The Anti-Bride

Bee Meet Up in Austin!

2010-05-25T22:08:00.000-05:00

Attention Austinites: we're having a Weddingbee meet up! Come out to Taqueria Arandas for some delicious interior Mexican food, refreshing margaritas, and stimulating conversation.

Source

Join us on Thursday, June 3rd at 5:45 at the Taqueria Arandas on Burnet Road.
Here's the address:
6534 Burnet Road, Suite 3
Austin, TX 78757-2840

We hope to see you there!

Our Rainy-Day Wedding: The End

2010-04-05T22:02:00.001-05:00

If you guys hadn't noticed, I've been putting off my last official Weddingbee post. I'm not quite ready for my time here as a blogger to end! But I guess it's better to finish my recaps while a few of you still remember me, so here goes.

When I left off, everyone was having a great time at the reception: there was drinking, dancing, toasting, and faux-tobooth mayhem! We didn't want the party to end, but we had to leave our venue, so I got over my fear of public speaking to make an announcement about our after party.

Pretty soon it was time for us to make our grand exit!

Gorsh, I love the colors in the shot above.

The photo above shows just how we felt to be married: ecstatic.

These photos are so amazing they're making me rethink my original stance on black and whites.

Even though it was raining all evening, some awesome Mouse friends decorated our getaway car anyway (my mom's Prius). (Probably because I kept dropping not-so-subtle hints about how "the car must be decorated!") I think it was my brother and his girlfriend. Thanks, guys!

Photo by me.

My poor mom had the car detailed for us, and we got the carpet all muddy.

Photo by me.

Good, I can rest easy at night.

The Dude and I had to be chauffeured to our hotel/after party location since we'd already had a few too many drinks each. So instead of a dramatic driveaway, we had to sit in the car and wait for our driver and MOH Deniz to finish gathering up all of the goodies and get into the car with us. But then we were on our way!

We hung out at the Hotel San Jose bar until it closed at midnight. One of our good friends decided to jump in the pool, only to be informed that it was for guests only. Hmm, how did they know he wasn't a guest?

Photo by MOH Deniz.

His very pregnant (and patient) wife--also a dear friend--does the point-and-laugh.

When they kicked us out of the bar area, we crammed into our hotel room, only to be told every ten minutes or so that we needed to shut the hell up or we were going to get kicked out. Apparently they have a strict "no after parties" policy. It was hard keeping these biotches quiet!

Photo by MOH Deniz.

I wish I had more photos from this part of the night. There were probably 25 or 30 people who made it to the after party, and most of them stayed until the bar closed. We were so overwhelmed with love!

But you know what they say. All good things...

Photo by MOH Deniz.

...must come to an end.

Like our wonderful, rainy-day wedding, my time as a blogger here is over. I don't get mushy very often, so you guys better appreciate this! Blogging for Weddingbee has been one of the best experiences of my life. I love this community so much. Thank you to everyone who ever left me a comment, read one of my posts, or hell, even skimmed through my recap photos. You guys are the best! If you ever get curious about what I'm doing now as a "smug married," you can check out my personal blog. I'd love to see some familiar faces!

xoxo

Mrs. Mouse

All photos by the Nichols, unless otherwise noted.

Previously, on Our Rainy-Day Wedding:
The Rehearsal
Bridal Party Gifts
Getting Ready
First Look
The Dude (Still) Looks Pretty Hot in a Suit
Da Bride
Just Us Part I
Just Us Part II
The Super-Fly Bridal Party
When Stuff Gets Wack Pre-Ceremony
Here Comes the (Bride) Sun
Ceremony Part II
The Vows, the Rings, and an Eff-Up
You Can Stand Under my Umbrella
Detlef Schrempf
The Soundtrack
Dinner Gets Rickrolled
The Toasts
The Cake
The Deets
The Faux-tobooth
The Guestbook

The Fun Part

Our Rainy-Day Wedding: The Fun Part

2010-03-28T21:00:00.004-05:00

After the toasts, I quickly headed to the bathroom to pee, and after that is when the fun really began. By this point, everyone was relaxed, full, and ready to have a great time.

My good friend Amanda (the one who did the e.e. cummings reading), had wanted to do a toast for us, but somehow that never got communicated to our coordinator, Rick. Since she didn't get to give an "official" toast, she gave us a sweet and heartfelt unofficial one afterward.

That's Amanda on the right, saying very sweet things about the Dude and me. She is one of the few people who knew us both individually before we met; and she's the reason we met!

Cheers!

Here, MOH Deniz and I share a candid moment, pre- tequila shots.

I'm usually not a huggy person, but I was feelin' the love at this moment.

More tequila shots all around. I love the look on the Dude's face here.

Couple shots.

And my sour-lime face.

Flower girl Grace and I get ready for a faux-tobooth photo.

Classic, right?

My law school friends and I pose for a portrait.

Mrs. Kitten tries to give me a hug. She thinks it funny that I don't like hugs.

SIL J-Dawg and my friend Lauren start the dance party off right. Would you believe that our wedding was the first time they ever met? My brother's girlfriend overheard perhaps the funniest line of dialogue of the night: after their dance sequence, Lauren turned to the Dude and said, "Your sister is a fah-reak!" (If you knew Lauren, you would know that this was a complement.)

The bride and groom make their way onto the dance floor.

The Dude and SIL J-Dawg are doing something here. I'm just not sure what.

Something called the Pyramid, maybe? Whatever it was, it was a big crowd pleaser.

Flower girl Grace is entranced as the Dude does the robot. At least I think that's what is happening here.

Jessa, my brother Daniel's girlfriend, breaks it down.

Pretty sure we're dancing to "Ignition" here.

From this angle, it looks like I'm rapping. I probably am.

So maybe everyone didn't get out onto the dance floor and get down to our playlist. But those of us who did dance had a great time, and we got some pretty good photos out of it. I consider it a success.

One of my favorite moments was when I was dancing with Flower girl Grace, and she asked who was singing the song we were dancing to. I told her it was Michael Jackson, and she said, "He died. It's sad." I agreed, and we kept on dancing.

Up next: Our grand exit and the after party!

All photos by the Nichols.

The Guestbook

Our Rainy-Day Wedding: The Guest Book

2010-03-17T19:51:00.000-05:00

I actually purchased the guest book and pens months before the wedding, but for some reason I never blogged about them. And I ended up not getting too many photos of them at the wedding either.

But that's OK. I took some yesterday just for you guys.

Instead of the traditional plain white guest book with lined pages, I chose this repurposed hardcover children's book that Etsy seller Ex Libris Anonymous turned into a journal. To the original book were added 60 pages of unlined, acid-free paper: perfect for sweet little messages from our guests. The messages ended up looking more like a yearbook than a wedding guest book, but that was OK with us.

The pens are from Etsy seller Banana Tree Art. I probably could have made these on my own, but these were a great price, and the cream colored garden roses blended right in with our real flowers.

Here you can see one of the original pages from the book. I picked the Matisse book for no other reason than I love Matisse and I thought it was pretty. Didn't match our theme at all. Didn't care.

Oh look! This next page kind of goes with our theme! Doesn't she look like she's ready for an English garden tea party at night? Heh.

I'm glad we went in a super-casual direction with our guest book. We ended up getting messages that looked like this:

And finally, I dug up one professional photo of the guest book and card box set up. It was buried in with all of the dancing photos (which you will get to see soon--I promise).

All photos in this post by me, except the last one, by the Nichols.

The Cake
The Deets
The Faux-tobooth

Our Rainy-Day Wedding: The Faux-tobooth

2010-03-08T21:24:00.001-06:00

My original plan for our faux-tobooth was to borrow a Polaroid camera, hang up a piece of fabric, and let people figure it out for themselves. I realized there were some logistics to sort out, but I really had no idea how we were going to do it. Luckily, our awesome friends, Katie and Ben, volunteered to bring their camera and equipment and set up a much more professional booth for us. I provided the fabric (three yards from Joann's) and a Goodwill chalkboard, and they took care of everything else.

We got some pretty amazing photos out of it, so I'm really glad we went this route. Our photographers offer a faux-tobooth package, but it was cheaper (free!) to have our friends do it, and this also meant we didn't have to sacrifice one of our shooters to the faux-tobooth for part of the night.

Not everyone took photos, but we did get a lot of great shots.

Here are the family shots.

The Dude and his mom

My uncle Tommy and cousin Julie (with a pun!)

My aunt Cindy, second cousin Kyndall, and cousin Scott (another pun!)

The Dude and his sister (really not sure what is going on there!)

The Dude's mom and family friend Linda

The Dude's dad (on the right) and family friend Mark

My brother's girlfriend Jessa and her super-sweet parents

SIL J-Dawg and Best Man Curtis (don't know where the tape came from)

The Dude and me with my brother Daniel and his girlfriend Jessa

It kinda sucks that my mom and my youngest brother Andrew didn't make it into any photos. But we got pretty good family participation. We also got a lot of good portraits of friends, some more serious than others.

The Dude, Best Man Curtis, and Brandon

Best Man Curtis and his fiancee Kelly

J-Book and her son Zachary

Natalie and Dustin

Lauren and Colin

Ben and Colin

The faux-tobooth photographers, Katie and Ben

Colin

Rasheed

Lauren

Me and my two college roomies, Katie and Lauren

Just like old times

The teacup makes another appearance--not sure there's tea in it this time

Our frickin' adorable photographers being cheesy

Bride and groom shot!

We got some pretty clever messages on the chalkboard, some very sweet ones, and, yes, some that were too inappropriate to share with you guys. :)

I'm so glad I finally found a chalkboard of a suitable size! When I came across it at Goodwill, it looked like this.

I covered over it with chalkboard spray paint--super-easy project.

Kinda speaks for itself

They both really do love Transformers

Groomsman Cody makes an appearance--not sure if he's referring to himself here?

Anne is subtly mocking my nerdly love for legal history

Yuri gets the award for most creative use of mustache

Don't really know what to say about that

Definitely the sweetest message of the night

Andres channels Sartre, quoting "Hell is other people (except Jason and Holley)." Aww.

Haha. Yeah, I'm definitely the only one who gets this. Thanks for making me laugh, Amanda and Deniz!

Abi takes a rivalry a bit too far sometimes

Some Weddingbee love

And I saved the best for last

I'm so glad we got to have a faux-tobooth at our wedding! It was so much fun, and now we have these amazing photos forever. Thanks again, Katie and Ben!

Our Rainy-Day Wedding: The Deets

2010-02-28T20:08:00.001-06:00

Before I get to the end of my recaps (the dance party, the fauxtobooth, the sendoff, and the after party), I thought I'd share some of the cool details that personalized our wedding.

First, the flowers. You've all seen close-ups of my bouquet, but here's another for good measure.

It was filled with pink garden roses, cream spray roses, and dusty miller. I was so in love with it! I wish I would have paid more attention to it that night.

The flower girls' bouquets were so cute and sweet.

They were pink spray roses. I loved how Abby, our florist at Barr Mansion, used little black pearl-headed pins to match the other black accents in the decor.

Here they are in action.

And here's a close-up of one of the lovely bridesmaids' bouquets that I cropped for illustration.

It was filled with cream garden roses, pink spray roses, and dusty miller. Kind of the opposite of mine!

The centerpieces were one of my favorite aspects of the decor. I spent a lot of time deciding what I wanted them to look like, and Abby pulled my vision off perfectly.

I wanted the flowers to somehow feel rustic and lush at the same time. I wanted lots of greenery for a very organic feel.

At the same time, I was going for a posh English garden aesthetic.

The soy candles that I spent hours and hours making really paid off. (And I will forever associate making candles with watching "Doogie Howser" on Hulu.)

The place settings were simple yet unique.

We included a sprig of rosemary, tied with a wee black satin ribbon onto the napkin, as well as our Moo cards featuring photos from our engagement shoot. (The Moo cards also included instructions for uploading digi photos to Flickr for our guests who were so inclined.) The tag you see poking out is one of the ones that I cut out using paper bags and Goccoed to say "Love, Holley & Jason." I attached them to our test tube honey favors, like so.

Our other favors were boxes filled with homemade truffles--MOH Deniz and I spent the days leading up to the wedding slaving over these things. OK, I admit: were it not for her, they would have never gotten made.

The insides were plain chocolate, and each truffle had a different-flavored coating: cocoa powder, chocolate with white sprinkles, and cinnamon sugar (the crowd pleaser). I Goccoed the tops of the boxes in two different colors. Here's what they looked like on the tables.

Arguably my favorite detail was the teacups that I painstakingly collected off of Ebay. (Let me tell you right now: vintage teacups are expensive!) I thought they added a whimsical touch to our wedding and really brought the English garden theme together. I'm glad I added this project at the last minute!

If you can't see it clearly, the sign that I made included a drawing of three mice sitting on the rim of a teacup--a nod to my Weddingbee moniker!

I was so excited that people actually used the teacups! This guest really seemed to enjoy them.

Some other miscellaneous details included our program fans (that no one used because it rained and the wedding took place indoors).

The Poladroid wall.

And our guest book and card box signage.

Unfortunately, I don't have professional photos of the guest book. (Totally my fault: I never drew up a list of "must-have" shots for our photogs. Learn from my mistake, people!) I'll take some photos and share it with you guys soon, though. Promise.

All photos by the Nichols, terrible cropping by me.

The Cake

Our Rainy-Day Wedding: The Cake

2010-02-23T17:06:00.000-06:00

Remember my original cake inspiration?

Source for above three images

I wasn't into wedding cakes at all until I happened upon this ribbony confection. At first, our venue's coordinator expressed doubt as to whether the baker could recreate something like this in tiered form. But after I sent the baker these photos, she was positive she could make this cake for us.

I left it in her hands and was pleasantly surprised on our wedding day to find that she'd gone above and beyond what I expected in bringing our cake vision to life.

After our tasting last summer, we chose the apple cake with brown sugar frosting. The inside of the cake was a lovely, light brown color. I thought the buttercream ribbons looked gorgeous in the off- white color. I liked that the flower accents were small and subtle.

Here, you can see more of the setup with our black-and-white photos (taken by SIL J-Dawg) and the Dude's cookie tower grooms' cake.

Non-pro photo taken by a guest

And here are some close-ups of the cookies.

They were supposed to be homemade by me, but I ended up going with our favorite local cookie delivery place to save my sanity. (If you live in Dallas or Austin, definitely check out Tiff's Treats. Yum!)

Now for some cake-cutting action shots.

The Dude fed me, playing it sweet, as previously agreed. (That was the only bite of cake I got all night!)

I returned the favor.

This next move got a big "Awww" from our guests. I swear, it was totally instinctual--I have to wipe stuff out of the Dude's beard all the time!

Not sure what he's saying to me here, but I bet it was something nice.

All photos by the Nichols, unless otherwise noted.

Dinner Gets Rickrolled
The Toasts

Our Rainy-Day Wedding: The Toasts

2010-02-22T00:34:00.001-06:00

After we made our way around the room, talking with each table, our coordinator, Rick, directed us toward the stage. MOH Deniz and Best Man Curtis joined us onstage for the traditional toasts. (As an aside, I had to pee really bad at this point. I know that I was the bride, and everyone would've waited for me--but dinner had already gone long. We wanted to make sure that there was plenty of time for fauxtobooth fun and dancing, so I just went with it. But now you know why I look a little antsy in some of the following photos!)

Best Man Curtis and the Dude have been friends since their sophomore year of college. They bonded over a love of statistics and college football.

Not sure what the Dude is shrugging about here

None of us had heard Curtis give a speech before, and we were totally impressed by his skills. His speech was heartfelt without being sentimental, and he made everyone laugh from the first line.

All I really remember specifically is that he talked about a song he and the Dude had written together in college--to the tune of Oasis's "Wonderwall"--called "Candy Bar." One of our friends misheard him and yelled out "Cannonball!"

The guys share a moment

Then it was MOH Deniz's turn. I've known Deniz since the summer before our junior year of college, when we studied together in England. We've been through a lot together in a relatively short time, and I count her among my best friends in the whole world.

Deniz has a unique perspective on my and the Dude's relationship, as she was there the night we met. She was also around a lot during the early stages of our relationship.

She was very nervous about giving this speech, but she did a great job! True to her personality, Deniz overshared just a tad in her toast. She told the story about how the Dude and I almost broke up about three months into our relationship. She started that part of the speech with, "The Dude did something very, very stupid. He broke up with Miss Mouse."

The following picture shows how shocked and awkward the Dude and I felt that she brought this up. (Also, see my above comment about having to pee.)

I thought the toast was very honest and sweet and totally, characteristically "Deniz." The Dude's family is pretty protective of him, though, so I hope none of them took offense.

The Dude went next, giving a short and sweet toast just thanking everyone for coming. I had intended to speak with him, but I was paralyzed by my fear of public speaking (and to be honest, all I could think about at this point is how much I had to pee!).

After the toasts were finished, everyone clinked glasses. "To us!" Yay!

Up next: the cake!

All photos by the Nichols.

Dinner Gets Rickrolled

Our Rainy-Day Wedding: Dinner Gets Rickrolled

2010-02-17T00:06:00.004-06:00

So there we were, minding our own business at our sweetheart table: eating our wedding dinner, chatting with guests as they stopped by our table, and letting our ears fill with the sweet sounds of our perfect playlist.

You can see our sweetheart table in the middle here, though we're not sitting in it.

I was sitting on the side facing the bar and our Ipod set-up, and the Dude was facing the opposite wall. I noticed out of the corner of my eye my SIL, J-Dawg, fiddling with the stereo, but honestly it didn't really register with me what she was doing. Obviously, I was a bit preoccupied with enjoying my delicious veggie lasagna and chatting with my brand new husband.

All of a sudden, we hear this song blasting from the speakers, about three times as loud as our ambient music had been only seconds earlier.

The next thing we know, our coordinator, Rick, is tearing across the room toward the Ipod, trying to "fix" the problem. It took the Dude and me several seconds to realize what was happening--our wedding was being Rickrolled!

Several of our guests (especially the younger ones) figured out that it was a Rickroll and explained it to a lot of the others. Then, as we made our way from table to table--thanking everyone for coming and trying to talk to each person who had made it out--we were able to explain it to those who were still confused and laugh about it some more.

Looking back, this moment is one of my favorite of the whole day. It was totally unexpected, and it made us laugh our heads off (especially at the look on our coordinator's face--sheer terror!).

And because I don't believe in the concept of a wedding recap post without pictures, I'll leave you guys with some photos of our scrumptious buffet set-up.

Trio of artisan breads

Green Salad with a Cranberry Vinaigrette

Veggie Greek Lasagna (the best lasagna in the whole world)

Beef Tenderloin with Bacon Herb Butter

Up next: Toasts!

All photos by the Nichols.

The Soundtrack

Our Rainy-Day Wedding: The Soundtrack

2010-02-09T00:54:00.003-06:00

Before I reveal the big surprise from our reception dinner, I'd like to take a moment to share with you one of my favorite aspects of our wedding: the dinner music. The Dude and I had a very strong vision for what we wanted our guests to hear as they munched down on the yummy organic food, and it wasn't your typical wedding music. No Michael Buble, Frank Sinatra, or Motown in sight (not that we don't chill to some Marvin Gaye or Al Green when the time is right). Instead, we wanted music that set a dreamy mood. For us, that meant fuzzy guitars, minor keys, shoegaze, local artists, indie bands, and a few unexpected classics. We didn't pay attention to lyrics--at all.

I'd love to share the whole playlist with you guys at this time, as it's something I'm very proud of.

Source

"House of Cards" by Radiohead (In Rainbows)*
"Starrsha" by Ringo Deathstarr (Ringo Deathstarr)
"All You Ever Wanted" by The Black Keys (Attack & Release)
"Dead Sound" by The Raveonettes (Lust, Lust, Lust)
"Working Part Time" by The Henry Clay People (For Cheap or for Free)
"Not Fade Away" by the Rolling Stones (Big Hits: High Tide and Green Grass)
"Run" by Air (Talkie Walkie)
"1979" by Smashing Pumpkins (Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness)

Source

"I Guess I'm Floating" by M83 (Before the Dawn Heals Us)
"Stars" by Hum (You'd Prefer an Astronaut)
"Oh Yoko!" by John Lennon (Rushmore soundtrack)
"Glad Girls" by Guided by Voices (Isolation Drills)
"Dead Flowers" by Townes Van Zandt (The Big Lebowski soundtrack)
"Fight Test" by The Flaming Lips (Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots)
"Night at the Danceclub" by For Those Who Know (For Those Who Know)
"Bell Bottom Blues" by Derek & the Dominoes (Layla)

Source

"He Doesn't Know Why" by Fleet Foxes (Fleet Foxes)
"Idioteque" by Radiohead (Kid A)
"Knot Comes Loose" by My Morning Jacket (Z)
"Maps" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs (Fever to Tell)
"The First Song" by Band of Horses (Everything All the Time)
"Sweetness" by Yes (Buffalo '66 soundtrack)
"Inside on a Day Like Today? I'm Outraged!" by Meryll (You've Got Cousins)

Source

"Come in Alone" by My Bloody Valentine (Loveless)
"Hotel California" by Gipsy Kings (The Big Lebowski soundtrack)
"Sweet Darlin'" by She & Him (Volume One)
"Tangerine" by Led Zeppelin (Led Zeppelin III)
"Hoppipolla" by Sigur Ros (Takk . . . )

I think more than anything else at our wedding, the dinner music really reflected who we are as a couple. We got so many compliments on it, too! Even though it's not everyone's cup of tea, I think most of our guests appreciated the change of pace from "typical" wedding music. I know our photographers did--they told us it was the best music they'd ever heard at a wedding. That might have been my favorite compliment from the whole day.

Now I am left with the oh-so-difficult task of selecting one song from this list of our favorites to sum up our wedding dinner master playlist.

It wasn't easy, but here you go.

*Song title followed by artist, with album name in parentheses

Previously, on Our Rainy-Day Wedding:
The Rehearsal
Bridal Party Gifts
Getting Ready
First Look
The Dude (Still) Looks Pretty Hot in a Suit
Da Bride
Just Us Part I
Just Us Part II
The Super-Fly Bridal Party
When Stuff Gets Wack Pre-Ceremony
Here Comes the (Bride) Sun
Ceremony Part II
The Vows, the Rings, and an Eff-Up
You Can Stand Under my Umbrella
Detlef Schrempf

Our Rainy-Day Wedding: Detlef Schrempf

2010-02-02T23:36:00.002-06:00

When we reentered the barn after taking a few post-wedding pics, the room had been transformed from our ceremony space into a magical English garden wonderland.

My Uncle Tommy announced us as we entered the barn. Our friends and family clapped and cheered as we made our first appearance as husband and wife--what a rush!

We'd planned on doing the first dance before dinner to get it out of the way. So after a couple minutes of mingling, the Dude and I stepped out into the center of the room as our Ipod played this song.

Press play!

It took awhile for people to catch on that we were dancing, which was good! Less time to be the center of attention! As I said earlier, we'd barely practiced our dance the night before. We played it pretty safe, swaying back and forth with a spin every now and then for effect. I kept having to tell the Dude to slow down--I guess he was too nervous/excited to keep the beat.

Pretty soon the song was over, and our coordinator, Rick, was asking me what I wanted to drink. My friend Andi came up to give me a hug and then tucked a piece of my hair that was falling down back into place. Seriously, there is nothing like being a bride. Enjoy it!

We got to mingle with our guests for a little longer as staff finished preparing dinner. Kind of an impromptu cocktail hour, though it couldn't have been more than 15-20 minutes.

Next up: Dinner and our biggest surprise of the night!

All photos by the Nichols.

Previously, on Our Rainy-Day Wedding:
The Rehearsal
Bridal Party Gifts
Getting Ready
First Look
The Dude (Still) Looks Pretty Hot in a Suit
Da Bride
Just Us Part I
Just Us Part II
The Super-Fly Bridal Party
When Stuff Gets Wack Pre-Ceremony
Here Comes the (Bride) Sun
Ceremony Part II
The Vows, the Rings, and an Eff-Up
You Can Stand Under my Umbrella

Our Rainy-Day Wedding: You Can Stand Under my Umbrella

2010-01-28T23:24:00.000-06:00

After our officiant announced us as husband and wife for the first time, our guitarist played us back down the aisle with this song.

Play while you read!

What better song could there have been to accompany us as we made our way, together, out into the rain? (Well, besides a certain Rihanna song.)

Luckily staff was right there to hand us an umbrella. We ended up getting some of my favorite shots of the day at this point, and they were totally unplanned!

I kind of love that the umbrella doesn't match anything. Looks less like an Anthropologie catalog and more like a real-life moment.

After frolicking in the rain as fresh newlyweds, we headed back to the mansion to tie up one pretty important loose end--signing the marriage license!

MOH Deniz didn't have too many personal requests for the wedding day, but she was really looking forward to signing the marriage license as one of our witnesses! Although our officiant offered to sign, MOH Deniz was having none of that! I'm glad she was able to sign it because now anytime I take the license out to look at it, I will see my best friend's signature, symbolizing her approval of my marriage to the Dude--pretty cool! Especially considering that she was there with us on the night we met!

After the marriage license was signed, our officiant Spike took it with her to mail off for us--so nice that we didn't have to do it ourselves! Then we squeezed in a few family portraits before the reception really got going.

The Dude's Side (though we unfortunately didn't get J Dawg's boyfriend in the picture)

The Mouse Crew

Now you can really see just how much I look like my mom!

Me and my two "little" brothers

Enough with the pictures! We were ready to celebrate!

Photo by my cousin Julie

Up next: I finally reveal our first dance song (and photos, of course)!

All photos by the Nichols, unless otherwise noted.

Previously, on Our Rainy-Day Wedding:
The Rehearsal
Bridal Party Gifts
Getting Ready
First Look
The Dude (Still) Looks Pretty Hot in a Suit
Da Bride
Just Us Part I
Just Us Part II
The Super-Fly Bridal Party
When Stuff Gets Wack Pre-Ceremony
Here Comes the (Bride) Sun
Ceremony Part II
The Vows, the Rings, and an Eff-Up

Our Rainy-Day Wedding: The Vows, the Rings and an Eff-Up

2010-01-25T23:51:00.006-06:00

After the handfasting, our officiant, Spike, read the following poem, by Alice Walker.

"Beyond What"

We reach for destinies beyond
what we have come to know
and in the romantic hush
of promises
perceive each
the other's life
as known mystery.
Shared. But inviolate.
No melting. No squeezing
into One.
We swing our eyes around
as well as side to side
to see the world.

To choose, renounce,
this, or that--
call it a council between equals
call it love.

I know the poem in some ways contradicts the Plato reading, whose main idea is that a person is always seeking her soulmate and when she finds him or her, they miraculously join together as one. But somehow I believe in the meanings behind both readings--that the Dude and I are one and that we are individuals, equals.

Faster than seemed possible, it was time to say our vows. We chose to do traditional vows for a couple of reasons. First, we're lazy, and writing your own vows takes a lot of work. Second, we're pretty shy when it comes to expressing our feelings in front of strangers. (Hey, we stood up in front of all of these people and got married--shouldn't that be enough?) Finally, there's just something moving about the old school vows, you know?

I the Dude, take you Miss Mouse, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part.

I Miss Mouse, take you the Dude, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part.

Then it was time for the rings.

In honor of these vows, Miss Mouse and the Dude wish to exchange rings that will serve as a symbol of the wholeness of the words they speak today and of the love for each other that they will carry with them. The rings are a symbol of unity, but not of possession; of joining, but not of restricting; of encirclement, but not of entrapment. For love cannot be possessed, nor can it be restricted.

Spike read the following lines and the Dude repeated them as he placed my ring on my finger.

I give you this ring as a sign of our lifelong commitment,
a sign of our unending love and faithfulness
to remind me of the vows I have made this day
and a pledge to honor you and grow with you
for the rest of our lives together.

Then it was my turn.

I give you this ring as a sign of our lifelong commitment,
a sign of our unending love and faithfulness
to remind me of the vows I have made this day
and a pledge to honor you and grow with you
for the rest of our lives together.

This is where the major eff-up came in. I was so nervous that when Spike continued on to the next line, I accidentally repeated it, too! Ugh, that's what I get for going last. When Spike said, "Hey, that's my line!" everyone in the room cracked up. I'm pretty sure I turned about eight shades of red.

My "I'm so embarrassed" face

May these rings be, from this day forward, your most treasured adornment, and may the love they symbolize, be your most precious possession.

Luckily I didn't have too long to be embarrassed because the ceremony was coming to a close.

The Dude and Miss Mouse, in so much as the two of you have proclaimed your love and commitment for each other here today before these witnesses of family and friends, it is with great joy and the authority vested in me by the state of Texas that I now pronounce you husband and wife.

Congratulations, you may now kiss each other.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present the Dude and Miss Mouse.

With that, we were official! We just had to get the marriage licensed signed and take some photos with our families, and then it was time to party!

All photos by the Nichols.

Previously, on Our Rainy-Day Wedding:
The Rehearsal
Bridal Party Gifts
Getting Ready
First Look
The Dude (Still) Looks Pretty Hot in a Suit
Da Bride
Just Us Part I
Just Us Part II
The Super-Fly Bridal Party
When Stuff Gets Wack Pre-Ceremony
Here Comes the (Bride) Sun
Ceremony Part II

Our Rainy-Day Wedding: Ceremony Part II

2010-01-21T00:25:00.001-06:00

After a few more lovely words from our officiant, the Dude and I did something called the "expression of intent." It was separate from our vows, and though it might have seemed repetitive, I thought it was a lovely sentiment. We declared to the world (well, to the room, at least) that we were ready to do this thing!

Spike: The Dude, will you take Miss Mouse to be your lawfully wedded wife and travel the rest of life’s road with her? Will you love her, laugh with her, comfort her, honor and protect her, and forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?

The Dude: I will.

Spike: Miss Mouse, will you take the Dude to be your lawfully wedded husband and travel the rest of life’s road with him? Will you love him, laugh with him, comfort him, honor and protect him, and forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?

Miss Mouse: I will.

This was a special moment, where we got to really look at each other and soak everything in.

Then it was time for our second reading. We asked the Dude's sister, J Dawg, to do this one. J Dawg is more than a SIL to me--she's my friend, and now that the Dude and I are married, I really feel like she is my sister. She's the Dude's only sibling, and they are very close. Needless to say, having her do this reading was a huge honor.

Look how proud the Dude is of his little sister.

I knew when I started writing the ceremony that I wanted to incorporate something in support of those who do not yet have the right to marry in this country. Luckily, I found this amazing reading that someone left as a comment on A Practical Wedding.

It's from Plato's Symposium:

Humans have never understood the power of Love, for if they had they would surely have built noble temples and altars and offered solemn sacrifices; but this is not done, and most certainly ought to be done, since Love is our best friend, our helper, and the healer of the ills which prevent us from being happy.

To understand the power of Love, we must understand that our original human nature was not like it is now, but different. Human beings each had two sets of arms, two sets of legs, and two faces looking in opposite directions. There were three sexes then: one comprised of two men called the children of the Sun, one made of two women called the children of the Earth, and a third made of a man and a woman, called the children of the Moon. Due to the power and might of these original humans, the Gods began to fear that their reign might be threatened. They sought for a way to end the humans’ insolence without destroying them.

It was at this point that Zeus divided the humans in half. After the division the two parts of each desiring their other half, came together, and throwing their arms about one another, entwined in mutual embraces, longing to grow into one. So ancient is the desire of one another which is implanted in us, reuniting our original nature, making one of two, and healing the state of humankind.

Each of us when separated, having one side only, is but the indenture of a person, and we are always looking for our other half. Those whose original nature lies with the children of the Sun are men who are drawn to other men, those from the children of the Earth are women who love other women, and those from the children of the Moon are men and women drawn to one another. And when one of us meets our other half, we are lost in an amazement of love and friendship and intimacy, and would not be out of the other’s sight even for a moment. We pass our whole lives together, desiring that we should be melted into one, to spend our lives as one person instead of two, and so that after our death there will be one departed soul instead of two; this is the very expression of our ancient need. And the reason is that human nature was originally one and we were a whole, and the desire and pursuit of the whole is called Love.

Because I don't have a close-up of J Dawg doing the reading, here is a photo of her looking hot in her amazing dress. (Photo by MOH Deniz.)

J Dawg did such an amazing job doing this reading--I didn't even know how nervous she was until afterward! I absolutely loved this reading, and I'm so glad we were able make our tiny statement for the GLBTQ community. However, I didn't quite realize how long the reading was until about halfway through. If I could do it over again, I'd cut it down a bit, if only to save J Dawg from having to stand up there so long!

We then segued into the next part of our ceremony, the handfasting. I'd been in love with this idea since I saw Mrs. Cherry Pie's recaps.

Spike bound our hands together (for some reason this was very funny to us!), as she explained the meaning behind handfastings.

Handfastings are an ancient European tradition, dating back to the 16th Century. The joining of the hands became a feature of betrothals in Scotland and in England during the medieval period.

(OK, confession: everything I know about handfastings I learned from a 20-minute Google/Wikipedia search.)

Woven into this cord, imbued into its very fibers, are all the hopes of your friends and family, and of yourselves, for your new life together. With the fashioning of this knot do I tie all the desires, dreams, love, and happiness wished here in this place to your lives for as long as love shall last.

In the joining of hands and the fashion of a knot, so are your lives now bound, one to another.

By this cord you are thus bound to your vow. May this knot remain tied for as long as love shall last.

Then Spike removed the handfasting cord and handed it to Best Man Curtis for safekeeping. Hmm, now that I think about it, I'm not sure where that thing is! (But wherever it is, I'm sure it's still tied, as love between the Dude and Mrs. Mouse definitely still lasts!)

Next up: the vows and the rings!

All photos by the Nichols, unless otherwise noted.

Previously, on Our Rainy-Day Wedding:
The Rehearsal
Bridal Party Gifts
Getting Ready
First Look
The Dude (Still) Looks Pretty Hot in a Suit
Da Bride
Just Us Part I
Just Us Part II
The Super-Fly Bridal Party
When Stuff Gets Wack Pre-Ceremony
Here Comes the (Bride) Sun

Our Rainy-Day Wedding: Here Comes the (Bride) Sun

2010-01-13T15:48:00.001-06:00

Sorry to leave you guys hanging like that in my last post--I know, it was cruel.

When I left you, the Dude was waiting for my walk down the aisle.

As I stood in front of the back door to the barn, I took a deep breath and made my entrance to the song that will forever remind me of my father.

(Please play it while you read, if you can!)

The song sounded amazing on the ten-string acoustic guitar.

I wiped everything from my mind but my future husband and made my way down the aisle.

I had the music and the photo of my dad in my locket to comfort me.

And just as importantly, the love of my life was waiting for me in front of our family and friends.

Then it was just us, standing together in the spot where we were about to become husband and wife.

Our officiant, Spike, opened the ceremony with these words:

We have come together today not to mark the start of a relationship, but to acknowledge and strengthen a bond that already exists. This ceremony is a public affirmation of that bond and as their dearest family and friends, it is our honor and privilege to stand witness to this event.

Before we begin, Miss Mouse and the Dude would like to take a moment to remember the loved ones who join us today in spirit. Miss Mouse's father passed away in May of 2008. Were he here today, he would have enjoyed this wedding even more than the bride and groom.

We are here today with friends and family to celebrate the love that Miss Mouse and the Dude have for each other, to give recognition to their decision to commit their lives and accept each other completely, to learn how to help and understand each other, to travel through life as best friends and companions.

Then it was time for our first reading, by our dear friend Amanda, who introduced us in April 2004. It was such an honor to have her be a part of our wedding. As a fellow lover of literature, I asked Amanda to choose a reading that she loved. I knew she would pick something special, and she did: she read "I Carry Your Heart with Me" by e.e. cummings.

(Unfortunately I don't have any close-ups of her doing the reading,

but you can see her there to the right of us.)

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in
my heart) i am never without it (anywhere
i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)
i fear
not fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want
no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)

It was a beautiful opening to our ceremony, and I was so relieved to finally be holding hands with the Dude.

All photos by the Nichols.

Previously, on Our Rainy-Day Wedding:
The Rehearsal
Bridal Party Gifts
Getting Ready
First Look
The Dude (Still) Looks Pretty Hot in a Suit
Da Bride
Just Us Part I
Just Us Part II
The Super-Fly Bridal Party
When Stuff Gets Wack Pre-Ceremony

Our Rainy-Day Wedding: When Stuff Gets Wack Pre-Ceremony

2010-01-10T17:12:00.000-06:00

Before I get to the ceremony, I need to rewind a little bit. At some point while we were taking photos, the venue coordinator, Rick, took me aside to discuss what we were going to do about the ceremony. If you remember, our original plan was to get married outdoors, in the garden. When Rick pulled me aside, the rain was holding off, but the sky looked cloudy and forecasts were predicting rain for the evening. Rick let me know in no uncertain terms (but very diplomatically) that it would be way too risky to try for the garden wedding. Although I was a bit disappointed, I knew it was the right decision. So I told him to go ahead and have everyone set up in the Artisan ballroom (really more of a barn with a large wall of windows facing into the garden).

Pre-Ceremony Hair Check

After photos were done and all of the guests were seated in the barn, the rain started to come down a bit harder. It was still just a sprinkle, but not quite as delicate as before. The bridesmaids and I were in the mansion, waiting for our cue to head towards the back of the barn for our entrance. The staff brought us umbrellas, and we headed outside towards the barn. But some wires got crossed, and the staff escorting us weren't quite certain which door we were supposed to go in. I was starting to freak out just a bit! Finally, it was sorted, and my bridesmaids and I were standing under umbrellas behind the barn, waiting to be told it was our time to walk down the aisle.

I know the moment right before you walk down the aisle towards your almost-spouse is supposed to be meaningful and full of reflection, but at this point all I could think about was trying not to get wet!

My bridesmaids left me, one by one, and when the door opened, I heard our guitarist . . . playing the wrong song! He was playing "Here Comes the Sun," the song that was supposed to start when I stood at the head of the aisle! It was the song that reminded me of my dad, and it was supposed to symbolize him walking me down the aisle, since he couldn't physically be there. I blabbered something of that effect to the woman holding my umbrella (like she could do anything about it) but then quickly realized I needed to get it together--it was almost time for my entrance!

Meanwhile, all of these beautiful people were making their way down the aisle.

Here's the song that the guitarist was playing. (Apparently he just cut it off too soon and went on to "my" song too early.) Please play it while you watch to get a feel for our rainy-day ceremony.

The Dude's Grandparents

The Dude's Parents (They look so proud!)

My Mom and My Little Brothers

Then it was the Dude's turn. He walked out with our officiant, Spike.

The bridal party made their way down, in pairs.

Groomsman Andrew and Bridesmaid Kelli

Groomsman Cody and Bridesmaid Dani

Best Man Curtis and Maid of Honor Deniz

Then it was time for the flower girls. I love how their dresses turned out! The big pockets are so cute, and I love that they weren't super frilly or formal.

Flower Girls Grace and Christina

I couldn't resist throwing this shot in. Doesn't flower girl Grace look mischievous here? (I think she was just ready for the party to start!) They both did such a good job! I highly recommend having older flower girls if you've got 'em in the family.

With everyone lined up, the Dude stood at the end of the aisle waiting for me to enter.

But would I get it together in time?

All photos by the Nichols.

Previously, on Our Rainy-Day Wedding:

Our Rainy-Day Wedding: The Super-Fly Bridal Party

2010-01-04T23:03:00.003-06:00

OK, I know you guys are like, get on with the wedding already, but I've got one more batch of portraits to share first. These are the photos of our amazingly photogenic wedding party!

To start things off, the guys (or should I say "dudes"?) rockin' their skinny ties.

Yeah, this one pretty much rules.

I love this next one. The Dude has known the two guys on either side of him since junior high! And he's been friends with his Best Man since college.

Now for the ladies. I got pretty lucky in that I had the two most beautiful and awesome flower girls to ever exist. I know everyone says that, but seriously: take a look at these pictures and try to deny it.

I loved their little bouquets. I thought carrying bouquets would seem more grown up than throwing petals--I hope the girls weren't too disappointed that they didn't get to sprinkle petals down the aisle. I told them to whack Jason and me really hard with petals during our exit to make up for the lack of petals during the ceremony!

Don't forget about my other ladies! The formal shots of me and my bridesmaids feel kind of stiff, but I love how the ones of us laughing came out. I think everyone but me felt a bit silly doing the fake laughing, but I literally could not hold back my joy at this point of the day. Every laugh you see, though orchestrated, is completely genuine.

Um, is it just me or are they all looking at me like I'm crazy?

The ones with all six of us are my faves.

This close-up really shows off the black birdcages that I gave the girls to wear. Thanks for the idea, Mrs. Avocado!

Finally, the girls and guys came together for some group shots. I love how you can see a frolicking flower girl if you look closely.

This next one is my "I'm about to pee my pants I'm so happy" pose. Everyone seems amused.

At this point, teeny drops were starting to land on us and the sky was darkening. Uh oh!

Luckily we got in a few more shots before the rain started to come down harder.

If you squint really hard at the next shot, you can see my two brothers in the top left corner. When they saw this photo on our photographer's blog, they thought it was hilarious--they look like miniature people.

I got to spaz out one more time before we headed indoors to get ready for the ceremony.

Up next: We get married!

All photos by the Nichols.

Previously, on Our Rainy-Day Wedding:

Our Rainy-Day Wedding: Just Us Part II

2009-12-28T23:10:00.000-06:00

I hope everyone had a great holiday! I spent mine relaxing in the snowy Rocky Mountains with the Dude and his family. Why can't vacations last forever?

Anyway, recaps are back on! Here are some more of my favorite bride-and-groom portraits of the day.

Starting with a little nose kiss.

Eyes closed, breathing it in.

Underneath the chapel tower.

Hidden in a lane of foliage.

Sweet and serene.

Smiling like dorks.

Then it was inside the mansion for a few more quick shots.

A soft kiss on the shoulder.

Nervous laughter as we looked out the window.

Love in color.

Love in black-and-white.

One last place to pose.

Before we rounded up our troops for the bridal party shots.

All photos by the Nichols.

Previously, on Our Rainy-Day Wedding:

Our Rainy-Day Wedding: Just Us Part I

2009-12-21T00:49:00.000-06:00

Taking photos by ourselves was fun, but I loved taking our portraits together. It was one of the best parts of the day! Luckily we'd already gotten some practice in with our engagement session, so we were much more comfortable and relaxed in front of the camera. And we had an easier time with posing because we'd done it before.

Here are some of the more formal ones we took: outside the mansion, jacket on.

Our best impersonation of a serious couple.

This one's more us, squinty eyes and all.

This one doesn't really fit into a neat category, but I love it so.

This next one was actually one of the first photos we took. The gnome was randomly sitting in the hallway outside the bridal suite. I believe the Dude saw it and made some joke about it, and our photographer was like, "Let's take a picture with it!" I love how faux serious we are.

Then it was time for some more casual shots with the Dude's jacket off. I love this candid one of me helping to refasten the button on his sleeve.

I still find it funny that we got these shots in front of the little chapel on the Barr Mansion grounds, considering that we are both nonreligious and our ceremony was completely secular! I love the way the chapel doors photographed.

Check out the Dude's sexy expression here! I'm used to seeing him act so goofy all the time, so I'm really glad I have photos like this one.

We look so happy and relaxed here, and as far as I can remember, that's how I felt. I know the Dude was relaxed. (He doesn't really have any other state of being--he is the Dude, after all.)

This next one is hands-down my favorite shot of the day. I used it on the Moo cards that we sent with our Thank Yous to remind people to add their photos to our Flickr page.

I have a few more favorite portraits of the two of us to share with you guys, but I'd better save them for another post!

All photos by the Nichols.

Previously, on Our Rainy-Day Wedding:

Our Rainy-Day Wedding: Da Bride

2009-12-14T22:26:00.000-06:00

While the Dude was striking a pose, I was getting some solo shots with Jennifer (one of the benefits to hiring a husband/wife team to shoot your wedding!).

We started off on the lower balcony of the mansion. Finally, my bouquet makes an appearance!

If you look closely, you can see my great-grandmother's ring in this shot.

We moved over to shoot in front of the little chapel.

Hooray for more warm, seventies tones! (I specifically requested our photographers to give us some photos with this effect, but honestly they got our style so well they probably would have done it for us anyway.)

Uh oh! Looks like I was spotted!

The series of photos above is probably my favorite from the day!

A few pics in a more organic setting--this was supposed to be a garden wedding, after all.

I love the expression on my face here. It's like, "Yeah, I'm carrying a bunch of floofy flowers. I could still kick your ass." (The Dude is pretty familiar with this look!)

Some sassy headless posing . . .

. . . and the shot I teased you all with back in September.

Now that I think about it, I'm really lucky I didn't bruise my shins or get any mosquito bites before the wedding. The thought never crossed my mind, but there really could have been a potential for disaster there!

We were also very lucky that, up until this point, the rain had held off. The skies were cloudy, but we hadn't felt any drops yet. Would our luck hold?

Next up: Bride & Groom portraits

All photos by the Nichols.

Previously, on Our Rainy-Day Wedding:

Our Rainy-Day Wedding: The Dude (Still) Looks Pretty Hot in a Suit

2009-12-11T00:39:00.000-06:00

After our first look, we took portraits together and separately. I'm gonna share the Dude's first--he's such a natural in front of the camera! (I'm not the only one who thinks so--recently he was spotted by a local actor/comedian who asked him to play Jesus in a fake commercial he was filming! I'll share the video with you guys when it comes out if I get permission.)

Anyway, back to the Dude's wedding portraits.

I've just got to say that I'm so happy the Dude didn't cut his hair off or shave his beard for the wedding! At one point, we were discussing him doing this--I'm glad he decided to represent for all those shaggy boys out there.

Look at this GQ pose! Are you kidding me?

I like how he looks all sweet and contemplative here.

Close up of the bout and tie! The tie was a vintage find, and the boutonniere was made from pink wax flower and rosemary. The best part? It dried really well, so we kept it in a box with other various wedding doodads.

My personal favorite shot of this session. Love the warm, vintage tones--goes great with the Yves St. Laurent suit that my dad rocked back in 1979!

Next up: bridal portraits!

All photos by the Nichols.

Previously, on Our Rainy-Day Wedding:

Our Rainy-Day Wedding: First Look

2009-12-08T18:29:00.006-06:00

The Dude and I decided a long time ago that we were going to do a first look. It worked well with our timeline, and we didn't want to miss out on any of the fun between the ceremony and the reception!

Once MOH Deniz and I arrived at Barr Mansion, we only had to wait a little bit before Bridesmaids Kelli and Dani showed up. One of the staff members brought up a bottle of wine, and I tried to relax a bit. I was so nervous about the ceremony. The thought of standing up in front of all of those people was freaking me out just a little! Luckily I had my beautiful bouquet to distract me from my nerves.

And it wasn't too long before the Dude showed up and our photographers got us ready for our first look. While I waited in the bridal suite, the Dude hung out on the balcony.

I started to make my way towards him.

I resisted the urge to kick him in the back of the knee or poke him really hard in between his shoulder blades.

Then he saw me for the first time as a bride. (I accidentally already saw him from the second story of the mansion when he got there. Oops!)

Time for some hugs.

A bit of tie adjustment.

A little pose.

And a peek at the reception site.

Next, it was time to grab my bouquet and take some portraits with the Dude. It's kind of weird to think that in all of these pictures, we weren't married yet.

All photos by The Nichols.

Previously, on Our Rainy-Day Wedding:

Our Rainy-Day Wedding: Getting Ready

2009-12-06T00:37:00.003-06:00

When I left you last, our rehearsal dinner guests were heading out the door. But the night wasn't quite over yet! The Dude and I decided not to spend the night apart, so we curled up in bed and got excited for tomorrow: our wedding day. But first, we decided to do a practice run of our first dance--we had literally done nothing up to this point besides pick out a song. So with "our song" playing quietly out of the Dude's computer, we practiced our dance on the carpet of our bedroom. It didn't go so well (the tempo was a bit slower than we realized), and I started to get nervous for the next day--but the Dude assured me it would be OK, so we decided to just go with it.

Here we are the next morning, before I headed off for my appointment at the salon. The Dude is playing with a Transformer he received as a wedding gift!

When I arrived, Lauren was almost finished with my mom's hair and make-up. My mom was worried her eyes were too dramatic, but I reassured her that she looked great.

It was my turn to go next. Here's the requisite Blackberry shot.

My make-up was starting to come together while the hot rollers cooled. (Please excuse the toilet tissue!) This time, Lauren used a different eyeshadow on me--MAC's Amber Lights. I loved it so much that I went out an bought it after the honeymoon.

At this point in the day, I was starting to worry about my dress. I had tried it on (with MOH Deniz's help) that morning (or maybe it was the night before--it's kind of a blur to me now!), and the last-minute alterations were perfect. But I was still a little worried about the dress staying put all night. My mom and Deniz offered to head out and find some fashion tape, while I finished getting ready.

After my hair and make-up were done, I played paparazzi with everyone else who was still in the salon.

I caught bridesmaid Kelli putting on mascara.

And flower girl Christina getting her hair done while her nails dried.

Pretty soon, I was done, my mom and my MOH were back, and it was time to head home to put on my dress and shoes. I made sure that MOH Deniz got some shots of the dress first. (Unfortunately, you can see the lining in the bodice that was inserted last-minute by my alterations lady. Maybe it can be fixed with Photoshop?)

While we waited for my mom to arrive, I put on my jewelry . . .

. . . and slipped into my shoes.

As soon as my mom got to the house, she helped me tie the pearl belt that came with my dress.

Then she handed me the ring that belonged to my great grandmother: my "something borrowed."

With that, I was ready to head out the door and drive myself to my wedding! (Although MOH Deniz is an incredibly talented human being, driving is unfortunately not in her repertoire. ;)) She did ride with me and keep me entertained, however. We jammed some MIA, while she filmed my excited rambles--for some reason I like to spout off "fun facts" whenever there is a camera on me. Nervous habit, I guess?

In retrospect, the morning was pretty chaotic. I wish all of my bridesmaids had been with me as I got ready. It also would have been nice to relax with some champagne, but I had so much nervous energy that I didn't want anything to drink! I also regret not getting any photos of the guys getting ready. I sent the Dude off with a Flip video camera, so I might try include some footage of the guys getting dressed in the next post.

Despite the chaos, at the moment all I cared about was that I was a bride!

All photos in this post by MOH Deniz.

Previously, on Our Rainy-Day Wedding:

The Rehearsal

Bridal Party Gifts

Our Rainy-Day Wedding: Bridal Party Gifts

2009-12-02T21:07:00.001-06:00

I wanted to wait until my recaps to show you guys the gifts that we got for our wedding party. Some of them read Weddingbee, so I didn't want any spoilers!

After everyone had their fill of BBQ, we made an announcement for everyone to gather under the carport (it was still raining) so we could dole out thank you gifts.

My girls got each got a little package like this.

Ever the reuser, I packaged two of the girls' gifts in these kraft boxes that some of my Etsy purchases had come in. The third girl got a green gift box that I'd been saving for awhile from a Bath & Body Works set I received as a gift. The green ribbon was also saved from old gift packaging--I just used some double-sided tape to fashion the bow shape.

When the girls opened their packages, here is what they found inside:

Hand-poured vanilla soy candles made from cups I bought at Goodwill. (Thank you for the idea, Mrs. Cookie!) I tried to fit a cup to each girls' personality.

Also in the boxes were these black mini-birdcage veils, purchased from the Twigs & Honey shop on Etsy. I had already let my bridesmaids know that I'd be asking them to wear these: I didn't want to spring it on them at the last minute! Of course, the black birdcages were inspired by Mrs. Avocado!

Finally, each girl got a fabric tote bag, handmade by the talented Kara of Kailo Chic. I picked out a different fabric for each girl, based on what I thought she would like.

For my MOH Deniz, a New Yorker with a classic sense of style, this black-and-white circle pattern.

Bridesmaid Kelli's style has a bit of a boho flair, so I chose this hippie-chic bird pattern for her.

And for Bridesmaid Dani, who loves all things green, I picked out this two-toned floral print.

The Dude had a bit more difficulty coming up with gifts for his groomsmen, so I came to the rescue with some ideas.

For Gman Cody, a bottle of Jameson whiskey.

Source

Gman Andrew, who's way into music, was given strings and a slide for his guitar.

Source

And Best Man Curtis got a really special gift: a spreadsheet custom made by the Dude himself! Do I have any idea what was on that spreadsheet? None whatsoever. But Curtis seemed to appreciate it.

Source

Finally, all three of them got black skinny ties to wear the next day. I was a little embarrassed to force my style on these guys, but they all looked great in the ties. In fact, the Dude said they were making Reservoir Dogs jokes while they were getting ready. :)

We also wanted to get some special gifts for the people with supporting roles in our wedding. Our officiant, my Uncle Tommy, got a gift card to Golfsmith. Our readers got gift cards, too: J. Dawg got an iTunes card and Amanda got a Starbucks card. I put together some presents for the flower girls: little satin purses filled with stickers, flower-covered nail files, and Hello Kitty compact mirrors.

My mom and the Dude's parents were given IOUs for wedding photo books.

After all the presents were handed out and everyone was feeling the love, it was time for the evening to come to an end. We head a big day ahead!

Previously, on Our Rainy-Day Wedding:

The Rehearsal

Ornamental Inspiration: Paris Street Chic

2009-12-02T19:00:00.003-06:00

My board was inspired by this Eiffel Tower ornament that I bought a few years ago. As soon as I thought of it, I knew I had to create a wedding look inspired by Paris fashion.

I imagine a bride getting married in an old courthouse and then strolling along the Seine with her new spouse in this Audrey Hepburn-meets-Serena Van der Woodsen ensemble.

Paris Wedding Street Chic by mrsmouse featuring Chinese Laundry shoes
Top row: 1, 2, 3
Middle row: 4, 5
Bottom row: 6, 7, 8

It reminds me of our honeymoon a bit, too! (I had a little sample of Miss Dior Cherie that I brought on the trip, and I wore it the entire time we were in Paris!)

Our Rainy-Day Wedding: The Rehearsal

2009-11-30T22:05:00.004-06:00

This is it! My recaps are actually beginning! Our wedding day was one of the best days of my life, and I cannot wait to share it with you guys. But before I get to the pro pics, I'd like to tell you about the day before.

It started with manicures for me and MOH Deniz.*

In retrospect, I could've gone with an edgy gunmetal gray, but I loved this pale pale pink. (And it matched our wedding colors!)

Then we met up with my mom, my SIL J. Dawg, and my MIL, the Dude's mom, for brunch. I'd been wanting to try Sandra Bullock's restaurant, Bess Bistro, and it didn't disappoint. Gourmet grilled cheese sandwich with blackberry compote? Yes, please.

It was great spending time with all of these women before everyone else got into town for the rehearsal dinner.

Photo by MOH Deniz

Then it was back home for a bit. Here we are chillaxing with the Dude's mom and grandpa a few hours before the rehearsal.

At this point, the sky was starting to look pretty gloomy, and we weren't sure whether our backyard barbecue was going to come together. The rental company was scheduled to drop off our tables and chairs at 3pm. As soon the truck arrived and the guy started to unload our tables, the rain started to fall. Yikes! To top it off, my wedding dress was at the alteration's place, and I wouldn't be able to try it on until the rehearsal dinner was over. Somehow I neglected to learn that the bodice was about a cup size too big until the week of my wedding! It was a bit stressful, but the beer was helping.

Pretty soon, it was time for the rehearsal! This was the first time we got to see my extended family who had come in from West Texas, Houston, Dallas, Louisiana, San Antonio, Amarillo, and upstate New York. As soon as my flower girls saw me, they ran to my side and didn't leave it! It was so sweet. Below is my uncle Tommy, who I had asked to emcee our reception. The flower girls are his grandkids.

Photo on the right by MOH Deniz

We ran through the ceremony in our outdoor location (Plan A) first. Look how cute my bridesmaids are! The flower girls were cracking up our officiant, Spike. When we rehearsed the kiss, Grace (the one in the gray shirt) covered her eyes and said it was gross!

Then, our coordinator, Rick, asked us to go ahead and run through the ceremony inside the Artisan Ballroom (Plan B). I don't have any photos of that, though.

The rehearsal was over quickly--almost too quickly! Then it was time to head to me and the Dude's house for some delicious barbecue action. At this point, it was drizzling pretty steadily. But not to worry! MOH Deniz had wrangled us a deal on a tent with the rental guy for our backyard dinner. Phew. What would we have done without her? The tent was already up and the barbecue was getting delivered to us asap. And my awesome friend (and ceremony reader) Amanda was on her way with my wedding dress!

I don't have a lot of photos from the rehearsal dinner, but here are a couple good ones.

The Dude gets really excited about barbecue. Little does he know, he won't be so excited about it two and a half months later when the leftovers are still in our freezer.

While some of the adults enjoyed bottled beers, the little ones enjoyed their Coca Colas.

Photo by MOH Deniz

Before we knew it, the night was coming to an end, and I was forcing all of my family into a big group picture. I'm so glad we got this!

Photo by MOH Deniz

I wish we would have gotten a group shot of the Dude's family, too, as well as our wedding party. I was way too preoccupied with other things to think about who was taking photos.

Next up: a quick tangent so that I can show you the gifts we got for our wedding party.

What Not to Do on Your Honeymoon

2009-11-17T22:59:00.001-06:00

Now that my honeymoon recaps are done, I thought I'd share with you guys some of the things we did wrong. Hopefully someone can learn from our mistakes! By the way, I see now why people tend to go to tropical islands on their honeymoons instead of gallivanting through Europe: it's exhausting! (But totally worth it, in my opinion.) At any rate, here's our list of "don'ts" (and some "dos"). Please, learn from our stupids.

On the last few days of your two-week long honeymoon, don't try to squeeze in a million-and-one sites, activities, and adventures. Instead, save the relaxing parts of the trip for the end--you'll appreciate those days of rest before returning to "normal" life.

Don't buy two new pairs of boots on your trip. Especially when you're literally carrying all of your luggage on your back and everything barely fits into your giant backpack as it is.

This is ridiculously obvious, but don't neglect to check the weather before you go! Don't rely on your partner who tells you that it's going to be "nice" in Paris. Nice is relative, people!

Don't bring your (brand new) Sonicare toothbrush and try to plug it in to a European electrical outlet. Even with a converter, that baby will get fried.

If you're a reading junkie, bring books with you that you don't mind leaving (on the airplane, in your hotel room, wherever)--makes room so you can buy more boots!

If you plan on carrying on all of your luggage, keep in mind that the U.S. government will not let you bring back any liquids over 100ml. This means you can't bring back olive oil from Greece for your SIL who had been asking for some for months! :(

Be sure to learn a few phrases in the native languages of the countries you plan on visiting. (How much does it cost? Can I have the bill? Where is the bathroom? Do you have Coke Light?) But don't stress to much over this. You'll be able to get along even if your tongue freezes up and you forget everything you learned. Even if you start speaking in Spanish to the concierge at your Parisian hotel.

If you see a giant Lego Hagrid, take a picture with it!

When it comes to booking hotels, either really do your homework before you go and book in advance, or just show up and find the best deal. Booking in advance based on a half-assed internet search is a recipe for disaster!

Never make fun of your husband for taking too many pictures. You will be so grateful for all of them when you get back home!

What lessons did you learn when traveling on your honeymoon?

Mice in Europe: Athens

2009-11-16T09:18:00.001-06:00

Well, folks, this is it. My final honeymoon recap post. It's been fun sharing our experiences in Europe with all of you. Be sure and stay tuned for a post on travel tips and, of course, the wedding recaps!

When I left you last, I said that our ferry from Naxos was heading back to Santorini--what was that all about? Well, we had booked our ferry from Santorini to Athens before leaving for our honeymoon. Then we decided, while in Santorini, to take a side trip to Naxos, which meant we had to get back to Santorini in time to catch our ferry to Athens. We ended up backtracking a bit by going from Naxos to Santorini to Athens because Naxos is actually in between Santorini and the mainland. In fact, our ferry from Santorini to Athens stopped in Naxos on the way. In theory, we could have just stayed in Naxos and tried to board the ferry when it arrived there, but we weren't sure how the system worked and didn't want to take the risk of not being able to board our ferry. So back to Santorini it was but only long enough for a quick bite to eat. Then it was on to Athens!

We only had two full days in this city, so we tried to fit in as much site-seeing as possibly, even though we were incredibly worn out at this point in the trip. Our first morning in Athens, we woke up and headed a couple of blocks from our hotel to Hadrian's Arch.

The Dude let us to some steps that were worn smooth and looked very precarious. But once we got to the top, it was totally worth the climb.

Check out this view of the Acropolis!

Then we checked out Ancient Agora, basically the hub of ancient Athenian civilization. This building was completely reconstructed to look as it did back in the day.

The entire porch area was filled with marble statutes from various eras. We have no idea who this bust is.

This building is part of Ancient Agora. It's the Temple of Hephaestus, and it is known as the best preserved ancient Greek temple.

After grabbing some lunch, we headed to another ancient site, the Kerameikos cemetery. It was filled with ancient headstones, beautiful views of a basilica, and lots of turtles.

Finally, we headed back to the neighborhood near our hotel to see the Temple to the Olympian Zeus. It was on lower ground than the other sites we had seen that day, and it was much much larger in scale than any of the other ancient temples. It was completed by Hadrian in the 2nd Century A.D., and it was meant to rival the Parthenon. It was pretty much breathtaking.

The next day, it was our goal to get up before the sun and see the sun rising over the Acropolis. We attempted to this, but in our groggy state, we decided to go back to the hotel after the sun came up because we were so sleepy and cold. We went back to sleep for two hours! So then it was time to go and fight the masses to see what has to be one of the most popular tourist sites in the world--the Acropolis.

I was reading a book on Greek mythology the whole time we were in Greece, and so luckily I was able to point out that this tree is the olive tree that was planted by Athena when she was running against Poseidon to be ruler/protector of Athens. The story goes that all of the women voted for Athena and all of the men voted for Poseidon. When Athena won, that's when men decided to take the right to vote away from women.

We finally made it to the Parthenon! So crowded, but totally worth it.

It was amazing and pretty surreal to see all of the ancient runes in Athens. Our two days were so jam-packed with seeing as much as we could that we didn't really get a chance to soak up Athens culture like we wanted to. I'd recommend staying for longer than we did! It's a beautiful city, and it has a lot to offer.

We woke up very early the next morning to catch our flight back to the United States. We were sad that our honeymoon was ending, but so happy to get back to our home, our cats, and married life.

Mice in Europe: Naxos

2009-11-05T23:51:00.001-06:00

Sure, we were sad to leave Santorini. It truly felt like paradise. (Well, paradise where you can't flush paper down the toilet, but paradise nonetheless.) But we were so excited to hop on our first ferry to Naxos!

We arrived just in time to see the sun setting over the Temple to Apollo. Kind of apropos, since he was the sun god after all.

Finding our hotel was a bit of a challenge, as all of the "streets" in the little port town where we stayed were very tiny and windy. It really felt like we were walking in a maze! We finally got to our hotel that we had booked the day before on Expedia, and the owner told us that he didn't have our room anymore! He had given it away minutes before he got the fax from Expedia. Luckily, he was very nice, and he had already arranged for us to stay in a nearby hotel. This lesson we learned over and over again in Greece--it's better not to book your hotel room in advance because you will probably stumble upon one that has a room available!

We headed back down to the water's edge to have dinner, followed by some Greek coffee and Ouzo.

Greek coffee, although served in adorable espresso cups, is NOT espresso. It is very tasty, however. Just make sure not to drink the grounds at the bottom of the cup. Instead, when you finish, turn your cup upside down and let the grounds trickle down the sides of the cup. After a few minutes, turn your cup back over and read your fortune in the grounds. I have no idea if people in Greece actually do this--I learned this from my MOH's mother, who grew up in Istanbul.

The next day we spent exploring the village. First on our agenda was breakfast. Look what we found on the way:

Ghetto Luxury Dance Club. Do they even get the irony?

Then we enjoyed breakfast near the water. Well, I enjoyed breakfast. The Dude enjoyed a chocolate milkshake.

We got some up-close action at Apollo's Temple.

We walked around the village for a bit.

Next, we decided to splurge on a cab ride to an ancient site in the interior of the island. It's a tiny island, so there really wasn't any public transportation to speak of. We were so glad we made this decision (even though I got a bit carsick from the windy roads)--we ended up at one of our favorite sites of the trip!

Demeter's Temple was actually quite interesting, as it had recently been reconstructed to reflect the various periods of its existence as a religious site: first, as a temple in ancient Greece, then later as a church. In our opinion, the historians and restoration artists did an amazing job of deciding how to restore it.

The temple was nestled into a beautiful, lush valley. I imagine it's no accident, as Demeter was the goddess of fertility. It was breathtaking.

We ended that day with a delicious dinner where we got waited on by two very hot Greeks (one male and one female--lucky us!). I got a little bit drunk and accidentally kicked over the chair across from me when trying to feed a begging cat some bread. Ooops! Luckily there was a table of loud Germans next to us, and I don't even think they noticed!

The next day, we explored a 10th Century castle that was literally built into the hills of the village. It was an incredible place, but it was sad to see what bad shape it was in. They just don't have any money to work with.

These are views from the castle windows!

Then it was back to the port to wait for our next ferry: back to Santorini! Wait, what?

I'll end with a short video from our dinner on the second night. In Greece, many of the restaurants have a ton of appetizers, called mezes, that you order for the table to share. It's similar to the idea of Spanish tapas or Turkish mezes. (And the word actually comes from Turkish. Yeah, I'm a linguistics geek. What, I haven't told you that yet?) Anyway, I thought the mezes we ordered at this restaurant were so pretty I had to share--they were yummy, too!

Did you miss something? Try and keep up, OK? ;)
Mice in Europe: Paris Part I
Mice in Europe: Paris Part II
Mice in Europe: Versailles
Mice in Europe: Milan
Mice in Europe: Santorini

Mice in Europe: Santorini

2009-11-01T14:07:00.000-06:00

Our first stop in Greece was Santorini. Santorini is a small, circular archipelago of volcanic islands located in the southern Aegean Sea, about 120 miles southeast from Greece's mainland. The main island is called Thira, and the most beautiful part of the island, where the main thrust of restaurants and hotels is located, is called Oia. We thought it was really cool that Santorini is basically what remains of a larger island after a massive volcanic explosion that took place 3,600 years ago. Now the city of Thira looks out into a water-filled caldera, which makes for some mind-boggling photographs.

Here we are on our first full day in Oia. Believe it or not, this photo was taken from the cafe where we had breakfast. The views don't really get much better than this, people.

There were so many amazing photo ops like this throughout Oia. I have no idea what this building is--we just thought it was pretty.

The next two shots are from the balcony of the hotel we stayed at on our second night. It was called Delfini, and it is run by the sweetest woman I've ever met. When she found out we were on our honeymoon, she told the Dude "I will see you back here next year with one baby." Haha.

I think this next photo is so beautiful it doesn't even look real.

The next day, we woke up and headed back to our breakfast spot--we seriously couldn't find a place with a better view! Here's the Dude checking out a cruise ship that was pulling in to port in the cafe's telescope.

The Delfini was booked for this night, so we had to find a new hotel. My only criteria was that it had a swimming pool. Luckily, I wasn't disappointed. (Those are not my toes, by the way!)

After a relaxing afternoon by the pool, we hung out in the hotel room for a bit and got ready to check out the sunset. I sneaked a few pages of my book while the Dude showered.

This is pretty much how I rolled for most of the trip: with my nose stuck in a book. Hey, I was excited to have free time for pleasure reading for the first time in three years!

When the sun started to go down, we headed up to our hotel's Sunset Terrace to take in the gorgeous Aegean sunset from a sweet vantage point. Some Greek beer and red wine along with a bowl of peanuts were the perfect complement to the setting.

Now it's time for some gratuitous sunset porn. Is that a thing? I just made it one.

Since this was our last night in Santorini, we headed back down for a fancy dinner in a restaurant filled with drippy candles and lace curtains. It was such a romantic setting (but alas, too dark for photos). Here we had one of the best conversations of the trip--we just talked about how excited we were to spend the rest of our lives together and how lucky we are and all that mushy stuff. I'm glad no one we know heard us talking because they probably would have thrown up in their mouths.

Here's one last shot of one of the blue-domed churches in Oia. Beautiful, no?

I had a really hard time deciding which video to share with you guys--we have three full days of awesome Santorini footage! I ultimately decided to go with two because why not? The first is of a wedding processional (or recessional?) we saw on the streets of Oia. (This is Weddingbee, after all!) We saw many couples getting married while in Greece, and we happened to get footage of this one. If we hadn't had our dream wedding in Austin, Oia would have been a magnificent place to tie the knot.

The second is a video of me and the Dude after we finished dinner at The Blue Sky Restaurant in Oia. I had just finished a very spicy salad with something called "rocket." This is us trying to figure out exactly what that meant. (Sidebar: we didn't figure out that "rocket" actually means "roquette" or arugula, a spicy Mediterranean leafy vegetable, until after we got back to the States and I Googled it. Heh.)

Next up: We take a ferry to Naxos to see the Temple to Apollo.

Did you miss something? Try and keep up, OK? ;)
Mice in Europe: Paris Part I
Mice in Europe: Paris Part II
Mice In Europe: Versailles
Mice In Europe: Milan

Mice In Europe: Milan

2009-10-26T23:20:00.000-05:00

When I left you guys, we had just seen the Eiffel Tower sparkle in all its Disney-esque glory. We woke up the next morning, had breakfast in our hotel, and took the Metro to the rail station, where we would get on our train to Milan. We were sad to leave Paris but so excited about what was next!

At the Milan Cathedral

We enjoyed a relaxing ride through the French and Italian countryside. The highlight of the train ride was getting to see the Alps--they really do have little snow caps on! We arrived in Milan around 9pm, ready to find our hotel and get something to eat. We'd eaten lunch on the train, but we were definitely saving room for a nice, big, Italian dinner. Unfortunately, we had booked our hotel in advance and it was pretty far from the city center. So much for saving money! We took the subway as far as it would go in our direction and then had a 45-minute walk to our hotel. That's a 45-minute (hungry) walk with giant backpacks on our backs.

We finally made it and checked into our hotel, realizing a bit too late that (a) the hotel restaurant and room service were closed for the evening (b )we were at least a 30-minute walk from any open eating establishments, (c) we were in a very industrial and non-pedestrian-friendly area at about 11pm. We left the hotel and desperately walked along a major highway for about 20 minutes, looking for something, ANYTHING, to eat. When we realized we were much more likely to find a prostitute than a pizza, we admitted defeat and headed back to our room.

We ordered drinks from the hotel "bar" (a dirty room with a few random liquor bottles and two cafeteria-style formica tables) because we couldn't think of anything else to do. They didn't even have milk to make me a White Russian, so instead I got a Black Russian that cost 14 Euros. The Dude (probably more wisely) had a beer. Back in the hotel room, I raged through two cans of mini-bar Pringles. I didn't even enjoy them--I only ate them out of spite! Milan--1, Mice--0.

Eventually we both passed out with thoughts of tomato-y pasta and garlic-y break filling up our angry, hungry little heads. But the next day was a brand new day, and hey! We were on our honeymoon, so we determined to make the most of our one day in Milan.

The Dude had done all of the planning for Milan. All I knew was I wanted to do some shopping! We took the subway to the main square in the city, which is home to the exquisite Milan Cathedral, a foreboding yet beautiful Gothic explosion that towers over the entire square. After lunch (oh, heavenly sandwiches and potato chips!), we explored every angle of the cathedral.

The Dude suggested we head over to see the Last Supper, which is housed in a church a few stops over from the main square. We hopped back on the subway and arrived at the church, pumped up to see the Last Supper! We walked inside and tried to purchase tickets from the woman sitting at the desk. She informed us that no we wouldn't be getting in to see the Last Supper and that, in fact, it was "booked" until November. What? You have to have RESERVATIONS to see the Last Supper? In a church? Doesn't it seem like there is something wrong with that? Milan--2, Mice--0.

Not to be deterred, we headed back to the main square to get some major shopping in (H&M, Zara, Intimissimi!), as well as to consume massive amounts of beer, espresso, and gelato. Several hundred Euros later, we felt much better! We strolled through the arcade, trying our best to appreciate the city despite our experiences. C'mon, how spoiled could we be? There's no pouting on your honeymoon!

We hung out until dark, did some more damage to our wallets, and then had an amazing (but pricey) dinner in a restaurant in the arcade. The best part: there was a guy singing some covers in English, and I swear he sounded like an Italian Willie Nelson. We were thoroughly entertained. Milan--2, Mice--1.

By the way, when we took this video, we still hadn't figured out that the music was coming from inside the restaurant. We had no idea he was singing live until right before we left! Yeah, maybe we were little tipsy?

Our day in Milan definitely ended on a high note. Up next: we head to Greece!

Did you miss something? Try and keep up, OK? ;)
Mice in Europe: Paris Part I
Mice in Europe: Paris Part II
Mice In Europe: Versailles

Mice in Europe: Versailles

2009-10-19T23:57:00.000-05:00

Somehow on the third day in Paris, we managed to take zero photos. So this post is all video. I apologize if you're reading this from work, and you can't watch them!

It was our final day in Paris, and we decided to spend the day in Versailles--if you're not familiar with it, Versailles is a city located just a little outside of Paris. It's the home of the famously ornate Château de Versailles, well known as the home of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI during their marriage. We read in our guidebook that you should get there early, as the Palace tends to get very crowded with tourists during the day. The book also suggested spending the entire day in Versailles. We took the Metro and the RER (kind of like a suburban rail), and it took us about an hour total.

When we arrived, it was cloudy and cold and windy, and we were sleepy! And we had to walk a pretty good way from the train stop to the Palace. Honestly, I just wanted to go back to sleep.

Our first impression upon walking up to the front of the Palace was "Uh, where's all the grass and trees and stuff?"

In our heads, we pictured the Palace of Versailles as we had seen it in paintings or movies: with a beautifully landscaped entrance leading up to the brilliant golden gates. Needless to say, we weren't prepared for all of the gravel. Or the raging lines of tourists. Or the tartar hangover I had from the night before, apparently.

We pressed on and got to see part of the inside of the palace. First, the chapel.

Then down a hall of marble statutes, where the Dude got a little lost.

After peeking into the king's and the queen's quarters, as well as a massive art gallery featuring paintings that tell the history of France through battles, we popped out back to see the gardens.

They were gorgeous, but it was still windy and cold, so we headed off the grounds to find shelter and sustenance.

After grabbing a quick bite and doing a bit of shopping, we hopped on the train back into Paris. We took naps and then ventured out to a sidewalk cafe for some espresso (me) and Coke (the Dude). Can I just say right now that if you go to Paris (or Rome, or Milan, or most other big European cities), you should definitely go to a sidewalk cafe just for drinks at least once a day. I wish we had them here in the States!

Refreshed, we explored the neighborhood around our hotel to get some provisions for our "picnic." Originally we'd wanted to grab food and take it with us to the Eiffel Tower, but it was too chilly. We settled for a cozy evening on our hotel balcony with some wine, cookies, and a baguette. Oh, and don't forget some delicious pastries from this chocolate shop.

Apparently the French girls were also excited for the Dude to get his chocolate on!

At 12:30, we tried one more time to make it to the Eiffel tower by 1am to see it razzle dazzle.

We made it!

Up next: As we head to Italy, our trip takes a turn for the worse.

Did you miss something? Try and keep up, OK?
Mice in Europe: Paris Part I
Mice in Europe: Paris Part II

Mice in Europe: Paris Part II

2009-10-15T13:57:00.000-05:00

For our second day in Paris, I decided to take the Dude to a few of my favorite Parisian locales from when I was there six years ago. Since he didn't care about museums, I planned a day packed with as many iconic Paris sites as possible. We started off the day with a Metro ride to Champs-Elysees, the gorgeous tree-lined shopping district, at the end of which the Arc de Triumph stands proudly in the center of the biggest roundabout I've ever seen. Unfortunately I don't have any photos, since we still hadn't found a charger for our camera.

We did some shopping along the avenue--I bought tights and a pair of hightop sneaker/boot thingies because I was FREEZING. We popped into an electronics store and found a universal charger that we were able to use later that night to charge the camera battery--score! We had some interesting pizza in a cafe, pepperoni with a fried egg on top! Finally, we stopped at Lauduree for some macarons.

Please pardon my dorkiness in this video.

After admiring the Arc de Triumph some more, we jumped back on the Metro and headed to Montmarte, which is sort of an artist district. We walked around the area where all of the painters and sketch artists hang out with their easels. This is the part of Paris where you are most likely to see people wearing berets! We got to the base of the steps leading up to the Sacre Coeur, right next to the ornate carousel (which the Dude recognized from Amelie!). I wanted to check out the Dali museum, so we headed there first, not realizing that the streets we were taking were actually taking us up the back way to the Sacre Coeur, one of the most gorgeous cathedrals in the world.

Source

After the museum, we got some crepes and ate them on the steps of the Sacre Coeur. Outside, the sun was warm and bright, children shouted, some guy sang Oasis covers amplified with a microphone. Then we stepped into the church and it took our breath away. Inside it was cool, dark, and peaceful. The ceiling soared above our heads, and we couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. We're not religious people, but being inside this magnificent cathedral made me feel connected to Christianity (and other, even more ancient religions) in a weird way.

At this point, we were exhausted, so we headed back to the hotel to take a quick nap before the evening we had planned. The Dude captured this gorgeous sunset from the balcony while I slept.

We headed back to the Metro to catch some of my favorite sites by night. There's a reason Paris is known as the City of Lights, people! First we headed to the Louvre--the Dude was especially interested in seeing the glass pyramids at the entrance. It was difficult to take pictures, but we got a couple.

You guys better get used to this flannel I'm wearing--it's the only cover-up I brought!

Then we crossed over the Seine to head towards Notre Dame.

One of my favorite pictures from the whole trip!

Before we got there, we stopped in at a random bar we found on a side street for a drink. I had a Carlsberg and the Dude had some Bailey's on ice. When the bartender brought us our drinks, he switched them, assuming that the woman would've ordered the Bailey's. :) The bar was cool and a bit divey. It reminded us of Austin, so we felt at home.

Then, Notre Dame by night. I wish we could've gone inside, but it's so gorgeous all lit up.

From here, we headed back to the Metro stop near our hotel to find a cafe for dinner. We had an amazing late dinner, where I tried escargot. It's so delicious! I can't believe I was a little afraid of it. After dinner, we tried to head to the Eiffel Tower to see it sparkle, like it does at 9pm and 1am every night. We realized after we paid our check that we only had about 15 minutes to get there. So we ran! We hauled ass across the dark, windy streets to try to get a good view of the tower all dazzling. As we were running, we saw the tip of the tower over some buildings as it started to flash--then we rounded a corner and just as we got a full-on view, the tower went dark. We were a little disappointed but resolved to make it the next night.

I'll leave you guys with a video of me and the Dude underground at one of the Metro stops.

Mice in Europe: Paris Part I

2009-10-11T11:51:00.000-05:00

Why hello there, hive. It's good to be back!

Look, it's candy mice! Right in between candy swans and candy piglets! I saw these at a chocolate shop in Paris and couldn't resist taking a picture.

Now that I've distracted you with cuteness, my recaps can officially begin! I'm going to start with our European honeymoon. Originally we wanted to go to Greece, but we decided it would be fun to throw in a few nights in Paris and then take a train through France and Italy, stopping in Milan for one night. After Milan, we flew to Greece, where we spent a week traveling to two islands and then finished up the trip in Athens.

The Dude and I brought our Flip video cameras that we purchased for the wedding along with us, in addition to a regular camera. So along with our photos, I will also be sharing at least one video per post with you guys. But you have to make it to the end of the post to get to the video(s)! OK, without further ado . . .

The day after our wedding, we filled up two giant backpacks, got in the car, and headed to Fort Worth. We were supposed to spend the night with the Dude's cousin, but he forgot and somehow ended up in Oklahoma! So we got to stay at a beautiful hotel in downtown FW, the Ashton. We caught our flight the next day at DFW and spend the next 9 hours or so on a plane. We arrived in London around 8am, and had to immediately catch our flight to Paris.

Once in Paris, we hopped on the train and took it all the way in to the city, near our hotel.

Here's a picture of the Dude to show you just how jetlagged we were at this point.

We checked into our boutique hotel, freaked out over how beautiful our room was, and then proceeded to check our email on our room's flat panel tv.

Yeah, we were pretty impressed by the Versace tile in the bathroom.

Even though the bed was so tempting, we rallied and headed over to the Eiffel Tower instead of taking what would have been a glorious nap. I had been to Paris before, and the Dude hadn't. He convinced me to go up in the Eiffel Tower--something I had never done before--even though I was terrified.

On our way to the Eiffel Tower, something very bad and unexpected happened. My camera battery died! Unfortunately I have no more pictures of our first day in Paris, but I do have some video and a pretty cool story.

Here's some video of the view from the glass elevator that took us to the top of the Eiffel Tower.

After we came back down, I needed something to revive me, so we headed over to a little cafe, Cafe Central, and we each had a glass of wine. We wandered around and found another sidewalk cafe for dinner, where I ordered the mussels and got a GIANT POT of mussels. I must have eaten at least 50 of them, and the bowl was still 3/4 full! At some point, it started to rain on us, so we moved inside and had dessert and espresso. By that, I mean the Dude had dessert and I had espresso. :)

Once the rain cleared up a bit, we tried to make it back to our hotel. Instead, we ended up getting lost on the windy streets and going in the opposite direction of our hotel. Then the sky opened up again, and we got caught in the (very cold) rain. We ducked into a doorway and huddled there for warmth, trying to look at our laminated map to figure our where we went wrong. I finally convinced the Dude that we should wait for a cab at the taxi stand. We hopped in the cab, got back to our hotel, and headed up to our room like two drowned (and very, very jetlagged) rats. Sleep was oh-so-good that night.

I'll leave you with one last video.

My Bachelorette Party: A Super-Chill Night Out

2009-09-29T08:22:00.001-05:00

We're back! After two weeks in Europe, the Dude and I made it back to Austin! We haven't even been home long enough to ditch the jet lag, but I'm almost ready to start blogging about our trip. First, though, is the obligatory bachelorette party post. I was holding out blogging about it until I got some more photos, but I think I've scrounged up enough at this point.

A few of the ladies who made it to the par-tay. Kelli, me, Anne, Abi, and Katie.

Ten days before the wedding, MOH Deniz flew down from Queens. We hadn't seen each other in two years, so we had some serious catching up to do! She got right down to planning the bachelorette party, with a little feedback from me and some assistance from our friend, Amanda.

Source

My first request was that we stay in a funky, kitschy locale, the Austin Motel. It's basically an Austin landmark, right in the heart of the hip South Congress area. Unfortunately, my bachelorette party was scheduled to take place during Labor Day weekend, so most places were full, including Austin Motel. Not to worry! My MOH booked us a room at the Hyatt, which is right on Lady Bird Lake. We managed to get a room on the only floor with a balcony, which had incredible views of the Austin skyline. It was the perfect place to get the party started with a champagne toast. (Right after a spontaneous icebreaker where everyone shared their favorite Miss Mouse-having-too-much-to-drink story. Oops! I didn't realize I had so many!)

Photo by Katie

Seriously, check out this ridiculous view!

Because we felt like it, we had dessert before dinner.

For dinner, we walked a few blocks to a restaurant on South Congress that I had been dying to try: Perla's, which specializes in oysters and other seafood. They had at least six different varieties of oysters on the half shell, and we tried about four of them. Hands down the best oysters I've ever had in Austin! I will definitely be going back with the Dude at some point.

Photo by Katie

Afterward, we hit up two of my favorite bars in Austin--Shangri La and Rio Rita, both on East Sixth. The East Side of Austin is quickly becoming one of the trendy places to hang out. I like it because it's close to where I live, and these bars have a much chiller vibe than the rowdy, frat-like dives that line the other, more famous side of Sixth Street.

Here's Amanda, me, and Abi at Shangri La. I don't think Abi knew she was in this picture! You can also see my awesome wrist corsage that MOH Deniz and Amanda got me instead of a veil and sash, which I requested not to wear. I loved the corsage--drug it around all night even though it was incredibly heavy!

Photo by Katie

And here we are at Rio Rita, enjoying White Russians (my fave!). There's Abi, MOH Deniz, me, Kelli, and Amanda.

We called it a night kinda early and headed back to the hotel, where I had visions of cranking up some Santigold and continuing the party into the wee hours. However, everyone but Katie and me crashed pretty early. The two of us stayed up until around 4am on the balcony, admiring the view of the city. And making fun of the people three rooms down who, after coming back from the clubs, had a spontaneous dance party to C&C Music Factory.

The party was exactly what I needed--it was totally chill and it got me excited for all of the events to come!

You're Such a Tease

2009-09-22T15:01:00.000-05:00

Yep, technically we're still on our honeymoon, but I couldn't resist sharing this teaser shot that my photogs posted a few days ago!

They posted this photo six days ago, but I just now discovered it thanks to an email from my brand new sister-in-law. Thanks, J. Dawg!

For the next few days the Dude and I are exploring Greece, but I'll be back in action very soon with honeymoon recaps and more teasers from our rainy-day wedding. Miss you guys!

Here Comes the Sun

2009-09-11T00:29:00.000-05:00

I don't do well with expressing sentimental ideas. Nothing I type seems adequate to describe how happy I am that my wedding day is finally here. So I'll start with this: Today I'm marrying my favorite person in the world, and I feel so lucky.

In the past week, everything that could have gone wrong has. I found out at the last minute that the bust was way too big on my dress. The cookies I tried to bake turned out awful. There was a 70% chance of rain on the day of our backyard barbecue rehearsal dinner. The day before the rehearsal dinner, we couldn't get in contact with the RD caterers. In the end, my dress fits, we ordered some cookies from a bakery, and we got a giant tent for the RD and enough BBQ to feed an army. It seemed as though there wasn't a problem that we couldn't solve.

I know today won't be perfect. I also know it won't be the "best day of my life." What I do know is that I will marry the Dude, I will eat some damn store-bought, non-organic cookies. I will dance with my friends and laugh with my family. I'll remember my father and feel closer to him than I have in a long time. It will all go by way too fast.

It's been real, you guys. I've loved every minute of blogging for Weddingbee, and I don't intend to stop here.

Love,

Miss Mouse

All Natural Raw Honey Favors

2009-09-05T01:48:00.000-05:00

One week before the wedding my MOH, my mom, and I decided to tackle the honey favors. It was a total assembly line, and the process went very smoothly.

My mom filled the test tubes with honey and corked them.

MOH Deniz dipped the corked tubes into a bowl of beeswax that we melted on the stove using the double-boiler method. The beeswax acted as a the perfect, natural seal for these test tubes.

She then left the beeswax to cool by sticking dipped the test tubes into a container filled with rice, for stability.

I was the last step in the assembly process--I cut out twine and used it to tie the tags I made a few weeks ago onto the test tubes.

Here's a close-up of the finished product.

Here they are, all packed up and ready to be delivered to the reception site.

I'm so happy with the way these turned out. I think everyone will appreciate their edible favors!

Paneled Program Fans: DIY Tutorial

2009-09-04T14:02:00.000-05:00

Thanks to my maid of honor, who swooped in two days ago and came to the rescue, the program fans are now pretty much done! This was an incredibly time consuming process, so I suggest starting it way head of time if you plan on making these.

The finished product

These are the supplies you will need:

heavy-weight cardstock
color printer and lots of ink
scissors
Crop-a-dile eyelet setter/hole punch
3/16 eyelets, the extra-long variety
ribbon (optional)

Supplies

The first step, after downloading the template from Aylee Bits, is to come up with some content for your programs. I knew that I wanted to do six panels, so I decided on the following:

1. a cover page
2. wedding party part one
3. wedding party part two
4. a ceremony outline
5. an explanation of handfastings
6. a dedication page

I spent a little while typing out what I wanted each panel to say in Word. It wasn't formatted correctly, but it was good to just get the content down. I did a bit of quick internet research on handfastings in order to explain the concept to guests, most of whom have probably never seen a handfasting before.

I had planned on downloading some free fonts, uploading clip art, and putting the whole thing together in Word. Fortunately, one of my good friends (the same one who threw my Rock Band shower--she's a keeper) has a copy of Photoshop and knows how to use it. She listened to my ideas and looked at my inspiration photos and helped me pick out some Photoshop brushes to use for the programs. She got down to the nitty gritty of getting the template into Photoshop while I trolled Dafont for the perfect font.

We perfected our design, and I messed around with Photoshop enough to figure out how to type text into it. Once I got the hang of it, the text was much easier to format than it is in Word. I'm definitely a fan of Photoshop now.

The printed programs, just waiting for some cutting action

After our design was complete, I used my Canon Pixma printer to print the programs onto heavy, cream-colored cardstock. This project calls for a fairly thick cardstock because people will be fanning themselves with these things. The next step was cutting, cutting, and more cutting. We watched the first season of Veronica Mars (probably for about the fifth or sixth time) in order to make the cutting less painful. Less mentally painful, that is. It was still physically painful. The tip of my middle finger has been numb for the last 72 hours from all the cutting!

The fruits of all our cutting

Once all the cutting was done, it was time to put the panels into stacks and connect them with the eyelets. I started off with a traditional eyelet setting tool and hole punch, each of which involved a cutting mat, a hammer, and lots of banging. It just wasn't doing it for me, so I read some reviews and decided to invest in a Crop-a-dile. The Crop-a-dile is perfect for this type of eyelet setting where you are punching throught 6 pieces of thick cardstock at a time. I highly recommend this tool. I also made the mistake of buying eyelets that were too short. There was just not enough metal stick out of the back to hold the last sheet of cardstock in place. After scouring the shelves of Hobby Lobby, we finally found some extra-long eyelets that were designed to be used on leather--they turned out to be perfect!

The cover page

One note of caution: if you press down too hard on the Crop-a-dile when setting the eyelets, the panels will be packed in too tightly. You have to make sure the eyelet is tight enough to hold the pages together, yet loose enough so that guests can spread the pages out into a fan. It takes a little playing around with the tools until you get the hang of it. My MOH, Deniz, was instrumental in figuring out how to use the Crop-a-dile and in finding the extra-long eyelets. I'm so glad she came into town at the right moment to help me finish this project!

Ribbons!

The last step is the ribbons. We simply cut out three different colors of thin, satin ribbon, threaded them through each eyelet, and tied them at the botttom, forming a loop large enough to fit around someone's wrist. We chose colors that matched those on the programs: gray, green, and cream. The ribbon isn't structurally necessary, but I think it added some softness and really tied everything together.

What was your most time-consuming DIY project?

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed . . . Well, You Know the Rest

2009-09-02T03:05:00.000-05:00

There are so many projects that I'm in the middle of right now that I can't wait to share with you guys. For now, I'll let you in on all of my "somethings" that I've gathered for the big day.

Not the actual ring, but it looks similar to this.

Something old: One day a few months ago I was at my mom's house. She was giving me an old tin to possibly use in my wedding, so I started cleaning out all of the stuff in it. I found a delicate little ring with a row of diamonds across the top. My mom had never seen it before, but she assumed it had belonged to her grandmother, my great-grandma. We're still not sure how old the ring is or what it symbolized, but my mom now wears it every day. I asked if I could borrow it for the wedding, and she happily obliged.

Something new: my kick-ass wedding dress, made by the fabulous Sarah Seven.

Source

Something borrowed: A Nu-bra, from a friend who got married last year and wore it with her wedding dress. TMI? Oh well.

My locket, with the teeniest photo of my dad inside

Something blue: Mrs. Perfume helped me to come up with the idea of replacing the gold chain on my locket with a blue silk string. I ransacked a local craft shop, and the closest thing I could come up with was some sparkly, pale blue embroidery thread.

So I guess I've got all my bases covered.

Are you participating in this tradition? What are your "somethings"?

A Shower that Rocks

2009-09-01T01:25:00.000-05:00

OK, I have to fess up. From the moment that I got engaged, I thought I wanted no part of the wedding shower tradition. It just seemed so . . . traditional. A close friend of ours (who is doing a reading in our ceremony) made an offer to throw me one right after she found out we were engaged, and I refused. "We're not registering," I said, "so I don't need a shower."

So what happened? I changed my mind, of course. Over the months, as I watched several friends wed (including virtual friends) I started to get jealous of all the love they were experiencing at their showers. I wanted one now, too! So I dropped a few (not so subtle) hints to some of my friends, and they gracefully obliged with the awesomest, most Miss Mouseiest shower of all time.

The shower took place at mine and the Dude's house! Maybe a bit nonstandard, but it was great for me--I didn't have to go anywhere! The hostess (a good friend who happened to be crashing at my place until her sublease came through) set up the living room and kitchen area while I hid in the tv room watching reruns of America's Next Top Model. Didn't she make the place look pretty?

Everyone chatted as people started to arrive.

The hostess finished laying out the provisions.

There was a plethora of food (mostly vegetarian--score!) from Central Market. Mmmmm.

Chicken-stuffed poblano peppers and veggie lasagna

After eating all of this delicious food, I only had to sit still to open one card--a joint gift from all of my shower guests, plus a couple of people who couldn't make it.

The gift was . . . wait for it . . . Rock Band Beatles Edition for Wii! But I would also have to wait for it . . . because it doesn't come out until September 9th. Not to worry, though. My lovely hostess brought over her Rock Band equipment and both Rock Band 1 and 2. So we all refilled our champagne glasses and/or grabbed beers and crammed ourselves into the tv room to play Rock Band into the night.

I only have two pictures of us playing Rock Band, and they both look like we're all really bored. But I swear it was WAY more fun than it looks!

My mom's the only one who looks like she's having any fun, and she didn't even play!

Later on the Dude and one of his friends (the husband of one of my awesome shower guests) showed up to join the party.

The shower was perfect! I just wish I had taken better pictures. I don't even have a picture of my outfit with the blue mary-jane heels that I wore. :( I suck at this documentarian stuff! I'll get better pictures at the bachelorette party, I promise. Oh, and at the Rock Band Beatles Edition party that is very likely to take place two nights before the wedding!

Would you consider having a nontraditional shower? If so, what would yours be like?

A Playlist with a Beat

2009-08-29T15:13:00.000-05:00

I wrote a few months ago about wanting an "alternative" dance party. Although I still feel very strongly about not playing all the cheesy, tried and true wedding "classics" such as "YMCA" and "Brick House," I've definitely compromised a bit. I've thrown in a ton of catchy pop songs in order to maximize dancing. Keep in mind, I'm not expecting much of the older crowd to dance a lot. Most of them probably wouldn't dance no matter what we play.

At any rate, here is our "Dance Party" playlist. Feel free to use any or all of it as inspiration! Oh, one tip: the Dude applied for a credit card that gives him free Itunes gift cards as an incentive for using the card. We were able to use the free gift cards to purchase some of the songs we didn't already own!

1. I Turn My Camera On (Spoon)
2. Whatever You Like (T.I.)
3. Just a Friend (Biz Markie)
4. Forever (Chris Brown)
5. Beat It (Michael Jackson)
6. P.Y.T. (Michael Jackson)
7. Crazy (Gnarls Barkley)
8. Billie Jean (Michael Jackson)
9. Under Pressure (Queen & David Bowie)
10. Down (Jay Sean feat. Lil Wayne)
11. Sunshowers (M.I.A.)
12. Everyone's At It (Lily Allen)
13. Hey Ya! (Andre 3000)
14. Ignition Remix (R. Kelly)
15. Transformer (Gnarls Barkely)
16. Do Ya (Electric Light Orchestra)
17. B.O.B. (Outkast)
18. Move Your Feet (Junior Senior)
19. Ghetto Musick (Big Boi)
20. Paper Planes (M.I.A.)
21. Shoop (Salt-N-Pepa)
22. The Way You Make Me Feel (Michael Jackson)
23. Wanna Be Startin' Somthin' (Michael Jackson)
24. You Want the Candy (The Raveonettes)
25. I'm So Excited (Le Tigre)

It's already quite long, so most likely we won't even get to the end of it. Every single song on this list makes me smile (and they're all Dude-approved), so I'm happy.

Marriage License? Check!

2009-08-28T21:55:00.000-05:00

On Thursday the Dude had the day off, so we went to the County Clerk's office to pick up our marriage license! I was totally excited about it, and the Dude played along rather nicely.

It was altogether pretty uneventful, except for two things.

First, the woman at the front desk asked to see the Dude's driver's license. It happens to have a photo that was taken when he was 21 and had short hair and no beard. The woman gasped aloud and said, "What happened?" I cracked up.

As we were leaving, I insisted we take a photo of ourselves with the license. At first we tried the reach-around shot, but then a guy handing out political propaganda asked if we wanted him to take our photo. The Dude was like, "No, that's OK." But I said, "Sure!" He made us take some literature afterwards with a photo of Obama wearing a (very realistic looking) Hitler mustache. At least we got a good photo!

It's getting real, folks!

A Bee's Life: Miss Mouse Speaks

2009-08-26T22:02:00.000-05:00

I was introduced to the wide world of blogging back in 2003. All my college friends at the time had LiveJournal accounts, and I wanted in on the action. Finally, I got my invite and I could begin blogging! Mainly my LiveJournal blog was a series of inside jokes between my roommates and me--accounts of our drunken shenanigans, from Michael Jackson dance parties to sneaking into bars with fake IDs. I eventually lost interest in my account once we all graduated and moved on to the next phase of our lives.

Once in law school, I started to obsess over blogs like Go Fug Yourself and Cute Overload. I had not yet been bitten by the wedding bug. Then one fateful day in Constitutional Law class, my good friend Mrs. Kitten (at the time not yet a Bee) introduced me to Weddingbee. I was instantly hooked! I can even remember the first post I read--it was all about hand canceling stamps. Of course I had no idea what that was, but pretty soon I was down with all the wedding lingo, from chiavari chairs to Goccos to FMILs.

Witnessing my addiction firsthand, the future Mrs. Kitten suggested a few days later that I apply to be a Bee. I was like, "No way, I'll never have time to start a blog. And even if I did, why would they pick me?" But the seed of the idea was planted, and it continued to grow and grow.

A few months later, Mrs. Kitten became a Bee, and I was so excited for her that I almost felt like *I* had become one! At this point, I had already started blogging, but I really didn't have the hang of blogging for Weddingbee's audience yet. I was so caught up in trying to be clever that I totally missed the point. When I had less than eight months to go until my wedding, I sent in my application. A month later, I got a rejection. I was pretty devastated, but I decided to keep trying. I tweaked old posts and kept cranking out new ones at a steady pace. Something still wasn't clicking. Maybe the wedding just wasn't close enough yet for me to have really concrete ideas of projects or visions for the decor.

The more I thought about it, I just wasn't ready to give up the idea of being a Bee. I had thoroughly enjoyed blogging for an audience (at the time my 12 followers!), and I wanted to write for a wider readership. I also really wanted the support of such a great group of bloggers and readers to help get me through all of the drama that planning a wedding inevitably brings. So I tweaked my application one last time, while continuing to blog. However this time, I was a lot more focused. As I wrote each post, I could imagine it appearing on the Weddingbee home page. And this time, when I reapplied to Weddingbee, I didn't tell a soul. Not even Mrs. Kitten or the Dude. I guess I didn't want to jinx it, as I felt this was my last real shot at becoming a Bee.

When I got the acceptance email from Mrs. Penguin three weeks later, I was on a high. I felt like all my dedication and perseverance had paid off. The best news was the coveted (by me, at least) Mouse icon was still available.

The past three months of blogging for Weddingbee have been amazing. It is an adjustment when your posts first go up on Weddingbee and you start getting lots of comments. In the first few weeks I would take comments that disagreed with me way too seriously, but I eventually realized that most commenters are genuinely trying to give advice or simply share their opinions.

It's been a slow process of trying to develop my Weddingbee persona because I find it very difficult to put myself into a category. I'm often contradictory, and I change my mind almost constantly--sometimes without realizing I changed it! I think it is important as one blogger among many to make your personality stand out in some way--not forcing it or faking it, but possibly exaggerating certain characteristics in order to be memorable. This is just an ideal to strive for; I obviously have not accomplished this because both my wedding and my personality are all over the place. Hmm, maybe that's my "thing"--I'm eclectic. :)

Say "Yes" to the Dress(es)

2009-08-26T20:28:00.000-05:00

Over the past several months, I've been collecting dresses to wear at all of my various pre-wedding celebrations. I tried them all on yesterday, and it's a good thing I did! I came across a couple of unexpected issues.

The Shower Dress

This is the dress that I was hoping to wear to my upcoming wedding shower on Saturday. I bought it back in March at the White House Black Market outlet. At the time, it was formfitting and very flattering. As you can see, it is now way too loose on top and not flattering at all! I think this dress is definitely out. It's not special enough to spend the money on taking it to a tailor's.

The Mother/Daughter Brunch Dress

This is the Antrhopologie dress I bought a few weeks ago, after my brother generously gave me a gift certificate for my birthday. I absolutely love it, even though it looks a bit wrinkly here. I'm planning on having a mother/daughter brunch at Sandra Bullock's restaurant as soon as my FMIL and FSIL get into town before the wedding. I'll definitely be wearing this dress. But the more I think about it, why can't this dress do double duty at my shower this weekend?

The Rehearsal Dinner Dress

I bought this floaty number at Zara about two months ago. When I tried it on, I realized the top panel was sheer, so I bought an appropriate bra. However, when I tried it on today, I realized the whole dress is pretty much see-through! I definitely can't wear it out in public like this. I'll be hitting up some lingerie departments over the next few days to try and find a suitable slip. Good thing I caught this mistake now! I can't wait to pair this gauzy dress with my black vintage cowboy boots.

The Bachelorette Party Dress

Thanks Weddingbee and especially Miss Apple Cider for introducing me to Mod Cloth. I bought this dress there, and I am so in love with it! I can't wait to wear it to my bachelorette party (only nine days from now)!

OK, so maybe I went a little bit crazy with all of these dresses, but after the wedding I will get tons of wear out of them! Maybe I can even sell the first one.

What's your favorite place to shop for fancy dresses?

Decking the Aisle

2009-08-25T20:23:00.000-05:00

We're keeping our ceremony decor sweet and simple. There's no need to drop thousands of dollars on florals when you're already getting married in a beautiful garden.

Source

After our first meeting with our florist, we had decided on hydrangea pomanders tied with black ribbon to hang in the aisle, as well as one large garland to drape over the archway, which will be behind us during the ceremony. The garland will be very natural--filled with lots of greenery, hanging amaranthus, and cream garden roses.

The more I thought about the hydrangea balls, the more I thought they didn't really fit in with our aesthetic. I came across some amazing inspiration photos, right here on the Weddingbee Boards, and a new idea was born: mint julep cups!

Source

I know mint juleps are sort of a Southern thing, but the image of hydrangeas in these dainty cups would really complement the English Garden theme (I use the term loosely) of our wedding. Can't you just imagine them hooked onto the back of a chair with lush, green-and-pink hydrangeas fluffing out?

Source

I started searching the internet (where else?) for affordable mint julep cups. Plastic versions abounded, but I thought they might look cheap in person. I hit up Ebay but found nothing but super-expensive heirloom cups. Finally, I tried the Weddingbee Classifieds and ended up with six silver-plated mint julep cups for a very reasonable price. However, when I received them in the mail, I started to freak out; they were really heavy! Were the chairs going to hold their weight? And how in the hell was I going to attach the cups to the chairs? Because they didn't have a lip, there was nothing to twist a wire or a piece of twine around.

I put the cups aside and went on to worrying about more pressing tasks. Cut to yesterday. I started freaking out about this project again, so I tried looking for some type of clips to attach to the cups that would hang from the backs of the chairs. I found a few potentials online, then decided to go to Joann's to see what they looked like in person. Unfortunately, Joann's didn't have the "pew clips," as they are called, so it was back to panic. I decided to email my florist, who as I have said before, is part of the Barr Mansion team.

This is the reply I got, four minutes later:

I am SURE I can attach them to the chairs—you let me worry about that. Just drop off the cups and I'll do the rest. : )

Thanks!!

Um, awesome! Wedding stress officially avoided. Ceremony decor: check!

Do you ever get to the point where a simple wedding task seems completely insurmountable?

And the Winner Is . . .

2009-08-24T22:39:00.000-05:00

this necklace!

I realized I didn't have time to order necklaces online and see which ones worked out, so instead I hit up a local boutique and spotted this cool owl necklace. It's similar to one of my Etsy inspiration necklaces, so I scooped it up. The cashier was nice enough to find me a longer chain so that it's compatible with my locket. I like how simple the combo is (the necklaces won't take away from my dress!), while at the same time it's a bit quirky.

Please excuse my greasy hair and no make-up. (Who am I kidding, you guys are used to it by now.)

Now the only minor problem is, the original earrings I bought no longer match! I'm thinking of wearing some tiny gold circular studs that I just bought instead. But I need a "something blue!" I'm not wearing a garter, and I don't really have room for any extra accessories. My shoes are black. What's a girl to do?

Make Your Own Magnetic Spice Rack

2009-08-23T18:12:00.000-05:00

When I first became a Bee, I told you guys that I was planning on creating favors by putting locally farmed honey into test tubes and corking them. I also told you that I had a project in mind for the test tubes that would be leftover after I finished the favors. Well, here it is! I decided to use the extra test tubes and corks to create a stylish and convenient place to store all of my spices. It's a really simple project.

The supplies

To begin, you will need the following supplies:

1 metal strip that can be mounted to the wall (mine was $.69 at Ikea)
2 packages of sticky-backed magnetic strips (Michael's)
About 20 test tubes (Ebay)
About 20 corks (WidgetCo)
Various kitchen spices and herbs
1 funnel

I started by taking all of the spices and herbs off of the shelf and throwing away ones that were gross or old. This is what my spice rack looked like before. Icky. The fact that some of the spices didn't fit into the box was driving me crazy! Not to mention all the mismatched containers! (Yep, I'm a habitual over-organizer.)

I started by creating a funnel out of a piece of paper and some tape. A real funnel would have bee a lot easier to use, but I went with what I had. Then I started pouring spices from their jars into the test tubes and plugging them with the corks.

Be sure to clean your funnel out after every spice (or make a new one if you're using paper) so that one spice doesn't get contaminated with another. You can also do similar spices back to back, such as cinnamon and cinnamon sugar, or garlic and garlic salt.

It's also important that you either label the spices after you add them to the test tubes or write down which spices you put in the test tubes in order. It would really suck to finish this project and then realize you had no idea what was in each tube! I decided to go with a reference list instead of labels in order to keep the test tubes looking clean and neat.

The next step is to cut your magnetic strips and stick them to the backs of the test tubes. I made sure to cut the strips pretty long to ensure that they would be strong enough to hold the tubes up. I ended up cutting them to about the length of the metal piece.

Once you have all of your spices in their test tubes and the magnets attached, the final step is to mount the metal piece on the wall. I simply used screws and a power drill. Pretty easy! Then you can arrange your spices any way you like--just remember to somehow note what each one is!

The finished product

I was able to mount my new spice rack right over the sink. Because of this little project, I was able to put all of the spice jars away into a cabinet for refills later. We got rid of the metal rack in our kitchen and opened up a ton of space!

This is a project that I've been wanting to try forever, and I'm so glad I finally found the time.

How are you using leftover supplies from your wedding?

It's Getting Hot in Here

2009-08-21T23:11:00.000-05:00

Ever since we first booked our venue for end of summer and decided on an outdoor ceremony, I've had to face the fact that Central Texas is hot. Not just hot; it's sweltering. It gets so humid here in the summer that when you step outside it feels like you're being blasted with truck exhaust. I love the heat, so for me it feels like being wrapped up in a warm blanket, but most people do not feel that way.

Enter my DIY solution: program fans! This project is one of the first ones I decided I wanted to do. However, figuring out how to accomplish it has been a little complicated. At first I thought I would go with the paddle shaped fans on a tongue depressor-type stick. But then I decided it would be more fun to create a paneled fan that folds out into a traditional fan shape.

Here is some great inspiration I found on the net.

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If I were going for the paddle fans, I'd do something like this. Pretty and simple, and that font is freaking amazing.

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This is one of the loveliest paneled fans I've seen yet. I'm obsessed with the colors and the big, bold graphic on the front panel.

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This one is pretty much the same idea. I think going for a pop of color on the front panel and picking out matching ribbon will be key.

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These are pretty cute, too!

Luckily, I discovered a template through one of my favorite wedding bloggers, The Un-bride. She linked me to this amazing template and tutorial that you can download for free! The artist's website is called Aylee Bits, and in addition to the free basic template, she offers a pre-designed template for purchase. You can also commission her to custom design a template for you!

I've decided to go the free template route, and I will share the final product with you guys when I get done. I just have one request: please share with me in the comments section any internet sources for free graphics and clip art that you know of!