Gonna get married! Not me... but, instead... two of our favorite readers!
Today's blog is dedicated to all things wedding related! It is in honor of Tera and Treye - two loyal readers who are getting hitched on Saturday. I wish I could say they met through highlowaha.com and, after having a whirlwind romance, decided to tie the knot. But, I can't. This fated couple met well before my inaugural post last February.
A little about them...
Tera is a go-getter and impressed me from the start. She initiated a lunch meeting with me only days after our first introduction. I think she thought she was going to "talk me into" letting her do an internship in my office. Little did she know, I was in hot pursuit of her and that I wouldn't have let her slip away without first getting to work with her in some capacity. Yet another example of what a skilled talent scout I am! Treye was immediately elevated to "keeper" status when he showed up at my house in Louisville one day, ready to help Tera construct forty-one intricate centerpieces (they were boardwalks made out of Popsicle sticks and all kinds of other nautical looking materials). The only other man I know willing to engage in such craziness is my husband who nine years earlier got suckered into making centerpieces for a regional conference I was co-chairing. Call it the litmus test, but it hasn't failed me yet!
Now for today's topic...
The way I see it... we have all either poured over Martha Stewart Wedding magazines, attended a wedding, served as an attendant, or gotten married (for some, maybe even more than once). Our cumulative and mass exposure to weddings all over the country - from farm weddings to swank black tie affairs; from intimate gatherings of 15 to invitations lists topping 800; from simple five minute ceremonies to elaborate ceremonies of every cultural tradition - makes us as close to experts on the topic as anyone else.
So today, we will feature the best of the best wedding stories. I'm not talking about wedding bloopers or horror stories. That is completely overdone and besides, we don't want to take a chance that residual bad karma will muck things up for Tera and Treye.
Instead, today we will feature creative and memorable moments from your wedding... or the wedding of someone you know.
I'll go first. I was excited about two things I coordinated for my wedding.
Friendship Plates: I had all my girlfriends fly in for my wedding a day early, so that I could host them for an afternoon of Paint Your Pottery. Each friend painted me one dessert plate (are you surprised?). The one criteria I gave them was that the plate should somehow represent an element of our friendship. It could commemorate a specific event, something we had in common, or a friendship ritual we shared. I spent the next year searching for individual dinner plates to match the work of each friend. My ultimate dream... not yet realized... is to host an Annual Friendship Dinner, using all 13 settings, and honoring a different friend each year. In the meantime, I use the them liberally and I love them. There's never a time I use the plates that I don't get to talk about the people who made them.
Time Capsule: We got married in November 1999, the year the world was freaking out about Y2K and whether or not planet earth would stop turning on it's axis at exactly 12:01 a.m. I read newspaper headline after newspaper headline of grave predictions and I just couldn't help but think (remember, I was a history major and I love data) how much fun it would be to look at these things years from now.
So, I decided to seal a time capsule at my wedding to be opened in 2024 (at our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary) . Each table was host to a different topic (politics, fashion, popular culture, etc...) and each person at each table had their own Prediction Card. On one side of the card, they were to answer a set of five questions (will a woman be president, cost of a loaf of bread, if currency would still be paper, and two more) and make their own prediction around the topic at their table. On the other side of the card, guests were to write us a note to be read in twenty-five years. We gathered everyone in the reception hall later in the night and formally sealed the capsule. Now the capsule sits tightly sealed inside a chest in our living room. Other fun things we put in the capsule... small photo albums with pictures representing our typical day, Polaroid pictures of all our guests, favorite items, letters to one another, my father's Father-of-the-Bride-Speech, and things I can't remember, but that I am sure I'll be ready to reconnect with in sixteen years!
Now it's your turn. What are some of the fun and creative ideas you've seen implemented at weddings? I've been to some of your weddings and I know for a fact there are enough creative ideas to post from now until I return on Friday. So don't be shy or modest. Julie, I am also excited to hear the creative idea you recently saw that helped to inspire today's topic.
Signing off until tomorrow...
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27 comments:
As Tera's MOH, I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am about today's blog! You look fabulous in that wedding dress 13 years (and 8 months) later.
One of my college friends got married this past November (the 3rd) and during the dancing of the reception, the DJ put on some instrumental music and asked everyone in the room to gather in one large circle. He put the new bride and groom in the middle and we all went around telling the bride and/or groom well wishes, memories, how they impacted our lives, etc. They had a videographer, and he caught the entire thing on video as well. I know they've gone back and watched it on more than one occasion.
So, my "idea" that Dr. B mentioned ... within the past 6 months I've seen my sister and Tera and Treye (well, on Saturday) get married. I've also been at a few more wedding showers. I've gotten a few good ideas for shower / wedding gifts. One of which I can't talk about yet (because that would ruin something for Tera and Treye!!) but I can talk about it on Monday.
~ Tote of decorations: Imagine a big rubber maid tote filled with smaller wrapped packages. Each smaller wrapped package was something "holiday" or "season" themed to get the new couple off on the right foot for decorating. Each holiday / season was represented. It was fabulous!
~ Non-edible wedding cake: White bath towels, hand towels and wash clothes, all folded and spiriled into circles on a pizza sheet. They were placed so that it looked like a 3 layer (2 of each set of toweling) cake. Then decorated with ribbon, etc.
~ Cooler: A nice sized cooler with drinks (pop/soda, beer, wine, whatever the couple likes) and the non-perishable necessities for a cook-out (ketchup, mustard, relish, graham crackers, chocolate, marshmellows)
~ Breakfast in bed: Bedside table and all the "fixings" for a breakfast in bed, complete with some ... little chocolate pieces
~ Candles through the years: One of Tera and Treye's wedding shower gifts featured a wonderful poem detailing significant times to come as husband and wife, and matching colored candles to represent each of these times. Tera has the poem and the colors of the candles :)
TERA AND TREYE - I CAN'T WAIT TO GET INTO TOWN TONIGHT, AND EVEN MORE SO, I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL SATURDAY! I LOVE YOU BOTH!
wow. that was a long post!
Claudia, as one of my bridesmaids you know that my wedding was average... I dont say this with saddness. I was only 23 years old and the first to get married. I had no idea about weddings. The most exciting thing I did was that I had each girl in the same gown different color. I also had a very limited budget and no help! I planned everything on my own.
But I do have to say I am still married 19 years later with a great husband and 3 wonderful kids. I am planning my daughters Sweet 16 and that should be fun. I have been working away at it. I am older, wiser and somewhat "richer" (ha ha)
The one great memory I do have is how my friend who was in Arizona State agreed to honor me in being in my bridal party, she gave me her measurements, paid for her gown, had her parents send it to her for fittings, she flew in for the wedding, and looked absolutely beautiful in peach with her tan.
Did you know you are the ONLY person that bought me anything from my bridal registration at Fortunoffs. I think of you each time I use my crystal glasses. I thank you for making my day special and being the ONLY bridesmaid to not cause me any tears!!! That was the greatest gift of all:)
Thanks for the post Dr. B! It means a lot to Treye and I. Wish you could be at the wedding this weekend...but I'll be sure to send pictures.
I'll swing by my parent's house later and pick up the candle thing and post it here for you all to read.
Julie Julie - I can't wait to see you either. LOVE YOU!!!!
Tera and Treye.... My wish for you both is to enjoy each moment of the day. Don't get worried about how everything will go (at this point its out of your hands). Just have fun with the family and friends you are sharing it with. It will be one of the happiest days of your life. Just think there are so many more to come. Have a drink for me and "CONGRATS"! I will be thinking about you.
Since I have gotten to the age where my friends are beginning to get married, I have be fortunate to be a wedding date many times.
One of my favorite wedding stories comes from my friend Charles sister's wedding. Since Charles was in the wedding I agreed to meet him at the church in Cincinnati. On my way there I got lost at least 3 times, but eventually found my way. I wish I had a GPS back then.
The wedding was in a beautiful church, which I don't remember its name. The reception was at the Madison in Covington, but the best part of the wedding/reception was when the 2 best men reenacted how the bride and groom met. They described the concert hall the two met at along with the awkwardness of the groom talking to the bride to get her number. It was one of the best speeches I have heard though it was more like a play.
This makes me think of a YouTube video I saw awhile ago... It's funny!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vqiw-Kqtlr0
On another note, one of my very good friends, Lindsey, is getting married this Saturday, so I'm happy to be attending. AND, my best friend, Jason, just got engaged last weekend.
I, myself, am not married and don't have a lot of good wedding stories. But, a few years back, my cousin asked me to play photographer at her wedding to which I glagly obliged. I was so nervous I was going to mess something up, but it all went well!
I also want to take a minute to say 'Thanks' to everyone for your kind words, suggestions and advice.
As for today's topic, I can't think of many good wedding stories. Hopefully we'll have a good story or two to share with everyone soon.
One moment does stand out a little. Tera and I did attend the wedding of a college friend a few years ago, and she had a great father-daughter dance. Our friend Suzy and her father did a salsa number, and everyone went crazy.
Sadly, pre-planned dances are a little cliche now -- especially with the show "Rock the Reception" on tv, where couples learn fancy dance steps for their reception.
I loved my wedding, seems so dated now to the expensive, elaborate weddings of today. I was, and am very frugal! I think I gave the wrong year in one of my first posts, shame on me.... 18 years been married.
I got my wedding dress at JC Penney outlet ($125... gosh you only wear it once!) I along with my mom, made the veil, along with a friend... made all of the flower arrangements for tables, church aisles, bouquets... designed and copied all the special church bulletins.
Two things that stand out, when it was time to cut the cake, we couldn't get the knife through it, I was laughing so hard, we pressed it again... still it wouldn't budge. I thought for sure we'd knock it down or the table would break... then our photographer told us to slide the knife back, we were trying to cut through the plastic topper that had icng on it... zip, we pulled back, right through the cake!!
My husband has reminded me of this, but we had some fun candid shots in the limo, outside etc..that we never got to see... it seems one roll of film never made it back from the lab... lost forever in some dark place. For that loss, we got a free picture shoot a year later on our anniversary.
Oh, I could go on (dd thinks my wedding veil ... poofy from the early 90s... is horrible) but the best advice I got... take moments at the wedding and reception... where you literally walk away... and take time to watch and observe what is going on, soak in the moment... instead of live in the moment.
I, like Maureen, had a very average traditional wedding. I enjoyed the day and still enjoy being together with my husband 18 years later! Next to my husband, I think the favorite part of my wedding was our cake. It was a cheesecake! Yum! Yum! Another fun fact we enjoy is that when Phoenix, AZ, where we live, hit it's all time high of 122 degrees we were on our honeymoon in Cape Cod enjoying significantly cooler temps!
Congratulations and Good Luck Tera and Treye!
I did forget one thing special about my wedding...I wanted a full poofy veil because that was in in the late 80's early 90's. My mom cringed each time we got a price on a veil. My dress was $800 which I didnt think was a lot of money because some of them cost on average of $2000. My godmother (and aunt) who always picked up when mom said no stepped in and made my veil. It was gorgeous. I no longer have her with me but my wedding picture is on the wall and reminds me of her every day. I know it will never be worn again (its out dated) but I cherish it more because she made it with love.
Tera and Treye-
All my best wishes to you all as you prepare for your special day. The best statement I have ever heard is to not get caught up in the planning of a wedding, but to focus on the planning of a marriage to the one you love for a lifetime.
You all compliment each other amazingly and I know you will have many years of happiness and awesome adventures!
I will be sending positive thoughts your way on Saturday!
-P
when my partner & I handfasted, we had each person present write a word on a stone ... the word was to be an encouragement, a reminder, an inspiration.... and we placed them in a box decorated for that purpose. The idea behind it was that, during difficult times, we can pull a stone from it and remember that quality as we work through the hard times...
First things first, Tera and Treye, I can't wait to celebrate your wedding with you on Saturday. You two are perfect for each other and I wish you all the health and happiness in the world!
As for you, CKB, you never cease to amaze me! Not that I didn't believe you'd do it, but still...I got a good laugh out of that one!
My favorite wedding story? I haven't been to many weddings in my day, but as I'm approaching the age where all my friends are getting married, I think this is soon to change. A wedding that I attended two summers ago, while everyone was going through the buffet line at the reception, they had a video playing featuring pictures of the bride and groom as children, adolescents, and then their time together. I thought it was a nice sentiment to show how their two separate journies merged to make one union.
Another neat idea that my mother shared with me (in hopes that it will be used at my "future" wedding) involves the bride's bouquet. As she walks down the aisle, signficant people in her life stand at the end of their pew and hand her flowers. Then, when she gets to the front, her mother is standing there and has the ribbon to tie around all the flowers to make her bouquet. I have to admit, I like the idea, and one day when I get married, I see myself using it.
A couple of notes...
Artnme1556... welcome back. I've missed your posts! I was getting ready to put out an APB on you.
Chaotic... I love the stone idea! "Rocky" times are inevitable, so inspirational stones could come in handy.
Katie... I fully expected to be standing on the end of a pew with a flower in my hand.
One of my favorite aspects of my wedding was our get-together afterward. We had a simple, quick reception after the ceremony, then family and close friends met in my parents' backyard for pizza. It was so nice to have the casual atmosphere to visit with everyone and take a breath before going off on our honeymoon.
Another creative thing that my mom thought of was to have teenagers from our church serve cake and desserts in exchange for a donation to their mission trip. There were no lines and guests could just find their seat and relax while they were waited on.
Hi again everyone! As Treye said, thank you to everyone for you kind words! We are SOOOOO excited for Saturday to get here. We can't wait to see all of our friends and family...eat, drink and dance too!
I'm sure that my fellow HLA readers that are coming to the wedding will share details with you all next week :)
The thing that Julie was talking about earlier is a poem I got from my friend, Andrea. It also came with pairs of candles in a nice basket.
A BASKET OF CANDLES FOR TERA
A basket of candles that come in a pair
In all different colors for you two to share.
The WHITE ones burn first as you begin your new life
Together as husband and wife
Burn the GREEN candles and hope no one is thinner
After serving the first guests you have over for dinner.
The DARK BLUE candles are for after your first fight
Use them to burn while making up all night.
PINK candles set the mood and pave the way
For your first married Valentine’s day.
When your first year of marriage is ending
Light the CREAM pair of candles and remember your wedding.
RED candles aflame; both your futures are bright.
Celebrate promotions you’ve worked toward with all of your might.
By this time we hop, maybe, just maybe
You can light the PURPLE ones for the birth of your baby.
And just when you thought you’d put these away
Take the LIGHT BLUE ones out for your 5th anniversary day.
Now just one more pair left for the big 2-5
The anniversary that will keep your love alive.
Congratulations Tera and Treye
On the start of your forver;
May the two of you always be happy together!
And burn these candles just the way we said
But please don’t forget – blow them out before bed!
First, let me say I am so jealous that you can still fit in your wedding dress. I would also like to send best wishes to Tera and Treye.
Here is an idea that I will use when my daughter gets married. She will not have a wedding bouquet. As she is walking down the aisle important people in her life will step out in the aisle as she is coming down and will hand her a flower to make up her bouquet. The last flower in her bouquet will be from me and I will have a bow to tie them all together. I have never seen this done just read about it.
Hope when it comes times for Katie's wedding this will turn out to be a good idea. Will let you know in about 10 years.
I'm taking lunch at my desk just so that I can have a few minutes to post to HLA today...I've missed you guys over the last few weeks of moving mayhem.
First and foremost...TERA AND TREYE!!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!! I'm so sad that I can't be there in body but know that I'll be sending all my love and warm thoughts your way.
My own wedding day was unlike any other wedding I have attended but Claudia can attest to the fact that it was totally me. I too am a frugal person so we pinched pennies anywhere we could. We got married at a cute little bed and breakfast in Indiana and had our wedding and reception there, outdoors. There was no rain location and it cost $100 for the site if we got a room there the night before so I stayed there with my Mom.
Our flowers were the most beautiful arrangements and were coordinated by Claudia and her Mom who was flown in from NY to do them for my wedding present.
At the time I was waiting tables at Tumbleweed and my manager there catered on the side. She did our reception for $10 a plate (we had about 40 people present).
We used music from Bal's iPod and speakers borrowed from the University and although it is a little bit of a wedding snafoo it is one of my favorite wedding memories when our recessional music popped up as Woohoo from the 5,6,7,8s instead of the Wedding march. Everyone ther thought it was planned so I put my bouquet above my head and danced my way back down the aisle.
My favorite thing was our guestbook which allowed our guests to give wishes and make predictions about our lives together including the prediction of when our first child would be born and what our children's names would be. My sister came closest on the day (9 days off!) and my Uncle guessed we would use my Grandmother's name somehow and we used it as Lily's middle name.
All in all I loved every second of my wedding because I didn't let anyone tell me what to do or how to do it. I wanted a casual, fun get together with the people we loved most and didn't budge on it.
Savor the moment, have your friends take lots of pictures and let go of the programmer in you so that you can actually enjoy the day rather than programming the day.
I love you both Tera and Treye!!!
OOOh, I don't have much time, but I wanted to write a quick comment about Kat's wedding! We had a great time planning here wedding! She was in college so we did a lot of web surfing over the cell phone. She had so many beautiful ideas. Her drss had a gored train of very pale blue. It was stunning.
A group of my friends made cupcakes and I had another friend ice them. Kat's brother made picks with photos of Kat and Rob to stick on the top. Kat made dozens of truffles.
Kat found a company called Ecofetti and we had confetti instead of rice or bird seed.
Ala in all it was a blast!
cant wait to see you guys get married this saturday! congrats!!!
hi claudia, it has been awhile i know that maureen had told you why. first off, my special memory of my wedding day is not only marrying the man that i love but my dance with my dad (he is not with us any longer). Tera, cherish that moment. I have been married for 19 years and i got married when i was 22 and never regreted a day yet. I have a wonderful husband and 2 fantastic boys (15 and 17) I wouldn't trade any of it for the world.
claudia, the anonymous (last post is me, Layne).
WOW....Claudia your blog is amazing. I will try and participate as much as possible...still trying to juggle job and three kids. And with Katie going to school.....how will i survive.
Best wishes Tera & Treye.
Hopefully you're wedding will be the first in many celebrations throughout your lives together.
I planned my wedding all by myself. For me, it was fun, chaotic, and I probably spent way too much money ( I was over-compensating). We picked a theme - not Packers - but golf. All the tables were named for golf courses and the gifts were golf balls (real or chocolate). My favorite parts were the trolley ride from the church, Matt dipping me at the altar for our first kiss, and dancing with everyone.
One word of advice - if you're having cameras on the table - be scared of what guests might do. Some of our pictures were cute - others involved men and hairy butts. Not a good wedding moment.
In Feb, I'm in my sorority sister's wedding. I can't wait to see what she creates on her special day. ]
And finally - Tera - it's your day to be a queen, don't let anyone take that away from you. Have fun.
Lorie... Welcome!!!!!! Thanks for posting. Do this blog community a favor and share yourself! You are fun, creative, and have a great sense of humor. ...Not to mention three children and plenty - o - experience working in a day care! We will all benefit from you sharing yourself.
And, yes.. I was at Cristine's wedding and it was a great time! The mystery photographs... Hmmmmm.... I like to think it wasn't my husband.
Have fun this weekend Tera and Treye! I'll be thinking of you!!
The favorite part of my wedding was before we got dressed, my husband and I hung out and ate lunch meat sandwiches together with his sister and my friend in one of the Sunday school rooms at the church. Very low key and non stressful.
I also loved that one of my friends snuck into our hotel room and decorated it with candles, rose petals, and chocolate. It was beautiful and so thoughtful.
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