Weddingbee Blog
Our ceremony was held at The Athenaeum, in old town Alexandria, VA. The room was a big, empty gallery space with beautiful natural light and a nicely historic feel.
The folding chairs belonged to the Athenaeum. Our groomsmen and ushers set them up before the ceremony. As much as I drool with desire over a pretty Chiavari … these were free. And, after all, people just sit in them. (Or so I kept telling myself!)
When we visited a week before the wedding, the gallery was highlighting huge black-and-white paintings that were graphically striking but not at all in harmony with our wedding style. Luckily, the day before our wedding, they switched to charming, slightly-vintage-y botanical paintings.
I was in love with our aisle runner, an “art-silk” sari I purchased through eBay for $25 (after shipping from India). The ends were unfinished, but I just folded them under and stuck them down with double-sided carpet tape. The sari fabric was attached to the floor at each end with the same tape.
(Now, to figure out what to do with all that beautiful fabric! Tablecloth? Throw pillows? Any suggestions?)
I’m a wedding cryer, so I have a fascination with the whole Tears of Joy concept. But Kleenex = eh. And these handkerchiefs have a vintage feel that went beautifully with our wedding style. I wasn’t sure how to word the accompanying sign, but Mr. T provided a winner: “In the event of tears….”
Next to the hankies: a photo celebrating the memory of my father’s parents (at their own “vintage” wedding).
(All photos by Punam Bean.)
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Your wedding has so many unique and clever details.
That sari fabric is gorgeous. Could you make some of it into a wrap? It would look so pretty with so many different fabrics/outfits and would be a lovely reminder of your wedding day everytime you wore it.
I love the sari aisle runner! May I ask which ebay seller you bought that from? Or what keywords you put in to search? 
What a gorgeous ceremony.
I also want to know where you got those adorable hankies?
I love the hankie idea too! Where did you get them?? I think I will borrow this idea instead of wasting tissue paper. Thanks!
Sorry I was so lax in not naming my eBay sellers in the post itself. I was feeling too lazy to track them down again! But, @Cricket, @Tina S., and @ecochicbride, the hankies came from a seller in China named Fine Collection Store: http://stores.ebay.com/fine-collection-store . The seller was totally trustworthy with good customer service. The hankies are new, made from vintage patterns. Or, you could search “vintage hankie lot” and find actual vintage hankies from US sellers.
And @dezziemon, the sari came from a seller in India named Chintus Exotic Silk Collections: http://stores.ebay.com/Chintus-Exotic-Silk-Collections . It was their “Benarasi Silk Sari Fabric” — a silk blend that turned out to be soft, shiny, and just as nice as real silk. We loved it!
Thanks Mrs. Tulip!! 
The aisle runner is gorgeous and an unexpected detail. I agree with beanchar and think you should convert it into a wrap. If there’s extra material maybe you could use it to line a purse or clutch.
we’ve used extra fabric from our wedding, and prior to that wedding’s i’ve been in (i cut up my bridesmaid dresses) to make wine bottle gift bags. they made perfect gifts.
I love all the special details you used in your ceremony– especially the sari aisle runner and hankies. The aisle runner would make beautiful throw pillows!
Love the wrap idea, ladies, thanks! My extremely limited sewing skills might even be up to that! And Jen, I don’t know how many gift bags I need, but maybe zipper bags? With a heavier lining fabric, they should have enough shape….
Ladies there is great source that I found for handkerchiefs. The online store is called WeddingHandkerchiefshop.com and they have an awesome selection of vinatage hankies with incredible embroidery. One idea that I got from another bride was to send them as save-the-dates by screen printing the date,time, place on them. It makes a beautiful gift.
Happy hunting!!
[...] kindly sent me a package of hankies from her wedding, along with a very sweet card. I used these as she did, displaying them at the ceremony for people to take. There were so many I was able to select the [...]
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Mrs. Tulip, DC
Age and Occupation: 36, Retired
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 33, Counsel/DOO for Small Gov't Contractor
Engagement Date: August 8, 2007
Wedding Date: March, 2008
Venue: Still Looking!
About Me: In all my dreams of the man I'd someday marry, I never pictured anyone as perfect for me as Mr. Tulip. So now we just have to make it through the craziness of the wedding and the moving in together! I love crafts, sewing, jewelry making, and photography, so am looking forward to this chance for DIY fun. When not wedding planning, I'm playing with our dog and 4 cats, Ebay shopping, or watching too much TV (often simultaneously!).
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