Let's get the ball rolling

Now that the engagement is official it seems that everyone has a million-and-one ideas for how we should do our wedding. Some of them are great (do a signature cocktail, omit traditions you don't like) and some of them are, well, less than great (you HAVE to register for crystal!). For the last 2 weeks we have listened to the opinions of family and friends, read websites and magazine articles, and had brainstorm sessions about how to have the wedding of our dreams. We've both decided that our priorities are:

• Having fun! We have both been to weddings that were stiff and boring; we want our wedding to be a party that everyone will talk about for years to come. This means our reception should be relaxed and informal: no long-winded speeches, lots of free-flowing booze and a big dance floor with plenty of get-up-and-dance music.
  
• A ceremony that incorporates both of our beliefs and viewpoints. Luke was raised Catholic and I was raised Baptist. I am no longer religious, but Luke has very strong spiritual beliefs that he would like reflected in our ceremony. We have both decided on a non-denominational officiant that can incorporate a wide variety of spiritual and religious viewpoints. We also want to write our own vows in combination with repeating a modified version of the traditional vows (because you can bet your bottom I will NOT vow to obey).
• Including everyone we truly want to include. I've heard some people say that your budget determines your guest list. I would prefer to do it the other way around. While we would like to keep the costs reasonable, we are not willing to do so by eliminating people who matter to us from the guest list. If that means we have to make our dollar stretch a little further, so be it. In 10 years we're going to remember sharing the day with all the wonderful people in our lives, not the extra $25 we saved by excluding someone from the guest list.

Now that we have our priorities in line, we are free to start filling in some of the blanks. I love all things 1940's and vintage glam, and Luke has always loved the style of men like Frank Sinatra: a well-tailored suit, a slim tie, and a sleek Fedora. We've decided to aim for an old Hollywood theme of understated elegance in early December 2010. We'll decorate with sparse winter-y touches: dried branches decorated with a touch of crystal bling, lots of white candles and twinkling lights, and simple calla lillies. The guys will wear tailored black suits with pewter-colored slim ties during the ceremony, adding black Fedoras with pewter-colored bands and possibly changing into black Converse for the reception. The girls will wear simple black dresses of their choosing (we both HATE the matchy-matchy look), and Luke suggested adding to the dresses a simple pewter-colored sash pinned with a vintage-looking brooch. I really want my bridesmaids (there will be 3) to look and feel both beautiful and like themselves--I don't want a group of cookie-cutters standing up there with me. Here are a few pictures that capture some of our inspirations and ideas:

The general feeling we want for our reception

A gorgeous hair clip that fits my vintage style


A simple but elegant bouquet

It was with these ideas in mind that we prepared to head to the biggest bridal show in Texas: the Bridal Extravaganza Show in Houston. The truth is, though, that I didn't really prepare because I had no idea what we were getting into! More to come on that subject.