thanks!

i just wanted to thank you all for your sweet comments on our wedding, i read everyone of them.. then made my husband read them too : )  it's a scary thing sharing a very personal day with the world!

and i wanted to give a special thanks to veiled vows and lake jane for featuring our wedding. thanks ladies!

ps. it's true... my dress is for sale. so if any of you are interested in purchasing it, please contact me for details.

our wedding: the bridge

here are a few additional pictures we shot on a bridge near the brewery. while the rain had stopped, the wind moved in. and 40 mph winds + a fitted dress + loose hair = not so cute. but we managed to snag a few of my favorite shots of the night in our alternate location here on this little bridge.

and i guess that's it!! it's been almost three months since the wedding ended, and i still miss it. it's just one of those really amazing days in your life that shouldn't be clouded with wedding dresses and sit down dinners and perfection - it should be about the two of you.
 that's what makes it all count.

i suppose that's my newlywed advice to all of you.

all photos by aaron ingrao

our wedding: the reception

as you have read, the details were extremely important to me. and there were a lot! (and a lot that weren't captured!) from menus to lace votives,  a "sweet love" candy bar to the wedding tree, it's what made our wedding very special. and you'll see that many of the weddings i've featured here inspired some of the elements (the wedding tree, yes i totally copied, but spread the love, it's a great idea!)

and i told you we'd have a photo wall. such a fun idea, and a great alternative way to

display your family photos. our guests loved it.

our wedding: some fun and a little break

the street fair was fun and all, but after a rainstorm, a power outage, and some serious ceremony nerves, all i wanted to do was relax. so the bridal party headed to my brother's gorgeous house for a little r and r. a few photo ops first...

in case you're wondering, my hair fascinator was created by the LOVELY chelsea

from oh my deer. the piece was gorgeous and beautifully crafted.

and because our flowergirl and ring bearer stole the show... she's not even three,
look at that pose!

and finally, some time to relax. one of my favorite parts of the day!

our wedding: a street fair

we were that annoying couple that had six hours between their ceremony and reception. not by choice as those were the only time slots available. alas, a six hour gap gives you plenty of time to do just about anything, so while our guests headed up to niagara falls or ventured off to nosh on some great Buffalo eats, we perused a crowded street festival filled with sloppy hot dog eating and a whole lot of confusion! every girls white dress nightmare, but it was amusing seeing the bewildered faces of festival-goers as we walked down the street decked in wedding attire.

you know, tried on a couple hats...

danced to some live music...

ate a hot dog (they did, not me... i stood far away from the ketchup!)

and the sun finally started peaking through the grey!


next up, some downtime... and then party time!

our wedding: the ceremony

our ceremony turned out to be beautiful - literally. we get to the greenhouse and the sun came out the second my dad and i started walking down the aisle. it sounds cheesy, but i swear, the timing could not have been planned better than if you organized it with mother nature! we originally wanted to have our ceremony in this gorgeous perennial garden on the botanical grounds, but due to the weather we opted for the shelter of the greenhouse instead.

so our circle seating arrangement was a bit smushed, and with the sun, the guests were a bit warm (we were in a greenhouse after all!) , but we loved every minute of it. i'm sorry i don't have many detail shots of the ceremony... the fan programs i spent hours designing, gluing and crafting, the sheperd's hook aisle runners filled with playful wildflowers and the bushels of hydrangeas that surrounded the heart of our ceremony - but sadly, these little details did not get captured!

our ceremony focused on unity, which is why our family and friends surrounded us in a circle as we stood among them.

"let this circle be a sign that love has a past, a present, and a future, and that whenever there are sorrows, joy will come around again"

"for after you says these vows, you shall say to the world, this is my husband, this is my wife"

 

"remember that marriage is a shared relationship, not a matter of possession. it is a means of showing your commitment to one another, not a blind surrendering of personality. it is not an excuse to become limited in your outlook; but an opportunity for mutual growth"

we did it!

hello again.... and getting ready

so i know what you're thinking. where have i been and why did i leave before posting a wedding recap? after all, isn't that what i've been working towards the entire time i've been blogging? and the answer is yes, but what i didn't expect was all that came after the wedding planning. and that was a serious creative void that i've been busy trying to fill with new projects.. that i will tell you about later. but i owe you some wedding photos and a recap of our wedding day, so here goes!

while i'd like to say it was the perfect "75 degrees & sunny" august day i was hoping for, it wasn't. it was COLD and rainy... and i woke up to a transmitter dying. yes, the day started with no power at my parent's house! not the biggest deal, but moving to my grandmother's house for hair and make-up left us with little time for those "getting ready" photos. here are a few we managed to get right as the power came back on, and right before we had to leave for the botanical gardens.

naturally, it started to rain the second we headed out to the limo on the way to the ceremony, but i truly believe it will only bring our marriage good luck : )