Mrs. Perfume, DCAge and Occupation: 36, Consultant (and Part-Time Professor)Fiance's Age and Occupation: 41, ConsultantEngagement Date: May 13, 2008Wedding Date: May, 2009Venue: The Homestead, Hot Springs, VirginiaAbout Me: I'd like to think that I'm a modern day Little Edie Beale. Only not as..."talented". More realistically, I'm a foodie who can't bake; a dancer and dilettente; an art collector with a penchant for the whimsical and subversive. I live in the city and adore the country, but not much in between. I like smart design, great craftmanship and good value. Most of all, I love the new vintage aesthetic: classic, sweet, delicate, bespoke. If I had to do it all over again, I'd go for a culinary arts degree rather than a PhD; but wouldn't trade Mr. P for the world.
Mrs. Rainbow nominated Mrs. Perfume’s post on how to make macarons! It gave her the confidence to make them herself! Mmm…
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I finished the last batch of the macaron favors right before I left to go for our emergency dance lesson on Saturday.
Yes, that’s right. I’m making macarons for our wedding favors!!! Why would a girl who is notorious for not baking decide to bake one of the most difficult pastries in the world for her favors?
Because I love them and I’m obsessed with Laduree. By now everyone knows I love macarons. And no self-identified foodie could get away with NOT making her own something for her wedding, right? Right… if she’s crazy. And so it goes…
I attempted the ridiculous and actually succeeded after several tries. Read more…
Mrs. Perfume, DCAge and Occupation: 36, Consultant (and Part-Time Professor)Fiance's Age and Occupation: 41, ConsultantEngagement Date: May 13, 2008Wedding Date: May, 2009Venue: The Homestead, Hot Springs, VirginiaAbout Me: I'd like to think that I'm a modern day Little Edie Beale. Only not as..."talented". More realistically, I'm a foodie who can't bake; a dancer and dilettente; an art collector with a penchant for the whimsical and subversive. I live in the city and adore the country, but not much in between. I like smart design, great craftmanship and good value. Most of all, I love the new vintage aesthetic: classic, sweet, delicate, bespoke. If I had to do it all over again, I'd go for a culinary arts degree rather than a PhD; but wouldn't trade Mr. P for the world.
The lovely Mrs. Perfume shares her favorite posts! Here they are, rolled into one!
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Tonight we finally finished putting together our invitations. We (okay mostly I) really love them! But they were a pain. A real pain. And they weren’t even DIY. Well, they were partly DIY in that I wanted to use boxes instead of outer envelopes. Little did I know I was in for such a maddening experience…
Our finished invitation boxes. (If the Sheraton ever needs gift boxes…)
Midway through our planning, I became obsessed with confectionary colored elements (as is well documented here, here, and here), especially Laduree packaging.
Mrs. Perfume, DCAge and Occupation: 36, Consultant (and Part-Time Professor)Fiance's Age and Occupation: 41, ConsultantEngagement Date: May 13, 2008Wedding Date: May, 2009Venue: The Homestead, Hot Springs, VirginiaAbout Me: I'd like to think that I'm a modern day Little Edie Beale. Only not as..."talented". More realistically, I'm a foodie who can't bake; a dancer and dilettente; an art collector with a penchant for the whimsical and subversive. I live in the city and adore the country, but not much in between. I like smart design, great craftmanship and good value. Most of all, I love the new vintage aesthetic: classic, sweet, delicate, bespoke. If I had to do it all over again, I'd go for a culinary arts degree rather than a PhD; but wouldn't trade Mr. P for the world.
Over Memorial Day weekend we celebrated our one year anniversary! My, how time flies. We headed back down to the Homestead for the weekend, and it was a fantastic time full of great moments and nostalgia (is it nostalgia if it’s memories of just a year ago?). We kept saying “A year ago at this moment we were…” and then would recount what we were doing at that time. It was fitting because some of our activities of this weekend paralleled those of our wedding weekend (unplanned and totally cheesy, but sweet)!
Esme, our wedding coordinator, arranged to have us in an upgraded suite in the tower, the tallest part of the hotel with the best view, for our stay. And as I got ready for dinner, Mr. P called me out to the living room to look at something…
Mrs. Perfume, DCAge and Occupation: 36, Consultant (and Part-Time Professor)Fiance's Age and Occupation: 41, ConsultantEngagement Date: May 13, 2008Wedding Date: May, 2009Venue: The Homestead, Hot Springs, VirginiaAbout Me: I'd like to think that I'm a modern day Little Edie Beale. Only not as..."talented". More realistically, I'm a foodie who can't bake; a dancer and dilettente; an art collector with a penchant for the whimsical and subversive. I live in the city and adore the country, but not much in between. I like smart design, great craftmanship and good value. Most of all, I love the new vintage aesthetic: classic, sweet, delicate, bespoke. If I had to do it all over again, I'd go for a culinary arts degree rather than a PhD; but wouldn't trade Mr. P for the world.
We woke up really early (like 6:30 AM) Sunday morning to do the remaining prep work for our friends Michelle and Graham’s brunch. It was worth it. Everything turned out well and the happy couple was ecstatic. They were also pleasantly surprised by the slight nod to Spain (Michelle studied in Spain for a year, and also brought along her friends visiting from Galicia).
Mrs. Perfume, DCAge and Occupation: 36, Consultant (and Part-Time Professor)Fiance's Age and Occupation: 41, ConsultantEngagement Date: May 13, 2008Wedding Date: May, 2009Venue: The Homestead, Hot Springs, VirginiaAbout Me: I'd like to think that I'm a modern day Little Edie Beale. Only not as..."talented". More realistically, I'm a foodie who can't bake; a dancer and dilettente; an art collector with a penchant for the whimsical and subversive. I live in the city and adore the country, but not much in between. I like smart design, great craftmanship and good value. Most of all, I love the new vintage aesthetic: classic, sweet, delicate, bespoke. If I had to do it all over again, I'd go for a culinary arts degree rather than a PhD; but wouldn't trade Mr. P for the world.
Then there was dancing, dancing, dancing!!!! I danced with FIL as Mr. P danced with his mom. My mom is not a dancer and refused all invitations to do so. She had a great time watching us. I spent the entire night on the dance floor, forgetting to get pictures of me in the photobooth!! I literally had the time of my life. We were soooooo happy to be surrounded by our friends and family and it was so AMAZING and wonderful to be husband and wife! Hours-newly weds. It is such a fabulous time, ladies. Please savor your hours and minutes during your big day.
Mrs. Perfume, DCAge and Occupation: 36, Consultant (and Part-Time Professor)Fiance's Age and Occupation: 41, ConsultantEngagement Date: May 13, 2008Wedding Date: May, 2009Venue: The Homestead, Hot Springs, VirginiaAbout Me: I'd like to think that I'm a modern day Little Edie Beale. Only not as..."talented". More realistically, I'm a foodie who can't bake; a dancer and dilettente; an art collector with a penchant for the whimsical and subversive. I live in the city and adore the country, but not much in between. I like smart design, great craftmanship and good value. Most of all, I love the new vintage aesthetic: classic, sweet, delicate, bespoke. If I had to do it all over again, I'd go for a culinary arts degree rather than a PhD; but wouldn't trade Mr. P for the world.
Mrs. Perfume, DCAge and Occupation: 36, Consultant (and Part-Time Professor)Fiance's Age and Occupation: 41, ConsultantEngagement Date: May 13, 2008Wedding Date: May, 2009Venue: The Homestead, Hot Springs, VirginiaAbout Me: I'd like to think that I'm a modern day Little Edie Beale. Only not as..."talented". More realistically, I'm a foodie who can't bake; a dancer and dilettente; an art collector with a penchant for the whimsical and subversive. I live in the city and adore the country, but not much in between. I like smart design, great craftmanship and good value. Most of all, I love the new vintage aesthetic: classic, sweet, delicate, bespoke. If I had to do it all over again, I'd go for a culinary arts degree rather than a PhD; but wouldn't trade Mr. P for the world.
Here we are moments after the ceremony: hugging, just the two of us, in disbelief, taking it all in. Then our family and friends poured out of the garden. There were congratulations and hugs by close family members. These are my very favorite moments…
Mrs. Perfume, DCAge and Occupation: 36, Consultant (and Part-Time Professor)Fiance's Age and Occupation: 41, ConsultantEngagement Date: May 13, 2008Wedding Date: May, 2009Venue: The Homestead, Hot Springs, VirginiaAbout Me: I'd like to think that I'm a modern day Little Edie Beale. Only not as..."talented". More realistically, I'm a foodie who can't bake; a dancer and dilettente; an art collector with a penchant for the whimsical and subversive. I live in the city and adore the country, but not much in between. I like smart design, great craftmanship and good value. Most of all, I love the new vintage aesthetic: classic, sweet, delicate, bespoke. If I had to do it all over again, I'd go for a culinary arts degree rather than a PhD; but wouldn't trade Mr. P for the world.
And we walked, slowly, I was smiling an uncontrollable smile…
Mr. P looked nervous and shy—he could barely look at me…
And there we were. Finally, at the altar… Read more…
Mrs. Perfume, DCAge and Occupation: 36, Consultant (and Part-Time Professor)Fiance's Age and Occupation: 41, ConsultantEngagement Date: May 13, 2008Wedding Date: May, 2009Venue: The Homestead, Hot Springs, VirginiaAbout Me: I'd like to think that I'm a modern day Little Edie Beale. Only not as..."talented". More realistically, I'm a foodie who can't bake; a dancer and dilettente; an art collector with a penchant for the whimsical and subversive. I live in the city and adore the country, but not much in between. I like smart design, great craftmanship and good value. Most of all, I love the new vintage aesthetic: classic, sweet, delicate, bespoke. If I had to do it all over again, I'd go for a culinary arts degree rather than a PhD; but wouldn't trade Mr. P for the world.
After we got ready, we headed to the front of the resort for the first look. Mr. P was waiting there with his brother and the photographers. My BMs and I stumbled out of Abby’s car (which we had to drive the short distance up the hill because there was no way we could walk with all our dresses, flowers, and gear)!
Mrs. Perfume, DCAge and Occupation: 36, Consultant (and Part-Time Professor)Fiance's Age and Occupation: 41, ConsultantEngagement Date: May 13, 2008Wedding Date: May, 2009Venue: The Homestead, Hot Springs, VirginiaAbout Me: I'd like to think that I'm a modern day Little Edie Beale. Only not as..."talented". More realistically, I'm a foodie who can't bake; a dancer and dilettente; an art collector with a penchant for the whimsical and subversive. I live in the city and adore the country, but not much in between. I like smart design, great craftmanship and good value. Most of all, I love the new vintage aesthetic: classic, sweet, delicate, bespoke. If I had to do it all over again, I'd go for a culinary arts degree rather than a PhD; but wouldn't trade Mr. P for the world.
One year ago this very weekend, we were married on a sunny and beautiful spring day. I thought the most fitting way to end my recaps would be of that day. (Happy Anniversary, Mr. P!)
So here goes: Our day to remember!
I woke up very early, around 7 AM. Despite staying up until 2 AM the night before, I was too excited to sleep. Looking down from our suite, I could see our wedding venue, and it got me so excited. It was such a beautiful, serene sight to behold.
Throughout the day, I could see the progress of the set-up for the wedding and cocktail hour. I was SO giddy! Read more…
Mrs. Perfume, DCAge and Occupation: 36, Consultant (and Part-Time Professor)Fiance's Age and Occupation: 41, ConsultantEngagement Date: May 13, 2008Wedding Date: May, 2009Venue: The Homestead, Hot Springs, VirginiaAbout Me: I'd like to think that I'm a modern day Little Edie Beale. Only not as..."talented". More realistically, I'm a foodie who can't bake; a dancer and dilettente; an art collector with a penchant for the whimsical and subversive. I live in the city and adore the country, but not much in between. I like smart design, great craftmanship and good value. Most of all, I love the new vintage aesthetic: classic, sweet, delicate, bespoke. If I had to do it all over again, I'd go for a culinary arts degree rather than a PhD; but wouldn't trade Mr. P for the world.
After our confusing(!) rehearsal, I was so ready for our welcome dinner. This would be the first opportunity for us to see most of our guests. I was a little nervous and excited all at once! But most of all, I couldn’t wait to eat and relax a little! We were in the home stretch; we had no more details to accomplish. We could just relax and look forward to the next day.
{Images via various friends, camera phones, and our impromptu documentarian, Graham}
Ah, relaxing a little… after the fun(ky) rehearsal!
Mrs. Perfume, DCAge and Occupation: 36, Consultant (and Part-Time Professor)Fiance's Age and Occupation: 41, ConsultantEngagement Date: May 13, 2008Wedding Date: May, 2009Venue: The Homestead, Hot Springs, VirginiaAbout Me: I'd like to think that I'm a modern day Little Edie Beale. Only not as..."talented". More realistically, I'm a foodie who can't bake; a dancer and dilettente; an art collector with a penchant for the whimsical and subversive. I live in the city and adore the country, but not much in between. I like smart design, great craftmanship and good value. Most of all, I love the new vintage aesthetic: classic, sweet, delicate, bespoke. If I had to do it all over again, I'd go for a culinary arts degree rather than a PhD; but wouldn't trade Mr. P for the world.
I’ll just start by saying, some things you can’t control. Like, for example, your officiant, who at the rehearsal leaves you with more questions than answers and a strong feeling that things will probably go a bit awry come wedding day… JUST SAYIN’.
Also, this is another long post. Sorry! (All images by our friend, Graham, and other wedding guests.)
That’s the look of “Oh boy, this is going to be interesting.” Father Jim is in the background still telling a story.
So, it’s still the Friday, the day before the wedding. We just finished with our (half-baked) tea ceremony, and we rushed back to our rooms to change for the rehearsal in the garden. People were still arriving at that point—and by “people” I mean our bridal party. Read more…
Mrs. Perfume, DCAge and Occupation: 36, Consultant (and Part-Time Professor)Fiance's Age and Occupation: 41, ConsultantEngagement Date: May 13, 2008Wedding Date: May, 2009Venue: The Homestead, Hot Springs, VirginiaAbout Me: I'd like to think that I'm a modern day Little Edie Beale. Only not as..."talented". More realistically, I'm a foodie who can't bake; a dancer and dilettente; an art collector with a penchant for the whimsical and subversive. I live in the city and adore the country, but not much in between. I like smart design, great craftmanship and good value. Most of all, I love the new vintage aesthetic: classic, sweet, delicate, bespoke. If I had to do it all over again, I'd go for a culinary arts degree rather than a PhD; but wouldn't trade Mr. P for the world.
We left off with me and Mr. Perfume delivering the welcome bags and assembling the macaron favors. It’s still Friday and our tea ceremony (I’ll generically call it just a tea ceremony, as it was more confusion than a real Vietnamese dam hoi) was on for 3:00PM. A dam hoi is an ’asking’ or engagement ceremony. This is less a story about the ceremony and more about the give and take (and miscommunication) that comes with a mother’s involvement in wedding planning.
I don’t know where to start with this. Many of you won’t be able to identify with this tradition, but just as many will know what I’m talking about when I say my mother was totally frustrating! First, it was her strong desire to have something to honor this part of our heritage. That’s fine. But somewhere along the way, she just thought it would happen. On its own. Or that I’d figure it out—me, who barely speaks Vietnamese and is embarrassingly estranged from the culture (judge me not). Anyway, I didn’t want anything elaborate. I had asked my mother several times to explain how it works. Mind you, she is NOT good at explaining. ANYTHING. God love her, she is a great mom and a sweet woman, but hell, she cannot explain her way out of a bag! Anyway, I had asked her many times: Please tell me step-by-step what we need to do, what things we need to organize, what we need to purchase. I always got some meandering story and little bits of inconsistent details. Actually, I’m not even sure she really even knew what goes into it.
Mrs. Perfume, DCAge and Occupation: 36, Consultant (and Part-Time Professor)Fiance's Age and Occupation: 41, ConsultantEngagement Date: May 13, 2008Wedding Date: May, 2009Venue: The Homestead, Hot Springs, VirginiaAbout Me: I'd like to think that I'm a modern day Little Edie Beale. Only not as..."talented". More realistically, I'm a foodie who can't bake; a dancer and dilettente; an art collector with a penchant for the whimsical and subversive. I live in the city and adore the country, but not much in between. I like smart design, great craftmanship and good value. Most of all, I love the new vintage aesthetic: classic, sweet, delicate, bespoke. If I had to do it all over again, I'd go for a culinary arts degree rather than a PhD; but wouldn't trade Mr. P for the world.
Grrrr. Writing recaps is SO hard, especially when it’s much more interesting to read all the fresh ideas from all the fresh new bees and all the fabulous recent weddings in the hive! But, I’m determined to get this all done by our one year anniversary, which is fast approaching! I don’t think I’ll do a ton of recaps, just a handful of really long posts. So warning: this is tediously long! Sorry!
So we left off with that Wednesday before the wedding, where we gathered and packed everything for the trip down to Hot Springs/The Homestead. As I mentioned, to maximize efficiency for car travel, we packed a lot of things flat and un-assembled, which meant that there was to be assembly required!
Tip #1: If you’re planning a destination wedding or planning from afar, be sure to add at least an additional day and a half at your location to give yourself time to assemble your details, especially if you have a lot of them.
Mrs. Perfume, DCAge and Occupation: 36, Consultant (and Part-Time Professor)Fiance's Age and Occupation: 41, ConsultantEngagement Date: May 13, 2008Wedding Date: May, 2009Venue: The Homestead, Hot Springs, VirginiaAbout Me: I'd like to think that I'm a modern day Little Edie Beale. Only not as..."talented". More realistically, I'm a foodie who can't bake; a dancer and dilettente; an art collector with a penchant for the whimsical and subversive. I live in the city and adore the country, but not much in between. I like smart design, great craftmanship and good value. Most of all, I love the new vintage aesthetic: classic, sweet, delicate, bespoke. If I had to do it all over again, I'd go for a culinary arts degree rather than a PhD; but wouldn't trade Mr. P for the world.
I’ve had so many false starts and promises to you guys to start my recaps. I did the honeymoon and a sprinkling of this and that. And now it’s almost 10 months since our wedding, and I *still* haven’t done any recaps. Until now. I regret not doing them sooner, as some of my memories have faded. If you’re documenting your own wedding, do yourself a favor and don’t wait. Try to remember as much as you can and write it down. It goes by so fast!
If you don’t recall, I’m Mrs. Perfume, and I got married last May on the same day as the lovely Mrs. Taffy and Mrs. Peep Toe, who have been way more diligent with their recaps than I have. So, hi, again!
But before we get to the Big Day, I’ll start with the events of the days before the wedding. Read more…
Mrs. Perfume, DCAge and Occupation: 36, Consultant (and Part-Time Professor)Fiance's Age and Occupation: 41, ConsultantEngagement Date: May 13, 2008Wedding Date: May, 2009Venue: The Homestead, Hot Springs, VirginiaAbout Me: I'd like to think that I'm a modern day Little Edie Beale. Only not as..."talented". More realistically, I'm a foodie who can't bake; a dancer and dilettente; an art collector with a penchant for the whimsical and subversive. I live in the city and adore the country, but not much in between. I like smart design, great craftmanship and good value. Most of all, I love the new vintage aesthetic: classic, sweet, delicate, bespoke. If I had to do it all over again, I'd go for a culinary arts degree rather than a PhD; but wouldn't trade Mr. P for the world.
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
