Happy Friday, all! I wanted to take today to do a little wedding check-in of sorts. I'd like to do several of these posts intermittently as we're planning just to document the process. I created a few prompts I hope to use for each check-in.
Wedding Details
Date: October 3, 2020
Location: Lake Geneva, WI
Current Guest Count: 300+ (We know, we know...)
What We're Inspired By
Sammy and I are always inspired by people who seem to be able to harness a specific style effortlessly, and these people tend to be our family members, specifically our cousins. I am endlessly inspired by their ability to make their homes and celebrations so lovely and classic with seemingly little effort. We're both inspired by what I call a base taste (and this is how we are in everything from our home decor to our fashion aesthetic) which is simple, classic, and timeless. But then we're each drawn to a specific "twist"; he, modern, me, vintage-esque. Luckily, we both like one another's twists ;)
We're not looking to do any theme, except maybe play to the season's charm. We're drawn to many neutrals and greenery, clean lines and timeless accents. And since we're both extremely close to our families and hold them, their histories, and their stories in such high regard, we're always inspired by ways we can incorporate family traditions/elements into our wedding. I've tried very hard to incorporate a personal aspect into every decision we've made because it's important to us for our wedding to feel personal and specific to us.
Having said that, some specific things I've pinned that I'm/we're (I haven't shared all these with Sammy yet—ha!) inspired by:
While Sammy isn't as big of a snacker as I am (I take things to a whole new level), we both definitely like our snacks, so I thought an idea like this would be really cute (and cheap! and easy for the venue!) for favors. We're also both very autonomous, so we're all about anything that shows our individuality, which is somewhat hard within the industry when everyone is becoming "one soul." *major eye roll*
What We're Working On
Wedding Details
Date: October 3, 2020
Location: Lake Geneva, WI
Current Guest Count: 300+ (We know, we know...)
What We're Inspired By
Sammy and I are always inspired by people who seem to be able to harness a specific style effortlessly, and these people tend to be our family members, specifically our cousins. I am endlessly inspired by their ability to make their homes and celebrations so lovely and classic with seemingly little effort. We're both inspired by what I call a base taste (and this is how we are in everything from our home decor to our fashion aesthetic) which is simple, classic, and timeless. But then we're each drawn to a specific "twist"; he, modern, me, vintage-esque. Luckily, we both like one another's twists ;)
We're not looking to do any theme, except maybe play to the season's charm. We're drawn to many neutrals and greenery, clean lines and timeless accents. And since we're both extremely close to our families and hold them, their histories, and their stories in such high regard, we're always inspired by ways we can incorporate family traditions/elements into our wedding. I've tried very hard to incorporate a personal aspect into every decision we've made because it's important to us for our wedding to feel personal and specific to us.
Having said that, some specific things I've pinned that I'm/we're (I haven't shared all these with Sammy yet—ha!) inspired by:
While Sammy isn't as big of a snacker as I am (I take things to a whole new level), we both definitely like our snacks, so I thought an idea like this would be really cute (and cheap! and easy for the venue!) for favors. We're also both very autonomous, so we're all about anything that shows our individuality, which is somewhat hard within the industry when everyone is becoming "one soul." *major eye roll*
We're going to have an enormous bridal party, so I'm not sure if we're going to have everyone stand up with us during the ceremony, so we may need rows of seats reserved for the bridal party, or even just our parents and grandparents, and I love the simplicity of this instead of having a RESERVED sign on certain chairs.
I definitely want lanterns to line the aisle during the ceremony. BIG fan of lanterns. And I love how it looks with these chairs which are what our chairs will look like (and I love the alternating size of lantern).
I initially was dead set on having one color and having all bridesmaids choose whatever kind of dress they wanted as long as it was in that color family. And then I saw these dresses haha. I still don't like the idea of one dress in the exact same color, so if I choose one dress, I would want to mix and match the colors—I'm thinking whatever this nude color is, champagne, even cream, and then dark-ass ox blood. I'm sure this dress only comes in one color haha so that plan will get shot to shit, but I just adore the effortless simplicity of it.
I was adamant that we try to get the venue solidified before the new year just so we technically didn't need to plan one more thing for an entire year haha. If only so we had an exact date chosen which allows us to vendor shop at our leisure. So right now, we're not working on much after the venue search frenzy. And it's been nice to just enjoy the holiday season without Our Wedding being the focus which I was very against, especially since it's our first Christmas in our home and with Henry, so I want that to be the focus.
It's been nice to just come across wedding-related things organically rather than actively searching for them. I guess the only active thing we're doing is finishing up our bridal party proposals which has been so fun for me (and hopefully Sammy too!).
It's been nice to just come across wedding-related things organically rather than actively searching for them. I guess the only active thing we're doing is finishing up our bridal party proposals which has been so fun for me (and hopefully Sammy too!).
What We've Done
-We have officially booked our venue! We will be getting married on October 3, 2020 (which is insanely crazy to say/write/type etc.) at Geneva National Resort in Lake Geneva. We have a large guest count but can't afford or ask our parents to pay what most venues that can accommodate us want to charge, so the venue search has been a struggle. I was really set on getting married downtown. I just love the city so much, we both do, so that's where I focused the search initially. Turns out, a lot of spaces just can't hold all of our friends and family, and the ones that can want to charge a criminal amount of money. So, I started to extend the search outward where I could get my outdoor space which was a high item on the criteria list (and something that was hard to find downtown).
Sammy and I have always really enjoyed Lake Geneva. His mom's family's picnic is there every summer, he and I took our annual Christmas trip there last year, and we just generally enjoy being near water. I think we're both inherently connected to it and calmed by it, so it was kind of no-brainer when we went and toured Geneva National.
We had such a wonderful experience touring the venue that I knew we wouldn't have any problems planning our wedding with the staff there. I'm really excited to start brainstorming how to utilize all the spaces we have available to us and I'm even more excited we're going to have our outdoor ceremony after all. I was so excited to get a coordinator assigned to us but then a little bummed when she told us the next official step (our tasting!) won't happen until this time next year—ha!
I'm also really excited that it's going to feel like a destination wedding without all the hassle of an actual destination wedding haha. Lake Geneva is actually closer to our house than downtown Chicago is, so it feels like you're "getting away" without the travel aspect. Plus I think it makes the whole weekend feel more like an event because most close family members and our whole bridal party (hopefully) will be staying up there from Friday night to Sunday.
-We have begun asking our bridal party, as I mentioned, and I've enjoyed it SO much. This was one of the things I've been looking so forward to and I'm happy that it's lived up to my expectations. I've asked all my girlfriends and my sister and all the ladies in Sammy's family will be up next. I'm highly considering adding one more cousin to the mix which will make my bridesmaid round at lucky sixteen. I KNOW. But we're Italian, I'm not sure what you want from me. And before ya judge, Sammy has twelve groomsman, okay? You know, I keep saying, this is truly a wonderful "problem" to have. We have so many people we're genuinely close to and love and want as part of our party. It's going to be so much fun.
My ladies all got individual "proposals" which has been so fun for me to put together. I really didn't want to do the same thing for each person because each person is an individual and I wanted their gift to reflect that. I do have groupings of proposals that are the same depending on who they are (my girlfriends got similar ones, Sammy's cousins got similar ones, etc.) and how old they are.
One of my girlfriends got a "The Office" themed (since we're obsessed) proposal where I put a note inside a teapot that looked like the one Jim gives to Pam in the show.
I made cards like this for my sister, SIL, and two of Sammy's older cousins. And my sister got a combination of things I gave my girlfriends and things I'm giving my SIL and Sammy's cousins.
My brother told Sammy he was "honored" and I can't even with him.
Dead for this picture.
As you saw, Sammy got all his men the same thing because #classic. He had black Yeti koozies monogrammed and added each guy's favorite beer with a "groomsman" tag hanging from the neck and called it a day. They're super cool and a great idea. I was impressed when he told me.
-We've officially have an officiant! We've asked my cousin to officiate which is going to be so special. She's got this fantastic performer quality to her personality that's going to lend itself so well to officiating our ceremony. And we're both writers, so I'm excited to write the ceremony with her and share that experience as well.
-We have officially booked our venue! We will be getting married on October 3, 2020 (which is insanely crazy to say/write/type etc.) at Geneva National Resort in Lake Geneva. We have a large guest count but can't afford or ask our parents to pay what most venues that can accommodate us want to charge, so the venue search has been a struggle. I was really set on getting married downtown. I just love the city so much, we both do, so that's where I focused the search initially. Turns out, a lot of spaces just can't hold all of our friends and family, and the ones that can want to charge a criminal amount of money. So, I started to extend the search outward where I could get my outdoor space which was a high item on the criteria list (and something that was hard to find downtown).
Sammy and I have always really enjoyed Lake Geneva. His mom's family's picnic is there every summer, he and I took our annual Christmas trip there last year, and we just generally enjoy being near water. I think we're both inherently connected to it and calmed by it, so it was kind of no-brainer when we went and toured Geneva National.
We had such a wonderful experience touring the venue that I knew we wouldn't have any problems planning our wedding with the staff there. I'm really excited to start brainstorming how to utilize all the spaces we have available to us and I'm even more excited we're going to have our outdoor ceremony after all. I was so excited to get a coordinator assigned to us but then a little bummed when she told us the next official step (our tasting!) won't happen until this time next year—ha!
I'm also really excited that it's going to feel like a destination wedding without all the hassle of an actual destination wedding haha. Lake Geneva is actually closer to our house than downtown Chicago is, so it feels like you're "getting away" without the travel aspect. Plus I think it makes the whole weekend feel more like an event because most close family members and our whole bridal party (hopefully) will be staying up there from Friday night to Sunday.
-We have begun asking our bridal party, as I mentioned, and I've enjoyed it SO much. This was one of the things I've been looking so forward to and I'm happy that it's lived up to my expectations. I've asked all my girlfriends and my sister and all the ladies in Sammy's family will be up next. I'm highly considering adding one more cousin to the mix which will make my bridesmaid round at lucky sixteen. I KNOW. But we're Italian, I'm not sure what you want from me. And before ya judge, Sammy has twelve groomsman, okay? You know, I keep saying, this is truly a wonderful "problem" to have. We have so many people we're genuinely close to and love and want as part of our party. It's going to be so much fun.
My ladies all got individual "proposals" which has been so fun for me to put together. I really didn't want to do the same thing for each person because each person is an individual and I wanted their gift to reflect that. I do have groupings of proposals that are the same depending on who they are (my girlfriends got similar ones, Sammy's cousins got similar ones, etc.) and how old they are.
One of my girlfriends got a "The Office" themed (since we're obsessed) proposal where I put a note inside a teapot that looked like the one Jim gives to Pam in the show.
These were the proposals I did for my girlfriends and I think they went over really well! I included a note on the inside of each box lid with something I share with each of the girls. This one was Chelsie's, my matron of honor, and it was Sex and the City, naturally.
And then this necklace as well. I found a crystal necklace for my granola sister (who am I kidding? I have crystals in our guest rooms for guests—ha!) and it's actually so stunning in person.
A terrible picture I took in the car of my brother's gift, but you get the idea. I'm going to try to make the remaining tags on my Cricket machine or something.
We went to my mom's for dinner last week and asked both of them there which my mom lived for.
My brother told Sammy he was "honored" and I can't even with him.
I don't have pictures of the remaining proposals yet because they're not all officially put together, but we'll be asking all of Sammy's older cousins, brother, and SIL when we host our Christmas get together on the 22nd, I'll ask his younger cousins on Christmas Eve, and I'll ask one of my first cousins on Christmas Day if she's with us.
The older cousins and my SIL are getting a box like my sister with a monogrammed stemless flute, mini bottle of champagne, and gold candy scattered throughout. The younger girls are getting boxes with the gold candy too but filled with these monogrammed candles (in rose gold) and hair ties instead of the champagne.
And my first cousin is getting these gemstone bracelets because she's also super granola like my sister ;) the pink is rose quartz and the black are lava beads that you can rub essential oil into and wear. I'll make it look pretty in box with a cute card too. I think she's going to be really surprised which should be a lot fun.
As you saw, Sammy got all his men the same thing because #classic. He had black Yeti koozies monogrammed and added each guy's favorite beer with a "groomsman" tag hanging from the neck and called it a day. They're super cool and a great idea. I was impressed when he told me.
-We've officially have an officiant! We've asked my cousin to officiate which is going to be so special. She's got this fantastic performer quality to her personality that's going to lend itself so well to officiating our ceremony. And we're both writers, so I'm excited to write the ceremony with her and share that experience as well.
What We're Looking Foward To
I think we're both looking forward to allowing this next year to include planning but done so on our schedule and time frame. We're going to be two days shy of a two-year engagement by the time we get married, and having a longer engagement was very intentional (even though all venues are already booked for 2019 so we'd have to pick 2020 anyway haha) just so we'd be able to plan leisurely, if we choose to. Knowing us, we'll probably have 90% of things planned by this time next year (haha can't wait to look back on this post and laugh at myself!) just 'cause we're planners by nature, but I'm looking forward to the option of not planning if we don't feel like it.
I'm also looking forward to enjoying the early stages of being engaged! It feels like we've been engaged for a year already when it's only been two months. It's crazy. I think sometime in the new year our family is going to throw us an engagement party which I'm crazy nutso excited for. And for a Lake Geneva wedding show that should be taking place at the end of February. I'm trying to max out on all the early stage things before much is planned when your engagement still feels relatively new.
I think we're both looking forward to allowing this next year to include planning but done so on our schedule and time frame. We're going to be two days shy of a two-year engagement by the time we get married, and having a longer engagement was very intentional (even though all venues are already booked for 2019 so we'd have to pick 2020 anyway haha) just so we'd be able to plan leisurely, if we choose to. Knowing us, we'll probably have 90% of things planned by this time next year (haha can't wait to look back on this post and laugh at myself!) just 'cause we're planners by nature, but I'm looking forward to the option of not planning if we don't feel like it.
I'm also looking forward to enjoying the early stages of being engaged! It feels like we've been engaged for a year already when it's only been two months. It's crazy. I think sometime in the new year our family is going to throw us an engagement party which I'm crazy nutso excited for. And for a Lake Geneva wedding show that should be taking place at the end of February. I'm trying to max out on all the early stage things before much is planned when your engagement still feels relatively new.
Next Steps
Next steps are to enjoy being engaged and leisurely start to "vendor shop" as our coordinator puts it. I really want to nail down our photographer first, if possible. I've been following one for almost two years now that I absolutely adore but has recently relocated, so I'm not sure she'd be able to do it. I want to reach out really soon though!
Next steps are to enjoy being engaged and leisurely start to "vendor shop" as our coordinator puts it. I really want to nail down our photographer first, if possible. I've been following one for almost two years now that I absolutely adore but has recently relocated, so I'm not sure she'd be able to do it. I want to reach out really soon though!
How We're Feeling
I'm relieved and happy to report that I feel like just within this last week or so we've finally found our groove. Getting engaged in October (one of my very favorite months) was thrilling and romantic and picturesque and amazing and all the wonderful things it's "supposed" to be. But it was also surreal and overwhelming and sometimes uncomfortable and a little stressful, if I'm being honest, when happening right before my birthday, two impending trips, one month after we got our puppy, and just before all the major holidays (and everything that comes with those).
I spent the first two months back and forth between high emotions: one day I would be filled with joy and oh so excited and the next, or often later that same day, I would be filled with immense worry and doubt. Those are hard emotions to swing back and forth between. I'm still figuring it all out, and therapy has definitely helped, but I think giving myself grace, realizing I need more time than others to adapt to change, and giving myself that time has made a huge difference.
And I take solace in knowing that even though this is a big change, our relationship hasn't changed at all, which I think was an irrational fear I was dealing with in the early weeks of our engagement. I also take solace in recognizing when it seems like Sammy might be struggling similarly. We're not the couple that regularly checks in with one another in terms of our emotions. Maybe we should be, but what seems to work for us is allowing the other the space they need to work through their own shit and have the trust to know if we were really struggling internally, we would come to the other for support. I've appreciated the moments when I may answer a wedding-related question a little too quickly or with a short response in the hopes it will end the conversation entirely and quickly, that he's never pushed or prodded for more information. And I've extended the same to him.
It's odd to go through something like an engagement, a milestone in one's life our society has constructed an entire industry around and told us exactly what it's supposed to look like, and feel alone a lot. I've been trying to lean into those feelings and honor that they're there instead of pushing them away. But now that I think we're on the upswing, I'm really looking forward to enjoying this time together and as a future bride, a term I've always been a little uncomfortable with but also dreamed about.
The journey so far has felt like a constant exercise in walking the line; going back and forth between emotions, balancing between how a role or experience is supposed to feel vs how it does vs how I want it to. But such is life, no? A balance act. A constant exercise in walking the line.
Have I maxed you out on wedding stuff? I bet I have about 19 paragraphs ago. ;) I'm excited to have a festive weekend coming up. Girls night tonight to watch Christmas movies, a FULL day of nothing on the calendar tomorrow that I plan on filling up with many a festive thing, and a Polar Express experience with our niece and Sammy's family on Sunday. I can't wait!
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!
*bare with me when I post wedding-related stuff, I know it's not for everyone! but I also know how much I'm going to love looking back on these posts, so I definitely want to get them down while the memories and opinions and reflections are fresh. And if anyone has any advice to give, I would sure love to hear it!*
*Linking up with Andrea!
I spent the first two months back and forth between high emotions: one day I would be filled with joy and oh so excited and the next, or often later that same day, I would be filled with immense worry and doubt. Those are hard emotions to swing back and forth between. I'm still figuring it all out, and therapy has definitely helped, but I think giving myself grace, realizing I need more time than others to adapt to change, and giving myself that time has made a huge difference.
And I take solace in knowing that even though this is a big change, our relationship hasn't changed at all, which I think was an irrational fear I was dealing with in the early weeks of our engagement. I also take solace in recognizing when it seems like Sammy might be struggling similarly. We're not the couple that regularly checks in with one another in terms of our emotions. Maybe we should be, but what seems to work for us is allowing the other the space they need to work through their own shit and have the trust to know if we were really struggling internally, we would come to the other for support. I've appreciated the moments when I may answer a wedding-related question a little too quickly or with a short response in the hopes it will end the conversation entirely and quickly, that he's never pushed or prodded for more information. And I've extended the same to him.
It's odd to go through something like an engagement, a milestone in one's life our society has constructed an entire industry around and told us exactly what it's supposed to look like, and feel alone a lot. I've been trying to lean into those feelings and honor that they're there instead of pushing them away. But now that I think we're on the upswing, I'm really looking forward to enjoying this time together and as a future bride, a term I've always been a little uncomfortable with but also dreamed about.
The journey so far has felt like a constant exercise in walking the line; going back and forth between emotions, balancing between how a role or experience is supposed to feel vs how it does vs how I want it to. But such is life, no? A balance act. A constant exercise in walking the line.
Have I maxed you out on wedding stuff? I bet I have about 19 paragraphs ago. ;) I'm excited to have a festive weekend coming up. Girls night tonight to watch Christmas movies, a FULL day of nothing on the calendar tomorrow that I plan on filling up with many a festive thing, and a Polar Express experience with our niece and Sammy's family on Sunday. I can't wait!
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!
*bare with me when I post wedding-related stuff, I know it's not for everyone! but I also know how much I'm going to love looking back on these posts, so I definitely want to get them down while the memories and opinions and reflections are fresh. And if anyone has any advice to give, I would sure love to hear it!*
*Linking up with Andrea!
So fun! I love all your bridesmaids "proposals." I did similar boxes for mine. I used to do wedding updates too and they were so much fun. Our wedding was on 10/5... LOVE October weddings. So excited for you and can understand your rollercoaster of emotions too. Hang in there and enjoy the process when you can. <3
ReplyDeleteWe got engaged on 10/5! So fun. I went back and read all your wedding posts—I love them too. Love that advice, will definitely do! xo
DeleteI love that you want to honor your families throughout your day! So special. We tried to do that too. I carried a red handkerchief around my bouquet that was my late father's to symbolize him walking down the aisle with me -- plus, red is lucky in Cuban culture (he was Cuban). I can't wait to see your plans unfold!
ReplyDeleteOh, I LOVE that. I love hearing ideas like that too. I bet he was so, so proud. xo
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