Mara & Greg''s Wedding

[wallace]

Mara - Everything looks lovely. AS long as you love it- everyone will! THanks for sharing it with us. I havn't really thought about anything at all yet for my own wedding. Just perusing the Bride World posts is really making think about what I want to do.

Speaking of palm trees... I did look at invitations recently on www.finestationery.com and found myself ordering stuff I never thought I would go for! And I love it! It is amazing how being in love can open our minds. I wish you and Greg all the very best. Enjoy every little detail you plan - it's supposed to be fun!

You do have excellent taste and more importantly, you have excellent character. You are so thoughtful on all the post s I have read of yours. Greg is a very smart man!

BTW - who is Bof?

 

[AM]

Mara,

I looooooove your wedding dress. You look absolutely stunning. I am not for princess puffy dresses myself. I have been considering a dress like yours. But unfortunately, one must have the bod to pull this off. And you do!

Also, I'd like to thank you for all your advise on this website. When i do a search with a Q, I often find your name in the responses. Just thought you'd like to know that your input does not go unnoticed

Enjoy your wedding. You did a beautiful job planning it. Congradulations!

Anne

 

[Nicrez]

Indeed Mara's dress fits like a glove! YOU GO GIRL!

Also her deeds are not unnoticed, as she's recognized by Price Scope as one of the earliest and most important contributing posters here by her Diamonds in the Web Pin:

http://www.pricescope.com/diamondintheweb.aspx

Mara, are you getting more and more excited as the wedding gets closer?!

 

[AM]

thanks, nicrez. i am new here and it was more of a personal thanks, but good to know she has a pin.

 

[Mara]

Thanks Happy, that's very sweet!

Haha Nic....5 weeks out from the leaving date and about 6 til the wedding!! Kind of stressful, esp since I will be in Vegas next week for work, so I lose an entire week of detail planning (thank you card writing, itinerary creating, rehearsal dinner invitations!) which makes me more stressed. This weekend is full as well, getting ready for the trip and also have alterations tomorrow etc. So once I get back it will be EASTER weekend which I am hosting. ARGH!!! Too little time. But I hope it will all come together nicely.

I've ordered centerpieces and they are shipping to Hawaii as I type...so that's handled. Greg's wedding ring will be done next week, a week early, thank god! Still trying to find BM shoes and finalize on BM gifts. The list is endless!

 

[Nicrez]

Mara, I can only IMAGINE...I wouldn't be able to do it!

My friend Linda's getting married in 2006 and already has me signed up to write out all the invites! LOL! I just finished writing out her engagement party invites (all 60!) She's like you, all good with great tatses and details all over.

Me? I would be in Vegas wearing one of those white silk slip dresses with a pair of "wedding manolos" and be done with the whole ordeal!

Luckily for me and our wallet, my family is too nutty to stand for the length of a big wedding...

But...sometimes I can live vacariously through your wedding post, and my friend Linda's fabulous large wedding planning, so don't let us down, you better post pics!

 

[Mara]

Updates....here are a few pix from my bridal shower last weekend...I only have my set of pix so there are many more out there..figured I'd just post a few.

Nicole, my maid of honor,led the planning of the party with assistance from my other maids and her place looked FABULOUS. I don't have any pictures of the decor on my camera but she had orchids all over the house and big huge scented lilies. She made white cupcakes with white frosting and put orchids on top of them then layered them on plates on the table at different tiers. Totally beautiful. Everyone had a great time.




Here is the beautiful invitation she printed herself!

Sooo cute! The front and back of the 5x7 card. I love how the gal has dark hair like me!

 

[Mara]

Here is me and my maid of honor, Nicole...in black and white since the color version made us look *really* shiny!

B&W cures many picture evils!

 

[Mara]

This one is hilarious...the game was for everyone to put a paper on their head and draw a picture of 'Greg in his underwear on his wedding night'. My very conservative friend Michele drew THIS. It won the prize of course, absolutely hilarious! She swears that shapely protrusion is his UNDWEAR and notice the massive amounts of hair she drew around his whole upper body. Yikes!

The close runner-up was my friend Stacie who's drawing looked like Greg had a bunch of fangs (they were his teeth), she pointed out, at least he is smiling ! Some of the pictures were absolutely hilarious! Great game.

 

[Mara]

Last...a pic of me holding a cute card my mom gave me...the card is adorable! The front reads something about how on my wedding day, there will be one less beautiful, amazing fish in the sea.

 

[Mara]

This is a screenshot of the invite I am thinking of having made for the rehearsal dinner (www.finestationery.com). The card actually has pressed flowers on it (around her waist) and raffia skirt! Looks adorable.




I am making gift bags for everyone with a sinamay bag, personalized travel candle, kauai coffee, flip flops and sunscreen...and was going to tuck this into their bag so they could see it when they arrive. Because we are doing a destination wedding, it takes some of the pressure of in terms of having to mail these beforehand, because pretty much if you are in Hawaii, you're coming to the dinner!

 

[Lanee]

Hi Mara,

I haven't been on a forum in a while but I know you're wedding is coming up and wanted to check on the details. The rings look great. I love the "on the hand" shots. Congrats. ANd your shower invite was really cute and I like the rehearsal one too. Well, if I'm not around again before you're wedding. . .I hope everything goes perfect and best wishes. I'll come back to look for pictures.

 

[Mara]

Thanks Lanee!!! I really appreciate the sentiments. 4 weeks to go...

 

[winyan]

Mara

Everything is coming along beautifully! I really adore everything you've planned, and worked so hard to make a memorable day for yourself and Greg.

I'm getting excited now myself! It's been 28 years since my own day, but I remember it well, and I know you will treasure yours too!

win

 

[AtlantaC]

Mara and guests,

You've got to see at least one sunset on Polihale Beach, the end of the road (and then some) on the west side of Kauai. The dirt road to get there is full of potholes and mud, but you can make it! Took us 40 minutes to drive 3.5 miles and it was worth every second.

If you haven't already taken one, the helicopter tours are amazing.

Chris

 

[Nicrez]

Mara, it all looks so fabulous!!! I can't even begin to imagine how much fun you guys had at the Bridal shower! It's funny, we are dying for a destination wedding, but I admire you with your effort to plan. I have gone from pretty excited to very very willing to tie the knot in a fuss-free civil wedding in NY!

How do you do it, with all the details!?! You did an AMAZING job on all the stuff, and so detailed, which to me, is what makes things so darned memorable (to those attending). My sister was good like that and made so many of those wedding details (as She's a marketing guru too!)...but me? I am SOOOO nervous about it all. The destination weddings seem like a nightmare waiting to happen, with supplies and choices so low and expensive. (at least on the east coast islands, like USVI and BVI) Did you have any help? Did you use a planner at all?

*head spinning* Was it a problem at all to have people go out to the destination (expense wise?) My mom is warning me that could set people back too much...but she's a worry-wart, so now I am too!!!

 

[fisiogrl]

Go Mara!

The time is ticking away.... almost there! Everything looks so great and I will tune back in afterwards to hear your update on how it goes down.

Best of luck!

 

[Mara]

Thanks fisio, we leave in ONE week. Yikes!




I picked up my dress today after 2nd round of alterations and it looks wonderful. Yay!

Lots to do and my list is still huge...but I think it will all work out, all the big stuff is taken care of. Honestly, I can't wait for it to get here because I am tired of having to do things for it! I just want to be in Hawaii enjoying the fruits of the labor. I booked spa treatments today for myself and some of the gals with the on-site spa....that will be HEAVEN!

I get the rings appraised tomorrow, shipping the gift bags over to Hawaii tomorrow as well, ordered a bunch of cute stuff this week from shopbop.com for the trip & got my rehearsal dress yesterday at BCBG.




Whew...

 

[luckyhonu]

Mara, I am so excited for you. I love your wedding dress! It's so pretty. I know that you'll have a great time for your wedding and everything will go smoothly - I can't wait for details when you get back from you wedding and honeymoon!

 

[pinkflamingo]

Hey Mara-


Pics look amazing! Where did you find the Japanese lanterns? We have been trying to find some just like yours for an upcoming outdoor party.




Thanks!!


Alda

 

[Mara]

These are the ones we got:


http://store.yahoo.com/paperlanternstore/ascolsatparl.html




I just Googled 'paper lantern' and found a bunch of hits but I think theirs were the best. Not expensive either!

Lots of shapes and colors! And theirs come with the electric lights included, you don't have to buy them separately.

 

[fire&ice]

Mara, I wanted to offer my heartfelt congratulations! Marriage really is Grand!

See ya around this week & we'll see ya around when you get back!

 

[Mara]

The countdown is on. We leave in 5 days!

I have been spending hours a day working on things for the wedding...so here are a few pictures of some fun stuff!

The first one here is our favor tin, it's very small, we had stickers made with our monogram and the date. I want to fill it with red hots..the little red candies!

The second is our travel candle, made for us by the gal on eBay. The stickers are similar here with wording that notes 'keep the fire burning'...ooh la la!




Third is our gift bag that I put together with a sinamay bag (natural fibers!), the travel candle, a kauai coffee, and waterproof sunscreens! It shows this one with the rehearsal dinner invite tucked inside, the welcome itinerary will also be tied to the front handles with sage ribbon. Oh and flip flops will be placed alongside the bags for people...but I didn't catch a picture of them.

 

[Mara]

Okay...here we have...(sorry the pix are grainy, the resizing really degraded the images..obviously in person the print is NOT like this..hehee).




The wedding welcome/itinerary which will be tied to the outside of the gift bags with thin sage ribbons. I spent hours working on this one! I took the image from our invitations, opaqued it so it was very watercolored as a background, then placed the text over it and printed onto white cardstock. It looks awesome in person, I am still tweaking text and placement of some items.




The wedding rehearsal invitation that is getting tucked into gift bags. This one was perfect, I bought it online...because Greg plays the saxaphone and he will be bringing it to the wedding. So the hula gals can represent me and my BM's and Greg is the sax player.

The wedding menu which I spent another few hours on one warm day...it's printed onto beautiful dark tan sparkly sand paper (you can hardly see the sparkles in the picture) and tied with raffia bows. Made these by hand!

Still have 28 more to print!




Lastly, what comes AFTER all the fun, our super cute thank you cards!! We got these online as well...I saw this and had to have it. I *adopted* the image as well for our return address labels since I didn't like the font that they offered online.

 

[Mara]

Last, but not least for tonite...pictures of me in my newly altered wedding dress!

I know some have been curious...and I got new wedding shoes today which I had to try with the dress, so figured I'd snap some pix. Obviously I can't ask Greg to help, so the camera had to be perched precariously somewhere in the room, or held in my hand in a lovely pose next to the hip so as to not alter the line of the gown. HAH!




In case anyone is wondering what was done to the dress: she lowered and cinched the bust (more flattering to my chest); let out the bust and brought in the waist slightly, new zipper; lowered the sides and the back; sewed on new beaded straps to match the dress (originals were not beaded); sewed in a light bra (crucial!); and gave me a small bustle for my train (visible in the side picture) which looks romantic from the back when bustled and it's only a single button bustle. The alterations were pricey and I had to go multiple times (miscommunications) but the end result is really lovely and more flattering than the first I think!!

The back shot (last one) doesn't have the top button done up which is why it is not perfectly straight and has a weird looking little blip of skin.




I got heeled shoes that finally match the color of the dress today, the originals turned out to be horrible match to the dress in terms of color AND style, these new ones are much better suited, more elegant and higher heel. Oh and only $49.

Was afraid at this late date I'd have to fork over $150 for the Charles David ones in last-minute desperation. Hehe.




By the way, ignore the concentrated expression I have on my face, that camera-by-the-hip thing is TRICKY and since so many were weirded out by me blurring my face in the original postings, figured I'd leave as is.

 

[Mara]

Oh and one last note before I drag my weary butt to bed. In case anyone is wondering for what our 'theme' is because everything seems kind of hodgepodge...we don't really have one! I love natural looking stuff (neutrals) and Greg loves stuff that seems 'fun', so we paired that and keeping within my general color guidelines of rose, sage and champagne/sand...anything goes! I think it is all coming together quite well, never been a fan of entirely matched ensembles, I'd rather shake it up and be unique and have people remember it.

So if something piques my interest...I get it!

....5 days to departure!

....

 

[PuddyKat]

Hi Mara,

Thanks for keeping us updated with your plans, you did a superduper fantastic job!! 2 thumbs up!! Thanks for satisfying my lurking personality with all the pics! Oh, I would love to see your shoes and new cathedral veil!!

 

[foundnemo]

Everything looks really great and I especially love the drawing of you and your fiance - so cute!

Congrats on your big day!

 

[heart prongs]

Mara - I just wanted to wish you and Greg the very best of everything for your wedding and, of course, for your new life together. Your dress looks FABULOUS! I can't wait to hear all about it. Enjoy every moment! Yippee! kl

 

[Colored Gemstone Nut]

Hi Mara:




Looks like your ready to roll girl....

The dress turned out stunning...From a guys perspective I'm sure Greg is just going to fall over when he see's the dress. I like all the invites and itinerary..The theme seems to be "laid back" and fun...