Couldn't resist just one more shot. The submerged flowers seem to have held up just fine overnight. I am curious to see how long they will last that way.
Sit Ligula Metus Sem. Eget Elementum Amet Tellus
6 years ago
Saturday, October 11, 2008
One more photo
Couldn't resist just one more shot. The submerged flowers seem to have held up just fine overnight. I am curious to see how long they will last that way.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Friday Flower Fun
Today, through a random series of events, I ended up with 7 free sweetheart roses from JP Parker Flowers. I have already decided to do my own wedding flowers but if I weren't I would hire JP Parker in a heartbeat. They do all the event floral arrangements for theatre sponsored events (ie. Opening Night, Donor Dinners, etc) and they were also kind enough to trade us for tickets when it was decided we needed a fresh sweetheart rose for every performance of the first show of the season. They're the best!
My latest floral love and inspiration is submerged flower arrangements. Since I had some free flowers I thought I'd give it a shot!
Here on the left is my first attempt. 5 submerged roses, stepping up in height around the side of the glass (I paid attention the day in design class where we learned odd numbers = balanced!) It was okay but seemed a little crowded.
I removed a couple of the flowers and was much happier.
I wish I could get a good shot without the flash to show you how nice and glow-y it looks with the candle ... Alas, I think I am a better amateur florist than amateur photographer.
Lessons learned today: flowers float! It was a little tricky getting them to stay put. Also, don't splash water on the candle wick, it makes the candle very hard to light. oops.
Since I had a few more flowers I also did another trial run of corsages and boutonnieres, including the little beaded accents I made a few weeks back.
Just another fun-filled Friday!
Friends and family, if you haven't had a chance to look over my previous hotel option post give it a read ... I would love a little feedback about the price-ranges, locations, etc before setting up room blocks.
Thanks!
My latest floral love and inspiration is submerged flower arrangements. Since I had some free flowers I thought I'd give it a shot!Here on the left is my first attempt. 5 submerged roses, stepping up in height around the side of the glass (I paid attention the day in design class where we learned odd numbers = balanced!) It was okay but seemed a little crowded.
I removed a couple of the flowers and was much happier.
I wish I could get a good shot without the flash to show you how nice and glow-y it looks with the candle ... Alas, I think I am a better amateur florist than amateur photographer.
Lessons learned today: flowers float! It was a little tricky getting them to stay put. Also, don't splash water on the candle wick, it makes the candle very hard to light. oops.
Since I had a few more flowers I also did another trial run of corsages and boutonnieres, including the little beaded accents I made a few weeks back.
Just another fun-filled Friday!
Friends and family, if you haven't had a chance to look over my previous hotel option post give it a read ... I would love a little feedback about the price-ranges, locations, etc before setting up room blocks.
Thanks!
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Hotels
Seeing as all our guests (other than, say, 10 or so people who we might meet over the course of the next year) will be traveling from out of town I decided it was about time I started looking in to lodging. Here's what I've come up with ... I'd love a little feedback from the family and friends who might be reading this.
1) The Embassy Suites - This hotel is literally right next door to the theatre. (Nice because if for some reason it rains on the wedding day I could get to the theatre without ever going outside ... and if I get a run in my pantyhose it's also attached to the mall!) They have offered a group rate of $149 per night for single suites and $159 per night for double suites. All of their rooms are suites so a single holds up to 4 people and a double up to 6. Parking in the attached garage is $20/night (steep, I know ... it is downtown though). Convenient location, very condusive to sharing rooms. We'll likely block 10 rooms here to start (the most we could block without a financial guarantee). This is likely where I will stay the night before the wedding and where we'll stay the night after. (Edited to add: this hotel does include breakfast.)
2) The Hilton Garden Inn - Just a few block away from the theatre on Monument Circle. Definitely walkable. They've offered a group rate of $129 for singles and doubles (so, up to 4 guests per room). Parking here is $14 for self-parking, $22 for valet per night. Still a nice hotel, still downtown, a little less expensive. There's no financial obligation on our part to block rooms here, still undecided whether we need this option.
3) The Candlewood Suites- This hotels is about 2 1/2 miles from the theatre. It's where our out-of-town actors and designers stay for the theatre so we should be able to get the super-awesome rate of $79 per night. Parking here is free. Also, the theatre's company manager tells Candlewood has negotiated a flat rate for taxi's from the hotel to downtown of $5. The return trip will run you $12 (but it's still less than overnight parking.) Rooms here are also all suites and include kitchenettes, which could be great for any family who might come in a few days early. I actually stayed here when I came to Indianapolis last spring for my interview, it's clean and comfortable, though there's not really anything else nearby. I think it's pretty certain we'll offer this option, though arrangements may be a little more complicated because I'll probably need to book each room through the company manager who happens to be having a baby in April.
We are, of course, total urban-ites and would love it if everyone chose to stay downtown ... however, we realize that offering a more economical option will make it a lot easier for folks to share in our celebration. Any thoughts? Please comment with your responses.
(Also, if people are interested in room sharing we're happy to help facilitate. Get in touch with us once the email Save-the-Dates go out ... hopefully soon!)
1) The Embassy Suites - This hotel is literally right next door to the theatre. (Nice because if for some reason it rains on the wedding day I could get to the theatre without ever going outside ... and if I get a run in my pantyhose it's also attached to the mall!) They have offered a group rate of $149 per night for single suites and $159 per night for double suites. All of their rooms are suites so a single holds up to 4 people and a double up to 6. Parking in the attached garage is $20/night (steep, I know ... it is downtown though). Convenient location, very condusive to sharing rooms. We'll likely block 10 rooms here to start (the most we could block without a financial guarantee). This is likely where I will stay the night before the wedding and where we'll stay the night after. (Edited to add: this hotel does include breakfast.)
2) The Hilton Garden Inn - Just a few block away from the theatre on Monument Circle. Definitely walkable. They've offered a group rate of $129 for singles and doubles (so, up to 4 guests per room). Parking here is $14 for self-parking, $22 for valet per night. Still a nice hotel, still downtown, a little less expensive. There's no financial obligation on our part to block rooms here, still undecided whether we need this option.
3) The Candlewood Suites- This hotels is about 2 1/2 miles from the theatre. It's where our out-of-town actors and designers stay for the theatre so we should be able to get the super-awesome rate of $79 per night. Parking here is free. Also, the theatre's company manager tells Candlewood has negotiated a flat rate for taxi's from the hotel to downtown of $5. The return trip will run you $12 (but it's still less than overnight parking.) Rooms here are also all suites and include kitchenettes, which could be great for any family who might come in a few days early. I actually stayed here when I came to Indianapolis last spring for my interview, it's clean and comfortable, though there's not really anything else nearby. I think it's pretty certain we'll offer this option, though arrangements may be a little more complicated because I'll probably need to book each room through the company manager who happens to be having a baby in April.
We are, of course, total urban-ites and would love it if everyone chose to stay downtown ... however, we realize that offering a more economical option will make it a lot easier for folks to share in our celebration. Any thoughts? Please comment with your responses.
(Also, if people are interested in room sharing we're happy to help facilitate. Get in touch with us once the email Save-the-Dates go out ... hopefully soon!)
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Hard Choices and Important Issues
There are a few wedding sites I've read regularly, including a site called WeddingBee. This site is a group blog by selected engaged and recently married women, detailing their planning process, DIY projects, and grand tales of their actual wedding days. I've frequented their message boards, exchanged several messages with other brides there, and was counting down the days until I was eligible to apply to be a Bee ...
until yesterday ...
It turns out that the creator of WeddingBee (known to readers as Mrs. Bee) has sold the site to E-Harmony. She will continue to operate the site and claims the content and format will not change.
I don't begrudge Mrs. Bee for selling the site ... I mean, it has turned into an all-consuming task and the competition for wedding websites like this one has grown incredibly in past years (or so she describes, and I find it quite believable.) And, dear readers, before I continue, let me make it clear that if you met your partner through E-Harmony I in no way begrudge you your own happiness.
However, I have some problems with E-Harmony's policies against same-sex marriage that I just can't look past. They currently do not offer same-sex matches and, while they may claim it is simply a business decision, they have a history of supporting Focus on the Family, an incredibly right wing organization that actually preaches that homosexuality is a mental illness. Wedding Bee, on the other hand, has a history of supporting same-sex marriage/commitment ceremonies, including one of the recent Bees, Mrs. Gingerbread, who recently married her wife in Canada. (Since the announcement Mrs. GB has withdrawn from Wedding Bee.)
While the content of the site may not change in any way whatsoever, every time someone visits this site or links to a vendor advertised there the proceeds will be going towards a causes I oppose. While some Bees have said they feel that continuing to blog on the site and support LGBT rights will help promote change from the inside, the truth is the money generated by interest in their blog posts is still going into the coffers of a discriminatory organization.
I know this may seem like a small thing but I've been looking forward to my Bee application ever since I found the site just weeks after we became engaged. And making the decision to stop visiting the site has stirred up some strong feelings. I know not everyone will agree with me but I feel a responsibility to use this public forum to share my thoughts about this particular subject.
Some of the most positive and influential relationships I have witnessed in my life have been same-sex couples. In college, my scene design professor/mentor and his partner had been together for over twenty years, since the age of 19. They owned a home together, worked hard at their relationship, weathered good times and bad, and were wonderful, supportive partners to one another. My former boss in Houston and his partner actually have a civil union in the state of Vermont (and may be married in Canada, though I'm not sure), have made a public and sacred commitment to one another, but still are not allowed the same legal protections as a married couple in most states. These two examples of stable, healthy, loving relationships have taught me a great deal about what it is to be a good partner to another person and I want so much for these people to have the same recognition by the United States Government that I will have when I marry my husband.
One could split hairs all day about calling such a union a "civil union" vs a "marriage". I don't want or need to change how a church defines marriage. I'm talking about the U.S. Government. And if they call what I will have marriage then I want them to call same-sex legal unions marriage too. If they want to call what I will have a civil union then call them all civil unions. That's really not the point to me. The point is equal recognition. Because haven't we all learned from the civil rights movement that "separate but equal" is a load of b.s.?
That's my soapbox for the day. It is a little disheartening to realize that, ultimately, no one will notice if I don't read WeddingBee anymore. E-Harmony will still get plenty of money, site traffic will probably even increase. And, I'm sure I unknowingly support companies whose practices I disagree with on a daily basis. But we decided that in planning this wedding we wanted to try to make "better" choices, choices that reflect our world view and values ... and I am making the choice to leave WeddingBee.
until yesterday ...
It turns out that the creator of WeddingBee (known to readers as Mrs. Bee) has sold the site to E-Harmony. She will continue to operate the site and claims the content and format will not change.
I don't begrudge Mrs. Bee for selling the site ... I mean, it has turned into an all-consuming task and the competition for wedding websites like this one has grown incredibly in past years (or so she describes, and I find it quite believable.) And, dear readers, before I continue, let me make it clear that if you met your partner through E-Harmony I in no way begrudge you your own happiness.
However, I have some problems with E-Harmony's policies against same-sex marriage that I just can't look past. They currently do not offer same-sex matches and, while they may claim it is simply a business decision, they have a history of supporting Focus on the Family, an incredibly right wing organization that actually preaches that homosexuality is a mental illness. Wedding Bee, on the other hand, has a history of supporting same-sex marriage/commitment ceremonies, including one of the recent Bees, Mrs. Gingerbread, who recently married her wife in Canada. (Since the announcement Mrs. GB has withdrawn from Wedding Bee.)
While the content of the site may not change in any way whatsoever, every time someone visits this site or links to a vendor advertised there the proceeds will be going towards a causes I oppose. While some Bees have said they feel that continuing to blog on the site and support LGBT rights will help promote change from the inside, the truth is the money generated by interest in their blog posts is still going into the coffers of a discriminatory organization.
I know this may seem like a small thing but I've been looking forward to my Bee application ever since I found the site just weeks after we became engaged. And making the decision to stop visiting the site has stirred up some strong feelings. I know not everyone will agree with me but I feel a responsibility to use this public forum to share my thoughts about this particular subject.
Some of the most positive and influential relationships I have witnessed in my life have been same-sex couples. In college, my scene design professor/mentor and his partner had been together for over twenty years, since the age of 19. They owned a home together, worked hard at their relationship, weathered good times and bad, and were wonderful, supportive partners to one another. My former boss in Houston and his partner actually have a civil union in the state of Vermont (and may be married in Canada, though I'm not sure), have made a public and sacred commitment to one another, but still are not allowed the same legal protections as a married couple in most states. These two examples of stable, healthy, loving relationships have taught me a great deal about what it is to be a good partner to another person and I want so much for these people to have the same recognition by the United States Government that I will have when I marry my husband.
One could split hairs all day about calling such a union a "civil union" vs a "marriage". I don't want or need to change how a church defines marriage. I'm talking about the U.S. Government. And if they call what I will have marriage then I want them to call same-sex legal unions marriage too. If they want to call what I will have a civil union then call them all civil unions. That's really not the point to me. The point is equal recognition. Because haven't we all learned from the civil rights movement that "separate but equal" is a load of b.s.?
That's my soapbox for the day. It is a little disheartening to realize that, ultimately, no one will notice if I don't read WeddingBee anymore. E-Harmony will still get plenty of money, site traffic will probably even increase. And, I'm sure I unknowingly support companies whose practices I disagree with on a daily basis. But we decided that in planning this wedding we wanted to try to make "better" choices, choices that reflect our world view and values ... and I am making the choice to leave WeddingBee.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Butter, Sugar, Flour, Eggs, and Thou ...
I've been thinking a lot lately about cake. Mmmm ... I love cake. Or, more accurately, I love icing, for which cake is an excellent vehicle. However, traditional wedding cakes start at around $2.50 a person for a basic cake (meaning at least $350 for a cake) and I just think that's a lot! I know many people these days have just a tiny "wedding" cake and supplement with a sheet cake, but I really don't want to do that either ... enter ideas!!
One thought we had from early on is to do wedding cupcakes! Last weekend we visited a local bakery that specialized in cupcakes, The Flying Cupcake. They have amazing cupcakes in a wide variety of flavors. We bought four to sample: the Here Comes the Bride (almond flavoring in the cake and almond buttercream icing), the Chocolate Ganache (omg, fudgy and rich), a Key Lime (apparently an experiment, new to the menu, with mereinge icing), and the Razzmatazz (raspberry filled chocolate cupcake with raspberry buttercream icing.) All of these were AWESOME and we love that we could have multiple flavors to offer, however this option is not really all that much cheaper than a regular wedding cake. Cupcakes are $2 each when ordered in dozen increments, plus an additional $.50 per filled cupcake and lots of other tacked on fees if one wants them decorated in any particular way other than standard. And while we were there we mentioned the wedding idea and the clerk told us that they do lots of weddings, in fact they had done 5 that weekend ... I started to wonder if cupcakes were too trendy these days ...
The other idea we have is that instead of getting a "wedding" cake in all its tiered glory we will simply get several, lovely, tasty, round cakes and set them up on stands of varying heights. We could still offer several flavors of cake (maybe even a red cake, I know a certain mom who loves it ...) and there's somewhere to put a topper. Based on my calculations we will need one 12" cake, two 10" cakes, two 8" cakes and, one 6" cake ... a lot of cake, about half the cost of a wedding cake! I really think this is an elegant idea.
Which cake style will claim victory over our hearts? You'll just have to wait a few months to find out. As for the debate between fondant and buttercream, there is simply no contest in my book. Buttercream wins the day!!
Have you been to any weddings where the cake was non-traditional? (And are you craving cake as much as I am now?)
One thought we had from early on is to do wedding cupcakes! Last weekend we visited a local bakery that specialized in cupcakes, The Flying Cupcake. They have amazing cupcakes in a wide variety of flavors. We bought four to sample: the Here Comes the Bride (almond flavoring in the cake and almond buttercream icing), the Chocolate Ganache (omg, fudgy and rich), a Key Lime (apparently an experiment, new to the menu, with mereinge icing), and the Razzmatazz (raspberry filled chocolate cupcake with raspberry buttercream icing.) All of these were AWESOME and we love that we could have multiple flavors to offer, however this option is not really all that much cheaper than a regular wedding cake. Cupcakes are $2 each when ordered in dozen increments, plus an additional $.50 per filled cupcake and lots of other tacked on fees if one wants them decorated in any particular way other than standard. And while we were there we mentioned the wedding idea and the clerk told us that they do lots of weddings, in fact they had done 5 that weekend ... I started to wonder if cupcakes were too trendy these days ...The other idea we have is that instead of getting a "wedding" cake in all its tiered glory we will simply get several, lovely, tasty, round cakes and set them up on stands of varying heights. We could still offer several flavors of cake (maybe even a red cake, I know a certain mom who loves it ...) and there's somewhere to put a topper. Based on my calculations we will need one 12" cake, two 10" cakes, two 8" cakes and, one 6" cake ... a lot of cake, about half the cost of a wedding cake! I really think this is an elegant idea.Which cake style will claim victory over our hearts? You'll just have to wait a few months to find out. As for the debate between fondant and buttercream, there is simply no contest in my book. Buttercream wins the day!!Have you been to any weddings where the cake was non-traditional? (And are you craving cake as much as I am now?)
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