A day in the life...

So here is something that has been on my mind lately...hiring a videographer was never that important to me. Until recently. The more I think about it, the more I want someone there to capture our ceremony and key reception points on video (er...DVD).

But have you seen the cost of these videographers?! A little more than I would want (or even be able) to spend. Granted, I am sure they do excellent work (editing it all down, adding music, that sort of thing), but I really cannot see a way for that to work its way into our budget.

That said, I have been toying with the idea of someone, a friend or relative or friend of my mom's, to tape the event. Scares me a bit (they may have a shaky hand...or worst case scenario: something similar to what happened at my parents' wedding back in '83 may happen...my uncle was taping it and apparently forgot to put a tape in the camcorder...yikes!), but what other options do I have at this point?

What have you all done? Anyone actually hire a professional to tape your big day? Or have a friend tape it? How did it turn out? I really need some advice on this one...

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

Today I am highlighting the song I hope to use during our "grand exit" from the reception, Going up the Country by Canned Heat, a '69 Woodstock classic. LOVE this song! And if you listen closely, the lyrics are pretty on base with us leaving...a perfect fit! One of my most favorite parts of the song:

Now baby, pack your leaving trunk, you know we've got to leave today
Just exactly where we're going I cannot say, but
We might even leave the USA

Since our honeymoon destination is a surprise to me, this is perfect! Click on the video above to listen to the song.

Making a Grand Exit

So many weddings these days don't have a "grand exit." You know, when the bride and groom leave the reception to a crowd of people waving sparklers, blowing bubbles, throwing confetti (eco-friendly of course), bird seed or, in the old days, rice.

My sister's wedding last summer had an exit from the church where we blew bubbles at them...it was cute and the photos turned out adorable. Bridesmaid Anna's wedding a few years back had a grand exit...they left the Bell House to 100 Years by Five for Fighting and a crowd of people saying goodbye to them from the porch. It was a really touching moment.

But other than those two occurrences, I cannot recall another grand exit at a wedding I have attended. In fact, a lot of weddings I have been to see the bride and groom through the end of the reception...even after the lights flash back on and the DJ pulls the plug. I have even attended weddings where the bride and groom attend after-parties and hit the bar scene after the reception comes to a close.

So not feeling that. If I had it my way, Jacob and I would leave the reception a good 45 minutes before the party ends (we will see if I can talk him into this...). AND we would have a grand exit from the golf club. In fact, I am hoping to have guests out on the patio and down the front stairwell waving sparklers at us as we hop into our getaway car. If possible, I also plan to ask the DJ to play a specific song as we leave...Going up the Country by Canned Heat. LOVE that song and the lyrics are pretty fitting too!

I am picturing something like this:

What do you think about this idea for our grand exit?

Take a seat

Are wedding reception seat markers for the bride and groom a have or a have not? I am kind of torn with this DIY project idea...this isn't something I have seen a lot of in weddings I have attended, and the photos I have seen on the Web leave quite a bit to be desired. The ones I have come across are typically labeled with the usual "Bride" and "Groom" or "Mr." and "Mrs." like the ones below:

These are not bad ideas at all; they just do not reflect us as a couple.

I realize we will spend very little (if any) time sitting at our table...thus making seat markers not a super important decor project. But it could be a cute touch (and would reserve our seats for when we do try to sneak a bite to eat!).

If this is something we end up wanting, I will certainly make it a DIY project and will go with "K" and "J" letters...painted in a shade of burnt orange or emerald green and tied to the chairs with a ribbon in a corresponding color. This "theme" would go with another piece of decor I have been DIYing for the wedding...you will see in September!

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?

Eat, drink and be merry

I don't think I have ever mentioned much about our caterer...or even our reception site, two of the largest aspects (and expenses) of our wedding. So today, I will fill you in on both!

Choosing the reception site was one of the most difficult things in the wedding process, for us anyway. We knew that we wanted to be married in the church we both grew up in (Southland Christian Church), but when it came to reception sites, we were at a complete loss. At one point early in the planning process, I had a list of 30-something potential reception sites, from hotels to clubhouses and golf courses to historic sites. It was un-real. And it seemed there was something wrong with every location; it was too big, too small, too expensive, the food/caterer was not good, etc. That was the case at every site until we happened upon Keene Run Golf Club, in Nicholasville, Kentucky.

Keene Run is a relatively new private golf club, located on Harrodsburg Road, only .08 miles from SCC. It holds just the right amount of people, has an amazing caterer on site (DaRae and Friends out of Lexington), is absolutely gorgeous (lush greenery, rolling hills, very "Kentucky") and has the perfect feel to the kind of wedding we wanted (classy yet unrefined, not uptight). One of my absolutely favorite features is the wrap-around porch on three sides of the clubhouse; it has a very light and airy feeling and opens up to the expansive course. A fabulous view! Needless to say, we fell in love with this place right away.

Our plan is to have seating/tables both inside and out (on the patio). I especially love the idea of high top tables outside for people to gather. As the space is relatively new (inside decor is not outdated), there is really not a serious need for decorations inside the clubhouse. I am still bouncing around ideas (for centerpieces and reception site in general) and once those are more concrete, I will definitely share those plans.

As for food, DaRae and Friends will be catering our reception. If you have not had her food yet, you are in for a treat. It is delicious! At this point, our plan is heavy hors d'oeuvres and a carving station. A menu has not been set yet, but we have plenty of time to work this out. In fact, we will be taste testing her food in April, and our plan is to have a menu planned by mid-July. We are toying with the idea of having passed hors d'oeuvres while guests are waiting on the wedding party to arrive (love this idea) and having the full spread ready once we arrive.

Since Jacob and I are planning to see each other before the ceremony (a first look!), there will not be a need to stick around the church for additional photos. Instead, we can book it to the reception site to get photos in over there. In fact, it may even work out that we can get some photos at the golf club done before the ceremony...since it is so close to the church. We will have to play around with those times with our photographer.

As for the bar, we are not quite sure what the case will be on this front. There are several options, from setting a dollar limit (once this limit is hit, the bar will close or turn to a cash bar) to having an open bar for x number of hours (and cash bar to follow once that time limit is up). But we have not played around with numbers or anything yet.

I am super excited about our wedding reception! The food and location are absolutely perfect and will really pull the entire event together. And best of all, it truly sums up everything we wanted that day. Love it!

I love Etsy!

I have long heard about this mecca (Etsy) on the Internet that allows people to make goods and sell them, like an Ebay for creative people (and we all know how I love Ebay!). When I finally made time to check it out, I was bummed I hadn't gotten into it sooner!

My first order of business was to look for a wedding day necklace. In lieu of the traditional pearl and diamond look, I am seriously considering something a little more funky. I think this could look really cool, especially since my dress is relatively simple. I am thinking something green...here are a few examples of what I like at this point:


What do you think of these? If I opt for a necklace like one of the above, I will probably use simple pearl stud earrings (or something similar).

As for my hair, I am planning on a traditional veil for the ceremony/some photos. As soon as that is over, I will be losing the veil for something a little less rigid and much more fun. I really like the idea of a feathery flower clip, like some of the images below. But I have also come across a really cool rhinestone headband that may look neat... Take a look:

Opinions? I am definitely going to keep looking to see what else I can find on Etsy!

I have also located some really neat fabric (in various shades of orange and green) on Etsy that would make for great tablescapes at the reception. Lots of inspiration!

And last, but certainly not least, I have been looking through Etsy for bridesmaid gift inspiration. I will not show my ideas on here simply because I don't want to let a secret out! But I can say that I may have found the best gift ever!! I am ordering a sample today or tomorrow so I can see it in person before making a final decision. I will keep you posted!