Jenny's Wedding

I am SO excited to bring to you the first of (I hope!) many guest posts from veteran brides.  I always love hearing about people's weddings and getting advice from the people who have been through the process before me.  My first guest post is from my sister, Jenny, who had a beautifully simple wedding that I was so happy to be a part of!

1. Your name? Your husband’s name?
Jenny (#1 most popular girl's name in our birth year) and Matt (#3 most popular boy's name).

2. When/Where was your wedding?
Our wedding was June 6, 2009 at Rose Angelis Restaurant in Chicago.

3. What were your colors, flowers, and cake like?
Our colors were royal blue and yellow, inspired by my gorgeous blue sapphire engagement ring. Our bouquets/corsages/boutonnieres were all wildflowery in yellow, blue and white. Our table centerpieces were small potted plants in white and yellow. My cake was a delicious chocolate layer cake with white buttercream frosting that my sister (author of this blog) baked. We opted for a small, homemade cake since there was plenty of dessert included with our meal.

4. Tell us about the dress. How/where did you find it?
My dress was a discontinued J.Crew wedding gown that I got on Ebay for next to nothing. It was a simple, ivory silk sheath, and I loved it so much.

5. What did you decide on first? (the dress, the location, the colors?)
I think it was the dress. I bought it on a whim about 2 months after we got engaged. We didn't even decide what state to have the wedding in for another 6 months. I generally don't recommend this route, but it was such a bargain I couldn't pass it up.

6. How long did you plan the wedding?
We were engaged for about 18 months, but we really only got serious about planning about 9 months before the wedding.

7. Did you DIY anything for the wedding? If so, what?
My wedding was more of a DIT (do it together) than DIY. It really takes a village! I designed and constructed all the invitations and paper goods. The centerpieces were made by my mom. The cake was made by my sister. Matt and I also wrote our own ceremony, which was really special. And Matt's sister, Stacey, was our officiant.

8. What was one thing you thought was worth splurging on?
The honeymoon. We're travel junkies and we knew this was a chance to take a good amount of time off from work and take a fantastic trip.

9. What was your favorite detail?
My veil. I wasn't sure I wanted one, but I'm so glad I got it. I had a custom veil made by an artist on Esty, then my mom crocheted flowers to go on the comb. It's such a frivolous accessory, but it really made me feel like a "bride".

10. What was the part of the planning that scared you the most?
The budget. We could have afforded a much more lavish wedding, but we just weren't comfortable spending so much money on one day.

11. Which was the most difficult decision to make?
I guess the most difficult decision was where to have the wedding. We started off looking at having the wedding in LA, but in the end found that it was simpler to have the low-key wedding we wanted back in Chicago.

12. Where did you go on the honeymoon?
Costa Rica. It was such an adventure! We spent our days whitewater rafting, rappelling down waterfalls, horseback riding, hiking, exploring and meeting new people. It was an amazing experience and we created so many memories together on that trip!

13. If you could do it again, would you change anything?
Nope!

14. What was the most memorable part of the wedding?
The feeling of love and warmth that comes from having the most important people in our lives all in the same room.

15. What advice do you have for soon to be brides?
Your wedding is not a contest or a performance.

Would you like to be a guest bride?  I would LOVE to hear from you!  comment on this post if you are interested?