Wedding Blog

Not everyone lives in L.A., Chicago or New York City. Some of us also don’t live in Atlanta, Tucson or Colorado Springs. Hell, Mr. Mary Jane and I don’t live in Knoxville, Syracuse, or even Fargo.

We live in Grand Forks. It’s a decent, small city. A college town, too. We’ve got access to all of the basic stores: Office Max, Michaels, Target, Walmart, JCPenney, Sears… you get the picture.

We do not have a Saks, a Nordstrom, or a Neiman’s. There’s no PaperSource. No David’s or Men’s Wearhouse. No Trader Joe’s and no Whole Foods. No Costco, either. And that’s not because the town’s already satisfactorily filled with independent boutiques and crafters’ havens. It’s got a few, but mostly: there just isn’t the market for that stuff here.

This post is for the gals who live in places like mine. I bet you look at a lot of the awesome things other women have done for their weddings and you think: “I could do that too, if I only had a _________ store in my locale.”

I’m here to tell you: don’t sell yourself short!

A lot of creative improvisation has gone in to my wedding. All of my DIY supplies came from two places: Michaels and Office Max. I used a 100-pack of greeting card envelopes for our invitations. There are paper clips holding together our RSVPs. I’m putting together my own bouquet using flowers I’m buying at a random local grocery store. But to be clear: I’m not settling. I’m doing the best I can with what I’ve got.

Don’t forget about the Internet, either. I bought my dress*, shoes, hair accessory and bracelet online. I found the inspiration for both of our rings there, too. Cake topper? Also bought online.

The bright side of planning a wedding in a unique and possibly secluded location is that whatever you do will be unique. Keep in mind that “unique” does not equate to “half-assed” or “Dollar-Store klassy” unless that’s the amount of effort you give it.

So, ladies of the forgotten towns: don’t bitch and moan about how hard your life is. Revel in the chance to do something creative. And bask in the glory of your success when your guests exclaim: “How did she ever find something like that around here?!”

*I think I actually bought (and returned) 10+ dresses online before I found The One.