Something to talk about

I’ve noticed that weddings become THE conversation when you’re planning one. It's an easy subject to talk about. You want to talk about it, and people usually want to hear about it. But do I really have to talk about my wedding every five seconds?

I'm naturally a private person. I don’t talk about myself a lot, and for the most part I keep details about my life to myself. It’s one of my more obvious traits, and I consider my privacy to play a pivotal part of the person I am.

She came in two months early!

My dress came in the day before my birthday. Two months before she (yes, I am referring to my dress as a she) was expected! It was such a nice surprise. My sister/MOH was planning on coming to Seattle, and it was perfect timing so she could see THE dress. I made sure to charge the camera battery the night before and took my crochet design to see if it properly matched the design on my dress.

Drip Drip Drop Little April Showers

Seattle April wedding=RAIN. I'm already thinking of ways to be prepared.
Oh yeah! There will be massive amounts of umbrellas at my wedding. I was originally looking for white, cream, or black umbrellas, but I couldn't find any cream ones. I decided to worry about it later, but yesterday Martha Stewart showed me the light.

Dresses

Oh glamor. Sigh… How do I give my bridesmaids that 1930’s glamor? I'm thinking Emerald green dresses!

Life through rose colored glasses

I'm pretty sure I have had our first dance song picked out since before Mr. Camrah and I even met.

My first CD ever was Louis Armstrong: All Time Greatest Hits. It was given to me because of a family joke, and it is one of those things that was with me through every stage of my life. I grew to really enjoy it over the years. “La Vie En Rose” even became one of my favorite songs ever.

And when you speak…angels sing from above

Everyday words seem…to turn into love songs

This song is so much of what love is to me. It was my first and only thought for our first dance. The song was originally sung in French and means life through rose colored glasses. Who doesn't want to start a marriage by looking on the brighter side of life?

Did you have your first song picked out from the beginning, or was it one of those last minute decisions?

Exactly two years ago...

I found a rose gift and message on facebook from Mr. Camrah. In the message, Mr. Camrah asked if we wanted to start a relationship. It might sound a little cheesy, but I couldn’t have been an easy person to start a relationship with. It was easier on both of us for him to send a message. I said yes after I got off work, and we have been together and growing closer ever since.

Last year, we spent our anniversary on a floating plane tour of Seattle and went to il bistro for dinner. Il bistro is an Italian restaurant in Seattle’s famous pike’s place market. Its perfect for a romantic dinner for two.

Il Bistro

Our anniversary this year will not be as big of a production as last year, but we are still planning to visit il bistro for dinner. They have the best lasagna (Mr. Camrah’s favorite food!), and it’s just romantic, secluded, and cozy enough to become "our" restaurant. I have a feeling we will be spending many of our coming anniversaries and special occasions at il bistro.

Do you have a special restaurant to call your own?

Trying again

Okay, so I’m not going to lie. This whole week I have been waiting for the response from wedding bee. I love the website and wanted to be a bee. So badly! That’s really why I started this blog. I wanted to be apart of all the camaraderie of wedding bee. Instead of just stalking the website every half hour for a new post.

As you can probably tell, I wasn’t chosen. I’m still disappointed, but I’ve decided to try again. In the next four weeks, I’m planning on improving this here blog of mine.

I originally thought my wedding blog needed a gimmick. I had heard bees talk about having something that made them unique. I tried to create a gimmick because I didn’t think my own voice would be enough. I tried that route, but it wasn’t quite right.

So, now I’m going to try finding my own voice. The bee’s life series encouraged me to try again. I’m still not quite sure I will be able to find my own voice or if it will be interesting, but here it goes.

See you in four weeks wedding bee!

Indecision 09: DECIDED!

The number of attendants has been decided! Mr. Camrah decided to have four attendants. I gave him this decision mostly because I didn't want to make the call. He has asked 2 of his four groomsmen. He hasn't asked his brother, and he hasn't decided who will be his fourth yet.

Centerpiece branches: First Trial

Okay. I know I left last time on shaky terms, but I'm back to show you my pearl branch centerpiece.

Supplies:
-Wire cutters
-Floral stem wires (brown)
-Floral tape (brown)
-Beading Wire
-Teardrop pearls (ivory-cream)
-Jewelery glues or a hot glue gun

Table Tops

I haven't divulged much about my plans for decorations because its all very abstract right now. I am planning on DIY most of the decorations, but I haven't really even started most projects. I have some supplies and one trial run, but I don't have the space to make and store all of the projects. Besides, all my crafting abilities are currently going to crocheting and sewing projects.

But I really want to share some of the projects I am currently planning. We can find out together if I'm actually able to accomplish them and how they turn out. The first is the head table decorations.
I love the delicate cascades of pearls on this table. I might add a flower or two just to sit their like the picture above. I like that the decorations aren't overwhelming. I hope that this will make the head table approachable so anyone can come up and talk to us. I have bought the bigger peals and nylon cord, and I gave it a try. I failed, but I think it might go better if I used tools to tie the nylon cord. I'll let you know how it goes when I try again.

Traditions: Rings

The Greek language gave us the word wed. It means to pledge. A wedding is the ultimate pledge which is dictated through your vows in front of those you care about the most. Rings are the most visible symbol of this pledge. I wanted to share some of things I have learned about wedding rings.
The ring represents eternal and everlasting love. Some of the first rings were made of hemp, but they continually were having to be replaced. Hemp was replaced by iron to symbolize permanence, and now we use all kinds of metals.

My Song

Since deciding to walk myself down the aisle, I have also decided that the song is completely my choice. My walk down the aisle means a lot to me, and I'm trying to figure out the best song. I want something that is bitter sweet, and I want something that will help me walk down the aisle. The song should be something that everyone understands, but most of all, it should be something that I can feel.

SNACKS!!!

Yeah, I know your hungry now. Unfortunately, this post isn't about our reception meal choices. And I'm not talking about wedding cake. MMMMMMMMMM!!!! I want cake now! I'm actually posting about our DJ. WHAT? I know. But Snacks is our DJ. Well his real name is Patrick but nobody remembers it (Just ask the best man for that story). Our best man knows snacks from the University of Washington marching band. They were both members and Patrick's nickname was snacks. Now he owns his own DJ and karaoke company in Seattle and does karaoke at a lot of local bars.
This is a pic of Snacks doing Karaoke at Finn's. This is actually the bar we took over one Saturday night for our engagement get together (calling it a get together because it wasn't a real engagement party. It was a gathering of a lot of friends and fun). Mr. Camrah has gotten to know Snacks through our best man. He will be a lot of fun as our DJ. And he won't be just playing songs and mc'ing. Oh Yeah! You guessed it. We're doing karaoke! What would our reception be without a rendition of "Don't Stop Believ'n"? It's not for everyone, but it won't be coming out until at least 10:30. Although I would love to see Mr. Camrah's parents sing, they will probably go to bed around that time. I think that it will be a great end to the night. Snacks will be a great, sarcastic DJ, and we will get karaoke. What's more to love?

Are you excited for your band or DJ?

Finding a Church

One of Mr. Camrah's only requirements for our wedding is that we have the ceremony in a church. He was very involved in the church he attended growing up, but since he moved up to college, he hasn't found a church to become a member of.

In an ideal world, we would find a church close to the Hotel Monaco and fly out Mr. Camrah's minister from New Mexico. We also want to find a church that we feel comfortable in. We want to get married in a place and by a church that has similar beliefs to our own.

Lace, Crochet, Knitting, Oh my!

I have totally become a addicted to all handmade wedding details. Its like falling down a hill. I just can't stop myself! Now every idea that has to do with crocheting sounds great.

My current project is my garter. I've adapted a crochet pattern to be similar to the lace details on my dress. I still need to get the ribbon, elastic, and tulle, but the crochet part should be finished with a couple more hours of work.

I'm going for an antique wedding, but I am a little worried about people thinking they are at their grandma's house. Instead of at the wedding for a couple in there early 20's. In addition to the garter, I'm thinking about using my garter pattern for an edging around my veil. I'm also contemplating a shawl similar to this.It will serve as a table runner for the guest book table. Just to add another antique touch. All knitted and crocheted items will be in a white or off-white color. It probably sounds like a lot of these kind of elements, but I think they will be nicely tucked into the wedding. They will make great keepsakes too. These projects are the easiest to store, and I want to get them done first. Hence, why I'm continually talking about crochet project. I promise. I have other ideas to.

Do/did you have any projects you worked on months before they would actually used?

Indecision 09: Groom's decision

Weddings are filled with choices. How do we arrange the flowers? Which appetizer do you like? Where do you want the quest book to be placed? They can all be overwhelming. There are always so many options.

On top of the bombardment of options there are, add a person who can't make up there mind. AKA. Mr. Camrah. Just picking out dinner is one of the most challenging things for both of us. (Falling just below getting out of bed to go to work. Ugh!) Mr. Camrah also has a hard time deciding on things besides just food. For his graduation gift, FMIL had to text me to find out what he wanted, and I had to reply with, "he still hadn't made up his mind". This indecision is one of the major reasons an important choice about our wedding still hasn't been made.

Early on in the planning of our wedding (January), I decided that Mr. Camrah would choice the number of attendants we would be having. I know who I will choice to be a bridesmaid depending on the number, but Mr. Camrah still hasn't decided. He currently has three groomsmen and is thinking about a fourth.

I'm worried about waiting too much longer. I want to give the bridesmaids ample time for us to pick out dresses. The only person who I have talked to about being in the wedding is my sister/MOH (and I pretty sure shes known she was going to be in my wedding since I was born).

New plan: time limit. He has to decide by the eight month mark. Which is a little over a week away. We will be sticking with three (just to make life easier) if he has not made his choice by then.

I don't want anyone getting stressed because we didn't let them know early enough. I mean my bridesmaids have dresses to pick out.

Was there one decision that went with out resolution for a while about your wedding?

Waterfront Engagement Pictures

I'm really happy about how our engagement pictures turned out. I was scared because I didn't know if I researched enough about my photographer. I didn't meet our photographer, and i didn't base my decision on my love for her work. Many people talk about their must have photographer, but I just didn't have that experience. I picked my photographer because she had good pictures for a decent price. Then I started to see great photos like this.
I started to worry about our pictures being too posed. Our photographer said she used photo journalist techniques, but I still had a freak out. I hadn't explored all my options. What if I made the wrong decision? Instead of just being upfront about my worries, I stressed about the little things that I could control that morning. I worried about my dress being white and washing me out. I worried about my make-up being too much or to little. I worried about or transportation (bus) and getting there on time.

The Long Walk

I've talked a lot about wedding traditions, and I've even shared some with you. There is one tradition that I've known from the beginning I wouldn't be obeying. The father/ daughter traditions.

My dad died when I was 13. It hurt when I was younger to know that my father wouldn't be present at my wedding, but I've had a lot of time to come to terms with it.

Initially, I kind of assumed my Grandpa would walk me down the aisle. I even told my mom Grandpa would walk me when she offered. I'm scared to take my mom up on her offer because she will probably cry. I am trying to avoid crying at all costs. Which is why my Grandpa seemed like the best option. He's a great man who helped raise me. I also thought about having my Uncle walk me down the aisle, but he has two daughters of his own. I don't want to take away from his and his daughters special moments.

MOM WOW

My mom loves the fact that mom is wow upside down. She used to tell us that mom=wow all the time when I was a kid, and even now she signs emails to me as mom wow.

No moms or aunts past this point please!

Reception in Paris

We looked at several venue sites through out Seattle, but none of them compared to Paris. Who can deny the romance, beauty, and fun of Paris?

We spent about three months looking at Seattle event venues and even more time when you include Internet research. We needed our reception hall to fit at least 100. 86 people were on the HAVE TO INVITE list. This list didn't even include all the people we wanted to share our big day with us.

We had already decided on April. So, there was no question that our wedding events would all be indoors.

I have seen so many cool venues like lofts, barns, and historic buildings done up for weddings, but we leaned towards having our reception in a hotel ballroom. I think it was the convenience that won. Its like Fred Meyer's one stop shopping. Room, caterer, and rentals all in one. AKA. we took the easy way out.

Hotel Monaco was one of the first venues I saw online and liked. The Monaco has great packages with varying deals dependent on food and beverage totals, and it has the Paris Ballroom.
The decor screams, "Not your ordinary ballroom!" The personnel, food, and room seemed great, but I think what really sold us was their happy hour.

After our meeting, Mr. Camrah and I were hungry and decided to check out the happy hour at the restaurant attached to the hotel. Events at the Hotel Monaco are catered by the restaurant, and it was a great way to check out their food. The food was great, but it was more than that. Mr. Camrah and I just had a really good time while we were there. I kept thinking, "If I'm having so much fun at a happy hour, imagine how much fun our wedding will be!"

Having good food, good drinks, and a good time with Mr. Camrah really sold our reception venue to me.

Did you get to experience your reception or ceremony venue before your wedding?

Marry in April if you can, joy for maiden and for man

I'm in love with our wedding month of choice. April. It might be a little crazy to have an April wedding in Seattle. AKA. RAIN! But who can say that they aren't in love with these pics.
Umbrella pictures! I'm thinking the wedding party, white umbrellas and Mr. Camrah and I with a huge black one. I'm also thinking that our hotel's overhang will be perfect for some photos.

We picked the month of April because it was the end of our honeymoon destination's off season. So, hopefully our overall honeymoon expenses will be cheaper. Unfortunately, I don't think we were able to get any wedding discounts due to April being part of the wedding off season.

I also heard all kinds of great sayings about the month of April. The title of this post (Marry in April if you can, joy for maiden and for man) is an Irish wedding tradition. I didn't know about this saying when we decided on April. I found it after researching wedding traditions, and I 'm so excited that I have one more way that i can incorporate traditions into our wedding.

Is the month of you wedding making things even more special to you?

Luck of the Irish

I posted previously about cultural wedding traditions website, but I wanted to share more about the traditions I'm excited for. I really want to include some Irish wedding traditions. I am accidentally obeying one Irish wedding rule already. "Marry in April if you can, joy for maiden and for man"

Probably one of the most well known of all Irish traditions is the Claddagh ring.