Rehearsal Invite Reveal...

Well, I’ve heard from one or two people regarding these, so I know that it’s safe to reveal them to you now. Without further ado, may I present to you our rehearsal dinner invitations? These were SO much fun to work on making. Really they were. I don’t know if they were just more fun, or if the pressure of having beautiful invitations was done and over with so these felt like more fun. Either way, I had a blast designing and creating these. And they really weren’t that much work.

As far as the design? I knew that I really wanted to use a belly band, since B won that one and we went without a belly band on the wedding invites. So I just didn’t ask him about having one on these...sneaky, I know. Other than that, I was WIDE open with what I wanted. I had a lot of envelopes (or so I thought) left over from our STDs and thought that if I did something in a size that would fit those, then that would be cool. Other than that? Wide open for suggestions.

And that’s when I remembered kind of liking Mrs. Apple Cider’s invitations for her rehearsal dinner...so I hopped on over to Weddingbee to check them out again and see what I thought. I realized that what I liked most about her invites was 1) the font that she used and 2) the graphics that she put in...so I started doing some searching using the links that she provided. I liked what I saw, but the doilies weren’t exactly right. So I kept looking, and eventually fell into the world of Photoshop brushes. I was hooked, and had the design done with only one evening spent at home working on it. Love at first sight? Possibly!

So here they are up close and personal...

The invitation itself... The Menu card (which I already showed you)... The RSVP card... The Map – I cheated and used my wedding map as a template and just moved everything a little more North and included the necessary information for the rehearsal dinner. In the end, I liked that I did that, since guess could see the proximity to the wedding venue, the hotel where they were likely staying and the rehearsal dinner restaurant. I forgot to make an extra map...so here's some screen shots of the file so you can kind of see... Like our wedding invitations, there were printed directions on one side, and a map that I made on the other.

All tied up with the pretty purple ribbon (image shown above).

And then, just because I could, I designed another graphic file to put my “stamp” on the outer envelope too. Yeah, I’m just that cheesy!

I ran the envelopes through the printer for all addressing needs... And then they just needed a stamp. I didn’t even have to ask B to get nice stamps when I sent him to the Post Office for stamps...he brought back the popular King/Queen set and they were gorgeous. I thought that they looked cute.

When my Mom got hers in the mail, she actually called me to tell me that she had no idea the depth of my creativity. And she thought the flowers on the outer envelope was a stamp...not a graphic that I designed in Photoshop. She loved them, to say the least. Even told me that I should open a business doing this...I agreed with her! I would love to do this for a living!

I don’t really have an accurate cost breakdown to share with you. I already had most of the materials that I used, or I used materials in conjunction with other projects. What I know that I specifically bought for them totaled to about $16. That doesn’t include the big pack of paper that I bought to do these and the programs on, but that will fall into my total paper projects budget. I made 20 invitations, so that makes them less than $1 a piece. Nice for this bride’s budget!

Are you going to DIY your rehearsal dinner invites? If you are, and you did your actual invites as well, did you have more fun doing these? Just wondering if I’m the only one that didn’t feel the pressure on this project.

An Unknown Package Arrives...

I came home from work the other day to find this sitting in the middle of my living room. I forgot to take a picture BEFORE we opened the box, so no it wasn't opened when it got there. But you can see how banged up there were!

Actually, there were two of them, the most beat-up, pathetic, pitiful looking boxes that I’ve ever seen. B was standing there looking at them and scratching his head in confusion. When I asked him what it was, he said that he didn’t know but that UPS had just dropped them off (Thanks Brown!) and it was from Bed, Bath and Beyond. Well, 2 plus 2 didn’t make 4 in his head, but the addition quickly added up for a math whiz like me!

WEDDING PRESENT!!!

Or maybe I should say wedding presents since there were two humungous boxes crowded into the open area of our living room. I immediately set to work on getting the tape off, while B took the smarter route and went to grab a pair of scissors. Since I had made NO progress by the time he got back with scissors...he thinks he's smarter! LOL!

We opened the boxes to find our dishes. One of the boxes held two groups of our dishes. Since we only picked out everyday dishes (no china in our house!) they are sold in place settings of 4...so two boxes meant 8 place settings! Score. Even though the boxes were wrapped in bubble wrap, some of them didn't look so good!

Then B asked the all-important question. “Well, who are they from?” Hmmm...good question, B. Surely there’s a piece of paper in here or something, right? Nope. Luckily for us, in the OTHER box there was a packing list that had a small card attached to it. But what else was in the box? Oh, just another box of our dishes, the completer serving set AND 12 of the matching “ice cream bowls.”

I looked at the bowls in confusion. Partly because there was one box of them opened and falling out...and partly because I didn’t remember registering for them! But they matched our set and they were REALLY cute... I pulled the card out of the little envelope to read the sweetest message from my Mom. Yep, she bought all of my dishes. Every single place setting, plus the serving pieces that make up the completer set. And the note read something like “We hope that you two are as happy as we are.” (Forgive me Mom, but I don’t have it here in front of me, so I paraphrased!)

I was so touched! B was so touched. We immediately called to tell her thank you and how excited we were to get such an AWESOME gift...she was glad that they got there all safe and sound and was surprised to hear that they arrived on the same day. Apparently the boxes were supposed to ship separately, but it’s a good thing that they didn’t since we wouldn’t have known who the one box without papers of any kind in it came from!

And when she asked me about the bowls, the mystery was cleared up – we didn’t register for them. But only because I don’t think that the BB&B where we registered had them. But they had them in the store that she went shopping in and they had them online when she placed her order...so she got them for us. She knows her daughter well – and I do love me some ice cream!

So thanks to my Mom and step-dad we got ALL of our dishes. And yes, I told her that she wasn’t supposed to buy them all. But she wanted to, and hey you gotta keep your mama happy, right? She’s real happy knowing that we got our dishes. She might not be so happy to hear that I spoke too soon on the phone when I told her that even though the boxes were all beat up, that everything arrived safe and sound...

There was one casualty to the shipping. We thought it was a lone coffee mug when we unpacked the box that had that tell-tale crinkling sound and we weren’t really concerned about one mug when we don’t even drink coffee and we DO have 11 others. But on closer inspection the box of salad plates was also making that sound...but 1 out of 3 isn’t bad if you ask me. And I’m sure that we can return it to BB&B with no problems for an unbroken one.

This was our first wedding gift to actually receive. It was SO much fun! And how smart was my Mom to have it shipped and not have to worry about toting those heavy things down here and all? Very smart! Although B now thinks that I’m crazy because I want to take one box of dishes to the wedding and put it on the gift table so that people can see them...

Have you received wedding gifts by mail? How fun is it for you? It was like Christmas at our house last night...

Our Unity Ritual...

A while back, when talking about our ceremony, B and I decided that we did want to incorporate some type of unity ritual into our ceremony. I have previously done the unity candle, as had he, so neither of us was particularly thrilled with that idea. So we started looking into other things that we could do.

We considered (or maybe just I considered) such things as a sand ceremony, which we liked, but didn’t love. I also considered doing something similar but with liquid and colored waters...but that seemed too messy. Especially around a bride as clumsy as I am! I had terrible visions of spilling red Kool-Aid on my dress...and that idea got nixed rather quickly.

And then Mrs. Cherry Pie got married on Weddingbee. She and her hubby incorporated a handfasting into their ceremony and it was exactly what I had been looking for. Seeing her pictures and reading over her ceremony, I was in awe and on a mission to find out more about handfasting. What I found was fascinating – how it all started, how it evolved, what misconceptions there are about the ritual and why it’s done. And I was sold – hook, line and sinker on this being our unity ritual.

In case you don’t read Weddingbee, or missed her post about it, here’s how hers went:

“Kat, take Justin’s hands palms up,so you may see the gift that they are to you:
These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and vibrant with love,that are holding yours on your wedding day,as he promises to love you all the days of his life.

Now Justin, please take Kat’s hands, palms up,so you may see the gift that they are to you:
These are the hands of your best friend, smooth, young, and carefree,that are holding yours on your wedding day,as she promises to love you all the days of her life.

Now, please join hands so that they may be fasted in the ways of old.Remember then as your hands are fasted, these are not the ties that bind…

[Cords are held aloft]
The love already shared by your heartsHas been strengthened by the vows you have takenYou will be bound by your love as you are bound by your clasped handsFrom now until the end of your days

[As the following is recited, the couples hands are wrapped with cords]
These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch will comfort you like no other.
These are the hands that will work alongside yours, as you build your future together
These are the hands that will hold you whenever illness, fear, or grief may find you.
These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it.
These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children
These are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged, will still be reaching for yours
[Binding is finished and cords are knotted]

Bless these hands that you see before you this day.May they always reach out with love, gentleness, and respect.May they build a loving relationship that lasts a lifetime.May they always be held by one another.If you follow these words and heed this sacred binding,your hands will heal, protect, shelter, and guide.Now, you may remove the cords,but remember the knot as a lasting symbol of your binding and commitment
[Cords are removed stowed]”
source

I got my notes all together and prepared the “pitch” to B...but, as was becoming normal at that time, he took the idea and ran with it with little more than a mention that I kinda wanted to do it. He liked it. He thinks that his grandmother will get a kick out of seeing something “Irish” in the wedding, and from then on it was settled. (Yes, I know that it’s not a traditional Irish ritual, it’s more Scottish or English, but work with me here...)

Once I got the ceremony versions from our officiant/friend/minister, I started to re-work his ceremony to include this ritual for us. That was what I thought would be the hard part to doing a handfasting, but it turned out to be the easy part. When I gave the ceremony revisions back to him to look over (while holding my breath that he wouldn’t flip!) he loved the ceremony additions and re-working that we had done and really dug the handfasting portion of the ceremony. But then again, he’s an old hippie...you HAD to know that he would like it!

Every time that I look back on our ceremony, I just LOVE this part of it all. Love it, love it, love it. We borrowed the wording used in Mrs. Cherry Pie’s ritual, and I couldn’t be happier with it! Her entire ceremony was wonderful, and it heavily influenced our own ceremony - taking out what we didn’t like and adding in things that we did. But that one portion? We left exactly the way that it was. (Click on the source up above to see her post about her ceremony!)

Are you choosing to do a unity ritual in your ceremony? What type do you plan on doing?

Featured Wedding – Cintia and Jay 3rd

When I first started looking for a venue, there was nothing in Austin that could top Villa Antonia for me. It had everything...fantastic views...it's own small chapel...lovely Italian-inspired decor...and a hefty price tag that was WAY out of our meager budget. So when I saw this session from our photographer, Christina Carroll of Christina Carroll Photography, I just almost swwoned. Literally. So beautfiul...here's what Christina had to say about this shoot:

"What a beautiful wedding and a beautiful couple! Cintia & Jay got married at Villa Antonia. It was the perfect venue for their romantic wedding. They had a lot of great details and everything was hot pink! I was so happy to be a part of their day. They are one of the sweetest couples I’ve met!"

Readers, feast upon this...

Love the pop of color that the bouquets give this shot...

The dress...le sigh...and the accessories...

Do you see something that I love? Do you see two somethings that I love?

Yep...baby pomanders...and rose petals lining the aisle - you'll see that in my own pro pictures!

I LOVE these ring shots...they just POP off of the page!

Details, flowers, and more eye-candy...

I HOPE that we get to dance like this...

source

I hope that you swooned and sighed right along with me...loved the colors...loved the setting...and I love that Christina put all the collages together for me (that means I did NO work!). Thanks Christina for bringing us this gorgeous wedding...click over to her blog to check out the rest of the fabulous images from Villa Antonia.

The Good Wife

You know, there was a movie a few years backed called The Good Son. It was disturbing on many levels, but mainly because that cute little boy from the "Home Alone" movies was a killer...this post isn't about a killer wife, I promise. And it's not creepy like that movie either. It's pretty funny, if you ask me.

Here’s some tips for all of you out there who haven’t yet tied the knot...some small tips and things that you can do for your special someone to let them know that you care...

(And no, these aren’t MY tips...they came straight out of the May 13th, 1955 edition of Housekeeping Monthly)

The Good Wife’s Guide:

Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready, on time for his return. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospect of a good meal (especially his favourite dish) is part of the warm welcome needed.

Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you’ll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people.

Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.

Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives. Gather up schoolbooks, toys, paper etc and then run a dustcloth over the tables.

Over the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering for his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.

Prepare the children. Take a few minutes to wash the children’s hands and faces (if they are small), comb their hair and, if necessary, change their clothes. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part. Minimise all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet.

Be happy to see him.

Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.

Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first – remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours.

Make the evening his. Never complain if he comes home late or goes out to dinner, or other places of entertainment without you. Instead, try to understand his world of staring and pressure and his very real need to be at home and relax.

Your goal: Try to make sure your home is a place of peace, order and tranquility where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit.

Don’t greet him with complaints and problems.

Don’t complain if he’s home late for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through that day.

Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or have him lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him.

Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.

Don’t ask him questions about his actions or question his judgement or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him.

A good wife always knows her place.

If I were to ask for a show of hands...how many of you out there think that article was written by a man? Ooh, ooh, me, me, me!!! I do, I do! Really? I’m shocked...

My FMIL sent this email to me the other day, and it’s actually photocopied right out of the magazine mentioned above...I’ve seen it before, but now just a few days before my own wedding, it takes on some different meaning. Part of me wants to be outraged and indignant...but then I just figured that it was best for a good chuckle to start the day off right.

Hope you chuckled along with me!

A Shout Out for MOH

OK, this lady deserves some kudos...and not just because we've been friends for ELEVEN years now!

She came to Austin to help me with my final fitting...that didn't actually happen. After an almost two hour drive...and she was a trooper. She helped me eat pizza and we polished off a bottle of wine that was meh...

She and I got all of the bouts done...along with the bridesmaids bouquets...working until late (for a week night). Then she spent the night with me and got up and drove home the next morning. Fully knowing that she might come back this weekend...and she's HAVE to come back next week for the "real" final fitting...

And she did it all on her anniversary.

Can I get a round of applause? Congratulations? Something? She deserves it, I tell you!

Happy 5th Anniversary, MOH! I hope that it was a good one...

Having an "Epiphany"

I’ve mentioned a time or two (or twenty) that one of our groomsmen is getting married a short two weeks after our own wedding. We’re thrilled and touched that he and his fiance will be making the trip out to Texas to stand up with “us” so soon before their own wedding. Now that I’m less than three weeks out from my own wedding, I can’t imagine taking time off of work (and wedding planning) to spend three or four days in another state at someone else’s wedding.

I know it’s probably not that big of a deal to the groom-to-be...but I feel for the bride-to-be! Seriously, I do. It means so much to us that they’ll be here for us on our special day, and of course, we’re returning the favor and going to their wedding in November. (Remember this is the trip that we combined for our honeymoon?)

Anyway, last week in the mail, we got their wedding invitation. It was stunning. Simple, elegant, and very them – if that makes sense. In addition to the wedding invitation itself, there was of course, an RSVP card. Now, you all know with my own frustrations in the forefront of my mind dealing with RSVP cards, I was quick to take the RSVP card right then and there and mark “Accepts” right away.

And then something nearly magical happened. On the line where you write the name of the person sending the RSVP for...it struck me that I would literally be RSVPing as Mr. and Mrs. First Name Last Name.

WOW.

I’ve read from other bridal blogs and all about having that moment when it really hits you that this deal is almost here. That it’s really going to happen, and things change after that moment. This was my “Holy Cow!” moment for realizing that the wedding was taking place. Seems like something so small to bring about such an epiphany of a moment, but you know how it goes.

I proudly wrote our names...and then started jumping up and down like a school girl and yelling at B to come and look. He’s a good groom and he got what I was excited about right away. Because in reality, by the time that we attend their wedding we will be a Mr and Mrs. How cool is that?!?!

I know, you’re not as excited as I am, but this was my moment to realize that we’re almost there. And it was pretty darn exciting for me!

Have you had your moment yet? What set it off? Something small and mundane or something bigger and more important? I’d love to hear about it!