My Wedding
(photo by Jules Bianchi)
Jeff and I got married last August so I thought it’d be fitting to devote this month to a series about our wedding. I can’t believe it’s been almost a full year since we got married! Our wedding was probably my biggest undertaking yet, so it seemed appropriate to write about it on this blog. I spent over a year planning the event and it was full of DIY projects and custom details. I thought I’d share with you guys all that went into planning the wedding of our dreams. I threw myself into making lots of fun details including letterpressed invitations, all the signage, the icecream cookie bar, crossword puzzles, trivia cards, giant word search, my veil, bunting, table runners, napkin rings, escort cards and straws- I even sewed my bridesmaid’s gifts! This series will show you all the details that made our wedding day so special for us.
Jeff and I felt that it was really important to throw a wedding that was unique, fun and memorable for our guests. An astounding 85% of our guests flew in from out of town so we really wanted to throw a giant party for them. We were touched that so many friends and family came (235 guests total), we really wanted to go all out for them! We also wanted our wedding to be very personal and special to us. We threw out a lot of conventional ideas and chose to do things that were meaningful to us as a couple. We are known to be fun-loving and little bit quirky and our wedding definitely reflected this: we served bubble tea (my favorite) during cocktail hour and had a ice cream cookie bar (Jeff’s favorite) during the reception. The two flower girls also carried my two favorite carebears down the aisle. (I’ve had these carebears for over 25 years and they sat in special chairs that I made at the front row of the ceremony!) The most memorable thing that we did, and our guests still talk about it to this day, is that we rode into our outdoor reception on a tandem bike!
I’m happy to say that our wedding truly was everything we hoped for. I’m still surprised at how we were able to pull it all off, too! We encountered all sorts of the challenges along the way, the biggest being we were planning this wedding from across the country. We got married near my Southern CA hometown in Orange County, CA while we were living in Boston at the time. Adding to the complexity, Jeff was working a summer internship in San Francisco the 3 months right before we got married, so he wasn’t even in either areas either! Being away from each other during the hectic months right before the wedding didn’t make the planning any easier. I was also juggling two jobs at the time so I don’t know how I was able to get so many things done. Without the help of our friends and family, I don’t think we could have pulled off such a magnificent event. To our bridal party and friends who helped and supported us through it all – THANK YOU! We owe you big time!
I have to give a huge shout out to my parents who, without their generous support, this wedding would not have been possible. Thanks, mom and dad, for giving me the wedding of my dreams. It was everything I wanted since I was a little girl!
Even if you are not planning a wedding yourself, I hope you enjoy this nostalgic journey through a magical day with me. Here are detailed posts about August 21, 2010: the day I married my best friend Jeff!
- The Wedding Venue
- Our Bicycle Theme!
- Our Save the Date Cards
- Invitations, Part 1 – My Obsession with Letterpress…and My First Bridal Meltdown
- Invitations, Part 2 – The Full Suite
- Invitations, Part 3 – Wax Seal (tutorial)
- Invitations, Part 4 – Envelope Liner (tutorial)
- Invitations, Part 5- Sending Them Off!
- Ceremony Programs
- Flower Petal Toss
- Embossed Stickers (tutorial)
- Flower Monograms (tutorial)
- My Bridal Gown!
- Socks & Shoes
- Garter (tutorial)
- Jewelry
- Bouquets and Boutonnières
- Ceremony Flowers
- Reception Flowers & Decor
- Games, Games and more Games!
- Bubble Tea!
- Custom Straw Tags (tutorial)
- Escort Cards
- Photobooth and Guestbook
- The Wedding Cake and Cupcakes!
- The Cupcake Stand
- The Cookie Bar
- Wedding Signage (tutorial)
- The Flower Children
(photo by Jules Bianchi)
Hi! And welcome to my site! I hope you find something that inspires you while you are here. 
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
I enjoyed reading about your wedding. It sounds like a perfect wedding, a perfect day! I really like all the ideas and details you put into your works!
I wish you and your husband all the best!
Aww thanks so much!!!
I love your wedding theme. My fiance and I are thinking of doing the same thing but having a hard time finding a vintage tandem bike. Where did you find yours? Any tips would be great! – Thanks Alison
Hi Alison! I actually just rented our tandem bike from a bike shop at Huntington Beach. My bridesmaid picked it up and returned it for us!
- ilene
Thanks!!! I’ll see if there are any East Coast tandem bike rentals.
Where did you find the white bikes you used on the tables? So cute!!!
Ps. Your blog is so inspirational, I just love it
Hi Alison!! Thanks for the nice note. I got the white bicycles from The Christmas Tree Shops back in the summer of ’09. Their inventory varies seasonally and I doubt they have them for sale now but it may be worth a shot. I remember I went back to buy more and they were out. I also found similar black bicycles that are meant to be wall mounted so they don’t stand upright at Hobby Lobby. They are similar with one girl bike version and one male bike version but not as dainty. You might be able to spray paint them white though.
Hello!
I stubbled across your website on a Trivia Search and I am so happy I did. Love your website, you make it very simple to get ideas and how you went about creating your work. I will definitely be checking back for more ideas.
Thank you for sharing!
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