Our Wedding: the morning of

I spent my wedding eve with two of my bridesmaids at my parent's house. It was a very low-key night, though one of the smoke detectors kept chirping for new batteries, which delayed our sleep a bit! 

That morning, I woke up pretty early, I think around 6, ready to start my day! My wedding day didn't officially start until noon, when we were arriving at the venue for hair and make-up. Let me tell you, that morning seemed to go on forever! I had a quiet breakfast with my parents, and then the girls started waking up. 

a fitting coffee mug from Ashley Brooke Designs, if I do say so!

Side note: I drank SO MUCH fluid on my wedding day, because I was a bit nervous that I was going to faint during the ceremony - I had already almost fainted at two bridal fittings, and have a penchant for fainting in the past, so was determined to make sure that I kept my blood sugar level up for the wedding day!

We hung out until around 11 or so, and then headed to the venue. My cousin had beaten us there, and sent a photo of the ceremony chairs being set up. It was starting to get very real!

Once we were all there, the girls at Body Bliss and Spa immediately got to work on hair and make-up. Sarah, the owner, had given me a timeline in advance of when each girl was getting their hair and make-up done throughout the day, which helped my nerves tremendously. Since I was getting married at 4:30 and wasn't arriving to the venue until 12, I was a bit nervous that Sarah and her team wouldn't have everyone done on time, which included me, five bridesmaids, and two mothers.

I needn't have worried, though, because they were done with plenty of time to spare. It's such fun getting your hair and make-up done, and the girls did such a great job. I even wore false eyelashes for the occasion!

The bridal party got ready upstairs in the main house of the venue, while the guys got ready in an old cabin on the property. Since Matt and the groomsmen were in such close proximity, I was confined to the upstairs, and caught glimpses of the ceremony and reception through small windows that afforded a view of the goings-on. At one point, I was standing on the toilet, craning my neck to look out the window at the reception pavilion!

After a quick lunch of wraps and chips, we popped a champagne bottle (or two) to celebrate!

Emily and her assistant Morgan arrived shortly thereafter, and I gave them a bag that I had already set aside with all of the "details" that Emily might want to photograph - invitation, welcome bag, perfume, shoes, etc.

During the rehearsal the day before before, I had given the girls robes from Plum Pretty Sugar, with the intent that we could get ready in them. It made for such adorable photos!

At this point, I was starting to get a bit antsy, so when Emily said to me, "let's put your dress on, girl" I was about ready to burst from excitement!

Since my dress had so many layers, I needed a lot of help from my bridesmaids!

One very special gift from one of my sister-in-laws was my "something blue," an embroidery of my married initials with my wedding date, which I had sewn into my dress. It was such a sweet and thoughtful detail.

Once my gown was on, with my gorgeous bouquet in hand, us girls went outside for some portrait shots before the wedding.

To be continued!

Photographer: Emily March Photography / Day-of-Coordinator: Ashlee Adams of The Sutherland / Hair and Make-Up Artist: Body Bliss Salon and Spa / Invitations: Ply / Bride's Dress: "8724" by Justin Alexander / Bride's Shoes: "Couture Bow Pump" by Valentino from Nordstrom / Bride's Hair Comb: "Bella" by Hair Comes the Bride / Bridesmaid Dresses: J Crew

Bridal Accessories

One of my favorite wedding accessories was my hair comb. I decided to not go with a traditional veil for a couple of reasons:

1) To help with the budget, I decided that this was one of the items that I could forego

2) When I tried on veils with my dress, it seemed "off" somehow, almost as if the veil was competing with the dress. I think it's because there is so much tulle in the gown itself that a gauzy veil just looks superfluous 

3) Matt wasn't too keen on me wearing a veil, and so I wanted to respect his wishes

Since I wasn't going to wear a veil, I did need a little something extra to go with my dress, because I wasn't wearing any jewelry, either. I had planned on wearing this kate spade bracelet, but when I tried it on with the dress, it just didn't look right.

photo by Emily March Photography

That's when I got the idea of wear a pretty hair comb! I found one at the cleverly named Hair Comes the Bride, and was so happy with the piece. It looked so elegant in my hair, that I don't think anyone even realized that I wasn't wearing a veil!

My wedding dress

I've blogged about my wedding dress hunt before, but now I can finally show you some photos of the actual dress!

I ordered my dress in February, and at the end of July I got a happy call that my dress had arrived! Truthfully, I was a bit nervous that the dress wouldn't fit. When I ordered my gown in February, I decided to go a size down, since I was between two sizes, and thought that a smaller size would mean less alterations (and less money). I was very happy that it fit perfectly.

I did decide to get a crinoline layer taken out of the skirt, since it was a little too "Southern Belle" for me. I am from the North, after all! The hem of course needed raising, which the seamstress did little by little, over the course of four bridal fittings.

We did have a bit of a problem with the bustle. Originally, the seamstress made a 9-point bustle, but when the sales girl, the seamstress, my mom, and the maid of honor couldn't seem to find the buttons and line up the points correctly, the seamstress decided to make it a bit easier by only doing 3 points, which I was very grateful for. I kept envisioning everyone at the reception waiting, as the clock ticked on, and my bustle still not pinned!

One thing that I don't think I mentioned in my first post regarding my wedding dress was the fact that I didn't have an immediate emotional reaction to my dress. I liked it, sure, but I didn't have a "moment" or anything.

With that said, one of the telling ways that I knew that the dress was for me was the fact that after I tried on a few gowns, I wanted to put the dress back on. And when I had it on, I didn't want to take it off! And as the wedding planning progressed, and I had my hair and make-up trial, I wanted to put the dress back on, to see everything together! I would say that all of these things were a good indication that while I may not have gotten emotional, I picked the right dress for me.

Our wedding invitations

Well hello! It's been awhile since I last updated my blog...four months to be exact! A lot has happened since then, but perhaps the biggest thing is that I got married! I kind of left you all hanging with my last post about my March goals, but I am back now to chronicle my wedding.

The good thing about taking such a long break is that now I can share everything all at once, since my wedding day has come and gone, as sad as that is. It was a truly beautiful day, on all accounts - spiritually, emotionally, and physically. I am excited to share it with you!

Today, let's talk invitations!

I had no clear direction on what I wanted our wedding invitations to look like, I just knew that I didn't want them to look plain. While I can appreciate a classic invite, I kept being drawn to invitations that had a little something extra - a pop of color, a cute monogram, or a fun envelope liner. The wedding invitations are most likely the first thing that your guests will see regarding your wedding, and so I wanted to set the right tone and feel with our invitations.

After some careful consideration, I started working with Molly Gaither from Ply to design my invitations. Molly was truly a gem to work with, and I wholeheartedly recommend her, for the following reasons:

1) She is so sweet, and was just as excited about my invitations as I was

2) She was sensitive to our budget, and never made me feel like I was "skimping" on a design decision. Case in point - I really wanted letterpress invites, but when the budget just simply wouldn't allow it, Molly pointed out that with a digital print, I could personalize my design and add as much color as I wanted - which was exactly what I was going for

3) She clearly loves what she does, and was incredibly patient during the design process

4) Lastly, she took my inspiration and created a beautiful invitation suite that looks better than what I had envisioned. It can't get any better than that!

After I decided to work with Molly, she went right to work creating a design. I shared a Pinterest board of my wedding invitation inspirations, and  we were off!

I can't remember how many rounds we went through - I think it was about 6, but once we got through the basic structure, it was essentially small tweaks until I declared them perfect, and that was mostly changing the color scheme of the different elements of the suite.

And here is the finished product!

photo by Emily March Photography

The gold glitter envelope liner was an extra addition that I felt would really make the whole suite "pop," and I think it had the desired effect! Molly hand-cut all of the envelope liners, so it was nice touch. 

The envelopes were addressed by Calligraphy by Carrie, who also did the escort cards and cupcake flavor cards, but more on that later. I have atrocious handwriting (I blame the fact that I am a lefty!), and so it was important to me to have a beautiful addressed envelope for our guests.

What do you all think? I truly loved them, and I hope you do too!

march goals

Curious kittens from the snow day...

Hello, friends! Last week was quite the week! Mother Nature has not been kind to North Carolina, and on Wednesday night dumped about 5+ inches of snow on the Triangle, knocking out power for thousands (including Matt and I). We didn’t get power back until Friday morning – two days since it first went out! Luckily, we have family that live close by, and were able to pack up ourselves and the kittens to spend the night in electricity. It’s funny how much your schedule gets thrown off by something like that!

This weekend was spent brunching with friends at Irregardless Café (our caterer, coincidentally), picking up our wedding rings (!), and lots of downtime watching movies and snuggling with the kittens.

I’ve been seeing many bloggers post their monthly goals, and it’s always something that I wanted to start on my blog, too. What better way than the month of March for the beginning of a new series? With the wedding countdown in the double digits, it’s going to be a busy month! My March will include: dropping off / picking up invitation envelopes for the calligrapher to address, a dress fitting, a hair and make-up trial, a wine tasting at the venue (rescheduled from all the snow the past couple of weeks), and a bridal shower in New Jersey. Whew!! I’m sure there’s more that will pop up, but this is what is currently tracking on my calendar. With all that in mind, I’m trying to keep everything else low key.

Goals for March:

— Make biscuits! 

— Write a “60 Before 30” post

— Purchase some plants for the top of the bookshelf

— Keep on top of the wedding plans – I’ve been pretty good about this so far, I think the only outstanding thing from February was purchasing the bar signs, which I couldn’t do anyway!

— Have a fantastic time at my bridal shower!

Looking over this list, I think it’s doable. The only thing that could get crazy is the wedding planning goal, but I’m confident in my organizational skills that everything will continue on smoothly. :)

our favorite durham spots

I thought it would be fun to share our favorite places around Durham. This city gets a bad rep, mostly because at one time it was considered pretty unsafe. But, Durham has gone through a revival of sorts over the past 10 years, and I’m confident that it will look like a completely different city in the next 10 years – that’s how much change is happening. It’s fun to live in a city that is coming into its own, so to speak. This is in no way an all-inclusive list, but these are the spots that Matt and I have gone to, continue to go to and enjoy.

FOR DINNER

Geer Street Garden – a restaurant located in a former gas station. The seating is mostly communal and outdoors, but they bring in heaters and close it off during the winter months. I think between the both of us we have gotten pretty much everything on the menu, and it is delicious. The grilled pimento cheese sandwich and fish tacos are so so good.

The Pit – if you want some authentic, North Carolina barbeque, this is the place for you. I used to dislike hushpuppies, but theirs have converted me.

Dos Perros – upscale Mexican restaurant with the best guacamole and margaritas.

Bull City Burger and Brewery – I don’t normally eat beef, but for Bull City Burger, I make an exception. If you get a tattoo of the BCBB logo somewhere on your body, you will receive 26% off for life. Really.

Nanataco – when we just want some fresh, authentic tacos, we go here. They always offer a “dirty meat” (think duck, beef tongue, etc.), but I’m not that courageous and just stick to chicken.

Lilly’s Pizza – I had to include a pizza place! The best crust partnered with the freshest toppings.

The Federal – for all intents and purposes, the “Fed” is a hole in the wall bar, but man their fries…so good. Check out the specials; there is always something surprising and delicious (like boar meat tacos).

FOR LUNCH

The Q Shack – The best Southern food, with no frills. Think: picnic benches and paper towels for your sticky fingers.

Nosh – While good for lunch, this is also a great place for breakfast (it’s what Matt gets every time we go there). I love their pasta salad. 

FOR BREAKFAST/BRUNCH

Parker & Otis – Can get pretty crowded on the weekends. It’s located inside a store, so it’s fun to shop while you wait for a seat.

Rise – Don’t let the location turn you off (it’s located in a strip mall). They have the best biscuits with some tasty toppings as well.

Monuts – Fresh donuts! Who doesn’t love a good donut, am I right?

FOR COFFEE

Guglhupf – Belgian inspired bakery and café. This is a great place to come and meet a friend for a latte or to get some work done.

Cocoa Cinnamon – The best hot chocolate I’ve ever had can be found right here (seriously, it was like drinking straight chocolate). They have a lot of interesting choices, so take a look at the menu closely before ordering.

FOR BOOZE

Fullsteam Brewery – Out of all the places listed, this is definitely the most hipster. Dog friendly, food trucks, arcade games, ping pong tables, and trivia every Thursday night. I don’t like dark beers, but The Working Man’s Lunch is pretty delicious.

Bull McCabes – an Irish pub located in the heart of downtown. We usually order a Guinness (Matt) and a Crispin (me).

And really, every restaurant we recommend serves great drinks. We are living in the golden age of microbreweries, folks.

FOR DESSERT

The Parlor – Delicious ice cream made by hand. It was originally a food truck that started a Kickstarter and opened up its own shop. They feature a lot of quirky flavors, including green tea.

The Cupcake Bar – I have a soft spot for cupcakes (I’m opting for them instead of a traditional wedding cake), and this bakery almost won as my wedding vendor.

february reads

I haven’t done one of these in a while (the last one was back in October), so here we go! 

The Vacationers by Emma Straub / This is very much a summer read, so if you are escaping the cold winter and relaxing on a beach somewhere, I suggest you bring this along. The characters are somewhat annoying, but that’s the point.

Unbroken: A World II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand / This book was just...wow. It’s an incredible (true!) story that is very inspiring and emotional. I haven’t seen the movie, but I can bet that the book is WAY better.

Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares / The final installment of the “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” books. I’ve been reading these books since I was in high school, and it was time that I finish the series. This one was super sad and very heart wrenching.

Astonish Me by Maggie Shipstead / Confession time: when I was a little girl, I wanted nothing more than to be a ballerina, mainly because of the shoes (I guess I’ve always had a thing for shoes). An entertaining story about a dancer, with a slight twist at the end.

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart / This book kept coming across lists as a to-read book of the year, and while it was a quick read and entertaining, I didn’t think it was OMG AMAZING, you know?

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd / I really enjoyed this one. I like historical fiction, especially when it is loosely based on real person’s life, and so I pretty much breezed through this. It is an Oprah book club pick, which comes with all the stigma attached to that, but she honestly picks some really good reads!

A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra / This was another one that kept getting rave reviews, but I had a hard time getting through it. The storyline is almost too bleak. It’s one of those stories where everything is connected, though, which redeemed it a bit for me.

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes / So many tears. I highly recommend it – it would be a good one to read in a book club, especially with the topic it addresses.

Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler / I thought it would breeze through this one, but I had a hard time getting into it. I love learning about the lives of past authors, but for some reason I just couldn’t get excited about this book. I don’t know where the disconnect was.

What are you reading?