The Ceremony

For the ceremony, I may stick with all white. White aisle runner (may or may not paint on the monogram), white rose petals, white chairs, white flowers. I love these carnation topiary trees (above left, found online), and they match perfectly with the rest of my floral decor. These would be a really easy DIY project (FI is crafty/handy, so he could help). I also love the lanterns lining the aisle (above right, found online). We aren't doing a church wedding, so I'm not sure if this idea would work on regular chairs... maybe if the lanterns were really small... IOTC USA has lanterns at a great discount price (among other things - DIY'ers check it out!). 

I'm not sure about programs yet either. I love these (left, from the knot), and they would be a great punch of color on the white chairs. I really like the leafy silhouette, nice and modern. I wonder if I could find a similar paper with a damask pattern, in the same color. I guess I could always design one as well... 

The Reception

I'm going to use damask patterns throughout the whole wedding, including the invites and any other printed materials. These damask linens (from the Cloth Connection) will be on every table. I'm thinking of getting just one black pintuck tablecloth for the cake table, to set it apart. 

And of course, have to have the black Chivari Ballroom chairs! They are expensive, but I think it's one of the only things I can't compromise on. That, and professional lighting. Thankfully the groom agrees with me on that subject! We recognize that professional lighting is expensive, so it might mean compromising in other areas, such as... the centerpieces...

I LOVE these centerpieces! (Found on the knot, if it is your image, let me know, I'll give credit!). Now, I'm not huge on flowers - it sounds dumb, but cut flowers make me a little sad. So I knew right away that I didn't want strictly flowers for the tables. For awhile I wanted this "enchanted forest" theme, I was going to make manzanita trees for every table. But, enchanted forest + halloween = spooky tree reception. I think these carnation balls are the perfect option. And a perfect DIY project! I found these pillar candle holders (right) at an online retailer. I can buy the carnations in bulk from a wholesale florist, plug them into foam balls, and pow - gorgeous centerpieces! They'll still cost around $70 a piece, so I'm not exactly saving much money - but the effect will be worth it! (And, I can always sell the candle holders to another DIY bride).

We're also looking into renting furniture for a lounge area near the bar - more on that later - hasn't been researched yet!

The Cocktail Hour

So, you may have already guessed that my colors are black, white and orange. I know, gag. That's what I thought at first, but after seeing how the colors work together, I've changed my mind. The trick is balance. So while the predominant colors of the wedding will be black and white (in a damask pattern), I'll be popping bits of orange here and there. For example, the cocktail hour. 

I'm hoping to have similar weather on Halloween as we did this year (it was in the 60's in Boston). I know, plan for the worst, hope for the best. The cocktail hour will straddle indoors and out. We have this beautiful patio on the back of the mansion that was recently renovated. I'm planning on high top tables with orange pintuck linens (Cloth Connection) and tightly packed white carnations in square glass vases. I'll be using carnations predominantly in the wedding - I think they look ultra-modern all clustered together (and they are mucho affordable). I'll also place white and orange pumpkins in groups on the stairs outside.

I also love these tissue poms by Martha Stewart, super easy to make, and they would look great  hanging from the trees surrounding the patio. They also mimic the carnations on the table. I also want to hang glass votive holders from the trees, but I really need to check out the space more to see if they will hang. 

I'm on the fence whether or not to do custom napkins or not, they aren't very expensive, but I'm not sure anyone would notice them. Although, it's all in the details :)

Since it will be an outdoor event, I'm going to get pashminas for all the female guests in case it is chilly. The sun won't set until after the cocktail hour, so I'm hoping it won't be too cold. I'm incredibly fortunate to have an MOH who travels to China every summer, she can get me the pashminas at a fantastic price!

The Venue

Roughwood Estate at Pine Manor College, Chestnut Hill, MA

Ok, I have to admit to some bias here. I'm not only an alum of Pine Manor College, I also currently work there as the Art Director. So, it seemed like a no-brainer to go with PMC, especially given that I get a huge discount on the rental fee. Roughwood is a Georgian style mansion and the rental allows us to have free run of the place for as long as I want, including the lawns, patio, Moncrief Room (large sitting room) and Founder's Room (ballroom/music room). Trouble is, the Founder's Room will only hold 80 seated comfortably for dinner (up to 150 for the ceremony). That means we need a tent.

I was unsure at first, I mean, the idea of a tented wedding was giving me flashbacks to the disastrous affair in "Betsy's Wedding" and Molly Ringwald's awful top hat... But, then I found this amazing Clearspan structure (right photo, from Peterson Party Rental). Our reception will be starting around sunset and our guests will be able to see the sky as the stars appear.

I also have to admit to a deep love of this place. I feel at home there, and I have such a history with the college. I personally know everyone that will be involved in my wedding, which you can't put a price on. Plus, even though the beauty of the place may be a little lost on me, since I see it daily, it won't be lost on my guests. And what better place to have a Halloween bash then a big ol' (haunted?) mansion!

The Monogram

What is a bride's first priority? The monogram of course!

I've been getting a lot of comments on my monogram, so here's how I created it. The image is from a stock website, www.fotolia.com. Type in "damask" in the search box. I chose a pattern by Roman Barelko (#9363561). You'll need to buy credits to purchase images (I spent only $10 and bought 3 high-resolution images). I then edited the image in Photoshop to only include the main pattern. 

In case you missed it, Hell froze over...

I'm engaged. I'm still in shock over the whole thing. I keep thinking that I'll wake up one day and this sparkly, beautiful thing on my finger will disappear. It was all a dream. The fact that my new FI is saying things like "I worked on my guest list" and "When can we go to a food tasting?" is only helping to add to the air of illusion. 

I never in my life thought I would get married. Never. Ok, well, when I was twelve I'd dream of big fluffy dresses and princess tiaras. But then I grew up. 

Now, anyone who knows me will agree that I'm not overly sentimental, but I can't help but say, "true love is the soul's recognition of its counterpart in another." Yes, it's from Wedding Crashers, but go with me. This is what I've been fortunate enough to find. It's like the first time you saw the ocean. Sure, people mentioned this big body of water, and there was evidence all around you that it really exists, like azure puddles on maps. But nothing could be so big, so vast, so overwhelming. Until you see the ocean, until you put your feet in the sand and crane your face to the sun, you never know what you are missing. I hadn't known, all these years, that what I was missing was him.

Ok, that's enough sap for today. On to business. As you can tell, I'm chatty. And, in an effort to not drive everyone around me insane with the minutiae of cocktail napkins and different shades of linens, I'm going to do that here. We've decided on a Halloween wedding, but NOT Halloween themed. Can I pull it off? Follow the meltdown to find out (because we all know Hell will thaw... eventually...).