I know that I’ve only just met many of you, so I have to tell you something really important about me and my personality: I am chronically hung up on details. I love details. I tell stories specifically dedicated to them, and I live my life perpetually obsessed with them.
As a result, I plan parties almost completely for the details.
Details. Can’t forget the details!
My philosophy on our wedding is complex. Personally, I would’ve loved to have a destination wedding. Roll together a wedding and a honeymoon?! Count.me.in. Let’s multitask! I love multitasking! However, that decision would have been selfish for us to do for a whole wealth of reasons, and we decided against it.
I’m not having a destination wedding. I’m having a WEDDING wedding.
And, since we’re really doing this, I will not do it half halfheartedly. Remember? I’m an ‘all or nothing’ kind of girl! We will remember this ‘one magical day’ (***cue heart-shaped confetti***) for the rest of our lives. It should be spectacular. It should be everything we want. We’re throwing a party, and our name and personality has to be all over it.
But I’ll be damned if I go over the budget by one more penny!
Because of that, I’ve only splurged on a few things. The Maggie Sottero dress that I always wanted (which wasn’t SUCH a splurge since I bought it off the rack). Christian Louboutin shoes for the rehearsal dinner and wedding (the rehearsal dinner shoes were purchased used from eBay). Flowers from a great florist rather than doing them myself. A restaurant locale that makes great food. A honeymoon in the Turks & Caicos (discounted through Club Med, but still expensive to me).
The rest of the details?
If I’m not making it myself (such as our complicated invitations), then I found it on Etsy.
Etsy. Etsy. Etsy!
Vintage Etsy. Handmade Etsy. Lovable, kind, beautiful, unique, frugal Etsy!
In the collage above, with the exception of the shoes, the favor boxes and the table overlays, everything else was purchased from Etsy. For those of you who aren’t in the know, Etsy is a virtual marketplace for anything that is considered to be ‘vintage’ or ‘handmade’. There are no huge stores offering products on Etsy–everything is made by hand with love and affection.
Hand-dyed ostrich feathers that I couldn’t find anywhere else for less than a mortgage payment.
The perfect clutch with hand-sewn pearls to match my dress.
The ostrich feather hairpiece that I polled you on months ago.
The perfect handmade jewelry set for my Matron of Honor, my BFF since the 7th grade.
A darling guest book that will make everyone “ooh” and “aah”.
These are all details that others might not notice, but if I were my guest (and not the bride), I would notice these things. All of the details that I’ve become preoccupied with are going to shape everyone’s impression of our day–our first day together as Mr. & Mrs. Gazelle.
And I’m not willing to ignore the details.
I’m also not willing to lose my house.
Have you ever bought anything from Etsy? If you’re married, did you plan the details on your own, ignore the details, or hire someone else to plan them for you?
