**For the sake of privacy, I've made a few things viewable by friends only. If you're an active member on the boards, feel free to send me a request!**

We were married May 2, 2009, in St. George Island, Florida. The wedding was beautiful. Perfect. Everything we had hoped for, and so much more!

Here a few of the non-pro photos (courtesy of PW'er lesliedigs):

A few from Tiffany, one of the BMs:

And a couple from my new SIL:

I also loved this one that our DJ snapped on his iphone as the photographer was shooting this. The light was so beautiful out on the beach at sunset:

Courtesy of Beach Bum Photography, Pensacola, FL.

Our DJ, Greg Tish of GT Entertainment in Tallahassee, FL, routinely records some footage of the weddings he works. He edited some of our film and put it together for us - we love it! He couldn't film much of the reception since it got too dark, but it's a nice little something to help us hold on to the memories...

http://gtentertainment.typepad.com/gt/2009/05/playing-catchup-yet-again.html

A few cute ones from Beach Bum Photography's "Out-takes" blog of our wedding:

We decided on a Family Medallion Presentation as part of the ceremony to show DH's son how special he is in our lives, and to state our commitment to him and his future.

We bought him this necklace, from www.familymedallion.com:

We liked that it was teenage boy-friendly in its appearance. He loved it, and was so touched when it was presented to him. He cried, we cried, our guests cried... such a sweet moment! I only have one non-pro pic of it:

We wanted to have a bouquet and garter toss at our reception... But how can you have these in the traditional sense when no more than 6 of your guests are single?? Well, we decided to make it a benefit. All the ladies would line up to catch the bouquet, and the person who did would have money donated to a charity of her choice, in her name. Same for the garter toss. Everybody seemed to enjoy the idea, and it added a lot of enthusiasm to the tosses. :)

The two organizations that benefitted from our idea are:

The March of Dimes, whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality through research, community services, education and advocacy to save babies' lives. March of Dimes researchers, volunteers, educators, outreach workers and advocates work together to give all babies a fighting chance against the threats to their health: prematurity, birth defects, low birthweight.

Al's Place, a local organization which provides care for people age 18+ with Alzheimer's disease or severe memory impairment. The adult program is available five days per week, Eight hours per day. Therapeutic activities include physical exercise; active and quiet games; reminiscence; validation therapy; doll therapy; and other failure-free activities. Lunch and two snacks per day are provided.

These are the only photos I have of either toss - I can't wait to see what the photographer caught!

While I was sleeping in one morning on our honeymoon, DH decided to create his own PW account (GatorGroom, naturally) and post a thread. These were his words:

I'M A MRS!!!! Counting up now :)

I saved all these pages so that I could share my inspirations. Everything below is pre-wedding info, with a few post-wedding updates. Hope to help somebody with ideas :)

We decided early on a beach wedding, which is something that I've always wanted. Luckily, Dan liked that idea, and was all over the venue search right away! It took a while but we found this great location - St. George Island, which is on the Gulf of Mexico in the Florida Panhandle.

Neither of us is big on formality, so it will be a casual event. The venue is a large beach house with a roomy poolside lanai. We'll get married on the beach, and move the guests to the pool deck for the reception. We are planning, paying for, and hosting it ourselves; so we just wanted to keep it simple, make sure it would suit both of our personalities, and be fun and relaxed for everyone. 

Some photos of the home:

Beach property rental courtesy of St. George Island Vacation Properties. Property name: Aisle of Palms.

For our evening reception, the entire pool deck of the venue will be lit with candles, including ones encircling the pool and the dance floor (the half-moon shaped area nearest the beach). We'll also string Christmas lights along the fence line, on the trees and bushes, and overhead.

Underneath the house will be set up as a bar/lounge area, with some seating and paper lanterns, as well as more strand lighting. I'd like to drape the walls with sheer white fabric to give it more ambience.

We'll be accommodating the bridal party in the house for the weekend of the wedding, and when it's all over, we'll stay for the rest of the week and honeymoon there. We love the idea of having this huge house all to ourselves! We're also so excited to be able to pull our kayaks out into the water from right there to dolphin-watch, or go biking in the huge state park that's about 500 yards from the front door!

We decided to use colors from nature to complement the scenery, rather than compete with it. We'll use varying shades of whites, creams, and beiges, with pops of sunny yellow and chocolate brown.

My first inspiration board, so be kind :)

I purchased a HUGE roll of natural burlap, and cut table squares to go over the ivory tablecloths. FMIL is making linen table runners in a soft yellow shade. I hope to post pics of my final mock-up when I get the table runners from her.

I've made centerpieces in globe jars like the ones in the inspiration board. Each has sand in the base, with either a starfish or piece of white coral, as well as a votive in a smaller glass vase.

I'm DYING to re-create this beautiful arbor for our ceremony! Just have to find me some dead trees...

 Photo courtesy of Paul and Mecheal Johnson, of Paul Johnson Photography. Check out their blog; the work is unbelievable!

Update 4/1/09: As much as I loved the tree branch altar, I've decided to scrap the plan due to transport logistics (imagine transporting two 12' long by 5' wide trees in the back of a pickup truck damage-free, and you'll see where I'm coming from!). Instead, I've decided to line the aisle with poles adorned with ribbon, and possibly surround the circular seating area with the same. I've already bought the ribbon in white and soft yellow, and the bamboo poles are a medium-dark brown. I hope it looks the way I'm imagining!

Post-wedding Update: Here's how the ribbon poles turned out:

Marisa 737... I love love love it, and the pics don't do it justice (but everyone says that, right?)! :(  I keep finding myself looking at other lace dresses with open backs or keyhole backs, but I always come back to mine (thank goodness! I don't wanna have to buy another dress).

Gown from Solutions Bridal Designer House (review posted).

2/23/09: First fitting, at Alterations Unlimited in Ocala, FL. Debbie, who's done alterations for almost everyone bride I've known, really knows her stuff. I'm so excited about working with her!

4/23/09: Final fitting :). I LOVE what she did with the neckline, and it fits like a glove! Excuse the poor quality photo, I only had my Blackberry to take the pic. I was SO thrilled!

I often see PW threads asking about the costs of alterations, so I thought I'd share the run-down of my initial quotes from Debbie. I have no idea how these compare to national averages, but hey, it's something, right?

Gown is silk satin with a silk organza overlay, so I know this does impact the prices somewhat. Silk fabrics are generally more expensive to alter, and I'm sure the multiple layers add to the price as well.

• 2 side seams: $48 each ($96)
• 2 back seams ("darts" under the bum, to show off the badunkadunk): $32 each ($64)
• Change neckline (re-cut to deeper "sweetheart"): $28
• Darts under bust: $14
• Bra cups: $16
• Bustle (French): $12 per point ($72)
• Hem gown (5 layers): $110
• Steam gown: $25

Hair inspiration:

I'm all about the "undone updo," but i don't know whether my very-thick-but-somewhat-fine hair will stay in something like this (any tips? Holla!). I won't be wearing a veil. I picked up a really cute ivory flower from Forever21 that I'll wear... it matches my dress perfectly and was only $4.80!!!

1/1/09 - Ok, so, I'm re-thinking the no veil thing... I may leave my hair mostly down in loose curls, and wear a chapel-length veil for the ceremony and photos, then just wear the flower in my hair for the reception... Thoughts?

I'd like to have a couple of pics like these, from K-Gallery and Caroline Johnson Photography:

Here begins my search for the perfect veil... Wish me luck!

Update 2/23/09: The seamstress doing my dress alterations is going to make me a cut-edge chapel length veil for $20!! Also, the PW girls overwhelmingly voted for an updo when I posted my first fitting pics; so, up it is!

Makeup inspiration:

I think I've settled on a nude-ish lip, and pale pinks, browns, and golds for the eyes. My eyes are shaped very similarly to pic #3, but deeper-set; so I'm somewhat limited with what I can do with shadow (I'll be doing it myself, so it's gotta be easy!). I'm going to try and experiment with false lashes, but I see a disaster in the making! I'll keep ya posted...

My most successful self-applied makeup trial to date. And the look I'll be recreating for the wedding:

Sorry, the second pic is kinda blurry.

Jewelry

Earrings, from Etsy seller CindyVDesigns. $22.50 and I heart them!

Hair

2/8/09: Inspired by the DIY handiwork of Jennelise, I decided I would give my own hair flower a go. I stuck to her instructions, and bought a stem of 4 silk magnolia blooms. I took each of them apart, and ended up with enough petals to make mine and my MOH's flower pretty full. I used the other flowers that I had purchased on the cheap from Forever 21 to make flowers for the other two BM's. Here's my finished product:

Shower: We're not having a "shower", per se, but more of a meet-and-greet for all of our guests to get a chance to hang out and get to know each other before the wedding. It will be loosely beach-themed... And I found the dress (at Express)!

Rehearsal: Instead of the typical rehearsal brunch/welcome dinner, we're having a brunch on the day of the wedding (since it is a few hours from home, we wanted to give people the option of not coming until Saturday so no work time had to be lost)... Anywhoo, I've been casually browsing for a dress to wear for the rehearsal, and for a good part of the wedding day, and I found this at Old Navy for $34.50 (I love Old Navy!):

It's sooo comfy, and it looks really cute on!

Quote: Ralph Waldo Emerson. One of my favorites. :)

Bouquet Inspiration: for my arrangement, I'd like to try and meld these looks together for something soft, modern, and rich-looking. My ideal bouquet will have varying shades of white, cream, and yellow, with hand-tied stems. I really love calla lillies and ranunculus, so they MUST be a part of the arrangement!

My BMs will carry something that looks like this, only with an ivory ribbon and shorter stems:

I have a brother who is in the Army and stationed in Afghanistan, so all the bouquets will have a separate small yellow ribbon pinned onto the stem wraps, in honor of the troops who can't be at home with the people who love them.

Post-wedding Update: I ended up deciding to go with all-white. It wasn't exactly as I asked for (they left out the freesia and used roses when I asked for no roses), but I still loved it! Here are some (non-pro) photos of how it turned out:

And this is how the BM bouquets and boutonnieres turned out:

MOH, Bethany, is my BF from nursing school. She lives in Arizona now. Tiffany and Chente are my other two BMs, also great friends whom I'm so honored to have in the wedding!

From Left: Me with Bethany, Tiffany and Me, Me and Chente (apologies for the poor photo quality)... aren't they beautiful??

Dresses

In keeping with the informal feel of the day, I wanted to find dresses that were relaxed and comfortable. We looked at a lot of styles, and though I initially had intended for them to wear yellow dresses, we eventually decided on brown. That's better for them, I think, because it's more universally flattering and they're more likely to wear it again.

We decided on this dress from Victoria's Secret:

Casual, I know, but there's still an elegance to it when it's on. The back is very low cut, and the wrap is flattering. The girls will carry small bouquets of yellow calla lillies. My MOH is embellishing flip-flops for all of us to wear for the reception, but we'll be barefoot for the ceremony, most likely. 

BM's gifts

I've purchased jewelry as part of their BM gifts, which I love. They were super affordable, and they're decent quality (and even if they only last one day, they were worth it):

I also have included in each (so far):

-a bottle of wine

-a wine bottle carrier

-a personalized tee

-a luggage tag

-a journal

-a VS Pink fragrance gift set

-a Starbucks travel mug with an insert that you can personalize - I'll make a collage of pics of us together for each one.

-a Nutrogena travel toiletry set

-a "Pashmina" from Peach Couture

-skin care items from Bath and Body Works' True Blue Spa line

-a hair flower (DIY)

for MOH (it's a bit bigger, with a darker feather in addition to the white feather):

For other 2 BMs:

Still working on the rest :). I'm trying to fill up this bag, which I got a great deal on, from Dr. Leonard's:

Natural Linen Riviera Pant, and Ivory Linen Amalfi Shirt; both from Island Importer.

We gave them the option of going barefoot for the ceremony, or wearing classic dark brown leather flip flops...

Update 3/9/09: FI's garments from Island Importer just arrived, and we're both very happy with the quality. The linen is soft (not the scratchy kind), and the garments are sized appropriately on the website. Yay!!

The Groom's boutonniere (ivory), and the GM's/FOB's boutonnieres (yellow):

Post-Wedding Update: We loved the way the guys' ensembles turned out. Here they are in all their "boy band" glory :)

We'll be acommodating bridal party and spouses/significant others in our beach house for the wedding weekend. Each couple will receive a welcome gift with goodies for beachcombing and lounging, contained in this cute sandcastle-making bucket from Target... I found them in several colors, and found matching towels for each bucket.

Here's how they turned out:

Contents:

• Beach Towels
• Flashlights (for night-time beach exploration)
• Bottled water
• Spray-on sunscreen
• Waterproof single-use cameras
• Little shovel that came with the sandcastle bucket :)

A few little projects I've worked on, mostly for kicks since I didn't anticipate anything turning out use-able:

The "guestbook":

Sorry for the blurry pic. The message says:

Dear Family and Friends,

We are delighted that you are able to be with us to celebrate this special time in our lives. We would like to commemorate the events surrounding our wedding by creating a scrapbook for future enjoyment.

Please take one of the cards here, and use the special markers to sign your name, jot down a message or a wish for our marriage, or share a memory of one or both of us that is particularly dear to your heart. Please write only on one side of your card, and be sure to sign your name to your message!

Thank you, again, for being here! We’re so thankful for all the special people in our lives!

With love,

Dan and Andrea

My toss bouquet - I'm not sure I'll use this b/c I'm not loving my flower-making job, but I love the idea. It's hard to see from the bouquet pic, but inside each flower is a token with a quote about love on one side, and a virtue/value related to marriage on the other:

I used the same concept for tokens to make drink tags for the guests' glasses (they'll be tied to the stem with pale yellow ribbon):

My attempt at a card box (it's actually cuter than the pic suggests, imho):

My hair flower:

Cupcake stand (we're only having ~40 guests; I know it looks a little lopsided in the pic, but it was the angle of the photo - I leveled and measured all around =D):

Post-wedding Update: I ended up adding a tier to the cupcake stand... It just needed something. Here's how it looked all set up for the reception:

I originally wasn't going to make programs... but I decided to try my hand at it as a cute little touch for the ceremony. I got lots of help from fellow PW'ers with making a monogram, but ended up using one I made (I didn't know I had it in me, but I was inspired!). Here's my first try:

The whole she-bang... Some of my cuts are a little wonky - it was literally the first time I'd ever used a paper cutter! The next ones should be better ;)

The monogram I ended up using:

I carried the sand dollar motif onto the other pages of the program. I'm really pleased at how they looked when printed!

This is my "one thing" about planning. I feel so strongly that the entertainment can make or break your wedding, dictate how fun it is, and set the pace for all the little activities. Music choices are super hard for me, mainly because there are SO many choices, and I listen to EVERY LYRIC of every song... They have to be just right, usually, for me to even consider including them in my wedding soundtrack. :)

So, the one EASY choice was our first dance: "Every Day," by Rascal Flatts.

Every Day lyrics

You could've bowed out gracefully
But you didn't
You knew enough to know
To leave well enough alone
But you wouldn't
I drive myself crazy
Tryin' to stay out of my own way
The messes that I make
But my secrets are so safe
The only one who gets me
Yeah, you get me
It's amazing to me

[CHORUS]
How every day
Every day, every day
You save my life

I come around all broken down and
Crowded out
And you're comfort
Sometimes the place I go
Is so deep and dark and desperate
I don't know, I don't know

How every day
Every day, every day
You save my life

Sometimes I swear, I don't know if
I'm comin' or goin'
But you always say something
Without even knowin'
That I'm hangin' on to your words
With all of my might and it's alright
Yeah, I'm alright for one more night-
Every day
Every day, every day, every day
Every day, every day
You save me, you save me, oh, oh, oh
Every day
Every, every, every day-

Every day you save my life

The Other Choices:

Processional

“Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World” (Israel Kamakawiwo'ole)

Bride's Processional

"Chasing Cars" (String Quartet rendition)

Recessional

"The Power of Love" (Huey Lewis and the News)

Reception Entrance

Bridal Party - "Superhero" (Jane's Addiction)

Bride & Groom - "Welcome to the Jungle" (GNR)

Mother/Son Dance

"Simple Man" (Lynyrd Skynyrd)

Father/Daughter Dance

"My Little Girl" (Tim McGraw) - I swear this is cliche, but I let my dad choose the song, so here we are....

Reception

The dancing portion of the reception will have an 80's dance party feel, with some current hits mixed in.

The "DO NOT PLAY" List: I was beyond thorough when making this list, and thanks to several PW'ers, I think it's pretty comprehensive!

• The Electric Slide
• The Macarena
• Unchained Melody
• Let’s Get it Started
• No Elvis
• Anything from Grease
• The Chicken Dance
• Ice-Ice Baby
• Friends in Low Places
• Celebration (Kool and the Gang)
• OPP
• Achy Breaky Heart
• We are Family
• Who Let the Dogs Out
• Mambo #5
• Cotton Eye Joe
• Wind Beneath My Wings
• House Music
• Gasolina (or anything in that genre)
• I’ve Had the Time of My Life 
• Feelin’ Hot Hot Hot
• Brian Setzer Orchestra
• Akon (I hate his voice!!)

Deejay services provided by GT Entertainment (Greg Tish).

I couldn't be happier with our Paloma's Nest purchase! I used a line from our first dance song that's particularly meaningful to us. She did a beautiful job!

Ding ding! We bought some unconventional "toasting flutes" from Pier One. They were on sale - $3.68 for a set of four!!! We'll use two (of course), and give the other two to the MOH and Best Man for their speeches. Since we'll be having a "signature cocktail" instead of champagne for our toast, we think they'll be perfect! And SO cute!

Yay for after-Christmas sales!!

So I had someone make them for me :)

Signs to go out on the walkway to the beach:

Made by Etsy seller battypotatty. I submitted an Alchemy request when I saw one of these she had made for another bride. Can't wait to use this at the wedding!

Post-Wedding Update:These are our signs in action! They turned out SO cute!

Commemorative PW photo-op:

Somehow we both managed to be looking our worst at this all-important moment, but we got it!!

Unfortunately, in my case, the "wedding planner" is ME! All you PW girls have inspired me to start writing this crap down so I know where I stand (and so I can get the little endorphin rush everytime I get to tick something off my list!).... So, here goes!

• Booked:
  • photog - Beach Bum Photography
  • e-pics (done) - Leslie Campbell (friend of couple)
  • venue/honeymoon - St. George Island Vacation Properties, Aisle of Palms
  • caterer - Richard Langford of My Caterer!
  • DJ - Greg Tish of GT Entertainment
  • rentals - coordinated by Seahorse Gifts & Florist
  • florist - Seahorse Gifts & Florist
  • officiant - Mike Bair (stepfather of groom)
• Need to book:
  • Cake... we're sticking with cupcakes. Check!
    
  • Linen Rentals - Beyond Elegance
    
• Bought/Made/Completed:
  • dress/hair accessory - Forever 21
  • BM dresses - Victoria's Secret
  • BM gifts
  • welcome gifts
  • centerpieces/table decorations - DIY
  • guestbook - DIY
  • dessert buffet jars - Big Lots
  • favor bags - Invitations by Dawn
  • toss bouquet - DIY
  • napkins/matches - Invitations by Dawn
  • barware/alcohol
  • some candy - Candywarehouse.com
  • STDs/invitations - Wedding Paper Divas
  • cake stand/cake serving set - Bed, Bath, and Beyond
  • rings - Whitehall Jeweler
  • card box - DIY
  • cake topper - www.save-on-crafts.com
• Need to do/buy/make:
  • my jewelry
  • veil
    
  • dress alterations - 1st Fitting done on 2/23; 2nd fitting 3/30; 3rd fitting 4/9; 4th and final fitting & pickup 4/23
    
  • arbor for ceremony - this plan has been scrapped due to logistics
    
  • bar - drink mixers
  • marriage license
    
  • send invites
  • finalize ceremony
  • write vows
  • finalize music selections
  • finalize menu selections
  • toasting flutes - (Bought from Pier One Imports)
  • cupcake stand(s) - DIY or purchase????
  • get a tan
  • buy announcements for uninvited
  • groom/GM attire
  • book travel/wedding insurance
  • programs
    

If you see anything glaringly absent from this list that I'm overlooking, PLEEEEEEEZZZZZ let me know!! K? Thanks!

I'm that bride who absolutely did not want a bridal shower... I generally don't enjoy them, and I certainly did not want to be at the center of one of them. So, my FMIL and BMs volunteered to throw us a couple's "shower" with a "Stock the Bar" theme. It was the anti-shower, and we had a fabulous time!

My BM, Tiffany, offered up her beautiful home for the evening, and put together an incredible party! She kept all the little details a surprise, so we were stunned to see what she, a couple other friends, and FMIL had created!

We ate a catered barbeque dinner (our fave), enjoyed some cocktails, and just had a wonderful time with 30 of our closest friends and family. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect event to get everyone in the mood for a wedding!

The setup:

The "reveal" moment:

Enjoying the meal:

Taking it into the evening:

My life is slightly less full now that we're no longer planning the shin-dig to end all shin-digs... Thus, I've taken to nesting (at least in my head)! I'll try my best to chronicle these adventures as I go... We'll see if I can stick with it...

Until we get into a larger place, I'll be living vicariously through others' nest-feathering activities. There is so much inspiration to be found in these pages; I hope you enjoy some of them as much as I do...

• Young House Love (there's even a little wedding eye-candy on here, to satisfy my nostalgia)
  
• Bower Power
• Janniepie Crafts
• DIY Life
• The Thrifty Decorating Blog
• Material Girls
• A Life's Design
• Urban Grace Interiors
• All Things G&D
• The Newlywed Diaries
• Bryn Alexandra
• Blueprint Bliss
• Apartment Therapy
• Nestled In

More to come, I'm sure... :)