Black tie not optional

Remember my compromise on ring dog? Well, I found the perfect attire for the pre-ceremony picture session:

How cute is that? My pups will be tres chic in black and white (white fur, black tie).

[from Terrier Tie Company on Etsy]

Bouts sans fleurs

I don't know if I frenchified that correctly. I thought this was pretty much the most awesome non-floral bout I had come across yet:

[find it at Until My Heart Stops]

So I sent the link over to FH via Google Chat.

me: how awesome is this?

FH: huh?

me: huh what?

FH: i don't get it.

me: its a bout. for your jacket?

FH: ok.

me: you are no fun

Sigh. Someone else who is getting married or going to prom or just generally in need of a bout, please buy it. It really is amazing. As always, my hat is off to people that are this insanely creative.

Change of heart: escort cards

Remember my fun lollipop escort cards? Well, they're out. And here's whats in:

[found here]

Paper airplane escort cards! Cute, right?

Although I loved the lollipop idea, they were fairly pricey (as candy goes) and at the end of the day, I didn't think anyone would really eat them. Paper planes will be cheaper (although a tad labor-intensive, but I don't mind obsessively folding paper while watching TV) and pack the same sort of visual punch that I am going for.

Now I just have to find great paper and review the paper plane tutorial I found online. No, I'm not kidding.

DIY: E-Save the Date

Venue? Check. Date? Check. Save the dates? Um, no.

I thought I didn't have time - or money - to do save the dates. After all, our engagement was only going to be about four months long and everything I'd read recommended sending out save the dates 9 to 12 months in advance.

Then I stumbled across this gem of a post on Weddingbee. I did some more research and apparently, electronic save the dates are not only easy and free, but acceptable by etiquette standards, too. I decided I didn't care if it was only four months out, I still wanted to ask our guests to set aside that particular day for us.

I took a favorite picture of FH and myself and doctored it up in InDesign to include our date information and also to request that they respond to the email with their mailing addresses. (Which, while a great idea, most of them didn't bother. But that is another post!)

I exported the file as a JPEG and used Microsoft Outlook to link the image with our wedding website and then sent it to my Gmail account, so I could send it out to everyone on our invitation list from there. I had a few bouncebacks and only about half of the group responded. But all of the responses that did come back were really positive and encouraging (both about the Save the Date and our upcoming marriage in general).

All in all, I thought it worked really well and we were both happy with how it turned out. I was a bit rushed at the end, so the image didn't link correctly to our website. I wish I would have tested it a few more times to make sure it was working correctly. I will probably end up doing a small insert in the invite with the URL to our website, so people know it exists and can check it out on their own time. Ah, technology...

Ring Dog. Or not.

I was never really one to dream about my wedding day. But once I got engaged, the one thing I knew I wanted was a Ring Dog. Yes, that's right, Ring Dog. As in, furry ring bearer.

I grew up with dogs and my parents currently have three:

from l to r: Sherman, Jake, Archie

Archie doesn't do well with crowds (he was abused so you can't really blame him) and Sherman is sort of spacey (if you can't already tell from the picture), so Jake was always my main Ring Dog contender. Plus, I've known him the longest.

I'm not kidding when I say these three are a major part of our family. To say we love our dogs is a complete understatement. And I loved the idea of including them in our wedding day. Other people have used dogs in their weddings to great effect. Check out this montage posted by the always fantastic Green Wedding Shoes.

My mom was unmoved by such delightful pics (love the pug in the tux!) and remained firmly anti Ring Dog.

Then I stumbled across this in Etsy seller reggieana's shop:


Is that not the most amazing thing you've ever seen?

I persisted with my Ring Dog campaign, but my mom was still worried about, um, behavior issues. She peppered me with questions. What if a cat walks by? What if Frisky walks by? (Frisky Kennedy, cat nemesis extraordinaire). What if Jake whines during the ceremony? She reminded me of the time they brought Jake to college to visit me and he ran in the dorm and promptly pooped on the floor from nervousness. Maybe I could just rent a well-behaved wiener dog like the picture?

Then, I went home a few weeks ago to find that my Mom had uncovered the ring pillow she used in her wedding, which was made by my great-grandmother, who passed away just last year at the age of 99. I couldn't fathom not using it and I also couldn't really picture strapping my new-found heirloom to Jake's back.

So we arrived at a compromise: I'll buy bow ties for the dogs and take pictures with them beforehand, and use the ring pillow (carried by FH's adorable nephew) for the ceremony.

Has anyone else thought about incorporating pets into their wedding day?

DIY: Centerpieces

My goal for our wedding, from the very beginning, was to have a unique event that showcased who we are, both as a couple and our personal interests.

So when it came to centerpieces, I was trying to think outside the box. I thought fruit might be fun and summer appropriate, as was featured in this backyard wedding on Little White Book. And I've already mentioned my general disenchantment with flowers, so that was out.

And then, I stumbled across this fantastic wedding featured on the always amazing Offbeat Bride and more specifically, the centerpieces:


Yes, yes, yes! Sign me up for that! How cute are those puppies? And perfect for the bookworm bride who read at recess and the groom that reads encyclopedias in his spare time.

Outside the Box: Table Names

There are all kinds of great ideas for table names out there. Some stick with the wedding theme itself and use a numbering system. You can also name your tables, which can end up being really meaningful and special. At one of my favorite weddings I've ever been to, the couple named each table after a place that had special meaning to them and/or played a role in their relationship. We were seated at the Coliseum table which made FH very happy.

For our tables, I'm thinking airport codes. Yes, that's right, airport codes. Every airport in the world has a three letter code (click here to read a very long, um, in-depth pilot's explanation) and since FH got his private pilot license a year and a half ago, I think we've been to about half of them. I kid, I kid.

However, we do fly a lot together, and I'd like to incorporate that into the wedding. I've already got it covered with the escort cards (more on those tomorrow) but I wanted to go (fly?) the extra mile and name the tables after airports we've flown to together, too.

What do you think - fun or too much?