WIC

I'm starting to see why wedding planning is crazy. Not that I want to elope, but I'm also seeing how planning can drive people to do it.

I'm not whining. I'm incredibly blessed. My parents love fiance, his parents love me, our parents like us. They're excited about the wedding and willing to fund it. Fiance and I love each other and can't wait to be married. key words there: be married, not just get married/have a wedding.

It's the wedding industry. What Meg from a practical wedding calls the "Wedding Industrial Complex", or the WIC. This insane, consumer-driven popular crowd that tries to tell brides what they must do/buy/have in order to have the perfect/magazine worthy wedding. I'm not going to judge what other people do in their own weddings. But it's gotten to a point where people get so obsessed with the details that they alienate loved ones, only focus on the bad things and actually end up hating their wedding day. that sounds awful.

Do what YOU want. not just because martha stewart told you to. (though she does have great ideas that jive with my own personal style). Know your means/budget and stay within that, whether it's big or little. Decide what's important and nix the rest.

Um the point of a wedding is to celebrate the union. remember? everything else is optional.
The further I get into this, the more I've been scaling back my plans and ideas. And I've still got a year to go.

I already had a minor WIC moment where I spent WAY too much time researching letterpress invitations because I thought I HAD to have them. Then I realized it would cost over $1000 at least, and these are things that people will look at a couple times and then throw away. Um no. For some people who are into graphic design and are the creative types, I understand that this is an important detail to them. But I realized that I didn't care about invites until I had spent too much time looking at magazines and blogs. It helps that fiance is quite rational and can see past the ridiculous.

So the important things (at this stage):
-close family and friends (smallish and intimate to facilitate conversation with people that love and support us. because we enjoy spending our time chatting with our closest friends and family)
-food (while it may not be a sit down meal, it's going to be delicious and I am definitely going to have plenty, I can't believe that the average couple doesn't even get to eat at their own wedding!! because we love to eat food.)
-actual ceremony (it's the point of the whole celebration. I want it to be personal and memorable. it's kind of a big deal and a representation of who we are and what we believe)
-good music (we're not big on dancing but we love music. we'll be calling on le DJ iPod, with maybe some help from one of our many talented friends?)

this will be an ongoing discussion. I've already sworn off the knot dot com. because of this craziness:

you've got to be kidding me? now what you ask? ENJOY BEING MARRIED. it's why you did all that wedding stuff in the first place! Now I retreat to the little corners of the wedding planning community that are sane. Like Meg. Or when you need a quick dose of witty sarcasm, esb. I've been weeding out my list and I'll post some of my daily reads.

aisle-land

The plan is to have the ceremony in a small, gold rush era church near home. It is beautiful, and accompanying my simple aesthetic, won't need much decor at all. I've been looking for something that will be easy to put in and easy to remove, since we only have a 3 hour window.

baby's breath seems to be making a comeback, when used in simple bunches it is really pretty. Like fluffy clouds!

(via snippet and ink)

This is my favorite. I love Gladiolas, and they're nice and tall with blossoms all the way up the stalk to reach up the pews.

 

(via theknot)

and of course buckets of lavender. we could also alternate and use multiple types, we'll see what time/budget allows!

 

(via the brides cafe)

Next I'll start thinking about the altar. I plan to visit when I'm home in March (I've never been inside).

cheesin

One of my favorite food blogs, Sunday Suppers, recently created a to-die-for cheese spread for a Martha Stewart feature.

love the cheesecloth tablecloth!

 

Love the muted, rustic colors

 

 

They even made little platters with illustrations

(all photos via sunday suppers)

playing games

Since we're going for a more casual, appetizer style reception with more sitting around chatting with loved ones than crazy dancing I found some great little ideas to help keep people interacting and entertained (especially little ones, I hope there's a lot of little ones, I just love them!) I've seen a couple weddings with tables set aside with board games and I LOVE that idea. Fiance' and I are totally addicted to board games. When we're bored (and not watching movies) then we go to target and look at board games. We've spent countless hours playing risk, monopoly city (so much better than the original!), clue and life. His mom is totally pro at Scrabble, she's got the dictionary and everything.

 

(via elizabeth anne designs)

battleship and trivial pursuit!

(via a practical wedding)

 

 (via rock and roll bride)
cute used as place cards. even though we're not doing the whole seated meal thing.

I think we'll even register for the vintage boxed ones. (We already have the stratego version!)

(via bryan dunn)

joan holloway

i have a major girl crush on Christina Hendricks, of Mad Men. She's absolutely gorgeous, finally a celebrity celebrated for her curves! She also seems really sweet and down to earth. Her wedding to actor Geoffrey Arend (from (500) days of summer) was beautiful, intimate, full of love and warmth. That's what I want, to emulate that mood, not specific details. (Although I love those bridesmaids in vintage!)

 

 

(above photos scans from Elegant Bride)

 

 

 

van the man

one of our all time favorite musicians is Van Morrison. One of the very musicians I NEVER get sick of listening to. R&B influenced blues-y rock coming from a man from Northern Ireland? yes please. Since we don't plan on any crazy clubbing dance music, we're basically going to just play all van morrison. He's got some fun upbeat stuff to lighten the mood, plus lots of romantic slower tunes for dancing. Plus great background music for all the eating that we definitely plan on doing.

One of Fiance's favorite songs ever, and now mine too will be featured as our first dance. It's very beautiful and emotional. I also happen to have it on vinyl, hopefully we can get the record player set up! I think everything sounds better on vinyl.

Because I'm not very blogger-savvy still, and the only youtube videos are of people playing covers, the only way I could give you a listen is to embed in on the site. So if you'd like a listen, it's on the right under labels.

blanc de blancs

Happy New Year!

There is a winery in California named after Francis Ford Coppola. One of it's products? A sparkling white wine inspired by his daughter the lovely Sofia Coppola.

The best option of Sofia comes in a little pink can with its own straw. So cute for bridal party get togethers!

(via wine.com)