Wedding Inspiration (aka "The Vision")

One of the first things I did after deciding on our venue at the Biltmore in Asheville was to begin to fine tune the vision for the wedding.

I learned by default that I really needed to figure this out asap, as the first question from anyone I worked with after inquiring about location was always...

"So tell me about your 'Vision'...."

(And, Yes, if I must confess, I was stumped the first time I was asked this.... luckily I am pretty good at making stuff up as I go, but I didn't want my answer to come back and haunt me at a later date!)

Since we decided not to have the wedding overseas, I knew I wanted to bring a little bit of Europe to the even and bring in a classic, elegant, formal ambiance.   We had a small guest list, 28 people in total, immediate family members.   I wanted the event to feel like an intimate formal dinner party filled with romance, candlelight, music and a touch of glamour.    

This image was one of the first I found that really captured the essence of the vision.     We decided fairly early on that the dinner would have both an Italian and French feel, places that John and I had visited together and held a special place in our hearts.   (More on the menu later...   Can't wait to share!)

I picked my colors on the day that I first tried on my wedding dress.    Champagne, ivory, blush and gold accents.   I wanted the colors to carry out that romantic, Parisian feel that is so soft and elegant.    I found a number of images early on that helped to provide a more tangible view into our thoughts.

When I was first engaged, I panicked a little bit.   I didn't know where to begin.  One of my friends and former co-workers gave me the best advice, reminding me that a wedding is just one big project.   If you approach it like a project, it becomes manageable and achievable.    So I broke it down into chunks and everything flowed from there.

After we defined the initial requirements (the location, the vision, the inspiration), I knew that the next step was to select the project manager, or in this case the Wedding Planner.    Since John and I were planning from afar, we knew that we seriously needed some help on the ground and it was one of the best decisions we made.

Stay tuned for the next installment of Adventures in Wedding Planning...

Listen To Your Heart

We went to an absolutely amazing and incredibly moving Mary Chapin Carpenter show last night in Durham.    Here are the lyrics from one of our favorites and a couple of random pictures from Rome and Paris to keep you around until we venture back later this week.   Happy Monday!

The Hard Way, by Mary Chapin Carpenter

Show a little inspiration, show a little spark
And show that things that drew me to you and stole my heart
And tell me something I don't know instead of everything I do
And look at me as if I mean something to you
Our hearts are beating while we sleep, but while we're wide awake
You know the world won't stop, and actions speak louder
Listen to your heart, and what your heart might say
Everything we got, we got the hard way

Show a little passion, baby, show a little style
And show the knack for knowing when and the gift for knowing how
And have a little trust in us when fear obscures the path
You know we got this far, darling, not by luck, but by never turning back
Some will call on destiny, but I just call on faith
That the world won't stop, and actions speak louder
Listen to your heart, to what your heart might say
Everything we got, we got the hard way

Caught up in our little lives, there's not a lot left over
I see what's missing in your eyes; you're searching for that field of clover
So show a little inspiration, show a little spark
Show the world a little light when you show it your heart
We've got two lives, one we're given and the other one we make
And the world won't stop, and actions speak louder
Listen to your heart, and your heart might say
Everything we got, we got the hard (everything we got, we got the hard way)
Everything we got, we got the hard way
(Because the world won't stop) hang on, baby... 

Wedding Thoughts Returning

Taking a break from my regularly scheduled travel updates to jump in with a wedding related topic.  I did just get engaged almost two months ago and I haven't written about it once. 

I have been so busy being on my trip that I've had little time to think about a wedding.  I never thought I'd say that out loud.   But, yes, I've been more focused on my own survival than dreaming about dresses and flowers.     Besides the fact that I know I want something very simple.   That's helped me to put off thinking about it over the last couple of weeks.   

Now that I have just about two weeks left, it is starting to creep up again.   I'm actually getting a little excited to start planning.    This is all so completely overwhelming though.  I have no idea where to begin.  I feel like I am back at work.

Thank goodness I have an excellent internet connection here or I think I'd go crazy.   I do have a little case of google ADD.    I've been spending various random hours in the morning and late at night quickly flipping from looking at dresses to venues to planners.  I have so many ideas but haven't figured out a good way to organize my thoughts and pull it all together.  I had a minor breakdown on the phone with John this morning as he was arriving in the office at 6am.  I am sure this is exactly what he felt like dealing with first thing.   

I think I have calmed down again and in my perusal of wedding sites this afternoon I came across the wedding inspiration board concept.    This is so up my alley.   I can't wait to start working on these and getting my various visions all in one spot.    Then, the fun part of narrowing the many visions down to one.   At that point, I'd be more than happy to turn the winning concept over to an expert to execute the whole thing.     I know myself pretty well.   I'm good at the ideas but will seriously need help when it comes to the details.     

So, speaking of ideas, this one is not mine.   This is just a random one I ran across today that I thought was pretty.   I'm thinking shades of champagne would be nice for an italian wedding.     Ahhhhhh...... getting stressed again.