Surprise Treat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Offbeat Mama, one of the spawn of the Offbeat Empire, the brainchild of Ariel posted this today. I thought it would be rad for favors.

You all know how much I love balloons, and surprise treats are super awesome too.

What about putting those little chocolate Champagne or liquors in there? Or you could do some of the things mentioned on ESB and in the comments if you really want to go ballz-out crazy.

It’s kind of like a pinanta alternative.

I dig it. Everyone digs surprise treats.

P.S.: I loved this dress by Steven Birnbaum … but Aussie didn’t like the high neckline. Also, you know how I feel about pink, but she’s got balloons.

Detail: Bling.

I had a pretty eclectic mix of jewelry. Some was passed down, some I’ve not taken off in years, some was custom made. And it all rocked.

The Cape Cod (or Dennis) bracelets I never take off.

My aunt Ellen gave me this ring. My mother had given it to her on her wedding day.

My Precious.

Our wedding bands were customized and purchased off of Etsy. For $25 each.

The white pearls were my mother's. I had the turquoise ones commissioned on Etsy.

The woman who made the turquoise pearls threw in these earrings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pearl earrings and necklaces: North Atlantic Art
Customized text wedding bands: Kathryn Riechert
Cape Cod bracelets can be found here.

All photos by Persimmon Images.

Detail: Bouquet.

The disc of our images came in! So now, finally, I get to show off the awesomeness of Kat and Justin‘s work. I’m going to start with detail shots and slowly work up to all the real stuff. Kat said she’s still trying to get me into the blogiverse, so I don’t want to put up too much in the case of it actually happening.

So to kick it off, I’m going to start with my gorgeous brooch bouquet. My mother gave me many of her brooches a couple weeks before she passed. My boss gave me an awesome one that looks like a 1920s flapper, Susie gave me some that had been in her family and Kath, who contributed some of hers and bought a few, put them all together. The thing was SUPER heavy, but turned out beautifully.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Not being super into flowers, I figured a brooch bouquet would be a suitable alternative. Plus it enabled me to carry something sentimental and unique.

Kath wrapped it in white organza and sewed those blue beads on to make it look like pins in a normal bouquet. In the locket are photos of Aussie’s maternal grandparents and my paternal grandparents on their wedding day. I also had a Red Sox pin in there … with a PBR pin.

Experience: Dress.

Lisa just recently got engaged. She was in theatre with Aussie and I oh-so-gently chided her into giving me occasional guest post updates on her experience planning her Perth, Australia, wedding. Hopefully this is the first of many, as I know I’m entirely intrigued about what Lisa has on her adorable little brain for her November 2013 wedding day.

How freaking adorable is she?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wedding Dress Shopping is like shopping for Venetian glass. Every piece is exquisite. It seems impossible to decide. But once you take a piece home, away from all the others, you realise the perfection, the simple details you couldn’t appreciate before.

I went wedding dress shopping for the first time on Saturday. I took my Mum, Sister and Nanna. It was such a wonderful time with the girls and one that I will never forget. We only had time to go into one shop on Saturday so I decided on Sarrisha’s located south of Perth, Western Australia. The shop is one of the few bridal shops that allow you to walk in and try on any outfit you want without an appointment. The atmosphere was relaxed and casual, making me feel comfortable and excited about the experience. I didn’t realise how big a deal it was until I went inside and started to feel really nervous! But soon enough I had 20 dresses in the change room and off I went!

The dress I had set my heart on looked lovely but just didn’t feel right. It was the last dress I tried on that I think might be the one … It was so beautiful and I felt so comfortable in it. Every girl coming in and out of the change rooms kept telling the dressmakers that they were planning to lose weight before the big day. They were picking outfits they thought would look better once they had lost weight. I laughed as I was no different. There is such a focus on losing weight and having the perfect wedding body. But when I put on the last dress it looked good on me right now, just as I am and I knew that was the dress I wanted; One where I didn’t have to sacrifice the fun times in order to look a certain way on the day.

I am not sure if I will even bother looking anywhere else because the dress is just perfect and besides, all the dresses are perfect in their own way. You could end up looking forever. I don’t think I need to put myself through unnecessary stress. Besides, my second favourite dress was a gigantic Scarlett O’Hara-style dress. It was massive and I could barely move. I looked like a giant marshmallow. If it wasn’t for the fact I could not move, I think I would have taken it on the spot! No one else liked it. But frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn! I felt wicked. Hehe!

Smile.

Offbeat Bride has a rad post up about being serious in your wedding photos.

There’s exactly ONE photo where Kat told me not to smile and it seriously looks like I’m ready to murder the camera. And I think she realized that, because I’m goofing off for realz in the rest. I just shouldn’t fake seriousness … ever. Unless, you know, I’m ACTUALLY being serious. Which is few and far between.

Read it. Then tell your photographer you refuse to not smile. Unless, of course, you’re holding a flag that screams “Yay!” whilst you’re pulling an American Gothic.

Time.

No matter how much you plan and organize and delegate and reorganize and micromanage your wedding day, time is a squirrely little beast. Hell, not just the day. THE WHOLE PLANNING PROCESS.

I had ours worked out pretty well. I figured my hair and makeup would take a couple hours, max, and with the ceremony slated to start at 5:30, I thought 2 would be juuuust fine for Mara to show up and begin the process.

HA.

My hair and makeup took right up until 10 minutes before the ceremony was supposed to start. Apparently my hair refuses to cooperate, even when full of schlagoo to make it work. The finger waves I’d decided on for my bangs? Yeah, no. It took a good two hours of my hair in rollers, bobby pins, curling irons, etc., before we literally said “eff it and just make it not be in my face.” Seriously, I had such a minimal amount of time to get into my dress, much less take portraits with my side before the ceremony. However, Kat was able to get lots of great detail shots, since there are only so many photos you can get of curled hair.

And then!!! The ceremony was longer than I expected (I read it aloud and with Aussie no less than five times. Each time it took 15 minutes). And we were swept up with photos. And family.
Our 6:30 reception arrival? Try 7:15. It was still an effing blast, though. Impromptu karaoke, anyone?

Planning on planning your day is difficult. Working with your photographer is necessary. We lucked out in that we had Kat and Justin for a couple of days, so we got lots of nifty shots. But there were many I was a bit sad not to get. No matter, just poor planning on my behalf.

Morgan at Morgan Trinker Photography posted a fantastic guideline to planning your day. Really, seriously read it. And make sure that even if you think your photographer knows the key shots to get, you spell it out. Because, let’s face it, no one’s really a mind reader.

No one is saying you have to get up at 6:30 in the morning for a 5:30 p.m. ceremony, but give yourself a bit of wiggle room. We did a great outing in the morning with our friends and I was pretty good to go as far as getting ready by noon. But, my hair is a stubborn little bitch and hindered the progress. Which, honestly, I should have known.

Mad.

So, obviously I dig some vintageousness. And right now, I’m seriously, horribly, divinely in love with “Mad Men.” (Me and apparently everyone I know.)

So, in honor of the current obsession, here’s some frocks to get your rocks off.

 

 

Dresses are clicky. Isn’t that swell?

Precious.

Oh hey, come here often?

I realized, that other than this post (oh yeah, remember all that stuff? Well I have WAYYYY cooler photos … just you wait), I haven’t properly given My Precious its due. So …

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s a family heirloom from 1914. His great-grandmother’s engagement ring. His mum shipped it over super-secret James Bond style. It fit almost perfectly when I first slipped it on and is proportionate to my tiny carnie-esque hand size. I love it.

It’s unique and has mixed metals, which I love since I wear a mix of gold and silver anyway. And when it’s clean, boy does that puppy shine!!!

Persimmon Images. Obviously.

Truth.

I’ve learned some hard truths lately.

I’ve learned hard truths in the past, but it’s easier now. It’s easier now because I have someone I can share those hard truths with. My anxieties dissipate when I’m able to have those honest conversations, when I can share why those hard truths hurt.

Though he may not always completely understand why they make me hurt, just knowing he knows they affect me and is willing to be there when I need help moving beyond them helps.

It’s a big world, and we’re but two small people (har har), but knowing I have someone in my corner to help me, to love me and to trust me helps.

The hardest truth I’ve shared with him is that I will love and continue to love him through difficult times and easy times. It’s the greatest hard truth. It makes all the others, all the ones coming in from the outside, seem almost insignificant.

It’s really great when love helps hurt disappear.