our wedding {part 3}

{part 1} & {part 2}

from the reception...

We did a very simple cake & punch {lemonade} reception,

and I liked it that way.

Everyone could wander around, talk to people, celebrate, etc.

There's more I could share, and I'll be putting together a post about the decorations,

details & DIYs in the next couple of weeks...there were so many little things that I loved!

Our wedding may not have been what everyone else does, 

but it was pretty perfect for us. :)

our wedding {part 2}

to see the first post about our wedding, click here.

I think the worst part of our wedding day was all the waiting around I had to do.

I was ready early {of course}, so I had to wait until Hayden was ready to take pictures.

After pictures, I had to wait about an hour until the ceremony.

Have I mentioned that I'm not the most patient person?

But finally, it was time...

Some special moments from the ceremony...

I could hardly believe it when our pastor announced us as husband & wife.

I'd been waiting for that moment for over 4 years...and now we were finally married!

Such a happy day. :)

I'll be sharing the rest of the wedding pictures soon!

What is your favorite memory about your wedding?

our wedding {part one}

I'm so excited to share about our wedding today!

I have tons of pictures, but I won't bombard you with all of them at once...

so here's part one!

I'll be honest, planning our wedding was a lot of work and a lot of fun, and I'm glad it's over.

The day before the wedding, as we were decorating and preparing,

I had to answer so many questions, make so many little decisions, arrange things just so...

I just wanted to get married!

 We chose to see each other and take pictures before the ceremony,

and I am SO glad we did.

He was super nervous, and I was pretty nervous myself...

I felt so much better about everything once I had spent some time with him.

And it was fantastic to get all the group shots done beforehand so our guests

didn't have to wait around forever at the reception. It made everything less stressful.

{this is one of my favorite shots!}

{some details}

my dress & jacket :: David's Bridal

pink shoes! :: Old Navy

necklace :: Allora Handmade

bridesmaid's skirts & flower pins :: made by me!

origami bouquets :: made by my very talented sister

sweaters :: JC Penney's

to be continued...

if you have any questions about any wedding details,

feel free to let me know!

today...

...I'm marrying my best friend. The love of my life. My favorite person ever.

I couldn't be more excited.

{wedding week!}

can you believe it's wedding week already?!

In 5 days, I get to marry my favorite person.

I couldn't be more excited. :)

I won't be around much on the blog this week

{I'm sure you all will understand},

but you can email me if you'd like to chat.

And I've got some lovely guest posts

all ready to go for the next couple weeks.

Just pray that I keep my sanity in all of this.

My goal is to relax & enjoy it all. :)

happy wedding week!

{handmade love} vintage green limited

I just love this shop, vintage green limited.

I'm not sure how I found it {probably through another blog},

but I fell in love with the sweet birdies Jenn makes...

Have I mentioned that I really love birds? :)

She also make adorable ring bearer pillows, bunting,

and wedding sets.

And, these adorable birds will be making an appearance at my own wedding!

These were a custom order with my own fabric,

and Jenn was fabulous to work with!

I would definitely recommend her work. :)

vintage green limited.

{shop} {facebook}

*****

I'm sharing a shop that I really love,

for no reason other than the fact that I like it!

Jenn doesn't know I'm featuring her, I'm not being paid,

my own opinions, etc, etc.

one month!

One month. Can you believe it?!

Back in January, when we got engaged,

October seemed ages away.

The closer we get, the faster it comes.

And I couldn't be more excited! ;)

So what have I been up to lately?

Obviously, lots of projects for the wedding...

{from top left to bottom right}

{1} I have at least 4 lists going right now.

Things are getting done, and my lists keep shrinking!

{2 & 3} I'm making my own veil, and the DIY Bride magazine

has an easy set of instructions to follow.

(I ordered the netting on Etsy.)

{4} This is one of my favorite projects,

these sweet little birdhouses. :)

{5 & 6} I looove this fabric.

When you see pictures of our wedding,

that fabric will be in lots of places. :)

Including 24+ yards of pennant bunting!

So, there's a little sneak peek at a few of the details.

I can't wait to see it all put together!

P.S. We also found a place to live!

Papers are signed, and we get the keys on Monday!!

I'll be sharing more about our new home soon...

6 weeks.

6 weeks from today, I'll be marrying my best friend. I couldn't be more excited. :)

but it's crazy how quickly time goes by...

{feeling blessed}

I'm definitely feeling blessed after this weekend...

my bridal shower was on Saturday morning,

and it was just wonderful.

{my bride-to-be "costume", put together by my sister;

all the essentials for cooking/baking in one easy place! *wink*}

We had a great turn-out {so thankful for all the ladies who came!},

lots of yummy food, fun games, and all the other fun shower "stuff".

Unfortunately, a lot of the pictures on my camera turned out really blurry,

so I'll have to track down some more pictures I can share.

We received a lot of the things we need for our new home,

and I couldn't be more excited about setting up our new place. :)

Now we just have to find that place....

How was your weekend? Hope it was lovely!

{some wedding details}

We have 79 days until we become husband & wife...and it's beyond exciting.

I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with him... :)

So much is going on for the wedding.

Which is good, but it's just a LOT to do. A LOT to think about.

LOTS of details to work out. Very overwhelming.

• That picture is one that the sweetheart's brother-in-law took for us. It was fun to wander around on the same pier where we got engaged, and he took a lot of great photos for us.

• I used some of the pictures to make a photo book {for free, thanks to a giveaway Gina hosted!}, leaving lots of white space...it will be used as a guestbook at the reception. Love it!

• I finally finished the guest list. That was a lot more work than I anticipated. And we know a LOT of people...

• Now I just need to get the sweetheart to finish editing the invites, get them printed, envelopes addressed, and mailed by the first week of August. Crazy!

• I'm making some adorable pennant bunting to line the aisles...and I need 20 yards of it. Oh. My. Word. I finally sat down yesterday & figured out just how many pennants that is...270. Hopefully I can get it done.

• I took my dress in to be altered this week - it's too big on me, and I don't want it to fall off! {I'm definitely not used to strapless dresses...} I ordered the suggested size based on my measurements, but the dress is definitely too large. I'm excited to try it on when it will actually fit me!

• Even though all of this planning is stressful, the wedding is just one day. I'm looking so much forward to the marriage. Because it's oh-so-much more important than just the wedding.

What was the most stressful part of planning your wedding?

*****

Need some sweet & colorful accessories to dress up your outfits?

Then be sure to enter the Along for the Ride giveaway!

{happenings}

{from here}

I won't lie and say that my life is always perfect,

but I am so blessed. 

Life has been kind of crazy lately, though...

We're getting married in less than 3 1/2 months.

I am absolutely excited and I can't wait,

but I also have a LOT to get done before then.

I started making lists this week, and it's a tad overwhelming...

Fortunately, I have a lot of help if I need it!

Also, the Sweetheart got a new job!

I am beyond proud of him...I may be biased,

but he is awesome at what he does. :)

We were not expecting this at all, and he wasn't looking for a job.

But, he'll be getting a great paycheck, good benefits, etc. 

which is definitely a blessing.

But, along with this new job comes more new changes.

New schedules, figuring out where we'll live, and so on.

It will all work out...I'm just not entirely sure how.

I've also posted about that craft fair that's

happening two weeks after we get married...

I'm so excited for the opportunity, but I am SO overwhelmed

with all that I need to get done!

My goal is to have everything for the craft fair done

by September 1st. That will take a lot of work.

We shall see...

So, that's a bit of what's going on in my life.

But most of all, I want to live everyday to the fullest,

no matter what that day holds. 

*****

Have a lovely Wednesday!

What I Love Wednesday {wedding inspiration}

Hello, and happy Wednesday!

I'm linking up with Krystina for {What I Love Wednesday}.

*****

This week I'm sharing some inspiration for our wedding.

October 8th is coming, and it's been so fun to plan and decide what will go into our wedding.

Planning on a {very small} budget can be difficult, but sometimes a challenge is more fun. :)

So, here are some of my thoughts and ideas...

{found here}

I love this less-traditional idea of bridesmaids wearing skirts!
And the shoes are SO cute.

{found here}

I like this soft and pretty up-do.
I definitely want to do something similar with my curls.

{found here}

Of course, I looove mason jars.
I have a whole box in our garage {a great yard sale find!},
which I probably will use as candle holders.

{found here}

I've heard that these paper poms are "over-used"...
but I love them. It's my wedding.
And most people I know in person haven't see these used much. ;)

{found here}

Isn't this adorable?!
Love the chalkboard.
Love the cute couple.
Definitely want to do something like this!

*****

You can see more of my inspiration right here.
{can you tell that I really like Pinterest to organize things I like?}

Hope your day is just lovely!

some wedding thoughts...

lovely wedding found here

The Sweetheart & I are getting married in 21 weeks.
October 8th is coming, and I can't wait. :)

I haven't talked about our wedding a whole lot here.
I have shared that I don't think I'm a very traditional bride,
some color inspiration & a diy bridesmaid project.
Not much else.

Here's the thing.
I am beyond thrilled that we're getting married.
I'm {mostly} enjoying the planning process.
I'm also not going to be the only bride this Fall...
which is fine! and great! and wonderful!

But I'm struggling because I want our wedding to be unique & special,
not just like everyone else's.

And I'm pretty sure that the other 2 weddings will not be like ours...
but then when they ask what song I'm walking down the aisle to?
I just want to keep it a secret. {and then I feel selfish.}

Is this something that you struggled with when planning your own wedding?
Or am I just strange? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

{Thanks for putting up with my ramblings, by the way. That's all I've got for today.}

*****

I'm still trying to decide on a name for my new ruffled clutch...be sure to add your suggestion & you could win a little something from Petunia Blooms! I'll be choosing a favorite name soon...

{diy} will you be my bridesmaid?

I saw this idea first on the lovely Caroline's blog,

and I knew I wanted to do something special for my bridesmaids.

It was the perfect idea, and they all loved it!

First, I needed a chalkboard.

I bought a wooden plaque at JoAnn's,

some chalkboard paint, and some fun pink paint for the border.

I painted the edges of the plaque first, with the 2 shades of pink I'd chosen, then carefully painted the middle with the chalkboard paint. I ended up doing 3 coats of the chalkboard paint, and the worst part was waiting for it to cure for 24 hours!

{I hated taking these pictures. I felt SO awkward. Seriously.}

I wrote "Will you be my bridesmaid?", and snapped some photos with my sister. Sent them to Target to be printed, and then worked on the frames.

I just got some $1 frames at Michael's and painted them to match.

I loved painting them! It was so fun to do the pink edges & scallops. :)

I found the perfect complementing ribbon, made some adorable little cards {which you'll see on the blog sometime in the future}, and mailed them off!

This was a great {and easy!} project, and you could use it in other ways, too. I plan on using that chalkboard again, for sure! Many thanks to Caroline for sharing the inspiration!

found, and other wedding thoughts

{via}

Last week I was very stressed about wedding plans.

This week is better. Thank goodness!

The biggest news is that we found our photographer!

I like her photos, and she's been great to work with so far.

Having quality photos from our wedding is so important to me,

and now I don't have to worry about finding someone.

Seriously, I can't tell you how grateful I am.

Also, we are the 1st of 3 couples getting married {from our church}.

October 8th, November 5th & November 11th, I believe.

I'm sure that will be fun, but it could get a little crazy!

I have my dress and my shoes.

The shoes are perfect. I love them lots. :)

I might have a reception room...

my mom and I are going to go look at it today.

If that will work for us, I won't have much left to worry about.

And that would be amazing.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

a veil and a confession {wedding inspiration}

I have a confession to make...

I don't think I'm a very traditional bride.

I think it's ridiculous, the things that are expected at a wedding.

Things that aren't necessary and are, often, quite expensive.

I have a small budget to work with.

I want to enjoy my wedding day, not go into debt over it.

I want to make it special, and lovely, but not because it's something that everyone always does.

I'm just hoping I can pull it off. :)

*****

As to veils,

I really love the vintage-y birdcage veils.

I think they're just lovely, and more my style than the traditional veils.

I tried on this blusher at David's Bridal,

and I loved it a lot.

The price? Not so much...

So I started searching for DIY options,

and I'm definitely going to try it!

I especially like this tutorial:

What do you think?

I'd rather spend the money on the supplies, than $70 for something so simple...

I love being able to create things on my own. :)

*****

Have a lovely Monday!

wedding {color} inspiration!

The sweetheart and I are getting married.

Seriously, it's still a little surreal.

In less than 36 weeks, I'll be a wife.

But it's SO very exciting. :)

We've set a date...

October 8th, 2011

We're getting married on a Saturday afternoon,

and it's going to be a fairly casual wedding.

{I looove this wedding.}

I've always loved chocolate brown and pink together,

and I've long planned on using the combination for my wedding.

I'm leaning towards a fairly eclectic mix of pinks, because using just one would be boring. ;)

Right now I'm loving these photos for inspiration:

{via}

{via}

{via}

So, what do you think?

What were/are/will be your wedding colors?