Inspirations 19

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--Possibly my favorite out of the lot!!!
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--I really like how simple this is. It would be really pretty for a shower!
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Delicate Pillows

While I was talking to my MOH who now is a bride, she mentioned something about ring bearers. Since I didn't have any children in my wedding I didn't have to worry about these details. But it doesn't mean I never thought about it all. If I could, I would have strapped a pillow to the back of my dog or make one of the Groomsmen carry it but I'm not that mean so I just gave the Best man the box and said "don't lose these!" But here's some eye candy:

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And for giggles:
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With these hands...

Our Ceremony was far superior than what I had imagined. I pictured readings that were just read, not felt. I pictured the minister to rush through it and it be so impersonal. I pictured myself crying the entire time. I pictured a wedding that I wouldn't remember.

What I got was a smiling bride and groom at times, readers who read from their hearts and meant every word they said, a minister who made me feel like he was my oldest friend in the world. I got a dream wedding. A friend told me when she saw me for the first time, when the doors opened up, I looked serious. What she didn't know is that I was trying memorize everything I saw so I wouldn't forget it. An aunt came up to us later and told us she never saw two people enjoy themselves as much as we did during the ceremony. She noticed how we kept smiling at each other. It's these little things people told us that made me remember more of that moment. And as much as everyone says that your day is a blur, it can be true. I'd have to say that about our reception, but our ceremony, I remember it all! There even was one moment where we were knealing infront of the alter and Father Jim was giving his homily. At one point he picked up something that was shiny and you could see your reflection. I saw me in my dress and my husband in his tux. I saw people behind me but couldn't make them out. I saw us getting married and if I had to lose every memory from that day and keep one, it would be that one.

During our Engaged Encounters (our mandatory pre-marital counceling), our host couple read this to us and it really hit home. Right then, I realized I wanted it to be read at our ceremony. It hit home on so many levels that I felt like I needed to share it with everyone. We asked his father and my sister to read it for us. Now I can share it with you!

The Hands of the Bride and Groom
My Sister reads:
Bride’s name, please face Groom’s name, and hold his hands, palms up, so you may see the gift that they are to you. (Bride and groom should be facing each other, the groom’s upturned hands resting in the brides’.)
These are the hands, young and strong and vibrant with love, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as he promises to love you all the days of his life.
These are the hands you will place with expectant joy against your stomach, until he too, feels his child stir within your womb.
These are the hands that look so large and clumsy, yet will be so gentle as he holds your baby for the first time.
These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, for a lifetime of happiness.
These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes: tears of sorrow and tears of joy.
These are the hands that will tenderly lift your chin and brush your cheek as they raise your face to look into his eyes: eyes that are filled completely with his overwhelming love and desire for you.

His Father reads:
Groom’s name, please hold Bride’s name’s hands, palms up, where you may see the gift that they are to you. (Bride should now place her upturned hands in the Groom’s hands.)
These are the hands, smooth, young, and carefree, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as she pledges her love and commitment to you all the days of her life.
These are the hands that will hold each child in tender love, soothing them through illness and hurts, supporting and encouraging them along the way, and knowing when it’s time to let go.
These are the hands that will massage tension from your neck and back in the evenings, after you’ve both had a long hard day.
These are the hands that will hold you tight as you struggle through difficult times.
They are the hands that will comfort you when you are sick or console you when you are grieving. These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, for a lifetime of happiness.
These are the hands that will hold you in joy and excitement and hope, each time she tells you that you are to have another child; that together you have created a new life.
Perhaps these are the hands that will comfort you when you are told you cannot have a child, and will convince you that together you will create new life in other ways.
These are the hands that will give you support as she encourages you to chase down your dreams. Together, as a team, everything you wish for can be realized.

Clergy reads:
Dear Father, bless the hands that you see before you this day. May they always be held by one another. Give them the strength to hold on during the storms of stress and the dark of disillusionment. Keep them tender and gentle as they nurture each other in their love.
Help these hands to continue building a relationship founded in your grace, rich in caring, and devoted to reaching for your perfection. May Bride’s name and Groom’s name see their four hands as healer, protector, shelter, and guide.
We ask this in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you now and forever. Amen.

So with all the heart ache and tears I had dealing with the church people, my ceremony was a dream come true!

It's gittin hot n here...

I'm having two programs. Since we are getting married in a chapel, I always thought it was quite warm in there, so we decided we needed fans for our guests. We took the program fan idea from online and made it our own. I just couldn't imagine spending 3$ a program when I could make the entire batch for 15$.

I used lollipop sticks from the craft store, thick cardstock from Staples, doublestick tape, and a few cans of white spray paint. I spray painted the sticks white and let them dry while I printed out the programs. I used MS Word to print them out. Trial and error of course a few times. Then I folded it in half and cut part of paper to make it a better fit. Cornered all the edges and proceeded to tape the sticks and the papers together. End result:



I made these a few months ago. They turned out great and I love them ten times more than the ones I found online! Project took 1.5 hours from start to finish! (minus the overnight that I let the sticks to dry!)

Wedding Music...

This guy reminds me of my male friends for some reason, I think it's the geeky-ness he oozes! But this video is the best!



What type of music are you having at your wedding?

10 Commandments...

While my mind wonders into endless hallways of imagination, I realized I needed to focus on something to relax and go to bed. So I did my usual routine of flipping through my favorite websites and came accross a great article about the 10 Commandments of Wedding Ceremonies. I laughed hard since it had to do with a Roman Catholic wedding ceremony and I could only wonder what people will think at ours when we bust our the kneelers! :)

Here's an excert of the fabulous article:

1. Thou shall not exceed the length of any standard "Seinfeld" episode (not counting series finales). There is absolutely no reason for everyone to be sitting in a church on a nice summer day for more than a half-hour. The wedding I attended recently was a Filipino wedding (ironically, two out of the four weddings I have gone to in my life have been Filipino) so not only did we have to deal with all of the Catholic traditions including the dreaded communion, but we also had to stand idly by and watch all of the Filipino rituals, like this weird cord ceremony where the bride and groom have to be tied together for half an hour. Plus the officiator was flown in from Manila, was the bride’s uncle, and a freaking bishop in the pope's army—suffice it to say that this man had a lot of wisdom to bestow.

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4. Movement shall be kept to a minimum. I understand the importance of standing up to sing because you have to allow all of those great singers to use their diaphragm when they’re belting out those holy choruses, but I don’t understand the tradition of standing up for every little thing during a wedding. Plus, if granny in the wheelchair who is taking up the entire aisle isn't going to stand up, then I'm not either.

...read more here

So this gives me more justification to not do a full ceremony mass and shorten it up a bit. If you could add onto the 10 Commandments, what would you say?

137 days...

and some change... I'll be walking down the aisle in this beautiful place!

Pew by Pew

One of the nice things about having your ceremony at a different location than your reception is that you can get away with two different color schemes. With our reception, we really wanted to focus on reds while our ceremony, we wanted a white theme for all our flowers. With so many different ideas for pew decorations, there were some things we just didn't want or couldn't have. Here are two ideas we want to do for our pew decorations. With the first photo showcasing beautiful full hydrangeas. The second showcasing the cone bottom that the flowers will be in so you don't see bottom of the stems.
Now, being the little savvy beast that I am, I found a great site to teach me how to make those little cone pew markers so I don't kill my florists with my random demands (and to save a few bucks too! :P)

Now, to pick flowers. Here are some of my favorite choices. Of course the Calla Lily and the rose are there but I also love love love hydrangeas too!



Did you do two different styles for your ceremony and reception?