Imperfectly Perfect

A Time to Say Goodbye

2011-07-07T19:57:00.000+12:00

Hive, I hate goodbyes. I hate them so much that growing up I avoided them at all costs, even to the point of hiding when anyone I cared about was about to leave. But apparently I'm grown up now, and goodbyes are something that I need to learn how to do.

I started blogging here over a year ago. As the youngest bride to ever blog for WB (I did doublecheck this, but correct me if I am wrong!), I had so much to learn along my wedding planning journey and you guys were there each step of my slightly crooked way.

Then, exactly six months ago, I woke up, put on a big white dress, got all prettified, and walked out the door to marry my highschool sweetheart. On that day I had so many expectations of what married life would be like and so many questions as well.

In just six months, married life has been so much more than I could have expected. I expected that it would take time for us to adjust to living together. What I didnt expect was that as soon as we were married it just felt so right and like we had never lived apart.

I expected that in our marriage we would experience sickness and health, hard times and good. But I didn't expect sickness (on my part) and unemployment (on Mr E's part) to come across our path so soon. Yes, our first six months of marriage havent been as easy as we hoped, but each night we look at each other and know that no matter how hard our day was, we are together and that is what matters. We've learnt that we are each stronger than we could ever have imagined. And I have learnt that Mr E makes a mean bangers n' mash meal, and he has learnt that my feet are always, always blocks of ice, even with a hot water bottle and wool socks.

The last six months have not been perfect, but they have been wonderful. And, as the song goes, "the best is yet to come."

Hive- Thank you so much for following me along my journey, for inspiring me, for offering advice, for listening to my planning woes, and for writing comments that make me smile and laugh. That all means more to me than I can ever express. I love this community, and this is not goodbye for good. I'm sure I can find an excuse to write another post now and then, and you will probably be able to find me on the boards as well. If you want to read more about how life is going for us now, you can catch me at Imperfectly Perfect Life, where I blog about health, style, study, and other newlywed shenanigans. Feel free to stop by and say hello!

But for now, see you later everyone.

Much love,
Earrings xox

*Photos courtesy of Jane Sanders

A Midsummer Dream: The Budget

2011-06-29T19:00:00.000+12:00

When it came to our wedding budget we had one goal: To not get into debt! Which, for us (both college students), meant sticking to a wedding budget of $10,000 NZD ($8134 USD according to the current exchange rate). Given that the average New Zealand costs around $30,000, we knew we would have our work cut out for us.

Staying within budget definitely involved a bit of compromise in some areas, but we were also not afraid to splurge in other areas that were important to us. Below I have broken down the costs into major categories. In some cases where I thought it might be helpful, I have broken down the costs further within each category. I have written the $$s in New Zealand dollars, with the US equivalent in brackets beside each amount.

Here's how it all worked out in the end, down to the last cent (thanks to my obsessive Excel tracking!):

Photography: $2100 ($1705 USD)

The largest chunk of our budget was spent on photography, and we dont have a single regret about that. Included in this portion of the budget also was an album and our photographer's travel costs.

Bride's Bits n' Bobs: $1082 ($880 USD)

Buying my dress from David's Bridal with Mr E (before we were engaged- I know!) was probably the best financial wedding decision we made. There is no way we would have been able to afford a dress I liked as much for the same price in New Zealand.

I was lucky enough to have a friend hem and take in my dress for me at no cost just three days before the wedding.
My veil was handmade by Christchurch company, Grace and Lace- much more affordable than any of the big bridal chains down here.
My necklace, bracelets, garter, and earrings were all either bought by my parents in Bali and gifted to me, or borrowed.
I ended up falling in love with very affordable vintage upcycled shoes from etsy seller whichgoose
My bolero was another etsy purchase, this time from seller maryandangelika.

Groom's Bits n' Bobs: $268.49 ($218.40 USD)

We decided to hire, rather than buy Mr E's suit. We found the perfect one at a little local menswear shop, Made for Men.

The rest of the budget in this area was spent on Mr E's cufflinks, pocket square, socks, Chuck Taylors, and a tie with a custom label from rabbitstop.

Venue: $624.50 ($508 USD)

Luckily for us, because I'm the grandaughter of the founder of our venue, Gardens of the World, we didn't have to pay a fee to use it. The costs accrued in this part of the budget covered chair, table, and mini canopy hireage, as well as use of the garden's outdoor power supply.

Catering for 100 people: $1400 ($1138.80 USD)

We were able to negotiate a price of $12.50 per head with our caterer, Las Brisas. This covered the main meal, and then we decided to add horchata for after the ceremony as well, which added an extra $150 total to the price. Going the mobile food cart route was a great option for us!

Other Food and Drink: $594.88 ($483.88 USD)

We only hired our caterer for the main part of the meal. To save on costs, we provided punch, old-fashioned sodas, and tea and coffee ourselves.
Included in this area of the budget were hershey's kisses and truffles made by a friend of my mother for the Tea & Cupcake Hour
The homemade cupcakes were a feat of endurance for me, my mother, grandmother, and sisters, but we finished them! And saved a bunch of moolah in the process.

The most expensive items in this section were seven delectable cheesecakes from Chocolate Velvet. Their total cost came to $300 NZD. A cake to feed the same amount of people would have cost us about 25% more, so we still think this was a good financial decision. Plus the bakers tossed in a free date scone I was eyeing up when I went to pick them up the day before the wedding :D Win-win.

Cake: $0

You may remember that I decided to bake our wedding cake myself, as we only needed a small one for cutting, and you may also remember how my trial run didnt go so well. Fortunately, the second time round was the charm. My mother and I baked the wedding cake a week and a half before the wedding (using ingredients we already had in the pantry), froze it, and a lady from church kindly offered to frost it for free.

The cake stand was also free, as I got it for a 21st birthday present from my grandmother :)

Paper Bits: $212.32 ($172.70 USD)

We DIYed all our paper products, which was another money saving decision. The 100 invitations came to a total of $100.99
The rest of the cost was made up with supplies for the place tags and reserved signs for the VIPs, little signs for the dessert table, the programmes, the kids' colouring books, and a guestbook of our engagement photos done through Blurb.

Flowers: $245 ($199.30 USD)

Flowers weren't that much of a priority for us at our wedding. To fit them into our budget, we part DIYed, and part BIYed in the end. My bouquet, Mr E's buttonhole, the teacup flower arrangement for the cake, and a bag of rose petals were purchased from Bluebell Florist.

For the rest of the floral arrangements, we bought 100 roses, and four large bunches of filler from a local wholesaler for only $126. With these, along with lavender from our garden, we put together all the arrangements for the reception, and I also used some of the dried lavender to make buttonholes for the groomsmen, fathers and grandfathers.

Bridesmaids and Flower Girl: $581.10 ($472.70 USD)

We bought the bridesmaids dresses on sale, and also their necklaces and earrings. They bought their own shoes.
Their wrist corsages were made by the lovely Mrs. Espresso, aka Silver Pencils, and I liked them so much that I ended up getting her to make a headband for our flower girl as well.
The flower girl's dress was bought on Ebay by her mother, as well as her shoes.
The most expensive thing we bought for the bridesmaids (and me!) were the lace parasols ($55 each). As it turns out, I'm so glad we splurged on them because of the fierce sun on the wedding day!

Groomsmen: $97 ($78.90 USD)

The groomsmen insisted on hiring their own suit pants and vests. They wore shoes and shirts they already owned, and we gifted them with ties and All Blacks socks.

Hair and Makeup: $600 ($488 USD)

Nicki Collett did my hair and makeup, as well as my mother's. At first I was hesitant to spend so much on my hair and face, but it was Mr E who insisted I book Nicki. And after I had my trial with her (included in the cost above), I was so, so glad he did. Not one regret.

A good friend took the reins of the bridesmaids's hair and makeup and she did a brilliant job as well.

Decorations: $458.11 ($372.60 USD)

A lot of little things fit in this category: bunting, card box, chalkboard signs, vases, lavender hearts, doily table runners, votives, etc. They definitely added up!

Officiant:$0

My uncle married us, and waived the fee.

Transport: $275 ($223.70 USD)

We had two vehicles for transportation. Betsey the London black cab cost $250 for two hours and took my bridesmaids, parents, and me to the venue.

Our little blue Austin getaway car belongs to my uncle's partner's brother (!), and he lent it to us in return for a box of beer :)

Boring (but essential) Reception Stuff: $598.01 ($486.40 USD)

The downside (and also potential upside) of having a venue like ours was that it was basically a blank slate, and many things had to be brought in from the outside. Our mismatched tea cups, dessert plates, disposable utensils, a glass drink dispenser, cupcake and cake stands, picnic rugs and cushion inserts all were a part of this cost. If a very kind vintage shop owner hadnt lent us 30 tea cup and saucer sets then this amount would have been even higher.

(guest photo)

Favors: $71.28 ($58)

Could we have done cheaper, simpler favors? Probably. But I just couldn't resist the cuteness of our pudding favors.

(photo by Mr E)

Rings: $840 ($683.25 USD)

We discovered that it was actually cheaper to get our rings custom designed through a local designer than to purchase ready made ones from a major chain. The breakdown was $600 for Mr E's ring, and $240 for mine.

Marriage License: $120 ($97.60 USD)

Grand Total: $10, 197.69 ($8, 294.80 USD)

So, there you have it. While we went a bit over budget, we were still within a respectable distance of original amount, and we were still able to have the honeymoon we wanted :)

Any other college couples negotiating a strict budget out there? How did you keep your costs down?

*All photos courtesy of Jane Sanders, unless otherwise noted

A Midsummer Dream: Our Sunset Getaway

2011-06-03T19:43:00.000+12:00

(guest photo)

Our "Just Married" sign may have been crooked, but our getaway in the little blue Austin was one of the highlights of the day, false starts and all. Earlier in the day, our photographer took some mock getaway shots of us in the car, but we were also lucky enough to have quite a few guests who documented the actual event.

The groomsmen decided they wanted in on the action too...

Our getaway driver was my brother. He was so, so excited to do this (how many other 19 years olds get to drive an 80 year old car?!), but also just a wee bit nervous. Mostly excited though :)

(guest photo)

Our guests escorted us to the car...

(guest photo)

...and we hopped in (well, Mr E hopped in. I flopped in while two people helped me wrestle my dress).

(guest photo)

The car was the type that you have to crank by hand to get started, so that was the hard part, but luckily, after a few tries, the engine spluttered into life. And with that, we drove off into the sunset!

(guest photo)

The drive to our hotel took 30 mins, and that little car coughed and spluttered the whole way, and even threatened to stall twice in the middle of intersections, but it was a blast. You have seen my favourite photos from our wedding day, well, whenever anyone asks me what my happiest/favourite memory of our wedding day is, it is this drive. I wasn't prepared for how strangers' faces would light up as we passed them on the sidewalk, and how other cars slowed and honked and waved at us. Mr E and I couldnt stop smiling the whole time. We had 30 minutes to just sit back and relax, wave at people we didn't know, and savor the memories of our wedding day. At one point we passed a very packed pub and all the people waiting outside saw us and cheered with their drinks raised high. We felt on top of the world, as sappy as that sounds.

And then we were at our hotel, the wedding was over and we broke open the wine and put our feet up. At some point I started taking out the bazillion hair pins out of my hair, but not before we took this photo: there was so much hairspray in my hair that not even a ride in an open-top car could budge it! Proof:

(photo by Mr E)

And that is the last photo of our wedding day, which brings us to the end of my recaps...almost. I still want to share our budget with you, and maybe a few other posts here and there, so I'm not saying goodbye just yet :)

For all you who are married, what iss your favourite memory from your wedding day?

*All photos by Jane Sanders, unless otherwise noted

--------------------------

So far in our midsummer dream…

We welcomed our guests with pizza on Wednesday, DIYed our flowers on Thursday, and had a nightmarish Friday
The girls got ready, I shared some of my favourite details, and then I put on my dress!
I posed, he posed, and we had our first look
We showed a London cab some love, and let you in on our garden romance
I walked down the aisle
Ceremony Part I, Part II, and Part III
I showed you our Tea and Cupcake Hour details, and then we cut the cake
We took some family portraits, our reception details took centre stage, and then it was time to relax and enjoy our picnic reception
The kids had their turn to pose, and we sat back and enjoyed some speeches
We had our first dance, and then we all danced
You saw our picnic photoshoot for two

A Midsummer Dream: Picnic Photoshoot for Two

2011-06-01T18:38:00.000+12:00

As the end of our wedding day approached, Mr E and I snuck away for a few minutes to take advantage of the summer evening light for a few more photos. And I'm so glad we did, because even though we were worn out after a long day (and my jaw was so sore from smiling!), these moments were priceless, and they resulted in what I think are my very favourite photos of us from the day.

We strolled through the garden and the fountains, then over the bridge that we had been married in front of, just a few hours before.

We weren't completely alone (even though it felt like it at times!). There was our photographer of course, and the groomsmen volunteered to carry our picnic props around the garden...

... They even had an impromptu tea party under the trees! Don't they look sweet? :P (guest photo)

Then it was our turn for a little picnic photoshoot. We spread a blanket (crocheted by my great grandmother) on the grass and set out our tea cups and picnic basket.

Our few moments were up all too fast, and soon we headed back to the reception to say goodbye to our guests.

Next up: The getaway!

*All photos by Jane Sanders, unless otherwise noted
--------------------------------------
So far in our midsummer dream….

We welcomed our guests with pizza on Wednesday, DIYed our flowers on Thursday, and had a nightmarish Friday
The girls got ready, I shared some of my favourite details, and then I put on my dress!
I posed, he posed, and we had our first look
We showed a London cab some love, and let you in on our garden romance
I walked down the aisle
Ceremony Part I, Part II, and Part III
I showed you our Tea and Cupcake Hour details, and then we cut the cake
We took some family portraits, our reception details took centre stage, and then it was time to relax and enjoy our picnic reception
The kids had their turn to pose, and we sat back and enjoyed some speeches
We had our first dance, and then we all danced

A Midsummer Dream: And We All Danced

2011-05-26T15:07:00.001+12:00

After our first dance, it was my dad's turn to have a dance with me. For both the father-daughter dance and the mother-son dance at our wedding, we invited guests to join us so we didn't feel so awkward out there! There was one guest though, who joined in the fun in a different way...

Yup, that's one of my family's oldest friends running around with a parasol. Don't worry, he isn't nuts (much). He happens to be one of the people we met when I was very young in Papua. At celebrations in that part of the world, it is customary to honour people by running with a spear and calling out blessings/praises, etc to them. So that is what Uncle Jim did...only with a parasol instead of a spear. It was a total surprise, but it turned out awesome because everyone at the wedding who had some connection to Papua (over 50% of the guests), got it straight away and joined in by calling out. And those who weren't connected to Papua? They soon figured it out and joined in too!

But, back to the dancing. The song Dad and I chose was "Cinderella" by Steven Curtis Chapman. Now everytime I hear that song I tear up a little. It was very special to share that moment with my dad.

(guest photo)

One of my cousins and her father (who was also our officiant), were the first to join us on the dancefloor, followed by my mum and brother.

Then Mr E and his mother danced to "I Believe in You," also by Chapman.

By this time, more people were braving the dance floor. I knew our wedding would never be a raving dance party because of the location/time, etc, but that didn't matter. We all had fun anyway!

(guest photo)

Next up: My favourite photos from the entire day. That's right, you ain't seen nothing yet! Stay tuned for our "picnic for two" shoot coming up [insert commercial break] :)

*All photos by Jane Sanders, unless otherwise noted
-------------------------------
So far in our midsummer dream....

We welcomed our guests with pizza on Wednesday, DIYed our flowers on Thursday, and had a nightmarish Friday
The girls got ready, I shared some of my favourite details, and then I put on my dress!
I posed, he posed, and then we had our first look
We showed a London cab some love, and let you in on our garden romance
I walked down the aisle
Ceremony Part I, Part II, and Part III
I showed you our Tea and Cupcake Hour details, and then we cut the cake
We took some family portraits, our reception details took centre stage, and then it was time to relax and enjoy our picnic reception
The kids had their turn to pose, and we sat back and enjoyed some speeches
We had our first dance

A Midsummer Dream: Barefeet, Grass, and Our First Dance

2011-05-24T19:07:00.000+12:00

Somehow, the idea of dancing barefoot in the grass has always appealed to me as being utterly romantic (I know, I'm a weirdo. But I was right). Mr E and I had our first dance to "Smother Me" by The Used...a song that has been "ours" since our early dating days.

(source)

(guest photo)

Our first dance was clumsy, un-practiced, and not very graceful (trains are awkward! Not choo-choo trains. Dress trains). But it was also completely, utterly perfect. Just the way I had imagined.

Were you able to practice your first dance in the days before your wedding, or did you wing it like we did?

*All photos courtesy of Jane Sanders, unless otherwise noted
---------------------------------
So far in our midsummer dream.....

We welcomed our guests with pizza on Wednesday, DIYed our flowers on Thursday, and had a nightmarish Friday
The girls got ready, I shared some of my favourite details, and then I put on my dress!
I posed, he posed, and then we had our first look
We showed a London cab some love, and let you in on our garden romance
I walked down the aisle
Ceremony Part I, Part II, and Part III
I showed you our Tea and Cupcake Hour details, and then we cut the cake
We took some family portraits, our reception details took centre stage, and then it was time to relax and enjoy our picnic reception
The kids had their turn to pose, and we sat back and enjoyed some speeches

My Worth in Pigs

2011-05-21T20:00:00.002+12:00

I interrupt my recaps to bring you the news that within the *great* tradition of bride prices, apparently I am worth 150 pigs. Let me back up a little. You know how Mr E and I both grew up in West Papua, the easternmost province of Indonesia? Pretend you remember that for this post anyway. In most Melanesian cultures (such as those of Papua), it is still commonplace for a prospective groom and his family to pay the bride's family in pigs for her. Now, everyone who knows me knows that I lean more than a little to the feminist side of the spectrum, so during my dad's speech on our wedding day, he couldn't resist playing a joke on me by asking Mr E how many pigs he could pay.

On the spur of the moment, Mr E said 150. And little did I know, but the story didn't stop there!

Wooden Piggy Circle

Wooden Piggy Line-Up

The other day, my new inlaws sent a "first installment" of 9 tiny wooden pigs to my parents. They plan to make it a running joke for the next decade or so, culminating with a real live pig for my family to take to the Papuan village where I spent much of my childhood.

Maybe one like this? So cute! (found here)

Sometimes you just have to laugh :) I have to admit, it was kind of fun sneaking a little bit of our Melanesian upbringing into our wedding, even if it was tongue-in-cheek.

Are there any *outdated* marriage traditions from your cultural background that you have found interesting to learn about?

*All pics personal unless otherwise noted

A Midsummer Dream: A Time to Speak

2011-05-16T18:30:00.000+12:00

After dinner, it was time for some speeches. I know speeches at weddings often get a bad rap, but I was happy to find that at our wedding they produced some of the funniest moments of the night. My dad went first. He started off by saying that not just two countries (New Zealand and America) are united in Mr E's and my marriage, but practically a whole united nations comes together. Between the two of us, our cultural heritages include German, Scottish, Irish, Welsh, English, Shetland Islander, Portuguese, Cherokee, Gypsy, French, and rumors of African. Not to mention that we both grew up in Indonesia! What my dad was trying to say by all this is that our children will be mutts :)

He also mentioned that I "caught him off guard" when I began dating Mr E when I was 17. Because of that, my younger sisters are going to be off limits until they are 30 (he was kidding...mostly :P).

(guest photo)

Dad thought Mr E might also benefit from knowing something about my notorious travelling habits: "Be prepared to travel light. No matter what your combined luggage allowance is, Mrs E will use all of it. If you are extra good, she might let you have a few kilos." Pfft. If he is lucky! I sometimes say that I married him for his suitcase space....

Next up to speak was my sister, the maid of honour.

(guest photo)

MOH spoke beautifully. She is only 17, but her speech could have easily come out of the mouth of a thirty year old. I was so proud of her; she made an incredible maid of honour despite being so young. My sisters and I have always been good friends, and when Mr E came along, he fast became like a (much teased, but loved) older brother to all my siblings. I am very blessed by that.

You might remember that Mr E's bestman, who is also his older brother, couldnt make it to the wedding. So instead he wrote a speech for Mr E's honorary bestman, Sam, to read. That smile that Sam was wearing as he read looks innocent enough....but it wasn't. This was Mr E's reaction to part of the speech:

Yup. One of my favourite photos of the night for sure because it captured my "snickering at you" expression and Mr E's "hey, what?!" face so well. Let's just say the reaction was caused by a certain nickname :P

The rest of the speech brought Mr E almost to (happy) tears though, with the words that Mr E's brother sees us as a "triumph of love over all." And with that, it was Mr E's turn for the last speech of the night.

So many people helped us get where we were that day, and Mr E took his speech as an opportunity to thank all our loved ones for their ongoing support.

He ended on a silly note, and thus concluded the speeches- with laughter and some tears, and many warm fuzzies.

Anyone else enjoy the speeches/toasts at your wedding more than you expected to?

*All photos courtesy of Jane Sanders
------------------------------

So far in our midsummer dream…

We welcomed our guests with pizza on Wednesday, DIYed our flowers on Thursday, and had a nightmarish Friday
The girls got ready, I shared some of my favourite details, and then I put on my dress!
I posed, he posed, and then we had our first look
We showed a London cab some love, and let you in on our garden romance
I walked down the aisle
Ceremony Part I, Part II, and Part III
I showed you our Tea and Cupcake Hour details, and then we cut the cake
We took some family portraits, our reception details took centre stage, and then it was time to relax and enjoy our picnic reception
The kids had their turn to pose

A Midsummer Dream: One for the Kids

2011-05-10T14:03:00.000+12:00

We had 10 kids at our wedding, and luckily for us our photographer managed to catch some pics of them in their best (and craziest) moments. Can you handle the cuteness?

Little B (above) was definitely not shy about posing for the camera!

Neither was Baby Jake for that matter. He snazzed up for the day with a tux t-shirt.

Some ducklings even showed up! (guest photo)

The cupcakes seemed to be the highlight of the day for the kids.

Mr E had fun serving the kids' cupcakes as they lined up (guest photo)

(guest photo)

Little O (orange shirt) is Little B's twin brother. Those two were partners in crime the whole day.

(guest photo)

The sloping sides of the grass "ampitheatre" where the reception was held was perfect for running and rolling down. I was tempted to join, but I don't think my dress would have been forgiving...though neither were the dresses of my flower girl and her sister :)

At the end of a long day filled with cupcake smears and grass stains, the little princess in white above was transformed into this:

(guest photo)
And, really, isn't that what we all feel like after a long day? Running around with our shirts over our heads? I know I do. Just kidding. Kinda.

If you had kids at your wedding, what crazy antics did they get up to?
*All photos courtesy of Jane Sanders, unless otherwise noted

---------------------------

So far in our midsummer dream…

We welcomed our guests with pizza on Wednesday, DIYed our flowers on Thursday, and had a nightmarish Friday
The girls got ready, I shared some of my favourite details, and then I put on my dress!
I posed, he posed, and then we had our first look
We showed a London cab some love, and let you in on our garden romance
I walked down the aisle
Ceremony Part I, Part II, and Part III
I showed you our Tea and Cupcake Hour details, and then we cut the cake
We took some family portraits, our reception details took centre stage, and then it was time to relax and enjoy our picnic reception

A Midsummer Dream: Let's All Go on a Picnic

2011-05-06T18:53:00.000+12:00

Once the reception got properly underway, we were free to just enjoy spending time together and with our guests. The picnic atmosphere seemed to bring the perfect amount of informality and relaxation to our reception- exactly what we had hoped for.

I have a moment with my brother and Mr E (guest photo)

(guest photo)

My youngest cousin examining a lavender heart

Some cousins and an uncle demonstrating the "proper" way to hold their teacups

These guys look like they are at a cricket match! With cups of tea, of course.

No, my 17 year old sister is not holding a beer bottle. It's soda :D

Having dinner served from the food cart worked out surprisingly well. The line moved fast, so no one had to wait long. And the food...so delicious! Mexican food is not very common in New Zealand, but everyone seemed to enjoy the chicken fajitas, guacamole, tortillas, etc.- even my notoriously fussy grandmother! However, you know how so many brides complain that they didn't get much to eat on their wedding day? Well, I was determined to eat as much as I could. But my stomach had other plans. I was so caught up in the excitement of the day that my stomach just switched off. As a result I only managed about a quarter of the main course. The cheesecake, on the other hand, was another story- I stuffed down a whole piece of that. There is always room for cheesecake!

While we ate, the mingling and mini reunions between family and friends continued.

That lady hugging my mum delivered three of my mum's four kids! Despite moving all over the place, it was as if the wedding brought people from all parts of Mr E's and my life history together again.

Any other brides out there having/had a more informal reception? What ideas do you have for keeping it casual (but still special)?
-----------------------------------

So far in our midsummer dream…

We welcomed our guests with pizza on Wednesday, DIYed our flowers on Thursday, and had a nightmarish Friday
The girls got ready, I shared some of my favourite details, and then I put on my dress!
I posed, he posed, and then we had our first look
We showed a London cab some love, and let you in on our garden romance
I walked down the aisle
Ceremony Part I, Part II, and Part III
I showed you our Tea and Cupcake Hour details, and then we cut the cake
We took some family portraits, and our reception details took centre stage

A Midsummer Dream: Picnic Reception Details

2011-05-03T19:17:00.001+12:00

You've seen our Tea and Cupcake Hour details, now I want to share the rest of our reception details with you. My favourite comment from guests about the details?: "It's like a treasure hunt!"

Picnic table set-up, with picnic rugs, our VIP tables, and bunting in the background

Our diy flowers in action

(guest photo)

Our ceremony musician, Jim Martin, played throughout the Tea and Cupcake hour, and into the beginning of the reception before we switched over to the ipod for the rest of the evening

The gift table, complete with vintage suitcase card holder

(guest photo)

The guestbook and favor table

(guest photo)

Unfortunately, the two photos above are the best ones I have of the card table and favors. The "Chocolate Pudding for Two" favors were a huge hit with guests anyway, and I got many notes from them after the wedding saying how much people enjoyed making and eating their puddings.

More of our guestbook/ favor table (guest photo)

(guest photo)

And on the subject of our Blurb guestbook that we made using our engagement photos- I'm so glad we did this! We read the notes guests wrote on our flight to Auckland from Nelson the next day and it was so much fun.

This photo makes me laugh 'cause it looks like we are chasing each other around the tree. We weren't. Really. Anyway, here you can see one of the signs we painted, plus more diy fabric bunting

The main course was served from an orange Mexican food cart courtesy of Las Brisas

Old-fashioned sodas and punch were the beverages of choice after the tea was finished. Also in this photo is Nina- our friend who volunteered to be a sort of DOC to make sure people wouldn't bug me with questions on the day. Thanks Nina!

After dinner, everyone indulged in cheesecake for dessert (guest photo).

Apparently right after this photo was taken, one of the cheesecakes was accidentally toppled by a guest! What was left was delicious though :)

Our sweetheart table (guest photo)

Mr E and I didn't plan on having a guest table, but because of how things worked out with the seating at the oher VIP tables, it was just simple (and more relaxing!) to have a table to ourselves.

Mr E hung the "Love" bunting I made in front of our table during the morning set-up. Great idea Mr E!

(guest photo)

It isn't so much a detail as such, but I would be remiss if I didn't include a couple of photos of the setting of our reception. The breeze in the trees, the pond, all the flowers- they created the perfect atmosphere for an English garden picnic wedding.

*All photos thanks to Jane Sanders, unless otherwise noted

-------------------

So far in our midsummer dream…

We welcomed our guests with pizza on Wednesday, DIYed our flowers on Thursday, and had a nightmarish Friday
The girls got ready, I shared some of my favourite details, and then I put on my dress!
I posed, he posed, and then we had our first look
We showed a London cab some love, and let you in on our garden romance
I walked down the aisle
Ceremony Part I, Part II, and Part III
I showed you our Tea and Cupcake Hour details, and then we cut the cake
We took some family portraits

A Midsummer Dream: All in the Family

2011-04-30T10:48:00.000+12:00

Sharing a moment with my grandfather before the ceremony.

Apart from marrying my best friend, my favourite thing about our wedding was being surrounded by so many loved ones. Whether related by blood or not- to us they are all family and I'm so happy our photographer was able to capture our precious (and all too fleeting) moments with them.

Mr E with his grandfather

My MIL had enough happy tears for all of us! :)

Before the wedding I didn't particularly care for the formal family portrait session. But I knew our relatives would love them, and now I'm happy we took them because, even though they aren't particuarly artisticly interesting, I just love seeing us all together.

With my parents

With his parents and grandfather

Pretty much my favourite photo of my immediate family ever.

All our relatives. All but 5 of these people are from my dad's side of the family...yikes!

My favourite Aussie family :) They are not biologically related to me- but it sure feels like they are!

All that portrait taking was exhausting.

This photo may look all sweet, but in reality I was just squatting to give my poor tired legs some relief because I had been standing since before the ceremony. Still, it is one of my favourite photos :)

Mr E's parents watch on

It was very important to us that our wedding be a family/community occassion- and it was. Not only were we able to spend time with so many loved ones, but it was also a celebration of Mr E and I becoming our own little family unit.

Did you decide to have formal family portraits at your wedding, or did you go a more informal route?

*All photos courtesy of Jane Sanders

---------------------

So far in our midsummer dream….

We welcomed our guests with pizza on Wednesday, DIYed our flowers on Thursday, and had a nightmarish Friday
The girls got ready, I shared some of my favourite details, and then I put on my dress!
I posed, he posed, and then we had our first look
We showed a London cab some love, and let you in on our garden romance
I walked down the aisle
Ceremony Part I, Part II, and Part III
I showed you our Tea and Cupcake Hour details, and then we cut the cake

A Midsummer Dream: Pause for Cake

2011-04-26T18:33:00.000+12:00

On our wedding day, I had no idea what the cake was going to look like. Anyone remember the cake conundrums I described here? Well, alls well that ends well. Mum and I baked the cake like we had planned, then gave it to a lady from church to decorate. I told her "as long as it is white and pretty, I don't care." Because at that point I really didn't care anymore. There were more important things (like my dress not fitting and the weather) to worry about. And I think it turned out just perfect.

(guest photo)

It was much more traditional than I had ever envisioned our wedding cake would be but, on the day, it seemed to fit just right into the scheme of things. The vintage cake topper we were going to use was accidentally left behind in the States, so instead the finishing touch on top was an arrangement of roses and lavender put together by Bluebell Florist in an antique teacup.

We kicked off the Tea and Cupcake hour by cutting the cake, so that we could be free to mingle during the hour.

(guest photo)

Can anyone spot what doesn't belong in the above photo? I may have been the only one who cared at the wedding- but who puts a heinous sunflower-splattered plastic tablecloth on the cake table- the table that is going to get the most photographed at the wedding?! Yes, I am silly to get annoyed over a tablecloth of all things, and on the day I just brushed it off....but seeing it in the photos does peeve me a bit. Ah well, if that is the worst thing that happened at our wedding, then that ends my complaining!

On with the cake-cutting. The cake was hard to cut. I blame the fondant and the very dense chocolate insides. Totally worth the effort it took to cut it.

We've cut it...now what? Oh, yeah...eat it!

You might also notice my small wardrobe change in these photos. I donned my shrug from maryandangelika for the reception, not because it was cold, but because I could feel the sun blistering my very white back. It was great fun to wear though, and so comfortable.

With the cake cutting over, it was cupcake time! The kids were first on the scene...

The little girl above is my flower girl's sister, and my namesake. And obviously she has the same philosophy as I do when it comes to cupcakes- eat the sugar rose first!

Did you, or are you planning to, cut the cake before the main part of the reception?

*All photos courtesy of Jane Sanders, unless otherwise noted
-------------
So far in our midsummer dream....

We welcomed our guests with pizza on Wednesday, DIYed our flowers on Thursday, and had a nightmarish Friday
The girls got ready, I shared some of my favourite details, and then I put on my dress!
I posed, he posed, and then we had our first look
We showed a London cab some love, and let you in on our garden romance
I walked down the aisle
Ceremony Part I, Part II, and Part III
I showed you our Tea and Cupcake Hour details

A Midsummer Dream: Our English Tea and Cupcake Hour (The Details)

2011-04-21T19:57:00.000+12:00

Mr E and I had arranged it so we would get a sneaky look at the reception/ tea and cupcake hour area all set up before everyone else descended on it. And I'm so glad we did. It was very satisfying to see everything we had worked so hard on come together.

Making our way over to the site...Mr E was a very diligent train bearer! (Guest photo)

Everything was better than I could have hoped for. Mr E, the groomsmen, and other friends had done an amazing job and I was blown away.

There were chocolate truffles and Hershey's kisses galore...

Nine picnic blankets were laid out with trays of teacups we had thrifted, plus some cushions my mum and I sewed (guest photo)....

(guest photo)

....And the lavender hearts and doily runners I had slaved over looked just right on the picnic tables....

(guest photo)

Everyone enjoyed copious amounts of tea (guest photo)....

....and the cupcakes I baked and my sisters, grandmother and mother decorated were a hit too!

The Tea and Cupcake Hour turned out to be a really fun part of the day. It meant everyone could relax and unwind from the ceremony, and ease into the rest of our picnic reception.

Next up: Our cake revealed!

*All photos by Jane Sanders, unless otherwise noted

----------------

So far in our midsummer dream.....

We welcomed our guests with pizza on Wednesday, DIYed our flowers on Thursday, and had a nightmarish Friday
The girls got ready, I shared some of my favourite details, and then I put on my dress!
I posed, he posed, and then we had our first look
We showed a London cab some love, and let you in on our garden romance
I walked down the aisle
Ceremony Part I, Part II, and Part III

A Midsummer Dream: Signed, Sealed, Seuss! (Ceremony Part III)

2011-04-15T18:52:00.000+12:00

I don't really know how the paperwork is done in your part of the world, but here in NZ the signing of the register is incorporated into the ceremony. I love the photo above because it shows Mr E and I sharing a private happy moment as the honorary best man signs as a witness. Our faces are saying- "Dude! We're totally married!" Or something to that effect.

While the signing was done, our musician played this song:

source

This was a last minute change to the programme, but when Mr E stumbled across the song, we knew we had to include it somewhere.

Then it was time for some Seuss! My good Aussie friend (and mother of our flower girl!) read "Oh the Places You Will Go!" with the perfect flair.

After the ceremony, many of the men said that when they saw Seuss in the programme they thought it was a mistake...but then when Friend T read it, they cried! It brought back many nostalgic memories for them apparently. People who were at our wedding still talk today about it being their favourite part of the ceremony :)

Our officiant then stepped in.

Bonnie and Josh, you have made the declarations, expressed the love you have for each other and that you have hopes for the future.

You have made promises to each other and have symbolised them by joining hands and giving rings.

You have committed yourselves to one another in love, joy, and tenderness. It is with great joy that you have given all of us the privilege to be here to witness this step you have both made.

Thank you for that privilege.

You are now husband and wife, let no one separate what God has joined together. May God give you his wisdom to guide you, and his love to unite you, so that you may be faithful to the vows you have made this day, and live together in joy and peace forever. Amen.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Bonnie and Josh- husband and wife!

(guest photo)

We recessed to "Not Fade Away" by the Rolling Stones.

(guest photo)

Then our guests joined us and soon it was hugs all round. Photos like these ones make me happy because they bring back all the love we felt that day:

Ahh...good times :)

*All photos courtesy of Jane Sanders unless otherwise noted
---------------
So far in our midsummer dream....

We welcomed our guests with pizza on Wednesday, DIYed our flowers on Thursday, and had a nightmarish Friday
The girls got ready, I shared some of my favourite details, and then I put on my dress!
I posed, he posed, and then we had our first look
We showed a London cab some love, and let you in on our garden romance
I walked down the aisle
Ceremony Part I, Ceremony Part II

Our Midsummer Dream: Of Vows and Rings (Ceremony Part II)

2011-04-11T19:22:00.000+12:00

Marriage is like a well-developed garden- it takes time, commitment and hard work.

That was the quote my uncle shared with us as he wrapped up his short message. Then it was time for our vows. Mr E and I wrote them together- each different but each expressing the same love and promises. I have used our real names in these sections....just 'cause vows seem to require that level of real.

Josh, I love you.

You know me better than anyone and have always been there for me even when we were oceans apart.

The happiest thing I can imagine is having you in my life each and every day.

You are my best friend, the most thoughtful person I know, and there hasn't been a day gone by since we have been together that you haven't been able to make me laugh.

Thank you for accepting me flaws and all and calling me perfect even when I know I'm not.

Thank you for never, ever giving up on me.

Today I promise to cherish our friendship and love you today, tomorrow, and forever.

I will laugh with you in times of happiness and comfort you in the hard times.

I will share in your dreams, and support you as you strive to achieve your goals.

I vow to listen to you, to encourage you, to trust you with all that I am and to be honest with you always.

I vow to believe in you and all that you do.

And I promise that my love for you will not diminish but will only grow deeper and stronger every day.

I love you, Joshua James.

Bonnie, I love you.

You mean everything to me, and I can't imagine life without you because together we just fit.

You are my soul mate, and you make me feel at home no matter where I am in the world.

You are the most beautiful woman in the world and you are my closest and best friend.

I really admire how you are so passionate about everything that you do, and I don't tell you that enough....but I am so proud to be by your side.

Thank you for being with me through all the hard times and loving me unconditionally.

And thank you for you being you...because I wouldn't change a thing.

Today I promise to give you my heart completely and stand by your side for the rest of my days.

I will celebrate in your victories, support you in times of sorrow, and cherish every day loving you.

I vow to believe in you always and trust you with every part of me.

And I promise that my love for you will not dimish, but will only grow deeper and stronger every day.

I love you, Bonnie Joy.

My uncle prayed over us again.

Then: These rings are made of gold, and as a precious metal they signify the high value of a deep and faithful love. As a circle the rings signify the unending quality of a marriage relationship. Josh and Bonnie had in mind the verse from Song of Solomon 8:6,7:

"Set me as a seal on your heart, like a seal on your arms. For love as strong as death...much water may not put out love, or floods overcome it.

So we ask your blessing on these rings Lord, that are symbols of the love and trust between Bonnie and Josh.

Joshua, take Bonnie's ring. Place it on her finger and repeat after me:

(I talked about our plan to tie the rings to our wrists here. But on the day we forgot in the rush, so Mr E kept them in his pocket)

As a ring has no end, neither shall my love for you. Let this ring symbolize our one life together.

Bonnie, take Joshua's ring. Place it on his finger and repeat after me:

As a ring has no end, neither shall my love for you. Let this ring symbolize our one life together.

Bonnie and Joshua, you have fulfilled the formalities required to establish a relationship of marriage. You are aware that such a deep personal relationship is not easily attained. There will be times when it seems so difficult that you will be tempted to give up. At such times recall the sincerity of the promises you have just made, and draw strength from them to go on.

Remember that our sharing with you is a desire to continue our friendship and support in the days ahead. There will be times of sadness, and we will be there to comfort you. There will also be times of great joy and we will be there to rejoice with you.

Bonnie and Joshua, you are now husband and wife. You may kiss the bride!

And with that- we were married!

*All photos by Jane Sanders, unless otherwise noted

---------------

So far in our midsummer dream......

We welcomed our guests with pizza on Wednesday, DIYed our flowers on Thursday, and had a nightmarish Friday
The girls got ready, I shared some of my favourite details, and then I put on my dress!
I posed, he posed, and then we had our first look
We showed a London cab some love, and let you in on our garden romance
I walk down the aisle
Ceremony Part I

A Midsummer Dream: We Declare (Ceremony Part I)

2011-04-08T19:13:00.000+12:00

Welcome to you all as we gather to share in the marriage of Miss E and Mr E.

Once we were all ready up the front, my uncle smoothly went straight into the ceremony. It was a hot, hot, hot day. I hadn't intended to hold my parasol during the ceremony, but in the end, when I wasn't holding my reading or my vows, I was very grateful to use it to protect my pasty white shoulders! The bridesmaids found them essential too.

MOH with my bouquet by Bluebell Florists

The ceremony was introduced, our parents and family acknowledged, and then an old friend of the family, Pastor D, was invited to come up and pray for us.

And then we got down to business!

Mr E, of your own free choice, do you take Miss E to be your wife?

Mr E: I do.

Will you stand by her no matter what happens, respecting her as a person, sharing her joys and easing her burdens? Will you be honest with her and faithful to her always, as long as you both live?

Mr E: Yes, I will.

Miss E, of your own free choice, do you take Mr E to be your husband?

Miss E: I do.

Will you stand by him no matter what happens, respecting him as a person, sharing his joys and easing his burdens? Will you be honest with him and faithful to him always, as long as you both live?

Miss E: Yes, I will.

To Parents: As Miss E and Mr E enter a new life together, will you, their parents and family, seek to strengthen their marriage by giving them your care and concern together with the love you have always given them?

Family: Yes, we will.

To congregation: You, as friends and family, have come to witness this exchange of vows. Will you do all in your power to support this marriage now and in the years ahead?

Congregation: Yes, we will.

We then moved on to the readings we had picked out. Mr E went first with "Love Song" by The Cure.

Whenever I'm alone with you

You make me feel like I am home again

Whenever I'm alone with you

You make me feel like I am whole again

Whenever I'm alone with you

You make me feel like I am young again

Whenever I'm alone again

You make me feel like I am fun again

However far away, I will always love you

However long I stay, I will always love you

Whatever words I say, I will always love you

I will always love you.

Then it was my turn with 'i carry your heart' by e e cummings:

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in

my heart) i am never without it (anywhere

i go you go, my dear, and whatever is done

by only me is your doing, my darling)

i fear

no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want

no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)

and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant

and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows

higher than the sun can hope or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder that's keeping the star's apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart).

My parents holding hands during our readings

Next up: We share our vows that we wrote for each other, and have our first kiss as husband and wife!

*All photos courtesy of Jane Sanders, unless otherwise noted

-------------------

So far in our midsummer dream....

We welcomed our guests with pizza on Wednesday, DIYed our flowers on Thursday, and had a nightmarish Friday
The girls got ready, I shared some of my favourite details, and then I put on my dress!
I posed, he posed, and then we had our first look
We showed a London cab some love, and let you in on our garden romance
I walk down the aisle

A Midsummer Dream: And We're Walking...

2011-04-06T17:53:00.000+12:00

(guest photo)

So far in writing my recaps, I have found the ceremony posts the hardest to write. How to sum up so much with just a few words and some pretty pictures? Anyway, I will try my best!

Our programmes ready...and also, apparently, the BMs' purses (guest photo)

While Mr E and I took photos in the garden, the ceremony area was transformed from bare to beautiful. As the guests arrived, Cousins P and S handed them their programmes and ushered them to their seats.

(guest photo)

Notice Cousin P's face in the photo above? Yeah, there were at least five rumors circulating at the wedding as to how it got so beaten up. My favourite is the one about the flower girl bashing him with a parasol :D The truth was that he had swum into the bottom of a pool by accident. I think. Anyway, like I said, there was lots happening while we were taking photos.

While everyone was getting seated, Jim Martin, warmed up on his guitar...

...And when the boys were ready and waiting up the front...

...he eased into "Hey There Delilah" by the Plain White Ts. Everyone rose and turned to watch us come down the aisle.

Sister O was brave and went first (actually...we pushed her. We hadn't really thought about who was going to go first. Oops). She was followed by Bridesmaid M, and then MOH A.

Aren't they so beautiful and poised?

And then it was flower girl M's turn. At the last minute she decided to carry my parasol and her bouquet down the aisle...which resulted in every photo of her walk looking like this:

Hehe. Not what I planned, but cute, yes?

And then...I heard the first few notes of "Here Comes the Sun," and it was my turn.

(guest photo)

To me, it seemed to take ages to get down that aisle. According to the musician, we rushed down it! I blame Dad, of course :D

Side note: My uncle (the officiant) is a kiwi but he went all American with his shirt and tie so that Mr E's relatives wouldn't feel so lonely :)

I took Mr E's hands, and my uncle dove straight into the service. Let the ceremony begin!

Did you "rush" down the aisle at your wedding?

*All photos courtesy of Jane Sanders, unless otherwise noted.

-----------

So far in our midsummer dream....

We welcomed our guests with pizza on Wednesday, DIYed our flowers on Thursday, and had a nightmarish Friday
The girls got ready, I shared some of my favourite details, and then I put on my dress!
I posed, he posed, and then we had our first look
We showed a London cab some love, and let you in on our garden romance

A Midsummer Dream: Romance in the Garden

2011-04-04T18:55:00.000+12:00

Tired of seeing our mugs yet? Too bad, because you're going to see some more. I know, I'm a terrible person.... :)
Seriously though, these pictures of us in the garden are very precious to me. This is the garden that I had wanted to get married in since I was a little girl, the garden my grandfather painstakingly created over 20 years, the garden that holds so many childhood memories for me, and now wedding memories. Getting all love-dovey in this setting was one of the most peaceful parts of my day. We started off sitting on a bench...

Ignore the scuffs on my shoes...they are vintage after all :)

When we got bored of the bench, we meandered around the garden as we pleased. We got mushy in the rose pergola:

And then on the wee stone bridge...

...And finally at the fountains:

All right, that's enough gazing into each other's eyes for one post. By the time we had wrapped up those photos, it was very close to ceremony time. Mr E was hustled off by his groomsmen. Guests were trickling in.

The bridesmaids and I hid in the fountain area, and my dad tried to keep me relaxed. But all my peaceful feelings had suddenly gone "poof." I couldn't stop shaking and feeling dizzy at the thought of soon walking up in front of all those people. If you haven't guessed it yet- I find it hard to cope in public situations like that.

Photographer to the rescue! She saw me turning pale with nervousness and quickly started directing me to pose with my parasol on a bench.

It worked. I was so distracted that I didn't have time to panic. And then- my dad took my hand, we returned to the rose pergola and waited with the bridesmaids for our cue. I was about to get married!

Up next: Aisle-walking time!

*All photos courtesy of Jane Sanders
** For everyone who would like to know where I got the parasols: Bride's Bestfriend. Unfortunately, they don't ship out of New Zealand, so if you are anywhere else, then I would try eBay.
----------
So far in our midsummer dream....

We welcomed our guests with pizza on Wednesday, DIYed our flowers on Thursday, and had a nightmarish Friday
The girls got ready, I shared some of my favourite details, and then I put on my dress!
I posed, he posed, and then we had our first look
We showed a london cab some love

A Midsummer Dream: London Cab Love, and Bridal Party Poses

2011-03-31T18:59:00.000+13:00

If you are wondering where our little blue 1930s Austin went, have no fear- we were just saving her for our getaway. About two weeks before the wedding I suddenly realised that I didn't quite like the idea of arriving at the venue in my parents' old van...so it it was The Black Cab Company to the rescue with Betsey, their authentic 1968 London cab! I had no idea that I was so obsessed with vintage cars until I planned my wedding.

(guest photo)

Betsey was so much fun to ride in- and, once we got to Gardens of the World, to take pictures with!

We were very relieved that we had arrived at the garden roughly on time so that we could squeeze in as many pre-ceremony photos as possible with each other and our bridal party.

Flower girl M arrived at the garden about the same time that we did, so we were able to have bridal party shots that included her as well.

The boys got in on the portrait action as well.

While we had all these photos taken, our long-suffering parents and designated friends finished setting up the ceremony area. Before the ceremony, though, Mr E and I had time to have some photos taken of just us in the garden. So before that, I stole a few moments in the cab to touch up....

(guest photo)

And then we wandered off into the garden, closely followed by our photographer.

Next up: I let you in on some of that garden romance :)

*All photos courtesy of Jane Sanders, unless otherwise noted
----------
So far in our midsummer dream...

We welcomed our guest with pizza on Wednesday, DIYed our flowers on Thursday, and had a nightmarish Friday
The girls got ready, I shared some of my favourite details, and then I put on my dress!
I posed, he posed, and we had our first look

A Midsummer Dream: Knock On My Door (Our First Look)

2011-03-29T16:59:00.000+13:00

For our first look, we decided to incorporate a Dutch/German tradition which involves the groom going to the bride's house before the ceremony, knocking on her door, and presenting her with her bouquet. In the photo above, I am excitedly waiting right behind the door...I could see his shadow through the textured glass as he came closer. Then he knocked, and I opened the door...

Helloooo Handsome!

Time for a kiss...

We both couldn't stop smiling the whole time. The one disadvantage of doing our first look this way, of course, is that you can't really see Mr. E's expression in these photos. Ah well, we love them anyway :)

Remember the awesome stained glass window in this post? Well we made use of it outside the house as well.

After that little posing session, we knew we should start heading to the venue for pre-ceremony pics. We may have been a little excited...

I love this pic because you can see my mum and Mr. E's dad hugging in the background

Mr E lead me to the london cab (more on that in my next post!) that would take my parents, my bridesmaids, and I to the venue, while his grandfather looked on.

We piled in with our parasols, I had a quick photo with my parents...

And then we were off to the venue!

Coming up next: Pre-Ceremony Photos in Gardens of the World

*All photos taken by Jane Sanders. My bouquet courtesy of Bluebell Florists
-------
So far in our midsummer dream....

We welcomed our guests with pizza on Wednesday, DIYed our flowers on Thursday, and had a nightmarish Friday
The girls got ready, I shared some of my favourite details, and then I put on my dress!
I posed, he posed

A Midsummer Dream: The Groom Suits Up

2011-03-28T14:44:00.000+13:00

While the bride got ready in a mansion, the groom got ready in a caravan! Actually first, like Mr. Cardigan, he spent the morning setting up our reception space. Knowing he was in charge of that part of the day put me so much at ease. And then it took him about 30 mins (max) to shower and get ready, as opposed to the eternity it took me...lucky!

He very much enjoyed sporting the cufflinks from Etsy seller dabbledesigns. And you might notice that we didn't go with the grey suit as planned...in the end a black suit with charcoal pinstripe was the one he set his heart on.

He loved the pocketwatch I gifted him, as well as an initialled hankerchief for his pocket and Kouros cologne.

Oh, yes. I married that handsome man, ladies :D

I'm so glad Mr E chose to wear Chucks on the day. He wears them all the time now; they are a great reminder of our wedding. His mum had some pretty hot shoes herself: she painted the wedge green to go with her dress!

In no time at all, it was time for Mr E and I to meet. His watch snuck in a final glamour shot....

(guest photo...yeah we had guests that cool)

...and he got my bouquet and headed excitedly over to the house where I was waiting for our first look!

That's his excited/happy look if you can't tell (guest photo)

*All photos by Jane Sanders, unless otherwise noted

--------------

So far in our midsummer dream....

We welcomed our guests with pizza on Wednesday, DIYed our flowers on Thursday, and had a nightmarish Friday
The girls got ready, I shared some of my favourite details with you, and then I put on my dress!
I posed for bridal portraits

A Midsummer Dream: Give Me the Money Shot(s)

2011-03-24T19:48:00.000+13:00

This post otherwise entitled: "Earrings strikes a pose." Once I was all bride-ified, the photographer got me to sit on the bed for a few portraits. By the way, I was super lucky to have that bedroom to take photos in. I felt like I was in something straight out of Pride and Prejudice.

Apparently being told to pose makes me laugh....

They told me to look "provocative" in this pic. Hmm. I think it turned out "cheeky" rather than "provocative."

My sisters watched on...

...and then all the bridesmaids joined me

After that I headed down the looooong farmhouse hallway till we found the perfect stained glass window:

The best thing about these portraits is that as soon as the photographer started taking them my anxiety disappeared. There was something very reassuring about having some else (i.e. the photographer) giving directions and being in charge, and it was at that point that I knew I could relax and just enjoy the day!

After the portrait session, Mum adjusted my dress once more...

...and I had a final dose of hairspray, and then it really was time. Time to see my groom!

But, before I show you our first look, I'll give you a glimpse into what Mr E was doing while I got ready: that post coming soon your way!

Did having portraits taken with your photographer make you more nervous or less nervous?

*All photos taken by Jane Sanders

-----

So far in our midsummer dream...

We welcomed our guests with pizza on Wednesday, DIYed our flowers on Thursday, and had a nightmarish Friday
The girls got ready, I shared some of my favourite details with you, and then I put on my dress!

A Midsummer Dream: Girl Becomes Bride

2011-03-22T17:04:00.000+13:00

My face in the above photo is saying "AHHHH! THIS IS HAPPENING!" and "Please fit!" as my mother laced me up. Fans of How I Met Your Mother: You know the scene where Lily and Marshall's wedding is looming, and she tries on her dress and it falls right off? Yeah, well up until three days before the wedding I had Lily's problem. Unfortunately, Lily's solution (eat a bucketload of fudge) didn't work for me. Luckily, a lovely friend (who designs wedding gowns on the side, and also happened to have a 2 week old baby!), took on the task, and solved the problem by adding some ribbon lacing under the dress zipper.

Unfortunately, in the three days since she had altered the dress, I must have lost a teensy bit more weight due to all the stress and running around frantically. This wasn't the end of the world, Mum just did the lacing up as tight as possible. A couple times throughout the day though, my dress would inch down and it had to be laced up again, but I was just hugely relieved not to flash everyone during the ceremony.

Mum looking relieved

Side note: At the end of the day, because of the way the lacing went around me, and how tight it had to be done up, I had giant criss-cross shaped bruises across my stomach and back! Sexy. Who would have thought you could suffer harm at the "hands" of a wedding dress?! The pain was totally worth it by the way :)

My sisters look on

After the dress was on, my bridesmaids helped me with my jewellery and other bits and pieces.

On goes the garter (not very gracefully).

Then, while my hair and makeup artist started pinning in my veil, the bridesmaids had a few portrait opportunities.

Bridesmaid O, my youngest sister

Bridesmaid M

MOH, my other sister

The lovely wrist corsages that I found in Mrs. Espresso's Etsy shop

The last of the pins went into my hair, the veil was fluffed up, and with that- I was a true-blue bride!

Anyone else's wedding dress happen to leave them with bruises?

Next up: I strike some poses!
*All photos taken by Jane Sanders
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So far in our midummer dream...

We welcomed our guests with pizza on Wednesday, DIYed our flowers on Thursday, and had a nightmarish Friday
The girls got ready, and I shared some of my favourite details with you

A Midsummer Dream: Just a Few of My Favourite Things

2011-03-21T22:27:00.000+13:00

Ophelia, my dress, hanging in the conservatory where I got my hair and makeup done

I'm a details kind of girl. I hoard small, seemingly insignificant things because they have so many special memories attached to them...a single earring, a scrap of fabric, an old brooch. Now every single item I wore on my wedding day is imbued with memories as well, if they weren't already before, and they all have the power to bring the emotion of those moments rushing back to me.

I think many of us have dress doubts at some stage in our planning, especially if you bought your dress as early as I bought mine. Right up until the wedding day I still had a few niggling worries about Ophelia...but then I put her on. I laughed in her, danced in her, got grass stains on her. By the end of the day I was completely in love with her. And I *may* have shed a few tears when it was time to take her off. She was definitely "the one." It just took me until my wedding day to have that "moment."

But my dress wasn't the only part of my outfit I fell in love with....

You might be able to see in the above photo that Mr E ended up choosing "Flowerbomb" as my wedding day scent. It smelled great all day, and now whenever I get a whiff of it I can't help but smile.

Mr E gave me something else a couple days before the wedding that you can see in that photo. Need a closer look? As you wish:

It's my "something blue": a sapphire and white gold necklace that used to belong to Mr E's grandmother, who passed away last year. I already had a necklace to wear with my dress, but this one looked perfect wrapped around the stem of my bouquet.

In the background of this photo you can see my other "something blue": my mother's garter. She found it a few weeks before the wedding, gave it a wash to get rid of some stains, and it was as good as new! I also carried a lace-edged hankerchief in my purse that was made by one of her great-great aunts. My parents gifted me with the pearl bracelet in the photo, and I wore that along with my grandmother's pearl necklace, that I wrapped around my wrist. The pearl bracelet, plus my silver earrings and necklace were all from Bali, as a reminder of my Indonesian upbringing. You will be able to get a better glimpse of those when I show you some of the portraits Jane took later :)

The silver flower pin for my hair was also a gift from my parents, and from Indonesia:

My shoes deserve a photo all of their own!

Purchased from whichgoose, they turned out to be just the right height for my dress, and I got plenty of comments on them throughout the day!

You can't have a details post without the rings squeezing in a glamour shot:

In this post, I hinted that Mr E's mother was stitching something special on the Thursday before the wedding. Well, that something special was a heart sewn out of one scrap of fabric from his maternal grandmother's 50th wedding anniversary dress, and another scrap of fabric from the dress his paternal grandmother wore to Mr E's parents' wedding.

As neither of his grandmothers were with us in person, the heart was sewn into the lining of my wedding dress so that they could still be a part of the day.

Phew! That's a lot of details. I have one more to share with you: my veil. It was simple, one-layered and went to my fingertips, and it was just the final touch I needed to turn me from girl to bride.

Aww, you know I couldn't resist sneaking in one more photo of my dress as well :)

Choosing my wedding outfit details was probably one of my favourite parts of planning, and seeing how they all came together on the day was the cherry on top!

Next up: I finally get into my dress

*All photos taken by Jane Sanders

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So far in our midummer dream...

We welcomed our guests with pizza on Wednesday, DIYed our flowers on Thursday, and had a nightmarish Friday
The girls got ready

A Midsummer Dream: Good Morning Sunshine

2011-03-17T19:01:00.000+13:00

On January 8, 2011, I woke up at 7am to see the sun streaming in through my window. It felt like any other day. Except it wasn't. And I felt like any other girl. Except there was a giant white dress hanging by my bed, and I wasn't just a girl- I was a bride and it was finally my wedding day.

After the stress of the day before, I was relieved to find myself well-rested and relatively sane. I ate breakfast while sitting on the end of my parents' bed, talking to them about the day ahead of us. By 7:30, Nicki, my hair and make-up artist, had arrived to start setting up her things, and I took the time to attempt my hardest task of the day: putting in my contacts. You might remember how much I dreaded putting in contacts. Well, despite my lack of practicing (bad bride!) they each went in on my first try. Big sigh of relief.

And then all I had to do was sit and let Nicki do her magic. The ceremony wouldn't begin until 3pm, but we planned to have a first look and take pictures before the ceremony so that is why we started getting ready so early.

I got ready in the conservatory, which was down the far end of the house, because there Nicki could take advantage of the perfect lighting and I could have a little bit of time to myself to prepare my nerves.

While my hair was getting started, I heard a little bit of a kerfuffle down the hall, and then the sound of Dad's car driving off. I found out later that he had accidentally left his tie behind at the other house. Which isn't something that would have worried me at all, because he could have just worn another tie, but for Dad it had to be that tie or nothing, because I gave it to him for Christmas! I couldn't help but laugh once he returned with it, looking quite proud of himself.

One relieved (and dapper) Father of the Bride!

(guest photo)

Meanwhile, the girls got ready in the living room. Their hair and makeup was done by our friend Claire, as a gift. We met Claire when she came to teach at our school in Papua for a year in 2005. Our family sort of adopted her back then, and we have been close ever since. Luckily for us, she also happens to be a woman of many talents!

It is hard not to smile when you are around Claire!

MOH's hair came out perfectly with some of the rose hair pins I made.

A summer wedding means lots of sunscreen to apply. And, yes, that is a Christmas tree in the background. It was only Jan 8, after all :)

As I was getting ready, I couldn't shake the feeling that time was going so much faster than I expected. I wanted to yell out: "Stop! Let's all pause for a second so I can let my mind catch up with everything that is happening!" I guess time doesn't even stop for a bride though :P So instead I contented myself with munching on cashews whenever I had a spare minute, and slowly I allowed myself to let go and enjoy the experience.

Take a deep breath.....

...and smile!

Nicki was truly a godsend during this part of the day. She was such a calming influence, and I knew that I didn't have anything to worry about under her capable hands. She had even gone on a "pilgrimage" before the wedding to find the perfect shade of foundation for my very pale skin (I had never been able to find one that matched just right). Well, she succeeded, so not only did she give me a great wedding look, but she also helped me with foundation for my everyday look!
My mother had never had a professional do her hair and makeup, not even on her own wedding day, so I gifted her with that experience on my wedding day so that she would feel extra special. I think her smile here says it all:

Isn't she gorgeous? :)

Because we started getting ready so early, I thought we would have more than enough time for everything. But, before I knew it, the bridesmaids were getting their last dose of hairspray....

...and it was time for me to start getting into my dress. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!

Did you ever feel like time was going waaaay too fast on your wedding day?

*All photos by Jane Sanders, unless otherwise noted.

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So far in the Earrings recaps....

We welcomed our guests with pizza on Wednesday, DIYed our flowers on Thursday, and had a nightmarish Friday

A Midsummer Dream: In Which the Day Before is a Nightmare

2011-03-16T16:45:00.000+13:00

The day before the wedding, I woke up at the *glorious* hour of 3am. And couldn't go back to sleep. It was as if every nerve in my body was on edge with adrenalin and I just had to get up and do something. Which is why my father discovered me in the kitchen 3 hours later at 6am, finishing my second bowl of cereal and attempting (and failing) to get started on decorating 112 cupcakes.

Thankfully, my parents eventually convinced me to get dressed, and go into town with Dad to pick up Bridesmaid M from the airport, and the seven cheesecakes for the reception. While we were doing that, Mr E took the opportunity to have a haircut in the backyard....

Yeah, I know...classy. The birds enjoyed it :)

I have no idea why, but during that entire morning I was ravenous. Luckily for me, the owners of Chocolate Velvet must have noticed because they chucked in a few date scones with my cheesecake order :D

We were back to the farmhouse by 11am, and lo and behold, my mother, grandmother and sisters had decorated all the cupcakes for me! Bless them. We loaded them, the cheesecakes, and any other last minute essentials into the van and headed off to the venue again.

Now, a major downside of having your wedding ceremony and reception outside in a semi-public area is that you can't do any setting up until the morning of the wedding. YUK. I knew that I wouldnt be able to do any setting up on Saturday, so instead the job was delegated to Mr E and his men, a "decoration coordinator" (i.e. friend from church), and a "food coordinator" (ditto). But before they could do their jobs, I spent a large part of Friday organising everything into (hopefully) logical piles in the venue owners' house and giant fridge to make it as simple as possible for everyone. This is where things started to go downhill.

Feeling overwhelmed.....

...so much stuff! At least all our teacups to be washed, picnic rugs, and cushions were laid out neatly....

My sister, mother and I were doing most of the sorting. And that was working fine. Unfortunately...certain others *cough* futureinlawsandotherrelatives *cough* were getting bored waiting for us to finish, and wanted to lend a helping hand as well. Which was very kind of them, but at this point I was so stressed and just wanted to get the job done quickly. It would have taken more effort to explain how I wanted things to be done than it would take me to actually do the job myself. This fact wasn't quite understood by some.

So, while I was sorting reception decorations, and fielding questions like "Why do you need that? Couldn't you just put that there?", I was steadily growing more frustrated and anxious about the time. Then we found out that the glass drink dispenser I had spent too much money on, but just had to have, had giant crack in it. Which wasn't our fault (the faucet attachment had been screwed in wrong at the store) but that wasn't really the point.

It was the final straw. I burst into tears over this silly drink dispenser, and just plopped down into a chair, declaring that I gave up. In came Mr E's dad to the rescue. Ecstatic to finally have something helpful to do, he rang the store, explained that he had a frantic bride on his hands, and then drove to the store 45 mins away with Mr E to get their last remaining model as a replacement. Crisis averted!

Meanwhile, I was whisked away to the shopping mall for a late lunch and to get my nails done. I think my family figured someone filing my nails was the only way to get me to sit still. With all my anxiety though, I still managed to muck up the lovely job the manicurist did on my nails not once, but five times! She patiently repaired it each time, and in the end all of us girls had gorgeous nails, even if the rest of our bodies felt tired and crappy:

Im the one with the really pale hands

And then it was time to pile back into the car and go back to the garden for a rehearsal. You know that saying that goes something like "If the dress rehearsal goes badly, then the real thing will be great"? Well, I can say that, in our case, we definitely hoped that saying was true!

It was stinking hot at 3pm in the garden. I wanted to have the rehearsal in the shade, but our officiant said it was better to have the whole thing in the exact location we would have our real ceremony. I agree with this in theory, but it really isn't a good idea to have a bride panicking about sunburn the day before her wedding, and almost fainting because the heat is too much. In the end we resorted to covering me with a cardigan, my dad's hat, and an umbrella (thanks MOH! You went above and beyond). It did work, but all that heat didn't make me a very happy camper.

Not to mention that our rehearsal was interrupted every few seconds by people wanting me to make decisions on really tiny, insignificant things. Grr. Ok, ok. Sorry for being a grumpy-pants. I honestly dont remember much from the rehearsal except that it didnt go well, and I was hungry and hot. Despite that, holding hands with Mr E while we went through the ceremony details still could make me smile.

What a handsome guy :)

There was one more (kinda) small crisis that unfolded before the end of the day. Our chairs were supposed to arrive at the venue at 10am. If I had remembered this, then my anxiety would probably have been tripled because they didnt turn up until 3pm. Thank goodness I had forgotten every single thing about our chairs arriving until my mother ran up to me during the rehearsal to tell me that they had arrived. She had noticed they werent there earlier, but everyone had kept this information from me because they didnt want to make me panic! I am very, very thankful to them all for that!

By 6pm, I was done. I had handed over every piece of information our helpers, relatives, friendors and vendors could possibly need. The reception stuff was neatly set out and labelled with instructions. There were things that hadnt been done, but I decided to conveniently forget them. And I was still hungry (what is it about stress that makes me starving?!). It was time to go home, stuff a chicken wrap down my throat, take a sleeping pill, have a bath, and go to bed. I knew that we had all done everything we could to ensure the next day went smoothly, and all we had to do now was just let it go and look forward to the morning.

Anyone else feel miserable the day before your wedding?

*All photos taken by friends & family

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So far in our midsummer dream....

We welcomed our guests with pizza on Wednesday, and DIYed our flowers on Thursday

A Midsummer Dream: Thursday Showers Bring DIY Flowers

2011-03-15T15:10:00.000+13:00

On the Thursday before the wedding, we woke up to the welcome sound of pouring rain. Why was it welcome? Because that Thursday storm wasn't supposed to happen until Saturday, and I had been panicking all week because it looked like our plans for a garden picnic wedding were going to get washed out. But, thanks to a strong southerly wind, the storm came early, and I could breathe a bit easier.

The rain also brought another benefit: perfectly cool weather for DIYing our reception flowers!

Now, I would like to preface the following with a disclaimer: I know hardly anything about flowers except that they like water and that a warm environment can make them wilt. Armed with that extravagent amount of knowledge, Mr E and I picked up our 100 roses, and two giant bunches each of baby's breath and some stuff that looks like purple baby's breath from a local branch of the Flower Grower's Association and went to work in my parents' garage.

Our method was this: strip each rose stem of most of its leaves, chop the stems under running water, then arrange them haphazardly in various china jugs, mason jars, and other containers until we achieved something that looked satisfactory.

Mr E cut some lavender from the garden as well to include in the arrangements.

Thankfully, it is pretty hard for flowers to look bad in my opinion, so we were pleased with the results. All in all, the job took us about 2-3 hours, saved us a bucket load of cash, and turned out to be a very worthwhile DIY project.

Once the flowers were all done it was time to move absolutely all the wedding decorations and reception paraphrenalia to our venue. Before we began the task looked a little daunting:

But in the end, we managed to fit it all into two cars, and very slowly drove over the hills between my parents' house and Gardens of the World. We didn't crack one teacup! Or spill one drop of water from our flower containers :)

What I haven't mentioned before is that for the few nights left before the wedding all of my family and I had the privilege of staying at Aldourie Haven, a huge old farmhouse mansion built in 1862 out in the country. Next door, in a tiny wee cottage, was where Mr E and his family were staying for their time in New Zealand.

Massive farmhouse with courtyard

Mr E and his grandfather relaxing on their cottage porch

Getting the chance to stay at Aldourie was an incredible bonus. My parents' rental wasn't really adequate for getting ready in, and it was also very crowded. Aldourie was offered to us out of the blue by a couple from my grandparents' church. They run the place as a retreat centre now, and it was just the tranquil spot we needed (complete with sheep and cows!).

Moo!

That Thursday night, we had an impromptu casual girls' night in the farmhouse, while the boys played poker next door. Us girls were all so tired that we were content with painting our toenails and watching Bride & Prejudice (what can I say, I love anything with a little Bollywood flair).Oh, and there was food of course.

All my favourites....

A few out of town friends who had just arrived managed to find us at Aldourie and we put up our feet and stuffed our faces. Friend F and Mr E's mother were the only ones with any energy- the former spent the time finishing the bridesmaids' knitted shrugs, while my future mother-in-law worked on a very special project that I will share with you in another post!

Friend F knits away diligently....

...While FMIL stitches. What could she be making? You will have to wait to find out!

So, that was Thursday. By the end of that day I was feeling like things were under control and we were getting there. Little did I know that Friday would throw all those feelings out the window....

Anyone else out there consider DIYing your flowers? In retrospect, are you glad you did/didn't?

*All photos taken by friends/ family

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So far in our midsummer dream...

On Wednesday we welcomed our guests with pizza

A Midsummer Dream: We Welcomed Them With Pizza

2011-03-14T11:28:00.000+13:00

Rehearsal dinners are not common in New Zealand, but seeing as we had a number of guests coming from overseas, we knew we wanted to do something with them before the wedding day. We figured we would be too tired to have any sort of party the night before the wedding, so instead we decided to throw a welcome dinner earlier on the Wednesday of the wedding week. That way all of our families could get acquainted or reacquainted with each other, and we could spend some more time with our overseas friends.

One complicated and fancy shindig (i.e. the wedding) was enough for us, so we went the relaxed route of booking out the small and friendly Hot Rocks Gourmet Pizza Pasta Bar. I decided to make invitations for the dinner pretty late in the game, so it was Wedding Chicks to the rescue with their cute downloadable bunting invitation suite. Did I mention it was free? You can't get much easier than that.

With the invitations done and doled out, all that was left to do was throw on a cute outfit and turn up!

Striking a pose with Mr E's family before we all went inside

We chose to keep the guest list fairly limited (any more than 25 people in that restaurant and it starts to get very cosy) and that way we were able to spend a good amount of time with each person there.

I really have no idea what Mr E is doing in this photo...but it amuses me.

The Welcome Dinner also served as a good time to hand out wedding day schedules to everyone who needed one, and to organise how we were going to set things up on Friday. Oh, and we finally managed to convince someone (the father of the honorary bestman) to be our MC. Phew.
The one bittersweet side of the dinner was that it finally sunk in that people like Mr E's brother and his sister-in-law were not going to be there for the wedding. All in all though, it was wonderful to relax with everyone else.When you get a whole lot of people together who havent seen each other in a long time you really dont need to dress up the party too much- the reunion is the entertainment and people just want to spend time with each other again!

Side note- the local artwork at this place is awesome.

Mum and Dad had fun bonding with the little sister of my Aussie flowergirl. This won't be the last you see of this gorgeous girl- she rocked her stuff at our reception!

So that is what we did while enjoying our pizza complete with locally sourced toppings (mussels from the bay, anyone?) accompanied with wine from the Nelson area. My pizza pick of the night was "The Southern Man"- piled high with four different types of meat (hey, I was hungry after all that wedding planning!).

"The Southern Man" is the pizza furthest away from the camera, up front we have the cheesy goodness of a Margherita

And we all know I am a chocoholic, so I couldn't resist topping off the night with a slice of delectable chocolate cake :)

And with that, we were fortified to face the last two crazy days before the wedding. Ready or not, we were coming!

Did you have a welcome dinner instead of a rehearsal dinner?

*All photos taken by friends & family

A Midsummer Dream: Just to Whet Your Appetite...

2011-03-08T16:56:00.000+13:00

I got my pro pics back a couple of weeks ago :) Now that I have mulled over them for a bit, I'm ready to start my recaps. So stay tuned- I'll be starting them this coming Monday!

*Photo by Jane Sanders

Buzy Bee Bits n' Bobs

2011-03-03T11:13:00.001+13:00

The last few weeks before the wedding were filled with little projects, a kazillion errands and phone calls, and basic wedding-related craziness. To make myself feel like I had actually accomplished some things, I started to write this post to show you some results of my handmade efforts. That way I wouldn't feel like I was running around like a headless chicken for nothing! As luck would have it, I never got to finish the post before the wedding, but I figure better late than never!
I saw this photo a short while before the wedding, and it inspired me to make vow booklets:

source

My reality:

They were fairly quick to put together. I printed out our vows and readings for the insides, and just used some cream card and leftover lace and ribbon for the covers. All that was left was to stamp the fronts with a rose and doodle our names on them.

So that our guests could pick and choose during our "Tea and Cupcakes Hour," I made this Tea Menu out of cream card, scraps of fabric, and some handy-dandy stamps.

(this pic taken when we were doing mock table set-ups)

Our VIPs needed "Reserved" signs! I made these signs for tying to the front row ceremony chairs:

And these card and lace reserved signs, in handfan style, for the three VIP tables at the reception:

(also taken while we were doing mock table set-ups in the garage)

To make each "fan" I cut out two fan-shaped pieces of cream card. On the curved edge of one piece of card, I stuck bits of double-sided tape, and using that I attached a length of lace that I had ruffled using a gathering stitch. Then I stuck the on the other piece of card so that the raw edges of the lace didnt show, and wrote "Reserved" on it in purple pen. Easy-peasy.

We were pretty much going to let people sit where they like at the reception, but we did plan the seating for our VIPs, and made these place cards using a heart punch and some lace or ribbon to tie on to each VIP's teacup for the evening:

And as a final touch for our reception I went ahead and made a whole lot of labels to stick in our cupcakes and cheesecakes. They were probably redundant, but I can't resist a cute label :)

I used the Martha Stewart doily-edge punch to create these, plus some wooden skewers from the supermarket, and, once again, my very useful purple pen.

In hindsight, I would have done more of these little projects earlier and saved myself the last minute hassle, but at least they are done now!
Did you find yourself doing many DIY projects at the last minute?

*All photos are personal unless otherwise stated

Shoes, Glorious Shoes!

2011-02-27T19:44:00.000+13:00

Allow me to briefly interrupt this broadcast to bring you some of the prettiest little vintage-inspired bridal shoes around. I stumbled across the Rachel Simpson site via this post on My Hands Made It and was hooked. I love my shoes to bits, of course, but when I saw these I just had to write a post on them in case someone else is searching high and low for that perfect pair.

Enough with the words, on with the goods! I picked out a few of my favourites to show you. Here we have "Hettie":

source

"Violet':

source

"Lola" (who also comes in purple suede):

source

And "Marilyn" (also in teal and mink):

source

*sigh* Perfect, right? And this is just a small selection of the range. They aren't the kindest on your wallet of course, but luckily for some of us the site also has an outlet section with samples and seconds on offer for a fraction of the original prices. Of course, my wedding is over, so I shall have to resign myself to living vicariously through anyone else who manages to snag one of these beauties. Hmm...unless I use my first wedding anniversary to justify a purchase? Too early, perhaps? But indulge me if you will.

Anyone else wearing vintage inspired shoes for your wedding? I would love to hear how you found the "perfect pair"!

Handmade Blooms & Buttonholes for the VIPs

2011-02-20T14:03:00.000+13:00

Waaaaay back when I first started blogging I attempted a DIY project that I never told you about. Why? Because, right up until the week of the wedding I couldn't decide if I was going to use them or not, and I wasn't ready to expose them to the blog world in case I changed my mind. I know...lame. But that's what happened.

The project? Fabric flowers. Like many other brides out there, I decided to try my hand at these after seeing numerous tutorials online. The method I used was the same as the one as Miss Pancake's, so I'm going to be lazy and point you to her tutorial here.

I was living in a student dorm when I made them, and we weren't allowed candles in our rooms so I made the flowers in the communal kitchen over a gas element which resulted in many burnt flowers and strange looks...but in the end I had six of these:

I attached pearl beads and antique brooch pieces to the flower centres.

I liked the flowers, but for awhile I didn't love them. This was when I was having trouble visualising how everything would "go" together at the wedding, and I couldn't decide whether the flowers would be too much, or just right.

You know how my bridesmaids' wore wrist corsages ? Well, in the end, I decided to present the fabric flowers I made to our mums, grandmothers, and a couple other VIP women to make them stand out a little like the bridesmaids. I sewed a length of ribbon to the back of each flower, and then tied each flower to a hand fan. On the day, some of the women wore the flowers on their wrists, and some left them as fan decorations. When I first saw photos from the day, the flowers looked just right amongst everything else at our wedding. Funny how sometimes you can't see that before the day!

I didn't want to leave the men out either! Mr E's buttonhole was made by our florist to match my bouquet, but for the groomsmen, dads, and grandfathers I made buttonholes out of dried lavender picked from my parents' garden.

The beauty of dried lavender is that you can make the buttonholes ahead of time. I used florist tape and leftover lace to wrap the stems and pinned each buttonhole to a little label in a basket so each man would know which buttonhole was his. They weren't elaborate, but they worked.

So now that I have alleviated my feelings of guilt over not sharing the fabric flowers with you before now, have you ever had mixed feelings over one of your own DIY projects?

*All photos in this post are personal

Eat, Stay, Love: An Insider's Guide to a Bali Honeymoon

2011-02-15T14:29:00.002+13:00

Why yes, I did just shamelessly twist Elizabeth Gilbert's words. They fitted in the title so nicely that I couldn't help it. Anyway, in my first honeymoon post I recapped our own experience in Bali, and in this one I hope to give you some useful insider's information (i.e. where to eat, places to stay, things to love in Bali...see the connection to the title now?), in case any of you are interested in going their for your own honeymoon, or just a fun trip away.What makes me (sort of) qualified to give this "insider's" scoop? As you might remember, Mr E and I grew up in Indonesia. Bali was always on the route whenever we went from our passport countries to our respective homes in Indonesia so we saw quite a bit of the place. Also, whenever our families needed a break it was the place to go!
I loved the island back then, and I love it now. We have seen it go through hard times (right after the nightclub bombings in 2002) and good. Throughout all that the attitude of the Balinese people has remained as resilient and gentle as ever and I think it is those people that keep us coming back time and time again.

Where to Stay

The brilliant thing about Bali is that there is such a wide range of accommodation options to choose from. From budget bungalows, to luxury villas with your own private beach, and everything in between- the hardest part is knowing where to start! The different parts of Bali all have their selling points, and seem to attract different types of travellers. We stayed in Kuta, which is the main tourist and shopping centre of Denpasar. Some may dislike the noise and crowdedness of this area, but we got all the peace we needed at our hotel, and only had to brave the masses when heading out to eat or shop. The great thing about Kuta is that it is central to everything, and there are so many great restaurants within easy walking distance.

The beach is within walking distance too!

Other top areas to stay include Seminyak, Sanur, and Nusa Dua. Seminyak and Sanur are similar to Kuta, but slightly less central and less busy. Nusa Dua is a great area for water sports and the beaches are also nicer there, however the hotels are also more pricey! For peace and quiet, you can't go past Ubud- the art and cultural centre of Bali. The climate is also cooler there as Ubud is at a higher altitude. The one drawback- it is a little less accessible than the other areas.

I'm not going to give you a list of hotels to stay in, as there are just too many, but my advice would be to do your research, keep an eye out for internet deals and be sure to read reviews before you book. A bonus is, of course, that accommodation in Bali is generally cheaper than staying somewhere of the equivalent standard in your home country.

Where to Eat

From my previous post, you'll know that eating was high on our list of priorities while in Bali. As with accommodation, you will be spoilt for choice! Whatever your tastebuds like, whether it is Greek, Indian, Indonesian, or whatever, you will have a range of restaurants to try. We like going "around the world" when we eat out in Bali, so here is a list of our top five favourite restaurants that we have discovered over the years. All these restaurants are located in the greater Kuta area, many within walking distance of each other:

1. For Greek/Meditteranean inspired cooking, you can't go past Daddy's Cafe. It doesn't look like much as it is located above a convenience store and you have to walk up a rusty spiral staircase to get there but I assure you that their seafood kebabs are incredible.

2. Kunyit Bali is a great spot for authentic Balinese cuisine. Our favourite dish is their satay campur.

mmm...babi kecap and satay for me please!

3. Mama's German Restaurant on the famous Jl. Legian is always filled with contented customers. The service is very upbeat, and the sausage will keep you coming back.

4. Located under the Bali Dynasty Hotel is Gracie's Irish Pub. I still have dreams about their sticky toffee pudding....

5. For some reason, the best magherita pizzas I have eaten have always been in Bali. Cicelo's Pizza Pasta Bar, located right next to Daddy's Cafe, makes the best.

There's just a few restaurants to get you started- I'm sure you will quickly find your own favourites if you make the trip!

Things to Love

Ahhh, so many things to love about Bali!

There's the beach of course, and a range of water sports available,water and wildlife parks to visit, volcano tours, and much, much more, including the shopping, whole villages where they craft silver jewellery, wood carving workshops, cooking classes, etc. Whether you want to be a blob by the pool, or go out and take advantage of every activity available, you probably won't be disappointed.

Parasailing in Bali, 2007. Just to prove I can be active sometimes.

Other Tips

If you don't love hot and humid monsoonal weather like we do, then it pays to visit Bali some other time rather than January/February.
Bargaining is accepted and expected in Bali. Feel free to bargain away at most roadside stalls, etc. But don't try it in the shopping malls, no one will be impressed.
Only drink bottled water, otherwise you might catch the dreaded "Bali Belly". Also be careful when eating fresh fruit from stalls, or raw vegetables at restaurants. Annoyingly enough, I had never had Bali belly until our honeymoon. Running to the loo every few minutes for two days isn't very romantic.

There you go, that's my insider's guide for you! Of course, there is much more to say about the place, but I think these main points will get you started at least. If you have any questions or would like to know something more specific about honeymooning in Bali, then feel free to drop me a line!

*All photos taken by myself or Mr E

The Earrings on Honeymoon: Bali Bliss

2011-02-10T18:18:00.000+13:00

I know quite a few of you are interested in how our honeymoon in Bali went, so this is for you. And what I have to say is too long for a single post, so I thought I would start off with a basic recap of our experience, and then follow-up another day with some tips and tricks for those who might be interested in having their own honeymoon in Bali. Sound good? Okay, let's get started then!

After spending our first night after the wedding in Nelson, we had a simple farewell lunch with friends and family, and then set off to Auckland and spent a (short) night there before departing to Bali, via Brisbane, at the *lovely* hour of 5am.

Slightly bleary-eyed but smiley in Auckland Airport at dawn

Thirteen hours later (including transit time) we walked into the warm air of Bali. I won't lie, that trip wasn't the best one I have had seeing as we were both already exhausted from the past week, but once we got to Bali and realised all we were expected to do was relax then the exhaustion didn't seem to matter any more.

We stayed at the Rama Beach Resort & Villas in Kuta. We chose this place because 1) we got a good discount and 2) I had stayed there once before and really liked the peaceful atmosphere and the friendly staff. We weren't disappointed with our choice either; the entire time we stayed there we felt spoilt.

Our room was prepared with the "honeymooners' treatment' for our arrival, including towel doves and flowers for our bed, tropical fruit, and a bath filled with more flowers. I think that's when we finally felt like

we were actually on honeymoon, and that the whole thing wasn't just a pleasant dream! The hotel also threw in a free hour-long massage at their spa which was definitely a highlight.

Our room

We quickly set about shedding the stress of wedding planning, and slipped into a leisurely daily routine. I have said before that laziness on our honeymoon was exactly what we planned for this time, and honestly the time before the wedding had taken so much of our energy that we were almost too predictable and sedentary in Bali. Not that we cared :)

Every morning we enjoyed the breakfast buffet in the hotel restaurant.

A sleepy Mr E enjoying his mie goreng and orange juice

I'm pretty sure I had an omelette or some other variation on eggs every single morning. They were just so GOOD! Mr E, on the other hand, piled his plate high with all the Indonesian food he had missed since leaving the country a few years ago. We actually could have probably eaten an entire day's worth of food just at breakfast, thanks to the spread of pastries, the various cereals and breads, as well as oatmeal, bacon, sausage, and tropical fruit displays.

After that delicious start, we would head back to our room to do some reading, or watch some TV, before catching the 10am shuttle to the main shopping centre of Kuta. There we would do a bit of browsing (I was scouting for the beautiful silver filigree jewellery that Bali is famous for), and just general wandering. We were always so full from breakfast that lunch was usually a smoothie of some sort.

Now, my favourite type of smoothie ever is a banana smoothie. But for some weird reason bananas were impossible to find for the majority of our trip! After tasting an Indonesian banana no other ones will ever compare, so I was desperate to satiate my craving. Finally, on the last day of the honeymoon I found my coveted banana smoothie and all was right with the world again.

After lunch, if the wind wasn't too strong, we would walk back to the hotel along the beach. At that time of the year (monsoon season), the beach wasn't great for swimming, but we aren't really sea swimmers anyway so the walk was enough for us. And of course we used the opportunity for a few pictures....

Afternoons may have been my favourite time of the day. We stocked up on DVDs and TV series and watched them on our lap-top for a couple of hours. In this way we completely overloaded on Castle, Cold Case, and Accidentally on Purpose episodes. By mid-afternoon we dragged ourselves out of our room and flopped on a comfy poolside bed to read, drink cocktails, and occassionally go for a dip.

mmm...mai tai

The gorgeous pool and the handsome hubby

I was so happy to be able to get some reading in during that time. It had been a year (a year!) since I had been able to read just for pleasure, rather than for uni or some other reason. Elizabeth Gilbert's Committed and Margaret Atwood's The Year of Flood kept me happy.

Each night we spruced ourselves up a bit, and caught the shuttle again to head out for dinner.

For some reason I love this pic of us getting ready in our bathroom for tea

We tried to go to a different restaurant every night (with some exceptions for special favourites), and ended up eating food from around the world: Greek, Turkish, Irish, Italian, Balinese, Chinese, German, Indian and more. We are both seafood fans in particular and fish in Bali is so affordable that we didn't miss taking advantage of that either.

At my favourite restaurant, Daddy's Cafe which serves Greek-inspired food. I got the snapper kebab every time we went there

There is always room for dessert! At first we mixed it up a bit- cheesecake one night, sticky toffee pudding the next....

Pudding at an Irish pub...sooooo good!

...but then we found our ultimate flavour combination at Cold Stone. I had never heard of this chain before, and, for those of you aren't American either or who don't know what it is, it is an icecream parlour where you can pick your flavour of icecream, then pick a few toppings, and then those toppings are mixed into the icecream. Our favourite combination? Dark chocolate icecream, peanut butter, and brownie bits.

That's the look Mr E gets when he isnt going to share with me...

I think I'm having withdrawal symptons now that I can't have that anymore! *sigh*

After dessert we always headed back to our hotel room for a romantic comedy or two to finish up our day. Yup, we didn't have the most adrenalin pumping honeymoon, but it sure was exactly what we needed at the time!

Relaxed and happy faces right before we leftt Bali.

Next up: I'll go into some more detail about good places to eat, stay, and things to love in Bali. So stay tuned!

What's your ideal type of honeymoon? An adventurous one or a relaxed one, or one that combines the two?

*All photos in this post taken by either myself or Mr E.

MRS Earrings is Back!

2011-02-05T10:45:00.001+13:00

Mr E and I are married! I can't believe that it has been about a month since our wedding day- a month filled with an awesome honeymoon in Bali, moving to a new house, and starting two new part-time jobs. It has been a crazy but great time and I have been so looking forward to getting back to the hive and sharing our wedding day with you. We don't have our pro pics back yet but I thought I would give you a little taste of the action with a couple of my favourite guest photos.

It was a wonderful, wonderful day. The days leading up to it were waaaay too stressful but the day itself turned out so much better than I could have hoped for. It was a day filled with sunshine, relaxed and smiling people, and many happy memories.

Until we get our pro pics back, I have some other posts planned for you: DIY projects that I didn't get to tell you about before the wedding, our budget breakdown, how the welcome dinner and rehearsal went, and, of course, a honeymoon recap, among a few others.

It really feels good to be back. Sharing my planning process with the hive was a blast, and I can't wait to get started with sharing all the rest!

*All photos in the post were taken by guests

Sampai Nanti, Hasta Luego, Goodbye for now, and all that

2011-01-06T16:10:00.001+13:00

It's a day out from our wedding day, and I finally get it: It's not going to be perfect. But it sure is going to be awesome :)
My centrepieces might not look exactly how I envisioned. There is going to be a cold southerly wind blowing, but at least it is blowing the rain away. We didn't really think about a dance floor so we'll be dancing on grass. My heels will probably sink in the ground. Not everything will be completely colour coordinated. We've run out of time to iron the doily runners so they might wrinkle a little. Some people won't show up. I could be wrong about the weather and it might rain after all.
But it won't matter. I won't be thinking about those things. I will be thinking about Mr E, our commitment, the people who have come and are there for us, and that will be all it takes to put a smile on my face. So cheesy, but so true.

To all of you here at WB: Thankyou! It has been great sharing our planning process with you and I can't wait to share the results with you after it is all over. The people I have "met" here are some of the most supportive and sweet people I have ever encountered. Thank you for the kind comments, the sound advice, and the thoughtful ideas. You have no idea how much they all have meant to me during this crazy time.

To Mr E: I love you. Let's go get married.

Pic courtesy of friend S

RSVP Blues

2010-12-31T09:31:00.000+13:00

As the last of the RSVPs trickled in recently I couldn't help feeling a little....sad. Because there are always going to be some people that can't make it and, in our case, that number of people is fairly high. I guess that is what happens when the majority of your friends and family are spread around the world.

Our final guest breakdown is as follows:

143 people were invited
97 people will be attending
3 of those people are "his" guests
73 are "my" guests
21 are "our" guests

Almost every single person not attending is either a mutual friend from overseas or from Mr E's side of the family. Including his brother. Who was going to be his best man. But then had to cancel his flight because of personal reasons. Which just sucks on so many levels.

Despite being very disappointed that his brother can't come, Mr E has handled it very well, saying that the point of the wedding us getting married anyway and that absent people can't dampen that for him. I can't help feeling guilty though. Yes, we both decided we wanted the wedding in New Zealand for quite a number of reasons. But that doesn't stop me from wishing circumstances were a bit different and we could have everyone we love attend. Then I wonder if it would have been better to have a different kind of wedding in a different location, and the guilt grows bigger.

But I've reached a point where I can't stay wallowed in those "what if" questions because they just aren't helpful. This is the wedding we chose, in the location that works best for us at this time and wherever we had the wedding there would always have been some people who couldn't make it. Hearing how other couples have managed a situation like this by having another reception for those who couldn't make it to the first one has encouraged us to think about trying to get to Mr E's hometown in California one day to do something similar. At this point, who knows if that will be possible, but it is a fun thought. And Mr E's brother is writing a speech to be read out at our reception so that he can still be a part of our day. Little things like that keep us grounded and enjoying the fact that we're getting married and whatever happens it is going to be awesome.

Anyone else had to deal with some blue feelings because of guests who can't come to your wedding?

Favor Time: A Chocolate Pudding for Two

2010-12-29T08:35:00.000+13:00

If you think waaaaay back into the early days of my time on WB, you might remember the adorable shortbread buttons Mr E and I were planning on making for our favors. Well, please dont hate us, but we changed our minds. I know, how unusual for me. But stick around, because, as hard as it is to compete with buttons, I think you are going to love our "Chocolate Pudding for Two" favor just as much!

It was Mr E who came up with the idea. We were eating dessert one night and I was worrying about making a kazillion peices of shortbread. The dessert we were eating at the time was one I have seen versions of floating around on the web so some of you might already be familiar with it: a super-duper easy microwave chocolate pudding. I probably should feel guilty to admit that Mr E and I indulge in this pudding at least three times a week...but Im not. It is just too good to feel guilt over! Anyway, Mr E sat there listening to me worrying and then he came up with the thought of layering the dry ingredients of the pudding in a jar and doing it up all pretty like I was planning on doing with the buttons anyway. Brilliant! And also much easier than churning out perfect shortbread.

This week we tackled (and conquered) the task of assembling those pudding favors and despite making a huge mess and getting sick of the smell of chocolate, I think they turned out pretty good. A few months ago I ordered 50 small jars from a wholesaler. That was the most expensive part of this project, but even so they were a reasonable price. Then we layered 4 Tbsp flour, 2 Tbsp cocoa, 4 Tbsp sugar, and 3 Tbsp chocolate chips (in that order) in each jar, slightly flattening each layer with a spoon as we went.

The work station

Thankfully Mr E had already cut out all the fabric circles we needed with pinking shears for the tops of the jars. We alse punched hearts out of coloured cardstock and stamped them with "thank you", and then I wrote out by hand the pudding instructions for our guests on separate tags. Yes, that took forever. But my printer was being mean so our guests will just have to live with handwriting. In case you want to know, here is what I wrote:

Chocolate Pudding for Two

Mix the contents of the jar in a microwaveable bowl.

In a separate bowl, lightly beat an egg.

Then add 3 Tbsp oil, 3 Tbsp milk, and 1 tsp vanilla.

Add wet ingredients to dry and mix well. Microwave 3 mins.

Tastes best shared with someone you love and served

with icecream and chocolate sauce.

Enjoy!

Finally, we secured each fabric circle over a lid with a rubber band, and tied the labels on with ribbon. All done!

Mr E tackling the fabric circles

I definitely underestimated the time and effort that this project would take, but Im really pleased with how the favors turned out. It is definitely "us", seeing how we eat that pudding all the time, and I got to make a twist on the idea of a favor in a jar after all. I do hope that someone one day does do shortbread buttons for favors though! They're just too cute to slip by.

Are you as smitten as I am with favors in jars?

*All photos taken by either myself or Mr E

Simple Scrolls: Our Programmes

2010-12-23T10:02:00.001+13:00

When it came to making our programmes, I had a simple scroll design in mind right from the beginning: a sheet of A4 cream paper printed on one side then rolled up and tied with a ribbon. These were my inspiration pics:

Found here

source

We didn't want to go too crazy with making our programmes so this just happened to be the perfect design. In the end, these are what we came up with:

All we did was put the wedding party and order of service on one half of the page, and a blurb about our Tea and Cupcakes Hour on the other half along with a thank you message from Mr E and I, and some instructions on sharing photos with us. After a tip from Mrs. Lemon we went with keepandshare.com for our photo sharing site. So far it seems quite simple to use, and I will probably give you an update on how it worked for us after the wedding, so stay tuned for that.

Then we tied the programmes in with our invitations by stamping them with a purple rose and tying them up with various shades of purple and pink ribbon. All done!

Anyone else a fan of programme scrolls?

*All photos by Mr E unless otherwise stated

Not a "Legitimate" Wedding?

2010-12-22T08:40:00.000+13:00

With less than 3 weeks to go till the wedding day, this is probably a bad time to start second (and third) guessing some of our wedding choices. But that's what I'm doing right now.

I have attended a total of two weddings in my life, and only one reception. In some ways that can both be a blessing and a curse- on one hand, I have felt fairly free to make wedding choices without memories of past weddings influencing what I "can" and "can't" do. On the other hand, sometimes this lack of wedding attendance makes me feel very, very inexperienced and unqualified to plan a wedding. I know that is silly of me....but that feeling still manages to sneak in. Thoughts concerning the "legitimacy" of our wedding are corrupting my previously naive way of going about our planning.

What do I mean by "legitimacy"? Well, I mean the degree to which other people see our wedding as a *real* true-blue wedding. "Um, as opposed to what sort of wedding?" you ask. Hey, I didn't say my thoughts were logical. But, to be honest, we all probably have in mind some things that you just have to have at a wedding. For some people that might be a big white cake. Or a big white dress. Or a sit-down reception dinner. Whatever it is, we all have some expectations of what a wedding is "supposed" to be. Which makes me nervous....because what if our wedding doesnt meet some of the expectations of our guests? Or of my parents, his parents, of the world of wedding blogs?

When I start thinking too much like that I just have to slap myself out of it. It's unhealthy, because once again I'm basing my choices on what others might think, instead of what Mr E and I really want. We're so close to our wedding day. We've made our choices, and we love those choices when we really think about them separated from the voices of outsiders. And that's all there is to it. Plus it is too late to change anything now so we might as well rock what we've got!

Anyone else out there had a meltdown about your wedding choices close to your wedding day?

Prettifying the Disposables

2010-12-21T10:42:00.000+13:00

Remember how we are using compostable bamboo utensils at our reception instead of hiring silverware? Well we ordered them, they arrived, and then we decided to pretty them up a bit using a tiny heart stamp and some twine. See for yourself:

After stamping a kazillion forks, knives, and spoons, I bundled the knives and forks together with a recycled napkin:

I love how they turned out- totally simple, but totally adorable. I put the dessert spoons in another basket and called it a day. Yes, I know I didn't have to prettify something like knives and forks but sometimes the easiest projects turn out to be my favourite ones :)

What ultra-easy DIY project have you most enjoyed the results of?

*All photos by Mr E

Handmade: For Cards & Cars

2010-12-17T09:08:00.000+13:00

We decided simple is best when it came to our card box label and "Just Married" garland. Meaning we got scissors and cut out big letters from coloured cardboard.....just like kindergartners. I think it worked.

The inspiration for our card box was a vintage suitcase dressed up like these ones:

source

source found via here

Our reality:

(Personal Pic) Dont worry, all the clutter inside it wont be there on the day, Im just storing bits inside so that I can remember to put them on the card/gift table.

I have oggled over multiple lovely "Just Married" garlands on blogs- everything from ones made out of fabric bunting to mini chalkboards. But when it finally came to making our own, we opted for being basic:

(personal pic)

We thought about ditching this project altogether, but Im glad we made it in the end. It isn't "wow" but it will do, and probably look pretty cute on the back of our little blue getaway car anyway :)

Have you developed an "it will do" attitude with any of your DIY projects?

To Speak or Not to Speak?

2010-12-16T10:09:00.000+13:00

That is the question. My sister began work on her MOH speech recently, and asked me if I was going to make a speech at the reception as well. If you had asked me that question 6 months ago the answer would have been "of course!" But now? I'm not so sure.

With everything else going on, part of me just wants to sit back and relax on the wedding day and not worry about anything, not even giving a speech. I don't know how common it is for the bride to give a speech at weddings overseas, but here in New Zealand it isn't terribly common so if I didn't give one it wouldn't matter too much. But then there is another side of me that would love to speak up and thank the people that have helped us put the wedding together, as well as acknowledge my awesome groom. Why do weddings always have to involve a kazillion decisions?!

My dad is definitely going to give a speech, and we expect Mr E's dad will as well. Then there is my MOH, and the best man/ groomsmen speech. Mr E is planning to say something as well, so it might just be overkill if I speak. Alternatively, Mr E and I could do a joint couple's speech. At this point I think I'm going to wait until the last minute and see how I feel....and then wing it if I really feel the need to talk. Gosh, wedding planning really must have got to me if I am thinking about winging something- very out of character for me!We'll see how that goes.

I'm curious to know what other brides are doing/have done though because it might help me make my final decision, so here is a handy dandy poll for you: Are you going to make a speech at your reception?
A. Yes
B. No
C. I'm doing a joint speech with my groom
D. Undecided

Thanks!

Handmade: Lace & Light

2010-12-15T10:08:00.001+13:00

Candlelight, that is. Ever since I started planning my own wedding I have known that I wanted lace-covered tealight holders as part of the reception decorations because pictures like these had me totally in love:

source

While my ideas for other reception decorations have wavered and evolved over the months, I never stopped wanting to create my own version of this gorgeous detail. So the other day, armed with various adhesives and scraps of lace, Mr E and I sat down on the living room floor to give it a go.

After a bit of trial and error we found out that the most effective adhesive to stick the lace to the tealight holder was double-sided tape. We alse tried fabric glue, school glue, and a hot glue gun, but the tape was the easiest to use and was less messy. We did end up using the glue gun for sticking pearl trim on a few of the holders though and that worked well. Here are the results of our efforts:

We ordered "seconds" (tealight holders with flaws that the manufacturer just wants to get rid of) which saved us quite a lot for this project. Excuse the clutter in these pics, we were in the middle of sorting decorations into piles for each picnic table (obviously we won't put the candles on the picnic rugs though!). Here is one last shot of the holders along with the other decorations that will go on the tables, not including flowers:

There's the lavender heart sachets I made again, and the doily runners that hopefully wont look as crumpled as that on the day!

It feels like all the decorations are coming together now :) Anyone else a fan of lace-covered tealight holders?

*Unless otherwise stated all photos are personal

A Showery Surprise

2010-12-13T08:59:00.000+13:00

Last Friday I got surprised with a honeymoon themed bridal shower! My Mum and MOH were sneaky and tricked me into thinking it would be on Saturday, but on Friday I got told to get prettified and be ready to be picked up in one hour. Then I was taken to the nearby Washbourne Gardens, where I found this setup:

Recognize the framed photo? It's one of our engagement pics :)

Both Mum and MOH Earrings had never planned a bridal shower before, but they know I love details, so they spent a lot of time researching online for inspiration and I think the results were perfect :)

My "throne"

We dined on various cheeses, grapes, berries, and sweets, and enjoyed the one sunny day in the middle of a wet week.MOH Earrings started us off with a couple icebreaker games. The first one involved each person cutting a length of string, but we didn't know what the string was for yet. Then we were told we had to go around the circle and each person would tell details about themselves for as long as it took to wind their piece of string around their finger. The people who cut short lengths were the lucky ones!

I of course cut a long piece of string...so this is me trying to think of more things to say

Another game involved me answering questions about Mr E to see how well I really know him. If I got one right, I got a chocolate.Some of the questions were hard! I didn't know his least favourite vegetable (he has too many least favourite veggies) and I got his pant size wrong because he has recently lost weight! But I'm pretty pleased that I got Mr E's favourite airport and airline right (Singapore Airport and British Airways). Though some people found it odd that he even had a favourite airport- I guess it shows that he has travelled all his life!

The Interrogation

Then it was time to open presents. Everyone gave me something that was honeymoon related. I was a tad worried that someone might give me something more risque than I was willing to open in front of a bunch of ladies from church, but luckily the most risque item was a bottle of massage oil :P

In case anyone wants to know, I ended up wearing my Modcloth dress. Shoes are from Ruche.

MOH diligently recording who gave what gift. She learnt about doing that on a blog and was very pleased with herself for remembering :)

My Mum and sister decided to make the shower honeymoon themed because Mr E and I have registered for kitchen stuff for our wedding, and they felt like honeymoon related gifts would be a good way to spoil both Mr E and I. I would really recommend this theme to anyone who is planning a bridal shower for someone. Depending on where the couple might be going for their honeymoon, the couple could be showered with things like cash to put towards a fancy dinner out, scented candles, chocolates, etc.
My favourite gift? The cupcake passport holder and luggage tag my Mum and sisters gave me. They make me hungry every time I look at them :)

The shower finished up with everyone writing either their favourite memory of me or a piece of marriage advice on a slip of paper and putting it in a jar for me to read later. The advice "Don't go to bed angry" came up multiple times, so that is the one that has stuck in my head!

Sunshine + Relaxed Ladies + Oodles of food = a perfect shower :)

My sisters (MOH Earrings and Bridesmaid O) and I at home right after the shower. Um, and somehow we all ended up barefoot...

Anyone else had a honeymoon themed shower?

*Photos taken mainly by Bridesmaid O, except for the last one which is courtesy of Mr E.

Acne Update: The Vanishing Act

2010-12-10T09:16:00.000+13:00

There is less than a month to our wedding day now, and I can now say something that I never could have said over 3 months ago when I wrote this post: My skin is completely clear.

Before I go on, I want to say that obviously everyone's skin is different and what worked for me may not work for you, but I want to share how I got my skin to clear up almost overnight anyway in case there is someone else out there with skin like mine who will benefit from the same regime and products.

Anyway, after I wrote that post on my acne, I had my hair and make-up trial. The lovely lady who did my trial took one look at my skin and told me that what I was using for my acne at the time was much too harsh for my sensitive skin, and that it was actually getting worse in an attempt to self-correct itself. Eeek! But she had a solution: Avene.

Ready to try anything at that point, I started off on a regime that involved cleansing day and night with Avene Soapless Gel Cleanser:

source

Applying their Cleanance K lotion during the day:

source

And using ordinary rosehip oil at night:

source

It was that simple. The difference was practically immediate, much to my shock (and relief). I can truthfully say that since I started my new regime almost 3 months ago I have had a total of ZERO major breakouts, and only two very tiny ones. When Summer began here I also stopped using the rosehip oil, started using the Cleanance K lotion at night instead (because it makes your skin fairly sun-sensitive), and switched to Avene Hydrance Optimale Light moisturiser during the day (mine has SPF 20):

source

It is a huge confidence booster to know I don't have to worry about my skin behaving badly as the wedding day approaches. The Avene products I have used are gentle, and I feel like I am giving my skin a healthy treat every time I apply them to my face. I kept waiting for them to fail me like all the other products I have used did, but day after day I wake up and I am happy with the way my skin looks. The only reminder I have of my acne are some very faint pink marks around my chin area.

Okay, enough gushing. Just so you know- I am in no way affiliated with Avene. I just happen to use their products and get results with them :)

Anyone else out there with super-sensitive combination skin? Have you found a skin product that has worked miracles for you?