Inspirations from a Brilliant Mad Man

Go onto any social media site and you'll see "theme weddings" of all shapes and sizes.  Video game weddings, hipster weddings, geek weddings, rainbow weddings, etc.  You get the idea.  And great ideas they are!  It allows a couple to personalize their event with something they hold very dear to their hearts and lets the guests in on something very unique about them.

While we are already doing this sustainability thang, Randy and I are both film and art fans.  We love film.  We love art.  We love when they come together to make something spectacular.  One man in particular brings together storytelling and art so well that we want to incorporate his visual style into our special day.  So meet our favorite happy, fat, bearded, spectacled mastermind!

OH HELL NAH!!!!!!!!

No, not THAT happy, fat, bearded, spectacled mastermind, THIS one:

The face of romance.  Right here.

Yup, that's another person you probably wouldn't want to associate with weddings either, Guillermo del Toro.  He's mostly known for his dark, atmospheric horror, philosophical writing style, stunning visuals and terrorizing the shit out of little kids in damned near all of his original works.

So you're probably asking the same question my coworker shrieked when I mentioned this to her: "OH GOD WHY?!"  Well, for one, "Pacific Rim" is pretty much OUR movie.  Let's face it: it's a Mexican soap opera with giant robots and Lovecraftian nightmares.  We've seen it about 50 times collectively if not more.  We also found these from Great Big Bag of Trinkets on Etsy:

NERRRRRRRRRDS!!!!!!!!

And it's kinda snowballing from there.  Not to mention we are already incorporating a lot of his themes into the wedding without even realizing it until we took a step back and looked: nature, bugs, fairies, powerful music and so on.

The potluck won't be nearly as dangerous...I hope.

Plus, this is going to focus us.  We were getting to a point to where we wanted ALL OF THE THINGS for the wedding and it was starting to get a bit chaotic.  Now we have a series of movies to focus on and pull ideas from.  And get creative with.  Some of the films are easier than others.  YOU try and figure out how the hell "The Devil's Backbone" is gonna fit in here!

Not a good look for the ring bearer, just saying.

We have already come up with some wild ideas and we are really excited to share this with our friends and family.  It's gonna be quite an interesting and we're already having fun with it.  And it's that what a wedding is all about in the end?

Not to mention the VOW SPARRING!!

Say "Yes" to the (Secondhand) Dress

One of the things I have watched many of my friends who have gotten married tackle is the dress.  It can be a very important element to a wedding and I've seen it approached in all kinds of ways.  Some gals could really give two shits about finding the "perfect" dress and yank something out of their closet to wear day of.  Others fret and fret and FRET over finding THE dress.  For some ladies it's not something they overly think about until they hit the dressing room and for others (including our favorite forensic anthropologist) they have hung on to that fairy tale dress design since they were 8 years-old. 

Can I get a "D'AWWWWWWW!!" right about here?

In keeping with the heart of remaining sustainable and resisting buying something new, I've been keeping my eye out at the local thrift stores in the Peoria area and today I found it: a simple floor-length number with a vintage design, plenty of room in the fabric for "give" in case I put on a few pounds and enough material to work with in case I want to bring it up to tea-length, which I will probably do.

The idea of purchasing a used dress has become an option for a lot of brides.  While the concept of wearing an heirloom gown has always been there, finding a gown in a consignment store, flea market, garage sale or thrift store is becoming the way to go for the bride who wants to pop some tags and save some green, both kinds.

This guy knows what I'm talking about.

I found my dress at the local Salvation Army Family Thrift Store.  For twenty bucks, son.  She needs some work, I will admit: a few stitches, dry cleaning, alterations, etc.  But in all honesty, what dress doesn't?  I tried it on and fell in love.  And the little old ladies who rung me out were thrilled.

I am not ignorant to the way some brides view secondhand dresses.  They want their dress to be as personal and unique as their wedding day.  Why would any bride want to get married in another woman's dress?  Why was that dress at a thrift store or a garage sale?  Did the marriage end?  Did the wedding even occur?  Is the dress "cursed?"  Valid points, sure, but think of it this way: IF that is even the case, wouldn't you like to give that dress a second chance at happiness?  Or maybe the woman selling the dress is still married and wants to share the love and joy she has made in her home that started with that dress.   Something to think about about.

Either way, the dress will become YOUR dress.  I'm going to need mine adjusted, taken in at some places, let out in others, maybe a new accent brooch where the one is now that could be a bit more my style.  At one time this was another bride's dress, but today it became mine and it will shine one for a second glorious day.  And I couldn't be more thrilled with giving that kind of encore.

Sustainable Crafts: Fabric Scrap Guest Pillow

A few days ago I got to talking about uses for fabric scraps.  This morning I discovered this lovely project on Cluck Cluck Sew:

The project itself is for a fabric scrap pillow, but Randy and I have an alternative idea: as well as having our "guest painting" for folks to leave messages, we are going to cut out leaves from the many scraps I have lying around from previous costuming projects so that guests can sign them.  After the wedding (possibly on our honeymoon) we will sew all of the leaves from our guests onto a pillow as a tree with our wedding date on the trunk.  I already have plenty of fabric, stuffing and markers to make this a reality.  It will be a functional piece as well as something to hand down to any child we may have in the future.

Secondhand Crafts: Fabric Scraps

One thing I've been thinking about late is accenting my dress.  I want to embroider either a strip or wide ribbon in red to make into a sash.  Does that mean I'm hightailing it to Joann or Hobby Lobby?  Not exactly.

Here's a bit of a tip: some secondhand and thrift stores sell bags of fabric, ribbon and hardware scraps.  In Chicago the best place to go for such treasures is Unique Thrift Stores.  They are in different places in each store so go hunting!  They are usually under five bucks and often have entire yards of fabric.  I have been collecting bags of fabric for not only my dress, but also decor and favors.  I plan on exploring this website for ideas and inspiration:

30 Fabulous Fabric Scrap Tutorials

Well, that's a brief update but I've been busy with school and work at the moment.  ^_^

Pass the Jello Salad! Getting To Know Your Potluck Reception.

On average, food for a reception can set a bride and groom back a good $4,339.  Most of this has to do with the cocktail hour and a traditional three-course meal that has become standard in the industry.  While this is the norm and proper for a lot of couples, the idea of the "potluck reception" is gaining popularity as of late.  In many cultures this is already tradition and I'm happy to see more Western weddings grasping on to this concept.

One bride wrote into "Offbeat Bride" asking if it was "tacky" to have a potluck reception.  The moderator response was spot on: "It's YOUR wedding so if it feels good do it."  I agree.  There are too many couples and families out there who use a wedding to flaunt status or "one-up" other weddings they have been to.  That's not what a wedding is about.  If you want to go back to ye olden days, weddings were used to bring families and sometimes cultures together through the union of two people.  It's time we get back to that.  Guests get to sample and taste a variety of dishes that may be unique to them.  It's what a wedding should be all about: sharing and togetherness while enjoying new experiences with new members of one's family.

Randy and I decided a long time ago that a potluck reception is fitting for our needs.  We are fortunate enough to have friends and family who love to cook and love to share their talents.  Plus, to be honest, we are on limited funds and cannot provide a lavish sit-down affair.  We do not want to take out loans or max out credit cards to bring our special day to fruition.  And besides, people potluck for parties and get-togethers all the time, so why not a wedding?

This also falls within our sustainability model.  Food production contributes to a lot of waste.  Home cooks in general produce less waste and might be more inclined to recycle packaging that ingredients come in.  Containers are more likely to find their way into homes rather than in a landfill.  Smaller dishes with a greater variety provides guests with more food options.  There are also places for people to grill if they feel so inclined to do so.

I know some guests, particularly out of towners and those who feel a bit alien in a kitchen, will balk at such a request.  Every potluck has a few inexpensive store bought items and that is perfectly fine.  Some guests might see this as a inappropriately cheap way out and that we lack some sort of organization in our reception.  Some guests might not even show up at all thinking that they are "expected" to provide food.  That is their right, just as it is our right to make this part of our day.  We will not apologize for what we have decided.

I do not want to end this entry on a down note.  We personally love this idea.  As I've told a few friends, it's very "Methodist church Sunday picnic."  Here's hoping for less Jello salads.  :)

Confessions of a Junk Food Junkie

I'll be the first to admit to my poor eating habits.  Being a full-time worker as well as a part-time student plays a big role in this, but there's also that little issue of me just liking crap food.  I enjoy my fast food, snack cakes and soda.  And it's got to stop.

Two years ago I lost 45 pounds.  I looked and felt great.  Since then I found Randy and got "fat and happy," putting about 25 of those pounds back on.  It's easy to blame a wonderful relationship, but the reality is that it was not the relationship that escorted me into McDonald's during my lunch hour.  That was all me.

A lot of brides use their impending wedding to drop all of the dress sizes.  This just causes way too much stress.  I just want to lose those 25 pounds with maybe 10 or 15 more and tone up for the big day.  This means actually getting up in the morning and hauling my ass to the gym which I have not been doing as of late.  I also need...need...NEED to stop shoveling unhealthy food in my face and get back on a better diet.  More fruits and veggies, lean meats and healthy grains. I need to take my food to work and school so that the temptation to get fast food is minimized.  I gotta keep my eye on the prize...which is looking and feeling my personal best on that special day.

What Really Grinds My Gears: The Guest Book

Welcome to the first of what might become MANY of my big complaints about the wedding industry and just how many people get suckered into stuff they don't need or can do better.  AKA:

Today's big beef: the guest book.  

I know of very few couples who even look at their guest book after the wedding.  And if you're having a pretty small affair then you maybe fill two pages and that's it: done.  It's a huge waste and can be done better.

Thankfully we're not the only couple who feel this way and the Internet has spoken.  Fingerprint people, posters, butterfly or balloon cutouts, river stones, wine corks, vinyl records and recipe cards are some of the alternatives to the guest book.  Randy and I have started kicking around the idea of creating an original piece of art together for our guests to sign at the wedding.  Afterwards we can have it professionally framed and hung in the house so we have the pleasure of looking at it everyday instead of being tossed in a drawer like most guest books.

"But, Angi," you may say, "I want to know who actually came to the wedding for thank you cards!"  No prob!  A simple notebook lying around in your junk drawer (I know you have one) or a Notepad app on your tablet device can take care of people signing in without the waste and expense of the traditional guest book.

So that's it for "What Really Grinds My Gears" today.  Haven't decided what's gonna grind my gears next, but the wedding industry is a HUGE business with plenty to grind so stay tuned.