A Wedding Story: Jessica & Tracy!

This week’s Wedding Story is actually 2 bride-to-be’s whose big days are rapidly approaching! Both Tracy and Jessica are getting married in October! Since Tracy’s wedding comes first, we’ll start with her.

Tracy, who is an active “Knottie” and is actually the Moderator of the Rhode Island Knot Board, is getting married this coming weekend! Here’s Tracy:

When are you getting married? October 1, 2010

Where is your ceremony? Reception? Both the ceremony and the reception are being held at Linden Place in Bristol, RI

What made you choose that reception location? We fell in love with the nostalgia of the mansion (have you seen the spiral staircase?), the beauty of the gardens, and the charm of the carriage house. My fiance's band (a 20-piece non-marching marching band) played a wedding here and he loved it. Once I saw it, I fell in love as well. I am also excited to march down to the Bristol waterfront bars for the after party!
 

What aspect of your wedding are you most looking forward to? I am so excited to see everything come together and to have everyone Steve and I love enjoy it.

What has been the best resource for you during the planning process? The Internet! There are so many blogs and websites (theknot, Style Me Pretty, 100 Layer Cake in particular) devoted to helping brides that it can make one dizzy. But Google has been my best friend.

How is your wedding going to be unique? We have a lot of personal touches. Our friend is officiating. Steve's friends from college are in a tuba quartet and they are playing the music for our ceremony (um, Final Countdown by Europe for the recessional--played by 4 tubas--LOVE!). Our good friend is DJing the cocktail hour. The tables are named after places Steve and I have traveled. Our "guestbook" will consist of vintage postcards that guests will be able to jot down their thoughts (or favorite travel spots). They will then place them in a piece of vintage luggage.
 

Any advice for future brides? Don't research TOO much! Sometimes over-searching can make you question your entire vision. Also, ask for help. Often.

Photos courtesy of Olivia Gird Photography.

 

Next up we have Jessica. Jess was a bridesmaid in my wedding on 9/5/09 and got engaged 4 days later when we were on the honeymoon on 9/9/09! Remember her Tiffany – themed bridal shower a couple months ago? She's been planning for a little over a year and is now only a couple of weeks away from the big day!

When are you getting married?
Next month

Where is your ceremony? Reception?
Ceremony is at Blessed Sacrament Church (this is where my parents exchanged vows over 27 years ago); Reception is at Oceancliff in Newport.

What made you choose that reception location?

It was very important to us to pick a place that only focused on 1 event for the day.  What I mean by this is that Oceancliff has only 1 ballroom so there is no way they can have two weddings going on at the same time.  Also, Newport is very special to us because we go there every summer and one of our favorite restaurants (Red Parrot) is there which we always go to to celebrate our anniversary!  Cory also wanted something on the water and I wanted something secluded… Oceancliff has both of these qualities.  It is also somewhat historical being right next to the Kennedy compound and all.  (I love the Kennedy’s)!

What aspect of your wedding are you most looking forward to?
I have a couple things that I am most looking forward too!  One is walking down the aisle during the ceremony.  This is my favorite part of all weddings!  I cannot wait to see the look on Cory’s face!  Secondly I am looking forward to taking pictures with my bridal party!  We have an amazing photographer (Zenobia Studios)…she takes very candid shots and I think she will make it so much fun!!!  I am also looking forward to the reception…I cannot wait to see the ballroom all decorated in fall color florals while enjoying the food and of course the company!!

What has been the best resource for you during the planning process?
Hmmm… I’m going to have to say at first it was Theknot.com but since I am very much into weddings, I did not use a lot of resources.  Luckily Jen and I have the same taste with many things so I was able to use some of her vendors that I loved the outcome of which eliminated a lot of research/resources for me.  

How is your wedding going to be unique?
Well…I’m not sure it will be unique but here are a few things that I am doing that may not be as popular as the ideas used in the more traditional/average wedding.  I am having a photobooth which is becoming more popular nowadays but its still unique because not many people (guests) have seen this at a wedding.  Since it is a fall wedding we are having a selection of 20 flavored pies for dessert (along with my cake).  My bridesmaids are NOT wearing the same dress…they all have a dress by the same designer, all the same color and all floor length but different styles to go along with their personalities!  And just our family alone is unique…haha. 

Any advice for future brides?
You want my true advice?...ELOPE!  This sounds so negative I know but Cory and I were lucky in a way that our parents were able to pay for our wedding.  The only downside to this is that they thought since they are paying that they should have a say in EVERYTHING.  It was mostly on one side that we had a lot of fights pertaining to the guest list.  They also not only were giving us their opinions but kept repeating their ideas OVER AND OVER that we had to keep reminding them that this is OUR wedding and not theirs.  I have always dreamed of my wedding day and have been looking forward to it since I was 7 (like many girls) but after realizing how difficult it was with some family members, and how much it strayed away from what Cory and I really wanted, we both said if we were to do this over again we would get married ourselves either away on a vacation or at town hall.

Photos courtesy of Zenobia Photography Studios

  Hopefully Tracy and Jessica both come back after their weddings to tell us about their big day and share some photos so we can see how all of their ideas came to fruition!

If you'd like to be a Featured Wedding Story, please email me at legallybride@hotmail.com

“I do” Ideas: Honeymoon Ideas (Part 2 of 4!)

For the second segment of Honeymoon Ideas, the category is Tropical! Perfect for couples who want to relax on the beach and enjoy some romantic sunset dinners. After all the wedding planning, that’s exactly what we wanted! Here are a few ideas; along with where we went (Aruba!)

Tropical

St. Lucia

“Live the legend”

Cara C. went to St. Lucia for her honeymoon last July and says “The beaches were beautiful, the water was clear and the staff at our resort were very friendly.”

Activities and sights to check out include: beautiful beaches, ATV rentals to explore the countryside and banana plantations, biking tours, hiking the mountains to Cactus Valley and Pigeon Island, horseback riding, whale and turtle watching, diving and other water sports, Botanical Gardens, yachting, golf, night clubs, street parties and more!

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For more info on St. Lucia, visit here.

Aruba

“Feels Like Home”

Melinda M. honeymooned here and she says “It was a short flight and the water is so clean and blue and the food is fantastic!” I totally agree Melinda. There are so many beautiful beaches and delicious & unique restaurants!

Activities and sights to check out include: beautiful beaches, California Lighthouse, downtown shopping, snorkeling, The Natural Pool, Baby Beach, sunset sails, diving, windsurfing, kayaking, helicopter rides, horseback riding, ATV rentals to explore the island’s caves and goldmine ruins, a variety and plethora of delicious restaurants, deep sea fishing, casinos, take a ride on the Kukoo Kunuku the Aruban barhopping party bus, and more!

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For more info on Aruba, visit here.

Caribbean Cruise

“The Caribbean is a real treasure trove when it comes to cruising”

Heather M describes why it was a great option for herself and her husband: “We cruised the Carnival Freedom to Key West, Grand Cayman and Jamaica. I don't swim and my husband doesn't like this beach so a cruise was perfect for us. On sea days, I sat by the pool while he played at the casino and we enjoyed dinner and shows in the evening. We walked around and explored Key West, hung out on the beach in Grand Cayman and toured Dunn's River Falls in Jamaica.”

Ports of call range from: St. Kitts, Belize, Barbados, Colombia, St. Lucia, St. Thomas, Bahamas, Panama, Mexico (Costa Maya, Cozumel), Florida (Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Key West, Miami), Jamaica, Louisiana (New Orleans), Aruba, St. Maarten, Costa Rica, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Grenada, Antigua, British Virgin Islands, Curacao, Haiti, Bonaire, Bermuda, Grand Cayman and more!

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Christine M also took a cruise for her honeymoon, saying “My husband and I took a Caribbean Cruise for our honeymoon - we think its great way to travel and we woke up somewhere new every single day (no days at sea) = we saw 6 islands (plus Puerto Rico, where the boat left from). It would cost a fortune to island hop via airplane and stay at nice hotels on each island, so we also found it to be a cost-efficient way to visit numerous places on one vacation.”

For more info on Caribbean Cruises, visit here.

Fiji

“One of the friendliest nations on earth”. Fuji is made up of 333 islands, some inhabited, most not.

Activities and sights to check out include: bike riding, village visits, sand dunes, motor cycling, firewalking and Meke Show, trekking, sky diving, parasailing, surfing, island hopping, kayaking, Pearl Farms, snorkeling, exciting dining and nightlife, whitewater rafting, outlet shopping, hot air balloon flights, and more!

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For more info on Fiji, visit here.

Hawaii

“The People of Hawaii would like to share their islands with you.”

Holly A. visited Hawaii for her honeymoon last October and says “We chose to go to 2 different islands---Kauai and Maui. We wanted to go to a tropical paradise where we could relax but go on some pretty interesting adventures as well. Plus, it was one haul of a trip to get out there--we spent 2 weeks there because we knew it might be a few years before we go to go back out there again.”

Activities and sights to check out include: Hawaii’s Big Island (Kailua Village, coffee plantations, downtown Hilo, Hamakua Coast, rainforests, botanical gardens, sandy beaches, snowcapped mountains, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park), Maui (beautiful beaches, whale watching, scenery in Hana, Haleakala sunrises, Iao Valley State Park, shopping and dining in Lahaina), Lanai (no traffic lights, romance and privacy away from the crowds, opulent resorts, rock formations at Keahiakawelo, 4-wheeling along Munro Trail), Molokai, Oahu, Kauai and more!

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For more info on Hawaii, visit here.

Where did you go for your honeymoon?

Stay tuned in a few weeks for part 3 of Honeymoon Ideas!

A Spin on the Bride’s Bouquet!

A bride-to-be friend of mine showed me her idea for her bridal bouquet a few days ago and I was blown away! I  had never seen anything like this before and HAD to share it! The pictures come from the incredibly talented Etsy seller, Lionsgate Designs. These are bouquets made of many, many brooches.

 

What do you think? Would you ever use one of these? Have you ever seen one?

For the avid-DIYer’s, would you make it or buy it?

A Wedding Story: Rebekah!

This week our Wedding Story comes all the way from Oklahoma! I love seeing how brides in different areas of the country throw their weddings, don’t you? Today we have Rebekah from Life with the Edwards…

When did you get married?
July 18^th 2009

Where was your ceremony? Reception?
Our ceremony was at our church, Quail Springs Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, Ok. It was really important to me to get married there. Our reception was at Castle Falls.

What made you choose that reception location?
I had found Castle Falls a year and a half before we were ever engaged. It has the castle which is actually a restaurant, and then it has the large Grande Hall and it had this romantic feel to it. I also loved the garden area. It made for great pictures! I loved that we had the option of going outside to the gardens.

What was your favorite aspect of your wedding?
Hands down, it was the ceremony. We picked out every detail of how we wanted it to go and we were also able to pick how we wanted our vows done. We wanted traditional vows, but we had a few different versions to choose from. I loved the quiet moment between Dylan and I after our unity candle. We have no idea what was said during that time, but it meant so much for us to be able to catch our breaths and to really take in that we were actually on our way to being married!

What was the best resource you used during the planning process?

I loved looking at wedding blogs. I also used The Knot and Martha Stewart online for ideas. I can’t forget wedding magazines too. I had dozens of them. I loved just getting inspiration from them even if I didn’t end up using it. Also, talking to other brides who were also in the wedding planning process helped a lot! I got to hear first hand what worked for them and other helpful tips.

What's the one thing you would have done differently?

There really isn’t anything that I would change for my wedding. We had planned out everything perfectly and it all went really smooth. If I had to choose one thing, it would have been to push my wedding back a couple of hours. We got married at 2 pm and started getting ready at 9 am. It seemed like plenty of time, and it was, but we got ready at the reception site, and then had to drive to the ceremony. Even though we weren’t crunched for time, I still felt a little stressed about that. I think I would have liked it to be a couple hours later just to ensure that I didn’t have to be rushed.

Any advice for future brides?
Don’t stress about the little things. It isn’t worth it. It really is just one day and there is no point in stressing out when you should be enjoying it! My bridesmaids kept telling me all day to take mental snapshots of everything. I didn’t want to be a bride who was so flustered that I didn’t really remember anything because of how fast it all happened. I’m so glad that I didn’t get stressed. It’s the most important day of your life, but it really is just one day in the thousands that you’ll have with your husband.

Photos courtesy of CaitPhoto.

If you'd like to be a Featured Wife or Bride, please email me at legallybride@hotmail.com

"I Do" Ideas: Honeymoon (Part 1 of 4!)

This week I thought we could explore some ideas for honeymoons. (Thanks to Kara for suggesting this fun topic!) I’ve come up with 4 categories: Local/cost-conscious, Tropical, Transatlantic and the Continental US. Over the next 8 weeks, we’ll touch on all of the categories (with a few Wedding Stories sprinkled in between!)

First up:

Local / Cost-conscious

Kennebunkport, Maine

“The Place to be all Year”

Activities and sights to check out include: gift shops, whale watching, sailing excursions, Blowing Cave, Spouting Rock, summer home of Pres. Bush, Cape Porpoise “The Quite Side of Kennebunkport”: Goat Island Lighthouse, fish markets, galleries, lobstermen on the pier, Goose Rocks Beach: kayaking, canoeing, Fine Living Festival (celebrating fine food, art and wine), Christmas Prelude, “Walk the Port” Local Appreciation Night, and more!

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For more info on Kennebunkport, visit here.

Martha’s Vineyard

“The Vineyard” Best time to go: June through August. Martha’s Vineyard consists of six towns: Vineyard Haven, Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, West Tisbury, Chilmark, and Aquinnah.

Activities and sights to check out include: beaches, bike and hiking trails, kayaking and canoeing, red clay Aquinnah Cliffs, street fairs, fireworks, farmers markets, the Agri-culture Fair, golf tournaments, art and music festivals, Flying Horses Carousel in Oak Bluffs (the nation’s oldest operating platform carousel), five lighthouses, and more!

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For more info on Martha’s Vineyard, visit here.

Nantucket

“There once was a man from Nantucket…” Nantucket has been named a National Historic District and has architecturally changed little since the 17th century, as seaside cottages and old-fashioned lamps still line its streets.

Activities and sights to check out include: beaches, biking, boating, fishing, whaling, sailing, festivals (including the Arts Week that starts Labor Day weekend, the Christmas Stroll, the Daffodil Festival in April, the Wine Festival and the Film Festival in June), golf, museums (including the Whaling and Shipwreck museums), antique shopping, handcrafted jewelry and more!

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For more info on Nantucket, visit here.

Block Island

"One of the 12 last great places in the Western Hemisphere." Block Island consists of one town: New Shoreham. It is the smallest town in the smallest state in the US.

Bride Heather says: “We enjoyed massages at Koru Eco spa, a movie at the old Empire Theater and wonderful dinners at The National and The Spring House (also where we stayed).”

Activities and sights to check out include: beaches, moped and bike rentals, horseback riding, fishing and boat rentals, kayaking and canoeing, sailing and parasailing, shopping, The Nature Conservancy, carriage rides, lighthouses, nature trails, art galleries, The Farmer’s Market, bird watching, snorkeling, and more!

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For more info on Block Island, visit here.

Cape Cod

“The Cape”. Cape Cod, Massachusetts is divided up into four sections commonly referred to as: Upper Cape, Mid Cape, Lower Cape and Outer Cape.

Activities and sights to check out include: beaches, golfing, bike trails through the sand dunes, drive-ins, boardwalks, art galleries and centers, sculpture gardens, mini-golf, outlet malls, wineries, Hyannis Harbor, JFK Museum, Sandy Neck Beach, Mayflower Beach, The Flying Horses Carousel, Buzzards Bay, Woods Hole, Lewis Harbor, and more!

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For more info on Cape Cod, visit here.

Where did you go for your honeymoon?

Stay tuned in a few weeks for part 2 of Honeymoon Ideas!

“I Do” Ideas: Personalized Photo Candles!

 

Yankee Candle has come out with personalized candles that I think are SO cute for either a wedding morning (with an engagement picture) or for a fun post-wedding gift! You can upload the picture as well as add text and a date. These personalized candles can be found on their website here.

Not into photos? Yankee Candle also carries a “Wedding Day” candle, which can be found here.

 

This is the one I had on my wedding morning:

Has anyone ever ordered one of these personalized photo candles? How did it come out?