It is so easy to picture my perfect dream wedding. I honestly didn’t start fully building this picture until after Z proposed, but the image has become quite clear in the past 12 months of planning. Pinterest (and wedding blogs) have made sure that I know exactly what every detail of that dream wedding would look like and it’s so very easy to get lost in the less important, but very beautiful, sweet details.
A riverside ceremony under a tree with a beautiful wood and white chuppah would set the stage. Hay bales covered in old quilts lined by lanterns and flowers would seat our many loved ones. The sweet sound of music would fill the air and the light would shine perfectly through the trees. At the reception we would have mismatched china and giant globe lanterns strung across tables filled with flowers and candles. Guests would drink out of mason jars and fireflies would fill the night air. We would feast on organic food grown by a local farm and every detail, from the vintage board games on the tables to the wooden centerpieces would make for a casual, but elegant scene. A live band would begin playing all of our favorite dance tunes and after a few cocktails, everyone from kids to grandparents would be on the dance floor. A food cart would come in and bring us tapas for a late night treat and that extra energy would be enough to keep the dance party going. As things wound down, our friends would get out their guitars, mandolins and fiddles and a late night music jam session would spontaneously take place…
Many of these things will happen. In fact, as I write this out, I realize that this is very much the wedding we will have, or at least the wedding we are planning. The mismatched china, the food cart, or the hay bales might be replaced by something else, something simpler to execute or more affordable. But at the end of the day, my perfect wedding really just involves the exchange between my soon-to-be-husband and I as we are surrounded by so much love. That could happen anywhere, with any food, music, flowers, decorations. More than any of these details, the thing I want most on my wedding day is to look back and say I’ve never felt so much love and joy in one place all at once.
Let’s get back to the details – the decorations and place settings, the food and the music. It has been a learning process for us to figure out how to let go of our “perfect” ideas, or at least figure out which ones we care about most, and Pinterest has provided an excellent outlet for that. Thanks to this fabulous site, I’ve already claimed most of these ideas as part of my overall picture on a beautiful idea board titled “i do.” We agreed early on that we didn’t want wedding planning to take away from living our lives during the process. If it meant we were no longer hanging out with friends, having potlucks or getting up for early morning backcountry ski runs before work, then we needed to make changes. We also wanted to thoroughly enjoy our engagement and keep the stress to a minimum. So far, so good.
As I’ve already mentioned in my intro post, we are having a long engagement (18 months), so we’ve been able to set aside a night each week to plan, and the rest of the time, life has continued as usual. My DIY project list is still long, and may not be fulfilled, but something about repining, or cutting a photo out of magazine, has made me feel like I took a little ownership of that idea.
Now I want to hear from you: Have Pinterest and wedding blogs helped you form a vision, or completely overwhelmed you with too many options, DIY ideas and picture “perfect” moments you feel like you can’t replicate? Or has it been a fun inspiration? What are the key things you think you’ll keep from your dream wedding vision and what things do you think you’ll cut out due to time/money/availability?
Collage I Decor: Lights – via Weddings by Lilly // Hay Bales – via Wedding Chicks // Chuppah – via Cocktails and Details – photo by Blenda Montoro // Earrings – via ShopBop // Rock Photos – via Country Living photo by Miki Duisterhof // Hair Garland – via Green Wedding Shoes – photo by Priscila Valentina // Bouquet – Photo by Jillian Mitchell // Programs – via Intimate Weddings – by Memento Designs // Lemon Jars – photo by Brittany Janelle Photography // Decorations – The Look Wedding Photography // Painted Cans – via Wedding Paper Divas – photo by Jayne Weddings //
Collage II Food & Drink: Burlap Place Setting – via Revel Blog // Corn on the Cob – via HWTM – photo by IGC Photography // Beer Canoe – via Grey Likes Weddings – photo by Lauren Blaire Photography // Lace Runner – via Style Me Pretty – photo by Caroline Joy Photography // Cake – via Cupcakes and Cashmere – cake by Sweet Lady Jane // Papaya – Photo by Jose Villa // Pears – via Adventuress Heart // Wood Serving Tray – via I Do Jackson Hole – Photo by Hannah Hardaway // Mason Jars – via New Green Mama //