Monograms Galore

So this is Jon and I's special day -- which means I want our initials to be everywhere! I love the idea of making a giant "L" (for Languasco!) with rose petals on the ground. And also hanging our first initials off our chairs... possibly something with a side silhouette? 

25 Ideas for Table Names!

Table numbers are boring! Picking a genre of table names based on a couple's passions is where its at. Or even just something silly. Here are 25 ideas for table names, plus what I am highly considering doing:

25 Table Name Ideas

1. Classical composers


2. Wine varities


3. Wonders of the World


4. Impressionist painters


5. James Bond movies


6. Gemstones


7. Colors


8. Explorers


9. Scenic highways


10. Mountain peaks


11. Greek islands (or honeymoon-type theme!)


12. Vegetables


13. Herbs


14. Seashells


15. Constellations


16. Elements of the period table (love it!!)


17. Mythical creatures


18. Romantic words in a different language


19. Types of birds


20. Cities visited together or individually


21. Songs


22. Hobbies


23. Fancy Cheeses


24. Venue-inspired words


25. Types of flowers

Pros and Cons of numbering Tables

Pro: easy to navigate the room, quick finding of seat

Con: Who wants to sit at Table 9? (Wedding Singer reference!)

Number-related option: If I went with numbers I would want to put a corresponding picture of Jon and I at that age at the table. Then guests could wander around and check out the pictures, making it interactive!

What I want to do!

So Jon and I are really into hiking, so I am considering of using the names of all the hikes we've done. Granted... I need to go on a lot more hikes between now and next June, but I would use names such as "Humpback Rocks," "Crabtree Falls," "Old Rag," etc. I would probably order them alphabetically to help with finding the tables, or maybe I'll make a seating chart on a big chalk board or get a poster printed, or something of the sort. Apologies in advance for whoever is at the Old Rag table. Hah. Also I would put a picture of Jon and I at each peak at the corresponding table.

Pink pink pink and...?

So it turns out my wedding colors are more of a deep pink and a light pink. That's a lot of pink. However, through the flowers and decorations, I can add another color element. Possibly a peach and fuschia sorbet component to the flowers? A cool blue touch to the table linens? Or simply some sweet gold accents? Decisions, decisions...

Music makes me lose control

SO I think this has got to be my biggest dilemma right now... DJ or Live band?? 

I always thought I would go with DJ, but last Saturday I went to the KD Spring Formal and they had a live band and the energy was flowing through the room. And it would also be better for older guests who wouldn't want to jive to JT. And there are so many options with bands, the one KD hired was composed of 5 very distinct individuals, whom together sounded fantastic, but when a member needed a break they would split into smaller groups of 2 or 3 players and become a whole new band. I found it very interesting. And of course they played contemporary songs too. I need to figure out the relative costs of both though!

If you've seen The Hangover (who hasn't?!) then you've seen this scene. Seriously considering this guy (not but it's hilarious!).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3Tz5M_gM9I

The debate: White or Colorful Bride bouquet?

The white is very pristine and has a certain charm to it... but the color pops against a white dress.

CAKES!

My ideal cake will be...

Color: White or Brown -- any other color looks unappetizing. I never considered brown before but it's a nice change from all the white out there.

Round - with a trim. Little dots or ribbons look cool, I think the little dots are my favorite.

Covered in flowers - pink and burgundy flowers on a white cake - stunning contrast!

Lace detailing: something about this catches my eye, doubt I'll go with it because it's generally only done in white. But I think it's very romantic.

Truffle covered cake. Nuff Said.

Exciting Send Offs

In every wedding, a bride gets two send offs. One as she walks down the aisle with the groom, and again when she leaves at night. Considering I am getting wed at a historical site, I'm sure there are restrictions. Rice is the traditional throw, but I want something a bit more, interesting. Plus I don't think Oatlands wants a bunch of rice in their gardens. Here is a list of alternatives I have come up with!

Lavender

Natural, sweet, good for a country wedding!

Rose Petals

Very romantic and sweet - epitome of love.

Bubbles

Enchanting and safe for the environment!

Sparklers

Fun, good for night.

I think I'll use these for my send-off on the way to the hotel!

Wedding Videography: Necessary?

So I thought I had already convinced myself that I didn't need a videographer, why would I want to rewatch the moment later? I rather keep the mystical memory in my mind as it whirled by, rather than seeing it in real time. BUT I just watched The Knot's 2009 videography award winner - they had it designed like a music video. And gahh now I don't know what to do! Check out this video and tell me what you think - or if you're not convinced!

http://www.theknot.com/my-real-wedding/Video/126811/spivian-wedding-day-of-video

Caroline and Jon take on DC

Jon and I went to see the Cherry Blossoms today! While it was a fun photography adventure, it was one of those things I don't see myself caring to see more than once. It was overly crowded and a bit too cliche - but I figure since I live under an hour away from the capital it had to be done sometime!

EIGHT. 8. e-i-g-h-t.

Yep - that's right, I have 8 bridesmaids (I can't help it that I'm popular... kidding! hah). I really find a strong connection with the number 8 (January 8th was when Jon and I started dating) so I want it to show up as much as possible. But with eight bridesmaids, there comes a lot of personalities, body types, and well... monotony. That's why I have decided to go with the "same color, different style" approach for my bridesmaids dresses. The only thing I am concerned about is 5 people picking the same dress, like the first 5 I have in the order in my mind... but I might rearrange depending on styles chosen. I just don't want to be bridezilla! 

The top picture shows some of the available styles for Watermelon. I'm considering allowing bridesmaids to choose from 3 or 4 different styles. If I got rid of any of the ones above it would be the halter -- it didn't get the best reviews. Also above is a picture of girls wearing Guava -- I can't decide if I think watermelon is too dark//too close to burgundy. I'll have to see it in person first. I made a virtual wedding party though with both colors for fun--see below! 

Finally declaring a color scheme??

So I think it's semi-official that Jon and I are going to go with Pink and Burgundy as our colors. Jon isn't the biggest fan of burgundy (he doesn't like that it was one of our high school colors -- whatever boy!). Plus it was our prom 06 colors so it's quote unquote "already been done." Haha, obviously I like those colors! Anyways, All that he has asked to have a say in is the tie he wears -- so he can be pink for all I care! Also, I would use lime green as a fun accent color. Very minor though - just a punch of contrast in the bouquets I think, maybe a splash on the invitations. 

People, Food, and Drink!

I think this is my longest, most wordiest post to date! I promised myself I wouldn't bore people with one of these - cuz I personally would never read it - but look for the bold words to read about my favorite options for food to serve! :)

Buffet vs. Plated? Casual or Elegant? Jon and I have talked, and I think we are going to go for an elegant plated meal. But boy -- does food cost $$$. I never realized this would be the biggest expense -- and ultimately has made me have to cut down the number of people I am inviting. I don't have any definite head count or even any lists made, but the Oatlands package I booked allows for a guest count of 80-120. Of course I could upgrade to 125-170 for $500, or even 175-250 for another $500 on top of that... but it's the tenting that is pricy. Which goes from $1750 to $2800 to $4200. Ouch! ANYWAYS back to what I was saying... I am definitely trying to keep it under 120 guests because I'm looking at about $100 a head for food (this does include silverware, plating, staff, cake depending on where I order from). So that's about $12,000. Wow. I think my family count is about 20ish and Jon's family count is 22-25 according to his mom. So that still leaves me with a decent amount of room for friends - at least 50. It is hard though because I do have a ton of friends, plus with the sorority it will be difficult choosing people. And I might even forgo formality and not let them invite dates so I can have more DZs there... they would all know eachother so that shouldn't be a problem. I'm just afraid of offending people! 

As for the food - I am thinking 3 h'orderves, 1 starter, and 1 main course (chicken or steak, plus vegetarian/vegan option). For the h'orderves, I want to showcase Jon and I's palettes. When I was at Oatlands they gave me some packets from catering companies and I think my favorite is definitely Windows Catering Company. Below is a couple of the passed h'orderves I like:

• Chicken Samosa chopped boneless chicken breast blended with ginger, garlic, tomato, and spices rolled in phyllo dough and flash fried
• Mashed Potato Cigars with gorgonzola cheese and chive cream fraiche *favorite!
• Phyllo Purse brie cheese with almond and pear wrapped in layers of phyllo with a curry aioli
• Margarita Florida Gulf Jumbo Shrimp

Next I would serve a first course of salad or soup. I really want to do corn chowder because it's one of my favorites, but then again a hot soup might not be a good idea. Here are some of the options:

• Barolo Wine Poached Bosc Pear organic baby field greens with warm saga blue cheese timbale, applewood smoked bacon, barolo wine vinaigrette with a savory palmier
• Endive and Heirloom Apple Salad endive, escarole and watercress, smoky french brie, toasted pine nuts, date compote, and black olive oil
• Strawberry Stilton Salad organic field greens with california strawberries, caramelized shallots, strawberry balsamic vinegar *favorite!
• Caesar Salad in a Parmesan Cup baby red and green romaine leaves with red and yellow teardrop tomatoes in a crisp parmesan cup drizzled with classic caesar vinaigrette
• Summer Corn Chowder with bacon, potato chunks, and frizzled green leek *favorite!

For the main course chicken would be the cheapest - and not to mention most liked and most versatile, so again I am thinking going with that so I can invite as many people as possible. However the filet mingnon and crab cake are still calling my name...

• Maryland Lump Crab Bundle Maryland lump crab wrapped in phyllo dough with minced fresh garden vegetables and chives in a tarragon beurre blanc
•  Portobello Mushroom Tower grilled portobello mushroom cap filled with a sweet potato puree topped with crispy tobago onion strings
  
• Grilled New York Strip Steak with potato brie pie and a melange of seasonal vegetables with a cracked peppercorn sauce
• Chicken Roulade medallions of farm raised breast of chicken filled with spinach and shiitake mushrooms, served with a wild mushroom sauce, accompanied by an apple-shaped croquette potato, california green asparagus, baby carrots and roasted red peppers, with a tarragon beurre blanc sauce
• Harvest Chicken breast of chicken stuffed with corn bread, apples and pecans, roasted and sliced into medallions served on a bed of braised Napa cabbage, sugar snap peas and butternut squash batons with a sour cherry sauce
• Sweetheart Chicken breast of free-range chicken presented on a heart-shaped crouton with rosemary and Chanterelle mushrooms and roasted shallot jus accompanied by asparagus spears, potato cake and baby carrots *favorite!
• Black Angus Tenderloin of Beef Wrapped in Oregon Mushrooms with potato and celery root napoleon, wild asparagus, cipollini roasted onions with a truffled rioja wine sauce

So hopefully you aren't reading this when you are hungry!! While I love the sound of the experimental flavors, I of course am going to go with fairly plain, not out of the ordinary meals to accomodate the most people. So nothing too spicy or foreign (i.e. Asian or Indian flavors). However, I will take my h'orderves as a way to give guests an opportunity to try something interesting. Otherwise I will probably go with a simple soup or salad and chicken entree with veggies and mashed Ps. Sounds pretty good to me!

As for cake flavors I love the following. I really want to get an Ace of Cakes cake... however that will cost me at minimum a grand, so I don't know about that. I definitely want to go with a light cake - so no intense chocolate. I'm actually thinking I would prefer a fruity cake - good for the summer season!

• Strawberry and Lime Shortcake lime-flavored spongecake, strawberry syrup, vanilla mousseline and fresh strawberries with vanilla buttercream
• Lemon Raspberry Cake lemon cake filled with lemon curd mousse and fresh raspberries with lemon buttercream frosting *favorite!
• Grand Marnier Golden Cake grand marnier flavored cake, vanilla cream and fresh strawberries with lemon buttercream frosting
• Vanilla Almond Cake vanilla cake, almond cream filling with vanilla buttercream
• Vanilla Blackberry Cake almond spongecake filled with vanilla cream and fresh blackberries with light amaretto whipped cream frosting

As for dranks, I'll probably do two signature cocktails (one for me, one for Jon) plus wine and beer. Maybe an open bar, but I want to have some money leftover for a honeymoon! More on the signature cocktails after I finally pick my color scheme!

Save the Dates

While Save the Dates aren't always necessary, they are a great way to inform loved ones early on and generate hype about your big day! Being one of my next steps, I have been thinking up some cool ideas for how I want mine to pan out.

First off, they are 100% definitely going to be magnets. How can you not resist putting that on your fridge? Plus that's a pretty good place for high exposure - no one will forget the date once they stick it on the fridge and see it all the time! Now, what direction I want to take with the magnet is a different story... here are my top 3 ideas listed below:

• Engagement/Themed picture + Date:  Simple, elegant, to the point. Would require that I actually get some engagement photos done, haha (I am planning on doing that this summer! Kind of delayed but I want there to be pretty flowerful surroundings!).

• Mini Calendar: This one is to die for. Little calendar with the date circled or in a heart. Could just do the date part of the calendar or make it more rectangular//a "full calendar" by putting an engagement picture at the top. Or a picture of Oatlands that I would go take this summer, say in place of the beach chairs below. Tempting.

• Photobooth: This one is quirky -- very Caroline and Jon-esque, I think I like it! It would be a little mini photo strip like the kind you take at the beach. There would be 3 or 4 pictures. The first would be just Jon and I looking cute (this one could be opted out). The next would have us holding a sign that said "Save the Date.", then "June 18th", then "Be there!" ... or something of that nature. I really like this one!  (Kind of like the pic below, but not really this is the closest I could find).

Outdoor Summer Weddings 101

Since I am having a summer wedding, there are a lot of little things I can do to make guests more comfortable and to ensure no mishaps. Of course this includes fans for under the tent, plenty of fresh water... but what about those subtle details that often go overlooked but can make all the difference? Below are some interesting ways to guarantee a perfect outdoor wedding!

1. Wedding Program Fans

Easy. Cute. Simple. I prefer an actual fan as opposed to multiple sheets that fan out about an eyelit. That way it saves money on printing and won't rip apart, etc. I could either set them on each chair or put them in a wicker basket at the entrance to the wedding seating. Also I might consider getting some paper parisols (think the colorful oriental kind??) to have on hand for older guests who might have trouble with the heat.

2. Personalized Mini Water Bottles

Just so adorable. A must have!!

3. Citronella Torches

Practical and pretty - I will have to see if Oatlands will let me have them around the tent and gardens.

4. Bridesmaid Dress Weights

Easy to stitch in and remove, these will prevent bridesmaid dresses from blowing in the wind, keeping them picture perfect!

5. Fresh Fruit Centerpieces

While I personally don't see myself using all fruit center pieces like below, this is a good way to cut flower costs while representing the season!