Some of the newer followers of Two Wedding Belles may not know that one of the Two Wedding Belles duo is a recent bride, and the other is recently engaged! No wonder we have weddings on the brain. Oh wait, that started wayyy before either of our guys put a ring on it.
I did a couple recap posts without photos over the winter, but I'm back with the professional pics and so excited to share them with readers and friends!
The wedding was January 2nd, one of this brutal winter's coldest days. We were married in my hometown - a small city in central Pennsylvania. If rain is good luck on your wedding day, what good fortunes must freezing temperatures and more than a little snow predict? We picked a January date for a few different reasons, and although we got some strange looks when we started spreading the word, I loved our winter wedding. I was able to incorporate the season into a lot of the projects I put together for the ceremony and the reception. I'll share all of them with you, but today's post is about getting ready.
I rented a hotel suite for the bridesmaids and had two hairstylists on hand. These stylists were fantastic and had four bridesmaids, a bride, and a mom ready to go in under two hours! We had lunch and some champagne while we took turns in the hair chair. The suite was great because my bridesmaids were all from out of town and stayed at the same hotel. In fact, all of our out of town friends and family were staying at this hotel. We had quite a few drop-ins at the bridal suite- aunts, cousins, college friends. It was happy for the chance to catch up with everyone who came by, because I live pretty far from most of them and don't get to see them nearly as often as I'd like.
(Gratuitous TWB pic!) That's my sister/maid of honor wielding the DSLR.
I did a couple recap posts without photos over the winter, but I'm back with the professional pics and so excited to share them with readers and friends!
The wedding was January 2nd, one of this brutal winter's coldest days. We were married in my hometown - a small city in central Pennsylvania. If rain is good luck on your wedding day, what good fortunes must freezing temperatures and more than a little snow predict? We picked a January date for a few different reasons, and although we got some strange looks when we started spreading the word, I loved our winter wedding. I was able to incorporate the season into a lot of the projects I put together for the ceremony and the reception. I'll share all of them with you, but today's post is about getting ready.
I rented a hotel suite for the bridesmaids and had two hairstylists on hand. These stylists were fantastic and had four bridesmaids, a bride, and a mom ready to go in under two hours! We had lunch and some champagne while we took turns in the hair chair. The suite was great because my bridesmaids were all from out of town and stayed at the same hotel. In fact, all of our out of town friends and family were staying at this hotel. We had quite a few drop-ins at the bridal suite- aunts, cousins, college friends. It was happy for the chance to catch up with everyone who came by, because I live pretty far from most of them and don't get to see them nearly as often as I'd like.
(personal photo)
Embarrasing picture below, but this was the one point in the day when I shed a few tears. I am a crier, so I was proud of myself for keeping it (basically) together. If you're wondering what set me off, it was Phil Vassar. Just listen to "Love is a Beautiful Thing" on your wedding day and try to keep a dry eye. I love sappy country songs. When the song ended, I asked the girls to play it again. In fact, I'm listening to it right now.
(personal photo)
During the beauty session, the florist arrived with the bouquets and boutennieres. We went with all white flowers and I was so happy with how these turned out! The white carnation bridemaid's bouquets were my favorite, they looked like snowdrifts. We used Long Lane Flower and Garden, which is a small mother and daughter operation. I would highly recommend them to anyone getting married in the area.
(personal photos)
The bouquets were wrapped in satin ribbon, and mine had a special touch. My mom's cross necklace which was passed down from her grandmother, to her mother, to her, to me.
(personal photo)
I found this great cropped (faux) fur jacket and vintage snowflake-esque pin separately on Ebay. Ebay is a great resource for wedding finds if you know exactly what you're looking for. Otherwise it's a little overwhelming. My veil was handcrafted by Jessica. I wasn't willing to spend big bucks on a piece of tulle at a bridal store so I asked her to make one for me. It turned out even more perfect than I expected and I loved wearing something made by one of my best friends. (The veil looks crooked in the photo, but it's just caught on my arm. It was elbow length and completely symmetrical.)
(photos by Roger Shoemaker)
(Gratuitous TWB pic!) That's my sister/maid of honor wielding the DSLR.
(personal photo)
I don't have many of the guys getting ready downstairs... but according to Ryan (the groom) they spent the morning figuring out a few tux snafus, watching HBO, and even managed to pack in a few sandwiches from Arby's, courtesy of the best man.
(personal photos)
Here's my handsome guy!
(photos by Roger Shoemaker)
Next week I'll share the trip to the church and the ceremony. I can't believe it's been six months already!
Thanks for sharing these wedding ideas and these will definitely help me in arranging my brother’s wedding reception next month. I have already booked one of finest Chicago wedding venues and hope to enjoy our party there.
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