Weddingbee Blog

The event design was heavily influenced by our modern tastes and the geeky nature of our venue. We tried to infuse the day with lots of unexpected details that maintained this modern, geeky theme and showcased what kind of couple we are. We also wanted the day to be special not only for us, but also for our family and friends by paying homage to traditions while revamping them to fit our needs.

We’re an interfaith couple, but my parents were pretty outspoken about us being married by a rabbi. We were okay with it as long as the rabbi respected both of us (we’re not particularly observant of either religion, but we do have strong, very similar faith, if that makes sense). Fortunately, Cory’s family was okay with it, too. After a very long search (I must have spoken to at least 20 rabbis who wouldn’t marry us for one reason or another), we finally found a wonderful rabbi who would customize our wedding specifically for us. It was a Jewish wedding, but had a non-traditional spin on things. Our ketubah was entirely in English, we asked our friends and family to write their own Seven Blessings on themes that fit us (like the importance of laughter, or having dogs in our lives) and read them during the ceremony, and we both stepped on the glass together.

Right before the ceremony, when I saw the reception set up. It was like the vision in my head was actually translated into real life. It finally came together; all my hard work paid off! I was in tears when I saw it (happy tears, of course!).

The Venue:

The museum was the perfect venue for us — the foyer where we were married was airy and full of natural light, the exhibits were interactive and nestled into nooks and crannies (which was great for setting up bars and stations for the cocktail hour), and the museum’s main exhibit hall was a neutral, blank slate that could be morphed into whatever we wanted. But being able to have a T-Rex and a polar bear at our wedding totally sealed the deal.

The Food:

Our caterer was really wonderful, and let us completely customize our entire menu. I love cheese, so we had a cheese course in lieu of dessert. We love prosecco, so we had a prosecco bar during the cocktail hour, where guests could choose from a variety of prosecco-based drinks.

And we live in Texas, so we decided to serve only Shiner beers in honor of our residential state.

Cory loves popcorn as a late-night snack, so I surprised him late in the reception with a popcorn machine.

Our cake was frosted in chocolate ganache. It wasn’t as smooth as fondant (though it was much tastier!), but it was smoother than buttercream.

The Reception:

Since we were married in a museum, we had to rent everything from tables and chairs to a stove. Needing to rent everything seemed a bit overwhelming at first, but it was truly a blessing in disguise, as we were really able to customize every little detail.

As a couple with contemporary, non-traditional tastes, when we saw a picture of long banquet tables, we were smitten. Squares became an easy way to carry out the modern vibe we were going for, and it allowed us to put weird twists on common items. In the wedding world, square cakes are pretty ubiquitous, but our guests went gaga over the novelty of it. We chose square rentals for our tabletop wherever we could — why have regular drinking glasses when we could have square-bottomed ones? Square vases? Square flatware? We’re in! Even the straight lines of the chiavari chairs fit in well. But I think (I hope) it served as a unifying design element, rather than square-overload.

The Budget:

Although it was hard, our wedding came in (just barely!) under our budget, and many thought it cost much more than it actually did. By prioritizing what was important to us and searching around for the best deal, we were able to spend frugally in some areas and splurge in others. It’s surprising how one vendor can charge X for something like letterpress or flowers or cake and another vendor will charge Y for the same exact thing. Looking around for the best price (without sacrificing quality, of course!) really saved us thousands in the end. Instead of paying a pretty penny for custom letterpress invitations, we designed our own wedding stationery and Vertallee Letterpress printed it for us at a very reasonable cost. We also saved some money by DIYing things like the chuppah roof, the menus, the programs, and the cookie bar (instead of buying them pre made); bringing in our own alcohol; and forgoing bridal party flowers, which freed up some moolah for fun things like a shuttle to and from the wedding from the hotel, lighting design, custom dinosaur drink stirrers from For Your Party, and a dendrobium orchid boutonniere for each guest.

What were your favorite or most memorable aspects of your wedding day?

Obviously my favorite part of the day was the ceremony! I only remember snippets of it, but I remember how incredibly happy I was throughout the whole thing. I felt like giggling the whole time! (From what I do remember, I giggled a fair amount anyway.) After the ceremony, I’d have to say that I loved the hora. It was so wonderful to see our entire family and all of our friends lifting us up, both literally and metaphorically.

Is there anything you would have done differently?

Tons! I didn’t realize that I could “pop the question” to my bridesmaids (when asking them to be in my wedding party); I’ve seen such cute ideas for that. And I love the idea of a bridesmaids lunch. I wish we could have squeezed that in, but the day was packed as it was.

If we had money in the budget, I would have hired a videographer. Though our photographers were wonderful, I only remember snippets of the day, and even if Cory and I are the only ones who watch it, I would love to have a real-time record of our wedding.

The biggest thing is that by the time that I had about a month left of planning, I just didn’t care anymore about planning — I wanted to be married! As such, I didn’t give some of the vendors as detailed and concrete guidelines as I had been earlier in the planning process, like telling the rabbi that I didn’t want to drink red wine during the ceremony (I didn’t want to spill on my dress!). While nothing disastrous happened (the dress was safe!), I shouldn’t have dropped the ball. It’s in my nature to care about the little things like that, and it bothered me for months after the wedding that an area wasn’t completely piped-and-draped, or that floralytes were in the cocktail hour centerpieces. (Silly, right?!)

Do you have any advice for future brides?

1. People have plenty of ideas of what your wedding should be like. Listen to your instincts and your fiance (unless he wants something absolutely crazy, like a scantily-clad girl popping out of the wedding cake). You know what’s best for the two of you.
2. Someone’s always going to think that an idea you love is tacky. Banish that word from your vocabulary. I was a much happier and less stressed person after I did.
3. Don’t be afraid to ask for help! My mom is the craftiest person I know, and for some reason, it didn’t occur to me to ask her for help with all of my DIY projects until very late in the process.
4. And have FUN! You’re not a bride every day — enjoy it!

All pictures are from Jeremy Evans Thomas or Mary Kate Burgess