Search This Blog

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

The Wedding

I love weddings.  I think most of us women do.  We dream about them.  We plan them.  We put so much heart and effort and care into them when they are finally ours.  And then we remember them, treasure them, keep and hold the date, the photos, and the tokens for the rest of our lives.

They are so important.

And yet, they are judged so immediately by most of us.  We may not say it to the face of the one whose wedding we attended, but we go home thinking:  "I liked this but not that."  We even watch shows like TLC's Four Weddings - shows that are, in their very nature, judgement based ... I mean, they literally "judge" each others' weddings!

Confession ... I like the show.

But, I cannot let it turn me into a woman who judges others' dreams come true with such eagerness.  The truth is, everyone's aesthetic style is individual and personal.  Why can't that be one of the things we look forward to and love about weddings - it's a glimpse into the desire, the personality, and the design of another couple - a glimpse, in so many ways - into their heart.

And so, in lieu of submitting my wedding photos to the popular blogs, who may reject them, I'll put them on my own ... because I think they are lovely.



Flowers by Moonflower Design at 3 Porch Farm, located in Athens Georgia
I was a pain when it came to flowers!  I requested wildflowers with minimal to no red or white ... in February.  Apparently, that's typically not a thing.  Winter colors are, in fact, red and white.  But my florist, Mandy, was such a good sport.  She imported the flowers from California and arranged them in a round, but loose and organic bouquet.  At the suggestion of my friend Kristen, she wrapped them with the handkerchiefs I had given my bridesmaids when I asked them to stand beside me.  They were EXACTLY what I had pictured.

Toward the bottom, right corner of this photo, you can see the edge of a small, yellow rose.  Mandy placed it in my bouquet in memory of my little sister, Morgan, who passed when she was four.  She loved yellow roses.  Later, my friend Kelsey put the bouquet in a shadow box for me ... and the little yellow rose is front and center.


Jared and His Groomsmen
I toyed with having each groomsman wear something different but decided against it for a few reasons.  First of all, the bridesmaids were eclectic enough, and some order was called for.  Secondly, his friends and family wouldn't have enjoyed the process of finding separate but coordinating outfits at all.  They were good enough sports to wear the "butterscotch" shoes and belt I asked them to wear! Their outfits were classic:  gray suit, white shirt, black tie, camel colored shoes and belt.  To add a bit of interest, every boutonniere was different, another request of mine Mandy so graciously entertained.

The Handsome Husband





My Bridesmaids and Me
I like a lot of things ... perhaps that's why my taste is so eclectic - I just can't decide!  I have three favorite colors:  emerald green, gray, and gold ... and, who says they can't all go together?  So I decided that they would.  And I think they did.  Every maids dress was under $100 ... most found on sale from places like BHLDN, LuLu's, The Loft, ModCloth, and David's Bridal.
My flower girl had to be eclectic as well.  Gracey wore a dress decorated with a stag head adorned with flowered antlers from Zara Kids, pink Minnetonka moccasins, gold tights, and floral crown put together by Mandy.  She looked like a princess.





I wanted a different dress, of course.  Really, just because I am so very different.  This dress by Jenny Packham was the one I chose from Kelly's Closet in Atlanta, Georgia.  I tried on white dresses, of course, but everyone kept saying that white just "wasn't me."  This one had a gray slip covered with a silvery mesh overlay adorned in gold and silver crystals and sequins.  It was, indeed, "me."

Our Entire Wedding Party

Floral Wreath by Moonflower Design at 3 Porch Farm, located in Athens Georgia

Cakes by Cecilia Villaveces' Cakes
Cecilia's is a stapel in Athens, Georgia.  If you want good cake, you get Cecilia's.  We chose Spanish Lemon and Tiramisu.  Mandy decorated the top of one with fresh flowers, and we spray-painted a stag and a wolf (that one's me) with gold glittered spray paint, and topped the other.  Jared originally wanted a dinosaur instead of the deer, and I kind of wish that's what he had chosen!


Our ceremony was short, but oh so sweet.  Our officiants, my bosses and mentors Bob and Clay, knocked it out of the park!  I think I got more compliments on their words than any other part of the wedding!  What a blessing!


In the end, I don't expect anyone else to want her wedding to look like ours.  After all, it was ours.  It isn't your dream.  Your's is or was equally personal, equally unique, and equally beautiful.  So I ask you, what is your favorite picture, memory, or detail?


5 comments:

  1. Yours was the most beautiful wedding!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Gorgeous photos! Your wedding must have been stunning. I love the flowers!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much! Yeah, she did a killer job on the flowers! When I saw them, I was so thankful I chose her!

      Delete
  3. Best looking wedding party EVER! Honestly! Makes me want to do mine all over again. (P.S. I'm almost 67 years old.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! All of my girls looked so pretty and the men so handsome! I appreciate the compliement!

      Delete