When Mr. Pineapple and I first chose our venue with the fancy schmancy food we were living rent-free. As part of Mr. Pineapple's job at the time (he is now working at a different University) he was required to live in on-campus housing. Our housing was amazing. We lived in a four bedroom, 3000 square foot split level, rent and utility-free. So all that money that we had been paying for two separate apartments we could put toward our wedding savings. Then the poo hit the fan. The big wig above Mr. P was asked to resign and to save money Mr. P's job description no longer required him to live on campus. They gave us six weeks to be out. Since we had already put our deposit down on the Rivers Club we wanted to try and make it work. We did this by eliminating anything we didn't "need" or care about. The second way was by doing a lot of searching before buying. Here are some of the resources I found along the way that helped me penny pinch.
1. Etsy
Everyone probably knows by now that etsy is a great resource for buying things handmade. However, I didn't realize until wedding planning that you can also buy supplies from etsy. I purchased large copper satin and silk remnants from etsy for super cheap, $7 each. I then used them as table runners. (I didn't even sew them. I just laid them loosely on the table and tucked under the seams.)
2. Michael's
I signed up for Michael's e-mail alerts and have saved so much money. At least every other week I am e-mailed a 40% off coupon. You can only use one per customer per day. So I would drag my mom and dad to the store with me, each of us armed with a coupon. This was great for items such as Xyron refills which are not cheap and I could only find locally at Michael's.
3. Ikea
One of the things that was hard to cut from our budget was fresh flower centerpieces. There is nothing quite like a wedding full of fragrant and fresh blooms. I considered DIY flowers then I scared myself out of it and decided on candles. I had no idea how expensive pillar candles were until I started my search. Even at online wholesalers they were $3-7 each. Then I checked Ikea.com and lo and behold 5 candles for $7. Perfect. I could make a decent centerpiece with 5 big candles without the risk of looking cheap.
I also got my mirrors from Ikea. Searching online and in craft stores I found a lot of circular mirrors, but the cheapest were $3 each plus shipping and handling. (Not cheap for such a heavy and fragile item.) Then I checked Ikea. I bought 4 packs of 12" square tiles for $5. Our tables were rectangular so the square worked out better than round anyhow.
4. Amazon.com
So much more than books. Amazon.com now has something called Amazon Prime. It is a $70/year membership. The primary perk of the program is "free" two-day shipping on every order. Mr. P and I were first interested in the program when we moved to the farm. The closest shopping is 13 miles away, at the bottom of the mountain ridge we live atop. So going to the store is a huge trip and a gas guzzler. From Amazon we can get all of those regular items like kitty litter and paper towels, often for less than buying them retail. You can also buy 20 boxes of coffee filters for your paper roses and big boxes of discounted paper for... for everything. It is not a program that makes sense for everyone, but it definitely works for us.
5. Question Everything
The thing that really saved us the most money was when we changed our perspective on the whole wedding thing. There are so many things you "have to have" and "have to do" for a wedding and it really blows any budget out of whack. Everyone's priorities and resources are different, just for an example following a few must-haves we were able to eliminate.
A DJ, thanks to my lovely friend and actor Mike + a MacBook Pro we had our freeJ. A videographer, some people love wedding videos I didn't have an opinion and Mr. P didn't really like them so there was no reason for us to splurge on this item. Both my parents and Mr. P's had someone there with a camera they entire time, so there is evidence. :) A tux for Mr. P, he purchased a suit that he will wear over and over again at work. Ceremony decorations and such, we decided against having children in our wedding saving us on a lot of little things like ring pillow, flower petals, a basket and little lovely outfits. We also cut out any decorations, bubbles/bells/rice, what have you. We are also lucky to have very talented friends who could preform the music before and during the ceremony. Finally, there were a lot of little things we cut that really added up like new shoes, elaborate gifts for the bridal party (they really loved the simple gifts we gave), all additional rentals (linens/chairs/lighting), and upgrades for things such as the cake, bar, and dinner service.
What are some of your favorite money-saving resources?
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Cleveland Foodiemoon: The Brownstone Inn
Our foodiemoon began everyday with a wonderful breakfast from the Brownstone Inn Bed & Breakfast just two miles from the heart of downtown. The inn was such a wonderful choice by Mr. Pineapple. I loved staying at the Brownstone Inn because for the most part a beautiful hotel is still just a hotel and often they lack charm and character. The was definitely no lack of character here.The home was built in 1874 and is on the National Register of Historical Places. The owner, Robin Yates, was a great cook and an amazing host. He has been living in the home for 34 years and has run it as a B&B for eight. In the morning he would chat with use making sure we were enjoying our stay and recommending some of his favorite spots.
Mr. P and I had "the wedding room" at the top of the town house. It was a nice big room with a private bathroom. Above the bed was a turn of the century wedding photo. The price was right too at $89/night.When I used to picture those who stayed at B&Bs I would imagine my parents, on the verge of retirement. However, the other guests who were also staying at the Brownstone were all 20-somethings who shared our same interest in politics and Mr. P's interest in micro-brews. Breakfast was always really yummy and full of lively conversation.
We may be back to Cleveland in a couple weeks and if we are, we will most certainly stay at the Brownstone again.Do you enjoy staying at bed and breakfasts?
Monday, October 27, 2008
Cleveland Foodiemoon: West Side Market
When people asked us where we were going for our honeymoon we would tell them Cleveland and we mostly got looks that were a combination of confusion and pity in return. Pittsburghers are not known for loving Cleveland, in fact because of ye old football rivalry, we are supposed to despise Cleveland. Sorry fellow 'burghers we loved it!One of our favorite places in Cleveland was the West Side Market. Mr. P and I love to buy local produce when we can. Living in the city we were part of a community supported agriculture program where 15lbs of produce was delivered to us once a week. Now that we live on a farm we take advantage of the few fruits and veggies we have around and get most of our produce from the Amish market down the road. The Westside Market was huge and delicious and amazing. We even ran into some friends there!
Mrs. Pommegranite and...
Mrs. Avocado!In an outdoor corridor there were probably a couple dozen vendors selling produce. Much of which waas local, some of which came with a Dole sticker (like my Pineapple relations). There was so much to take in and take home!
Have you ever heard of a pear apple? Neither had we, it's a hybrid pear and apple. Creative name, no? Guess what it tastes like? Like a fruit with an apple momma and a pear daddy, seriously wackadoodle.Inside the market were a couple dozen more vendors selling meats, cheeses and all sorts of other goodies.
Mr. Pineapple doesn't have much of a sweet tooth, but he had to grab one of these Ohio favorites, a buckeye.The market is open Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Many of the restaurants in Cleveland buy and cook only locally grown food. Which is wonderful and I hope it is a trend that catches on! Even if you don't buy anything the market is just a cool place to browse, a feast for the eyes I suppose.
Do you and yours enjoy going to local markets?
Sunday, October 26, 2008
My Two Passions: Mr. Pineapple and Line Dancing
During my senior year of college an amazing thing happened. A dirty lovely "rockin' country saloon" opened on the South Side of Pittsburgh called Saddle Ridge. I was already known as "the designer who loved to line dance" at Carnegie Mellon (it's not that popular for city chicks - go figure), when one of my photography professors suggested I do a series of photos at Saddle Ridge. 1600 photos and 6 months later I had revived my passion from high school and made some of the best friends a pseudo cowgirl could ask for. Saddle Ridge is where bridesmaid Christy and I spent Thursday-Saturday nights and where we met BFF Free-J Mike.
Mr. Pineapple does not share my passion for dancing in a line, but he is really good at hanging out by the bar, spectating and keeping my water cup full. So with a few of my Saddle Ridge friends in attendance and running the music machine, there was definately a lot of line dancing happening at our wedding. Sister Pineapple ran the family camcorder by setting it atop her table so the video is not great quality (hello boodies in front of the lens), but I thought you may like to see what it looks like to see a bride atempt to boot scoot in a huge gown.
First we have one to a song called "Life's a Dance" by John Michael Montgomery. This video starts with the end of "Save a Horse Ride a Cowboy" also by Big & Rich, where you can see Mr. P next to me dancing along by spinning in circles. Hey, at least he tried. This is one of the most exhausting of our favorite line dances. After it was over I plopped into my chair and attempted to cool off. Luckily I had ditched my crinoline in the bathroom earlier. (It was much to hot with all those layers.) Look out for the part where Mike tries to hold my gown up for me. The other fella in the video is Mike's brother Ryan.
Next we have one of the first dances Mike taught Christy and I, we call it "chicken" because it goes to a song called "I Play Chicken with the Train" by Cowboy Troy and Big & Rich. Eventhough there weren't many to attempt the dance with us, you can hear some people singing along. Gooood times.
One of the hardest parts about line dancing in a wedding gown was when my hair fell in my face my choices were to a. drop my dress to fix my hair and potentially trip over my gown and kiss the floor or b. deal with it. I went with option b.
Did you have plans to do something you are passionate about at your wedding?
Mr. Pineapple does not share my passion for dancing in a line, but he is really good at hanging out by the bar, spectating and keeping my water cup full. So with a few of my Saddle Ridge friends in attendance and running the music machine, there was definately a lot of line dancing happening at our wedding. Sister Pineapple ran the family camcorder by setting it atop her table so the video is not great quality (hello boodies in front of the lens), but I thought you may like to see what it looks like to see a bride atempt to boot scoot in a huge gown.
First we have one to a song called "Life's a Dance" by John Michael Montgomery. This video starts with the end of "Save a Horse Ride a Cowboy" also by Big & Rich, where you can see Mr. P next to me dancing along by spinning in circles. Hey, at least he tried. This is one of the most exhausting of our favorite line dances. After it was over I plopped into my chair and attempted to cool off. Luckily I had ditched my crinoline in the bathroom earlier. (It was much to hot with all those layers.) Look out for the part where Mike tries to hold my gown up for me. The other fella in the video is Mike's brother Ryan.
Next we have one of the first dances Mike taught Christy and I, we call it "chicken" because it goes to a song called "I Play Chicken with the Train" by Cowboy Troy and Big & Rich. Eventhough there weren't many to attempt the dance with us, you can hear some people singing along. Gooood times.
One of the hardest parts about line dancing in a wedding gown was when my hair fell in my face my choices were to a. drop my dress to fix my hair and potentially trip over my gown and kiss the floor or b. deal with it. I went with option b.
Did you have plans to do something you are passionate about at your wedding?
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Deeeeeeep Breath... The Budget
Budgets are sticky topics, but when I first started planning I wanted to know how much people spent on everything. I knew weddings were expensive but I had no idea why. So, if you want to throw a Pineapple wedding of your own, here is the post for you.
From the get go Mr. Pineapple and I wanted to throw the party of our lives, but we didn't want it to keep us from actually being able to afford living. I was constantly worried about the bottom line, about spending more than we had, about regretting the cost of just one day. In the end Mr. Pineapple and I came in about $3,000 under our goal budget and I wouldn't have changed a thing. Here is the breakdown of our wedding day (which excludes rehearsal dinner, hotel, and foodiemoon, partly because I don't know how much we spent eating the last 5 days and maybe I don't want to know.)
Stationery:
$171.00 including stamps and programs
Since I make wedding invites and such for a living I was able to do ours on the cheap, including the printing donated by a friend. The photos used on our save the dates were also a gift from my friend and former professor Charlee Brodsky.
Bridal Attire:
Including gown, alterations, crinoline, veil, headband and date embroidery.
$1,175.00 (a very generous gift from Momma P)
My gown retailed for $1000, but I got it during one of their regular sales. The veil, headband and crinoline were $310, the alterations were $65 and the embroidery was free after the mess that had been made.
Bride Hair and Make-up:
$150 including tip (a gift from Momma P)
Groom's Suit:
$200 (a gift from Mr. P's Mom)
Wedding Bands:
$1,000 for his
$1,350 for mine
Our bands were quite a bit more than we had ever intended to pay, but in the end I am glad we chose the bands we did. My band had to be custom made to fit the lovely crazy shape of my ring. Mr. Pineapple's was made to match mine in rose gold. We will have them longer than our TV that was the same price, that is my justification. :)
Bridemaides' Gifts:
$50 more about what they were to come!
Groom's tie and GMs' ties:
$160 we got these all on sale at Macy's.
Officiant:
$40 for a basket of goodies from Harry and David (a gift from Momma P)
Superior Court Judge Mary Jane Bowes officiated our wedding. She was incredible. She was so funny during the rehearsal keeping the mood light and the ceremony was perfect. Since were we already married she was in no way obligated to re-marry us, but she did and for that we are truly grateful.
Ceremony:
$500 for the room set-up at the Rivers Club
$25 for the hand painted aisle runner
$0 for the ceremony muscians, more on them to come
Photography:
$2450 + photo disks (we don't know how much they will be yet)
We had three wonderful photographers with us on our wedding day. Including Mingwei Tay who is a student at my alma mater and asked us if he could shoot our wedding for his portfolio.
Flowers:
$825 after packing and shipping (a gift from Momma P)
Reception Decor:
$162.00 for centerpieces
$50 for escort card trees
$12 for the copper silk and satin used on the candy and cake tables
Thankfully the only decor we needed to add to the already cozy venue were the centerpieces.
Reception Dinner, Open Bar, and Cake:
$5,750 including tax and gratuity for 74 guests (very generous gifts from Mr. Pineapple's family helped us pay for about half of this total)
The food and service were out of this world and deserve their own post, but for now just know that this was mony very very very well spent.
Reception Details:
$150 for the favor scarves
$110 for the candy table (a gift from Momma P)
$0 for our free-j DJ, more on him to come
$0 for the dance floor, included with the venue
$0 for linens and such, included with the venue
Total:
$14,330
Yes, 14 grand is a down payment on a new home, but it is also about half of what the national average is these days. I am happy with what we were able to pull off. With so much help from Momma P while she was here these last 7 weeks, with gifts from friends and family, and diligent saving by Mr. P and I, we were able to squeak by debt-free so I consider that a win for the Pineapples.
From the get go Mr. Pineapple and I wanted to throw the party of our lives, but we didn't want it to keep us from actually being able to afford living. I was constantly worried about the bottom line, about spending more than we had, about regretting the cost of just one day. In the end Mr. Pineapple and I came in about $3,000 under our goal budget and I wouldn't have changed a thing. Here is the breakdown of our wedding day (which excludes rehearsal dinner, hotel, and foodiemoon, partly because I don't know how much we spent eating the last 5 days and maybe I don't want to know.)
Stationery:
$171.00 including stamps and programs
Since I make wedding invites and such for a living I was able to do ours on the cheap, including the printing donated by a friend. The photos used on our save the dates were also a gift from my friend and former professor Charlee Brodsky.
Bridal Attire:
Including gown, alterations, crinoline, veil, headband and date embroidery.
$1,175.00 (a very generous gift from Momma P)
My gown retailed for $1000, but I got it during one of their regular sales. The veil, headband and crinoline were $310, the alterations were $65 and the embroidery was free after the mess that had been made.
Bride Hair and Make-up:
$150 including tip (a gift from Momma P)
Groom's Suit:
$200 (a gift from Mr. P's Mom)
Wedding Bands:
$1,000 for his
$1,350 for mine
Our bands were quite a bit more than we had ever intended to pay, but in the end I am glad we chose the bands we did. My band had to be custom made to fit the lovely crazy shape of my ring. Mr. Pineapple's was made to match mine in rose gold. We will have them longer than our TV that was the same price, that is my justification. :)
Bridemaides' Gifts:
$50 more about what they were to come!
Groom's tie and GMs' ties:
$160 we got these all on sale at Macy's.
Officiant:
$40 for a basket of goodies from Harry and David (a gift from Momma P)
Superior Court Judge Mary Jane Bowes officiated our wedding. She was incredible. She was so funny during the rehearsal keeping the mood light and the ceremony was perfect. Since were we already married she was in no way obligated to re-marry us, but she did and for that we are truly grateful.
Ceremony:
$500 for the room set-up at the Rivers Club
$25 for the hand painted aisle runner
$0 for the ceremony muscians, more on them to come
Photography:
$2450 + photo disks (we don't know how much they will be yet)
We had three wonderful photographers with us on our wedding day. Including Mingwei Tay who is a student at my alma mater and asked us if he could shoot our wedding for his portfolio.
Flowers:
$825 after packing and shipping (a gift from Momma P)
Reception Decor:
$162.00 for centerpieces
$50 for escort card trees
$12 for the copper silk and satin used on the candy and cake tables
Thankfully the only decor we needed to add to the already cozy venue were the centerpieces.
Reception Dinner, Open Bar, and Cake:
$5,750 including tax and gratuity for 74 guests (very generous gifts from Mr. Pineapple's family helped us pay for about half of this total)
The food and service were out of this world and deserve their own post, but for now just know that this was mony very very very well spent.
Reception Details:
$150 for the favor scarves
$110 for the candy table (a gift from Momma P)
$0 for our free-j DJ, more on him to come
$0 for the dance floor, included with the venue
$0 for linens and such, included with the venue
Total:
$14,330
Yes, 14 grand is a down payment on a new home, but it is also about half of what the national average is these days. I am happy with what we were able to pull off. With so much help from Momma P while she was here these last 7 weeks, with gifts from friends and family, and diligent saving by Mr. P and I, we were able to squeak by debt-free so I consider that a win for the Pineapples.
Amazing.
We're back from our Honeymoon (which turned out to be a foodiemoon) and we are hitched! Saturday was just simply amazing. Everything went perfectly, everyone was so generous, happy, and full of champagne and sugar. Already our wonderful photographers Tammy and Marella of Mary Mervis Photography have a slide show up for us! Here is just a little sneak peak:
More to come and hopefully soon!
Friday, October 17, 2008
Brace Yourself
I cannot believe it is the day before our wedding. Although we were married in a small ceremony a month ago, nothing quite compares to the excitement I feel about tomorrow. Tomorrow is the day I finally get to vow my life, love and support to my best friend with our friends and family there to witness. Tomorrow is the day we get to celebrate our love with those we love.
Thank you Mr. Pineapple for showing me what it is like to be truly loved unconditionally, for already taking care of me in sickness and in health, and certainly for richer or poorer. I love you, I love our home filled with laughter, cats and a crazy pup.
A big thank you to the hive for all your wonderful ideas and encouragement. Mr. P and I went through some rough times this past year and without Weddingbee, I probably would have been a mess. Not to mention Mr. P's head would have exploded thinking about things he has never had to before like shoes and crinoline.
After this you probably wont hear from me for a few days. Mr. P and I are heading to the lovely state of Ohio for our minimoon. We'll be back though with tons of stories and photos to share!
Thanks again and LOTS of love!
-Miss/es Pineapple
Thursday, October 16, 2008
All Wrapped Up
Yesterday I spent a couple hours wrapping the handles of the a Diane made. All of the ribbon I used I got on sale at Michael's for $1. It was a cheap project, but really not all that easy. If I were to do it again, I would probably just pay Diane to do it for me.
I wrapped my bouquet using a scrap of copper satin. The rest of this satin will be used as a runner of sorts on the cake table.
The bridesmaids' bouquets, bouts and corsages are wrapped in that wonderful dollar ribbon.
Did you wrap your own bouquets?
I wrapped my bouquet using a scrap of copper satin. The rest of this satin will be used as a runner of sorts on the cake table.
The bridesmaids' bouquets, bouts and corsages are wrapped in that wonderful dollar ribbon.
Did you wrap your own bouquets?
Centerpiece Mock-Up
Remember these?
Well, I can't even tell you how many hours I slaved over these coffee filter roses. Then we moved and the box was stored in a closet for a couple months. Yesterday I pulled out the box to mock-up the centerpiece and all the flowers were smashed. They are very light so they couldn't have smashed each other. I don't know how it happened, but it wasn't good. I was able to salvage just barely enough for our centerpieces.
In addition to the paper roses the centerpieces include these crazy (and borderline tacky, let's be honest) copper leaves/sticks and candles atop mirror tiles from Ikea.
(ignore the plastic wrap left on the mirrors)
I am pretty happy with the outcome. It is warm and cozy and has that handmade feeling I love. The tables we are using are rectangular 6 person tables with big cushy chairs. So that alone will give the reception an intimate feel, plus scarves and candle light --mmmmmmm.
As far as cost goes I wanted to keep each centerpiece around $10, but with a decrease in the number of tables we have the individual cost went up a couple dollars. The flowers cost about $30 total, the copper sparkle plants were about $30 total, the mirrors were $1.20 each and the candles were $7/table. Making each centerpiece cost about $12.20.
Now as long as the candles don't burn down to the mirror and catch the flowers on fire and burn down Pittsburgh, we'll be in good shape! hrm.
Are you going for a fresh flower alternative for your centerpieces?
Well, I can't even tell you how many hours I slaved over these coffee filter roses. Then we moved and the box was stored in a closet for a couple months. Yesterday I pulled out the box to mock-up the centerpiece and all the flowers were smashed. They are very light so they couldn't have smashed each other. I don't know how it happened, but it wasn't good. I was able to salvage just barely enough for our centerpieces.
In addition to the paper roses the centerpieces include these crazy (and borderline tacky, let's be honest) copper leaves/sticks and candles atop mirror tiles from Ikea.
(ignore the plastic wrap left on the mirrors)
I am pretty happy with the outcome. It is warm and cozy and has that handmade feeling I love. The tables we are using are rectangular 6 person tables with big cushy chairs. So that alone will give the reception an intimate feel, plus scarves and candle light --mmmmmmm.As far as cost goes I wanted to keep each centerpiece around $10, but with a decrease in the number of tables we have the individual cost went up a couple dollars. The flowers cost about $30 total, the copper sparkle plants were about $30 total, the mirrors were $1.20 each and the candles were $7/table. Making each centerpiece cost about $12.20.
Now as long as the candles don't burn down to the mirror and catch the flowers on fire and burn down Pittsburgh, we'll be in good shape! hrm.
Are you going for a fresh flower alternative for your centerpieces?
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Photo Projects: Table Numbers & Guest "Book"
A while back I asked the hive for suggestions on how to incorporate our herd of animals into the wedding. Many of you suggested doing something with the table numbers, so I did.
I purchased 2-sided frames from the dollar store and used my photo printer to create the images. 
On one side is just a photo of either Rooney, Harrison, Onyx or Zazu.
And on the back is the name of said pet and the number. This was a surprisingly quick and easy project, especially with the help of Momma P.
Next we have our photo guestbook. I had grand ideas for the guestbook, possibly a sketch book. In the end we decided to go with a photo people can sign around to keep things simple. The logistics of something so complicated and possibly messy as a sketch book were just too much to worry about. We put it in the frame and removed the glass. We are having a rather small shindig (70 guests) so there should be plenty of room to sign.
Are you incorporating photos into some of the details of your wedding?
I purchased 2-sided frames from the dollar store and used my photo printer to create the images. 
On one side is just a photo of either Rooney, Harrison, Onyx or Zazu.
And on the back is the name of said pet and the number. This was a surprisingly quick and easy project, especially with the help of Momma P.
Next we have our photo guestbook. I had grand ideas for the guestbook, possibly a sketch book. In the end we decided to go with a photo people can sign around to keep things simple. The logistics of something so complicated and possibly messy as a sketch book were just too much to worry about. We put it in the frame and removed the glass. We are having a rather small shindig (70 guests) so there should be plenty of room to sign.Are you incorporating photos into some of the details of your wedding?
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
"Getch Yer Programs!"
When it came to the programs I wanted to keep it simple, but still in keeping with the rest of our paper goodies. We decided on a vertical half-sheet for the layout and to open with a little blurb about our first wedding, written by Mr. Pineapple:
"On September 20, 2008, we were married in a ceremony with only our parents in attendance. The ceremony was planned to ensure that our families, the people who have loved and supported us for entire lives, could see us commit the rest of our lives to each other as husband and wife. We are thankful to them for everything, including sharing that special moment with us. We are honored to have our friends and families here to join us as we celebrate our new life together."The paragraph is followed by a simple listing of our parents, bridal party, musicians and officiant. We then backed the programs with the same copper card stock used on our invitations.
Done and done.
Did you decided to keep your programs simple?
Saturday, October 11, 2008
The Calm Before the Storm
One week from right now Mr. Pineapple and I will be heading back to our hotel room, all wedding planning will be over. And we will be married, again. Until then though, it will be work and wedding 24 hours a day. There is still a lot to do, even though I told myself early on I would have everything done a week early. (Which maybe I would have, had I not planned our first wedding for a week.)
All along I expected to be completely out of my mind with emotions at this point. I thought I would be stressed about all that needed to be done, worried about our freeJ set-up, nervous about the vows, excited to be a Mrs., frantically crafting like Martha & RedBull, planning for our mini-moon, considering the meaning of 'till death do we part', cutting ties with the last name I have always known and daydreaming about what it would feel like to see Mr. P for the first time on our wedding day.
For some reason though, I am completely calm. I don't really care that the playlists are not finished, the vows are not written, programs are still figments of my imagination, gifts sit unwrapped, and we don't have a final headcount -- let alone seating plan. I have the utmost faith that everything will get done.
Why all of the sudden does everything seem so nonchalant? I have a couple theories. First of all, what is there to worry about? I am already (very happily!) married. I have never loved Mr. Pineapple more than I have since September 20th, he even looks differnt now. Maybe that means our wedding Saturday will not feel the same as it would have. He may not get the same feeling seeing me in my gown for the first time that he would have if we hadn't already been married. Our vows may seem like a show more for our friends and family than a repeated forever promise to one another. It may seem more like a party than a marriage because, well, it will be. However, that doesn't change the fact that it still the same party we have been planning all along, first wedding or not.
My second theory is that the big picture is finally crystal clear. I have never been too concerned about the wedding when compared to the marriage. I knew it was just a wedding and even if the venue burned down the morning of, it wouldn't effect our marriage. Now I have proof. We are already married and if the Saturday wedding didn't happen at this point it wouldn't really matter. Who cares about paper products when we have never been happier?
My final theory is that I am in denial. Maybe in a couple days it will hit me that Mr. Pineapple and I are having a wedding. That this amazingly romantic day spent with friends and family is actually happening to us. That even though we have been married for almost a month, this is the day we have been planning and anticipating since that wonderful moment in Central Park, is fast approaching. AND THERE ISN'T EVEN RIBBON TIED ON THE CLAY CORSAGES!!!
Did you feel an eerie sense of calm during the days approaching your wedding?
All along I expected to be completely out of my mind with emotions at this point. I thought I would be stressed about all that needed to be done, worried about our freeJ set-up, nervous about the vows, excited to be a Mrs., frantically crafting like Martha & RedBull, planning for our mini-moon, considering the meaning of 'till death do we part', cutting ties with the last name I have always known and daydreaming about what it would feel like to see Mr. P for the first time on our wedding day.
For some reason though, I am completely calm. I don't really care that the playlists are not finished, the vows are not written, programs are still figments of my imagination, gifts sit unwrapped, and we don't have a final headcount -- let alone seating plan. I have the utmost faith that everything will get done.
Why all of the sudden does everything seem so nonchalant? I have a couple theories. First of all, what is there to worry about? I am already (very happily!) married. I have never loved Mr. Pineapple more than I have since September 20th, he even looks differnt now. Maybe that means our wedding Saturday will not feel the same as it would have. He may not get the same feeling seeing me in my gown for the first time that he would have if we hadn't already been married. Our vows may seem like a show more for our friends and family than a repeated forever promise to one another. It may seem more like a party than a marriage because, well, it will be. However, that doesn't change the fact that it still the same party we have been planning all along, first wedding or not.
My second theory is that the big picture is finally crystal clear. I have never been too concerned about the wedding when compared to the marriage. I knew it was just a wedding and even if the venue burned down the morning of, it wouldn't effect our marriage. Now I have proof. We are already married and if the Saturday wedding didn't happen at this point it wouldn't really matter. Who cares about paper products when we have never been happier?
My final theory is that I am in denial. Maybe in a couple days it will hit me that Mr. Pineapple and I are having a wedding. That this amazingly romantic day spent with friends and family is actually happening to us. That even though we have been married for almost a month, this is the day we have been planning and anticipating since that wonderful moment in Central Park, is fast approaching. AND THERE ISN'T EVEN RIBBON TIED ON THE CLAY CORSAGES!!!
Did you feel an eerie sense of calm during the days approaching your wedding?
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Mailbox Card Box
Beyond the copper in our wedding, Mr. Pineapple and I really love the use of copper in other elements in our home. Someday we are going to be billionaires and have copper all throughout our fabulous kitchen. When it came to the card box I thought it would be cool to use a copper mailbox that we could then use for real mail. Once I began searching though, reality hit, copper mailboxes are crazy expensive. So, I made one for $15.
As you can see, I used an inexpensive black metal mailbox and copper metallic spray paint. The paint actually covered pretty nicely. I used many many very light layers to make sure there were no drips.
There was one mishap during the painting process. After I painted the back and walked away, it blew over and got newspaper stuck to it and I couldn't get it off. I spray painted over it and hopefully no one will look at the back of the box. :)
Card box. Check!
Our coordinator is going to put the card box out of site once all the guests have arrived so we do not have to worry about any sticky fingers.
What are you using as a card box?
As you can see, I used an inexpensive black metal mailbox and copper metallic spray paint. The paint actually covered pretty nicely. I used many many very light layers to make sure there were no drips.There was one mishap during the painting process. After I painted the back and walked away, it blew over and got newspaper stuck to it and I couldn't get it off. I spray painted over it and hopefully no one will look at the back of the box. :)
Card box. Check!Our coordinator is going to put the card box out of site once all the guests have arrived so we do not have to worry about any sticky fingers.
What are you using as a card box?
Mom Pineapple Did Me a Huge Favor
She did 95% of the work for the scarf favors herself! Really the only thing I did was design the tags and draw the lines for her to cut along. Mom Pineapple is a crafting queen and you can bet the lines she cut were perfect. She even counted the tassels on each scarf to make sure they all had the same number. Intense!
I know it is creepy when people dress their pets, but Rooney is different, he loves fashion. Last night he jumped onto our bed with his sweater in his mouth and lifted his paws so I could put them through the sleeves. You'll see him on season 15 of Project Runway.
Each scarf is 8 inches wide, so you can get about 4.5 scarves per yard of fleece. I was able to get the fleece on sale at Jo-Ann fabrics for about $3/yard. Each scarf costs about $0.67 for fabric.
Then I spread the fleece out on my floor and used a yard stick to very very lightly draw lines every 8 inches. As you can see, Harrison the cat helped by getting the fleece all fury and playing with the yard stick.
Then Mom Pineapple then cut the scarves apart.
The next step was to cut the tassels. No need to draw cut lines for this part because any variation would go unnoticed. 
At this point you have a scarf!
I had a hard time finding a local screen printer so I called Sister Pineapple in NYC to rescue me. She made tags for her own scarf project last year. She went back to that screen printer and had him make tags for me. They are brown ink on a thick white fabric. I made the file that she gave to the printer in Adobe Illustrator.
Then Mom Pineapple used fabric glue to glue the tags to the scarves. You can then sew all the way around the tag, but the fabric glue works pretty well. We attached two tiny buttons in opposite corners of the tags, just in case.
Now just do all of that 100 times and you are done! We are probably going to drape them over the backs of the chairs in the dining room. I think it will be so nice and cozy with all the fleece and candle light.
I cannot thank Momma P. enough for her many many hours of hard work on this project!
Did you make handmade favors?
I know it is creepy when people dress their pets, but Rooney is different, he loves fashion. Last night he jumped onto our bed with his sweater in his mouth and lifted his paws so I could put them through the sleeves. You'll see him on season 15 of Project Runway.So here is the step my step guide to making Scarf wedding favors:
Each scarf is 8 inches wide, so you can get about 4.5 scarves per yard of fleece. I was able to get the fleece on sale at Jo-Ann fabrics for about $3/yard. Each scarf costs about $0.67 for fabric.
Then I spread the fleece out on my floor and used a yard stick to very very lightly draw lines every 8 inches. As you can see, Harrison the cat helped by getting the fleece all fury and playing with the yard stick.
Then Mom Pineapple then cut the scarves apart.
The next step was to cut the tassels. No need to draw cut lines for this part because any variation would go unnoticed. 
At this point you have a scarf!
I had a hard time finding a local screen printer so I called Sister Pineapple in NYC to rescue me. She made tags for her own scarf project last year. She went back to that screen printer and had him make tags for me. They are brown ink on a thick white fabric. I made the file that she gave to the printer in Adobe Illustrator.
Then Mom Pineapple used fabric glue to glue the tags to the scarves. You can then sew all the way around the tag, but the fabric glue works pretty well. We attached two tiny buttons in opposite corners of the tags, just in case.
Now just do all of that 100 times and you are done! We are probably going to drape them over the backs of the chairs in the dining room. I think it will be so nice and cozy with all the fleece and candle light.
I cannot thank Momma P. enough for her many many hours of hard work on this project!Did you make handmade favors?
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