The (mis)Adventures of a Rockabilly Bride

FAQ: Logistics

2008-04-04T21:16:00.000-07:00

Where will I sleep if I'm coming in from out of town?
We have booked a block of rooms under the Carson-Girtin Wedding at the Holiday Inn Express in Littleton.

Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites
12683 West Indore Plce
Littleton, CO 80127

(720) 981-1000

The discount rate is $117 a night, but to get this rate, you MUST book your room at least 6 weeks in advance.

What about parking?
Parking for the ceremony site will be provided by one of the two nearby churches. We are currently trying to secure the location closest to the site, but it is not a completely done deal.

There is a large parking lot at the reception site, so that should be easy.

How do we get from the ceremony to the reception?
A clear and concise map will be posted on the website as our wedding day draws near. For those attending both the ceremony and the reception, extra copies of the map will be provided as you leave for the reception.

What's the deal with the cocktail hour?
The cocktail hour is basically a way to keep people occupied after the ceremony. We'll be taking pictures and getting stuff ready to move to the reception and we don't want everyone to be bored, so we're plying them with booze to keep them happy!

**Stay tuned for more FAQs, or if you have a particular question, contact me via the wedding website!

Toasting and Dancing

2008-04-04T21:04:00.000-07:00

There are two things that I have been searching for . . . and I found them!

As I looked at wedding sections in stores and online, I was extremely dissappointed with the choices of toasting flutes. Everything was either stainless steel (meant to be engraved, no doubt) or covered in ribbons and fluff. I was looking for something simple that we could have in our house and continue to use after the wedding. I considered buying some regular champagne flutes from Crate & Barrel, but what I really wanted was glasses that went along with our polka dot theme. Low and behold, I found the exact thing I was looking for at Hallmark!

They are simple and beautiful - exactly what I was looking for! That only goes to teach me that the most unlikely places can have the most perfect things!

Along the same vein, I finally found some nice, simple white flats to wear to the reception. Although I love the high heels I picked out for the ceremony, there's no way I would be able to wear them all night. I looked everywhere for white flats, but all the ones I found had sequins, designs, or other unneccessary stuff on them. I almost gave up, but Payless ended up having a couple of styles of white flats for Easter. I really wanted to get a pair that had a white bow on the front, but they ended up not having my size. My second choice was just as cute, though, and I was able to buy their last size 10.

The glare from the flash makes it hard to see, but there are little pintucks around the toe of the shoe and a large button fastening the Mary Jane strap! Very retro (although, a little more 60s than 50s). The most important thing is that they are REALLY comfortable and will be a lot of fun to dance in!

I'm so crafty!

2008-04-04T20:40:00.000-07:00

As I put more and more things together, I have discovered that DIY (or do-it-yourself) is the way to go. Initially, I was a little worried about how things would turn out, but after much success with our invitations, I have found that some simple craft projects have allowed me to have exactly what I want for (mostly) cheap!

Our ceremony programs, for instance, turned out beautifully. I had FedEx Kinkos copy off the inside pages and the personalized part of the covers and we created an assembly line to put them together. Kris's mom came over and helped us glue covers together, which was SO helpful. With our handy-dandy three hole punch and some sheer, bright pink ribbon, we were able to put them together into books!

I was able to use the exact fonts I wanted, and included the monogram I designed! With everything (including polka dot scrapbook paper, black and white cardstock, copies, ribbon, and glue), it was probably about $200 to make 100 eight-page programs. Stationary stores I looked at charge at least $750 for 100 two-page programs!

Another project that ended up being super easy was the flower girl basket. I purchased a small white basket with a fabric inlay just before Easter. I removed the fabric inlay, and later, I wrapped the handle in sheer, polka dot ribbon. I tied bows at the base of each side of the handle and it turned out beautifully!

It fits with the style of our casual, garden wedding much better than the satin-covered, pearl-studded ones you find in stores, AND it was only about $10! (Store-bought baskets run from $20-40!)

***For brides who are looking for more exciting DIY ideas, become a member of the Offbeat Bride Tribe at www.offbeatbride.ning.com!

Yay . . . engagement pics!

2008-02-24T21:43:00.001-08:00

We got our engagement pics back and I am SO excited!

It looks like we're ready to fight crime!

Our hands (you can see my ring if you look close)

On the swings at Kendrick Park

Flowers and Cake!

2008-02-20T23:03:00.001-08:00

This week was pretty eventful in the old wedding planning world. I ordered my cake on Saturday evening from a magnificent local baker, Das Meyer. They're family owned and their cakes are A-MAZING! They were so helpful and accommodating, especially with my cake topper (which is technically too small to be on top of the cake). I reccommend this place to any Denver couples looking for a beautiful AND tasty wedding cake. The best part is that they have guilt-free cake tastings every Saturday from 10-3, so you don't have to pay consultation fees or make an appointment.

I ended up ordering my flowers from King Soopers because the first florist I went to never called me back. I was so impressed with the level of professionalism and knowledge with the KS florist. She was awesome (and very complimentary of what I had chosen, which never hurts) and I have to say big thanks to my mom for suggesting the idea of using a grocery store flower department! It worked out beautifully. And it's a lot cheaper than using a "real" florist! (And we all know how I like cheap!)

In addition to having good ideas, my mom may be the sweetest person out there. She and her (equally sweet) boyfriend spent their entire day off hunting for leftover bags of Valentines' Day M&Ms. They bought 55 bags of regular and 25 bags of peanut . . . and then, they picked out all the red ones for me! Mom also bought an oversized martini glass and filled it with M&Ms so we'd know what it looked like. I must say it is super cute!

Invitations!

2008-02-09T01:58:00.000-08:00

So, we finally bought our invitations. We chose some very simple white, embossed cards with vellum overlays that came in DIY pack at Target. The pack included sections of sheer, white ribbon to tie the invitations together, but we decided to cut pieces of polka dot ribbon to tie them. I think it looks very pretty, and I love how simple they are!

The response cards that came in the package are great because they are big enough to include space for a song request and to advertise our website!

Our next goal is to order the cake. I'm hoping to be able to set aside a day next week to go down and get everything settled.

The Little Things

2008-01-20T22:22:00.000-08:00

So, maybe there weren't a "flurry" of posts, but in my defense, I did spend most of my Christmas vacation either at work, at my mom's, or sick with a cold and an ear infection. I'm happy to say that I'm feeling better, and more importantly, things are slowly starting work themselves into place.

Now for updates:

While at my mom's for Christmas, we made black circles of construction paper into place cards. It's simple, cheap, and keeps with my theme of black and white polka dots. The best part is my mom wrote all the names, so they are personal rather than just running them off on a printer.
Mom also got us a beautiful black and white polka dot scrapbook to use as our wedding album. I like this idea so much better than buying a wedding-specific album. Some are beautiful, but I've seen plenty of cheesy-looking ones and none of them are really my style.

While in Nebraska, I picked up a box meant for videos which I plan to use for cards at the reception. It's bright pink and black polka dots, so I had to get it.

We also decided to cut squares of polka dot wrapping paper to place under the centerpieces. That way, we won't be left with 20 square polka dot place mats that we can't do anything with.

My mom's coworker, Theresa, generously donated lots and lots of tiny bottles of bubbles, so it's one less thing I have to get. I just got finished tying lots of tiny pink bows around the bottles and I have to say, it looks fantastic!

We also finally pinned down the wedding party gifts!

My bridal attendants and I are planning to go see 27 Dresses as a kind of girl-bonding time. It should be really fun.

Next to come: (hopefully!!)
* Renting chairs
* Flowers
* Invitations
* Ordering the cake

It's happening fast!

Time Flies!

2007-12-09T09:54:00.000-08:00

So, looking back at this blog, I realize that I haven't written since July! Yikes!

I tried to do most of the big planning before I began school, and I accomplished a lot. The time off from wedding planning allowed me to focus on school, work, and the newspaper, so I appreciate everyone's patience.

As the Christmas vacation approaches, however, I'm planning to go full swing into the wedding planning mode, so be prepared for a flurry of new posts through December and January. I get no escape for the next semester, so I'm hoping they will continue until the wedding, but no promises!

As for new plans, before I dissappeared into my schoolwork, I visited the Das Meyer Bakery in Arvada for two cake tastings and I was blown away! The cakes themselves are amazing, but the best part is the delicious fillings they offer. Kris and I decided on a three tier cake, with two layers of chocolate and one layer of vanilla cake. The top layer will be chocolate with raspberry filling. The middle layer will be vanilla with a chocolate truffle filling. And the bottom (and biggest) layer will be chocolate with a chocolate mousse filling. We tried to do a little something for everyone, and still keep it classic. The cake design, like much of our wedding, is very simple - white with accents of black and bright pink. I will definitely post pictures after the wedding, but all I have right now is the crude drawing I did, and no one wants to see that!

Another piece of relatively big news is that we took our engagment pictures! I've seen proofs, and they look amazing, so I want to give a big thank you to our photographer, Soraya!! I can't wait to get the prints and send them out with our Christmas cards.

In the next coming weeks, I will be getting the invitations ready and creating the placecards. Luckily, I'm going to have some help from my wonderful mom when I go out to visit her in Omaha!

My biggest worry right now is the flowers. We did visit one florist, but unfortunately, they never got back to me with a price list, so I have to soldier on. If you live in the Denver area and know of a good florist, let me know!

Location, Location, Location

2007-07-26T20:08:00.000-07:00

We secured our reception location today! Our wedding reception is officially at the Overlook Event Center on June 20, 2008 at 7:00. The site is awesome, but it's still hard to imagine how everything will look with the tables and centerpieces.

Here is a picture to give you a feel for it. The window is my favorite part!

I also got to take a few pictures of our ceremony site. Kris and I feel so blessed that we get to have our wedding at his aunt and uncle's house. We love their backyard and we think it is beautiful!

My Super Foxy Maid-of-Honor

2007-07-25T19:01:00.001-07:00

Maid of Honor Outfit (closer)
Originally uploaded by Rockabilly Bride

Lindsay and I met up and went to the mall today and what started as a scouting trip for possible maid-of-honor outfits turned in to a mini shopping spree. We were able to find a smokin' hot outfit for her to wear at the wedding. It has everything: black and white polka dots and some beautiful hot pink shoes that make the outfit amazing!

Her awesome shoes!

Every Little Girl's Dream: The Dress

2007-07-17T18:25:00.000-07:00

I have to admit, I went through several different phases (at a pretty rapid rate) when I was trying to find my dress. I started out thinking that I didn't want a "wedding" dress. I found a really cute swing dress on Daddyos.com that was black and white like a tuxedo. When I showed it to my mom, she liked it, but didn't think it was right for a wedding. She told me, "You should be the most dressed-up person at your wedding!" I figured she was probably right, so I started looking at some "fancier" dresses. I found one at Jessica McClintock that was beautiful and retro - very similar to the one that Marilyn Monroe wore in the picture where she is standing over the grate and the wind is blowing up her dress. I went with Kris's sister and mom to try it on, but we weren't sure exactly where the store was, so we stopped at David's Bridal to ask directions. While there, we decided to look, just for fun. I found a beautiful dress that I liked a lot, so I made an appointment to try it on. We went to Jessica McClintock and I tried on my first choice. It was beautiful and it looked nice on me, but it didn't feel like a wedding dress. We went back to David's Bridal and I tried on the dress I chose there. It was perfect! The dress had all the elements I was looking for - it was casual, simple, and had a retro feel. Can't wait until the wedding? Take a look! Be sure to click on the "alternate view" link to see the back (that's my favorite part!).

I have to say, having the dress is really exciting, and I think it is definitely helping me focus on how I want everything to tie together.

Frequently Asked Questions: The Engagement Edition

2007-07-17T17:05:00.000-07:00

How did Kris propose?
Kris and I have been dating for five years, and we have discussed marriage off and on for awhile. We decided together that we should make an "official" commitment to each other. There was no "real" proposal, it was more or less a mutual decision.

What about the ring?
I've never been a fan of big jewelry or gems, so I wanted something I could wear every day. Kris and I both have Irish ancestry, so the symbol of the claddagh is very significant for us. Ultimately, Kris and I chose matching stainless steel bands with claddaghs laser-cut into the band. Both of our rings are engraved - mine has Kris's name on the inside, Kris's ring has my name on his.

What kind of wedding are you guys planning?
Kris and I want to have a fun event that people will remember. We want everyone to feel at home and we're encouraging our guests to wear whatever they feel most comfortable in, whether it be jeans or a dress! Our wedding colors are black and white, with accents of bright pink. We're going for a rockabilly/retro feel, so expect a '50s feel and lots of polka dots!

What sources are you using to help you plan?
Since we're not planning a traditional wedding, most magazines and books don't really give the advice I'm looking for. Offbeat Bride, by Ariel Meadow Stallings, is awesome because it gives a lot of great tips for unconventional couples and, while reading it, I felt relieved because the book confirmed for me that I'm not a freak just because I didn't want a diamond engagement ring. If you're a bride-to-be, then you should definitely check out her website: Offbeat Bride. There's an excerpt from the book, so you can get a feel for the writing style. Even so, I'm also using some more traditional sources. The wedding planner website, www.theknot.com, has excellent resources, including a budget creator, a guest list creator, and tons of stories about real weddings. I also have an awesome wedding planner notebook - The Simple Stunning Wedding Planner. It's aimed at more traditional brides, but it is durable and has several pages to put pictures and inspirations. I was able to find a couple of pictures of wedding cakes that I liked and then sketch out my idea for a cake based on those pictures. Also, www.wedorama.com has a great flash site template that allowed me to create a wedsite that was simple, stylish, and informative!

Can we give you advice?
Of course! Obviously, I have never done this before, so if you have ideas - lay 'em on me! I will listen to any and all tips.

Welcome!!

2007-07-17T16:08:00.000-07:00

Since you're here, I have to guess that you just came from our "wedsite." If you just happened on this blog, you should definitely check out the site!

So, the site is pretty formal - mostly because Kris and I are using it as an extension of our invitations. In other words, it's all the stuff we wanted to put on the invitation, but couldn't fit on the 5x7 piece of paper. And even the website isn't big enough to put down all of my thoughts! If you know me well, you probably know I love to plan. I relish little details and I like to have everything planned down to the nth degree. Since ALL of our guests don't need to know about which toasting flutes I'm buying or how I'm doing my hair, I created this blog - mostly for myself, but also for my fellow detail-loving freaks. (And I know you're out there!)

I have to say, I never thought that I would be planning a wedding. I definitely didn't think that I would be writing stuff down in a wedding planner and scouring wedding advice sites, books, and magazines for ideas (and answers). And I never dreamed that I would be worrying about registry etiquette or when to send out Save-the-Date cards. But here I am - I love my planner (Thank you to Kris's Aunt Joannie!) and I spend a great deal of my free time on www.theknot.com and other wedding sites.

But never fear, because Kris and I aren't planning a by-the-book, big poofy dress, giant diamond engagement ring wedding. Our wedding will definitely be like us - kitschy, fun, and generally odd. (To give you a hint about the creative planning process - my planning guide is called Offbeat Bride.)

So, if you're interested in the details . . . or hoping to witness a slow, painful meltdown by yours truly, stay tuned and check back often!!!