The Unwedding

I Don't...

noreply@blogger.com (K) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:38:00 +0000

...think that "underwater engagement photos" are anything other than

a giant waste of money

a cry for attention

an attempt to be featured on a wedding blog

and attempt at competing in the perpetual battle of

"my wedding is more original than your wedding."

Wisdom

noreply@blogger.com (K) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:30:00 +0000

"I have been struck by how many weddings are very showy. Maybe the nature of a wedding lends itself to that tendency: the guests arrive, take a seat, and the carefully scripted “entertainment” unfolds before them – complete with costume, hair, make-up, a pretty chorus line, romance (maybe a tear or two), scene changes and (hopefully) some pretty hilarious one-liners. AND, usually, the bridengroom throw in food drinks and some dancing: all for the cheap price of a (pre-selected) gift off the registry!"

- a wise realization on A Practical Wedding, where else?

I Don't...

noreply@blogger.com (K) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:12:00 +0000

...get it.

The balloons.

It's a sweet picture. It is.

Artistically lovely.

But in my opinion, the only thing you should be holding in your wedding photos* is each other.
Or a small pudgy-cheeked child.

Or a fork.

Filled with wedding cake.

Basically, when you start bringing in the balloons and the mustaches you're trying to make yourself more interesting by using props.

And hopefully you won't need that.

As a wise woman once said - "your wedding is not a photoshoot."

*note I do not mention engagement photos - b/c I fail to see the purpose of spending a few extra hundred dollars to prance in a field.

{photo via here}

Who ever dreamed up....

noreply@blogger.com (K) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:00:00 +0000

...the whole bridesmaid tradition?

Having some of your best buddies stand by your side to witness your vows? Great. All about it.

(Not TWENTY OF THEM. Mind you. Not a freaking estrogen army. No need to prove how many friends you have. No need to dig your kindergarten playground pal up out of the ether and plant her next to you in a token of forgetten friendship.)

But. Selecting a color palette? And picking their dresses? And their shoes? Their freaking jewelry?

It's super fun to play dress up when you're USING BARBIES.

Not so much fun for grown women who are shelling out hard-earned dollars for dresses that - let me just venture a generalization here - they will never ever in life wear again.

I can't even fathom it.

Ruffled

noreply@blogger.com (K) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:08:00 +0000

You know how I feel about the dress shots.
But anyway....

The minute I came across this ruffly collar by golly I knew it was BCBG. Indeed, I had just fondled such a collar in my BCBG shopping exploits the other day!

A BCBG bride is a wise bride, if I do say so myself.

{via Brooklyn Bride}

I do...

noreply@blogger.com (K) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:05:00 +0000

...find myself quite enamored with these centerpieces.

Oh yes. I quite like them indeed.

{via Style Me Pretty}

The Return of the Backyard Bash

noreply@blogger.com (K) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:38:00 +0000

The New York Times just published a very interesting article about the current trend of brides serving up down-home culinary favorites (burgers, fries, grilled cheese) right in their own backyards, rather than offering standard lobster tail extravagance under crystal-studded chandeliers.

The irony?

These more casual backyard celebrations actually end up costing WAY more than a standard hotel reception. It's simply a matter of keeping up appearances as couples try to avoid the social faux pas of flaunting their wealth during a recession.

Tsk tsk.

I'm sorry, but in my opinion, a carefully contrived "budget casual" wedding that costs an arm and a leg is even tackier than owning up to your caviar and Dom Perignon.

{Photo of one of my very favorite low-key weddings ever via Once Wed}

I don't...

noreply@blogger.com (K) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 18:34:00 +0000

...exactly understand the point of engagement photos.

You're getting married.

It's an awesome and incredibly big step.

Most likely, you'll have a (super pricey) professional photographer AT your wedding.

So, why are all of the brides-to-be so inclined to capture memories of themselves scampering through fields and lounging in kiddie pools?

no comprendo

I do...

noreply@blogger.com (K) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:20:00 +0000

...dig an all smiles ceremony.

...a bride with beer.

...and a first dance in Keds.

{Photos by Josh Goleman}

A Sweet Story

noreply@blogger.com (K) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:05:00 +0000

I'm not much for fancy schmancy invites - why waste your money on something people will promptly throw in the garbage? -and this sweet story, in a simple font, completely made my day.

(sorry, can't figure out how to resize so it's visible...click to read, or visit one of the links below)

{via oh so beautiful paper via snippet & ink}

Name of the Game: FUN

noreply@blogger.com (K) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:55:00 +0000

Rock some shades.

Drink it in.

Float on home.

Everything a wedding should be.

Less focus on "the Plan."

More focus on fun.

{Photos by Cory Kennedy via east side bride}

Methinks

noreply@blogger.com (K) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 17:59:00 +0000

I found my dress.

teehee!

You know what else I'm sick of?

noreply@blogger.com (K) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:44:00 +0000

Balloons.

We get it.
You're engaged.

That's why you have a ring.
No need to prance around with a giant helium reminder.

If I see...

noreply@blogger.com (K) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 16:03:00 +0000

...one more pro wedding photo of a dress

hanging solo

illuminated in front of a window

i might just scream...

!!!

noreply@blogger.com (K) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:50:00 +0000

Oh my goodness.

I was just about to delete this silly billy blog... or merge it back into SK because I'm feeling so uninspired that I can barely handle posting at ONE blog, let alone two... when I realized that people have commented!

I never even saw them!

I feel so terrible... I could have SWORN I had the comments set to forward to my email.

Oops.

Hello my few sweet readers. Your comments made me smile today! :)

IN LOVE

noreply@blogger.com (K) — Fri, 29 May 2009 17:13:00 +0000

I am madly deeply severely in love with this 1960's vintage wedding gown, which this adorable bride found in a vintage shop. I'm swooning.

{Photo via Jen Elisebeth; more lovely photos here}

Dreamy

noreply@blogger.com (K) — Fri, 22 May 2009 16:00:00 +0000

I am super duper in love with this gorgeous vintage dress and the dreamlike quality of the photos. Yum.

{Photos by Rachel Thurston via Oh Happy Day}

Elope

noreply@blogger.com (K) — Thu, 21 May 2009 18:38:00 +0000

I'm completely in love with this sweet and simple elopment photo.

Barefoot on a bench with your new husband - it can't get much better.

This couple clearly got the message regarding a marriage vs. a hullaballo of a wedding.

Gorgeous.

Jared. Pretty please?

{Photo by Honour Mann of HH Fine Arts via frolic!}

Short and Sweet

noreply@blogger.com (K) — Mon, 18 May 2009 19:28:00 +0000

This wedding has been swirling around blog land today, and for good reason. What an adorable couple. And a BEAUTIFUL short dress that was handmade by the GROOM! Love ittttt.

This confirmed, yet again, that I am always drawn to the candid non-pro photos.

And to short dresses!

{Photos on Hans Johnson's flickr via Style Me Pretty}

Off the Shoulder

noreply@blogger.com (K) — Wed, 13 May 2009 16:59:00 +0000

Love the short dress. Love the birdcage veil.

{Photos by Robert Sukrachand via Once Wed}

To Go Pro or No?

noreply@blogger.com (K) — Wed, 13 May 2009 15:39:00 +0000

As usual, A Practical Wedding is right on the money when it comes to asking the Big Questions... the ones that re-evaluate the standards of the Wedding Industry and wonder if the whole thing is a load of malarky.

Which, honestly, it usually is.

Her last post was on whether it's worth hiring a professional photographer.

Recently I think I've been swayed by the complete inundation of professional photo shoots blanketing the Internet. It's easy to look at artsy documentary photos and think - MY WEDDING WILL NOT BE COMPLETE WITHOUT IT!

Then you realize the LEAST expensive option is... $2500. Maybe. If you're real lucky.

And you think - how often am I really going to stare at the hundreds and hundreds of photos a pro snaps at my wedding? How often will I want to see the sunlight streaming through my dress? Or fondle a closeup of my heels?

Probably not often.

And another critical consideration - do you really want to be stalked by a stranger for an entire day?

I was rather disturbed at a recent wedding when the photographer slithered around the front of the altar and hovered over small children in an attempt to get the Best Shot.

I'd much rather be stalked by a friend or family member who truly cares about getting a Good Shot because they care about ME.

I think this is my very favorite comment from the recent discussion on A Practical Wedding - I hope Meg and Becca don't mind that I've reiterated the wisdom here...

Becca said...
Thanks for this. I love wedding photography... but I'm not sure I want it at my wedding. A lot of the blog photos we see are beautiful pieces of art, but I'm not sure I want my wedding to be art. I want my wedding to be joy, and I resent that there's now an expectation that weddings are now fashion-plate worth events (with price tags to boot).

Oh wait! More wisdom! Amen sistah.

Marina said...
I definitely angsted over this. To me, the key was seeing this phrase repeated over and over and over again: "After the wedding, all you'll have left are the photographs."In one sense, this is absolutely true. A wedding is a one-day event, or a one-week event at most, and after it's over and the food's all eaten and the decorations are put away, you've got your own faint memories and whatever memory aids you've got. Like pictures. But that's not what I want, personally, from my wedding. I want the One Thing I have at the end of the day to be the marriage. Even if I can't remember a thing from the wedding day, I'll have experienced a good party fully present, in the moment, and not worrying about what I'll have left afterwards, and I'll have what matters most to me.

{Photo by 2000 dollar wedding}

Dear Heidi Merrick,

noreply@blogger.com (K) — Mon, 11 May 2009 15:44:00 +0000

Please make these dresses long

and/or white

and I will love you forever.

{Dresses - Sydney Black, Jane, Isak - by Heidi Merrick}

I do

noreply@blogger.com (K) — Wed, 06 May 2009 16:07:00 +0000

..think that I am falling madly in love with the deluge of sweet and simple weddings popping up around the blogsphere lately...

Love the unique, swirly dress.

Love the messily chic strands of pearls (I wear pearls almost everyday - yum!)

Love the rose altar that doubles as gifts for the guests...

{Photos by Ashley Garmon Photographers via Once Wed}

noreply@blogger.com (K) — Tue, 05 May 2009 18:41:00 +0000

Sorry for the lack of posting lately. I've been feeling somewhat uninspired, in terms of both weddings and otherwise. And then I have those moments where I look at this silly little blog and think you know, by having a wedding blog at all you are totally just feeding into the bridal mania, which is completely the opposite of what I want. But alas. I can't stay away.

And I'm glad I didn't, because I just fell in love with this absolutely gorgeous backyard wedding. The simple dress, the sweet flower headpiece, the bride's fantastic haircut, the all-around smiles, the white lanterns...

Absolute perfection.

{Photos by Josh McCullock via With This Ring}

I do

noreply@blogger.com (K) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 17:28:00 +0000

...believe in a short short-sleeved dress, sky-high heels, and a diva hat.

{via A Mountain Bride via Once Wed}