Vintage flower for my MOH

Last weekend, my Maid of Honor (MOH, as dubbed from Anna's pre-wedding days), Trish was in town. Trisha lives in Nashville now so when she is home, I have to snag her for at least a couple of hours so we can catch up and visit our favorite (since high school) hangout: Coffee Times.

Adjacent to CT, and owned by the same woman, is Street Scene; a very fun and eclectic vintage store housing all sorts of goodies from days past. One of my favorite all time finds in that store was a Barbie airplane, made circa 1972. Well that, or the New Kids on the Block sleeping bag I should have bought when I had the chance. That's the thing with stores like that...you let it pass and it is typically gone forever.

Anyway, Trish and I made a quick stop in Street Scene en route to have a cappucino at CT. I told Trish several months back that I wanted to try and find a vintage brooch of some sort for her to wear in the wedding. Since I will have eight girls on stage with me, all wearing various emerald green dresses, I thought this would be a fun way to differentiate her as my MOH. And a great way to showcase our mutual love of vintage things!

While perusing, we came across this brooch:

Needless to say, we found ourselves Trisha's wedding day brooch. I absolutely love the bright orange color of it! Just what I was wanting. It will stand out beautifully against the emerald green dress. And it's just fun!

Center stage

When it comes to centerpieces, I am leaning as far away from flowers as possible. Don't get me wrong, flowers are gorgeous! But they are also rather expensive.

In lieu of floral centerpieces, I scoured the Internet looking for ideas. Nothing really caught my eye. However, there was one blog I found where the bride used all sorts of candles, of varying heights, and brought them together to form a centerpiece. Love this idea! The best part about her centerpieces? Nearly every item she used came from IKEA!

Her mock centerpiece:

Instead of using so many candles (and to save money!), I plan to mix mini pumpkins, from a local orchard, amongst the candles on some of the tables, and add additional tealight candles on other tables.

Erin and I spent some time at IKEA in West Chester over the weekend. I bought a few samples to mix and match my own centerpiece ideas...

This sample photo shows the basic three candle holders (actually drinking glasses from IKEA!) that will anchor the centerpieces of all tables. On these, I plan to use three mini pumpkins in-between the candles.

This sample photo shows the same three candle holders as well as three additional tealight holders.


Now all I need for both are candles! I bought a large bag of IKEA tealights and plan to purchase white votives and pillars for the remaining glasses. I think these centerpieces will create a nice warm glow throughout the room, don't you?

Excited to see how this DIY project turns out!

The Cherry on Top

I have mentioned this already, but after the ceremony is over (and some of the photos are finished), the veil is coming off and my fun headpiece is coming on!

You would be amazed at what stores actually charge for these things. I wanted something that I described as a "feathery flower." Something that made a statement without being too large. But every one that I had my eye on cost well over $100, $200 and sometimes $300. That is complete insanity in my book.

Since making the decision to get something like this, I have been searching everywhere. And Etsy has once again proven to be my mecca. There were so many gorgeous headpieces - all for a fraction of what the local bridal shops were trying to sell their stuff for. After several weeks of searching, I found one that I love!

I noticed that several of the headpieces I liked were all made by Jennypickle Designs, on Etsy. Upon looking at her shop, I found "the one!" Of course, it sold before I made a final decision on it. I messaged her and luckily, she was able to make a replica specially for me. AND she completed it today!!

Here are some of her pictures she sent me earlier:

Love it! And it is special knowing it was made specifically with me in mind! Hopefully it will be here shortly so I can try it on!

Happy Friday.

Pea-green with envy

Since perusing Etsy a bit more, I think I have refined my necklace style...I was originally thinking of super funky...to someting a little more elegant. I still want an emerald green stone, but I want something a little vintage and more dainty. I have narrowed my choices down to six.

They are:

All are from Etsy. Love love love Etsy!

Without showing you a picture of the dress (can't let Jacob see it!), keep in mind it is ivory. I will wear a veil during the ceremony, a feathery floral headpiece at the reception (sans veil), and will have on those gold shoes I showed you earlier this week. Opinions? Ideas?

As for earrings, some of the sellers of these pieces have earrings to match. That might be a possibility. Not entirely sure yet. Figured I would choose a necklace first and the rest would fall into place.

If you have an opinion, share it! I would really like to hear it before making a purchase (hopefully this week sometime.).

Wedding Shoes...take two!

Before the New Year, I thought I had found my dream wedding shoes. The rhinestone buckled silver shoes were absolutely gorgeous! The only negative was their height. At (at least) three inches, the heels on these shoes proved to be several inches too tall.

See, my dress is being hemmed before I even see it the first time (to save on alteration costs later), so to my dismay, Diane (at Ruth's) told me the three-inch heels were a no-go. Which I guess worked out because Jacob was not particularly fond of the shoes' height either. Diane suggested I find shoes that stood at an inch or just over to ensure the dress length will fit properly. At the time I figured that would be a breeze.

Since that fateful day in January, I have been searching high and low for wedding shoes. As you might suspect (or already know), low-heeled shoes that are DRESSY and CUTE are extremely hard to come by. Don't get me wrong, I adore ballet flats and kitten heels (I wear them at least four days a week), but when it comes to wedding day shoes...there is not much out there. Especially when you consider that I was hoping to wear shoes in a fun shade...maybe in green or orange. And they also needed to be something I would wear again.

My searching paid off when I went to DSW with Jacob's mom (Debbie) last week over her Spring Break. I found a pair of low-heel, casual sandals that would definitely be worn again. They are gold (completely random and not at all what I was originally thinking) and could seriously be worn at the beach or to a wedding. Versatile. And the low heel, though not super glamorous, will really prove to be the better choice for September 18...considering I will be on my feet for a very long time. I fell in love with them right away!

Take a look:

What do you think?? I love them! A big thanks to Debbie for getting them for me!!! (Thank you!)

Here is another photo...please excuse my feet!! They have not been pampered in a while (haha) and the polish really needs to come off. And I do not know I was holding my toes up...strange. But the shoes look good!!

DIY Fun!
One of my wedding projects included writing on the bottoms of my wedding shoes. I came across this idea on a wedding blog I follow...what a super cute idea! I picked out glittery blue stickers in a fun font and set to work this weekend after the shoes were official!

Check them out:

I think they turned out really cute! A super simple DIY project to add a little flair to the wedding shoes. And...they can be my something blue!!

Happy Monday.

Rehearsal Dinner Plans

Our rehearsal dinner destination has been finalized. We will be dining at Murray's on Harrodsburg Road, September 17.


I must say, I am pretty excited about this. Ever since they converted the old house into a restaurant (orginally called The Homestead I believe) I have always wanted to eat there. And now I will! Murray's is owned by the same people who own Merrick Inn, over on Tates Creek Road.

And the menu looks spectacular! A taste of Kentucky for sure. I am not entirely sure of what will be on the specific menu for our event, but you can bet it will be delicious.

What makes it even more perfect is that Southland is just down the road. The rehearsal at the church will begin at 6:30 and immediately following, we will head down to Murray's for dinner in a private dining room.

And I have to admit, our wonderful photographer, Mary, agreed to stop with Jacob and I at the Bellerive Kroger on the way to dinner for a quick photo shoot. Why? Jacob and I actually met at that Kroger...almost a decade ago. So I thought it might be kind of fun to shoot a few photos from there...at least for memory's sake!

My Understanding a Southern Wedding Tradition...

A southern tradition, the groom's cake allows for some variety on the traditional wedding cake. As such, many of these cakes are chocolate or of some other dessert variety (I have heard of people using cheesecakes, chocolate covered strawberries and such). However, my experience with the groom's cake is limited. Not every wedding I have attended has had one...and the ones that did, it was merely a typical "cake" with a sports theme (or other groom interest theme).

Since our wedding cake is non-traditional as it is (chocolate iced), I have had a difficult time coming up with the best creation for our groom's cake... However, considering Jacob's interests (and tastes), I am heavily leaning toward a cookie cake for our groom's cake.


As many know, Jacob and I are major sweets lovers...and the Great American Cookie Company is a regular haunt for us when we are trying to satisfy a sweet tooth. They make the most delicious cookies cakes...in a variety of sizes. The shape/style/design of the cake I am thinking of is still TBD. I will need to consider those options here soon!

If going this route, I need to find a creative way to display this cake...ideas are welcome!

I think what confuses me about the groom's cake: how many servings should you expect to get out of it? Do more people eat the groom's cake over the traditional wedding cake? Less? Since GACC is not a traditional bakery, they will more than likely not know the answers to these questions. So that means I will have to guess on this one...

DIY Project: Reception Site Program

Have you ever been to a wedding and had no idea what was going on?

Most weddings you attend, you just go with the flow of what is going on (aka you listen to the DJ or emcee for announcements). And that is ok if the entire reception is taking place in a single room (like at a hotel). However, if your wedding reception site is broken up, or your DJ does not announce events, it is very easy for guests to get lost in the flow.

For this reason, and not to mention the fact that Father of the Bride always made me nervous!, I am leaning toward a reception program. Now I know what you might be thinking...she is just too type A, yada, yada, yada... But this is something, I think, can be kind of fun (and enlightening).

When I say "program" I mean a large piece of sturdy cardstock on an easel, with a program printed on it. More of a timeline format I suppose. (Though I realize the times I print will not happen as planned...I have come to grips with this!)

This flow chart will be something guests can take a look at and have an idea for what is going on throughout the course of the evening. That way, people can know when to watch the first dance or grab a slice of cake once it's cut.

Also, with all of the fun touches I am working on for the wedding, it will be a nice way to highlight them so guests can take a look.

Of course, this program will be in a fun font to match the rest of the stationary items I am creating (invitation, RSVP card, program, other reception signage, etc.).

I found a cute table easel at IKEA that I am considering for this project. And I have already been playing with language for this...

A snippet of my program:

7 p.m.
While the wedding party wraps up a few photos, enjoy a drink at the bar or explore the beautiful property of the Keene Run Golf Club. Appetizers will be passed inside the clubhouse at this time.

A drink station is set up outside on the patio, complete with soda, sweet tea and water. Feel free to help yourself throughout the evening.

What do you think about this project?

MUSIC makes the people come together

The latest wedding conversations have revolved around the kind of music we are going to incorporate into the big day. Namely the songs used for reception entrance, father/daughter dance, first dance, cake cutting and so on...

I've always known that the traditional Wedding March and similar fanfare were not for me. When I was younger, I imagined the sounds of Frank Sinatra and Louie Armstrong. Most recently, I have adored the idea of fitting non-traditional wedding acts (such as my beloved Beatles and even Led Zeppelin or Van Morrison) into my wedding music.

Lucky for me, Jacob does not seem to mind too much. Which is great because we have very little in common when it comes to musical tastes (though he has been growing a keener ear toward my classic rock). But to infuse some of his musical taste into the event, we will be incorporating some rap/r&b music. Maybe even some Tupac. Haha! I told Jacob that if he can figure out a way to incorporate Tupac (or other rap act) into the wedding music, I will go with it. I am interested to see what he comes up with.

In fact, it has been kind of fun throwing out random song titles/musicians to each other and seeing how we could incorporate it. We do have a few songs picked out but I cannot share those so they will be surprises! But know, when you come to our wedding in September, you will hear a very eclectic mix...from the Beatles to Queen and everything in-between. Just you wait!

Ceremony
When it comes to ceremony music, we have a lot of those pieces picked out too, or at least in consideration. Again, non-traditional. They will be instrumental (so no popping a CD into the church's sound system and calling it a day).

In addition to a pianist, I am contemplating a mandolin player. Know anyone up for the job?

Anniversaries, Weddings and Birthdays...Oh my!

The weekend we get married, we will be celebrating Jacob's parents' wedding anniversary (September 17), our wedding day (September 18) and Jacob's brother Seth's Birthday (September 19). Not to mention we are marrying on his aunt and uncle's wedding anniversary. September is apparently a huge month in the Kelly family.

As such, I have been thinking of ways we can commemorate these events within our weekend wedding extravaganza...

First off, I definitely think that a toast(s) (from Jacob and I) during our Rehearsal Dinner would be a nice touch. And in such an intimate setting, this could be really great!

Second, I have been doing a lot of thinking about placing old family wedding photos in pretty frames at the reception site...I have seen a few images from weddings that had a similar set up and it looks like a really nice idea. And a really great conversation starter! Consider this photo of my grandparents (Mom's parents) at their 1955 wedding (left), and my great grandparents (Mom's grandparents), at their wedding sometime in the early 20th century (right). Priceless!

I think the tricky thing will be to find a classy way to display these... I am leaning toward an entryway table, where we can also set the guest book and some pretty flowers. Maybe something like the below. Thoughts?


Speaking of photos...I thought about possibly having a display of photos of Jacob and I at Keene Run. Not sure if this is something we really need or not (we plan to have a pre-wedding trivia show for guests to play in the church before the ceremony starts AND Jacob's mom is working on a slideshow for the rehearsal dinner that we may also be able to play at the reception as well). But, these are cute ways to display photos if we do decide to go that route:

And, finally, I plan to have the DJ play first dance songs from family members' weddings. This is a simple (and fun) way to tie family weddings to ours. I can hardly wait to hear what these songs were for family members...especially after Mom told me she and my Dad had some totally 80's number. For the life of me I cannot remember what it was, but I laughed and I laughed when I heard what it was. Ha!

But when it comes to Seth's Birthday, I don't know how to best incorporate it into our wedding...ideas?

Cutting the non-necessities...

There are several wedding-related expenses I would happily cut to help the bottom line...things like transportation and save the dates. For me, these two items, among many other details, are really not that important in the grand scheme of things.

A) our ceremony and reception sites are literally right down the road from each other. Anna and I timed it...Southland is exactly .08 miles down Harrodsburg Road from Keene Run Golf Club. Why hire a limo or bus or other mode of transportation for .08 miles? Not only that, but have you been in a wedding party that has transportation? After the reception, you are scrambling to hitch a ride with someone back to the ceremony site to pick up your car. I think with our situation, opting against group transportation is the best bet. And it will save money.

What will we do for transportation? Well...maybe we will ask friends or relatives with a nice ride to let us borrow it for the wedding day...Not sure. These details remain to be discussed in depth. But the bottom line: no need to spend hundreds of dollars on a ride to take us less than a mile down the road.

And two, save the dates, in my opinion, are an unnecessary expense if you are not getting married on a busy holiday weekend or if you have a long engagement. (We are in both camps.) I can certainly see the need for a save the date if your wedding is over Labor Day weekend or Thanksgiving or any other holiday weekend (or any other especially busy time in the year), but September 18? And we have a 17 month engagement? No need for that. Sure, they can be cute and there are MANY ways to make these creative and really set the tone for your wedding, but are they really worth the extra expense?

I would rather put a little more into post-wedding thank yous. I have a great idea for these shaping up... Or another thought: what about getting postcards from the city/area your wedding is taking place and writing notes on them for those guests coming from out of town? It would be especially touching to have these postcards at the front desk of the hotel they are staying in for them to receive upon check-in.

What do you think? Are these non-necessities for you?

Looking beyond "Happily Ever After"

After weeks of nagging by family and friends, Jacob and I are finally going to give in and begin our wedding registries. Yes, we are joining the bandwagon and registering at multiple stores: Macy's; Bed, Bath and Beyond; and even a Home Depot (I think they are the home improvement store with a registry...if not, we will figure a replacement out later). And I must admit, I am rather distraught that Pier One no longer offers a wedding registry, I heart that store!

Why a Home Depot, you ask? Why what kind of homeowners would we be without a proper lawn mower, yard work tools, patio furniture, etc?

Still a solid six months out, we are not going to have these complete, by any means, in the near future. But we will at least begin getting the key items on our list.

People who know me realize how much of an organized freak I am...that said, you can rest assured knowing that a detailed list has been created and added to over the last 11 months (we have been engaged 11 months today!) outlining those items we plan to add to our registry. Some of the most interesting items on our wish list include:

• Towel warmer for the master bathroom - Jacob greatly opposes this idea...does not want to get used to having a warm towel every time he gets out of the shower...if you ask me that is crazy talk. A master bath would not be complete without one of these!


• Soup crocks - A random, but very useful, dish. You can make soup and not burn your hand while holding the bowl. And they are super cute!
  
• Water purifier for kitchen sink - I am very weird about tap water. Very weird. If the pipes are more than ten years old, I am very skeptical about the quality of the water. I am a freak, I know. As Jacob's (soon to be OUR) house is over 60 years old, we are in dire need of a Brita purifier that hooks directly to the faucet.
  
• Breadbox - I realize this is not 1955, but I love the idea of a breadbox. A super cute way to store perishable bakery/bread items in the kitchen.


• Herb keepers - This Spring, Jacob and I are planting our very first garden, including an herb garden on the patio for fresh mint, basil, rosemary, etc. What better way to keep these herbs fresh than a handy herb keeper for your fridge?

Sorry for the boring update today...but there is not much going on with wedding planning front as of late. Instead, we have been basking in the joy that is being engaged. :)