I've been meaning to post these for a while now. My husband and I were married in May of 2007, one week after I received my master's degree. Suffice to say, planning my wedding took a back seat to finishing my thesis, and yet, I think I pulled off a really beautiful wedding. We were married at the "Historic Lincoln Hotel" in Urbana, IL, which is a giant Tudor castle, furnished like a Bavarian hunting lodge, complete with suits of armor, crystal, and Tudor arched fireplaces. The walls were even covered in crewel-worked fabric. As for craftiness, I thought about making my own gown, as I got my Master's in costume design, but I knew I would be too busy finishing my degree. I found this stunning gown at quite a good deal, and got $150 off for renting the tuxes there. With alterations it came to about $580. The lesson here: try small, locally owned, gown stores. I did do my groom's cake, favors, invitations, all my own flowers (I took floral design courses in grad school), and spiffied up my flower girl's dress. We also did our own music. Rented speakers which hubby set up, and rigged a playlist on my lap top. Music came to $65, and we kept getting complements on how awesome our "DJ" was. (It was my uncle, who hung out near the computer, with a rum and coke, enjoying not having to dance.) All in all, though this may be vulgar to bring up, we did the whole ballroom wedding, with favors, flowers, food, drink, dresses, music, etc. etc. etc. for $3,000! If you are planning a wedding, don't let anyone ever ever tell you that you can't have a STUNNING wedding on a very small budget. And don't let anyone talk you into anything you don't want. Every single person who came to my wedding was dancing, laughing, and having a great time. At one point every single guest linked arms to serenade us with "Friends in Low Places". Do what makes you happy, and damn the wedding magazines!
Oh okay, enough soap boxing. Now, on to the pictures!
The Historic Lincoln Hotel
My sister in law, in the Tudor hunting lodge hotel lobby.
Detail of Tudor arches over the hotel lobby fireplace.
My handsome husband, getting all spiffed up.
The lobby just outside the ballroom, during a wedding vendor faire in the same location.
The ballroom lobby in daylight:
At the "alter", with flowers by me:
Pretty pretty hair.
Dancing with one of the ring bearers, my baby cousin Isaac:
My niece and nephew, outside the ballroom. I bought Megan's dress, then added the velvet sash, flower brooch, and gold petals.
My sister in law called this "Still Life at a Wedding":
Alter flowers:
My "mock-up" bouquet. I did all my own flowers, as I was taking floral design courses at the time, and my professor lent us the use of her room and cooler.
Cake
I fell in love with an example cake at the baker's that looked like mine, but was stacked. I loved that it was NOT white. It shimmered gently. The whole wedding cake, in three flavors: Champagne White, Cappucino, and Bananas Foster:
Cake top with tiny king and queen we found in a toy store behind the hotel, because, let's face it, cake toppers are rather dumb in design, so you might as well geek out there.
Groom's Cake, that I made myself, the morning of the wedding as a surprise for Jim:
The happiest bride ever:
Hope you liked it as much as I did.
