Hello, Goodbye

I've been putting this off, but with my recaps finished the time has come for me to step aside. To say I've enjoyed being a part of the Weddingbee community is an understatement; I've delighted in writing every post, I've appreciated how much fun we've had together, and I'm humbled by all that I've learned from you. Aside from the photos and video (which I promise to post once we have the final product), we have a couple other tangible mementos of our wedding day that I'd like to share with you before I go. The first is a magnificent keepsake by artist Betty Gjesdal of CurlyArt, where she preserved the flowers from my wedding bouquet and transformed them into a set of six canvas paintings. Four of these now grace the wall of our new home, while the other two will be given to our parents as a post-wedding gift.

{Personal Photo; Paintings by CurlyArt}

Sweet Beginnings: If I Could Turn Back Time

Now that the cake is long gone, the bouquets have dried, and I've had time to reflect on our wedding day, a few things come to mind that fall into the categories of "things I absolutely wouldn't change" and "things I wish I had done differently." It was a daring adventure planning a wedding from beginning to end, and although I'm still walking on sunshine over how the day went, I'm a strong believer in everything being a learning experience. Without further ado...

Five things I would have done differently:

1. Paid for the extra hours of photography and videography coverage

As the wedding approached, I was borderline obsessed with the numbers in our bank accounts. While some might consider that kind of financial consciousness responsible, I wish I had relented a little and spent the money to have them stay the entire night. There were so many great moments after our contracts ended at 10:30 PM that exist only in our memories: after Mr. Tartlet read this post by Mrs. Elephant, he immediately latched onto the idea of having a private last dance. That night, Mary Ann Ross deftly assessed the mood and ended up inviting everyone to share in "one last dance." Marry Me by Train sounded through the speakers, and all around us people were swaying back and forth singing along to the music, some in pairs, others in groups with their arms flung around each others shoulders. It was an incredible display of love, friendship, and camaraderie. While the Twofoot Creative team broke down the Conservatory, a group of us meandered out to the garden where we busted out the cigars that I had gifted Mr. Tartlet earlier in the day. We spent a good 30 minutes quietly chatting and mellowing out, and I desperately wish we had tangible reminders of those moments.

Sweet Beginnings: I Hope Tomorrow Is Like Today

Mr. Tartlet and I bolted through the hotel back to the bridal suite, gaily chatting as I yanked my heels off and barefoot finished the race to our room. Unbeknownst to all but a handful of our guests, in addition to the private lessons for our first dance, we also took lessons for a second dance to the tune of Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny). While receiving instruction, we quickly realized that if we were going to pull this number off, a costume change was in order. I flew out of my wedding attire and into a flouncy dress, Mr. Tartlet discarded his suit jacket, loosened his tie, and not ten minutes later we returned to the Conservatory where our day-of-coordinator signaled to our DJ that we were ready.

{Photo by Aruna B. Photography}

Sweet Beginnings: My Little Girl(s)

After all had been sufficiently wined and dined, the dance floor was opened on a sentimental note with the father-daughters dance. The plural isn't a typo: my sister didn't have a traditional wedding reception, and as such never had the opportunity to dance with our dad. She had voiced this as a deep regret, so this tradition had a special purpose in my heart from the very beginning. If memory serves me right, after screaming into the phone to her that I was engaged, my next shriek as a soon-to-be-married woman was to declare that she was getting her father-daughter dance. My dad chose this song of his own accord, and I'm still brought to tears whenever I hear the hauntingly beautiful lyrics.

{Photo by Aruna B. Photography}

Sweet Beginnings: The Truth of a Toast

Hive, I'm afraid I haven't been entirely forthright with you. Although it's true that for the majority of our wedding day Mr. Tartlet and I lived in that coveted world of "sunshine and rainbows," there was a dark little cloud hovering over our marriage that I haven't spoken of until now, mostly because I was conflicted about how to approach the topic on such a public forum. Plainly speaking, I seriously considered glossing over the whole affair. Upon reflecting on my years of reading Weddingbee, though, I realized that part of what makes this community special is the open acknowledgement of the ups and downs that accompany engagement, marriage, and life after the wedding. At any rate, I digress. The springboard for this post is the following nugget of wisdom that my sister shared during her toast, and later wrote in our guest book:

{Personal Photo}

There is someone (let's call this person "Sue," because no one wants to be a Sue) who became increasingly antagonistic towards our relationship over the last couple of years, especially with how we chose to execute our wedding. Sue's first act on our wedding day was to mock my appearance, and her last was to try and drag Mr. Tartlet away as we shared our last dance.

Sweet Beginnings: Be Our Guest

Dusk had fallen, and everything inside the Conservatory was bathed in romantic candlelight. As we dined to the soundtrack of murmured conversations, tinkling silverware, and the occasional outburst of merriment, I surveyed our guests from the vantage point of our sweetheart table and in a moment of uncertainty nervously asked Mr. Tartlet whether or not he thought people were having a good time. Through a mouthful of steak he brusquely mumbled something along the lines of: "Woman, are you crazy? Eat your food." He moved on to attack his pile of dauphinois potatoes, and I once again let my eyes run over the scene, giving a small nod as if to reaffirm that all was well.

{Photo by Aruna B. Photography}

No matter what breed of wedding--big or small, rustic or modern--we can all appreciate what an investment it is of time, money, and emotion. I found myself profoundly worried that our guests were bored.

Sweet Beginnings: Only You

After our fleeting, 15-minute-and-change ceremony, family portraits, and signing our marriage license, we were at last ready to commence our reception. We had planned for our entire wedding party to participate in the grand entrance, but after noting that all members were deep in earnest conversations, we decided there was no sense disrupting the flow to pull them away. The idea was thus canned on the spot, and our unflappable DJ, Mary Ann Ross, simply asked our guests to rise and give a hearty welcome to the newlyweds.

{Photo by Aruna B. Photography}

Habitually wallflowers, the experience of stepping into a room resounding with applause, whistles, and cheers specifically for you and your husband was both overwhelming and delightful. Slightly abashed, we wasted no time in transitioning straight into our first dance to the tune of Joshua Radin's Only You.

Sweet Beginnings: All The Small Things

Before we transition to our reception in earnest, I thought we'd take a wee virtual tour of our wedding to see how the various elements came together. Imagine yourself in the shoes of a guest, and let's start at the very beginning with our beloved invitations!

{Photo by Aruna B. Photography}

I wrote about the inspiration, design, and crafting process for these precious bundles--and we couldn't be happier with how they turned out. They truly set the tone for our event, and every time we went to someone's home and saw our invitation displayed on the refrigerator or carefully set aside on the counter it made our hearts swell with pride that our hard work didn't go unnoticed.

Sweet Beginnings: I Think I Wanna Marry You

"Dance first. Think later. It's the natural order."

-Samuel Beckett

After being introduced for the first time as "husband and wife," Mr. Tartlet and I made our way down the aisle to the tune of Bruno Mars' "Marry You." My feet started striding to the beat, and before I knew it my shoulders were shimmying, Mr. Tartlet gave his hips a little Ricky Martin shake, and we were prancing and singing down the aisle.

{Photo by Aruna B. Photography}

Blissfully unaware of anyone but each other at the time, we later found out that our guests (allegedly) did not think we were insane, and that our brilliant bridal party--in all likelihood bewildered and wondering whether they missed the memo--followed suit in fine form.

Sweet Beginnings: I Am The Luckiest

After our declarations of intent, Mr. Tartlet gave my hands a squeeze and delivered the personal vows he had composed in the weeks prior to our marriage:

"Every single day with you is special, because it gives me another chance to learn from your kindness, your empathy and selflessness. I look forward to the rest of our lives together, to wake up next to you knowing that I’m fortunate enough to come home to you. I look forward to the late night bubble tea runs..."

{Photo by Aruna B. Photography}

 
"...our movie marathons, learning new things and discovering new places with you. I give myself to you completely; my whole heart and soul for the rest of our lives. As I once wrote to you on our one year anniversary: should you fall down, I will always be there to carry you, should you ever feel alone, I will always be there to hold your hand."

Sweet Beginnings: The Way I Am

After a heartfelt welcome and a brief opening benediction, Reverend Tuttle transitioned into the reading we had selected to kick off the ceremony.

{The Promise}

Eileen Rafter

{Photo by Aruna B. Photography}

The sun danced on the snow with a glittering smile,

As two lovers sat quietly, alone for a while.

Then he turned and said, with a casual air,

(though he blushed from his chin to the tips of his hair)

"I think I'd quite like to get married to you."

Sweet Beginnings: One Step At a Time

After a whirlwind photo session with our wedding party, hand-in-hand Mr. Tartlet and I stepped inside the sun-drenched Conservatory to soak in the transformation that had taken place over the last few hours. The Parsonage truly outdid themselves to design centerpieces that were both airy and lush, and in concert with Twofoot Creative perfected the tablescapes.

{Photo by Aruna B. Photography}

We were briefly reunited with our officiant, Reverend Brian Tuttle, whose genuine warmth and heart always transfused us with a sense of security. Words of assurance and well wishes were exchanged, and then we were spirited along through numerous pairs of welcoming arms before rejoining the bridal party in our suite where we collected our thoughts and quietly anticipated the next big step in our lives. At a quarter to six, we journeyed back down to the Conservatory--and a blow was delivered to our carefully planned timeline.

Sweet Beginnings: Papa-Paparazzi

Happy tears from our emotional first look soon dissolved into peals of laughter when the rest of our wedding party joined us on the meticulously groomed grounds at the Royal Park. To quote Carrie Bradshaw, "they say nothing lasts forever; dreams change, trends come and go, but friendships never go out of style." These incredible people are a handful of those who make our brightest days brighter, always have our backs, and whom we love unconditionally.

{Photo by Aruna B. Photography}

Our relationships with friends and family defined our wedding celebration, and we couldn't help but get caught up in the gaiety of having so many of our nearest and dearest together.

Sweet Beginnings: You Have Stolen My Heart

The placid atmosphere of the morning and early afternoon followed me as I gathered up my train and headed down the elevator for our first look. Aside from feeling slightly tingly with anticipation, my nerves remained calm even as I was instructed to wait alone, hidden in the hallway while they finished staging the scene. I stood quietly with my hands clasped in front of me, a tranquil smile on my face as I reflected on what thus far had been an enchanted day until Ryan, our videographer from Epic Motion, appeared by my side and signaled that it was time. As I turned the corner and saw Mr. Tartlet's back through the double glass doors, I experienced what can only be described as an upheaval of emotion--the kind that feels like hundreds of butterflies are fluttering their way from your stomach into your heart. I heard myself emit a strangled sob/laugh (that was captured so well on film), and there wasn't a coherent thought in my mind.

Well, almost. As I approached the exit, heels clicking rhythmically on the marbled floors, one thought kept interjecting itself into my reverie: "Hold the door open for Ryan, hold the door open for Ryan."

{Photos by Aruna B. Photography}

Sweet Beginnings: Get Ready 'Cause Here I Come

After my sister and I had finished ogling our statuesque mother, I slipped into the adjacent room to take down my dress that had been carefully hung on a padded dupioni silk hanger, purchased from Etsy seller tokyoblues.

{Photo by Aruna B. Photography}

As I draped the delicate alencon lace dress and veil over my arms and turned to walk out into the sitting area of our suite, a thought struck that made me stop dead in my tracks: "...am I going to have to show my...boobs...to everyone?" Stunned, I couldn't believe that the thought had never crossed my mind that in order to get dressed (and have pictures taken), I would first have to get un-dressed. After a moment's hesitation, I walked through the door with wide eyes and vaguely remember apologizing for my inevitable nudity. There was a bit of fussing from my characteristically modest mom as I divested myself of my clothes (she seemed every bit as mortified as I to be stripping down in front of a crowd), but after a few awkward giggles and quick helping hands, my dress was on.

Sweet Beginnings: This Gift

After a halcyon-esque morning, the air went from placid to sparking with activity in a span of 10 minutes. In rapid succession, Twofoot Creative, Aruna B., and Epic Motion came on the scene while Laura R. from Posh took the arrivals as her cue to put the final touches on my makeup:

{Photo by Aruna B. Photography}

Adding to the wedding fever, our bouquets had been delivered by a friendly staff member from The Parsonage:

Sweet Beginnings: Good Mornin' To You

Friday morning started out much like any other: I woke up to the familiar chime of my cell phone alarm at 7:15 am, which I promptly silenced by blindly smashing buttons until the offensive noise ceased. I slowly opened my eyes and blinked, adjusting to the sun that was streaming through the sheer bedroom curtains and listened to the sound of Mr. Tartlet gently snoring beside me. Not surprisingly, I had trouble falling asleep the night before after the whirlwind of activity at the rehearsal and welcoming dinner. Surprisingly, I felt oddly refreshed after only 4 hours of sleep. I proceeded with my typical morning routine, threw on a pair of grey velour pants and a white tank top with the word "bride" emblazoned across the chest in peach vintage typeface, zipped up my favorite purple jacket, and tip-toed downstairs to meander the halls that would soon be bustling with activity. For now, though, all was quiet.

Sweet Beginnings: Welcome to Michigan

I stared vacantly out the window of Mr. Tartlet's car, watching the power lines hypnotically swoop by as I listened to the purr of the engine. The 21-minute drive over to his home was spent mostly in silence as we unwound after our emotionally charged rehearsal. Inside, a billion thoughts flew through our heads.

Me: "Holy crap, I hope everyone finds their way to the dinner OK. Should I call to check? Will traffic be that bad tomorrow? That person looked so. bored! at the rehearsal. What if everyone looks that disinterested? Will anyone make it (because of aforementioned traffic)? I should have worn different shoes. Global warming is a problem."

Mr. Tartlet: "Mmm...food."

...so perhaps I was the only one with a jumble of worries zinging around my cranium! Before long, though, there was no time for such thoughts: as one of the last to arrive, we found that the welcoming dinner was already buzzing with activity. Our stomachs made a beeline for the food (catered from Penna's in Sterling Heights), served buffet-style in keeping with the casual and relaxed atmosphere:

Sweet Beginnings: Practice Makes Perfect

If there's one thing that's utterly out of every bride-to-be's control, it's Mother Nature. That meant as soon as "Fri May 6" made it onto the 10 day extended forecast display, I was habitually staring at my computer screen, trying to unleash my dormant Jedi powers to will those numbers up. It had not only been a rather squishy spring in Michigan--it had been downright cold. Tiny, lime green buds were warily emerging from winter-beaten branches while underneath people still hunkered down in their heavy coats. The temperatures were yo-yo'ing anywhere from a pleasant 72 down to a brisk 50, with an occasional frost advisory thrown in for good measure. In retrospect, perhaps I should have placed an order for my lightsaber, because this is what greeted us on Thursday as we caravaned to the Royal Park Hotel:

I'm pretty sure I dashed outside at one point, did a double fist pump and shouted "blue skies, b*tches!!!" Four cars worth of charger plates, out-of-town bags, votive holders, glass cylinders, candles, and paper products later we were ready to make the 60 mile trek up to Rochester.

Sweet Beginnings: Let's Get It Started!

Oh, sweet Hive--how I've missed you! It's hard to believe we're creeping up on the 2 month mark since we tied the knot, and I'm elated to begin re-living that joyous day with you. Now, some of the newer members (hello!) might be giving me the eyebrow and saying "who is that Mrs. Tartlet, anyway?" Well, I'm the one who after five years of dating my honey had the surprise engagement on a cruise ship, and in the two years following went down the path that so many of you are traversing now: we hunted for the perfect venue for our romantic, garden-inspired wedding, I found "the" dress (and shoes, and veil), we tag-teamed a bunch of DIY projects (we cray-zay), pondered the flower situation, searched for bridesmaid dresses, tasted plenty of good food and so much more in order to celebrate our blessings with 60 of our closest family and friends. And, it. was. awesome!

Still with me? 'cause you know I wouldn't throw that block of text at you without a peek of what's to come! The killer Epic Motion team created a wedding trailer for us that I admit I've watched daily for the past two weeks.

Holly + Peter Trailer from Epic Motion on Vimeo.

We're Married!

"Love is a promise, love is a souvenir, once given never forgotten, never let it disappear."

-John Lennon 

Hello my lovelies! I'm thrilled to be back here with all of you as a married woman! I can honestly say that our wedding was everything we wanted it to be and so, so much more. I'm still riding the high from the outpouring of love and support that we experienced, and every time I close my eyes and think about the day I can't help but smile. There was laughter and happy tears in abundance, an adorable red wagon (that I even got to sit in for a bit), an impromptu horah, a gentleman in a kilt, and the wave even made an appearance to spice up our meal time. We left feeling like everyone had been brought closer together, which was our dream come true. Needless to say, I have so many stories to share with you! So as not to leave you totally hanging while we take Europe by storm and await our pro pics, here's a couple more teasers courtesy of our adored photographer:

It's Friday, and I'm In Love

"I'm trying to keep my feet on the ground.
I'm getting to like this feeling I've found.
I'm getting to love
The thought of having you around.
And I will never let you down."

- Never Let You Down by the Verve Pipe

This week has been a whirlwind of blissful emotions, as well as a time of reflection upon the events and people who have shaped our lives. It was when I took the time to browse through some childhood photos of Mr. Tartlet and myself that the weight of this moment really hit me, and I sat with silent tears streaming down my face, thanking whatever higher power is out there that we managed to find our way to each other. It's a sobering thought to consider that Mr. Tartlet and I could have easily passed each other by had either of us made one decision differently, which only makes me more thankful for all the experiences we've had. There were a handful of photos that I was particularly drawn to that showcased our similarities and differences, even at a very young age.

Mr. Tartlet apparently had an attachment to this stuffed bear. Not to be outdone, I was particularly fond of two:

All The Small Things: Spoiling Our Guests!

One of the first deadlines I set for myself when we started planning our wedding was to have everything done by the Tuesday before. And, if it wasn't done by then--then by golly, it just wasn't going to happen. Period. It's been a steady pace to the finish line, but thanks to the help of our amazing friends we made it! All of the little details that we wanted to incorporate to make our guests feel even more special are complete, such as the out-of-town bags:

I purchased some medium kraft bags from our local Michaels and jazzed them up with the same stamp and ink pad that we used for our wedding programs. We stuffed these babies with the following goodies:

Gifting the Girls

Continuing on the train of thankfulness and having far too much time on my hands during our long engagement, I've also been continually on the prowl for bits and bobbles I could include in my bridesmaids' gift bags. Although I gifted them the jewelry they'll be wearing for the wedding day (thanks to a killer deal on Ideeli), I really wanted to go above-and-beyond for the ladies who have been there every step of the way, and who are currently keeping me sane.

Images via Ideeli (no longer available) / Jewelry by M. Grazia Musi

Gifts for the Groom

I adore buying presents for people, but generally have an incredibly hard time buying gifts for Mr. Tartlet. He'll probably say the same thing about me, which is why the majority of our "gift" giving typically revolves around grabbing a bite to eat. I've had two full years to concoct the ultimate gift package for him, though, and I'm wickedly anticipating his reaction when he sees what's in store for him. I'll give you one, evil sneak peek Mr. Tartlet:

Mr. Tartlet's Labor of Love, Part II

We've seen the outside--now it's time explore the contents of our wedding programs! I mollified some of my guilt over Mr. Tartlet doing the brunt of the work by designing the panels and printing them onto text weight speckletone kraft paper. They were cut to the final dimensions of 3-9/16" x 4-13/16", which left a small border all around. Aaaaaaand, there's where my hand in this stops, because Mr. Tartlet promptly took over to stick them onto the accordion panel backing using 3M Super 77 Multipurpose Spray Adhesive.

The first panel is a relationship timeline. I gobbled up inspiration from a number of ladies here at Weddingbee, as well as this timeline from 100 Layer Cake.

Mr. Tartlet's Labor of Love, Part I

Remember these babies from way back when? Hive, I can't even begin to express how elated I am that Mr. Tartlet finished these over the weekend. Our wedding programs evolved from being a couple pieces of cardboard covered in fabric to something incredibly precious that I'm so in love with--and Mr. Tartlet is pretty proud of, too.

After waffling for quite some time on how to keep the booklets shut, Mr. Tartlet purchased assorted wooden buttons and some leather cord from Joanns to create these cute closures. He also tried other combinations using wooden beads, black leather, hemp, and copper wire (instead of the knot) but we felt that au naturale looked the best with our wedding's moderately rustic vibe.

A Flipside to Wedding Favors

I have a fondness for tchotchkes that dates back to my elementary school years: my enthusiasm for carnival and cake walk prizes was unsurpassed (I was also quite a competitive little bugger). It's no surprise then that I look forward to seeing what the bride and groom's wedding favors are! Double happiness candles? Score. A pair of porcelain love birds? Awesome. A bookmark with the bride and groom's photo on it? Still use it to this day. However, when it came to our own wedding, I was conscious that a good percentage of our guests are of the "WTF do I do with this?" persuasion. I started researching alternatives to traditional wedding favors and quickly gravitated towards a slew of edible alternatives. S'mores, anyone?

  Image via Twig & Thistle

Dressing the Rest of the Best

In addition to the three bombshells that glam up my side of the wedding party, Mr. Tartlet will have four handsome gents standing beside him as we say our I do's. All of our guys are incredibly laid-back, which led us to be inspired by this less formal, retro-chic look that seemed to compliment their personalities better than matching tuxes or suits would:

 Image via Green Wedding Shoes / Photo by Jeff Wallace

It was a trying learning experience tackling the world of menswear because Mr. Tartlet can be very particular about his threads. After months of fruitless shopping, we went the made-to-measure route and purchased his slim-fit, three-piece, charcoal gray suit from a company called Indochino (the same one that the Cinnamon Buns used):

Seating Charts and Table Numbers and Place Cards, Oh My!

Guest list? Check. Table arrangements? Check. Seating assignments? Oh, how we wanted to leave people to work things out for themselves! Without getting into the murky details, let's just say there are enough delicate relationships amongst one of our families that motivated us not only to have assigned tables, but assigned seating as well. We're hoping the extra effort will prevent explosive combinations from coming together while simultaneously taking some pressure off our guests: couples are guaranteed to be seated next to one another, friends will be clustered together, buffers will be placed in between conflicting personalities, and hopefully no one will be the wiser. In between the ceremony and the cocktail hour, an easel with our framed seating chart will be placed in the room for our guests to peruse at their leisure over strawberry lemonade and hors d'oeuvres:

 

Our seating chart: still a work in progress!

Seating Style

Now that we have a firm hold of our guest numbers, our next step is to tackle the seating arrangements. We've had a somewhat unique wedding setup from the get-go because our ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception all take place in the same room. Long story short, a misunderstanding occurred where I was under the impression that our room could be "flipped" during the cocktail hour. I was gravely mistaken and learned fairly late in the game that our venue has a regulation where decor items must be in place and ready to go prior to the start of the ceremony. This means tables, chairs, centerpieces--the whole nine yards. That enlightening phone call left my palms clammy and the games began to work within the boundaries of our venue.

There's something timeless and elegant about classic rounds. Case and point:

Photo by chocostudio (10 points if you recognize whose venue this is!)

The Numbers Are In!

There was serious cause for celebration at chez Tartlet last week because our RSVP list is finally complete! Oh, memories *cue hazy flashback*: our Save-the-Dates were sent a year before the wedding. We mailed our invitations in February, and set our RSVP deadline a month before the wedding. Our guaranteed numbers are due 2 weeks before the wedding, which allowed us 2 weeks to hunt down and conquer any delinquent invitees. I'm a gal who appreciates data sets, so it's no surprise that I looked for statistics while I was in the throes of weighing how many guests to invite vs. how many to expect. Following in the footsteps of Miss Sloth, here's the statistical breakdown for our wedding:

Total guests invited: 86; 13 of which were +1s (we gave this option to those who were in long-term relationships or who would otherwise not know anyone else at the wedding)

No. of invitations mailed: 41

Out-of-town guests (over 1 h drive): 43
Local guests: 43

Accepted: 58 (67%)
Declined: 28 (33%)

Once we included Mr. Tartlet and myself, that brought our final count to a beautifully round crowd of 60--spot on to what we were hoping for! This happy ending had a good mix of triumphs and bumps along the way, though, so let's take a moment for an episode of:

Image via shareTV

Two Birds, One Stone: Tartlet's Hair and MakeupTrial

After many a past hair calamity, I made darn sure to schedule a trial prior to our wedding day. I deliberated between a handful of styles, and thanks to the input my besties and the Hive settled on the soft, loose updo. The half-up-half-down was an equally strong contender until I was reminded on a brief, glorious 70 degree day here that my back sweats excessively when I get warm. Hair plastered to my neck and back = no bueno. My appointment at Posh Studio ended up being a double-whammy with my makeup trial scheduled the same evening. I wanted a fresh and natural look with just a hint of color:

Image via sheknows

A Reminder To...

Image via Flickr / Photo by Donna Grayson
 

*Note: I've been composing this post on-and-off for weeks now trying to find the best approach to this topic. It not only touches upon the sensitive subject of weight, but it also brings up some unsettling memories for me. Everyone wants to look their best for the wedding day. However, that absolutely doesn't translate into "needing" to lose weight. If you *want* to shed some pounds, though, there's a "right" way and a "wrong" way to go about it. This story is about the latter.

The elusive lesson of self-love is one I'm still trying to embrace and learn to this day. It wasn't until I learned to be happy with who I am that I could develop any sort of meaningful relationship (platonic or romantic). And, in full disclosure it caused a lot of problems along the way with Mr. Tartlet. When we first started dating I was so full of self-loathing that it drained his emotional reserves to crash my pity parties for one. We almost didn't make it. To this day I'm incredibly thankful that he saw something in me that I didn't, and stuck around to help me become a better person.

"Must Have" Shots and the Photography Timeline

Although my detail-loving heart warms at the sight of smaller elements that together make up the "look" of a wedding as a whole, the most important aspect of our wedding is the people. As such, we want our pictures to focus on the moments that will remind us not only of how everything looked, but how everyone felt that day. Photos like this one--taken from a gem of a blog that Mrs. Avocado introduced to us--that makes my breath catch in my throat:

Image via Moment Junkie / Photo by Caroline Ghetes

In addition to covering the general feel we want our wedding pictures to have, during our final meeting with the ever-fab Aruna B. we also discussed "must have" shots, especially those that stylistically may be unique to our tastes. For example, we want to include a Vanity Fair-inspired shot during the wedding party photos:

Red Flags While Shopping

We're less than one month away from the wedding (*squee*), and surprisingly I'm doing much better than I thought I would be at this junction. We knocked out final meetings with almost all of our vendors, and these reminded me how happy and honored we are to be working with them. However, I realized that although I introduced y'all to these fabulous professionals, I never really delved into our method for selecting them. That's because Mr. Tartlet and I are "go with your gut" kind of people: if we click with someone, love their work, and they're within our budget--we sign, and we stop looking. Not terribly useful advice for a community that's renowned for helpful hints and tips. So, instead I thought I'd share some of the odd encounters I had while shopping around for the "right" vendors that had me going:

Image via Humor Hound

Here are some things that set my alarm bells a-ringin' and moved me to pass certain vendors by:

Our European Getaway Revealed

In a continuation from my previous post, we put serious consideration and thought into rounding out our two weeks in Europe. With so many destination possibilities that fit our desires (culture, art, architecture, and great food), it was tough narrowing the field down, but we finally had an itinerary in hand. Take a gander at the photo below and see if you can guess our first stop before clicking through!

Image via Norman Allen Group Travel

The Luck of the Draw: Honeymoon!

Both Mr. Tartlet and I love to travel, as evidenced by our bucket list being composed primarily of places we would like to visit (and places we'd like to eat). The month of May is an amazing time for us with our wedding, Mr. Tartlet's M.D. graduation the following week, and as luck would have it--the longest time either of us will be free from work obligations. Two whole weeks, my friends. I'm dying inside just thinking about it. When it came to our honeymoon, we entertained a couple of ideas, the first being a jaunt to Europe to revisit our study abroad haunts as a couple. I lived in Aberdeen, Scotland for a little over 6 months:

Image of Kings College via the University of Aberdeen

On New Traditions

"Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things."

-Robert Brault

It was the first week of May 2010--one full year before Mr. Tartlet and I would take our vows. Around this time I had hit the wedding planning doldrums. Our engagement photos had been taken. Our venue was decided. Florist, videographer, baker--all booked, booked, and booked. I had lapsed on reading wedding blogs, and found myself getting irrationally irritated when someone would inquire as to how wedding planning was going (because it wasn't). I was stuck in another dreaded "waiting" phase. At any rate, the day started out just like any other: I hit the snooze on my alarm a couple times. I walked the 10 minutes to work. I grabbed a very large coffee from the Java City in the lobby and proceeded to take the elevator up five floors to the lab. Little did I know that it was no ordinary day, because BM Tanya had brought in a beautifully wrapped box and this delightfully cute card:

DiY Project: Edge Painting

Today we're going to chat about edge painting--that lovely final touch to add a pop of color to your invites or really any paper project. We edged our invitations in gold, but the juicy color possibilities are endless--check out Miss Panther's sneak peek to her sexy, aqua-edged invites!

via Dolce Press

I spent a lot of time digging on the internet for techniques and tips, but for the most part came up empty since professional edge painting appears to be a closely guarded secret. I'm actually a little worried that ninjas are going to shimmy down ropes and whisk me away to printing purgatory once I complete this post. In short, I flew by the seat of my pants on this one, although outwardly I portrayed myself as far more confident in order to get Mr. Tartlet on board.

Mr. Tartlet: You know what you're doing, right?
Me: Oh yeah. Absolutely. 100% without a doubt! (Read: no clue in hell, but I'm not about to admit that because I'm stubborn and want shiny gold edges, dagnabbit!)

The Tartlet Invites, Part II

Unwrap these babies here! Upon opening the box mailer, our guests will see this:

In addition to the belly band, we lined the lid of the box mailer with decorative paper. We bought different patterns as large sheets from a local paper shop and cut them to size. I must admit that my horrific math skills necessitated an intervention: after watching me struggle with how to maximize the large sheet of paper, Mr. Tartlet took over and finished the job in half the time. Hooray for the mathematically-inclined!

The Tartlet Invites, Part I

By now these packages have made their way into the mailboxes of the Tartlet guests, lovingly protected with a wrapping of 40# brown kraft paper:

The vintage stamps were purchased off eBay as part of an online estate sale (check out Miss Jam's post for more on how awesome these are), and I paid less than half of face value for these. Score! These were an homage to Mr. Tartlet's childhood hobby of collecting postage stamps, something our guests may not be aware of--but have special meaning for us as a couple. I wrote each guest's address on the front using a calligraphy fountain pen. On the reverse side, guests will see our return address and bit of extra flair:

Invitation Mashup

Hello, lovelies! Today we're going to talk PAPER!

I confess that I've been in a long-term love affair with paper. Ever since grade school I remember enthusiastically awaiting the arrival of September, because that meant new. notebooks. I drove my poor mother up the wall scuttling up and down the aisles of various supply stores looking for just the right one. Don't even get me started on pens. Fast forward two decades, and it's no surprise that our wedding stationery must be just so. I scoured the internet for inspiration, and found a plethora of stationery with elements that I adored, starting with the layers of pink used for these gorgeous letterpress invitations:

 

(source)

Showered with Love and Paper Flowers

After a merry night out at my bachelorette, the following Saturday morning started off right with some much needed sister time at breakfast:

Waiting for our AM cup o' joe at Cafe Marie

Afterward, we headed over to BM Tanya's home, which had been transformed into bridal shower central. Much to my sister's amusement, I meandered around for quite some time, snapping photos of the beautiful tablescapes and adorable favors. My sister and I used to play with sandalwood fans all the time as kids, and the tins held one of my favorite candies--M&Ms!

Seven Girls and a Hot Pink Boa

Oh boy. It's a sure sign of a good night when the vast majority of the photos of you come out looking like this:

 Apparently I struck this pose whenever I was laughing and/or embarrassed.

Last weekend my girlfriends planned one prodigious party. It's so rare for all of our schedules to line up for a night out, so this was a really precious evening for me to have all of my favorite gals in one place. We started out at Bab's Underground Lounge where upon my arrival I was crowned with a sparkly headband and bequeathed a hot pink boa. I swear they had magical powers because I immediately felt more sassy and daring! Anyone else love bachelorette props as much as I do?

Anyhoo, within a few minutes I had struck the "holy haberdashery, batman!" pose above, thanks to a little ice breaker surprise from BM Tanya. *Disclaimer: the next photo may not be safe for work. Maybe you could convince your co-workers that it's a mouse of sorts. At any rate, a quick scroll past the break will have you reaching the "safe" zone in no time!

A Hairstylin' We Will Go

After the haircut mishap of 2008 and growing my hair out for what seems like forever, I'm thrilled to once again have long locks and the versatility that comes with them! However, perhaps some of you have also found that too many choices can be a paralyzing problem. I have a hair trial next week with the ladies at Posh Studio, and I'm nowhere near zeroing in on a style that complements my overall "look." And, as I was writing this post I realized that you've seen my dress, and you've seen the shoes, but I have yet to share my veil with you!

Pixie Cuts and Boing-Boing Curls

...or why I'm dead set on scheduling a hair trial before the wedding.

The year was 2008. My hair was well below my shoulders and had started to acquire that scraggly look at the ends that screams for a trim. As I sat in the salon with my head dutifully tilted downward, quietly listening to the sound of the stylist's scissors snip-snipping away along with her chatter to a nearby stylist, all conversation suddenly ceased, and I heard a terrified "oops..." whispered from behind me. Essentially, the stylist was a little too distracted talking with her nearby co-worker and had mistakenly lopped off a huge chunk of my hair. Unfortunately, no amount of layering and blending could mask the error. I couldn't find any photos immediately after the cut (probably because I was refusing to be in any photos at this point), but I did scrounge one up to show y'all what my "trim" looked like a couple months later:

The haircut fiasco of 2008

Needless to say, I never went back to that salon again.

Good Eats

"Food is our common ground, a universal experience."

- James Beard

This week we attended a menu tasting at our venue, The Royal Park Hotel, to suss out what we'll serve at our reception. It also turned out to be an opportunity to get to know the venue coordinator better and clue her into our tastes and overall style. We were pleasantly surprised to discover that we had the entire Conservatory to ourselves for the private tasting, which was great for marking out the space and brainstorming a preliminary room layout!

The tummies in attendance: BM Laura, BM Tanya, Mr. Tartlet, and Miss Tartlet. This was taken prior to the fabulous suggestions from the Hive on how to counteract our glow!

Each of us sat down to a beautiful place setting, complete with a personalized tasting menu: