with as many concerts as i’ve been to, i’ve been trying to notice common details. chucks are easy. denim, concert tees… faux glasses seem to be an ongoing trend, and then maybe that it’s spring… headbands. seeing one on this gentleman was unexpected, and i loved it on him!

i’ve seen a lot of write-up recently about weddings… gearing up to be that time. since i’ve been through it myself, i thought i’d do a post with some links to things i wish i’d had or things i found useful (and include some photos of our day to boot…)

these are a list of items i tackled in this order. i think i also had 2 notebooks and a color story. not everyone does it the same, but the best advice i can give is organization, delegation, and letting go of the little stuff. bows tied on everything is little stuff. this is the rest of your life, not just one day, plan accordingly… and go ahead and forget all the bows.

From needle+thread

the budget- know your limits, and try to stay sensible.  that being said, the first hint of the word ‘wedding’ and the price doubles, plan for it.  be mindful of what you really want, and what will be remembered.  splurge on what matters most, is it necessary on everything?  it’s different for everyone.  it’s my opinion that a goal should be not starting a life together in debt.  one of the best tools i used was the budget tool on the theknot.com (also the guest list organizer- AMAZING) oh, and apparently i’ve been married for 1272 days- SWEET!

From needle+thread

the ring- i don’t care what anyone says, it’s intimidating to pick a piece of jewelry you’re going to wear for THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. i knew what i kind of liked, but couldn’t find… just… the… right… one. i must have done 80 million internet searches. i came across seventy seven diamonds not so long ago, and wished it’d been around when i was looking. you can pick the ring, choose the diamond and size, and see the cost- RIGHT THERE. instant diamond ring gratification. someone needs to buy me that vintage medici oval bauble (*hint hint*) it’s gorgeous!

From needle+thread

the place- are you calling every venue and everything’s booked?  pick what it is you want about that one perfect place and quiz friends, search boards, scour magazines, you’ll probably find an alternate.  my one must have was ‘flower garden’, that could be anything from the rose garden at the zoo, to a private residence on american lake.  i also added myself to any and every waiting list and it finally paid off.

From needle+thread

the dress- big one for me.  best advice i can give is… don’t compromise… within reason.  set your budget, and be a tiny bit flexible.  i didn’t have grand visions of myself wearing white, but it’s a good idea to have some notion of what you like/want.  and by far the best piece of advice is wear something you feel beautiful in.  sometimes you’d be surprised at what that is, try on dresses outside your comfort range.  and for fun, try on frouffe, pouffe, BIG and why not, expensive. when else can you parade around in your socks in an $18,000 gown?  the other part of how i gave this dress meaning… i had my mom embroider a wide blue ribbon with a saying and our names and date.  she also sewed it in for me, which was a very sweet notion.

side note on accessories- i made my jewelry, and have loved looking through this lady’s etsy store.  hand-made just reads ‘special’.

From needle+thread

the pictures- beside venue, a big one on my list, and another area we splurged.  i also bartered with our photographer to get the discs.  and if you can afford it, go ahead and have them do the albums.  speaking from experience, you’ll never get around to them.  our photographer was jack young.  i still love looking through them…

From needle+thread

the ceremony- i’m heartbroken to find upon researching this post, that our officiant, sean patrick o’reilly has passed away.  we offer our condolences to his partner- sean will live on in the hearts of all the people he inspired with his beautiful spirit.  we’ll never forget the personal touches and guidance he offered to us in our marriage.

our ceremony was something we wanted to devote the most time to.  our wonderful officiant offered pre-marriage counseling, we met with him several times for that, and then several times for the ceremony and edits.  it was important that the words we said to each other were our own.  he worked with us, guided us, and we basically wrote our entire ceremony with his help.  marriage to us was about more than just one day.  it was a mindset for our future, sean helped us get into that mindset.  he was voted seattle’s best officiant several times… he will be so missed.

From needle+thread

the favors+the cake- lower on my list of things to get done, important nonetheless.  i think favors are over-stressed about, and they seem to suck a lot of time.  some of the best things i’ve gotten have been music, seeds to plant, or fresh fruit… i wanted to give people something that they’d actually use, not just toss.  we chose music- a playlist of songs both special and funny, alternately chosen by us both (i choose lets go all the way, he answered with waiting for somebody).  for cake, we chose cupcake royale, because they delivered, worked with us on color…and there has to be cake, right?  now there are so many great cupcake places to choose from, trophy is by far my fave (they weren’t around when we got married).  mention needleplusthread and they’ll offer you a dozen free cupcakes with your order of 5 dozen or more- before may 31st! we also chose not to feed cake to each other (or cram it in each other’s faces?) i still don’t get what that’s about.  but just because everyone does it, doesn’t mean you have to.  choose to do things (or not do them) where it’s meaningful.

my last piece of advice is to remember it’s a celebration, it’s also a beginning to the rest of your life together.  take time to enjoy it, and really, don’t sweat the small stuff.  you’ll never remember it.  take time to look around, and see everyone’s faces.  don’t feel panicked to talk with each person, but note that they’re there, and sharing your day.  breathe deep, hold his/or her hand, and eat something.  it’s a day you’ll remember forever.

From needle+thread

cute coat…

From needle+thread

cute bow. thanks to angel for letting me accost her while she was on the phone…

featured in the boys hats+glasses+mustaches, here’s anthony full length. i’m always a fan of all black, especially when someone makes it their own…

andria of emerald city sighting says-

Here comes the glitter again. I have a feeling that none of this was bought right off the rack. Her worn-in Converse and faded jeans give her overall look a thrown together vibe which may or may not be even accurate. In any case, Josanne has a fun rock look, without losing her fresh feminine feel. I stopped her on the Monmatre streets in Paris – although she calls Holland home. Josanne. Rockin’ Paris.

From needle+thread

From needle+thread

from andria – of emerald city sightings