Amber & Dave's Marvelous, Matrimonious, Memorable May Wedding!

"Our wedding was...everything we dreamed of and more!  It was truly perfect.  We enjoyed every moment!"

- Amber & Dave

Last May, I was honored to be a bridesmaid in my friend Amber's wedding! She and I go back all the way to elementary school and I couldn't have been happier for her and her husband Dave as they said "I do". They are an amazing couple- complementing each other perfectly and bringing positive energy and adventure wherever they go. Their wedding day was the most beautiful Spring day. We (the girls) started the day getting ready at the hotel, then got onto a trolley (!) and rode to meet the guys at Dave's parents' house for the first look. Then we were off to Valley Forge Park for some amazing wedding party and bride & groom photos before we went to church for the ceremony and back to the hotel for the Cocktail Hour, Reception, After-Party, and the rest of the night! Everything flowed beautifully, the music was great, the food was delicious, and everyone was so antsy and excited to celebrate this couple that we couldn't wait until after dinner to hit the dance floor! 

Read on to hear about the big day in Amber's words (with a special cameo from Dave on his favorite part of the day)!

What Made This Celebration Unique?

I'm not sure our wedding was all that unique, to be honest.  There were a few things that we really knew we wanted: delicious food, a fun DJ, and an amazing photographer.  After that, we really didn't sweat too many of the details.  We did a few things DIY (seating chart & programs) and we were lucky to have Shayna in our wedding party so she added a few personalized touches (like our amazing card box!), but otherwise we really didn't go overboard on the extras.  We wanted classic and simple, and I think that approach really kept things stress free.

There was one thing, though!  After our first dance, Dave surprised me with a very special second dance.  He had been practicing some choreography with my bridesmaid Jes and he led me around the dance floor to John Legend's All of Me.  I was so surprised, it was something I will remember forever!

Another unique thing about our wedding was the midnight Wendy's delivery we arranged a friend to pick up and bring to the after party :)

Why Did You Choose the DoubleTree in King of Prussia as Your Wedding Venue?

We knew immediately when we visited that the DoubleTree was going to be the venue for our reception!  The ballroom was beautiful.  We loved that we could have our cocktail hour outside.  The package they offered was a great value and we really got a lot of bang for our buck!  The service was outstanding from day 1.

Also we had attended friends' weddings where the bride and groom were forced to clean up and take all their stuff with them that night and we knew we did not want to do that, so the fact that the venue cleaned up everything and we were able to pick it up the next morning was definitely a big selling point.   The warm chocolate chip cookies we received during our visit didn't hurt either ;)

We've been to so many weddings with shuttle fails, we knew we didn't want to have that at our wedding so a hotel made the most sense.  We also wanted a rocking after party and figured more people would attend if they didn't have to go anywhere, which was true and actually, a lot of our friends and family stayed over at the hotel even though they lived close enough to drive home since it was so convenient.

What Advice Do You Have for Future Brides & Grooms? 

Shayna and I have talked about this so many times that she beat me to the punch with her last post!  As mentioned above, don't have a shuttle fail!  If the shuttle is a 10 person van and your venue is more than 5 minutes away... it probably won't work!  It might work for the trips before, since people will leave staggered, but afterwards most of the guests will stay till the end of the reception and suddenly there will be a large crowd waiting for a tiny vehicle. We've been to weddings where we're standing outside with 50 other people seriously wondering if we're going to get left at the venue.

Something more general:  get everything in writing!  Our wedding coordinator promised me a free suite for my bridal party the night before... and then suddenly there was a new wedding coordinator halfway through our planning.  I was extremely happy when I had the previous coordinator's promises in an email.  Also, don't put an "&" in your instagram hashtag, it doesn't work!

What Was Your Favorite Wedding Moment? 

Amber:  Walking down the aisle!  I thought maybe having a first look would've downplayed that moment, but it didn't take away from it at all.  I felt overwhelmed with happiness.  It was amazing.

Dave (written to Amber):  It's really hard to pick just one moment as a favorite, I have two moments that come to mind. The first moment is during the ceremony getting to kiss you the first time, I think it's a favorite because of all of the emotions from watching you walking down the aisle, and the speeches from our friends and the pastors. All of those emotions just seemed to culminate when we had our first kiss. 

Another favorite moment would be our second first dance, the look on your face the entire time was a mix of surprise, nervousness and fun. I think I will always remember that as a favorite because I got to surprise you, which is nearly impossible with all the planning that went into the day. I also think the dance went really well which of all things going on that day I was most nervous for that dance. I knew you wouldn't have any trouble picking up the moves but I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to lead well enough, mainly because I am not the most coordinated dancer! 

Tell Us About Your Honeymoon! Where did you go? What did you do? What tips do you have? 

Nicaragua!  We spent half of our trip on Isla de Ometepe, a small island in Lake Nicaragua, staying in the cutest little guest house right on the beach between 2 volcanos!  We spent our time wading in the lake, eating the freshest fish, swimming in the mineral springs, lounging and relaxing.  The second half of our trip was on the west coast at Aqua Wellness Resort, where our room was up in the trees and every morning we would wake up to monkeys swinging around outside our windows.  Our room even had a private plunge pool!  We enjoyed yoga overlooking the ocean, a couples massage, and a sunset cruise.  We hiked into a neighboring surf town and drank cocktails with the locals.  We also went out for an amazing seafood dinner at a fancy resort down the street.

My biggest tip for honeymooners would be don't plan too much!  We thought we were going to hike one of the volcanoes on Ometepe, but once we got there we decided we really just wanted to lounge.  You've just gone through a crazy wedding weekend... relax and recover on your moon!  Also, do not leave for your honeymoon the next morning, give yourself a day to relax.  We woke up and had brunch, gathered our things from the hotel, and had the rest of the day to do any last minute honeymoon prep.

Just out of curiosity...What are a Couple of Gifts that you Received for your Shower or Wedding that Stand Out?
Our favorite wedding gift was a handmade quilt from Dave's groomsman Mike and his wife Jen, who created the quilt with the help of her mom.  We received the gorgeous gift at our rehearsal dinner and it was so unexpected and special.  Some more conventional gifts that we love and get a ton of use out of are our food processor, pots and pans, and vacuum (ok we're officially old lol).

Favorite Wedding Vendors? 
We would 100% recommend any of the vendors below:

• Venue:  DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Philadelphia - Valley Forge
• Photographer:  Fuller Photography
• Florist:  Jenny Greenwald
• Cake: The Master's Baker (through a contract with our venue)
• Dress: Sabrina Ann's (would you believe my dress was consignment?!)
• Bridal Party Transportation: Philadelphia Trolley Works

I'm honored that Amber and Dave have shared their big day with Wediquette readers, and highly encourage you to check out more from her on her blog, Busy Bold Blessed.  She has more in-depth posts about the wedding, and also about healthy eating and living, her awesome experiences with the Whole 30, CrossFit and more. 

You should check it out & follow it!

A BIG congrats to Amber & Dave and a Happy 1st Anniversary!! Here's to many more years of happiness, great memories and dancing! 

By the way...

Want to check out some great wedding tunes? Check out this post, which is updated often!

Putting together bathroom baskets? Click here for great tips and inspiration! 

Are you (or your wedding party members) in a wedding party and not quite sure what to do next? Check out this post  to get prepped and rock it! 

Have you thought about what you'll do with your dress after the big day? This post has some great ideas!

Planning your Engagement Shoot? This post will help you make a plan and this one will give you some more great ideas from my super-creative and beautiful friends and family!

Check out the most popular posts along the sidebar (scroll up!), including Weddings Across the Board- a series devoted to the cultural & traditional awesomeness that goes into wedding celebrations around the world- with coordinating Pinterest boards.

Don't forget to check out, follow & share the Wediquette Pinterest page!  

Do you have a request for a wedding or party-related post? Leave a comment! 

Christi & Michael's Best Day Ever!

"Our wedding was...the best day of our lives!"

- Christi & Michael Breslin

Today on Wediquette, we're featuring the beautiful March wedding of Christi & Michael in Southeastern Pennsylvania. This is a fun one, as I graduated from high school with the bride and had the privilege of attending to the wedding party, the bride & groom and their parents the day of the wedding. I always love seeing how couples bring themselves and their relationship into their celebration and decor, and they definitely did that! The music, the food selections, the lighting, the little touches of DIY creativity, the beautiful flowers, and the high-spirited crew of wedding party members all made this a beautiful celebration. Oh, and Christi looked stunning! Check out their RiverCrest wedding and some tips they have for future brides & grooms below...

What made your wedding unique?

What made our wedding unique were all of the details we put into everything we did. Designing the centerpieces, flowers, chalkboard signs, everything! We also incorporated some of our favorite things into the celebration, from our favorite band - The Insiders- to the mini cheesesteak station. We tried to have it reflect our personalities as much as possible. 

We also had a bagpiper named Jim Reimbeiz, he plays in the choir at my (Christi's) parents' church, and he was actually Mike's High School English teacher! We decided to have a bagpiper to honor Mike's Irish side. It really added a special touch to our day!

The Place Card Table, decorated with flowers and a Love Story chalkboard.

Check out the bling hanging from that martini glass vase!

The Gift, Card, Guest Board, and Photo Table-

Love how they incorporated a few of their engagement photos and parent photos with matching frames, 

and LOVE that banner (which later became a prop at the Photo Booth)! 

Venue- Why RiverCrest Golf Club? 

We chose RiverCrest because the venue was beautiful, the ballroom and dance floor were huge, and Dawn (the Wedding Coordinator there) was so easy and accommodating to work with. She always answered any questions I had, and I trusted her & the staff to make my day the best it could be (Which it was)! Also, the food was top-notch!

What advice can you offer to future brides & grooms?

Give yourself a lot of time to plan so you can enjoy the process. If you're having a RiverCrest wedding, just leave everything up to Dawn & her team, because they do an awesome job and everything will turn out wonderfully! Also, make sure you take every moment in. The day will go by extremely fast and before you know it, it's over. 

What was your favorite moment of the day?

Christi: "Mine was dancing as husband and wife for the first time. It felt amazing to have all of our family & friends standing around us. I also loved walking into the beautiful ballroom and being announced as Mr. & Mrs. Breslin"!

Mike: "Seeing Christi for the first time coming down the aisle".

Destination: Honeymoon- Antigua

We went to Sandals Grande Antigua. It was the most relaxing, beautiful 2 weeks where we did nothing but eat, drink, and lay on the beach! We went on a couple excursions - we did snorkeling, swam with stingrays, went on a kayak & safari tour around the island, went on a speed boat tour around the island where we saw Antigua's 365 beaches, zip-lined, and had a romantic dinner on the beach. 
   
If you can, definitely stay for more than a week. 1 week was just not enough for us! And try to leave the Monday open when you get home after so you have a day to recoup. 

Vendor Information: 
We loved our Florist, Moles Flower Shop - Cindy did an awesome job at creating my perfect vision of what I wanted for my flowers! Our photographer, Chris Hensel was amazing, as well as our Videographer, Martin's accent wedding videos. We also highly recommend Boardwalk Photo Booth Rentals. Everyone loves photobooths, and it was a big hit!

Tell us about The Insiders Band: 
When I met Mike, he introduced me to The Insiders Band. Ever since, we have been following them around locally. They usually play in Collegeville at Davinci's, Molly Maguire's in Phoenixville and down the shore in Sea Isle City. It just made sense to have them play at our wedding, since we love them so much!


Some of Christi & Michael's Favorite Wedding Day Photos: 

A big congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Breslin!
Thanks for sharing your special memories and beautiful photos. 
We wish you both the very best as you go forward in your life together!

By the Way...
Changing your name post-wedding? Here's how...

Planning your wedding? Don't forget about the Card Box & Gift Security measures you should take. 

Want to crowdsource photos from your big day or ensure good photos from your professional photographer(s)? You may want to consider an Unplugged Wedding or a Supercharged Wedding, and let your guests know! 

Wediquette is on Pinterest! Boards are organized by when you may be planning that aspect of your day, with some random celebrations and other holidays lower on the page!

Follow Wediquette by email for updates each time a new post goes up (usually 1-2 times per week)! Scroll up to the top to join :) Thanks!

Looking for more Wedding posts? Scroll up to the Weddings tab at the top of the page and click- you'll find posts about Big Wedding Decisions, Life Changes, DIY Projects, Wedding Party/Guest Tips, Weddings Across the Board (focusing on one culture at a time!), and the newest series, It's All in the Details! You can also check out some more Real Weddings like this one! 

Have a request, thought to share or suggestion? Leave a comment! 

Chai & Alicia's Rustic Fall Wedding- Beech Springs Farm (Part 1)

We've had the privilege of attending 3 weddings, 3 weekends in a row this Fall, and I continue to be so impressed and amazed by the creativity, the love, the time and the planning that go into every wedding detail, to make each day so unique and so...you. 

Our friends Chai & Alicia got married in late September at Beech Springs Farm in Orrtanna, Pennsylvania (about 15 minutes from Gettysburg). It was rustic, beautiful, fun, relaxed, and full of warmth. The weather was perfect, the venue was sweet, and the time spent together was priceless. Take a trip into their wedding weekend, thanks to Melissa McClain Photography and the bride & groom!  Watch for the purple font for Alicia's insight and inspiration.

The magnetic, postcard-sized Save the Date 

The beautiful invitation

The welcome bag for hotel guests: honey from the farm, a few Starbursts, water, homemade caramel pretzels, a map & a couple Gettysburg pamphlets and a weekend itinerary

The entire wedding weekend weather was perfect. Warm days with hints of Fall in the air and chilly but refreshing evenings. It was the ideal backdrop for Chai & Alicia's outdoor wedding. Upon arriving at the farm, guests parked in a field lot, then walked through this garden and gate toward the large Norway Maple tree, where the ceremony took place. 

I had a chance to speak with Jayne (the owner of the farm) the day of the wedding for a few minutes, and she told me that when she and her husband moved in and bought the farm years ago, she imagined their grandchildren getting married in the backyard one day. Last year, they converted their barn into an event space and decided to dedicate one day per weekend to a wedding or event on their property. With the garden, the farm, the view, the house (where bridesmaids and the bride get ready), the small groom's house (an air conditioned, relaxing space where the guys can get ready and hang out before a wedding, that is located within the garden), that gorgeous tree, the bonfire area (yes, really!), the sweet owners who were involved and present throughout the weekend and the countless spots for picture perfection, I was amazed by this venue over and over. Note: It's called Beech Springs Farm because there are beech trees behind the springhouse that are estimated to be over 200 years old. With lots of beech trees and springs on what was once a 350 acre farm, the history and beauty of this land are enticing, entrancing and enthralling. 

 I'm not sure whether any of Jayne's grandchildren have gotten married yet, and whether their weddings took place on that farm, but I know that our friends were lucky to have found such a wonderful space for their big day!

Oh, by the way, if you know someone who is on the lookout for unique rustic wedding ideas, check out Beech Springs Farm's pinterest page!  

Why Beech Springs Farm for you?

We really loved our venue.  It was different than any other venue we had been to.  The owner was super nice, it was personal and they take really great care of it because it is also their home.  We loved, loved LOVED that as part of the venue we got a wedding "day of" coordinator, even though she did a lot more than just the day of.  Our wedding venue does not advertise - they do not go to wedding shows and they only book by word of mouth.  We were so lucky to book them, because they are now booked into 2016!

A glimpse of the barn, and the dress

The bride, groom and wedding party- sleek and sophisticated!  

What Advice Can You Offer to Future Brides & Grooms?

Try not to stress!! Easier said than done, but the day of, just let everything go the way it's going to go!  It's impossible not to stress during the planning, but on our wedding day, I made a conscientious effort not to get stressed about the schedule, and try to focus on the fact that I was marrying an amazing guy!

Our other tip would be to like your vendors and trust your gut. If you meet with someone and their price is right but you don't like them, you won't like what they do on your wedding day.  Also prioritize a few things and make sure those things are what you spend your money on.  We wanted great photos, and we made sure to get a photographer whose work we loved.  We prioritized photos, catering, and the venue.  I would say, don't settle on the things you want - just prioritize!!

(My other tip would be to elope and save your money and stress!  Go on an awesome vacation!)

Thanks again to Melissa McClain Photography for permission to share these gorgeous photos 

(notice her watermark on some, mixed in with my amateur shots). 

Two frames were suspended from the tree with a real vase of flowers hanging in the middle of each. Since it was hanging by a thread (a piece of fishing line?), the vase turned in the breeze, and it was such a creative touch! 

Cocktail hour was held outside on the lawn between the garden and the barn

Giant Jenga (which the bride's dad made!), a bean bag toss and bocce were all available and used by guests.

Bartenders provided wine and beer, servers butlered a few hors d'eouvres and a beautiful station of antipasto, fruits, veggies and spreads was set up outside (see vendor reviews below for photos). 

Ready for the reception? Check out Part 2 of this post here! 

DIY Wedding Card Box

When my friend Amber was nearing the final stages of wedding planning, she sent me a link and shared a beautiful card box she was thinking about buying online. It was 2 tiers, purple, and just lovely...but I couldn't help thinking I could make it for her for a fraction of the cost. I asked if I could and she was very trusting considering I hadn't done this before.  When all was said and done, I think it turned out great! I will say, it took a lot of time, measuring, and hot glue- but I will also say that it only cost me less than $40 to make, and who knows? Maybe Amber will be able to pass it along to another purple-loving bride! So here's how I did it. Feeling bold? You can DIY, too! 

Step 1. I looked online to find out how big it should be and how long to make the card slot. Most cards can fit through a 6" slot, so I made it 7", to be safe. I made a list of things I would need: boxes, an X-acto knife, my hot glue gun, lots of hot glue & tacky glue (maybe even fabric glue), rhinestones for around the card slot, thick white ribbon for the 2nd tier, a white silk flower, thin white ribbon to hang down from the flower, good scissors and purple fabric. I thought that the boxes should be about 10x10" and 12x12", if there were 2 tiers.

Step 2. I knew she had initially liked the 2-tiered version, but was also open to 3 tiers. I got 3 different-sized square boxes, and sent her pictures so she could pick. On the left (above) is the medium and small size, in the middle is the medium and large size, and on the right, you can see all 3- which we decided looked best!

Step 3. I went shopping! I found both types of ribbon and the flower at Michaels, as well as the little stick-on grey pearls you see below. The pearls were a last-minute addition (found on clearance for $.99) that could easily be removed if Amber didn't like them. The flower had a weird center, so I ended up cutting it out, and adding a pretty, sparkly brooch pin to the middle (also found at Michaels). While browsing at AC Moore, I grabbed an X-acto knife and hot glue. I looked at a few fabric options at Walmart, but ended up with a winner at JoAnn Fabric, plus I found a coupon on RetailMeNot (btw, you should get this app on your phone and check it before you check out ANYWHERE!) for 50% off, so the fabric was the most expensive part at about $24.00, but I got 3 yards of it,which was plenty for the boxes and for backing 6 little framed signs for around the reception.

 Step 4. I got to work! If you see the pictures above, you'll notice that initially, these 3 boxes' lids did not cover the same amount of the box, and I wanted it to look even, so I undid the lids, cut them down, glued them back together and stuck them back on. Warning: If you do this, be sure the lid fits with a little room to spare before adding fabric! You don't want to finish covering a box and lid only to find that the lid won't go on.

I did all of my cutting before adding fabric to any of the layers. This included the slot on top, which was 7"x.5"and centered on top. Another option is to put the slot on the front, but I checked with the bride and she preferred the top. It also included cutting holes between the layers so the cards drop straight down. I left about an inch border around the base of the top and middle boxes, and cut the same size square out of the lid of the layer beneath.

I should also mention here that the boxes I got were sort of flimsy, so I cut up a cardbox box and glued it to some of the panels on the inside for some extra support. This may not have been a necessary step, but I didn't want to finish and have the bottom or middle layer caving in.

Step 5. I covered it in fabric! I think this was the most time-consuming part, but I grabbed a box or a lid and covered it while watching TV or listening to music, then did another or waited for another day. I didn't want this to become a pain or too tedious, so I gave myself about 2 weeks and did a little every day or two. If I were to do it again, I think I could do it in a week or less :) Anyway, this step took some figuring out and a LOT of hot glue- I actually had to run out for more at one point. Oh, and I did try the fabric glue, and Tacky Glue here, but it didn't work so well for me. Hot glue ended up being the best option. 

Step 6. Safeguarding the Box- I wanted to make it so that it was difficult to open, but not to the point that we had to rip it apart when the bride & groom were ready to remove the cards. I used a dry sticky adhesive (found at JoAnn Fabric) around the tops of each box, then stuck the lids on.

Step 7. Decorating! This was the most fun and rewarding step, hands down! The rhinestones that I found for the slot at Michaels were actually a strip of adhesive with bling attached, which made it SO easy to go along the perimeter. I used the glue gun to overlap the thick ribbon right where the flower would go, then glued the thin ribbon on before gluing the flower. I played with the option of adding the pearls to the base layer, and it worked!

Step 8. Getting it to the Wedding- When I gave the box to Amber about a week before the wedding, we decided that the slot was better closer to the front on top, so we turned the lid around with ease. I stored it in a (clean) large garbage bag for transportation, and it held up perfectly. We also stored a few of the signs and extra ribbon/rhinestones (just in case) inside the base layer in case anything needed to be fixed up during set-up at the venue. It was large enough for all of the cards that the couple received, which meant nobody ever had to worry about emptying it during the night, and the fact that it was so big meant if anyone tried to move it, it was noticeable- which is a good thing when you're planning for gift, card box and wedding security  (PS have you checked out that post yet?). 

This project took some time and planning, and was definitely a work of heart, but I wouldn't have had it any other way. I think I'm making one for my Mom in September, too! Plus, if this post helps you save some money and create a card box for your big event (or for a loved one, like I did), then it was totally worth it!