Mrs. Balloons, Aspen, COAge and Occupation: 24, Mass Communications graduate, Web Design student, & winery workerFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, EngineerEngagement Date: July 10, 2009Wedding Date: August 2011Venue: The Sundeck at The Little NellAbout Me: I'm a small-town Midwest girl planning an intimate mountaintop destination wedding complete with a huge DIY at-home reception. As an honors graduate fallen victim to the worst job market in history in my area, we're doing everything we can to still have the wedding of our dreams on a tighter budget. I currently enjoy working at a winery, but I'm lonnng overdue for a day job! I am: a big-time daydreamer, one of the pickiest eaters you'll ever meet, and a lover of pretty paper and awesome fonts. I'm a girly girl who loves to get dolled up, but also a country girl who loves to get muddy and go 4-wheeler riding. I also enjoy singing in the car, boating, going to concerts, the History Channel, carnival food, and going to watch St. Louis Cardinals baseball with my handsome engineer.
My journey down the aisle was truly one of the most spectacular events that I have ever experienced. Every worry or doubt that I had ever had about having a mountaintop destination wedding seemed completely insane as I turned the corner to see such a breathtaking, amazing view. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and the temperature was absolutely perfect. I was beaming from the inside out as I watched my future husband’s face light up with a smile as he stood against a backdrop of gorgeous mountains and pines. As I continued down the aisle with the angelic harp playing in the background, I literally felt as though I was thrown into a fairytale…everything was so beautiful that it didn’t seem as though it could be real.
Mrs. Zebra, Providence, RIAge and Occupation: 24 Marketing/Costume DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 26 Management/Firefighter Engagement Date: December 12, 2008Wedding Date: March 2011Venue: The Providence BiltmoreAbout Me: I'm a small town New England girl with an affinity for procrastination, crossing the proverbial line, and putting her foot in her mouth. I'm a lover of history, all seasons, sewing and Incubus. I design costumes on the side for my old high school's theatre department, which is where I met my sexy man. Our motto for our Big Fat Lebanese/Portuguese/Irish near-300 person wedding is "the more the merrier"! We are marrying in a Catholic ceremony and are hammering out the details of our Victorian-inspired reception.
Photo booths! All the rage! I don’t care if they are a passing fad, I’ll take a strip of goofy photos any day. Our photo booth luckily tripled as guest entertainment, favors, and a guest book which we felt was worth the added expense. My only regret is that I forgot about the booth and was only able to get one picture with Zeb right before we were introduced. Our guests clearly had a blast in it.
We really loved the classic look of our photo booth, with its red background curtain. It’s like being in the mall circa 1989 with a neon scrunchy in your hair. At the end of the night we were given our guestbook to enjoy immediately. Our guests loved looking at it during our post-wedding brunch the following day. We also received a CD of all the images as well. They are some of our favorite pictures of our wedding guests.
Mrs. Balloons, Aspen, COAge and Occupation: 24, Mass Communications graduate, Web Design student, & winery workerFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, EngineerEngagement Date: July 10, 2009Wedding Date: August 2011Venue: The Sundeck at The Little NellAbout Me: I'm a small-town Midwest girl planning an intimate mountaintop destination wedding complete with a huge DIY at-home reception. As an honors graduate fallen victim to the worst job market in history in my area, we're doing everything we can to still have the wedding of our dreams on a tighter budget. I currently enjoy working at a winery, but I'm lonnng overdue for a day job! I am: a big-time daydreamer, one of the pickiest eaters you'll ever meet, and a lover of pretty paper and awesome fonts. I'm a girly girl who loves to get dolled up, but also a country girl who loves to get muddy and go 4-wheeler riding. I also enjoy singing in the car, boating, going to concerts, the History Channel, carnival food, and going to watch St. Louis Cardinals baseball with my handsome engineer.
From the moment that I began my wedding planning journey, there was one aspect that I didn’t have to think twice about…the element of surprise at the end of the aisle. Even though there are tons of adorable first look photo shoots floating around the web, my desire for that grand moment of surprise when walking down the aisle remained. The night before the wedding Mr. B and I stayed in separate hotel rooms, the day of we got ready in separate locations, and we took extra care to be sure that we would not see each other when we got to the top of the mountain. Even though our wedding ultimately contained lots of non-traditional elements, I am so happy with our decision on keeping this particular tradition. Seeing my future husband’s reaction as I turned the corner and walked down the aisle is an image that I will always look back upon and smile. In fact, I’m literally smiling right now as I’m typing this and thinking back on that moment.
So I’m sure by now you’re wondering what first look I’m talking about! When discussing with my photographer which photographs were going to be most important and which “must have” shots needed to be included, the topic that kept popping up was how important to me it was to include the real moments with my father and not just posy type of pictures. This is when she came up with one of the greatest suggestions…a first look with my father before the ceremony! Read more…
Mrs. Sunhat, Dyer, IN Age and Occupation: 32, Tax AccountantFiance's Age and Occupation: 35, Landscape ForemanEngagement Date: September 25, 2010Wedding Date: December 2011Venues: St. Andrew the Apostle, Fiesta PalaceAbout Me: I'm a Midwest girl who grew up in the country and now works in the big city! I love cooking, entertaining, reading (addicted to my Kindle) and going to the movies. I don't miss an episode of Hoarders and I start cleaning every time I watch! My profession doesn't call for much creativity so wedding planning has been a great outlet. Mr. Sunhat and I met online three years ago, cheer for rival MLB teams and share a home with our dog, Wrigley. We are planning a traditional, Polish, Catholic wedding with lots of DIY elements and some fun surprises. I'm so excited to be married on New Year's Eve and we can't wait to ring in the new year as husband and wife!
I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day. Our ceremony was beautiful and the reception was a blast. We haven’t stopped receiving glowing reviews from our guests and I’m still completely overjoyed.
Mr. Ball Cap and I are on a mini honeymoon getaway right now, but I couldn’t resist popping in to say hello and sharing a teaser pic with you all. Read more…
Mrs. Argyle, St. LouisAge and Occupation: 24, Project CoordinatorFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, PilotEngagement Date: February 15, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: Jewel Box in Forest Park and Windows on WashingtonAbout Me: I'm a true Midwestern girl (born and raised), lover of red wine, reality TV and the entire J.Crew catalog. I love to dance regardless of who is watching, and enjoy a good laugh with my girls. I have a soft spot in my heart for planet Earth, my two dogs and my fiance. Fall is my favorite season (which is why we are marrying in September), but I love a warm summer day and the Colorado mountains in the winter. We are planning a modern soiree downtown, with lots of bold colors, and fun, eco-friendly elements.
Being the type-A planner I am, I timed our day to flow smoothly, giving me and the Mr. some time to sleep in (yes, I slept until 9:00 a.m. on my wedding day). Our ceremony wasn’t until 4:30 p.m., so we had plenty of time to relax. My wonderful hair and makeup artist did not arrive until around 10:15 a.m. When she showed up, Mr. A took off to go hang out with the guys, and my four beautiful bridesmaids and mom showed up to get all pretty for the big day. Holly quickly put my hair up in curlers to set, and while they cooled, I spent some time with my mom in the other room organizing all of the little details for my photographer to snap photos of. And, before I knew it, it was my turn to get my hair and makeup done.
Mrs. Zebra, Providence, RIAge and Occupation: 24 Marketing/Costume DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 26 Management/Firefighter Engagement Date: December 12, 2008Wedding Date: March 2011Venue: The Providence BiltmoreAbout Me: I'm a small town New England girl with an affinity for procrastination, crossing the proverbial line, and putting her foot in her mouth. I'm a lover of history, all seasons, sewing and Incubus. I design costumes on the side for my old high school's theatre department, which is where I met my sexy man. Our motto for our Big Fat Lebanese/Portuguese/Irish near-300 person wedding is "the more the merrier"! We are marrying in a Catholic ceremony and are hammering out the details of our Victorian-inspired reception.
We totally subjected our guests to the utter embarrassment of the bouquet and garter toss. Joking! Jokes! Our friends were lubed up and ready to catch them some bounty. We didn’t force anyone on the dance floor and I hope our guests were courteous enough to the people who may have felt uncomfortable to not harass them into participating. It may be a regional thing, but very rarely have I attended a wedding in our area that has forgone the tradition.
Immediately before the tosses our DJ, Brendan Lafferty, asked me how to handle any situation that would involve a child catching either the bouquet or garter. I told him that if a child caught anything, we would not proceed with the winner of the garter placing it on the leg of the winner of the bouquet. AWKWARD! Luckily, no children participated in the actual catching of anything.
We started it off with the sweet, sweet sound of Jimi Hendrix. I dare you not to make fox ears a la Garth Algar.
Video via YouTube / Song Performed by Jimi Hendrix
Mrs. Balloons, Aspen, COAge and Occupation: 24, Mass Communications graduate, Web Design student, & winery workerFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, EngineerEngagement Date: July 10, 2009Wedding Date: August 2011Venue: The Sundeck at The Little NellAbout Me: I'm a small-town Midwest girl planning an intimate mountaintop destination wedding complete with a huge DIY at-home reception. As an honors graduate fallen victim to the worst job market in history in my area, we're doing everything we can to still have the wedding of our dreams on a tighter budget. I currently enjoy working at a winery, but I'm lonnng overdue for a day job! I am: a big-time daydreamer, one of the pickiest eaters you'll ever meet, and a lover of pretty paper and awesome fonts. I'm a girly girl who loves to get dolled up, but also a country girl who loves to get muddy and go 4-wheeler riding. I also enjoy singing in the car, boating, going to concerts, the History Channel, carnival food, and going to watch St. Louis Cardinals baseball with my handsome engineer.
The morning of my wedding, I woke up surprisingly calm. I had been stressing the previous few weeks due to depressing weather forecasts that threatened to ruin our dream outdoor location, so waking up to a beautiful, sunshiny day instantly put a big smile on my face. Both my hair and makeup artist arrived right on time and looking fabulous (a great first sign to me since I took a huge leap of faith on hiring locals who I’d never worked with before!). They got to work on making me into a bride…
Mrs. High Wire, DallasAge and Occupation: 23, Legal AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Director of CommunicationsEngagement Date: October 9, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Clark GardensAbout Me: My loves include yoga, anything spicy, our eccentric cat, our rambunctious dog, and Mr. High Wire, of course! Like the steadiness act of the tightrope walker, this gal is busy balancing life while planning a wedding to the man of her dreams. We’re hosting a laid-back, vintage-inspired, bird themed wedding with heavy doses of love, good eats (did someone say tacos and margaritas?), and endless Texas charm. Mr. High Wire and I are so happy to have you along for the walk across the tight rope.
Detail posts are always my most favorite part of recaps, and I hope you enjoy the little details at our wedding.
Immediately after the ceremony, Mr. High Wire and I enjoyed a little private photo shoot in the gardens. At the same time, the guests were directed over to our reception tent to enjoy a cold drink.
I found these wonderful chalkboard signs for a really cheap price at a local flea market. Trying to do these DIY would have cost more. Read more…
Mrs. Teaspoon, Sydney, AustraliaAge and Occupation: 27, Medical ScientistFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, BankerEngagement Date: June 4, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: St Aloysius' College, Milson's PointAbout Me: I am a mad scientist who enjoys swimming at the beach in summer and skiing powder in winter. Our favourite times together are spent with the sand between our toes, cooking up a storm, re-watching and re-reading every Harry Potter ever made, and spending time with our dear friends and family! We have travelled the world together in our 6 years of dating, from Paris, to Thailand, to Las Vegas, and we are tackling the many challenges of planning our special day the best way we know how---together!
After we joined our guests for cocktail hour, we walked about two metres outside the reception room and waited for our introduction. First up was groomsman O and bridesmaid M:
Then the best man and maid of honour—they apparently got a ’pose at the top of the stairs’ memo. You might have also noted that my MOH did a little switcheroo with her dress and went with the evening look, for ease of dancing!
Mrs. Brooch, Arlington, VAAge and Occupation: 25, Writer/EditorFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Front Desk ManagerEngagement Date: October 3, 2009Wedding Date: April 2011Venue: Oxon Hill ManorAbout Me: I’m an indecisive girlie-girl with a motor mouth, can-do attitude, and knack for making others laugh. I dream of becoming a best selling novelist like Elizabeth Gilbert or Julie Powell (a girl can dream, right?), and love long road trips, a beautiful countryside, music, blogs, books, and all things vintage/thrift/antique/or homemade. I’m a Virgo, i.e. overly sensitive, emotional, and critical, and there’s no such thing as short and sweet in my world. I want to say and do it all. Mr. Brooch grounds me. I point where to go and he figures out the way. He’s a pragmatic fancy-pants who enjoys video games and movies. We both adore our mutt, Rocky, and spending time with our amazingly supportive family and friends. We’re planning a garden wedding with a formal reception with lots of whimsy and unique, Southern-inspired details.
After our first look and a little bride and groom love, we separated to prepare for the ceremony. This was a big moment, you guys. Just looking at the pictures, I tear up!
My veil. Oh. My sweet, sweet veil. It was by far my favorite accessory of the day. When I put it on, I knew our time was finally here. I truly felt like a bride.
Mrs. High Wire, DallasAge and Occupation: 23, Legal AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Director of CommunicationsEngagement Date: October 9, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Clark GardensAbout Me: My loves include yoga, anything spicy, our eccentric cat, our rambunctious dog, and Mr. High Wire, of course! Like the steadiness act of the tightrope walker, this gal is busy balancing life while planning a wedding to the man of her dreams. We’re hosting a laid-back, vintage-inspired, bird themed wedding with heavy doses of love, good eats (did someone say tacos and margaritas?), and endless Texas charm. Mr. High Wire and I are so happy to have you along for the walk across the tight rope.
After we finished our bridal party photos and cooled off inside for a few minutes, it was time to head over to the ceremony site. Luckily, we were staying on a guest house on the venue property all weekend, so we only had a short drive over from the house to the Rose Pavilion. In nicer weather, we would have just walked, but since it was so warm, we decided to take air conditioned vehicles.
Our day-of coordinator, Shelley, had done a wonderful job making sure all of the decorations were placed perfectly. Read more…
Mrs. Teaspoon, Sydney, AustraliaAge and Occupation: 27, Medical ScientistFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, BankerEngagement Date: June 4, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: St Aloysius' College, Milson's PointAbout Me: I am a mad scientist who enjoys swimming at the beach in summer and skiing powder in winter. Our favourite times together are spent with the sand between our toes, cooking up a storm, re-watching and re-reading every Harry Potter ever made, and spending time with our dear friends and family! We have travelled the world together in our 6 years of dating, from Paris, to Thailand, to Las Vegas, and we are tackling the many challenges of planning our special day the best way we know how---together!
After we took our golf course photos, we sneaked into the reception and grabbed a quick bite to eat and some pep-up from a Diet Coke. My girls were ready for the small wardrobe change to bustle my dress and swap out the veil for my hair flower. Then, we waltzed into our cocktail hour to see our guests!
Mrs. High Wire, DallasAge and Occupation: 23, Legal AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Director of CommunicationsEngagement Date: October 9, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Clark GardensAbout Me: My loves include yoga, anything spicy, our eccentric cat, our rambunctious dog, and Mr. High Wire, of course! Like the steadiness act of the tightrope walker, this gal is busy balancing life while planning a wedding to the man of her dreams. We’re hosting a laid-back, vintage-inspired, bird themed wedding with heavy doses of love, good eats (did someone say tacos and margaritas?), and endless Texas charm. Mr. High Wire and I are so happy to have you along for the walk across the tight rope.
Mrs. Zebra, Providence, RIAge and Occupation: 24 Marketing/Costume DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 26 Management/Firefighter Engagement Date: December 12, 2008Wedding Date: March 2011Venue: The Providence BiltmoreAbout Me: I'm a small town New England girl with an affinity for procrastination, crossing the proverbial line, and putting her foot in her mouth. I'm a lover of history, all seasons, sewing and Incubus. I design costumes on the side for my old high school's theatre department, which is where I met my sexy man. Our motto for our Big Fat Lebanese/Portuguese/Irish near-300 person wedding is "the more the merrier"! We are marrying in a Catholic ceremony and are hammering out the details of our Victorian-inspired reception.
Another wonderful part of the wedding day for the newlyweds is the speeches. I’ve taken a new liking to listening to speeches at weddings since having heard what our loved ones had to say about us.
After asking my best friend of 15 years to be MOH, I asked her how we could find a way to record her speech or hide her in another room with the microphone. You see, Brittany is incredibly shy when it comes to public speaking. Instead of running scared, she told me there was no need, as she’d be able to do it. For two best friends who were originally put into the remedial reading class in second grade together (we read too fast, they said), she did beautifully.
She started out with some heartfelt sentiments and then told everyone in the crowd that I used to force her to come with me to the high school baseball games so that I could see Zeb’s “ass in those grey tight baseball pants.” It IS a fantastic ass and those pants were wicked small.
Mrs. Brooch, Arlington, VAAge and Occupation: 25, Writer/EditorFiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Front Desk ManagerEngagement Date: October 3, 2009Wedding Date: April 2011Venue: Oxon Hill ManorAbout Me: I’m an indecisive girlie-girl with a motor mouth, can-do attitude, and knack for making others laugh. I dream of becoming a best selling novelist like Elizabeth Gilbert or Julie Powell (a girl can dream, right?), and love long road trips, a beautiful countryside, music, blogs, books, and all things vintage/thrift/antique/or homemade. I’m a Virgo, i.e. overly sensitive, emotional, and critical, and there’s no such thing as short and sweet in my world. I want to say and do it all. Mr. Brooch grounds me. I point where to go and he figures out the way. He’s a pragmatic fancy-pants who enjoys video games and movies. We both adore our mutt, Rocky, and spending time with our amazingly supportive family and friends. We’re planning a garden wedding with a formal reception with lots of whimsy and unique, Southern-inspired details.
It’s the Tuesday before Christmas, and boy, do I have a present for you!
A recap!
Oh myLANTA! A recap?
I know. It’s been a while (weeks? months?), and I’m really sorry for the impromptu disappearance! I have missed your company, your comments, and the reliving of all the special moments of our wedding SO, SO much! But life has been a whirlwind! We took our annual trip to Tennessee (the place where Mr. Brooch proposed) …. I ran a marathon!! …and we’ve been busy nesting our little apartment (hello, whole new world of DIY!!).
Well, I’m BACK and I’m ready to blast off! Will you jump back into the Brooch wedding with me? Do you even remember me? Haha. (If not, there’s tons of pictures below to remind you who the Brooches are!)
My last post revealed our emotional first look, which was directly followed by this time of bride and groom love. These photos hold a special place in my heart. We’ve used them more than any others from the day in our home. We’ve framed them and displayed them; so much so that if you didn’t know us, you might think we were a little narcissistic. What can I say? I’m smitten with us; having seen each other for the first time on this, the most special day in our lives. Our photographers (Meredith Perdue & Graham Terhune) did an amazing job capturing it all on film.
So here you have it: the Brooches, full of love and wedding day bliss.
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