"And sometimes I get nervous, when I see an open door..."
This first blog post is dedicated to the happiest day of my life: my wedding day. I received so many wonderful compliments and feedback about my wedding decor, and the most frequent question was, "Who was your planner?" I will admit...I felt proud to say "Me!" That was followed up with tons of questions: Did you rent that? Did you buy this online? Where did you buy your invitations? What gave you the idea to do ? And so on. I thought this would be the perfect way to share that process.
It was amazing that I actually slept during those six months of being engaged, as every moment was filled with phone calls, emails, and hours upon hours of time with my pal, Etsy. I knew I wanted a classic, romantic, elegant vibe for the decor that was also chic and simplistic. Simply chic? Is that a thing? My colors were black and white, with "punches" of red to add a little flavor.
I did, however, go out of my "color comfort zone" for my 'something blue,' as well as for a very meaningful flower arrangement. My grandmother was a very special person in my life. She passed away in 2002 and although she could not be there for my special day (well, physically), it was very important for me to honor what a presence in my life she was and will always be. My mom held on to my grandmother's favorite blue sweater, so we snipped a small piece of fabric from the sweater in the shape of a heart and my seamstress (Ines: the wedding gown magician!) sowed it into the bottom layer of my dress. That way, I had her close to me all day. :)
I chose to honor my grandmother's memory through this flower arrangement, which was placed right on the fireplace mantle, in front of where my husband and I said our vows. It was made with three different flowers that, I feel, represent who she was as a person: Calla Lily - beauty, Delphinium - big-heartedness and Snapdragon - graciousness and strength.
To give the room a romantic feel, I had candles galore. Floating candles, candles in lanterns, candelabras, you name it. I just love the way candles make a room look with dim lighting.
Ceremony...
Reception...
And I can't forget about my love affair/obsession with my gal, Etsy. Designing all of these details was definitely the most time consuming, but so fun!
Mirror with table seatings written on.
I wanted our thank you note to our family and friends on display for all to see.
Wedding program...
I had someone on Etsy print off these table name cards - each one acknowledging a city that represents something meaningful to us. Here are a few...
Dinner menu / thank you...
The entire planning period was a time I hold dear to my heart. Not only for the obvious reason of being the glowing bride-to-be, but because the excitement and passion I felt throughout the process allowed me to take the anticipated plunge of starting design school. Once everything was planned and I sat back to take a breath, I knew it was time. This was it. I set the plan in motion: start school after the wedding. And that was exactly what I did.
Did anyone recognize the song lyric in the title of my post? Human by The Killers. I thought I'd kick things off with a line from a song about (well, how I interpret it anyway) breaking free from whatever may have been holding you back from following your dreams. :)