July 3, 2009
June 28, 2009
Back for More (vows, that is!)
It's funny that the day I finally get around to loading more pictures happens to be the one year anniversary of our renewal. We don't really see it as an anniversary, since we were really married on the 30th the year before, but I'm glad that I am taking a few minutes to relive and remember it today nonetheless...
June 28, 2008
Since it had been raining a bit earlier, and more rain was in the forecast, the ceremony was moved inside at Deerpark (boo).
The musicians, Don Pedi and Bruce Green, warming up.
Since the ceremony was supposed to be in the courtyard, we had planned on arriving very early and hiding behind screens in the back of the restaurant, so that no guests would see us until the time came to walk down the aisle. I am not really sure why I didn't change this plan after the ceremony got moved indoors, as it wouldn't have mattered then, but I guess I had other things on my mind. So we waited in the back with no AC, just a giant fan (I am standing to get the most airflow), until the guests and the men were safely in the lodge room.
The men, on the other hand, apparently had access to the bar and were having a grand old time.
Here I am opening the card that Mike sent to me before the ceremony. It was thoughtful...
My wonderful grandparents, waiting their turn to head down the aisle. I love this picture of them.
Crossing the courtyard to the Lodge Room.
My mom being escorted by one of the groomsmen. The heights worked out perfectly!
Some of my ladies on the move.
Why am I nervous?! You know what else I am thinking?
Here my step-dad is asking me, "Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Which is the same thing he asked my older sister on her big day, but doesn't quite work here, as I have already been married for 363 days at this point.
My adorable niece was not quite sure she wanted to walk down the aisle.
Here we go! (I love this shot of the back of my dress, by the way.)
A moment of awe.
June 28, 2008
Since it had been raining a bit earlier, and more rain was in the forecast, the ceremony was moved inside at Deerpark (boo).
The musicians, Don Pedi and Bruce Green, warming up.
Since the ceremony was supposed to be in the courtyard, we had planned on arriving very early and hiding behind screens in the back of the restaurant, so that no guests would see us until the time came to walk down the aisle. I am not really sure why I didn't change this plan after the ceremony got moved indoors, as it wouldn't have mattered then, but I guess I had other things on my mind. So we waited in the back with no AC, just a giant fan (I am standing to get the most airflow), until the guests and the men were safely in the lodge room.
The men, on the other hand, apparently had access to the bar and were having a grand old time.
Here I am opening the card that Mike sent to me before the ceremony. It was thoughtful...
And funny...
And sweet. What a great reminder of why I was marrying him (again).
My wonderful grandparents, waiting their turn to head down the aisle. I love this picture of them.
Crossing the courtyard to the Lodge Room.
My mom being escorted by one of the groomsmen. The heights worked out perfectly!
Some of my ladies on the move.
Why am I nervous?! You know what else I am thinking?
How amazing are my flowers, really?
Here my step-dad is asking me, "Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Which is the same thing he asked my older sister on her big day, but doesn't quite work here, as I have already been married for 363 days at this point.
My adorable niece was not quite sure she wanted to walk down the aisle.
Good thing her daddy was there to help her along.
Here we go! (I love this shot of the back of my dress, by the way.)
Our brother-in-law surprised us by announcing that he had gotten ordained online in preparation for the vow renewal! It was completely unnecessary, of course, but very, very touching. In case anyone out there is working on a program, here is the opening prayer:
God of Light, who gives us the longing for love and the capability of loving, we give thanks for Michael and Elizabeth, for their open hearts and willing spirits, and for the example of love that they embody here in our presence. We give thanks as well for the loving example set by those who have left us to join you, but remain in our hearts. Be with Michael and Elizabeth on this joyous occasion of rededicating their love and restating their vows. And be with us, their witnesses, that we may all be changed by what is given and received here today. Amen
Next, my little sister (who has an amazing voice) sang a slightly-doctored version of "The Water is Wide," an old English folk song. She sang it a cappella and it was magical. We lyrics are really beautiful and the idea boats has ties to my dad, so it was all the more meaningful. The only thing we changed is the last stanza, which is less than romantic (look it up), so we repeated the first stanza at the end instead. Here are the lyrics we used:
The water is wide I can not get o'er
And neither have I wings to fly
Give me a boat that will carry two
And both shall row my love and I
Where love is planted O there it grows
It grows and blossoms like a rose
It has a sweet and pleasant smell
No flower on Earth can it excel
A ship there is and she sails the sea
She's loaded deep as deep can be
But not so deep as the love I'm in
I know not if I sink or swim
The water is wide I can not get o'er
And neither have I wings to fly
Give me a boat that will carry two
And both shall row my love and I
The next picture is the wine and chocolate ritual we included in the ceremony. I got the idea here, from Mrs. Ladybug, and it was my favorite part of the vow renewal. Here's how it went:
Officiant: As the lyrics of the song implied, the waters of life are wide. Elizabeth and Michael have already experienced life’s bitterness, yet they have shown us that when they join together and support each other, their ship sails safely. Even through hardship, their love has grown. To represent this commitment to loving and supporting each other, they will now share a taste of life.
Michael and Elizabeth, there will come in your life days of great sweetness, and days of bitter sorrow. There will be celebrations, and there will be tears. There will be triumphs, and there will be tragedies. Life holds indescribable happiness in store for you both – and unavoidable pain, as well. And so to symbolize your acceptance of this reality, today you will share the bitter and the sweet, just as you will share them in the years to come.
Both of you, taste this bitter red wine.
Taste in it the dark days which will rock your marriage and test its strength. It represents disappointment, illness, grief. Know that these hard times will come, and with them, the opportunity to deepen your bond as husband and wife.
Now, taste this sweet chocolate.
Taste in it the sweetness and light that will fill your marriage with joy. Savor the richness of its flavor, just as you will savor every happiness that your beloved brings you. It represents shared laughter, your child’s first steps, your golden anniversary. Delight in it, as you will delight in your husband, your wife.
Next, a good friend read "Two Trees," by Janet Miles. This poem has tremendous meaning for me. I found it very early in the wedding planning process, and it has been at the bottom of the page on this blog since the very first day. It was so wonderful to finally hear it read with my wonderful husband standing next to me. Here are the words:
A portion of your soul has been
entwined with mine
A gentle kind of togetherness, while
separately we stand.
As two trees deeply rooted in
separate plots of ground,
While their topmost branches
come together,
Forming a miracle of lace
against the heavens.
We renewed our vows and re-exchanged our rings.
Since it was a renewal, our pronouncement went like this:
Officiant: Because you have renewed your pledge of love and commitment to each other before this company, I now declare that you are recommitted to each other in the covenant of marriage, and pronounce you husband and wife.
Then we kissed!
Finally, an Apache blessing:
And we recessed back down the aisle to "You are My Sunshine."May the sun bring you new energy by day.
May the moon softly restore you by night.
May the rain wash away your worries.
And may you live the days of your lives in
peace, love, and happiness.
Whew! Done! Here are some post-ceremony moments...
"I can't believe you got ordained!!!"
Big-sister love...
A moment of awe.
And the ceremony was over. Mike and I went off to take portraits, and the rest of our guests enjoyed the delicous food at the cocktail hour. Next stop, reception!
My favorite DIY project
I know this is late in coming, but I am very proud of how these turned out, so I want to share. I knew all along that I wanted to incorporate a wood element into the programs, so I decided to use wood veneer. The problem was that I couldn’t figure out how to fashion covers out of the stuff (you can’t fold or crease it). Inspiration struck after my shower, when I received some gifts from Williams Sonoma wrapped in green twill tape ribbon. I tried it out as a binding and it worked! So I cut the covers out of wood veneer and printed them with my Gocco. Then, I used cotton twill tape to bind the covers together. I printed the insides of the program on my printer, then folded them and put them inside the covers, using ribbon to hold the sheet in place. It was a labor of love, but I was fortunate to get help from my stepmother, and I was really pleased with how they turned out. Here are the details:
Supplies: (click on the supply for the source)
Wood veneer – each program used two 4.5” x 5.75” pieces
I used raw sheets of cherry veneer like the kind carpenters use (Sorry, I can’t remember where I ordered it from!), but you could also use one of the new micro-veneers sold by Cards of Wood . I bought sheets from them for another project and was very impressed with their quality and service. Just make sure that you are getting sheets with dimensions that you can cut with as little waste as possible. Or, have them pre-cut the pieces for you!
Cotton twill tape – each program used about 9”
I bought white, lightweight , 1.5” twill tape. I ended up dyeing mine, because they only had white or natural at the time, but now it looks like they have colors, too. That would have saved a lot of work! It is important to get cotton tape or ribbon, because the synthetic varieties aren’t as pliable. If they don't have the color you want, however, you can use Rit dye like I did. I recommend cutting the ribbon *before* dyeing it so that it is more manageable.
Paper – each program used one A9 card (5.5” x 8.5”)
I used Luxe cards in Frost from Paper Source. They are the size of a half sheet of standard paper, so I didn’t have to do any cutting, and I needed to make only one fold for each sheet.
Ribbon – each program used about 24”
I purchased 5mm Mokuba cotton tape, color # 23, from JKM Ribbon. They only sell by the spool, but I used it for other projects as well, so it was worth it for me. Be aware that this ribbon needs a long lead time (six weeks, I think?). Any narrow ribbon would work, though.
Print Gocco and Supplies (1 printing unit, 2 screens, 4 bulbs, and a tube of brown ink)
If you don’t have a Gocco, you might want to consider having the covers cut and printed by Cards of Wood instead. Or you could use rubber stamps, which you can have custom made, if desired.
Paper Source PVA bookbinding paste – dries clear
Wood veneer – each program used two 4.5” x 5.75” pieces
I used raw sheets of cherry veneer like the kind carpenters use (Sorry, I can’t remember where I ordered it from!), but you could also use one of the new micro-veneers sold by Cards of Wood . I bought sheets from them for another project and was very impressed with their quality and service. Just make sure that you are getting sheets with dimensions that you can cut with as little waste as possible. Or, have them pre-cut the pieces for you!
Cotton twill tape – each program used about 9”
I bought white, lightweight , 1.5” twill tape. I ended up dyeing mine, because they only had white or natural at the time, but now it looks like they have colors, too. That would have saved a lot of work! It is important to get cotton tape or ribbon, because the synthetic varieties aren’t as pliable. If they don't have the color you want, however, you can use Rit dye like I did. I recommend cutting the ribbon *before* dyeing it so that it is more manageable.
Paper – each program used one A9 card (5.5” x 8.5”)
I used Luxe cards in Frost from Paper Source. They are the size of a half sheet of standard paper, so I didn’t have to do any cutting, and I needed to make only one fold for each sheet.
Ribbon – each program used about 24”
I purchased 5mm Mokuba cotton tape, color # 23, from JKM Ribbon. They only sell by the spool, but I used it for other projects as well, so it was worth it for me. Be aware that this ribbon needs a long lead time (six weeks, I think?). Any narrow ribbon would work, though.
Print Gocco and Supplies (1 printing unit, 2 screens, 4 bulbs, and a tube of brown ink)
If you don’t have a Gocco, you might want to consider having the covers cut and printed by Cards of Wood instead. Or you could use rubber stamps, which you can have custom made, if desired.
Paper Source PVA bookbinding paste – dries clear
Brush (for paste)
Process:
Step 1: Cut wood veneer into pieces. You can use any size you want, but make sure that they will be slightly larger than the paper inserts, so that it all looks neat when finished. You will need a metal straight-edge and a cutting tool (I started with an exacto knife, but I found that a rotary cutter worked much better). Cutting the veneer may have been the most time-consuming part of the whole process, since my sheets of veneer were not square or consistently sized. If you can get them precut, it would save a lot of time. (Helpful hint: Cut the longer edges with the grain and the shorter edges across the grain.)
Step 2: Print the covers as desired and allow them to dry thoroughly. I chose to print a small motif on the front cover and a poem read during our ceremony on the back.
Step 3: Cut your cotton tape for the bindings. You want them to be the length of the program edge, plus extra to wrap to the inside. Cut a triangular notch in each end of the pieces (like a swallow’s tail), which will make it easier to close the program after assembly.
Step 4: Using a brush, apply glue to one side of a piece of cotton tape. Then, place the covers facedown and side-by-side on the tape, making sure to leave a small space between them so you can more easily close the program later and leaving an equal amount of tape at each end. Next, fold the ends of the tape over, lining up the bottom of the notch with the space between the covers. Finally, fold the program closed and set aside to dry. (Note: If you have Gocco drying racks, they work really well!)
Step 1: Cut wood veneer into pieces. You can use any size you want, but make sure that they will be slightly larger than the paper inserts, so that it all looks neat when finished. You will need a metal straight-edge and a cutting tool (I started with an exacto knife, but I found that a rotary cutter worked much better). Cutting the veneer may have been the most time-consuming part of the whole process, since my sheets of veneer were not square or consistently sized. If you can get them precut, it would save a lot of time. (Helpful hint: Cut the longer edges with the grain and the shorter edges across the grain.)
Step 2: Print the covers as desired and allow them to dry thoroughly. I chose to print a small motif on the front cover and a poem read during our ceremony on the back.
Step 3: Cut your cotton tape for the bindings. You want them to be the length of the program edge, plus extra to wrap to the inside. Cut a triangular notch in each end of the pieces (like a swallow’s tail), which will make it easier to close the program after assembly.
Step 4: Using a brush, apply glue to one side of a piece of cotton tape. Then, place the covers facedown and side-by-side on the tape, making sure to leave a small space between them so you can more easily close the program later and leaving an equal amount of tape at each end. Next, fold the ends of the tape over, lining up the bottom of the notch with the space between the covers. Finally, fold the program closed and set aside to dry. (Note: If you have Gocco drying racks, they work really well!)
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Step 5: Print the program inserts as desired, then fold in half.
Step 6: Cut the narrow ribbon so that it is long enough to wrap around the binding and tie in a bow.
Step 7: When the cover bindings are dry, insert the program pages and secure with the narrow ribbon.
And you are done! I fully admit that this project takes some work, but if you have help, you can put them together assembly-line style.
Stay tuned for more details from the wedding!
April 10, 2009
10,000
Wow. This little blog o'mine hit 10,000 visits today.
Thank you to all who have taken the time to check it out!
Thank you to all who have taken the time to check it out!
April 5, 2009
My Little Posers
Mike and I agreed that we didn't want to see each other before the ceremony, so we got all of the separate portraits taken care of beforehand and waited until after to take the rest. The girls and my parents and I took our shots outside of the Inn, while the boys did theirs at Deerpark.
Sisters.
My adorable niece...
Still being adorable.
I told my girls to choose their own navy or navy/white dresses, but in reality, I ended up finding most of the dresses for them. I think it worked out pretty well, though. From left to right: Jcrew, Anthropologie, (me), Donna Ricco, Jcrew, Jcrew.
Brother-in-law taking care of continuously-adorable niece.
Stepmom documenting from the sidelines.
Moving back inside - It got really hot!
Apparently, my photographer Eric saw a snake out there! I am glad he didn't tell me.
Wearing my dad's wedding band.
My mom is a master boutonniere-pinner
Clearly, hanging baskets are the best place to store your beer while taking pictures.
March 2, 2009
Gettin' Gussied Up
The ladies and I got ready in the Wharton Suite at the Inn on Biltmore estate (we had been upgraded!) and it was divine. Every bride should have the experience of all that room while getting ready with five other women. Also included are some shots of the men preparing themselves at the nearby (and also quite nice) Doubletree. You'll notice that there was some imbibing going on at both locations, but I am happy to report that everyone showed up sober for the ceremony.
Hair done by Rebecca from Lola Salon in Asheville.
The amazing view from our room.
My flowers hanging out and waiting for their big moment.
D'oh! Why didn't someone shut the armoire door?!
Close-up of my dress. Check here for the details.
I love this Anthropologie skirt. I am so glad that I wore it to get ready and consequently have it immortalized forever. 
My bridesmaids seemed to have a lot more free time than I did.
Close-up of my hair and the vintage/antique comb I bought on eBay. In retrospect, I don't think I ever looked at the back of my hair on my wedding day. I don't know why I didn't, but I wish I had, as I might have asked her to tweak a few things.
Make-up my Karen, also from Lola Salon.
Hmmmm. It seems one half of the bridal party is working a little harder than the other.
Well, thank heavens for Mike's goomsman/former roommate. Apparently, he ironed everyone's clothes, even though I had only asked him to take care of Mike's shirt. I knew he could be trusted.
We bought all of the groommens' shirts and khakis from Men's Wearhouse (hey, it is convenient). And we gave them ties from Brooks Brothers (well, the outlet) as gifts, in addition to flasks with their initials (not my idea).
I love this shot of my little sis. Plus, you can see one of the bridesmaids' gifts - a bag with their initials, in which I put an umbrella, flipflops, and a leather jewelry roll with some pearl/silver jewelry I made for them.
The bracelet I made for my little sister. They each got one or two things, at least one of which had one of these silver bird clasps.
Being shod - isn't it great that on your wedding day, your friends treat you like a princess?
By the way, veils are hard to put on without messing up your hair.
I love this picture. It is so "Girls getting ready to walk out the door." I think they are trying to help me figure out what I need to put in my clutch.
Adjusting earrings (another gift).
One last look to make sure I didn't forget anything.
Waiting for the elevator. Actually, I am only including this because I adored that umbrella that I bought for the wedding, and I didn't end up needing it.
Well, thank heavens for Mike's goomsman/former roommate. Apparently, he ironed everyone's clothes, even though I had only asked him to take care of Mike's shirt. I knew he could be trusted.
We bought all of the groommens' shirts and khakis from Men's Wearhouse (hey, it is convenient). And we gave them ties from Brooks Brothers (well, the outlet) as gifts, in addition to flasks with their initials (not my idea).
I love this shot of my little sis. Plus, you can see one of the bridesmaids' gifts - a bag with their initials, in which I put an umbrella, flipflops, and a leather jewelry roll with some pearl/silver jewelry I made for them. 
The bracelet I made for my little sister. They each got one or two things, at least one of which had one of these silver bird clasps.
Zippin' up.
Being shod - isn't it great that on your wedding day, your friends treat you like a princess? (Also, you can see one of the other bridesmaid's necklace.)
By the way, veils are hard to put on without messing up your hair.
I love this picture. It is so "Girls getting ready to walk out the door." I think they are trying to help me figure out what I need to put in my clutch.
Adjusting earrings (another gift).
One last look to make sure I didn't forget anything.
Waiting for the elevator. Actually, I am only including this because I adored that umbrella that I bought for the wedding, and I didn't end up needing it.February 22, 2009
Ladies Who Lunch
Since the wedding ceremony wasn't scheduled to begin until 6:00 PM, I originally planned to have a small brunch/lunch for all of my bridesmaids earlier in the day, before we started getting ready. Then, two of my aunts asked what they could do for me, as they wouldn't be able to throw a shower (due to logistics). They took over my luncheon plans and they exceeded all of my expectations!
The lunch was held at the Inn on Biltmore Estate, on the terrace you see below. The view and the weather were both perfect, and the food was completely delicious. Our photographer arrived early enough to take some pictures, and he got some wonderful shots of my favorite ladies. I have included a few below. I only wish he had gotten there before my big sister and niece left!
Our only gentleman guest: The son of my honorary bridesmaid.
My aunts got everyone these julep cup favors with the date on one side and the guest's last initial on the other. They make a perfect little vase as well.
The lunch was held at the Inn on Biltmore Estate, on the terrace you see below. The view and the weather were both perfect, and the food was completely delicious. Our photographer arrived early enough to take some pictures, and he got some wonderful shots of my favorite ladies. I have included a few below. I only wish he had gotten there before my big sister and niece left!
Our only gentleman guest: The son of my honorary bridesmaid. 
My aunts got everyone these julep cup favors with the date on one side and the guest's last initial on the other. They make a perfect little vase as well.This was such a splendid way to begin my wedding day, and I am so grateful to those who put it all together and those who attended.
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