Real Weddings: Tim & Kacy, Rain in the Park

My husband's best friend got married over the weekend.  The ceremony was scheduled for 3:00pm on Saturday, and at about 2:45, it started to rain.  A drizzle at first, the ceremony was postponed for a few minutes to see if things would let up.  There was no plan B for rain (the forecast that day hadn't called for a storm) and when the rain subsided, the groomsmen wiped the white chairs dry and guests hurried into their seats.  

The first notes of Pachelbel's Canon floated into the air and at the same moment heavy raindrops began to fall from the sky, much harder than before.  Not a single guest stood up from their seat and without skipping a beat, the bride walked down the aisle with a smile on her face.  These two were married under a pink umbrella, and from the look on their faces, they wouldn't have had it any other way.

(personal photo)

I guess coming from a planner, the moral of the story would be to be prepared for the unexpected.  At this wedding, I wasn't a planner, though. I was a guest and a friend of the couple and even though it rained, I have never seen these two more happy.  Weather is a great metaphor for marriage - sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad, and there's nothing much you can do about it but carry an umbrella.

Congratulations Tim & Kacy!

Eyes On The Bride: Laura S.

Laura is currently planning a September wedding with her fiancé Dave. We've had the pleasure of hearing some of their ideas for their day as they've evolved throughout the planning process, and are eager to see it all come together this fall. Here is a sneak peek into their lives as nearly-weds, as told by Laura.

(personal photo - from the night of their engagement!)

Bride's Name, Age, Occupation – Laura Scaven, 27, speech-language pathologist

Groom's Name, Age, Occupation – David Curran, 26, contract services coordinator

City of Residence – Havertown, PA

Wedding Location – Appleford, Villanova

How you met – We met through friends in college at Penn State; one of my best friends roomed with his best friend freshman year. We became very close friends by the end of college, and then began dating after college.

How long you've dated – 4 years

How he proposed – When we were first beginning to get together, he took me to see a play on Broadway and we stayed in NYC for the night. After the play, we went to this tiny little bar and wound up talking forever over a few bottles of wine. It was a very romantic night, and shortly after we returned from the trip, we decided to be together. So last May (3 years later), he told me we were going to NYC for my birthday. We saw a play, had dinner, and I had NO IDEA. Then we began walking and he took me to that same little bar, where he had a cute little table reserved for us. Still had NO IDEA. Then as we were talking, he moved to the side, and got down on one knee, and said “I just don’t want to wait anymore” and pulled out the ring and asked me!

Wedding colors/theme – Navy and white/green.

Bridesmaids' dresses info – Jim Hjelm- Knee length navy chiffon.

Best part of planning – Trying all kinds of different foods when choosing a caterer… though we haven’t done the cake testing yet - that might win!

Worst part of planning –Looking for a photographer that used the style that we wanted (artistic, candid) that was reasonably priced. We must have be in contact with at least 7 different photographers, before finding our perfect one (Ryan Estes - love him!).

Most surprising part of planning – The way things come in waves. Everyone told me it would be that way, but some months I was crazed with planning, and then other months, things were completely calm.

Favorite vendor so far – Robert Ryan Catering. They have been absolutely professional, friendly, efficient, and creative in planning our style of wedding for our budget. It is a family company and I have dealt with both Bob Ryan personally and his daughter, who have both been wonderful.

Places you registered – Bed Bath Beyond and Crate and Barrel. Though I am thinking now I should have registered at Target - why didn’t I? I love Target!

Any Do-It-Yourself (DIY) plans – Not that I can think of… I was looking into DIY invitations, but that seems like a lot of work!

Honeymoon Location – Cap Cana, Dominican Republic - near Punta Cana, all inclusive resort called Secrets.

Thanks again Laura for sharing this with us!!

Two Web Belles: Eco-Friendly Beauty and Barcelona Bridal Week

1. This past week, TheKnot.com massively overhauled their vendor reviews through one of its offshoot brands, WeddingChannel. So what does this mean for you? Over 100,000 reviews from brides all in one place, easily searchable by location and vendor type. The site is really promoting the idea of getting responses from vendors after a review is posted, which creates a dynamic relationship that you don't normally see on message boards. This review section is still in its beta form, but we think it's going to be a big hit with the planning set.

2. Barcelona Bridal Week is happening in the land of Gaudi. So we wanted to take a peek at what they're seeing on the runways across the Atlantic, other than poor ol' Mischa Barton climbing out from under whatever rock she was hiding to slip into a gown. Below is just a sampling of what we've seen so far, from designers Rosa Clara, Francis Montesinos, and Pepe Botella.

(photo credit)

(photo credit)

(photo credit)

3. We've been known to peruse bluefly for gorgeous potential wedding gowns and shoes at a killer discount. At posting time, there is 1 - yes ONE- pair of Stuart Weitzman white satin 'Pomposo' d'orsay pumps available for $185 (almost half off the retail price). These shoes are the perfect choice for a bride looking for traditional and feminine footwear. If you have to have 'em and you don't happen to be a size 8.5 (or someone snatched that last lucky discounted pair up before you could double click) they're available at Zappos, at full retail.

4. Who says the best things in life aren't free? Aveda Georgetown and Adele Wechsler Eco Couture are teaming up to host an event for the bride who wants gorgeous luxury products that are also environmentally conscious. Luckily, these days the two aren't mutually exclusive. This Sunday, Aveda beauty experts will be on hand to flaunt the newest green beauty products with live demonstrations and makeup trials, and the salon will also showcase a slew of Adele Wechsler wedding gowns . Did we mention the cake samples courtesy of Sticky Fingers Bakery, specializing in vegan confections?

An afternoon of pampering and snacking while checking out wedding gowns? You don't want to miss this one. RSVP via facebook - here's the invite.

5. Billy buttons are so cute! Check out the bridesmaid bouquets and cake recently featured on Southern Weddings? (Northern brides, if you're not reading, start!!)

As photographed by Dallas/Fort Worth based Kari Crowe, these flowers are bright, fun, and have a modern, architectural look. Bonus, Billy Buttons (or Billy Balls, botanical name Craspedia) are available May-October (hello wedding season!) and dry extremely well for use in permanent arrangements.

Spotted: Girl Photography Engagement Session

Nicole Peterson, owner of Girl Photography in Philadelphia, was gracious enough to let us highlight some of her shots from a recent engagement session she snapped around the Art Museum. Nicole has a knack for catching the relaxed and genuine moments shared between those she's working with; nothing ever seems too forced. Thanks again, Nicole. We'll be sure to keep going back to your blog to see what you have to show us next!

Inspiration: A Casual Country Wedding

Our latest destination inspiration is courtesy of a recent engagement of one of our favorite country music couples: Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert.

source: www.people.com

If you aren't a country fan, you may not be familiar with these two. Miranda is petite, sassy, and recently topped the charts with the hit "White Liar." She was discovered on Nashville Star - country's answer to American Idol. Blake is a sort of country bad boy (just check him out on Twitter - @blakeshelton) He proposed to her after five years of dating, and afterwards, Miranda told People magazine, "Weddings are great and engagements are great and diamonds are especially great. But I'm just excited to be married because I want to tell Blake I really can love him the rest of my life and be happy and make him happy."

This could have just as easily been a Nashville inspired wedding (and we will definitely visit that concept in the future), but we came across some photos from Aaron Snow of an Oklahoma prarie wedding and it seemed like the perfect fit for this down to earth couple since they share a home there. Busy with hit songs climbing the country charts, we envisioned them celebrating a laid-back wedding without much at all to plan.

A sweetheart neckline with a subtle a-line skirt would suit Miranda's cute, curvy figure, and it wouldn't be a country wedding without cowboy boots for the bride and her bridesmaids. We love the pairing of boots with short sundresses for a funky laid-back bridal party ready to kick up their heels at the reception.

The bride and groom would exchange short but traditional vows during a ceremony in an open field with hay-bale seating, and the down-home feel continues with a summer evening reception under the stars. Guests are treated to fried chicken and blueberry pie washed down with bottles of beer from an antique washtub. We bet these two run with a pretty rowdy crowd, so a bluegrass band will keep the party going all night long!

Cowboy boot bridesmaids, Cowboy boot bride, Boots and bouquet, Fried chicken, Lace Dress, Horseshoe, Oklahoma field, Hay bales, Blueberry pie, Rustic wedding cake, Guitar/washboard player