Wedding Update

I know I haven't talked about wedding planning much on this blog. Mostly because the planning process has been more stressful than I anticipated, but also because I don't really know what to do next planning wise. Since my mom and all of my bridesmaids live 3,000 miles away, I feel pretty alone and rather lost when it comes to the ins-and-outs of wedding preparation. I have a lot of idea, it's a matter of putting those ideas into motion I'm struggling with. 

So, I thought I'd open the doors to you for advice, encouragement, and possibly some DIY ideas and how to's :)

Here's what I have so far. Steven and I are getting married on November 10th in this barn. (You can see more photos of the barn/grounds in this post.) One of the best parts about this facility --other than the fact that it is absolutely gorgeous if I do say so myself :) --is that they provide all the food (at an extremely reasonable price!). Meaning a huge burden is lifted off my shoulders since I won't have to arrange the catering. P.S. All the food is organic and taken from their own gardens at the farm or purchased from local shops and farmers markets on the island. Also, I already have my wedding dress and veil {curtesy of indecisive brides who buy 2 or more dresses and then have to sell their unworn dresses ridiculously cheap on Craigslist --I love you}.

My mom's a superstar and made these tags for our wedding favors, which are going to be muslin or burlap bags filled with coffee beans. (Sorry about the photo quality --sent via cell phone.)

And we plan on doing a lot more DIY type decor for the wedding. Such as boutonnieres similar to this one. 

Because the wedding is in a barn, the feel I'm going for is rustic chic. My centerpieces are going to be an eclectic mixture of books, mason jars, and other miscellaneous mismatched jars, and dainty, simple flowers. The table numbers will be spelled out in Scrabble pieces. 

To view my other wedding inspirations check out my Pinterest wedding board here. 

Some things that I would love advice on are invitations (Should I try to make them myself? That seems like a HUGE ordeal. So, if not, what stores/websites would you suggest? And since my guest have to take a ferry to the wedding, does anyone know of a website where I could get a map drawn of the island to be sent with the invitations?), flowers (does anyone have advice or know how on making your own bouquets for the wedding party?), save the dates (they are an extra expense --is it necessary to send one to every guest invited? Would it be okay just to send it to those who may not be as much in the loop concerning the wedding details?). 

I know I have a lot more questions and concerns about the planning, but this is a good start. I think writing this all out was helpful in a way too. I now feel like I have more accomplished than I originally thought! Which is nice, really nice. Still, any thoughts would be much appreciated.

What was the best advice you received during your wedding planning? Or the worst? 

Whidbey Island

Steven and I went to Whidbey Island this weekend.

That's where we're getting married. I know, I already told you that.

Sorry for the redundancy. 

But I had never been to Whidbey Island, and neither of us had seen the venue other than online.

So we went to take a gander at it...

...and we were very pleased with what we saw.

 Even with the dead of winter, I really loved the grounds and could easily image it with the fall foliage.

 Cute, little playhouse for the kiddos.

 That building is the groomsmen's dressing room.

 Outdoor, makeshift bar. 

 Their gardens. All the food is organic and fresh picked from their property or other local farms.

 The barn. 

I love the modern light fixtures. Even with those, the barn doesn't lose its rustic feel.

Adorable lighthouse at Mukilteo before you get on the ferry to Whidbey.

I'm very excited about the facility! The barn is exactly the sort of venue I was looking for and I just had a great feeling about my choice after meeting with the owner and his wife.

I think it's going to be a beautiful wedding.

The Benefits of Blogging & Why I LOVE People Like You!

I originally started this blog to stay in touch with friends and family on the east coast after I moved across the country with the love of my life. I thought I would just write brief notes and post crappy pictures for those even remotely interested back home. Yet, this baby blog has become such an asset to me! Through it I have made connections with AMAZING people who a) are weird like me and take the time to blog {it is time consuming and you all are kinda weird}, b) give me awesome advice, c) bring me encouragement through their sweet comments and emails, and d) flatter me by reading about my mundane life.

Recently, I was contacted by Sarah who gave me advice concerning a wedding venue in the Seattle area. She read this post about my wedding planning progress {or lack thereof} and referred me to the venue her and the hubby got married at on Whidbey Island.

What Sarah, and most of you, didn't know is that my original vision was to get married in a barn. That's SUPER easy in West Virginia. I could just go to my neighbors house or an abandoned lot with a barn on it! {HA! Okay, probably not} But I was having trouble finding a barn style wedding venue in WA. The barns I found online were either a) WAY, WAY, WAY over priced! {Seriously? IT'S A BARN PEOPLE! A BARN!} or b) were in no man's land. 

When I clicked on the link Sarah sent me, I knew almost instantly that this is where I wanted to get married. Sarah raved about the the gorgeous views and the food and after reading other reviews, I knew she wasn't exaggerating! I soon contacted the owners and set up a date to meet and view the barn! I already told Steven to have his deposit ready because I know we will be booking this venue on the spot! You can take a look for yourself here. 

The funny thing is that this venue never showed up in any of my online searches {and trust me, I searched A LOT}. If Sarah wouldn't have shared her experience with me, I may never have found this ideal location --and that would have been a shame. 

So with all this said, I just wanted to say Thank You, Sarah! And thank you to everyone else who has left me comments concerning wedding planning and marriage advice! They all are truly appreciated and cherished. 

All Photos Found HERE!