The Party Continues...

If I thought my life in "wedding world" was dwindling down, my mailbox this week gave me a friendly reminder that there's plenty more partying to do! I'm thrilled - two of my dearest friends from college are getting married in 2011. Mr. Seashell and I will get to bookend the year with two fabulous weddings - one in January and one in December - both of which I'm going to share with you!

So, as I've mentioned no less than 87 times, I looooooove wedding invitations. My week started with a fantastic one! Wanna see?

I adore the simplicity of the letterpress juxtaposed with the shimmer of the pocketfold.

And here's a closer peek at the "Love" detail.

LOVE THEM! It's like Christmas in my mailbox.

Then, a few days later a package arrived on my doorstep. Being one with no patience, I eagerly ripped it open. Inside was a card and a bottle of wine. Sweet! A belated wedding gift? No. A lovely request from Bridesmaid Allie to be her MATRON OF HONOR!

Truly honored, I called and immediately accepted! Allie has been an absolutely exceptional friend to me, especially during the past year, and it means the world to me to be able to step up make her experience from now to the altar equally wonderful. I'm so excited!

Have you found yourself surrounded by weddings?

My Own Piece of Adulthood

When I was little, there were a few things I associated with being a grown-up. The usual, of course - driving a car, wearing high heels and perfume, and sleeping in a big, comfy bed. Likely a less common association with adulthood was having a beautiful, framed wedding invitation prominently displayed in a master bedroom. But, for me, the framed wedding invitation always was one of those important markers. As a kid, I remember seeing my parent's wedding invitation in their bedroom and thinking it was just magical. I'd carefully study the words, look closely at the names, the date, the time and the swirls of the letters. Something about it drew me in.

Then, when our invitations arrived in July I didn't immediately run to the framer. I got superstitious. I convinced myself that framing our invitation before the wedding would seal our fate that something would go awry. So, in a totally out of character move, I waited.

Upon our return from our honeymoon, however, I was at the framer first chance I got. Just a few days later I had my own piece of adulthood, ready to be hung in our master bedroom. Maybe someday one of our little ones will marvel at this piece of wedding history just as I did.

Did you frame your wedding invitation? Were you superstitious about it?

Gifting My Girls

{My Lovely Ladies:  Julia,  Allie,  Ashley,  Leah &  Carrie}

I can't start a post about my bridesmaids without sharing how exceptional each and every one of these girls has been to me. They were an easy choice for a bridal party from the start, but they truly stepped up when I needed them most over the past year. It only reinforced that I genuinely have some really, really wonderful best friends.

When Mr. Seashell and I got engaged, these were the first people I called (parents aside, of course). When Mr. Seashell's Mom was diagnosed with cancer, they were always checking in - not only on her, but on us. Bridesmaid Ashley is a resident at the hospital where Mr. Seashell's Mom was treated. She often went out of her way to personally say hi and offer kind words. When things took a serious turn for the worse, these girls immediately asked how they could help to plan an emergency wedding ceremony. And, when that quickly became unnecessary, they were there to console, and made eager offers to travel for funeral services after having just traveled for a bachelorette party and bridal shower. Their love and support has been unbelievable.

When it came time to give them gifts as a token of my thanks, I racked my brain. Never to be failed by Weddingbee, I drew some inspiration from Mrs. Cheeseburger. I loved the idea of a gift including a few different pieces! Next stop, Etsy.

Clutches were a definite from the start. I stumbled upon Davie and Chiyo and knew they'd be perfect. Since the girls were wearing different purple dresses, I opted to go for gold. I figured they would be versatile post-Seashell wedding in a golden color as well. I did include a bit of purple and had them lined in aubergine.

Next were necklaces. Also a definite part of the gift from the start. I wanted them to include a leaf element, so I searched Etsy again. I also hoped they could include some element of amethyst, an initial, and even a key (if possible). Realizing I was being ridiculously specific, I figured I'd only find some combination of these pieces. However, I found seller FreshyFig who I noticed used leaves and typewriter keys in her pieces. I sent her a message asking if she could include the elements I was envisioning, and literally an hour later she had put together a mock-up! She even snuck a tiny key in by the clasp. I placed an order right away, and they arrived in no time.

The last part of the gift came together when I checked the ten day forecast before the wedding. I had wanted to include a pashmina, but when it appeared it may be chilly and rainy, I sprung to action. I found pashminas at Nordstrom in a beautiful, rich, ivory color. Ironically, since checking that initial weather report the temperature only rose and rose, and the pashminas were totally unnecessary on our unseasonably warm fall wedding day, but I'm sure they will get use regardless.

And those were the Seashell Bridesmaids gifts! Here's a glimpse at the girls opening their presents:

What did you gift your girls? Did Etsy come to your rescue?

Is This Thing Even Legit?

Allegedly Mr. Seashell and I have been married for almost a month. "Woo hoo!!!" right? Sure, totally. I'm all about that. Except one tiny detail. We're yet to see anything in writing.

So, you know, aside from the whole wedding thing - with the vows and exchange of rings and the whole "woo hoo!!!" - we have no documented evidence of a legally binding marriage.

When we obtained our marriage license (pre-wedding) we also picked up the forms to receive copies of our marriage certificate. In the midst of the wedding craziness, I knew they'd easily get lost in the shuffle, so I tucked them into a prominent compartment of my travel bag. Two days after our wedding, while sitting at Logan airport, we filled out all necessary paperwork at 5am while waiting to depart for our honeymoon. Then we figured we could drop our marriage certificate request form in a mailbox off in between our connecting flights at the next airport. No go. There aren't any mailboxes in airports since 9/11. So the request form sat in my luggage for 10 days.

We returned to Chicago and I promptly put the paperwork in the mail. Each day after dropping the marriage certificate request in the mail, I eagerly checked to see if it arrived. To my surprise, we received a piece of mail from Providence City Hall quite promptly. However, it was a rejection letter.

{source}

Our request for copies of our marriage certificate was rejected due to a failure to provide photo identification. (Side note: this was not an indicated requirement on the form.) The letter arrived on a Friday, so we were set back another 3 days before I could call City Hall and inquire about suitable submissions of identification. Fortunately, photocopies of our drivers licenses would suffice so I was able to get that handled efficiently and get our forms back in the mail.

Where does that leave us? Well, that takes us to today. Approximately one month out from our wedding and still no documented evidence of actually being married. Mr. Seashell and I have a running joke about "...not 'till I see it in writing!" that's starting to get a little old.

When did you receive a marriage certificate? When am I allowed to get antsy?

There Was Joy

Our wedding was an absolute, amazing, constant outpouring of love and joy. I have never felt such an intensity of celebration in my life.


That whole "best day of my life thing"? It's about the joy. It's phenomenal.

{photos from a friend}

There was joy in the eyes of my new husband. Joy in the arms as our family and friends wrapped their arms around us over and over again. Joy in the laughter, and joy intertwined in the bittersweet moments. "Joy" was the title of the beautiful homily my uncle wrote and read at our ceremony, and also the name of the poem he read to us:

JOY by Carl Sandburg

Let a joy keep you.
Reach out your hands
And take it when it runs by,
As the Apache dancer
Clutches his woman.
I have seen them
Live long and laugh loud,
Sent on singing, singing,
Smashed to the heart
Under the ribs
With a terrible love.
Joy always,
Joy everywhere--
Let joy kill you!
Keep away from the little deaths.

 

{Our second kiss as husband and wife!}

Photo by Carmen Nauseef via iPhone

The joy we experienced on our wedding day is the kind of emotion I hope we experience over and over again throughout our marriage. It was the best.

A "Yes" Becomes "I Do"

387 days ago I accepted Mr. Seashell's proposal. Tomorrow a simple, tearful, joyful "yes" becomes a lifelong, powerful "I do".

The past 387 days have been marked with the most emotional intensity I have experienced. There has been true blissful joy, and absolute sorrow. At many times during our relationship we have joked that things were far too easy. We never argued, we never had to fight for anything, we just "were". Then life handed us a million challenges at once. And we survived. It wasn't always pretty, but we have had our dose of heartbreaking reality and managed to literally lift each other up. We have learned how to fight for everything that is important.

In the past year we have grown professionally. Mr. Seashell achieved a major career milestone. After repeatedly putting off a licensing exam he finally stepped up to the challenge and passed. I received my Master's Degree and struggled to find a job. I didn't want a job, I wanted a career, and Mr. Seashell stood by me as I stumbled (sitting at home in sweatpants), and stumbled (more sweatpants), and stumbled again (sweatpants, tears, and not showering) until I found the right fit. I still get a rush of pride when we kiss each other goodbye in the morning, all dressed up in our work clothes, ready to take on the day. (We're grown ups? How did this happen?)

We have also become a team. I'm not really into the whole "what yours is mine, trust me completely, share the burden" type mentality. I'm a "I'll do it myself" kind of girl. Mr. Seashell has taught me how to work with someone (and when irritated not against them). We have taken on remodeling our condo together. We have taken on wedding tasks together. We have solved problems together. I'm starting to like it.

Tomorrow I marry a man that I love, and trust, and admire more than I can express. I am phenomenally lucky. When we take our vows tomorrow our lives will be forever changed. I'm ready for it. I'm ready for the changes, challenges, and joys of marriage. THIS IS IT!

Before I sign off as a "Miss" I'll share with you our Wedding Slideshow that will be played at tonight's rehearsal dinner. Thank you, thank you, thank you for having me. I have adored sharing my journey thus far. Enjoy!


Our Wedding Slideshow from Seashell on Vimeo.


See you on the other side!
xo,
Miss Seashell

Time After Time

I have a lot of amazingly vivid memories from my childhood. One especially distinct time that stands out were Saturday and Sunday mornings I spent with my Dad.  He would take me out in his red convertible (he still has it) with the top down, and we'd drive down Blackstone Boulevard in Providence. Before leaving the house Mama Seashell would wrap me in a scarf and stick a hat on my head. I was prone to ear infections, and she didn't want to take any chances. As we'd pull out of the driveway I'd ask Papa Seashell if I could take the hat and scarf off - he'd roll his eyes and mutter something about "your mother" and then throw my hat and scarf in the back seat. I'd giggle. I thought we were so rebellious.

Then we'd go to McDonalds at University Heights. I'd get hotcakes with syrup. I'd eat neatly, but somehow the syrup left my hands sticky. I can still hear the sound of Papa Seashell cutting my hotcakes as the plastic knife squeaked against the styrofoam. It was the sound of an incoming sugar high.

Next, we hit the road. Sometimes we'd go to my Dad's office. I'd doodle on the dry erase boards. Or we'd go to one of his favorite hobby shops. Our errands often included a trip to a toy store, but more than anything I remember driving. The car, the wind, and the music.

Papa Seashell loves music. There was always music playing when we went out. During our trips there was one song that became "our song". It stands so strong in my memories that every time I hear it I am again four years old, sitting next to my Dad, wind in my hair, driving down Blackstone Boulevard in Providence.

When I left for college in the fall of 2000, I received this package in the mail a few weeks after I arrived on campus.

A CD with a simple note - saying he missed me, he was proud of me, and how this song always made him think of me - and the lyrics to "Time After Time". The memory of the song and our drives was just as strong for Papa Seashell it was for me. It melted my heart. I've saved the package for 10 years.

There was never a question about the song Papa Seashell and I would dance to at my wedding. We have had "our song" since I was a little girl. It make me hopelessly nostalgic and the memory brings tears to my eyes. The vision of dancing with my Dad on my wedding day, well, it overwhelms me. It will be another moment I carry with me forever. Time after time.


As I packed up the CD and note after taking a photograph, I caught a glimpse of the postmark. He sent this to me exactly ten years before my wedding. That is some incredible serendipity.

Programs!

When I started researching inspiration for our wedding programs, I had one thing in mind: keep it simple. As much as I love a beautiful, intricate, interesting program, I couldn't help but feel heartbroken by the idea that most people throw them away after leafing through them during the ceremony. I searched the Weddingbee gallery. I found this lovely one by hive member JoieDeVie:

{link}

Inspiration found! Then I made it my own.

First, I stamped:

{Stamp from Paper Source}

Mr. Seashell cut and then rounded corners:

I documented ink drying:

And then after hours of gluing, they were complete:

Simple and sweet - just what I wanted!

Did you DIY your programs? 

A Few MORE Details

Last week I shared with you a few of our wedding details. Perhaps you thought that was the extent of our wedding projects. If so, I have three words for you: OH HECK NO.

It's been a wedding factory 'round here. I'm embarrassed to show you photos of our condo. This shot of our table will have to suffice as a snippet of what things look like.

So what else have the Seashells been up to?

Additional Leaves
At the end of the reception all of the Aunties who have worked so hard will receive one of our centerpieces. We're attaching an additional leaf to their favor to let them know to take one.

Candy Bar and Hors d'oeuvres Signage
Not entirely complete. Almost, though!

Other Miscellaneous Signage

Signature Drink Signs
Giving up on privacy here. My signature drink gives a nod to Papa Seashell's family history on St. Thomas. Mr. Seashells hints at his family's musical talents and love of Manhattans.

Jordan Almond Sign
I don't even like the darn things, but for the sake of tradition we're including them. Mama Seashell found the poem, so I figured "Why not?"

Welcome Note
This will be included in our Out Of Town boxes.

Dinner Menu
My pride and joy. After dropping off a bunch of our wedding "stuff" at the caterer last weekend Mama Seashell and I spied piles of menus that other brides had completed. It was a project I was definitely going to forgo, but then I was oh-so-tempted to have some of our own. For two people with no graphic design background, I'm SO proud Mr. Seashell and I knocked these out in an afternoon.

Man, we've been busy! Next up? Our programs!

A Few Details

This past weekend I flew to Providence to wrap up several wedding-related loose ends. We squeezed in a hair trial, final dress fitting, meeting with the caterer, meeting with the florist, stopped by the chapel, and ran errands galore. It was phenomenal how much we were able to accomplish.

I'm not sure if this is common, but our caterer, Russell Morin,  provides an on-site person to oversee everything at our reception. Since booking with Russell Morin we have worked exclusively with Liza who has been absolutely amazing. She has worked with us to not only establish our menu and catering-related coordination but also the timeline of our event and similar technicalities. Liza will be setting up a lot of the details at our reception: placing our guest book, organizing the candy bar, displaying all signage, etc. For this reason, we had to get all of these items to her.

Here's what we brought:

1. Custom Napkins
I fell in love with Amber's wedding featured on Real Weddings. When I saw that she had an Etsy Shop. I knew I had to have those napkins! Plus, I knew attempting gocco was beyond my patience and ability. She's fantastic and I adore our napkins!

To cut cost, I layered our custom gocco napkins with plain gold napkins. MOH Julia helped layer!

2. "Just Married" Sign
Mr. Seashell and I cricut'ed this a while ago. I meant to blog about it but somebody deleted the photos. *coughcoughMr.Seashell*  The sign is being placed on our sweetheart table.

3. Table Numbers
Also cricut'ed by the Mr. and Miss Seashell duo.

4. Gold Pen Cup, Pens, and Guestbook
This probably didn't deserve its own photo, but tracking down the "just right" cup was harder than you'd think.

6. Candy Jars and Candy
Admittedly, not the best photo. It will make the real deal look that much better when I blog professional photos from the wedding.

7. Sparkly wands
Sadly, even though real, flaming sparklers are legal in Rhode Island fire codes at our venue have not changed. Thank you for the info hive, but it appears my sparkly wands will have to suffice.

And there you have a sneak preview of some of our wedding details! The countdown has officially hit single digits. UNREAL!

Assembly of the Aunties: Part Two

Just when the Aunties thought their hard work was complete, Mama Seashell kept things moving in Rhode Island! Next up, our pew leaves!

Before her passing, Mr. Seashell's mom had hand-cut each and every pew leaf we needed to decorate our wedding chapel. She was planning on completing their assembly closer to the wedding. Knowing the significance of this project, and wanting to ensure Justine's strong presence on our wedding day, my "Aunties" and Mama Seashell eagerly volunteered to help tie the pew bows and leaves together.

Another Seashell wedding project complete! I couldn't be more thankful for the loving support of Mama Seashell and my Aunties. It's such a treat to keep receiving these photos from Rhode Island. Our wedding is truly a team effort and a labor of love. Score another one for team Seashell!

Has your family helped you in any special ways?

Light It Up!

Uplighting definitely creates amazing ambiance. When I mentioned adding some colored lights to the ballroom at our venue, Mama Seashell made some inquiries and found a fabulous deal: our caterer was willing to rent us 6 can lights for $15 each. SCORE! This would create the perfect amount of "glow" in our ballroom at an unbelievable price.

 {source}

Fast forward a few months. We learned that the can lights were overloading the circuits at our venue and were blowing fuses. The venue coordinator told me about a recent wedding where the band lost power 3 times during the evening. No good. She recommended I contact companies that use battery powered LED uplights. I did my research, shopped around, and the best quote I could find was $1,000. Also, no good.

I put my engi-nerd (Mr. Seashell) to work. (There was no way we were going from paying $90 to $1,000 for lighting.) After racking his brain, he finally came across these:

{LED Wall Wash}

At $61 each, they made for a decent compromise. We went ahead and purchased 6 and had them shipped to Providence. We also figured we could cover our expenses and resell these post-wedding.

As they are, they create that lovely intense "blue LED glow". We picked up some gels and played around.

On the lower step is a golden amber gel, on the higher is a soft pink. Papa Seashell and I decided the golden amber had the right amount of intensity. Then he helped me cut gels.

Once our gels were cut and secured we lit up the living room (currently covered in wedding "stuff")!

Who knew you could DIY uplighting?