SIX WEEKS AND COUNTING

A small wedding - just immediate family - 40 or so people - casual - low-budget -  my back yard.  "No problem, I'll do the food." 

Flowers in mason jars - sunflowers and daisies - nothing fancy.  "Sure, I can take care of that too."  

Table decorations- small favors for guests - chairs, tables, music.  "How much trouble can it be if we keep it small and casual?  Sure, I'll take care of those things."  

Rings for the bride and groom - that's what I do for a living.  Sure, I'd be honored to make them.

What was I thinking?
I was determined that this journey toward creating a unique and meaningful,  but very affordable wedding, would NOT stress me out.  I would have fun with the planning, play with the myriad of details, enjoy my daughter and her input, and  be organized enough that stress would not be an issue.  I confess that as we approach the six week mark until the Easter weekend wedding, I am tap-dancing right at the edge of stress.

Determined to stick to our low budget and confident that we could pull off a DIY/Pinterest inspired/no rules apply wedding that would be unique, meaningful, and fun, we began the planning and haven't slowed down since.  No caterers or servers -friends and family will pitch in to help.  No florists - doing that one ourselves.  No professional photographer - cell phone cameras and friends taking lots of candid shots will record this event. No DJ or professional musicians - just a brother of the bride with IPod and speakers. Sister of the bride designed and mailed the invitations.

I have yet to look at the first wedding magazine or planning time-line.  I refuse to follow the rules that have set the current standards for weddings (which are absolutely ridiculous), so it seems best I don't even know what those rules are.      

Every day I approach my to-do list and try to mark off multiple items so that I will have a sense I am in charge of the process.  I have wrapped wire around mason jars to hang flowers from shepherd crooks in the back yard.  I have collected dozens of odd glass bottles and jars for centerpieces.  I have baked and barbequed and frozen multiple batches of wedding menu recipes.  I have made the rings. I have planted urns to put beside the doors and spruced up the back yard (or at least as much as you can spruce in the dead of winter.)  I have touched up the paint, spruced up the bathrooms, and hung pictures I intended to hang last year.  And in spite of my efforts to shorten the to-do list, every day sees several new additions.  That part is a little humbling - keeps me from feeling smug. 

I'll keep you posted as we approach the big day, but I remain convinced that it will be possible to create an incredibly special wedding on a very small budget with lots of creativity, help from friends and family, and a refusal to let the cultural norms drive our process.  Here's hoping it all comes together for Eric and Lauren's big day. 

Eric and Lauren