Because Pinning > Planning

Our wedding is less than ten months away. I keep telling myself that ten months is plenty of time to plan a wedding, but whenever I make the mistake of saying this out loud, people universally look at me like I'm crazy. I decided that I should probably start planning for real, and emailed a few more venues on Long Island - most of which were already booked for November 10, 2012. What?! I thought for sure our date was non-traditional enough that we would have the pick of all the best things at all the best prices, but I guess not. I guess, also, that I better start planning for real.

And so last week, I started. We still don't have a venue, a photographer, a DJ, a bridal party, a caterer, centerpieces, favors, decor, invitations, a suit for Nathan, or wedding rings. What do we have? I'm glad you asked. So far, I have a dress and a fiancee. Since those are the two most important things when it comes to a wedding, I feel like I'm not completely hopeless.

I also have a Pinterest account, and this past week I have been pinning like a mad-lady. My hands are pretty much tied until we get the venue settled (photographer, DJ, bridal party, caterer, etc, will all depend upon where the wedding will be) so in the meantime I am gathering ideas and inspiration like it's my part time internship. And so, in lieu of an actual wedding update, here are some current favorite pins.

Right now, I am leaning towards red as a the primary color for the wedding. I wanted to choose a color that had an autumnal feel (to honor the November-ness of the wedding) and red seems a good choice. Plus, if I choose orange or brown my potential bridesmaids would go on strike. (I have a shameful history with the color brown, dating back to monochromatic outfits in undergrad. It was a sad time for my wardrobe.) The dresses above are the opposite of shameful, and I really like the patterned look. It's whimsical and a little unexpected.

 

This dress is a little more traditional, but no less lovely. The rich red gives it some life, the capped sleeves are adorable, and I could imagine any lady wearing this dress again, which I think is important. Reduce, reuse, recycle! Plus my sisters (who are definitely in the bridal party) have already approved this one.

 

Here is a secret: I have pinned a million ideas for table settings and not one wedding dress. This is partly I already have a wedding dress, but mostly because I LOVE TABLE SETTINGS. There's something about an artfully decorated table, with neatly folded napkins and gorgeous centerpieces, that makes me swoon. I love the paper lanterns in this one and will definitely figure out a cheap way to do table runners. I also like the way big balloons look when they are strung along the ceiling, but the amount of plastic that would require makes me uncomfortable.

I'm not exactly sure what is going on with this centerpiece, but I like it. I want to incorporate touches of the natural world into our decor, not because rustic is trendy, but because for us, it's real. We work in the yard, we camp all the time, we care about the environment, we are getting chickens and bees and built a worm hotel. I demand a nature-off with other faux-rustic brides and grooms. Whoever wins gets the bird cake.

Pinerest is full of ideas for food-related favors, and I could not be more pleased. I especially like the idea of jam, because I could make it myself this summer and it would be adorable and delicious. (This is probably a terrible idea as far as my sanity goes, but let me dream for a moment.)

 

The cake is the other thing we've got figured out. One of my best ladies from undergrad, Ella, has become a very accomplished cake decorator these last few years. You can visit her blog to see some of her creations. She did Scott and Mel's cake two years ago and it was gorgeous. Oh, and we're totally doing cupcakes. I don't care if it's trendy. Cupcakes are the best.

Flowers. Because wedding planning pinning requires one to think about more than just food and centerpieces. Unfortunately.