Finishing the international invites

With a major school assignment looming on the horizon for next week and my dad's flight departing the next morning, I found I was too pressed for time to do anything fancy with the invitations. So I did the minimum necessary: RSVP information. If any of my Pakistani family does attend—unlikely, since travel visas are difficult to get and flights can be prohibitively expensive—they'll at least know the address of the website where they can RSVP starting in January.

This may be the easiest DIY project ever, but what I did was open the PDF proof of the invite in Photoshop and cover all of the text and the bottom decorations with blank white boxes. After cropping the image down at the bottom, I resized to 1/4 sheet size and added new text. (The fonts don't match perfectly since I didn't want to purchase Shelley Allegro—I used Sheer Elegance—but I doubt even I, crazy bride lady, would have noticed the mismatch if I received one of these invites.)




After finalizing the image, I went into Word and copied four of these to a page, printed it on cream-colored card stock, and used my handy-dandy rotary trimmer to cut the sheet into quarters after clearing off 1/8" on each side that I forgot to account for on each page. Thankfully I only needed three pages of these this time!



Easy-peasy! If only all of the projects I take on were this simple!

Theme? What theme?

I probably could have benefited from a more clearly articulated vision for the wedding—I like everything I see, and I want to do all of it. As such, my wedding "theme" has been pretty ephemeral. Although I'm not sure I can briefly summarize what I'm going for, I can definitely show you!

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I found this image when I was searching for bouquets using Amnesia roses. It also features Vendela roses and rosemary, both of which are elements I want to include in my own bouquet. Just add some Green Tea and we're set!

This bouquet is reflective of what I want for the wedding because it's in a soft, muted palette. Although the flowers are fresh, the feel is antique. I can imagine it wrapped in an ivory ribbon with an old gold bouquet charm dangling from it. Something like someone's great-grandmother would have carried.

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Although old family photos will play a small role at our wedding, they play a big role in my feelings about what our wedding means. I don't subscribe to the "my day" theory—my wedding is not about me, and not even about D and I: it's about entering the broader (religious, social) community, and so it's really about our families and our pasts.

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The henna may be the single element of our wedding I am most attached to. It will adorn my hands and feet, our cake design is inspired by it, and our invitations were chosen because the swirling flourishes reminded me of the ornamentation common in Pakistani mehndi designs. I didn't get much exposure to South Asian culture growing up besides Pakistani food and Hindi pop music, but the public rite that I see a wedding as being has made me want to reach out to the parts of my heritage that I haven't delved deeply in before. This is a symbol to me that I want to have displayed as visibly as possible.

So do I have a theme for the wedding? Maybe not in the Martha Stewart sense, but I definitely have some guiding inspiration. I want a wedding that is less about us, and more about where we have come from and how we will blend it all together in our new family.

How did you come up with your theme?

Pre-wedding skincare

A lot of brides obsess about their skin leading up to their weddings, and I'm sure I'll be no exception. But my current concern isn't for my face—it's for my hands! I have a serious dry skin problem, and henna stains best on well-hydrated hands.

I currently use Desert Essence coconut lotion, and it's remarkably effective—when I remember to use it. It's non-petroleum based, so it's safe to use after the henna is applied, and the ingredients are organic, so I feel pretty good about it. It also smells like total yuminess.

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But in the days leading up to the mehndi, I'd like to go with a slightly more intensive hydrating treatment. Instead of my coconut lotion (which I'm going to try to get into a better habit of using daily!), I will be switching to extra virgin coconut oil on my hands, arms and feet (you can buy jars of it at Whole Foods or on Amazon.com).

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It's solid at room temperature, but it softens starting at 76 degrees Fahrenheit. Conveniently enough, human skin is much warmer: I usually just grab a lump of solid oil and rub it into my skin, where it melts and hydrates quickly and effectively. I think that once-daily application of coconut oil (generally before bed, when skin loses most of its moisture) ought to go a long way towards healing my frequently dry, itchy skin. (The delicious smell never hurt anyone, either!) Extra virgin olive oil also makes a terrific moisturizer, but because it is liquid at room temperature, it tends to be messier.

What's your healthy skin regimen? Are you changing up anything before your wedding?

Step into the Time Machine

I usually start thinking about Christmas gifts months early (yes, this girl with the Jewish and Muslim families gives gifts on Christmas), and the Ghost of Christmas Past visited me this morning and reminded me of a funny story from Christmas two years ago (pre-engagement, of course).

Now, Mr. Spaniel and I have a pretty egalitarian relationship, and I didn't feel that the decision to get engaged was one that should be made unilateraly—I didn't want the secret ring-buying and surprise proposal; it's not my scene. But Mr. Spaniel has his old-fashioned moments, and he wasn't totally on-board with picking out a ring together at first. (One might question why I needed a ring at all, but if one were to do that, I might stick my tongue out at one and talk to everyone else in the room instead.) So although I didn't hope for or expect it, I thought there might be a possibility of a proposal that Christmas.

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The possibility seemed more likely on Christmas Eve when we went shopping at the Glendale Galleria for our last Christmas gifts (crazy, I know!). He never splits up from me at the mall, but he insisted that we be "more efficient" by separating and meeting in the middle. Naturally I was thrown off, and I can't say I didn't think anything of it—the Robbins Brothers store was right around the corner from the parking lot, and we'd talked a few times that month about stopping in to get some ideas for when we were ready to buy something (but we hadn't done it yet).

My suspicions were further aroused when, ten minutes after we split up, I got a call on my cell phone from Mr. Spaniel. "Sweetie, I have to pick up something from Best Buy for my parents... why don't you call me when you're done and I'll come pick you up." Oh Mr. Spaniel, sweet Mr. Spaniel, could you be any more obvious? But I decided that if the surprise was that important to him, I'd let him have his moment, and I let it go.

I didn't get a proposal that Christmas. I got a Time Machine.

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A JBL Time Machine and iPod dock, actually. From his parents, which he picked up for them... at Best Buy... on Christmas Eve. Just like he said he did.

My bad!

Did you have any false alarms before you were engaged? Tell me your story!

The second most important dress at the wedding

Finding a Mother of the Bride dress was an ordeal. It was such an ordeal, actually, that Mama Spaniel could have started her own blog based on the search! Seriously—we were all over the board! I gave her a few guidelines about color and style, and then she proceeded to buy and return pretty much every single dress available through Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus online in her size (and even not in her size!). Some fit the guidelines, and some were red mermaid dresses. And when we thought she was satisfied with a dress, she changed her mind and did it again (she bought and returned the same Tadashi three times!). Although it appears that the search is over and the issue has been closed, two more dresses are en route. You can't say the woman isn't having fun shopping! ;)

Before the ordering spree started, my ideal dress for Mama Spaniel was something like this:

Tadashi Shoji Rosette Bodice Silk Chiffon Gown, $398 at Nordstrom
I liked it because the colors are simple and blend into the wedding palette, the neckline isn't too low, and the style isn't too matronly. It's just a beautiful evening gown.

She came back at me with all kinds of zingers—some of them were really pretty dresses that she returned because she didn't like the fit, but some were really out there. And others were kind of in-between.

Sue Wong Paisley Foil Halter Gown, $410 at Neiman Marcus
This one isn't so bad, I guess, but aside from being way too busy and in the wrong colors (though nobody loves paisley more than I do! unless it's the future Paisley?), it doesn't exactly seem MOB-appropriate to me. At least, not this MOB, because she hates having her arms showing in pictures! I don't think I could handle the years of complaining about my wedding photos that would follow!

There was also this one:

Marc Bouwer Glamit! Lace Chiffon Gown, $995 at Neiman Marcus
We both actually liked this dress—right colors, right coverage, right fabrics, and so beautiful—but at nearly $1,000, it was sort of a failed endeavor before it was even delivered. It cost more than my wedding dress and was just a bit too rich for our blood. (I think it was a curiosity purchase on her part more than a serious one.) So back it went.

In the end, Mama Spaniel found a dress somewhere in between her tastes and mine, and I think we're both reasonably happy.

(personal images)
What, that wasn't clear enough? Jeesh, you guys are so demanding.

Sue Wong Beaded Gown with Deep V-Back, Nordstrom
(She promises that you can see her in it once she finalizes her accessories.) It's such a pretty dress in person... even though I'm afraid it's a little too sexy. She picked up this shrug and plans to wear it all night. I guess I would have preferred a dress that didn't need to be covered with another item of clothing in order to be comfortable, but since it's not really my decision, I can live with it. (I didn't cry, though. ;) Hey, it works.

At least, I hope it works. As I mentioned, there are still a few more dresses coming. This search has been going on—no lie!—since last May. I didn't buy my dress until August! I'm glad she's having fun... but I am ready for this part of the planning to end. ;)

Were you involved in the Mother of the Bride dress search? Did you like what she ended up with?

The perfectionist resigns

Every few years, my dad goes back to the motherland to visit his brothers and sisters and their children. In the months leading up to his visit, he always talks about moving back there after he retires—thankfully he always changes his mind by the time his trip ends, because it's a 24-hour flight away from us!

His last visit commenced in October, and with it began the three weeks of worrying sick that I always do while he's away in a part of the world that most sane people don't want to visit right now. So to keep it light, I'm focusing instead on the craziness leading up to it: prepping the invitations. I know it was early—I didn't actually plan to send our invites to most of our guests until late January—but my dad wanted to hand out invitations to my Pakistani family while he was there through late November. And it makes sense, I suppose, except for one thing: all those extras I was going to add to the invites, like envelope liners and belly bands? Yeah, I hadn't done that yet. I hadn't even ordered the paper yet. OOPS! In fact, the only special fixin' that the early invitations got is a special RSVP insert with our website URL and instructions to RSVP online (all of our international guests will get this insert instead of a postcard, which I'm afraid will get lost otherwise). Here's what I had with five days to go.


The plan was to have it printed on ecru card stock (four to a page) and cut in quarters, then unceremoniously placed in the envelope sans liner and belly band. Oh well. It's functional.

Of course, I had a whole five evenings and only ten invitations to do... so I thought it might be time for a trip to the craft store for some fun paper! I might not find a perfect match, but a little something extra would be better than nothing. As pretty as I think my invites are, they kind of bore me right now... and I just can't bear to send them out half done.

Did anything in your planning process turn out not quite up to your original standards? Do you think anyone else noticed?

Bridesmaid gifts, Part IV: We have the wrapping, and now the wrap!

The puppies have arrived! Or at least the bridesmaid "pashminas" have!

(personal image)
The package from ClassyWedding was actually delivered Thursday, but since no one was home to receive it, I didn't get it until today. Très sadness! But I was pleased as pie anyway—the shawls are the right size, and the paisley pattern was perfectly subtle (say that five times fast!). I know they won't be as warm (and therefore as useful) as had I bit the bullet and purchased the real cashmere shawls I'd found previously, but... it is what it is. Had I an unlimited budget, I would have bought them all real pashminas, vintage brooches, chocolate and champagne (etc.), but with my real life financial limitations and the self-knowledge to accept that I will not just stop at fancy and over-budget wraps, I thought this was a decent substitute. And here's an out of focus, detail-less camera phone photo to, er, prove it!

(personal image)
I do have some plans for these bad boys, too—yes, I just called the pashminas "bad boys." First I'm going to have to iron out the folding creases from packaging, and THEN I'll roll them, tie them with some of the same ribbon I'm using for my programs, and attach a cute little thank you tag that has yet to be designed (but which will probably complement the bags. But I'm sure y'all'll love it. ;) But I won't be done with the bridesmaid gifts yet...

Did you have to make any budget-related compromises? Did your alternative work out for you?

Homegrown

Lavender is the herb of choice to inspire a natural (or nature-themed) wedding—just ask Miss Trail Mix or Mrs. Bear Cub. It's clear why, what with the beautiful scent and the pretty purple tips that add visual interest and a country-chic feel. But there just doesn't seem to be a lot of love for my favorite herb, the plain green rosemary, in weddings these days.

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There's a big rosemary bush in the backyard of the house where I grew up, and everytime I smell it, it feels like home. Rosemary also symbolizes loyalty and remembrance, and what better time for such sentiments than a wedding?

Ceremony decorations (source)Pre-fab favor idea? (source)DIY favor! I like! (source)
When I thought of DIY-ing my flowers, the thought occurred to me to add some rosemary to my bouquet as a way to honor those loved ones who couldn't be with us at our wedding, as well as to provide the familiar comfort of the smell of my old backyard as I walk down the aisle. And it doesn't hurt that the texture it adds to a floral arrangement can be pretty lovely, too!

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What do you think—do I smell a new theme here? I just found this herbal inspiration board and am drooling (and imagining home-baked rosemary sourdough bread) as I type this!

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Did you find inspiration in unexpected places? Like, say, your childhood backyard, maybe? :)

Something(s) old

While wandering the aisles of Target (er, the picture frame aisle, more precisely, where I was looking for a 16x20" poster frame for our seating chart and found one for $5.99, score!), I started thinking about what we might do for our table numbers. Should I pick up smaller, matching frames for those, too, I wondered?

The answer was, of course not! "Matching" is just so passé these days. ;) Instead, one idea led to another and I started to get the idea in my mind that older—or at least distressed—wood would make great frames for old photos. Old wedding photos. Old wedding photos of people who are related to us, more specifically.

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(Okay, so maybe these people aren't related to us. But I swear I've seen family photos like this!)

At first I thought this would be something of a pipe dream—our families are kind of small (relatively) and not excellent documentarians... would we even have enough old wedding pictures? I know I've seen my grandparents' wedding photos, my maternal great grandparents' wedding portrait, a little 5x7" from my parents' Vegas wedding, and I have digital copies of all of my mom and step-dad's wedding this past summer. Mr. Spaniel's mom has some wedding pictures from other relatives, and my dad has pictures from some of my cousins' weddings in the last twenty or so years—maybe not so old, but still important. Are there enough to get a different photo for every table? It remains to be seen, but since I still plan to number the tables rather than name them, I don't see it being a problem to have some repeats. And if we really come up short, we can always display them together at the entrance near the guestbook, and come up with something else for the table numbers.

So with that, we've finally found our "something old!" I don't know why I had such a hard time thinking of this!

What was your "something old"?

Bridesmaid gifts, Part III: Taking cover

Previously:
Part I: Quality or quanitity?
Part II: A pretty package

Truth? I knew I couldn't limit myself to just a shawl, even if it was a high quality one and even though people I polled generally thought it would be a better idea than a collection of smaller things. I'd already started looking into individually selected brooches, wanted to get different bridesmaids different things that I knew they would each love (etc.), and the idea of already going $20 or more over my budget per girl (over $100 total, and likely more since there was no way I would not order myself a lovely pashmina as well!) while getting fewer cute things was sounding less and less appealing to me!

With this thought in mind, I visited Etsy seller ClassyWedding and found black paisley shawls in the same size I would have ordered for beaucoup bucks, but for only $20 each. Score!

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I'll let you know how they are when we get them. In the meantime, I'm super jazzed I get to have fun shopping for more goodies for the girls!

How did you approach bridesmaid gift giving?

More hair inspiration

So you know how I'm all worried that I'm going to look like The Donald on my wedding day? There may yet be hope. In case you haven't seen, I looked like this at my step-sister's wedding this past August:

(Left: Kenny Backer Photography; Center and Right: personal images)
The hairstyle, which I didn't absolutely hate, is not all that dissimilar from a style I just found that I actually like. I mean, who doesn't want to look like Freida Pinto?

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Dilemma: Ms. Pinto has longer, thicker hair than I do (at least it seems that way in these pictures). This is pretty much my problem with every hairstyle I pick. So I'm committed and I'm not gonna fight it no more—I'm getting extensions. I'm going to try to stop by a beauty supply shop in a few weeks and figure out (1) if the Euronext extensions you lovely ladies have been telling me about are the right product for me, and (2) if anyone has any idea how the heck I'm supposed to get these onto my head.

Am I the only one who has been this frustrated about their wedding hair? What did you do to compensate?

Going to the... chapel? Part III: An unexpected obstacle

Previously:
Part I: Selecting a season
Part II: Summer is kind of far away

With doubts in our mind about a beach wedding early in the springtime, we returned to the drawing board. We would still need the option of an indoor ceremony in the event of rain (March is unpredictable in the precipitation department in Southern California), but I suddenly realized I would rather be surrounded by wood than waves. My mind moved from blues and greens inspired by the water and sky to rich browns, golds, and a variety of greens. I wanted warm colors, and an environment that felt cozy and intimate rather than open and exposed to the elements, however beautiful those elements happened to be.

With these thoughts in mind, I found my dream venue: The Rococo Room at Café Santorini. The food? Delicious Mediterranean. The prices? Better than Duke's. The view might not have been as exceptional (okay, nowhere close to the panoramic windows to the Pacific) but the location was incredibly convenient. And look at this room!

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Doesn't this just exude "warm, intimate wedding" to you?

Unfortunately, D and I were not on the same page. When I told him "dark wood," he imagined trees and forests where I imagined old-fashioned libraries, and he did not.like.my choice. But just because I'm the bride doesn't mean I can have everything I want (dang it!), so I knew I had to move on. And it. Was. HARD.

Did your fiancé put the kibosh on anything that you just had to have? How did you deal with your disappointment?

Going to the... chapel? Part II: Summer is kind of far away

Previously:
Part I: Selecting a season

You already know that our engagement took place in September 2008 (instead of the intended summer 2009) and that we are planning a spring wedding in March 2010 (instead of next summer). So what happened to change our plans?

Engagement fever. That's the only way I can describe it. After two and a half years of happily dating, I simply could not wait anymore to call my wonderful and amazing boyfriend my wonderful and amazing fiancé, and then my wonderful and amazing husband. So we went together to pick out the ring as soon as he had the money saved, and set the wedding date for what I was pretty sure would turn out to be the first day of Spring Break. We would have tried for this past summer, but my mom and my step-sister had both already set wedding dates for that time that I didn't want to interfere with. March it was. (And rather than leave you in suspense, I did guess right about Spring Break—we have a week to honeymoon without forcing me to miss any classes!)

Once we'd set our date, we started looking at the venues we'd researched online previously. Our top contender was Duke's Malibu.

Banquet Room at Duke's Malibu (source)

Duke's had several factors working in its favor. First, it was a restaurant with food I'd already tried and loved, and I wouldn't have to rent tables or chairs or china or anything like that. Second, the prices weren't totally unreasonable. Third... the View. I love that view.

Still, there were some issues cutting against Duke's, as well. The hosted bar was charged only based on consumption, and I really wanted to know—before the end of my wedding—how much everything was going to cost. The banquet room would require intensive floral intervention (there were random posts everywhere that needed to be decorated), which would add to the decor costs. There was no space for a cocktail hour that could accomodate even a quarter of the guests between the ceremony and the reception. And the carpet... it was not the neutral beige pictured above. It was hunter green, patterned with purple, I think? And because it clearly hadn't been vacuumed since their last event when I visited, I couldn't stop paying attention to it. It kind of turned me off.

We didn't put down a deposit right away, although we were tempted to, because we knew we still had fourteen months until the wedding and wanted to avoid rushing in to any decisions (especially decisions with ugly carpet). While we waited, some new questions arose: now that we weren't having a summer wedding, why did we need a beach wedding in March anyway? If we couldn't guarantee beach weather, couldn't we look into a different kind of venue? (To be continued...!)

Did you start looking into options once you got engaged that you wouldn't have considered before? Did you stick with your initial plans, or did the new ones win out?

Going to the... chapel? Part I: Selecting a season

Today D and I mailed off our third non-refundable deposit to our venue, so it seems a fitting time to start telling you the story of how we found the place... and why we would never have picked it under normal circumstances!

In chapter 1 of our tale, the date is March of 2008 and I'm on Spring Break. D and I weren't engaged yet, but were seriously discussing our timeline for engagement and marriage, and he'd begun his savings plan for my ring. It seemed as good a time as any to start the preliminaries of planning our wedding: setting a tentative date (summer post-graduation, 2010), figuring out what venues we wanted to look at, and getting some color and theme ideas. (After all, it was either that or study for finals!)

Between March and leading up to our September 2008 engagement, we'd determined that we'd get engaged in summer 2009, would have a summer 2010 wedding, that we wanted our ceremony and reception in one location, that we'd have a restaurant for a venue, that we wanted a beach wedding, and that our colors would be shades of blue and/or turquoise. I was inspired in the colors by these bridesmaid dresses:

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Of the six "decisions" we made pre-engagement, we have stuck to exactly one. Can you guess which?

And I do my little turn on the catwalk (Part II)

So where I left you last, D's mom had taken some pictures for us while I was looking for a wedding photographer who offered engagement sessions, whose work we loved and who we could afford. We found Meg.

Photos by Meg Perotti
Or, to be more precise, I found this picture of a rain booted bride on MyWedding.com's vendor page, found Meg's prices to be somewhere in the realm that I considered to be reasonable for good photography, contacted her and eventually negotiated a package that was only three times what I originally budgeted for photography. That's all. Only three times. :) (I should point out I still think we got a decent deal on our wedding photography; I just wasn't really originally prepared to spend this much on it!)

Anyway we placed our deposit with Meg back in August, and we've finally scheduled the engagement shoot for early January. I had originally wanted to try a September engagement shoot since we did, after all, get engaged in September (so what if it was a year earlier?), but life got in the way. No matter; our engagement shoot will actually take place on our four-year dating anniversary. :) See? It still ties in! I'll be giving my hair and make-up people a trial run (which means I should go about hiring them, shouldn't I?), getting myself dressed up (or down?) and practicing my model moves. Hopefully we won't look just as goofy as we did in our amateur shoot!

We haven't decided where we'll have the shoot, yet, but I found myself particularly inspired by these images I found on Green Wedding Shoes:

Top left by Sloan Photographers, top right by Jennifer Skog, both bottom by Leigh Miller

I particularly love the shopping cart photo. I feel like a lot of edgy, interesting engagement shoots result in a lot of shots where the couple looks like they don't even like each other! But these all look like couples who are enjoying being together, and that's definitely important to me for our pictures.

I'm so excited to work with our photographer and get more comfortable in front of the camera before game day. Did you do an engagement shoot with your wedding photographer? Did it help you relax?

And I do my little turn on the catwalk

There's something a little self-indulgent about engagement photos... but I do love to indulge myself! So before D and I started looking for a wedding photographer, we scoured Craigslist for someone to do an engagement shoot for us. I found someone who was working on building her weddings and engagement portfolio so she was offering a pretty good deal, and I liked the work I saw on her blog, so we made arrangements to meet. I really don't remember how or why this fell apart, but we never actually did keep our appointment, so we put the engagement shoot on hold for a few months while I researched wedding photographers.

In the meantime, D and I wanted to send picture Save the Dates—okay, I wanted to send picture Save the Dates; I don't think he knew what Save the Dates were)—so we still needed an engagement shoot, with or without the professional photographer. We mentioned it to D's mom during Easter brunch on a family trip to Cambria, and she wasted no time, taking pictures of us to my specifications ("we need pictures with our faces closer together!") that very day. I don't think I had a stitch of make-up on, and D hadn't even bothered to do his hair. Still, I'd say they were not too bad.

(personal images taken by FMIL D)

They did, after all, make for our awesome magnet Save the Dates (which we ordered from MagnetStreet.com)!

(No, these are still not our real names)

I still thought that a professional engagement shoot was important to get us more comfortable in front of the camera (and, let's face it, to give us beautiful pictures of us when we're still young and pretty!), so when we finally were ready to book our wedding photographer, we made sure to negotiate a package that included an engagement session...

Are you doing an engagement session? Would you trust an amateur to take your photos?

It's not a dress rehearsal (but I still need a dress!)

Although I am hoping for a casual, laid-back rehearsal dinner, I am not really one to pass up the opportunity to wear a cute new dress!

JS Boutique Lace Dress, $138 at Nordstrom	BCBGMAXAZRIA Strapless Appliqué Dress, $398 at Nordstrom
Jessica Simpson Delanie Mary Jane Pumps, $89 at Macy's	Martinez Valero Zenith Pump, $159.95 at Nordstrom

The BCBG dress is definitely fancier than I think I want for the rehearsal, but I'm tempted to buy it anyway to wear for our upcoming engagement shoot (more on that later). It's fabulous! But I have a thing about white dresses: I won't wear them except on my wedding day (and even then, it's ivory, not white), and possibly for the rehearsal/engagement shoot/a formal-ish shower?—so it's kind of a big expense for a single- (or double?) use dress. Still, I had to share... I love it with the blue shoes. :) They are nearly identical to Carrie Bradshaw's blue Manolos, at a much more attainable price. Buy them now, thank me later.

The lace dress is actually totally my speed (and I like how the model looks a little like me! It's like I can see myself in the dress already! Meant to be!!!), and my budget. It'll be a cool March evening, most likely, and I feel like this dress would be fine with a simple black cardigan that I already own, and HOT with the Jessica Simpson heels I barely avoided buying at the mall just this weekend. And any excuse to buy those shoes is one I am ALL over.

What do you think? Is this the dress, or should I keep looking? What did you wear for your rehearsal dinner?

Luck o' the Danish?

Since I'm second generation Pakistani, I think I probably feel a lot more connected to my ethnic heritage sometimes than D, whose ancestors started to arrive in the States in the early 17th Century. As a result, we've had a little bit of trouble finding creative ways to incorporate his ethnic traditions.

Our trip to Solvang earlier this year is about the only 'Bit o' Denmark' D can claim, aside from his genetics (personal image)

So I while I still love the half-joking idea of giving out wrapped æbleskiver as wedding favors, D and I have been searching for other Danish wedding traditions that would be appropriate for us to incorporate. And lo, I think I have found it: the Danish Wedding Waltz!


The idea is that guests crowd around the couple, getting closer and closer until, at the end of the song, there isn't any more room for the bride and groom to move (is this, perhaps, when wedding guests cut the groom's socks? We're probably skipping that one, and the marzipan wedding cake, which will send the bride to the ER, ahem).

D and I don't have a "special song," really, so we're both kind of digging this as a first dance idea. What do you think? Would it be too hard to explain to guests what they are supposed to do?

What did you do to incorporate both of your cultures?

Even invites need some lovin'

I love (love love) my beautiful, baroque letterpressed wedding invitations. I love the texture of the paper, and I love the feel of the letterpress! I knew it wouldn't really make sense for me to attempt to DIY the invites with the deal I got on these, and this is one aspect of our wedding that I'm really glad I handed over to someone else's more experienced care.

But just because I love my invitations doesn't mean I don't want to leave my own mark on them! I've been on the hunt, searching high, low, and in between, for the right paper to add just a little bit more to our lovely invites. And I think I've finally found it!

(personal image)

Envelopper, Inc. sells a patterned text-weight paper that *sort of* matches the invitations, which I think will make a great envelope liner. I'm going to pick up a few packs of the taupe/opal Florence paper for that task (it's the swatch on top, and hopefully the color will be more visible when I photograph the finished product). I first started lining envelopes in elementary school—I would use wrapping paper in my friends' birthday cards that matched the paper I wrapped their gifts in, so cute ;)—so I know that this isn't going to be too difficult of a task, even times 110. (Which I will, of course, document when the time comes.)

I would also like to use patterned paper to create belly bands for the invites, to which I will add a seal that will act as a substitute for inner envelopes (i.e., where I can add individual guest names). I think I will need heavier paper (card stock) for this, and I want the pattern in black, less subtle than the taupe and opal combination. For that, I'll be picking up some custom patterned paper from Cards and Pockets, probably in black ink on champagne metallic card stock.

Is it wrong to be this excited about envelope liners? 'Cuz if it is, I don't want to be right. ;)