Bows and Dresses

Since we're having an outside ceremony, we obviously won't be having pews. However I still wanted to incorporate something that could be put on the aisle side chairs at the ceremony site to jazz things up a little bit. In December of 2008 (I think) mom and I were at Sam's and found some beautiful wide ribbon that we decided would be perfect for making "pew" bows. I'm so glad I bought it when I saw it because it truly is perfect. My mom was a florist and is a master bow maker (she makes it look so easy). Because of her talent, I asked her to make the bows for me. This is what they will look like.....

(Source: yours truly)

We will attach them to the chairs that are along the inside of the "aisle" that my girls and myself will walk down. They are simple but elegant and I think they will look beautiful on the chairs!

That concludes the "bow" section of this post, now on to the dresses! I've already shared the dress options I gave my girls to choose from. Today, I present to you the dresses my maid of honor and bridesmaid picked out! My maid of honor Lindsey picked out this stunning dress and I just know it's going to look fabulous on her!

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And my bridesmaid Javi picked out this beautiful halter dress that's going to look great on her!

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I can't wait to see my girls in their dresses! The color they will both be in is called "Grape" and it is a beautiful deep yet bright purple!

Update on my Grandmother

Thank you to those of you who said a prayer for my grandmother. She is at home and doing MUCH better! She did spend the night at the hospital last night and spent most of the day there today as well. She went through some more testing today and passed all the tests. So she was allowed to go home late this afternoon. However, all indications point to her having a heart attack or some kind of serious "cardiac event". She will be closely monitored in the days and weeks ahead to make sure nothing else happens. Please continue to pray for her. I'm so glad she's ok, I was scared out of my mind last night when we got the call. Thanks again!

Something Old, New and Borrowed

I've already shared my "Something Blue" with you and today I'll share my something old, new and borrowed.

My something old is something that I wore when I was a baby. A dear friend of my Gram's (grandmother) made me a bonnet out of a lace hanky. I never knew about this until after I got engaged and mom pulled it out of the closet. Inside the ziplock bag it was in was a hand written note from Phyllis Anderson (my Gram's friend). This is what it says....

"I'm just a little hanky as square as I can be. But with a stitch or tow, they made a bonnet out of me. I'll be worn home from the hospital, or on a special day. Then I'll be washed and pressed and neatly tucked away. Then on her wedding day as we've always been told. Each well-dressed bride must have that something old. What would be more fitting, than to find little old me. Snip a few stitches and a wedding hanky I will be. If by chance it is a boy, someday he'll surely wed. So to his bride he can present the hanky once worn on his head."

Now is that an incredible tradition or what!? When I read the card for the first time, tears started to well in my eyes. I'm so thankful to have such a special thing to carry with me on my wedding day. My plan is to attach it to my bouquet so it is with me all day long. And I know it will mean so much to my Gram that I will have it with me! Unfortunately, I wasn't able to quickly find a picture of me with the bonnet on when I was little. So I had to improvise and put it on a baby dolls head. lol

(Source: yours truly)

And this is what it looked like after the stitches were taken out and it was pressed.

(Source: yours truly)

As for the something new, there I countless things that could fall into this category; my dress, shoes, veil, jewelry, etc. For something borrowed, I have no idea what this will be. I guess I won't know until the wedding day when I need to borrow something! lol

Do you have any cool traditions or keepsakes that you'll be using for your something old, new, borrowed and blue?

Giveaway Winner!!

I created an Excel spreadsheet as shown below with all of the entries in the order they came in.

Then I used Random.org to get the winner....
And so the winner is Heather aka the Bicoastal Bride!! Congratulations and I hope you LOVE your poster print! I will get your information to OnlinePosterPrinting and they will contact you with the details to claim your prize!

And for those of you that pray, I have an urgent prayer request. My grandmother (my mom's mom) was rushed to the hospital tonight with chest pain. Her son (my uncle) is a doctor and fears she is having a heart attack. She is stable at the moment but that is all I know. Please be lifting her up in prayer and my entire family as well. Thanks!

Last Chance to Enter and a Quick DIY Project!

Don't forget that today is the last day you can enter to win the FREE Onlineposterprinting Giveaway!!!

If you haven't entered yet, be sure to do so before midnight tonight!

Enter to Win!

And to throw in a quick update and DIY project....

I bring you the sign I made to direct guests to the wedding. It's easy to find the Bed & Breakfast the wedding will be at. However, the road "Y's" at the base of the B&B's property and all guests will need to bear right at the "Y". So I knew we would have to have a sign at the base of the property. Here is what I came up with.....

(Source: yours truly)

Early on in the planning process when I was at JoAnn's, I found an alphabet stamp set for only $5! I didn't know what if anything I'd use the stamps for but I knew if I didn't buy them I would need them, so I got them. Turns out, they were EXACTLY what I need for this sign! The letters are actually stamped in purple paint, my camera makes it look black though. The corner accents are rub on decals that I had left over from the "This way to the wedding" signs. And I used a piece of Matboard that the former owners of my moms house left here when they moved. So this sign didn't cost me a thing! I am going to see about having it laminated though, so that would be the only cost.

When I made the above sign, I also made some parking sings as well. I used the same purple paint and the alphabet stamps and just used some lightweight card stock I had on hand from other wedding projects. I then purchased simple (and cheap) black frames from Dollar General for $2 each. I made a total of four parking signs, two with a right arrow and two with a left arrow. So the cost of this project was only $8 and Charles actually bought the frames! Here's how they turned out....

(Source: yours truly)

None of the signs are perfect, but I'm happy with how they came out and they will serve the purpose that we need them for! This was an easy project and I did them all in one evening! What do you think?

Lots of Various Updates....

I have sooooo many things to share with you guys, it's not even funny! If I did one blog for each thing I need to share I would be blogging for ages! haha So today I bring you a lot of different updates and projects. To start things off, I'll be sharing these beautiful baskets with you...

(Source: yours truly)

This basket will be used for the favors at my shower and then used for the fans at the wedding.

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(Source: yours truly)

And these baskets (there are two) will be used to hold our bubble wands. I'm going to ask my two youngest cousins Katy and Lydia if they will carry them around at the end of the reception so everyone gets bubbles.

All three of these baskets were given to me by a good friend of my moms and myself too. They were all used in both of her daughters weddings so they were a little ragged looking as far as the paint was concerned. But nothing a new coat couldn't fix, add some tulle and some purple (of course) ribbon and they're ready!
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Up next, I bring you the finished look of the headpiece for our flower girl. (Sadly, we will only be having one flower girl as one of the little girls we wanted can no longer be in the wedding.) I showed a sneak peak of the headpiece here. The ribbon roses were hand made by my mom. Now I bring you the finished product.

(Source: yours truly)

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And in an effort to hide this from Charles, I'll post it here. Baby if you're reading this by some chance, you better stop and close this page!!!!! I wanted to get Charles something special as a wedding day gift and I wanted it to be something he could wear. I started looking at cuff links and loved all the creative options I was seeing on Etsy.com. I really wanted something that would speak to his personality and found the perfect pair for him!

(Source: yours truly)

As you can see, they are Winchester 12 Gage shotgun shell end caps. lol With Charles's love of all things police and such, I thought they were perfect and unique! And I think they'll look great with his gray suit!

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And now to close this post I bring you the finished bouquets that my mom made for my maid of honor and my bridesmaid. I posted a sneak peak here and now I bring you the complete look...

(Source: yours truly)

I know that was a lot to take in so I'm sorry! lol Hope you like everything! :)

100th Post and Ceremony Music!

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Well today marks my 100th post! For those of you who have been following from the beginning, thanks! And for those of you who have just started to follow along, thank you too! :D

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I have finally completed the ceremony music and I am in love with what we chose! Hope this list can help some of you who are still working on this task!

Prelude:
Adagio for Strings Op.11 - Barber
Ava Maria - Schubert
Clair de Lune - Debussy
Bella's Lullaby - Carter Burwell*
Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor, Op.13 - Beethoven
Suite for Solo Cello No. 1 in G Major - J.S. Bach
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini - Rachmaninoff
Prelude in C (Harp) - Lorraine Alberts
The Prayer - David Foster
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring - J.S. Bach
Nocturne No. 2, Op.9 in E-Flat Major - Chopin
Fur Elise - Beethoven
*Yes, that's from Twilight. And yes, I love the movies and books. However that is not why it's in the wedding! From the first time I heard it, I fell in love with this piece of music! It's just soo beautiful!

Seating of Grandparents and Grooms Mother:
Air on a G String - Handel

Processional:
Bridesmaids: Suite for Orchestra No.3 in D Major - J.S. Bach

Bridal Processional:
Cannon in D - Pachelbel

Recessional:
Finale (from Water Music Suite) - Handel

OnlinePosterPrinting Giveaway!!!!!!

Hello my beloved readers, I have a special announcement to make! I have an OnlinePosterPrinting Giveaway for you!

Have you been dreaming of having one of your engagement pictures blown up to a Poster Size Print you can put on display at your reception? Or would you love to have a Poster Size Print of one of your favorite wedding pictures? If so, be sure to enter this giveaway for a chance to win! OnlinePosterPrinting does an incredible job with Digital Photo Enlargement and Digital Photos on Posters so don't miss out on this!

Prize: One 18" x 24" Poster Print, Paper Stock - High Gloss or Semi Gloss, 1 Business Day Turnaround, FREE UPS Ground Shipping (Limited to US Residents only.)

How to enter:
Leave me a comment telling me how you would use the Poster Size Print. Be sure you leave me your name and e-mail address so I can contact you if you are the winner!

Extra Entry Possibilities (please post a new comment for each possible entry):
1.) Blog about my giveaway and be sure to include a link to my blog in your post. (Leave me the link to your post about the giveaway.)
2.) Become a follower of my blog or let me know that you're already a follower.


*There are a total of 3 possible entries per contestant.
*Giveaway starts on Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 and ends on Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010.
*Winner will be chosen using Random.org.
*Winner will be announced on Wednesday, February 24th, 2010.
*Winner will be contacted by UPrinting.com with details on how to claim your prize.

If you're a blogger, check out UPrinting's Blog Sponsorship Program. They're very supportive of small businesses and have great prices on business cards and custom postcards and so much more! Plus they also offer tons of great giveaways! :)

Reception Music

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Today, I bring you our music selections for the reception. A long time ago, I posted the songs we'll have playing throughout the reception. But today I bring you the songs we will have playing during the "special moments" of the reception.

Our Introduction - "Happy Together" by The Turtles
First Dance - "I Could Have Danced All Night" by Yo-Yo Ma*
Cake Cutting - "How Sweet It Is" by Michael Buble
Bouquet Toss - "Chapel of Love" by The Dixie Chicks**
Garter Removal and Toss - "Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen***

*I've blogged before about us not having a first dance. But the more I've thought about it, the more I've wanted to do it. It's a once in a lifetime thing and even though we don't know how to dance, we're going to. I admit, this will only mean we will be swaying from side to side while going in circles, but it's "dancing" none the less. I picked a slow and short song so that it doesn't seem like we are out there for ages. haha

**I have loved this song since I was a little girl and have many fond memories of singing along to it when it was played on the radio.

***We really wanted something fun and lighthearted for this. So much of the time raunchy stripper music is played for the removal and toss and that's just not our style! When we came across this song, we just had to use it! We both love Queen and the lyrics are just too funny considering what the Mr. will be doing when it's played!

What are you having played for these moments during the reception?

Stay tuned for a special announcement coming your way on the 17th! You won't want to miss this!!!

Reception Decor Change

I've blogged a few times in the past about my ideas of reception decorations. My thought was to use balloons and somehow string them from the top of the tent. But no matter what I tried, I couldn't make it work. And I was terrified about how much time it would involve. So I decided to just scratch the whole idea altogether and just not have anything in the top of the tent.

But a few weeks ago, I got an Oriental Trading Wedding catalog and found the most beautiful and affordable lanterns EVER! I've always wanted to use lanterns to decorate the reception tent. But I couldn't justify the cost because I just couldn't find any that were reasonably priced...no matter how much I searched online. Oriental Trading has fulfilled my dreams of having beautiful paper lanterns hanging from our reception tent!

Both the large and small lanterns come in white, black, pink and silver. Here's the pricing details:
Large Lanterns 18": $24.99 for a set of 6 (basically 4.15 each!)
Small Lanterns 10": $13.99 for a set of 12 (basically 1.15 each!)
They also have metallic silver and gold lanterns that are 6 1/2" and they are $12.99 for a dozen lanterns.

I bought one large set and one small set, all the silver color (not the metallic though). I originally thought about spray painting some of them purple but have decided not to. The silver is beautiful and lets face it, I don't need to add anything else to my list that's not absolutely necessary and especially nothing that adds more cost! These lanterns were a splurge for sure but I'm so glad I bought them! Here are some pictures of the lanterns I bought. I love the unique shape of them!

(Source: yours truly)

So what do you think? If you're wanting lanterns, you really need to check out Oriental Trading!

Wedding Day Makeup

I'll be doing my own makeup for the wedding. It's just a very unnecessary cost in my opinion to have a make-up artist do your makeup. Plus, I've been doing my makeup for years and I know what I like and what I think looks best on me. Before our engagement photography session, I played around with my makeup to see what I'd want to do for pictures and then for the wedding day as well. This is the look I came up with (obviously, my hair will not be pulled back for the wedding! lol).....

(Source: yours truly)
(Source: www.hope-photo.com)

I'm planning on sticking with this look for the wedding as well. It's very similar to what I do on a daily basis when I wear make-up but is a little heavier; which it needs to be for photographs. What do you think?

For a Breeze on a Hot Spring Day

Just in case May 1st is rather warm, I decided to purchase some fans the ladies could use. When my brother got married back on April 18th, it was nearly 80 degrees and I'm sure all the ladies could have used a fan to help keep a breeze going! I was able to find the fans on sale in The Knot's Wedding Shop for less than $1.00 a piece! I only bought 50 so not every woman will get them but I'm ok with that, not everyone would want one (at least I don't think so). Plus, until May 1st gets here, we won't know if they'll even be used. Anyways, here they are....

(Source: yours truly)(Source: yours truly)

The boxes the fans were placed in individually were covered in black marks when I got them and had a huge bar-code printed on them. I decided to tie some purple ribbon around each fan so I can trash the boxes. I have a white willow basket that I'm going to use to put them in for the wedding. At $0.89 a piece, this was a great deal! If you're thinking about getting some sandalwood fans like these, The Knot Wedding Shop has them on sale again right now so go check it out!