Mega Wedding Fleurs

True Statement:

I absolutely LOVE flowers. 

Having a bundle around the house is such a great touch.  

Whether it is 1 stem or 50, it's a fantastic way to bring 

color and a bit of "fresh" to your home and it's decor. 

This week...it just so happens that I have flowers....everywhere!

I can't stop taking pictures of them...they're so beautiful. 

What a magnificent creation. 

"OH, EM, GEE HILARY"

I'm sure that's what you're saying to yourself. 

I've said it to myself a few times. 

The poor hubs, the kitty and I are sneezing like crazy!

Somehow, it's worth it.  

A peony in the late summer/early fall is a rare thing to come by. 

I was wishing for some and voila, there they were. 

So...wondering where they came from? 

Wondering...if this is what your house looks like, what did the church look like? 

Looking into the Narthex from the Nave.

This bundle came from one of the isle (pew) decorations. 

Looking into the Nave from the Narthex. 

The pew arrangements were moved for the Sunday morning services. 

The arches, alter flowers and pillar candle flowers stayed up. 

These were by far the most beautiful wedding flowers I've ever seen.

It looked like a scene from a Hollywood movie or from Martha Stewart Wedding Magazine. 

To go with the beautiful flowers, the male guests were adorned in their black tie

 finest and the ladies in the summer  2011 runway gowns and cocktail dresses. 

The bride wore a lace gown with a creme to light pink ombre underneath, with a light pink sash cascading down the back of her dress. I've not checked their line, but I'm pretty sure it was Vera Wang. 

The bridesmaids wore navy dresses that were oh so flattering on all TWELVE of them! 

The flowers they carried matched that of the church flowers.  

The multiple camera crews wisely documented every smile, ribbon, tear and flower stem. 

The homily was one to remember, the music was divine. 

I sure hope this bride and groom LOVED their wedding and never forget it. 

Of all the weddings I've been part of, this one is for sure one for the books!

A Prince and his Princess.

These photos are so amazing.  This is THE wedding of our generation.  And as friends have said, there just isn't anything like this in the USA.  Singing the anthem and shooting off fireworks just is not the same.  The American "royal families" don't allow the public in in the way that the British do. For example, when Chelsea Clinton got married...how many photos were there...10-15? Not many and forget getting to see any part of the ceremony. Same goes with Jenna Bush.  I would have watched that.

As it were, I was up just in time to see Catherine Middleton get into Rolls Royce 1 along with her father for the drive to Westminster Abbey.  I stood like a fool, about 3 feet from a 50" tv taking pictures with my husbands iphone. (as though there would be no photos to see after it were over..) I wept like a baby, as a very good portion of their wedding music was music from the Dow-Ward wedding.  When she walked in to Perry's "I was glad" it very much so reminded me of our wedding...except we used Walton's "Antiphon".  Blah, blah, blah.

As the coverage progressed, I all the sudden shot up...completely forgetting that I did in fact have to join the work force that morning by going to work.

When I arrived to work I flipped on NPR hoping to catch a glimpse at any wedding activity during the day.  Every time NPR played the royal trumpet fanfare I sprung out of my seat like a jack in the box.

Needless to say, I'm completely enamored with this union, their nuptials, the fanfare and regalia.

Somebody may have to come pry me away from the television as BBC America and I have become one.

What a happy weekend, and in the words of Perry's anthem....I was glad!

4:00am call time

I have grown with the phrase "call time".  Since I was in about the 7th grade this term has dictated the timeline of not only myself but my family, and now my life as a married couple.  We frequently say in conversation, "oh, what's the call time for this (or that)?" Most of the time we use this phrase for something that is required of us, not for example for something such as a dinner reservation. Thusly, I'm declaring that next Friday morning, our call time to be in front of the television set is 4am.

Many Americans are saying 'bah-hum-bug" to this once in a lifetime ROYAL wedding celebration. I however, will not.  My Canadian husband (who tilts his hat to the Queen) will be up bright and early to watch this historical event.

If you are one of the party goers for said wedding celebration, here are a couple of items to help get you "in the mood".  Will's own mother and father had wedding memorabilia it's not hard to imagine that he (and his lovely bride) will have their own too!  Fortunately for us, living in 2011, we have better access than folks did in 1981.

So...Anybody need a 3:58am wake up call? 

Interview with Prince William and Catherine Middleton

5th Wedding Anniversary

October 1, 2010 is our 5th wedding anniversary!  It is hard to believe that we have reached this little milestone in our relationship.  One of the things that adds to my love of the crisp fall temperatures is that it reminds me of our wedding.  In Kansas the season is a good bit ahead of Memphis, none the less I embrace this time of year whole heartedly. 

Tomorrow we will spend the day together, possibly with a little road trip and end the day at our favorite Memphis eatery, Cafe 1912 and we will pretend that we were eating dinner at our absolute favorite restaurant (Balthazar, NYC).  

Here are a few photos from "the big day".  I got my dress out today and looked at it.  Isn't is amazing how we only get to spend a few hours wearing the dress of our dreams?  

I loved my dress.  The dress I wore on our wedding day was actually not the first dress I purchased.  Before Geoffrey and I got married we discussed getting married at the University Chapel at The University of Kansas, where we were students.  My first dress was purchased with a much smaller scale isle in mind.  The dress was fitted to my knees and then belled out.  Sort of "mermaid-ish" if you will. It was beaded on the top, so pretty....I loved it too.  When we figured out that we were in fact going to get married at the Cathedral, I figured out that my sweet little dress just wasn't going to do the job. 

Back to the salon to start the search over again.  This search was actually much easier.  There aren't that many options (or not then) that had a Cathedral length train on them.  Think Princess Diana length here....Well I didn't end up with quite as much train as Princess Diana but I did end up with 17' of glorious weight.  

Daddy and I going down the isle

after attaching my veil 

my maid of honor, Natalie, sporting a little Canadian bling

At the "peace" during the service.
In The Episcopal Church, you don't kiss the bride until the peace. 

This may be my favorite wedding photo.

outside some of the doors at the Cathedral
the photographers wife is hiding behind us holding my
veil and the mid section of my dress train

cutting the cake at the 1st reception

A little "sit down" after a morning of photos before the 2:30 service. 

At the 2nd reception with the Canadians.
Yes the Canadians (and me) were singing "O, Canada"

As per usual, I think everybody thinks their wedding was "the best"....and as it should be, I will join those ranks with my very own fond memories of our big day.

Thanks be to God for 5 years of wedded bliss and prayers for many more.

Always a bridesmaid....dress

Early in July a church friend of mine from my hometown got married to a delightful man.  I watched through many photo postings, their engagement, and then as their wedding came together, and showers were thrown, etc.  Then came the wedding day.  As predicted, it was quite beautiful. One of the things that was remarkably beautiful about the wedding was the selection of the bridesmaid dresses.  I've been to a bazillion weddings and when Geoff comes home from a wedding I always request details about the bridesmaid dresses.  He's gotten better at this...much better.  So often the bridesmaid dresses are, to put it lightly, GOD AWFUL!

Frequent problems include but are not limited to:

1. Depending on the time of day, the length should be taken into consideration
2. different sizes of bridesmaids, which almost always results in somebody looking uncomfortable
3. wrong color considering the given colors in the church space
4. materials of dress-the wrong material can result in awkward draping regardless of size/shape
5. does it accent the bride or over power the bride...after all it is her day.

I could add several more things to to each section of this list that frequently make me tsk, tsk, tsk but alas, I don't have to for this particular bride.  She and her maids did a good job selecting their wedding apparel. (insert your round of applause)

And with one swift scroll, I give you the bridesmaid dresses
(from said wedding)

(via amazon)

Excellent color, tasteful length, beautiful draping, and appropriate (ahem) chest coverage

(via amazon)

A close up of the neck, waist, bodice detail.  Very pretty and really quite charming in a romantic way which is perfect for a summer wedding near the 4th of July.

After seeing the many photos from this wedding, I myself became rather interested in persuing one of these dresses for myself.  Today I thought, "well you could at least ask her where it came from"....In my experience sometimes folks don't like to share. Once I asked, she wrote me right back with the details.  Should the post be on time, I will receive my very own dress later this week. 

The beautiful bride and her regally dressed bridesmaids. Congratulations.

Happy wedding day Chelsea and Marc.

I am proud to say that I have been a fan of the Clintons since, well I was in the 3rd grade.  I remember going to Washington in the winter of 1993 and seeing all the "Hillary" parafanalia.  And equally as memorable, I remember standing next to Hillary and Chelsea in 2008 during a stop on her Presidential Campaign.

Today I waited with my high expectations and baited breath (in a good way) to see Miss Chelsea Clinton in her custom made Vera Wang wedding gown. And just as predicted....She looked beautiful. Additionally, a round of applause for our Secretary of State!  She also looked lovely. 

Marc Mezvinsky,left with his new mother-in-law Hillary Rodham Clinton, his bride Chelsea and father-in-law former President Bill Clinton after the couples wedding Saturday July 31, 2010 in Rhinebeck,N.Y. 

!!!!WOW!!!!

Wouldn't you love to have been a wedding guest at this wedding? 

I might of "hopped a fence" for this!...well that is more figurative than literal since they spent a small fortune on the amped up security. 

Chelsea has lived her life (beautifully) under a microscope with the whole world watching. I remember seeing her in 1992 with her crazy curls and in January of 1993 on her father's first inauguration day wearing her blue coat and hat. OH man, did I want a coat and hat like Chelsea's!

On her wedding day, just as any other day for her in the public eye, she's done it beautifully. Congratulations Chelsea and Marc. 

(wedding photos by Genevieve de Manio Photography via Yahoo--iPhone photos of Hillary and Chelsea by Hilary)