Well, if I've learned anything in the past week, it's that I have a lot of readers who LOVE real weddings. I had over 400 views on Brooke and Mate's wedding post the day I put it up! I will definitely try to bring you more real, local weddings. It's always fun to see the beautiful things that are happening close to home.
Today I want to share pictures from a wedding that I had the honor of being a part of as a bridesmaid. The bride, Kristina, is one of my best friends, and was a bridesmaid in my wedding, so I was thrilled when she called me to tell me she was engaged, and even more thrilled when she asked me to be one of her girls.
A little backstory: Kristina (the realist) met Tyler (the comedian) at school in Idaho. A few things you should know about Tyler and Kristina- they're both insanely smart, deeply thoughtful, best-friend-to-all faithful people. Everyone else saw them as a perfect match, except for Kristina, who initially disliked Tyler (I think because she knew deep down that he was meant for her). It took a lot of discussing, spending time together, Tolkien jokes and fervent prayers, but when they figured it out, it was a no-brainer. I'm thrilled to tears to see how happy they are together, and to see the beautiful relationship that God has built.
Their wedding was simple but filled with a lot of fun DIY details. Tyler just graduated and Kristina still has a year of school, so they didn't want to spend a fortune on their wedding day festivities. What resulted was a tasteful and appropriate celebration that was jam packed with a lot of fun. I've said this quite often and I'll say it again, YOU CAN have a beautiful celebration on a small budget, but you have to plan plan plan. A lot of brides get themselves into a lot of trouble because they want everything for less. I will tell you right now that it won't happen. The key to budgets is picking what is most important to YOU and cutting back where it counts (guest count and food are the two biggest).
Anyway, to the wedding!
Location: Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, a beautiful old church in Valley City (just outside of Medina) with a gorgeous brand new fellowship hall.
DIY details: hair, makeup, candle centerpieces, flowers, boutonnieres, food at reception
Best budget detail: Cake and punch with a twist- guests were offered two kinds of cupcakes with a myriad of toppings and frosting for a "build your own cupcake" bar
Sorry in advance for the pictures, my camera was in the shop for repairs so I only had my phone. You'll get the idea though :)
















Congratulations again :)
Location: Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church
2233 Abbeyville Road
Valley City, OH 44280
(330) 483-3873
Dress: David's Bridal
Cake: Family Friend

I'm so excited to share the details of this beautiful wedding. Brooke has been one of my dear friends for years now, and her family is famous for their decorating and knack for throwing awesome parties (Mystery Dinners, beautiful showers, awesome firework filled Fourth of Julys- this family is pretty amazing). So, when Brooke announced her engagement, I was so excited to see what they would plan.

Going with the theme of outdoor wedding reception lounge areas from last week's post, I scoured Craigslist for some unique items.

Image via the City of Westerville

I found a gem of a venue. It's a gem because not only is it a BEAUTIFUL facility, it is also fairly inexpensive to rent. And we all know how much I love saving money.

Vintage wedding seating. Image via Junebug Weddings.
I love the idea of outdoor lounge areas at weddings, especially for guests who don't want to dance, who need to take a break from dancing, or who just love sitting and talking in a nice environment. What could be better than sipping a nice cocktail with friends under the stars on a beautiful vintage couch?
Unfortunately, not all of us have a stock of beautiful vintage furniture or the budget to purchase one of kind pieces. Thankfully, there are some cool companies that rent these items for events, and one of them just happens to be close to us Northeastern Ohioans and is located in the lovely area of Cleveland.
Borrow Rentals has a great inventory of one-of-a-kind accessories suitable for any event, and using their furniture to decorate would make for a KILLER wedding or reception.
From their site:
Welcome to the warm and eclectic home of BORROW®, a custom rental house for beautiful and unique furniture and accessories. Our pieces range from rustic vintage wares to one of a kind up-cycled wood furniture. We love working for our clients and providing them with one-of-a-kind options to create a truly spectacular occasion filled with wonderful design. We are dedicated to every planner, event organizer, bride and home stager, on any budget!
Here are some images of their inventory via their website.
Seating. Image via Borrowed Rentals. How awesome are these farmhouse tables? Image via Borrowed Rentals. These blue polka dot chairs would be ADORABLE in photos. Image via Borrowed Rentals.
I can think of so many uses for these colorful bottles. Image via Borrowed Rentals.
There is much MUCH more on their site, including china and awesome large accessories. Be sure to head there and browse around.
Borrow Rentals
Phone: 216.470.8349
Email: ann@borrowrentals.com
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Hi everyone!

Sorry I have been away for so long. I have really been struggling lately with finding things to write about! I would love suggestions and am open to whatever you throw my way...I want to write relevant content ;)

For today, I just wanted to share some advice about wedding etiquette. I collect vintage books, and one of my favorite kinds of books to collect are etiquette books. I think that in today's ever moving, ever changing world, it is important to remember our manners. As a society, and particularly as a generation, we have moved away from face to face interactions because of the ease of technology, and, unfortunately, this has made some of us a little more out of touch with how to act properly.

This is especially a problem (I've found) when it comes to weddings. I get a lot of questions from people concerning wedding etiquette, and I've become increasingly more surprised as I find out that many (MANY) people do not know the basic etiquette surrounding this big life event.

Of course, our society is changing. Rules that were once set in stone are no longer as practical, but there is STILL (and always will be!) a place for kindness and gentility. Therefore, I think that this will probably be the most important post I ever write for brides and brides-to-be, and I would really encourage you to check out these sites and make an effort to plan your wedding properly.

These days, we have glorified the bride to a fault, as now many young ladies believe their wedding day is all about them and that is certainly not the case. The wedding day is about you and your husband to be, but it is JUST AS MUCH about your families and guests. Brides who plan selfishly without accounting for the needs of their families and guests are setting themselves up for a lot of hassle and unhappiness. Read these articles, think about ways to incorporate the advice into your planning process, and you will end up with a wedding planning process that is happy. I guarantee it :)

Emily Post Wedding Etiquette
The Washington Post (and Miss Manners) On Love
Wedding Etiquette for Dummies
Wedding Advice via Elegala