Our Save-The-Dates!

So, I just sent these to print. I'm really excited to have this crossed off the to-do list. I also enjoyed embroidering the piece for them. I know it's just a little simple postcard, and most folks will probably throw it away once our invites come in (and they will most likely toss those invites away once they glean all necessary information), but I still like to try to do something unique to us. Plus, now Brendan and I have a token of this particular and special time in our lives to hang in our home. So, as a devout textile artist and designer, and as a couple who loves to bike ride, and who generally enjoys the simple things in life, we felt this was what represented us best. And while I embroidered everything, Brendan definitely had a hand in choosing layout, background, color choices and font treatment. And like so many things about our lives and our wedding planning, it's truly a joint effort. :)

Now to wait for them to come back from our printers, organize addresses, get postage and distribute them.

The Date is Set!

We just got back from Valley Green Inn and our meeting with Kate, their events coordinator. I can't believe how easy it was to put together our contract for our wedding and reception and how relatively inexpensive this is going to be! While I don't think we'll get to our goal of 10K (after factoring in all the other stuff, like photographer, flowers, invitations, etc), we'll definitely not be over our budget, which is awesome! And Kate is so helpful and easy to work with. Valley Green Inn is a beautiful venue. And it's really wonderful that Wissahickon Park is a place that is meaningful to both Brendan and I.
Right across the dirt road from the Inn is this lovely river, where ducks and geese hang out. There are benches all along it and further up the road a little bit is an area of picnic tables. This will be good for all the kids coming to the wedding. They'll be able to go run around a little and feed the geese when they get restless.
We're really relieved at how simple this was. No crazy hidden costs, and they have great all-inclusive packages. They really are so willing to work with us regarding details and specifics that I don't feel like we're trapped into something we don't want or having to pay for things we're not interested in having. And the setting is so lovely, there's really not much we'll have to do to doll it up.
Oh, and we settled on May 22, 2011! It's the day before my birthday, but that's just coincidence. We were thinking either the 15th or the 22nd. After speaking with our flower people, we decided the later date because that's typically when better blooms are happening. We're trying to do things as seasonally as possible, as well as showcasing local vendors/businesses we like. Our florist is the family we buy bouquets from each year at our farmers market.

The river that runs in front of the Inn.
Geese and ducks like to congregate closer to the bridge.

Another shot of said river.

Mom & Dad!

Brendan & I standing just about where
we'll be exchanging vows.

Follow the path to a cute little
picnic area.

Wedding Inspiration

Our venue is the Valley Green Inn in Wissahickon Park. We're planning things for May 2011, when everything will be lush and green.


Some inspiration and possible purchases or DIY projects. All photos link back to where I originally found them.

I like bunting flags. I made a bunch of Christmas ones for myself and a friend this past year. They're so easy to make, to personalize and effortlessly adds color and interest to a setting. They're also super cheap to produce!


This is a photo of a particular favorite bouquet that Brendan bought me last Summer from our farmer's market flower people, Triple Tree Flowers. They're going to be our florist. We're planning a trip to their flower farm for this May.


Petal paper cones for post-ceremony celebration. These are super easy to make too and can be personalized with any kind of paper and ribbon or whatever details. I've seen ones where folks take their "wedding logo", print them onto cardstock, cut them and tape or glue the logos to the cones, making them super personalized and thematically cohesive. I like the idea of having folks throw petals instead of rice or something. I wouldn't mind getting petals in my hair, but I'd definitely not want bread crumbs or rice or something like that getting on me.


I'm excited about these rustic wood cake stands. Even if I find a felled tree and slice off a few logs and level them, it'd be perfect. The first photo links to DIY directions. So simple and stylish, while super cheap to make.



I found this invite online. It was kind of serendipitous because a few weeks before I found it I thought that the perfect invite for our wedding would be something based off of a planter's wheel (these wheels have the months of the year on the outer ring and the window shows the corresponding plants that should be planted when). Since Brendan and I are avid gardeners, this sort of design is in keeping with who we are. I also really like faux bois and woodsy things (obviously) and when I saw this invite, I thought to myself how it was like this couple (who has their own design company) was looking inside my brain! They did a beautiful job and I have reverse-engineered this invite for myself, after asking them permission that I could basically rip-off their idea. They were super nice about it and flattered that I thought the design was so wonderful. Click on the image to see their design website and more about their one-off wedding invites. So perfect!


This is an album made by this Etsy artist who lives in Latvia. I've contacted her about making a larger format album for our own wedding & honeymoon photos. What a beautiful keepsake this will make! And of course, in keeping with the wood grain & nature theme.