Simple Wedding

Probably my favorite thing about weddings is how they reflect the personality of the couple.  At least good weddings do.  My little sister's wedding definitely reflected not only her personality and that of her husband's, but also their values.  They worked very hard to keep it as simple and as "green" as possible.

She reused my wedding dress, making it her own by adding some red accents.  She made her own bouquet using roses from Costco.   They used Paperless Post for their invitations.  They got married in an empty lot across the street from the coffeehouse where they met.  An acquaintance sang during the ceremony.  A friend was the photographer.  No bridesmaids, no wedding planner, no assigned seating and menu choices...  They kept the things that were important to them.  Open bar.  A bagpiper to play as the ceremony concluded (very nice touch!).  Emily's gorgeous hair and makeup.  And dance lessons, which I'll admit kinda cracks me up, but they really enjoyed them and are even going to continue.

One of my favorite things they did was a painting.  In addition to a more traditional guest book, they got a large painting canvas.  They used pencil to draw about 50-60 blocks, about 4-inch by 6-inch.  They set out paints and instructed everyone to fill in a spot.  They had it on display at their house all weekend, as well as at the reception.  It was fun to watch it take shape and see what people came up with.  I'm bummed I neglected to take a picture of it, but perhaps I can get her to send me a photo once it's completely filled in.  There were still a few open spots when we left.  It's very cool, and what a fun reminder of the wedding and all the friends and family who came to share in it.

Congratulations Em & David!

A little rain didn't put a damper on the ceremony.  It just added a funny and sweet moment during Em's vows when she thanked David for "showering" her with love.