A Farm Fresh Wedding

When it Rains, it Pours

2011-08-30T06:00:00.001-04:00

I was not happy about it torrential rain storming on AC and I's big day, but it was our day. The rain made our day. I have been asked many times... where did we get our pretty umbrellas?
Bella Umbrella will rent you a beautiful vintage umbrella for your rainy weather wedding. She is located in Seattle (of course), but the process couldn't be easier.
Farms and forests need the rain too.
Who knows if this is the last post or not. I keep thinking this blog has ended, but your emails, questions, and stories keep me posting occasionally. Our third anniversary is around the corner...

Wedding Cake Toppers, and Keepsakes

2011-08-29T16:51:00.000-04:00

pics above and below from The Small Object
Hello Brides! Just a quick update!
Sarah Neuburger of The Small Object has chosen a Craven Home (my post-wedding endeavor) porcelain wood slice to place her gorgeous wedding toppers on ... check it out. Her cake toppers can be personalized, down to the furriest member of the family. She also does cupcake toppers too! I will be posting again tomorrow with the answer to one of my most asked questions.

Happy planning everyone- please keep emailing me!

A quick check in with the brides-to-be!

2011-03-30T11:10:00.006-04:00

Hello Everyone,

I check in here when I have a wedding worthy post that is relevant to AFFW.

I wrote about this on my current bog, Craven Home, which has been chronicling my postnuptual life in ceramics and food.

Blue Hill at Stone Barns has a new ceramic artist creating their dinnerware. It is so wonderful to see that chose someone whose aesthetics mirror what I chose for our wedding there. Have a look for yourself. And if you are getting married there... how wonderful to have such beautiful handmade dinnerware to compliment the food. A very thoughtful combination.

Oh, and have a look at this stunning wedding dress.

Happy Wedding everyone!

Where am I now??

2010-07-14T17:30:00.005-04:00

Hello AFFW readers,

I have to say I keep getting emails and questions about my wedding and this blog. SO THANKS FOR READING!!! Keep all of your questions coming.

I thought I was "over" weddings, but I'm not. I will be at the Brooklyn Flea this Saturday, July 17th, sharing a table with Small world Terrariums, aka Tanesha Smith-Wattley. We both are doing centerpieces for tables (terrariums and handcrafted ceramics) and I am now making ceramic favors for weddings- so if you are in the area- stop by and say HI!

The End?

2009-08-07T00:02:00.002-04:00

I loved planning my wedding so much. I will probably not post after this, but PLEASE e-mail me with any questions... I love talking "wedding"! And please visit my new blog, Craven Home.

A little update

2009-06-16T19:14:00.005-04:00

March 2010...

Style Me Pretty covered a wedding at Blue Hill recently. Look closely at the pictures...our invitation design is in the mix! An AFFW reader asked me if she could use our design for her own Blue Hill wedding. It was so wonderful to have our invitations live on.

It looks like it was a gorgeous wedding... more pictures taken by Erik Ekroth in the Style Me Pretty post here. Congrats again K and J!

Starting Fresh

2009-06-15T11:54:00.002-04:00

The blog-o-sphere coverage of our wedding has been wonderful:

City Lady Country Girl- a newer blog that is FULL of eye candy!

OneWed

Sloboda's Weddings

Green Wedding Shoes

and last but not least, one of my favorite bloggers....
Thoughtful Day

Now that I have had a wonderful and restful break (almost 9 months- wow!), I am moving forward and "nesting".

Craven Home is where I will be posting my inspiration and documenting my new endeavour- a teeny tiny ceramics business. Mostly an Etsy shop (to be up soon!). I am hoping I can provide very simple, affordable, and functional ceramics for the home, as well as events.

This adventure would not have started if I was not inspired to create for my own wedding by all of the amazing talent blogging out there (see my blog line-up). To all of you ladies, THANK YOU!
Please continue to ask any questions about A Farm Fresh Wedding and see what is new with me over at Craven Home.

The Second to Last Post--- our honeymoon

2009-06-14T22:43:00.000-04:00

In response to a few email requests for a honeymoon post...

We were just so busy with wedding planning, that we just wanted something sweet and simple for our honeymoon. Not to mention, travelling in September is a little difficult with hurricane season, mini monsoons in the east, major muslim holidays, etc.

We went to Puerto Rico.

A quick stop in San Juan.
Then a small road trip to Rincon.

In Rincon, we stayed at the most amazing place, The Horned Dorset.

Then we were off to Vieques via a 20 minute puddle jumper flight - where it rained and rained... but it made for a cozy time, EMPTY beaches, and wet horses (which are roaming freely everywhere)!

We loved it.

The Favors

2008-11-03T23:34:00.006-05:00

In one of my first posts I wrote about Breezy Hill Orchard. AC and I have gone there many falls to pick apples. We couldn't think of anything better to send our guests home with. When I called up, Elizabeth Ryan (the owner), she said the pears and plums were sublime too. So, we decided on a local fruit medley with a canvas tote as send-offs. The favors were all wrapped up the burlap sacks, so Sarah (our photographer) didn't get a picture of one of the totes. I took one tonight- we used the design on the back of our Save the Date. We attached mini Moo cards to each burlap bag. The cards had pictures of AC, Molly, and me with a message "Andy and Christina love you" on the back.

CAKE!

2008-11-03T23:20:00.006-05:00

Our cake was vanilla cake with a layer of dulce de leche and a buttercream frosting (our blades of grass started to melt it was so buttery!). Many of our guests went back for seconds. The cakemakers at Lulu's (Jay and Victor) were great!

For the cake topper... I found two horse models (an "Arabian" stallion and mare) that were marked with the year AC and I were born. I put a little white paper posey by the ear of the mare to give it a little bit of "bride".

Dinner- The Food, The Centerpieces

2008-11-03T22:18:00.013-05:00

The food was heavenly. We really didn't know much about wine, but the Blue Hill sommelier did a wonderful job. We learned a lot about the food we served when we were designing the menu. The staff at Blue Hill was amazing.

I made the animal table markers and many of the vessels (ceramic). We had Jenna Hein, who addressed our invitations, write the names on our place cards.

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Purslane, Tomato sorbet, Summer Fruits, and Homemade Yogurt

paired with Condes de Albarei 'Albarino' Rias Baixas, Spain 2007

Wild Striped Bass with a Pistou of Late Summer Vegetables

paired with E.Dampt 'Chevelier d'Eon' Burgundy, Burgundy 2006

Loin of Lamb with a Stew of Carrots and Bonzai Bok Choy

Peter Dipoli 'Fihl' Merlot Alto Adige, Italy 2002

Stone Barns Cheese Plate

Old world/New World

All pics taken by Sarah Sloboda and the farm animal table markers and bowls were made by me (see Craven Home).

The Space- Tables and the Ceremony

2008-11-03T21:33:00.008-05:00

We were so out of sorts because it rained on September 12th. The day ended up feeling stormy and romantic indoors. Tawana truly did such an amazing job. She sourced the logs from her sister-in-law's farm! She was dedicated- and we are grateful!

We downloaded these silhouettes from a copyright free image site and made the escort cards ourselves. I made the corresponding animal silhouettes our of stoneware (see Craven Home).

We didn't want a traditional guest book, so we also made birds in flight note cards (the images taken from our invitations) for our guests to "Tell Us Something Fun".

All pics by Sarah Sloboda

Flowers for People

2008-11-03T20:54:00.005-05:00

So, I really have to give so much credit to our friend, Tawana Schlegel, who volunteered her talent to be our floral designer. I really just showed her my inspirations (many on my blog) and told her I wanted everything to be very simple with my whole "farm meets the forest" idea. She was amazing. I felt as though she took images out of my mind and made them real. For the flowers for our family (dads, moms, grandmothers, etc...) we used kermit mums and white clover for the men, and the ladies had lady slipper orchids.

My bouquet was all white ranunculas. They are so clean and fresh, but all of those petal layers add an element of lushness. I also thought they had a softness that mirrored the flowers at the neck of my dress.

All pics taken by Sarah Sloboda

Our Rings

2008-11-03T20:37:00.004-05:00

Our rings are just lovely. I made the ceramic piece to nestle them in moss.

My ring was custom made by Hannah Clark. AC's is a Marian Maurier band from the Clay Pot.

Okay, I'll Stop reading Slate.com and worrying about the election!

2008-11-03T20:35:00.000-05:00

Oh Blue Hill...

2008-10-28T16:16:00.006-04:00

One person, Z, asked if I was happy with Blue Hill. Was I ever. Here are her questions and my answers. The teaser pics are two of my favorite:
Pics by Sarah Sloboda

1. How was the food... the portions... did you go with the 4 course option?
If anyone has eaten at Blue Hill in the city or in Pocantico Hills, it is simply wonderful food. If you have not, do so immediately. The food served at our wedding was what one would expect if dining at the restaurant for dinner (if not better!). More on what we served in another post, but we did go with the four course option becuase the portion sizes are perfect to allow for this.

2. Did you have ceremony on site? The fee for this is quite steep after gratuity and tax? Is it worth it? Did they provide your guests with anything during that hour?
We did have the ceremony on site because we thought the farm was just so beautiful and we thought it was cool for everyone to see the farm where the food was coming from before and during the ceremony. Not to mention the ease of having everything happen in one place. The fee is typical for most venues in the area. The Union Church, with exquisite stain glass windows by Chagall and Matisse, less than a mile up the road charged the same amount (we aren't really church goers, but were curious). They also had decoration and photography constraints that we did not want to deal with.

Blue Hill does serve non-alcoholic drinks before the ceremony (I think a few of my guests had cocktails though).

3. Did you decide to have their wedding cake... or an outside vendor?
I did not use their baker. I knew one of the owners of Lulu's in nearby Scarsdale, so there wasn't a doubt I would go with a friend. Luckily they are of note and have been featured in Martha Stewart, Modern Bride, and The Knot. I HIGHLY recommend them.

4. Did you use a florist?
Yes, we did. We were so lucky again. Our very good friend, Tawana Schlegel is a floral designer and consults for florisity, L'olivier, and Belle Fleur in the city. This was our wedding present from her. If you like her work in the pictures, and are interested in using her, please e-mail me and I will put you in touch with her. She is currently starting up her own business. The containers we used were made mostly by me, so we didn't have to buy many. If you like my ceramics, I could be persuaded (simply because weddings are so much fun!).

5. Did you use their musical provider (John Rangusa?) or hooked up ur IPOD?
I don't know what most people's budgets are, but we found John Rangusa out of our price range. A one person acoustic for the night starts at $3,000. We used a local Williamsburg jazz guitarist (Shan Kenner) and his friend who plays the cajun for our ceremony and cocktail hour music. It was fine, and everyone liked them (they did get a little loud at one point, but the Blue Hill staff takes care of so much, they handled it).
We played a 20's jazz playlist on our ipod for dinner.
The one thing I wish we had done... bought an extra hour of time. Dinner takes awhile, and we had planned on a short hour of dancing (hooking up our ipod), that never happened. Everything was fabulous, but that's the only thing I would have changed... making my wedding 1 hour longer.

6. Where did you change???? I am worried about the bridal party, make up, etc... I have a listing of nearby hotels, but I'm wondering if you have any advice.
We stayed at the Tarrytown House and Estate. They have regular hotel rooms, but we did not want to come back to feeling like we were on a business trip, so we stayed at one of the King House rooms which was a little bit more, but worth it.

We did not really have a bridal party. Our nieces, 8 and 13, were our flowergirl and ring bearer. Most of the decisions we made about the wedding were to keep things simple. Neither of us were interested in asking our friends to obligate themselves for us- we wanted everyone coming to simply be a guest-- even our parents!

The green room at Blue Hill is where the offices are. There is a nice clean, but sparse bathroom. I put my dress on there. The lighting is good. There is also a full length mirror in the room. Just know that the area is not completely private or done up like a suite. They are extremely respectful and for the most part I felt I had first privilege to the space.

Z, and others, I hope this answers your questions. I loved having my wedding at Blue Hill. Good Luck!!! Please ask more questions... I love talking about my wedding.

The Aftermath...

2008-10-28T16:13:00.002-04:00

A few people have asked me whether I had dropped off the planet. I have not. This is my wedding aftermath. Thank you notes, making wedding books (albums), catching up with the work I left behind, and the friends who are eager to hang out again.
So... I'm BACK, for a few final posts- but they are the best! Here it goes.

It's Over. It was Fabulous (even though it rained).

2008-09-25T16:02:00.003-04:00

Here are a few pics for the curious. More to come soon.

The honeymoon was absolutely dreamy too.

Ahhhhh

2008-09-04T10:08:00.003-04:00

The gifts are rolling in as we approach the big day! Today, this arrived in our inbox. Thanks Uncle Norman!

Crystal Marc Jacobs planter at Macy's

Well Suited

2008-09-01T10:20:00.005-04:00

So, my AC is a... procrastinator. He still had not bought his wedding suit at 16 days before our wedding. He has a great suit that could have worked in a crunch, but we both wanted him to take his time and buy something he really loved for our big day.
Over lunch last week, we headed to Paul Smith. He had done the rounds at Barney's and Saks (thank you!), so he knew they had a fit that he liked. After a little nervous fun, we found his suit... yay!

Ceramics at My Wedding

2008-08-26T10:38:00.004-04:00

So the Laura Zindel bread plates are a no-go (they don't have bread plates for dinner...)

BUT, I have made a number of small pieces for the tables myself.

Below are unfired table markers and a tree trunk vase - just a few of many. 17 days to go!

Flower Inspiration

2008-08-22T14:50:00.003-04:00

This is great. Taken from Brooklyn Bride's coverage of Brett & Adam's Wedding.

Felix Doolittle

2008-08-22T14:34:00.008-04:00

My friend Ali is recently engaged and in the very early stage in her planning. This is all very exciting for me, it gives me an excuse to keep browsing. The Bride's Guide blog, on MarthaStewart.com, posted about Felix Doolittle a while ago. His images are a great! These are just a few of many- from farm, nature, food, and ocean inspired watercolors. Congrats Ali & Pete!
Pics from Felix Doolitle

Little Details

2008-08-21T17:04:00.008-04:00

These are a few little details I loved from Lisa & Nick's Wedding at Snippet & Ink. Our Molly is a little too shy to be our ring bearer. Our wedding day is coming up so fast-- my brain is swimming with last minute details.
Their photographer was Lisa Lefkowitz.

Oh, Laura Zindel.

2008-08-12T11:15:00.006-04:00

We went to the farm again this last weekend with ours friends Mark and Tawana. Tawana is a fabulous floral designer and is graciously gifting us with her talents for the day. We treated ourselves to the best brunch ever at Blue Hill.

A little known fact: I am a cermic artist after my full time day job (more on that later) and really enjoy a beautiful piece of fired clay.

The bread plate at our place settings were made by Laura Zindel- her studio is in Vermont. Of course I asked if these would be our bread plates for the wedding. The private dining area typically does not use them, but I am insisting. They are simply gorgeous- a fresh little hint of nature at each guest's place. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Pics from Artful Home

Another Blue Hill visit

2008-08-07T11:13:00.004-04:00

My parents and brother were in town last week and AC & I took them to see the wedding site and walk around the farm. It was, as usual, tons of fun. Pics from the day taken by me.

Our Registry

2008-08-06T19:19:00.000-04:00

We created a wedding registry at Wishpot.com. We chose quite a few things from Velocity Art and Design. The Harry Allen pig is perfect for us newlyweds to save for something special, and the Roost phrenology heads are just fun.
Pics from Velocity Art and Design

This Little Piggy

2008-08-06T15:25:00.002-04:00

Was not included in the last post! Picture care of Sarah Sloboda.

Blue Hill Visit

2008-08-04T11:23:00.003-04:00

AC and I took our photographer, Sarah Sloboda, up to Blue Hill for the day so she could become acquainted with where the wedding will be and how AMAZING our choice of venue is. We had so much fun. The piglets grow up the forest. On our way to visit them (eating the raspberries growing along the path as we went) a deer bounded past us and chipmunks scurried. We are getting so excited!

Pics by Sarah Sloboda are from her blog

Fancy Farm Weddings before ours...

2008-08-02T08:11:00.004-04:00

Having a wedding at Blue Hill at Stone Barns is simply amazing. It is romantic and fresh, lush and modern all at once. Needless to say, many couples have chosen it for these very reasons. Browsing on Brides.com, I came across this wedding that was designed by the editors of Modern Bride and Michelle Rago at Blue Hill in the Hudson Valley... see more pictures and read all about "A Little Bit Country" here.

Pics from Brides.com

Green Flowers

2008-07-29T10:54:00.003-04:00

Green Inspiration from Garden Design Magazine via Housemartin.

Invitation Extras...

2008-07-28T21:34:00.007-04:00

We felt we did not need to include all of the pain staking details of our wedding event on paper... we created a website (from scratch, not from a wedding website). It was great to have more control over what the final site looked like. It was nice to save a little paper too.

We chose to have our RSVP be a postcard and did not use an inner envelope.

We did include a tiny card with one hotel and our website address, we blind letterpressed a pig on the back. I wanted to use the farm animal silhouettes from our save the date, but did not want it to look, well, like a children's party invitation.

As for the directions, Blue Hill at Stone Barns has thier own that we included with the invite (one less thing to design!).

Invitation Breakdown...

2008-07-23T12:14:00.006-04:00

So, We sent an invitation to ourselves- and received it today! As with the save the dates, we designed it together. It was a little bit more involved, but, here is the breakdown...

Our calligrapher was fellow brooklyner Jenna Hein. The ink color and font was just stunning- we are so pleased!

We kept so much of the invites clean and decided against the extra paper of an inner envelope, I still wanted to add a little something extra. We designed the envelope liner and lined them ourselves. Using vellum made it a little trickier- but the end result was worth the extra attention.

In the past, I loved seeing that bit of tissue paper covering the invitation before you actually saw it (more often for formal invites). We created the same effect with a sheet of vellum using a contrasting white on green version of our liners.

I kept our invitations clean and simple with only two colors and two fonts.

Our little extra is the back... we wanted to continue the farm theme and set the foundation for the birds.

Whew- The Invites

2008-07-18T10:48:00.002-04:00

Just a little peek...

These are a little pricey...But I Like Them!

2008-07-09T11:46:00.003-04:00

$250... oh J.Crew

From Farm to Table

2008-07-08T11:39:00.007-04:00

Browsing through the recent issue of edible Brooklyn, I saw an ad for Sweet Pea Nourishment. Their specialty is linking your event with local farms to supply the food- THEY DO THE LEGWORK! and will design a menu, etc. Their sample menus look delish!

You no longer have to settle for a menu that is sourced from all edges of the globe to feed your guests- you can keep it fresh (Farm Fresh!) and local. Sweet Pea Nourishment works within the Northeast and is based in in Philadelphia. Founder, Liz Solms, is from NYC originally.
pic from www.sweetpeanourishment.com

Blooming Inspiration

2008-07-05T14:33:00.005-04:00

We will be sticking to a green and white color scheme, but the pretty petals and composition of these below are the lush but clean look we are thinking about for our tables.

pics below: top peonies from Housemartin, middle moss, ferns, flowers from Brooklyn Bride, whose photographer was Bethalee photography, and bottom peony taken by me at Banchet flowers.

MOSS

2008-07-05T14:12:00.004-04:00

The picture below is from Martha Stewart (via Housemartin). I have been working on a few terrarium-like moss creations for our centerpieces. Mixing a few very structural elements with a lot of whimsy is what I would like.

The two pictures below Martha's mushroom magic are my works in progress.

Where the City Meets the Forest???

2008-07-04T12:02:00.005-04:00

This was taken by me in front of our building, in our tree pit, earlier this week. Who knew such lush inspiration would be just outside our door in Brooklyn?

Oh...Clay-Pot, Part 2

2008-06-26T19:19:00.005-04:00

I picked up AC's ring from The Clay Pot in Brooklyn today. It is gorgeous. They wrapped it up so nice!
I am still on the look out for a pair of earrings (my something blue) for the big day and saw this fun pair by Patricia Locke. They are also VERY affordable.
pics below by me and from www.clay-pot.com/

Bring That Beat Back

2008-06-18T16:25:00.010-04:00

So, I know there is nothing new about having cameras on the tables ... but I LOVE the idea. I am updating (or back-dating) the idea by using single use LoFi lomography cameras. The series of LoFi cameras that have been born at www.lomography.com are simply f-u-n.

A few of these Lomolitos (each has an optional color filter) and a few of those Rollei (black & white grainy images).

Where the Farm Meets the Forest--FABRIC

2008-06-17T11:39:00.007-04:00

Yesterday, I went to Purl Soho to find fabric for a small project I'm doing for the tables at the wedding. I came across these 2 great farm-chic designs that are perfect for my plans.

Pics from top to bottom: Robert Kaufman Forest in Green from http://www.purlsoho.com/; Joel dewberry Woodgrain from http://www.joeldewberry.com/.

The 3 Month Countdown!

2008-06-12T14:35:00.007-04:00

It is now 3 months until our wedding.

I was browsing through etsy for various handmade goodies, not even necessarily for the wedding. I happened on playing with wires and other wonders... Etsy shop. These numbers would be great as table markers. Kristin Mays makes words too!

pics above and below from playing with wires and other wonders... Etsy shop

My Wedding Ring or How My Heart Stopped

2008-06-02T15:01:00.011-04:00

Two years ago, Andy bought me these earrings (the ones on the left). I love them.

In an earlier post I spoke of really liking the Hannah Clark bands I tried on at Auto. I went straight to the source and met with Hannah in her absolutely adorable East 4th Street store. While I was trying on her great selection of rings (from organic and soft all the way to vintage and sweet), I noticed these very same bunnies displayed on the wall and my heart stopped. I asked her if they were her design, she said yes, and I knew I was in the right place.

Pic from If The Birds Knew - a fabulous blog about everything with excellent posts about music

I still want it!

2008-06-02T14:17:00.003-04:00

So, yes, this has been everywhere... magazines, blogs, graffiti. But when you go in the Jonathan Adler store, and see them hanging on the wall in the back (of the SoHo location)- you will covet custom silhouettes of you and your sweetie by Carter Kustera.

I broke down... they are now on my Wishpot wedding registry (along with everyone else's).

Pic below from www.jonathanadler.com

Hello...Lovers

2008-05-29T12:49:00.004-04:00

Um... why does the first pair have to have a 4 INCH heel!? Looking for a sexy pair of lower heeled shoes. Do they exist?

Pics from Piperlime.com, top to bottom: Claudia Cuiti, Nine West, Delman

Groom Me Please!

2008-05-28T12:56:00.006-04:00

So... another wonderful element of the wedded couple was their undeniable sea breeze style. Erica's dress was perfect for a day outdoors and Patrick's Gucci suit fit him to tailored perfection.
AC is still on the prowl for his wedding suit, he is definitely looking for a similar slimmer fitting style.

A Very Thoughtful Day

2008-05-28T12:36:00.002-04:00

Erica, of Thoughtful Day, and Patrick were married in Jamaica last week. The pictures are spectacular; it looks as though it was a fun and fancy-free time. Erica has been really helpful with a few of my wedding details- she is an inspirational wedding planner in addition to a gorgeous bride! The next 2 posts are from her Big Jamaican, Very Thoughtful Day.

Black Heart

2008-05-16T16:09:00.004-04:00

Our invitation designs are done. AC and I sweated over them for a few weeks, and they are now out of our hands and into Coeur Noir's. Alex there has been more than a printer- he's helped organize so many little wedding practicalities. Letterpress printer extraordinaire! They are on Wythe and N5th in Williamsburg.

At Auto

2008-05-15T13:54:00.004-04:00

So, I walked to Auto during lunch in search of a wedding band. There were a number of rings that I absolutely loved. The three below (the last not really a wedding band, but so much fun!) are absolutely gorgeous. 1-Kaoru Gold Champagne ring, 2- Lauren Wolf Urchin ring, 3- Andrea Corson Caviar ring. All available at Auto.

Besides these below, I was truly taken with two jewelry designers there... Sarah McGuire, out of Chicago, and Hannah Clark, right here in NYC.

Christian Tortu

2008-05-15T10:35:00.005-04:00

I work in Chelsea, so I took a leisurely lunchtime stroll over to the Meat Packing District to browse for wedding bands (namely Auto, see next post).

Next to Auto is a wonderful place, Banchet Flowers. In the window was this vase by Christian Tortu that I remembered seeing online at Rose and Radish (they are still available here). They are a little expensive but if you are having a smaller wedding with a few tables or a single banquet table- they are stunning.
Images: below- me, below below- Rose and Radish

From the Bottom of My Heart

2008-05-15T10:09:00.002-04:00

This is old hat, but I am really drawn to this heart pendant posted last month on Brooklyn Bride and last week on Something Old, Something New- yes, I'm makin' the rounds.

A silver anatomical heart with "Ab Imo Pectore" engraved at the bottom. I think I would use it as a charm on something other than a necklace, but it is a sweet little gift for the groom. It is available here at Supermarket.

When I saw it, it reminded me of a Valentine's Day card I made for AC a few years ago (pictured below).

Much Ado About Stamps

2008-05-11T11:26:00.008-04:00

I sent out our Save the Dates with the new Pollination stamps- how perfect for a Farm Affair! I might just use them again for the invitations...

When I found those at The Postal Store, I came across these tropical fruit stamps that would be great for an island destination wedding.
Of course we could always Zazzle an adorable picture of Molly. Either of these would work.

INK::3

2008-05-08T17:11:00.004-04:00

Last but not least, is Brooklyn resident Love Jenna. Word is she can doodle you a little creature in addition to your names and addresses. The example fonts below are just a few of the ones shown on her blog. Choosing one calligrapher will be a tough decision with these talents available!

INK::2

2008-05-08T16:54:00.003-04:00

A few months ago this calligrapher/artist blew up all over the blogs (Brooklyn Bride, Thoughtful Day, and d*s). No one I have seen has done whimsy as beautifully as Betsy Dunlap. These are 2 examples taken from her website.

INK::1

2008-05-08T14:28:00.009-04:00

There are so many calligraphers out there. Very few take their type to another level and strive to do more than just everyday calligraphy. These next 3 posts show the best I have come across.

Below are examples of the work of Pretty Pen Jen. These pictures are from her website- and do not even represent half of her available fonts.

Cake in Your Mouth, Not in Your Face

2008-05-02T13:13:00.005-04:00

We have AMAZING Baker's Men (Jay and Victor) at Lulu's Bakery in Scarsdale, NY.
Not only do they try their hardest to use organic ingredients and support local sustainable agriculture- their cakes are true works of art and are absolutely heavenly. We clicked with them right away and they did not shy away from our non-traditional wedding cake visions. In my quest to create our farm-chic confection, these two cakes were the ones that charmed me the most.
above: from the Winter 2008 issue ofInStyle Weddings. below: Wendy Kromer's Magical Forest Cake kit inspired by Martha Stewart's Magical Forest Cake.

Where The Farm Meets the Forest- Tablescapes

2008-04-30T20:44:00.009-04:00

I love reading older blog posts from the wedding blogs that were started over a year ago. I was not even planning a wedding 6 months ago. So now I have a lot of wonderful catching up to do.
I really like what jsj is doing. A few months ago she posted about a flower shop in Boston- Winston Flowers. Simply gorgeous, creative designs.

On a much more recent note: Housemartin is amazing. This blog is so inspiring. It is the place to go for all things floral (with a nice dash of home design thrown in for fun). This week he shows off with these beauties. From the post, "I did a grouping of 6 cubes running down the table. Each cube has a leaf wrapped inside, tufts of moss, and billy buttons - very architectural - maybe echoing a little cluster of undergrowth in the woods."

Bestill My Heart

2008-04-30T16:19:00.007-04:00

I love Amy Ross' work. She has a new print available across the ocean at the Keep Calm Gallery. I added her online portfolio to my registry awhile back. What a wonderful gift for us newlyweds!

Dress Mess... All Cleaned Up

2008-04-30T14:14:00.016-04:00

Most planning (after the guest list) has been relatively simple. So much of the details are taken care of by Blue Hill at Stone Barns. This part is truly a wedding dream come true. Then there is the search for my dress. So many brides blogging online have had an easy time of it. I didn't.

I did the bridal salon thing at Pronovias trying on fabulous Manuel Mota dresses. They were all dreamy, I just did not feel like me and did feel exactly like an anonymous bride. These also started at $3,000. I wasn't prepared for this.

Then I figured if I was going to spend thousands of dollars, why not go to Barney's and buy a great gown. Those started at $5000.

At this point I decided to go with just the opposite. Something affordable. I spoke with Chrissy at Wai-ching out of Seattle (super nice). I ended up not committing because the dress would all be made via mail. She has great dresses though.

Then I found a dress at BCBG, bought it. Took it to my fabulous seamstress to possibly add a train. I just did not feel bridal enough, and THEN it came out in a variety of colors and lengths. This made it even harder to commit to. I was in hell and everyone I knew thought I was flakey. A few days ago, A $10,000 Wedding blogged about this dress- comments came from anotherbride-to-be who also bought the dress with similar sentiments (so I felt a little better...). (Picture from bcbg.com)

At this point, I needed serious help. I dragged a good friend, Stacey, through all of this. She still came through and went to what she referred to as "The Mothership". We went to Vera Wang. I bought my dress... love it... and I am finally comitted. (pics below not my dress but from verawang.com)

Little Ladies

2008-04-30T13:53:00.007-04:00

We have a flower girl and a ring bearer- both are young ladies. The search for dresses for them has been daunting. They live in two different cities on the West Coast, which does not make it any easier.

What is available for these young ones in bridal fashion is... can I say, EWWW. The styles most available are of two breeds: fairy princess or young hussy bride.

I came across a pretty old post on Something Old, Something New for Smitherman & Barnwell. What fabulous dresses. Some are over the top, but most are quite beautiful and stylish for a little lady.

Our Photographer, Part 2

2008-04-22T00:46:00.006-04:00

We were eloping, and then we were having a wedding, and then it was moved to September. Through it all our photographer, Sarah Sloboda, weathered the storm with us.

I have been taking ceramics at Choplet Ceramics Studio for about 2 years now. One day in February, as I was putting away my work, I saw another member putting her clay away. The name on her bag of clay read, "Sarah Sloboda". I asked if she was Sarah Sloboda the photographer- she said yes, and that was that. Our fate was sealed.

This photo was taken by Sarah Sloboda- please ask her if you can use it.

Please sir... can I have some more?

2008-04-21T23:37:00.010-04:00

Shoes, glorious shoes.

All of these are great shoes to hide (or not) under your fabulous dress.

Above: left to right, top to bottom... Guiseppe Zanotti, Gucci, Manolo Blahnik, Valentino. All available at Bergdorf's.

IF... I Were Having a Beach Wedding

2008-04-11T11:11:00.005-04:00

I would think about having an eco-sphere at the dining tables. Not only are they living fine art, they are clean and simple and would not add clutter to composite centerpieces. They are a little pricey, but compared to floral centerpieces, they are a steal AND they would double as special gifts for the bridal party. The smallest start at $75 and head up to $300+ and last for 4 or more years. Many places carry them, but you can order direct here.

images from eco-spere.com

Our Photographer, Part 1

2008-04-10T16:12:00.010-04:00

AC and I were once eloping. We were going to cross the East River and head to Central Park with Molly. Afterwards, we were planning to walk to the Time Warner Center for dinner at Per Se.

I did want to have fabulous announcements made with a book of photos and send them to everyone possible. I remembered my friend Mike's wedding pictures were amazing and captured everything without it seeming contrived- he used Sarah Sloboda. I emailed her and later called her to work out the details. We talked for 2 hours! It was a good sign in my book.

We then decided to have a wedding- with less than 9 months to plan!

I informed Sarah of our ...uhhh... change in plans. She rolled with it. We love her work- check out her website. The picture below is one of hers- please ask her if you can use it.

Ici

2008-04-10T10:44:00.005-04:00

We had dinner in our neighborhood at Ici last night. They do an excellent job of using fresh and local food- I am LOVING this trend take hold. We met up a couple of friends who are getting married in less than a month on May 3rd- hearing their plans, it sounds like it will be a ton of fun.

Ici has a STUNNING private dining room upstairs. It would be a fabulous place to host a rehearsal dinner or host your reception for a small wedding.

Wedding Dress- My constant dilemma

2008-04-09T15:54:00.015-04:00

I have dress issues. I do not want to spend more than 1K on my dress- it is for one day, and really... how often do I have the opportunity to wear a fabulous long gown? Never. SO, I have one in hand, but am keeping my options open.

On a related tangent, this month's Domino Magazine is a fabulous read. Thumbing through the "Outfit to Room" article I saw this Phillip Lim dress. AC's friends are getting married at The Foundry in July- the bride is wearing a long white dress she bought at the Phillip Lim store in SoHo, a fabulous find.

You can see the rest of the pics from Domino here.

The Weather Outside is Delightful!

2008-04-09T13:06:00.008-04:00

I know it is spring, but thinking so much about the middle of September makes me think of how similar this weather is to Fall (minus the anticipation of being able to shed all coats). AC and I try to go apple picking every Fall. Our favorite place to pick is Breezy Hill Orchard (first discovered with my friend Anna). The owner of this fabulous place, that makes the best cider- hands down AND allows my dog to run around like a mad-woman, is Elizabeth Ryan. She was more than happy to arrange for a few green varieties to be a part of our favors in September. Green apples, Green (the eco kind) favors.

For a Bold Bride

2008-04-04T18:00:00.010-04:00

I tried out the Manolo Blahnik Sedarby heels (in teal) for my wedding shoes. It is a LONG story, but they did not work out. But they have been on my mind- new fabrics have come out this spring.

I love coming across little things in my everyday that seem so similar to (sometimes) luxury items you cannot own. I pass this tree everday on walks with Molly. These MB's available at Bergdorf's now, they could work for the right bride.

Rings on Your Fingers

2008-04-03T10:47:00.036-04:00

We are trying to stay local and utilize the amazing variety of independent businesses in Brooklyn, NYC, and the Hudson Valley for the wedding. We recently went wedding band shopping at The Clay Pot in Park Slope. They had such an amazing selection of handmade jewelry. They can also tell you if the artist uses recycled metals.
AC had an "Ahh" moment with a Marian Maurier band he tried on.

Above (left to right, top to bottom): Maureen Maurier, Yasuko Azuma, Messina, Todd Reed, Scholdt Design, Anne Sportum- all can be found at The Clay Pot
images from The Clay Pot

Save the Dates

2008-04-02T22:46:00.008-04:00

Our Save the Dates went out a few weeks ago. I know I wanted them to be letterpressed, but all of the great letterpress studios I knew of (Greenwich Letterpress, Sesame Letterpress) were a little out of our price range.

So I rolled up my sleeves, used copyright free images, and a free font and designed them myself. Don't laugh; I did it in Microsoft Word. Being a science-medicine girl, I never really needed Adobe other than for PDF health alerts. No worries, I am doing the invites in Illustrator.

The back was blind letterpressed- I wanted to evoke the simple and fresh feel of the wedding, but hint at the fun elements that could be counted on. We had them printed at an incredible letterpress printshop in Brooklyn, Coeur Noir.

Where the Farm Meets the Forest

2008-04-02T22:07:00.010-04:00

It seems every other couple is moved by the color green for their weddings now. It is a lush color that reminds me of ferns and grass. Two pictures that inspire. One taken on a hike upstate the other on one of our vacations in Vanuatu.

Molly

2008-04-02T22:03:00.001-04:00

Blue Hill at Stone Barns

2008-04-02T21:39:00.003-04:00

AC and I have lived in NYC together now for 8 years. Most of this time we have been lucky enough to own a car. We take trips galore up to the Hudson Valley and the Catskills for day hikes, long weekends, and fresh air- our dog Molly loves it too.

We love good food. We had eaten at Blue Hill in the city and really liked what chef Dan Barber was all about; sustainable, local food.

We looked at Blue Hill at Stone Barns for these 2 reasons in particular. Our first visit there was on a very cold Saturday. The sheep were kept in a shelter so they could have access to water that wouldn't freeze. We gave them a little visit and finalized our decision to have our wedding here.

Starting This

2008-04-02T16:23:00.000-04:00

I am starting this SO late in the game, but I feel drawn towards doing it. We, AC and I, have the date set at September 12th, 2008, less than 6 months away. I prefer NOT to be a "knottie" (no offense of course, just not for me- and for those who do not know, it is a profiler on "the Knot" website). I simply need to organize and streamline a few thoughts.