♥ Lost

From Punam Bean

Following the Leader

There is a voice that sounds from the deep within seemingly logical side of my brain (but perhaps truly stemming from my ego) that tells me to resist timely trends and to keep my wardrobe/wedding/general aesthetic classic and timeless. But what if the current trends are your definition of classic? What if the current trends are right up your alley and you feel happy to be in your 20s-somethings reveling in flattering natural waist silhuettes, drinking from mason jars at a fancy soiree and gorging yourself on organic brunch with hand-mixed cocktails on your Saturday morning?  Is it somehow selling out to give in to the tide of the popular trend?

sources: Green Wedding Shoes and Eat Drink Chic

Miss Knitting's recent post on Weddingbee about her love of on-going, possibly "overdone" in the blog world wedding trends hits the nail on the head, and reminds me of my passion about this topic.  Ever since junior high school, I've been well aware of how a trendy new style, item, or even pastime can sneak up on you.  You casually notice it in passing and it marinates in your subconscious until you put it into practice and think it is your own genius idea. For my best friend, it was butterfly hair-clips.  For me, white eyeliner.  I thought, "Brilliant! White eyeliner will make my eyes look bigger and will make my brown eyes pop!!" A few days later, I noticed half the girls in school were also sporting white eyeliner-  what a bunch of posers.  A week later, I learned it was in that month's issue of Seventeen. 

I do not regret wearing white eyeliner.  It was a passing teenage fad. It's what we did.  It was a late-90's look. Likewise, I love my parents' wedding in all of it's long-sleeved high-necked empire waist gown and butter yellow tuxedo glory because it was awesome and beautiful.  These days vintage, handmade weddings are holding strong because they too are awesome, beautiful, thoughtful labors of love.  And it's the love that makes them timeless.

Our guests won't know this Anthropology-inspired wedding aesthetic is a popular trend because they're not researching wedding inspiration twenty-four-seven like we blog-obsessed brides are.  But most importantly, if a choice you make happens to be a recent trend, or if a recent trend in the blogosphere and in a magazine makes your heart sing, I think you should embrace it! I think it just means that it's a great time for you to get married and cash in on the popularity. There is no need to spend our effort and energy trying to be different for the sake of being different.  It's a headache to explain a left-field vision to every vendor you meet and defend your ideas against eyebrow-raised loved-ones. If you love something, go for it, and chances are your guests will think it's 100% unique.

Your wedding is your day to express your creativity and personality!  And when I see another bride post about gingham linens, I need to remind myself: I didn't invent gingham. 

family tree love

{source}

I have several tricks up my sleeve to honor our families on our wedding day, but my favorite and most challenging project will be a family tree themed escort card table- a literal translation of the family tree part of our theme.

It has evolved from a throw-away joke: a table with some pumpkins, a map of our genealogy, and a boom box playing TV on the Radio's Family Tree on loop...

(I like to imagine this song as the soundtrack to our day. Besides the fact that it's beautiful, moving song, the themes resonate with an interfaith marriage. The song seems to talk about an interracial relationship and one side's family tree stemming from Civil War era evils- which we are far from as a couple. But we are indeed a product of the melting pot of America, and I believe we're the first interfaith marriage for both sides of our family. Which is really cool. Thanks for listening, you may continue.)

...to a full out tree with the escort cards as the blooms and leaves. (Sans song on loop. That would be weird).

{source}

I had been looking for an excuse to incorporate crocheted and felt flowers. I adore felt flower bouquets but I couldn't see myself DIYing enough little faux blooms for my whole bouquet and 6 bridesmaids. Not to mention that I had already fallen head over heels for some real floral trends. So these crafted pretties inspired handmade blooming escort card tree-buds.

{Felt bouquets by Princess Lasertron, crochet flowers and garland found here and here, rosettes on etsy, and family tree quilt found here}

They'll be attached to what I hope will be a wood silhouette of a tree shape (this is where I'll need a jigsaw... so maybe it'll be a more creative and less dangerous "tree") in some semblance of our actual family trees. Where will we write our guests' names and table numbers? Why not on seeded paper leaf cut-outs to keep the tree blooming when our guests go home?

{Martha Stewart}

I still need to iron out the details, but this project is one reason to look forward to my upcoming "between jobs" summer. Do any of you have a wedding project you're itching to get your hands on?

Happy Mother's Day: Momma on her wedding day ♥

My mom is the prettiest lady in the whole world. I want to be just as gracious and warm as her when I grow up. I've had more "I love you more" fights- in my childhood- with her than with anyone else in my life to date. I imagine many daughters feel these things about their mothers. Today, my sib and I will be cooking her dinner and enjoying lots of wine and memories, and probably wedding talk. So I'd love to share my beautiful momma on her wedding day, before the walk down the aisle to my dad, spending a couple special moments with my grandmom:

"Adjusting the veil" pose, I love my Grandmom's MOB dress and the flowers in her hair. And I have always been smitten with my mom's eyelet gown.

Pinning Mother's corsage. They're naturals in front of the camera- So much joy in their eyes.

The first page in my parents' wedding album- My mom enjoys a quiet moment of reflection and the photographer re-printed their traditional invitation.

I can't believe the next generation of mother-daughter wedding day photos will be taken in just FIVE MONTHS! We will miss my grandmother, but I'm sure she'll be with us in spirit and she's always with me as an inspiration.

Happy Mothers' Day all! 

{photographs by Kathleen Donnelly, June 14th 1975}

DIY wardrobe styling: shopping in my closet

This week, my wedding-related task has been to reach out to our photographers to pick an engagement shoot date. This is yet another huge reality-check moment since it must finally be Springtime 2010: nearly just 5 months til go-time! 


I'm in excited disbelief that it's our turn to pretty ourselves up and take some romantic sunset photos. Any weight I hoped to lose before pictures? Still lingering. I haven't had my hair highlighted or colored professionally in a year to save money. And outfits? I don't even know where to begin! I can style my bridesmaids, or a cast of 11 actors on a 2-hour journey through the 60's on a $300 budget {yeah, that happened}, but I'm starting to fear that I'm incapable of styling myself. Or I should confess: I just don't have to funds for the beautiful clothes that I covet and imagine myself wearing in these dreamy photographs. I think this is really a perfect damn you beautiful, inspiring wedding blogs!!! moment, if I may. 


What really gets me about this tightening of the money-belt is that I only go on shopping sprees for special occasions. I give myself a free pass. Usually the shopping is vacation-related, but I am dying to shopspree my heart out for this photo shoot. Therefore, I am trying to stay grounded by trusting past instincts and happy memories, and shopping my closet first. I present a few of my favorite pieces from my wardrobe:

Allow me to introduce these lovelies and how I came to know them, clockwise:


Anthropologie Strawberry Dress: On sale the week before the 2008 San Francisco proposal vacation. I wore this lil number through Sonoma on a vineyard tour of "Our daughter just got engaged! Let's try the really good wine!" (A tasting freebie of course. Gotta love the perks of young love).


Tweed Bow Engagement Party Dress: My mom helped me purchase this dress on day 2 of the same vacation- the day after the proposal- in a boutique near Haight Ashbury. I pulled it off the rack and I just knew it was the one. It may just be my favorite dress in the world…


Sunburst Tunic: from Forever 21, purchased for a law school spring break 2008 trip to Disney World. Just Marc and I.


Eyelet Blouse: We met in the same Anthropologie back-room sale as the strawberry dress. Again for the SF vacay. We have some traditionally posed engagement photos in this top, courtesy of my father and a fireplace for a background at our Sonoma hotel… ie: no dice:

{Obligatory "look at my ring on my man's shoulder," meet Prom Pose.}

I think I've proven my point that I can go nuts for one occasion- 3 items out of the 4 are related to the same trip. It's a miiiighty good plan to go green this time around and work with what I've got.


Next up in my gearing up for E-pics (epic?) series: How I'll reconcile my affinity for feminine ruffles, patterns and soft colors with my photographers' well informed recommendation to keep it basic (read: solid colors) and comfortable.


Did you fight the urge to buy a whole new wardrobe for your engagement pictures?

Please forgive the wrinkles, I didn't give my models much time to prepare.

Happy Monday Chuppas

This weekend, Marc and I kept ourselves busy with the beautiful wedding of our Cali/College friends on Saturday and a productive meeting on Sunday with his Rabbi about our own upcoming interfaith ceremony. To top it off, I ventured out with my mom and sis to make the final bridesmaids' dress choice!

Of course, this whirlwind weekend did not fly by without any stress or bridal breakdown action.  So while I decompress, I thought I'd kick off the week with some Chuppa inspiration:

Homespun quilts and flowing ribbons (and glowing bride):

{image by our labor of love by way of once wed}

Ethereal, simple, beach!:

More ethereal pure white sheet and sprays of flowers, but wait! Doves, sunset (and a white linen suit):

{beach chuppa from once wed}

This is just a jar votive. Dangling daintily. A wee sneak peek at some Chuppa decor action for 10.10.10.

{project wedding}

Happy Monday afternoon!

soooo lovely surprise wedding!

This has probably been re-blogged sixtygajilleon times today, but i HEART this beautiful personal small wedding from eat drink chic (found by way of once wed. I love wedding blog rabbit holes. Love.). It was a surprise to their guests!

I don't think I've brought you into my world of serious jar-lovin' just yet.... I adore these hanging glass bottle florals and the mason jar lemonade display.

yaaay lovin!!

Just a little pretty blog love. mmmm homespun intimate gatherings.

philadelphia- city of historical venue love: Reading Terminal Market

In the search for my identity in the early stages of planning and "themeing" the wedding, long before I gave it up and admitted my supreme love of and comfort with girly flower rufflyiness, I wanted to delve deeper into this want for eco-green and try to be an urban indie bride.

Enter Reading Terminal Market:

{source, source}

Lorraine Daley Photography

I thought I'd continue this break from our regularly scheduled, trying-to-start-at-the-beginning recap of venue hunting to share who we hired to photograph The Day.

 Lorraine Daley Photography:

(all pictures by Lorraine Daley Photography)

Swoooon....

Lorraine and her second shooter/business partner/brand new FIANCE Greg!!!!! photographed our friends' wedding in September (there are a couple shots from that beautiful day above).

To boot, I'm thinking this is more and more kismet as I find these two inspiring both through their art and their ventures. Most recently: Greg is Haitian, and he went back to Haiti for the first time in 25 years to lend a hand after the earthquake. When he returned, he started a foundation that really makes a TON of sense and I think is pretty darn cool. (and selfishly- I wanted all our big wedding purchases to be green or support helpful things and people.)

{groundwork for haiti}

And before all that, I was already inspired by Lorraine- She went to Penn on a scholarship- ivys give those out??- she majored in Psych, and then started a career in finance and then IT. As a fellow artist, I can see the psychology thing, but finance? Finally, she decided to do what she really loves full time. This is a lesson that can take a lifetime to learn, and she got it before 30. (Marc and I are listening loud and clear! Quarter-life crises ahoy!)

Oh, and one more- They just got engaged where we're about to book our honeymoon. Whaat? Like Twilight Zone! (Okay, no... I exaggerate. It's a super popular place for many reasons- fun, sun, adventure, culture, relaxation). Lorraine's photographs of Playa del Carmen in her blog certainly didn't hurt Riviera Maya's case for great honeymoon spot. Congratulations Lorraine and Greg! 

I am crazy happy with our decision, and I can't wait to set up our engagement shoot with them. I'm thinking: back home, Council Rock High School/ Tyler State Park stroll down memory lane. Maybe with some heart-shaped balloons for good measure. (Hence the need for the separate city shoot with Duane.)

Has anyone else embraced the meeting new people part of wedding planning? I mean, yes I need to be reminded we've hired them. But it doesn't mean I can't be inspired by them... or maybe that's part of the job in a way.

a match made in heaven

A match-up of me and planning my wedding... that is...

I love planning our wedding. I think I was born to plan this wedding. I’ve been waiting my whole life for the opportunity to plan my wedding.

I don’t mean to take one giant leap backward for womankind. Of course I cringe at traditional female roles-of-old and their lack of possibility. I know there are women out there who don't necessarily see themselves settling down, and I respect that. A good part of me envies their drive and focus. But I. love. every. second. of planning this event.

I’m pretty darn good at it, and it has been downright empowering: I forget my phone-a-phobia when I’m making a wedding-related phone call. I buck up and ask if I can sub B for A to get more of what I want for what we're paying. I’m exploring more practical ways to be creative while my chosen career warms up- Nay, perhaps I'm discovering more practical creative career choices...? Mainly I feel organized and productive. This is a tall order for a scattered creative-type whose realistic side stays firmly grounded in a tedious day job that may or may not be directly helpful to future Becky.

Wedding planning has not only been fun because it's all about what I want. (To be perfectly honest, whenever people do shine a light on me and give me what I want, I've taken to hiding in a shell of overly-modest awkward jumblywords: "Uh, god, no! Thank you for your great work. You're pretty. Uh shucks." I hope that Becky stays under wraps on the big day.) Wedding planning has been an amazing gift because I get to see and experience all of these glamorous trades that I have daydreamed about pursuing. I get to work with experts in each field, assistant-design my dream day. Sure, I'm paying them. But my secret obsession friendship/apprenticeship usually overshadows reality and I let myself really hone in on manic planning and reasearch. I'm talking letterpress/graphic design/typography; cake baking and making; photography/photoshop editing; flowers!; and of course the only area I have any legit experience in: dress silhouettes/fabric/accessories/veils!.

I can't wait to get my apron dirty with some cake flour and my hands dirty in a letterpress class- that is, of course, if an actual invitation designer doesn't decide to take me under her (of course her!) wing and show me the ropes while we trot on ponies together under sparkling rainbows hearts and stars.

Does anyone else out there fall a little in love with the [fun parts of the] process? With catching a glimpse of "what if I were a wedding ______ designer…?" Or am I just hitting the crescendo of my quarter-life-crisis while looking at too many very pretty things?