Get Married and Have Your Wedding Too

I'm married and still planning a wedding. Well, planning the wedding reception. You still need a location, dress, flowers, food, date, music, invitations, toasts, a color scheme, hair, centerpieces, pictures, guests, booze, gift registry, cake....

I haven't really gotten back into wedding planning mode since getting married, so I'm hoping this will spark my interest again and get me going. I'm going to have to plan all this over the next year largely without the husband, so I'd better get some input from him before he leaves for his "vacation in sunny Iraq." Here are some of my ideas so far.

Flowers:
I had always planned on having tulips because they have been my favorite flower for a while, but in doing flower research, I've really come to love peonies. They look soft and fluffy and perfect for a wedding. My dad grows them in his epic garden, and told me they will be at their prime in June (I'm thinking of having the reception in June 2012, not October as previously penciled in). They come in a limited range of colors, reds/pinks/purple/white, and even though aside from white I wasn't planning on having those colors involved, they look so nice, so we'll see what I end up choosing.

Shoes:
I like the idea of brightly colored shoes peeking out from under a white dress. I tend to lean towards green. I don't want to wear heels though, because I discovered I do not enjoy being taller than I usually am next to Kyle. I'm the perfect height to fit under his arm for a hug, and I don't want to mess with that formula.

Dress:

The dress. This is going to be hard for me, because it is the one thing that is really all about me, and I do not like that kind of attention. I haven't tried anything on yet, or even stepped into a bridal shop, so I don't really know what will look good on me. I want to be comfortable and able to dance around; those were Kyle's only thoughts on the matter too. There is a lot out there, and I won't really know until I try things on, but here are some with different elements I like in theory. 

Bridesmaids:

I'm not going to torture them with a terrible dress. Do people even do that anymore, or just in the movies? I want them to look nice, feel comfortable, and like what they're wearing. I'm not sure of color; probably a nice bright, deep green. But I do really like the blue in this picture, and the style of the dresses all around.

Table Tops:

I like jars. Candles in jars, flowers in jars, drinking from jars. Jars. They're inexpensive and add a nice homemade touch to the table; you can do whatever you want with them and they serve many purposes. Maybe putting legos in jars for people to play with or something. Just put a lid on and guests can take home the jars of goodies as favors, too. I wish I was sipping that mojito right now.

Cake:

I want a three or four tiered cake, nothing too complicated. Kyle and I both do not want a fondant covered cake, or a chocolate cake. I suppose different tiers could be different flavors to accommodate for the guests (you folks!), though. Kyle is a carrot cake fan; perhaps I'll  get him a special little grooms cake for his cake eating pleasure (act surprised dear). Maybe just white with some flowers; maybe a nice stylized "M" on the top. 

Invitations:

Something simple. Seems to be the key word here, huh. I'm not sure what colors or style; I've found a few that look nice and I enjoy them, but I'm not sure what will best suit our reception, especially since the season/date isn't set in stone yet. I do not want any fonts that are too loopy and italicized they are a struggle to read. Nothing too lovey-dovey. More exploration required!

Hair:

A decoration of sorts somewhere up in it. That's all I know. 

Other Ideas:

- I forget who brought up this idea (Emma?): getting together with bridesmaids/helpers before the reception to bake and prepare extra special dessert items. Adds a personal touch, and some personal favorites for the guests to munch on in addition to the cake. Also fun bonding time in the kitchen!

- Guest bartenders: Volunteers can sign up for approximately thirty minute to an hour-long shifts (ahead of time) in which they will man the bar. They will be encouraged to feature a drink concoction of their own, and to have fun! Perhaps Kyle and I will take a shift too! Check out Kyle's page for all his beer insights in the meantime. 

- Pictures: I love wedding pictures. They are sweet and beautiful and happy. There are also very few pictures of Kyle and I, and even though I do not like being in front of the camera myself, I can't wait to have some great pictures of us to show off.

- Date: I never wanted a summer wedding, because I do not like the heat, so we thought we'd do it next October, my favorite month and season. But Kyle gets back from a year long deployment around May, and we'd be starting our lives together then, so I feel it makes more sense to have the real celebration of just that at the more appropriate time, 'round about June. We'll see. It's hard to pin down a date without knowing what the Army has planned for Kyle. 

- Location: Not the banquet room at the Ramada. We want something a little more rustic and outdoorsy, brick and wood, to better suit our tastes and personalities, and our desire for it to not look like we're headed to a complementary continental breakfast. I like the Cork Factory Hotel in Lancaster. 

Overall: Simple, sweet, fun, pretty, party. Good times for all, relaxed, no headaches allowed. We're already married, so nothing can go too wrong, right?

I'll keep you updated as I begin to move from internet searches and frequenting The Knot to trying on gowns and tasting cakes. 

- From the desk of Sarah McPherson