Married Life

Right now I'm in Chicago, taking the day off,
and in between making spaghetti with friends
and wandering around the neighborhood apartment-gazing,
I have been happily imagining my life with my husband-to-be.

If things turn out half as nice for us as they did for Carl and Ellie
(minus, you know, that whole not able to have kids thing...),
I will consider our marriage a success.

In other words,
here's a happy video full of love
to start you off on your week.

The Sound: Swingadelic

Music being the number 1 thing Dave and I don't agree on, I was a little nervous about having to find music for the wedding. On top of that, I do not love the DJs. I briefly toyed with the idea of an iPod wedding (despite warnings from the American Disc Jockey Association about what will happen if you try to use an iPOD!!!!!), but I have eclectic, unusual, and unpopular tastes (also no sound equipment. also no one to man the iPod, so to speak).

Since I don't really like the music DJs play and people don't really like my music (when will the world learn to love Lotion?), I started thinking about fun music in general that will get people up and dancing, and settled on......jazz!

I am not a huge jazz buff, by which I mean I know absolutely zero about good jazz, bad jazz, modern, classic (are those even terms?). All I know is I like to dance to it and Dave and I can agree it.

We decided on a band versus a DJ--something about live music that makes things more exciting--and found Swingadelic.

We went to go check them out in an outdoor concert in Hoboken, where we were joined by my mom and dad, and as soon as we heard them playing, we knew we'd made the right choice.

They made lovely summer night music that got every two year old within a half-mile vicinity up and dancing like some kind of eight-person Pied Piper. But aside from wowing us with their music, they were polite, friendly, and the ultimate pros (their motto: you get married once, we get married hundreds of times).

I am thrilled Swingadelic will be playing at our wedding and cannot wait to kick off what absurdly high (and cute) shoes I wear so I can git down on the dance floor with my friends and family and brand-new husband (dance lessons?).

Swingadelic plays frequently in New York and New Jersey, including several of their wonderful outdoor shows. Fall leaves, picnic, and jazz? Yes, please.

Shoooes!!!!

I was told I need to post more about the wedding...
but I am sleepy...
and I want to eat Halloween candy...
forEVER.
So....
SHOES!!!
I am a big fan of shoe-shopping, and I'm still debating what to go with. My first thought was bright, cheerful, yellow
I like stylish, comfy, unique (these fit the bill on all three)
And I am aaaalmost 800% certain that these little babies will make an appearance
Fancy cowgirl boots?
Right now these are the front-runners. Hello, adorable. They have giant gold bows on them. Look! Bright red toesies? Flowy white dress? I may have to steal every ounce of this stylish lady's fashion sense.
It's not too soon to buy shoes, right?

The Place: Neshanic Valley

This

is Neshanic Valley Golf Club.

Isn't it lovely? I take no credit for finding it (thanks Mom!), but as soon as I walked through the doors, I knew it was for us (Dave was convinced when he drove up the drive and saw the golf academy). Out in farm country, surrounded by trees and grass and flowers, it has clean lines, big windows, simple, elegant furnishings. The ballroom is on the second floor of the building with a wraparound balcony (cocktail hour!). All together, it is lovely and understated, its many windows and balcony highlighting the amazing views (can't wait to be there during a sunset).

Pretty much sealed the deal for Dave...

Not that it wasn't a trial finding it...

As I started my wedding planning extravaganza, choosing the reception venue was the thing I dreaded the most. I had big dreams for the venue: I wanted simple, clean, an intimate, charming space with soul. Unfortunately, I come from Northern New Jersey, which roughly interprets "soul" as "covered with baby angels made of gold. Also, CHANDELIERS!!!!!" Now, I'm not knocking people who like baby angels made of gold. Different strokes and their own drums and that's what makes the world go round. But Dave and I are not those people. Did the venue website include the word "princess" in the description? Move on, move on.

nothing says "love" like frozen naked babies with wings

After narrowing down the finalists, my mom and I set off on the four (4) hour drive to all the venues. We asked questions, we checked out bathrooms (ladies and gentlemen!), we studied light placement and table size and outdoor options. It was studied. It was long. It took aaaall day (did I maybe get a little cranky and try my kindergarten-teacher-mom's already impressive patience? Possibly...).

In the end, though, it was worth it. I knew right from the beginning that Neshanic was the place for us, and checking out the other venues only reinforced the decision. A few days later I sent Dave off to look at them without me (he said the owners seems to vacilate between pleasantly surprised and pitying), and he agreed: Venue. Check.

I Want to Marry Sarah Haskins. Sorry, Dave.

Have you heard of the lovely, talented Sarah Haskins?
She is my cute, funny girl hero,
and I heard about her via her brilliant videos
skewering ads focused towards women
(like yogurt that makes you poop!).


I admit, though, Say Yes to the Dress is pretty awesome,
if only for making me feel like a thrifty McThriftster
for spending just four months' rent on a dress I will wear for eight hours.
I mean, I didn't have to sell a kidney to pay for it, RIGHT???

Also I don't really think I'm a bridezilla,
but I hope to spend at least some part of those eight hours
stomping on imaginary tiny cities while roaring at the top of my lungs.

Wild for Wildflowers

With the big wedding things out of the way (dress, venue, color scheme, wootwoot), I'm starting to think of the details. One of the first bursts of inspiration I got, after picking our reception hall, was to include wildflowers. Our hall opens out into these beautiful rolling green hills, and the view is so beautiful I knew I wanted the decorations inside to enhance it, sort of an "outside-in" kind of mentality.


I know. I am soooooo original, and wildflowers are popping all over the blogosphere, usually in some sort of vintagey, Mason-jary-type container. And why not? They are beautiful, elegant, a touch of casualness, simplicity, and personality. But as much as I love my Mason jars for storing sauces and keeping my flour dry, our hall is a little too classy to go with jars.


Something like this big white bowl, with flowers exploding out of it, is so lovely.


Mostly I'm thinking muted colors, long textured flowers mixed in with softly-pasteled roses and small blooms.


There's just something so sweet and classic about them.



The other thing I noticed is that almost all my favorite floral arrangements don't come from professional florists: brides, et al, headed out to flower markets a few days before to pick out some fresh, local wildflowers and made their own centerpieces, bouquets, and boutonnieres. If I don't splode from the many other DIY projects on my list, I may have to add this one too (also, assemble an army of artistic, flower-arranging friends. There's a Craigslist for that, right?).


I have no photo credits because I've been saving these pictures for a year+ and don't keep good notes. I am very sorry, professional photographers, to not properly cite your excellent work. If you see your photo up here and are mad at me, please leave a comment and I will add your info and also FedEx you a puppy. Wearing a bouquet of pastel, softly-colored wildflowers. And eating a red velvet cupcake. WHAT A DEAL!!!

Cheese Wedding Cakes: Why am I Just Discovering these Now?

Oh my.Do you know what these are?
These are wedding cakes. And they are made out of cheese.
Yes. That's right. Cheese wedding cakes. Has your mind exploded yet? I am literally amazed to have just found these now, seeing as right up there with my fiance and little red cowgirl boots, cheese is pretty much my most favorite thing in the world (I have six different kinds in my fridge right now: Parmesan, mozzarella, ricotta, cheddar, brie, and provolone. But who's counting?).

Could I get away with a tower of cheese instead of a wedding cake at my reception? Hmm... Something tells me it would get veto'd by lesser dairyphiles...

But really though, aren't they beautiful? Big round tiers, flecked, white, golden, red wax, topped with fresh fruit, fresh flowers, a monument to love and dairy...



Cakes available at the Cheese Shed. Leave it to the British to come up with such a wonderful way to introduce more and more cheese to special occasions. Wallace would be proud.