OK, this is not really my wedding and the beautiful bride, alas, is not really me. But you know that image of ourselves we have in our head that sometimes that jives with reality and sometimes it doesn’t? Like when you think a certain thing, and you think you’re communicating one thing, but when you see a video or a picture of yourself in mid-gesture, you realize, that’s not what I thought i looked like at all while doing that!
Well I have those moments with weddings, or more specifically, my wedding. My wedding was sweet and cute and very us to be sure. And I hold that day so very dear to my heart. To me it was a perfect day. But what I thought it was like in my mind and what the pictures reveal are two different stories (though poor photography may also be a factor.)
Every now and again, I come across a wedding that completely quickens my soul because I recognize it as mine. Not mine in any sense of reality, but mine in my mind’s eye. Mine in the sense that if I had enough money, and time, and talent, and vision, that bride would be me. Those favors would be my guests’ favors. Those design elements would represent mine and my groom’s aesthetic. It funny because that’s what you feel when you are planning your wedding and looking fo rinspiration. It’s fun and exciting. But after the wedding, it gets sort of strange. You know you can’t go back and do it again.
There are specific design elements that speak to my heart and, were I to do it over again (say in a vow renewal) I would include small family heirlooms and trinkets to represent family roots as well as to remember those who have passed away. I imagine each bridesmaid and groomsman wearing different lockets, metals, and brooches from their own families.
Oh Quilts! I planned to have old quilts in baskets for guests to spread out on the lawn during both the cocktail hour and reception. I had the quilts ready to go. I also had old wooden orchard boxes and wicker baskets to put them in. But I never got them to the reception site. Now every time I see a wedding that incorporates quilts I feel a twinge of regret.
Now this is an instance where all of the decor is similar to my own but waaaaay better! What an awesome and unique way to use bunting. And you’ll get me at mason jars, wild flowers, feathers and burlap runners every time. But I also love the mix-and-match fabric place settings. they compliment the picnic quilts.
And who doesn’t love those colorful old school room chairs. Very late-century vintage. I also think customizing beer and wine labels is the absolute coolest thing, especially for a beer-and-wine-only wedding.
Anyway, this wedding, posted on 100 Layer Cake, is exactly what kind of wedding I dreamed of. So much so, that when I saw it, I *recognized* it. Not admired or appreciated it, but actually recognized it. I hop you enjoy it as much as I do. Be sure to hop over to 100 Layer Cake, Green Wedding Shoes, and Design*Sponge to see the whole thing!
