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Nellie’s Storyboard
June 12th, 2007 @ 6:12 pm by Reader Email
I’m planning a July 2008 wedding in New York City. My fiance is American and I am Chinese and I wanted to incorporate different aspects of my culture without making it overtly Chinese or Asian. The tone is light and airy but with bursts of color. I plan to have goldfish incorporated somehow, whether in the centerpieces along with floating flowers, or as a logo or invitation design. Creating the mood board helped me hone down my ideas. It’ll be especially helpful when I start considering bridesmaid dresses. -Nellie
13 Responses to “Nellie’s Storyboard”
I’m digging the goldfish! Oh, the kids will want to take them home!
I have to disagree with Iris. Please, please don’t use live goldfish in your centerpieces. I love the goldfish logo or invitation design, but I hate the idea of little live animals used as decoration. Plus, what will happen to all the fish after the wedding, if they don’t die? I wouldn’t count on guests taking them all.
I have to caution you on the goldfish. I loved the idea too a few years ago when planning an event for about 100. I had fishbowls with betafish and floating candles. Well, I felt horrible, but something about either the heat or the wax killed most of them. It was awful!
how about origami goldfishes instead? would that work?
Thanks, weddingbee for posting my board!
Hmm… really good points! I did consider that they might die and that would definitely put a damper on the event. So maybe I’ll incorporate traditional Chinese paper cut-outs of a pair of goldfish. Or just have one pair of live gold fish on the guest sign in table. But again, keeping them alive will be difficult.
I definitely want to incorporate them into the theme of the event, so I’ll have to get creative!
I’m pretty sure that goldfish is rubber, y’all!
Yes they are rubber. They sell them at local kid stores here in my town. But they do not float! Bummer cause they are really cute. Oh and a note on using real fish, make sure your venue is not too hot. I had a friend that wanted to use them last year but her wedding was in July and outdoors so she decided the fish bowls would be like a hot tub so they were not used.
If you want to suspend the rubber fish in water (or air), you could try monofilament fishing line. With bonus points for irony. 
P.S. Where do people find all these pretty pictures to use in storyboard?
we have gone back and forth on the goldfish thing too! we decided against it because we thought kids would want them but parents would hate us, plus the whole “dead fish upside down in the vase” seemed risky.
how about instead of the fish, you paint some river rocks gold and put them in with some normal colored rocks? just to get a hint of the “fortune” color.
i am so excited by fusion weddings, we’re doing cylindrical vases with curly lucky bamboo and river rocks, and sticking roses and dahlias around them. then they sit on mirrors with more river rocks and loose flowers and votives. i should really stick in a picture, my description prob isn’t too clear. 
My cousin had no problems with goldfish centerpieces in her wedding two years ago…but I do hear all the concerns (and have many times on the knot). There has been all kinds of advice given, too, so if you’re up for a potential bashing, you could post on the knot.
The only problem my cousin had was my brother pulling a fraternity stunt and “eating” the fish whole. He did that twice and tried to slip one to the bride?!?!?! But you do need to consider that, children “bugging” the fish, definitely no candles or other items in the water to disrupt or change the waters make-up, loud music, and/or poo and other floating items including dead fish.
If you can find a non-live way to do it, awesome, but I have never been one to advise not doing soemthing becuase a bunch of internet strangers say so–they won’t be at your wedding. But be prepared to hear “I told you so,” maybe. 
how about goldfish floating candles? i’ve seen variations on the theme around the internet. here’s one:
http://www.weddingthings.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=WeddingThings&Product_Code=CN-FISH
love the colors & goldfish…
