We designed a ceremony that addressed what is most important to us in a successful marriage. It’s a union of ourselves and our families. It’s a promise to passionately and considerately love one another. It’s about sacrifice and compromise. And it’s finding comfort and completion in one another.

And to make it even more personal, we asked Aunt V to officiate. She’s a former District Judge and the very first member of Nick’s family that I had the pleasure of meeting. Unfortunately, she no longer holds the credentials to “pronounce us husband and wife,” and so we called upon another Judge (who also has a loose connection to our family) to oversee the formalities.

Susan Savia provided the acoustic accompaniment to our procession. Nick and the groomsmen walked down the stairs to “Here Comes the Sun” (unfortunately, the sun didn’t cooperate), and the bridesmaids entered to “Twas a Day” (a Susan Savia original). My dad and I walked down the slippery stairs (with just one small stumble) to “Pachelbel Canon in D,” and I saw saw my groom for the first time (an indescribable and memorable moment).

{Read the rest of this entry…}

Before our guests reached the Sunken Garden and its storybook setting, they were greeted by attendants on horseback. Lauxmont Farms is a horse farm, after all.

Our out of town family and friends took a bus from the hotel to the venue. And, yes, it was raining when they arrived.

{photo credit to wedding guests}

After they climbed off of the bus, they followed the barn wood sign that said “Wedding.” They walked the (muddy) trail and reached the stairs to the pool house. And this is where our plans changed.

Rather than taking a bottle of water and a ceremony program fan and sitting in a white wooden chair around the fountain as the sun set behind them, guests sought shelter from the rain under the reception tent. Yes, this means they saw the decor before they were supposed to, but I heard they had a pretty good time under the warm white canopy.

Our ceremony guitarist, Susan Savia, played a selection of rain songs, like Bobbie’s Song by John Denver — “I’ll walk in the rain by your side.” A few guests even took the unexpected opportunity to get a drink from the bar. And then they waited. Patiently.

Meanwhile, I had returned indoors after taking formal photos with my bridesmaids and parents. As I said in my previous post, the girls blocked my view of the raindrops hitting the window and poured me another glass of champagne.

{photo credit to bridesmaids}

{Read the rest of this entry…}

Yes, I woke up to rain on my wedding day. Every bride’s worst fear. I laid in bed for 20 minutes, listening to the raindrops hit my window, but I felt surprisingly serene.

Then it was off to Escape Salon, where all of my best girls met me for primping and pampering. The salon staff couldn’t stop talking about the weather. Three women said it rained on their wedding days, and they’re happily married. Two women said it did not rain on their wedding days, and they’re divorced. Of course everyone said it’s good luck. I always figured that was just to console the brides facing wet weather, but maybe there’s some truth to the statement after all!

Despite the many attempts to turn the weather into a positive circumstance, I could not help but pray. “Please stop raining. Please stop raining. Please stop raining.”

{photo credit to bridesmaid}

As much as I wanted to believe the rain would stop, I also knew I had to be prepared. And so I asked my bridesmaids to stop at Boscov’s on the way to Lauxmont Farms and pick up as many tan colored umbrellas as they could get their hands on. I thought these would nicely compliment the red ones we had purchased earlier that week.

And then we were off to the wedding venue! The third floor of the stone house was reserved for us, and once we reached it, the mothers and bridesmaids got to work arranging the dresses and accessories.

{Read the rest of this entry…}

What a picturesque evening we had on Thursday, the night before our wedding. There was a slight breeze and a pleasant orange glow as the sun set over the River. (I was reminded of why we chose this location.)

We were greeted in the garden by our coordinator, Betsy, who instructed us where to put the mason jars, the bird cage, the signs, the water bottles, and the galvanized tubs. She offered to store all of the paper products — the table names, the escort cards, and the favors — in her car until the following day. Yeah, she’s awesome.

Slowly, our Bridesmaids and Groomsmen arrived. There was such excitement in everyone’s faces. And they all looked so lovely. Betsy got right to work lining us up around the fountain.

Nick and I decided to have our Maid of Honor and Best Man stand on either side of us at the bottom of the stairs and complete the circle with the rest of our wedding party. Our guitarist, the sweet Susan Savia, set up between the guys and the girls. And our officiants (yes, we had two … more about that to come) stood a few steps above us. Guests would sit to the left and right of us. Not a traditional arrangement, but it works beautifully in this setting.

(All photos from my personal collection.)

{Read the rest of this entry…}

Looking for a unique bridal shower theme? Well, I have one for you … Around the Clock! Last Saturday my beautiful bridesmaids hosted a fabulous shower for me, using the same theme from my mother’s shower 30 years ago. Every detail was so carefully chosen and perfectly fit my personality. I feel so lucky and so loved!

Each invitation included an assigned time (many craft paper clocks were lovingly cut and assembled), and each guest was asked to bring a gift for Nick and I to use during that time. I’ll share some of the creative gift ideas in a bit, but first … the details.

The venue was a lakeside pavilion at Kain County Park, in Jacobus, PA. Red and orange streamers hung (by my dad) around the circumference of the pavilion with bunches of red, orange, and white balloons. It was such a peaceful spot surrounded by trees with the lake just a few yards away. I love the outdoors, and my sister/Maid of Honor Laura couldn’t have chosen a more appropriate setting.

{Read the rest of this entry…}

Nick and I knew we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together long before the proposal. Together we envisioned our future wedding during road trips, and Nick openly asked for my opinion on rings.

About a year ago, he invited me to Brent L. Miller Jewelers in Lancaster County. It’s a quaint store tucked into a strip mall along the highway, and I could hardly contain my excitement!

The saleswoman showed us several trays of stunning rings. At first I was drawn to a simple and classic platinum band with a trellis setting. But then the second tray arrived with hand engraved bands. They were elegant and exquisite and unique. She placed a princess cut diamond into the setting, and I put it on my finger, and I was speechless.

Five months later, Nick got down on one knee, and I found myself staring at the same radiant ring. Nick revealed to me that he had gone to the same Lancaster shop and spoken to the same saleswoman twice before he took me. (They were pretty good actors!) Both times he was drawn to this ring. He was anxious to find out if it also stood out to me. It did, which, of course, means it belongs on my finger!

The platinum band was hand engraved by Coast Diamond Jewelry in Los Angeles. It’s one of a kind! It’s delicate enough for my thin finger, but has enough bling to draw attention!

{Here’s my attempt at capturing its brilliance. All photos taken by me.}

{Read the rest of this entry…}

After deciding to hire a DJ over a live band (mostly due to our budget), we started asking around for recommendations. Hiring a DJ is unlike hiring other vendors. You can taste food prepared by your caterer and look at pictures taken by your photographer and even see bouquets arranged by your florist, but what qualifications do you use to measure your DJ?

If a name has anything to do with it, then we knew we were in for a treat when we arranged a meeting with Wild Bill. He was recommended to us by friends, and they assured us that his primary goal at a wedding reception is to get everyone on their feet. Sounds good to us! There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing a full dance floor at a wedding reception. We want our guests to let loose and celebrate!

Bill invited us to his home, and he sat with us in his living room among old record players and photos of him dressed in costume. He’s retired from the Air Force and has a firm handshake and a friendly smile. And we immediately appreciated his quirky sense of humor.

He walked us through a typical wedding reception from the introduction of the bride and groom to the final song of the night. I’ll give you details soon about our introduction and first dance … but for now let’s move right into dinner music.

Bill likes to begin the evening with mellow music of our choice. (Norah Jones, James Taylor, and Jack Johnson are some options.) He remains nondescript through dinner, and when the bride and groom are ready, he gets the party started!

He suggested we submit a playlist and a do not play list. I’m sure we’ll hear the likes of Bon Jovi, Lynard Skynard, Tom Petty, and maybe even a little Justin Timberlake and Beyonce. We want a mix that is appreciated by everyone from my 81-year-old grandmother to my 17-year-old sister.

{Read the rest of this entry…}

Let me set the scene: a canopy of trees shading the August sun; guests seated on either side of a circular fountain; the groom in a khaki suit waiting for his bride to walk down the stone staircase. And what do you hear? A musician strumming melodic chords on an acoustic guitar, of course.

We found said musician, Susan Savia, on Gig Masters. I highly recommend this site! It’s easy to use and offers a multitude of music genres – from Classical to Motown to Irish – for wedding ceremonies, receptions, and any party that needs some entertainment. You can search for performers, book them, and pay them online.

Susan plays the acoustic guitar and sings with a sweet, serene voice. (She also plays ukulele, harmonica, and piano.) She performs both original and familiar songs. She’s a bit vintage and a bit folksy; she’s just what we wanted for our ceremony! {Listen to Susan’s original music.}

Susan will play an acoustic mix beginning about 1/2 hour before the ceremony starts, while guests are being seated. Her list of love songs includes The Carpenters, Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor, Sarah McLachlan, Van Morrison, Natalie Merchant, and others.

We haven’t yet decided what songs we want to use for the seating of the mothers or for the procession of the bridesmaids, but I do know I’ll be walking to Pachelbel’s Canon. It’s absolutely traditional, but with that acoustic sound I love oh so much. {Listen to “Pachelbel’s Canon.”}

{Read the rest of this entry…}

So much attention is paid to the bride on Wedding Day, but it’s Nick’s day, too. He wants to look and feel good, as much as I do.

We started to brainstorm male attire months ago and immediately thought khaki suit for our outdoor summer wedding along the river. And it was important that Nick and the groomsmen be cool, casual, and comfortable.

(August in Pennsylvania has the potential to be very hot. My parents got married on August 25th 30 years ago, and before every photo, my dad had to wipe the sweat from his face. The hanky he used showed up in the corner of some of the photographs!)

We also didn’t want to ask the groomsmen to pay for a new suit (though we did find some decent deals at JoS. A. Bank), so we started the search for a rental shop that carries khaki suits – it was a more challenging task than we thought! Most shops carry dark tuxedos, which was the opposite of what we were looking for. Men’s Warehouse had a nice chocolate brown suit, which we almost considered, but we really did not want to give up on what we envisioned.

We ended up at Formal Affairs in York where they had a snazzy khaki suit on display – it looked like linen without actually being linen. On the display mannequin, it was paired with a mint green tie. We knew we wanted the groomsmen to wear red ties to match the bridesmaid dresses, and I wanted Nick to try on an ivory tie. He was hesitant at first – he thought the light colors would wash out his complexion (yes, guys consider this stuff, too!). But when he walked out of the dressing room, he looked handsome and confident. And our Best Man agreed.

Here’s a sneak peek at the look {credit Geoff White}

And, if you’re in the market for buying a suit for a summer wedding, I recommend checking out the Stays Cool collection from JoS. A. Bank (the fabric was developed by NASA and is designed to absorb body heat and stay dry) {credit JoS. A. Bank}:

Total cost for each groomsman comes to $130 and includes the pants, the jacket, an ivory shirt, a red tie, and brown shoes. Nick will get his for free. Oh, and our sweet little ring bearer will likely wear an ivory tie to match his uncle.

Did you rent or buy? Anyone else have a hard time finding a khaki suit?

I will have six lovely women by my side on August 28th. My sister is my Maid of Honor, and the Bridesmaids include three girls from my elementary/middle/high school days, one friend from college, and my soon-to-be sister-in-law. They’re all beautiful with different body types and unique senses of style, which is why I wanted each girl to choose her own dress.

A few weeks ago, I took the girls to the dress shop, and we had so much fun piling into the dressing room with armfuls of dresses. Each girl ended up choosing one that totally fits her personality. They will all be crimson silky taffeta and cut to knee-length (with the exception of the MOH — we decided to leave her dress long). All sashes will also be crimson color.

I can’t wait to see the beauties in just a few months!

{all images credit Venus Bridals}

MOH
We may not be close in age (we’re 10 years apart), but my sister and I are close in every other way. She’s a little fashionista whose clothes I love to borrow!

{Read the rest of this entry…}

Believe it or not, this was our hardest decision to date. We had no trouble choosing our venue, photographer, or caterer, and I fell in love with my dress the moment I saw it. But we went through SEVEN versions of our Save the Date design.

We knew from the beginning that we wanted to make a magnet. We love the thought of having our Save the Date hang on the fridges of family and friends. The hard part was choosing the photo and layout. But isn’t that the beauty of DIY? It may be time consuming, but you can create and recreate until you’re completely happy. We finally got there with this one:

Here are some of the runners up:

{Read the rest of this entry…}

I’m not a professional designer, but I am among the growing population of brides who plans to create her own wedding invitation suite. It’s more affordable, more personal, and with help from tools like Gocco, it’s actually doable. (If you’re still on the fence about Gocco, just check out these amazing ideas from Cyd. I bought mine from the lovely Amy I. just a few weeks ago, and I can’t wait to start crafting!)

But before I get into invitations, let me tell you about the design decisions that will influence a lot of our DIY projects.

Color Scheme: Obviously color is important. It creates visual unity from the Save the Date you send months before your Wedding Day to the flowers and linens your guests see when they walk into your reception. We chose shades of reds and oranges based on the colors of early fall. Even though we’re getting married on August 28, I think this scheme will perfectly compliment the dark greens and browns of our outdoor venue.

Fonts: Font styles can really help to set the mood for your wedding – be it formal or casual. Script font is, of course, the most traditional choice. Examples include Edwardian Script, Sackers English Script, and Vivaldi. But we wanted to diverge from the conventional. We wanted a font that said celebration, merriment, and casual comfort.

{Read the rest of this entry…}