Monday, July 29, 2013

Wedding Website/Invites are Go!

Good morning!

The weekend is over. And I am sad to see it go! I finished season 3 of Game of Thrones and fleetingly made it to the flea market, but a lot of my favorite vendors were absent (what gives??). After all the crazy spoils I've been making at off-the-radar estate sales, though, I really shouldn't complain. On Friday, we met with Katie-the-caterer, and oh my GOODNESS the food she prepared for our first menu tasting. It's 80% vegan, and 110% awesome. I still have 8,000,000 things left to do, but my friend Kelsey is keeping me sane and grounded in spite of a couple planning snafus (cue me cussing right down to my socks about the sudden unavailability of the eshakti dress that was going to look beautiful on all three of my girls...we will persevere, however!).

What's good to keep in mind? Some things are already done!

First, the final invitation!


I hate to blow my own horn so emphatically--and yet, I just L-O-V-E the way this turned out in the end. I did some handwringing over whether or not it was too cluttered, but I think the finished product is so "me". We've got some ochre yellow envelopes, all already addressed in this chicken scrawl I call "print legible", awaiting postage on the return cards and the invites themselves so that they can be stuffed and sent off to their respective recipients.


Second, some screen shots from the wedding website:


I tried AS HARD AS I COULD to find a website host that was a) free (sorry folks, I am not paying any amount of money more than I already have to for this to-do), and b) as little pre-styled as possible. Do you know what I mean about a lot of free websites having this built-in, this-is-your-wedding style? After having as much freedom as I've had designing this blog, I felt very constrained by ugly black-and-white-brocade or rust-colored or deep purple dominated websites. What I ended up with was the LEAST. DESIGNED. website template on Wedding Wire, and I tried to spruce it up as much as the site would allow with my own photos and collages.

I think the "About Me" section might be my favorite. I've never tried my hand at writing little biographical sketches, so it was all kinds of fun to describe Matthew and me "in a formal setting".


Act like I did not also take advantage of the "photo album" tab to add even more photos of us. That shot of me and Matthew and Slimer might be my favorite of the bunch.

I am still completely baffled by what to put on my registry. We need NOTHING. We need NOT ONE THING more in our house! I put a rice cooker and a coffeemaker and some nice towels on the site, along with a hopeful entry for a New Yorker subscription and some cookbooks, but I'm totally drawing a blank on what else I need. Can YOU think of anything that's a "must-do" on a wedding registry? What will I regret not putting on it when the dust settles?


When I voiced the concern "What if no one comments on the website?" back when I was initially building it in May, Sus surprised me with this totally kind message. Now I don't even care if there are more comments! This is the best one!


I have to get back to work (and by work, I mean maniacally paging through bridesmaids dress candidates hither and yon on the internet), but I'd love any advice you might have on a) where to buy ochre yellow bridesmaids dresses b) what to put on a registry c) any other final-hour wedding planning tips you might be able to shoot my way!

Have a fabulous Monday (or at least a less frazzled one than mine!) and I'll see you tomorrow! Til then.

14 comments:

  1. Woo hoo! My only thought on the wedding registry might be to offer donation to a charity as an option. I discovered via registering on Amazon (there is actually a crap ton of kitchen stuff that I want, surprisingly) that they allow your registry to be "universal" for free... I was actually able to register for a quantity of "10" $25 donations to Nashville Cat Rescue. This perfectly solved my problem of wanting it to be an option but also wanting STUFF (selfishly). You could put any number of charities on there, though. Or what about.. new sheets? Amazon will also let you register for anything on the site... so books? Food? (I am registered for coconut oil and himilayan sea salt... LOL)

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    1. PS - this is Frankie. I have a faux name on my google account.

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    2. Also, Love your "About me" sections. I'm currently in the process of trying to get Eddie to write his. For the life of me, I am not creative enough to write one for him!

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    3. Thanks, Frankie! Those are really good ideas about the registry. I love books AND food! :) Good luck on getting Eddie to pen his about me, you know it's going to be great!

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  2. i love your invites! they really are you!
    as for the registry, is there something you need a nicer version of? people get crazy generous at weddings, so maybe some nice sheets, or towels, or nice pots and pans!
    also, what the heck was the deal at the flea? the weather was so great but the pickings were slim! and that back shed wasn't even half full!

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    1. Thanks! I had this dumb giddy little feeling as I was putting them in the envelopes last night. :)

      And thanks for your suggestions! I should definitely try to get some halfway decent bedding, etc. Now, to brainstorm what I want...

      I don't know WHAT was with the flea, I couldn't find anything to save my life. I bought a pair of earrings for a dollar and a dang repro 1930's movie poster for like $3, and that was it. Did I feel empty handed or WHAT!

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  3. In my experience, the NUMBER ONE gift the adorable couple usually gets is cash (the cold, hard variety)- registry or no. So I think the better decision may be how to spend it? My advice - travel, travel, travel!

    Invitations are out of this world - such a kick ass job!!!!

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    1. Oh, that would be so neat! Now that we've booked our tropical honeymoon, I'm all... why don't we go on a mad vacation EVERY year? It all sounds so glamorous!

      Thanks for the encouragement on the invites, too! Again, my mom was a little leery about how "funky" they are, but I think it just screams "US".

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  4. Very cute invites. I had to laugh when I saw the date though, Sept 21st was the date of my first marriage in 1985. (I was very young) Okay just so that doesn't sound bad I've only been married twice and I will be with this hubby till death do us part!

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    1. We chose it because of that Earth Wind and Fire song, "September", which opens with "Do you remember...the 21st night of September?" I swear that's one of the only things I've actually insisted on, because of that song!!

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    2. I've loved that song since childhood and I've never even put that together with my wedding date. It's like you hear something for years and you just quit hearing it you know? I love that you picked your date because of it.

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  5. So happy for you guys! The announcements look perfect - especially the illustrations! Yahoo!!!!

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  6. Oh yay, those are so you!!! I'm so happy to see the final invite, you really stuck to your guns and it reflects all your hard work and planning!

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  7. Everything looks perfect! I love how you kids put your own spin on everything. Bridal registries...goodness. I love the advice that people have given about including charities that you love and/or asking for nicer versions of things that you'll never buy for yourself. Those are great.

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