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Mrs. Crab Cake, Columbus, GA Age and Occupation: 25, Registered Nurse Fiance's Age and Occupation: 31, Director of Education and Living History for a museum Engagement Date: April 6, 2008 Wedding Date: June, 2009 Blogging Since: November 26, 2008 Venue: Holy Family Catholic Church, reception: National Infantry Museum About Me: I'm a perfectionist trying to balance two jobs, motherhood, my craft obsession, and wedding planning. I am obsessed with all things wedding, especially creative ideas for saving money and DIY projects. A Southern Belle at heart, I love anything southern, especially sweet tea, grits, afternoon thunder storms, crab cakes, and good old Southern hospitality. Mr. Crab Cake and I are planning a vintage inspired wedding with tons of Southern flare (can y'all say that with a thick Southern drawl?).
About Mrs. Crab Cake

Our Direction

December 17th, 2008 @ 10:58 am by Mrs. Crab Cake

Mr. Crab Cake can testify that I’m very indecisive. I can pick something out, love it for a few weeks, and the minute I see something better, I’m newly in love with it, and completely out of love with the other thing.

When we first started this journey, we had no theme. Just colors. But we were having a really hard time pulling everything together. It really just wasn’t working for us. I had, at one point, fallen in love with a modern pink and orange floral kind of thing. But then we decided that our venue didn’t really allow for that kind of theme. Then I fell in love with peonies. Head over heels for peonies. I Googled peonies for hours, peony stamps, peony projects, peony fabric, silk peonies, you name it, I looked for it. I told our florist that we had to have peonies. I bought $160 worth of silk peonies for our centerpieces. I bought peony stamps and had designed all of our stationary around peonies. Mr. Crab Cake was trying to deal with the multitude of pink, but I could tell that every time we had a conversation that involved a color decision, he would say, “Just not pink.” Mr. Crab Cake is not a pink kinda guy.

So one night, I was reading through my favorite blogs, and I came across this post on StyleMePretty.

image

I thought it was a really cute idea, and innocently showed it to Mr. CC, not knowing that it would change the course of our wedding yet again.

This time, Mr. CC fell head over heels. He begged and pleaded. But could we put the map paper together with the peonies? It wasn’t working in my head. But he said, “Please, this whole thing is about you, can I please have this one thing?”

And then I had a revelation. He was right. The whole thing was all about me. It was pink, very, very pink. And flower-y, and girl-y. And it didn’t reflect his personality, or our personality at all. So, I agreed to the map cupcake tower, with one stipulation. I wanted a vintage map. He was more than happy to oblige.

I decided that I would play down the peonies, and work on the map/compass theme. I struggled some more, and Googled lots of things, mostly looking for something to bring everything together.

Then I came across a short poem from Ian Burgham.

And you,
A windrose, a compass
My direction, my description of the world.

And we were golden. Things really took off from there and I was back on Google looking for the perfect vintage compass clipart. Turns out I didn’t need to go any further than my own hard drive, because I pulled the graphic out of my word processor’s clipart files and edited it in paint.net (my freebie substitute for Illustrator).

And thus was born our vintage map/compass themed wedding.

cc2

Did your wedding begin with one theme and turn completely to another theme mid-way through planning?  What was your original theme and what did it morph into?

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18 Responses to “Our Direction”

1.
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Austyn

I absolutely love it. Such an original, and more importantly, meaningful theme.

 
2.
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West Coast bride

I love that one of the Bees has brought up StyleMePretty!

I’ve spent so much time on there, getting so many ideas, and basically drooling over other people’s weddings, but so rarely do I hear others publicly singing Abby’s praises.

You should also look up the poem by John Donne called “A Valediction of Forbidden Morning”. It uses the compass as a prominent metaphor for how two lovers are always connected, and moving in relation to one another, and guided by one another. It’s a classic and could be used somewhere in your day.

I looooooove peonies too, but I agree that weddings should reflect both the bride and groom’s personalities (I always cringe when I see women making their fiance and his groomsmen wear pink ties and vests!). Just remember you don’t have to make everything completely blend into one “our” personality. If you and your fiance have some opposites (or strongly gendered tastes), most people who know you will get a kick out of seeing the distinct bits of both of you permeate your day.

 
3.
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Miss Crab Cake (message)  816 posts, Busy bee

@West Coast bride: Thank you for the suggestion of the poem. It’s the perfect addition to our day!

 
4.
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Chelsey

Fortunately, our theme has not changed too much…yet - we are tying the knot on a 100yr. old steamship and are doing a slightly ‘nautical’ wedding. I say slightly because we are doing ‘map accents’ such as the compas rose and rope details. I’ve seen too many weddings where nautical went overboard! Our colors are navy and mimosa (a.k.a. bright yellowy/orange). I’m very excited to see how you are tying your nautical elements into your wedding!

 
5.
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adias.angel

OMG!!! You selected our theme!!!!

I thought I was the only one. We are using the travel theme with antique maps and compass roses everywhere. And we are doing it with the Orange and Pink you talked about earlier. I can’t wait to see how your theme takes shape!!! Good luck and if you need any inspiration let me know. ;)

 
6.
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Trebuchet (message)  121 posts, Blushing bee

Just showing some love for paint.net - that program has saved my butt so many times!

 
7.
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Bee
Miss Peep Toe (message)  1,610 posts, Bumble bee

I love your theme and quote. Right now we are technically themeless.

 
8.
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Miss Hot Cocoa (message)  1,685 posts, Bumble bee

Mr. HC and I love vintage maps, so I heart this theme. The Donne poem suggested by WestCoastBride would be a lovely addition to your repertoire, since the compass is the guiding metaphor for the whole poem. It’s actually titled “A Valediction Forbidding Mourning.”

 
9.
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Bee
Miss Taffy (message)  2,508 posts, Sugar bee

I love your theme, and the quote is so beautiful. :)

 
10.
frenchbulldog
Bee
frenchbulldog (message)  5,955 posts, Bee Keeper

I love your theme and both those poems, I can’t wait to see how it all comes together :)
FH and I have moved around on themes a couple times, but once we selected the venue, Bernardo Winery, our theme kinda chose itself :)

 
11.
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Bee
Miss Meatball (message)  612 posts, Busy bee

That gave me chills - its so stirring and special and simple.

 
12.
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Bee
Miss Meatball (message)  612 posts, Busy bee

@AliCherri1: We booked Bernardo Winery before we found our “real” venue! Aw, you’ll have such a sweet wedding there!

 
13.
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Bee
Mrs. Emerald (message)  900 posts, Busy bee

love the compass graphic and the short poem!! fabulous!

 
14.
driftslikesmoke
Hostess
driftslikesmoke (message)  1,220 posts, Bumble bee

That is INCREDIBLY romantic. My fiancee and I love to travel, so I may have to borrow that quote and use it on something for him. Would it be beautiful engraved into a travel journal?

I love it. Beautiful theme, Miss Crab Cake!

 
15.
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bugaboo (message)  122 posts, Blushing bee

wow! I love it! I like that it is different too! I am just like you, I fall head over heals in love with one idea, go crazy with it, and then decide, that it doesn’t work. I think you hit the jackpot, because it is something that is truly about you as a couple, and that is what a theme really should be!

 
16.
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Jennifer

I am like this. FI says I should stop looking at wedding blogs, but we still have 9.5 months to go, so TECHNICALLY things don’t have to be set in stone quite yet. We started with green and orange, then grey and pink, now it’s sort of golds, creams, and peach/coral/melon with pewter. Eh. :-) Tons of time. I’m waiting for a miraculous revalation like yours that will give me a theme.

 
17.
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Mrs. Sea Breeze (message)  908 posts, Busy bee

I think it’s fab you realized it’s Mr CC’s day too and let him have his thing. I did the same with Mr Breezy and let me tell you, he was sooo happy. After all, marriage is all about compromises, right?

 
18.
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Mrs. Avocado (message)  1,400 posts, Bumble bee

Out of all the weddings being talked about on WB right now, I’m most excited to see what you are going to come up with CC. It sounds like it is going to be beautiful and timeless. I love maps and compasses as well, and worked it into my invitation (and had plans for other things as well, but as most of my wedding plans, things changed).

 


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Mrs. Crab Cake
Mrs. Crab Cake Mrs. Crab Cake, Columbus, GA Age and Occupation: 25, Registered Nurse Fiance's Age and Occupation: 31, Director of Education and Living History for a museum Engagement Date: April 6, 2008 Wedding Date: June, 2009 Blogging Since: November 26, 2008 Venue: Holy Family Catholic Church, reception: National Infantry Museum About Me: I'm a perfectionist trying to balance two jobs, motherhood, my craft obsession, and wedding planning. I am obsessed with all things wedding, especially creative ideas for saving money and DIY projects. A Southern Belle at heart, I love anything southern, especially sweet tea, grits, afternoon thunder storms, crab cakes, and good old Southern hospitality. Mr. Crab Cake and I are planning a vintage inspired wedding with tons of Southern flare (can y'all say that with a thick Southern drawl?).
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