so special to me... and seeing it all made to our specifications really made me smile!  There were three layers- the one J. chose (white cake with chocolate ganache and cannoli cream), the one I chose (red velvet and cream cheese frosting) and the top (chocolate cake with chocolate ganache and cannoli cream- J.'s ultimate).  Sadly, I never got to taste my red velvet... the staff brought me the white cake, and I barely ate any because I wanted to dance, so I didn't ask for the red velvet.  But what little cake I did eat was SO good!  Le Petit Gateau did a great job with it!

And remember those cake toppers from my childhood Easter basket?  They didn't actually end up on top of the cake, but rather, on a lower tier.  I'm not sure if it was on purpose or because the bakery didn't realize I had a topper- but I couldn't have been more thrilled with the placement, it looked great!

The actual cutting of the cake was all pomp and circumstance... the maitre'd kept making us do cheesy things while we tried not to roll our eyes.  Our focus was all cake- and when we finally got to taste it, it was delicious!  I know that eating one-year old frozen cake is a little bit of an odd custom, but I have to say, I'm looking forward to eating it again on our anniversary!

And how did we get here?  Checking In;  Practice Makes Perfect: The Rehearsal!; The Rehearsal Dinner!; The Rehearsal Dinner Slide Show; Girls Gone Wild!; Got Mah Hairs Did; The Guys Get Groomed; The Girls Get Glammed!; Get Me To The Church on Time!; The Moments of a Lifetime: Our Ceremony!; Love, Snow, and Portraits!; Mayhem and Cocktails!; These Are A Few of My Favorite Things (from the reception); Getting This Party Started; Here's to Eternity!

Free Tees Can Still Be Yours!

As promised, the time has come!!  I have had ants in my pants all week waiting for today to get here... because today we're giving away... wait for it...

100 FREE TEES from Bridal Party Tees!

Wahoooooo!  That's right, the first 100 commenters to this post will receive a FREE TEE from Bridal Party Tees valued at $9.97!  I think these would be so great for pre-wedding getting ready attire, bridesmaids gifts, or even for a bachelorette party.  My friends and I make or order tees for events all the time, so I know they'll be getting psyched for this one too!

I blogged last Friday about my wonderful experience with Bridal Party Tees and it's sister site, Customized Girl, and I'll say it again: this is a fantastic resource for tees and accessories!  You can upload your own design or work with their tools to create adorable custom apparel, using regular ink or even customized rhinestone work!  They offer clothing for men and kids too, with volume discounts and FREE SHIPPING OVER $50 (I heart free shipping!)!

Here's how to enter: go to Bridal Party Tees's site and let us know what design you like best!  I have to pre-approve all comments due to all the spam I get, so if you don't see your comment immediately don't fear!  I will email all winners a promotion code for their free tee on a rolling basis as they come in (and once I get home from work of course)!

The best part?  You don't have to tweet this, or become my fan on facebook, or blog about it or anything else.  But I mean, if you want to do those things, that's cool too!

Yay, our first contest!

A Compendium of DIY Pinwheel Love

I was recently reading a post about pinwheels over at $2000 Wedding, and ever since I'm been stark raving mad about paper pinwheels.  There is something so utterly romantic and playful about them!  And I feel like they have so much hidden versatility, not to mention their absolute customize-ability and cost-effectiveness!  So far, I've come up with 10 potential ways to use them, many of which could save you considerable cash:  

  

- Have guests waive them in lieu of bubbles, rice or birdseed when sending you off! 

- Incorporate them into floral centerpieces. 

- Or, forget the flowers altogether and use a bunch of pinwheels AS the centerpiece! 

- Write guests' names and tables on them, and use for escort cards. 

- Top cupcakes with mini-pinwheels for a playful cake table. 

- Leave them on the kids table for the young and young at heart. 

- Tuck them into the napkins at each place setting for a whimsical favor. 

- Give them to your flower girls to carry during the ceremony instead of a basket. 

- Put your pinwheels on extra-long sticks and plant them in the ground for a festive aisle runner. 

- If you really want to get creative, you could even make your invite with instructions for how to turn them into pinwheels. 

  

Anyways... I clearly have no life... if you want to learn how to make your very own adorable pinwheels, the blogosphere is filled with great tutorials!  I've compiled some of my favorites to share but if you know of more, I'd love to hear them!  What would you do with pinwheels at a wedding?   

[caption id="attachment_2731" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="via Paper Source"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2730" align="aligncenter" width="200" caption="via BHG"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2729" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="via Intimate Weddings"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2728" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="via Style Me Pretty"][/caption]

via Once Wed

 

Here's to Eternity!

After the formal dances came the toasts!  Our best man, J.'s brother, started his toast by talking about one of my favorite quotes from Einstein: There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.  He went on to share some very kind words about us and our life together, and of course, brought tears to our eyes.  Next came the maid of honor, my little sister.  And if I was teary before, I was downright waterworks when she got done!  She actually had to stop herself mid-speech because she too was in tears-and giggles-and more tears and giggles!  But it was so sweet and so special!  I will never forget it!

And how did we get here?  Checking In;  Practice Makes Perfect: The Rehearsal!; The Rehearsal Dinner!; The Rehearsal Dinner Slide Show; Girls Gone Wild!; Got Mah Hairs Did; The Guys Get Groomed; The Girls Get Glammed!; Get Me To The Church on Time!; The Moments of a Lifetime: Our Ceremony!; Love, Snow, and Portraits!; Mayhem and Cocktails!; These Are A Few of My Favorite Things (from the reception); Getting This Party Started