My Wedding Report

Remember these?

Yes, the long lost Duckling invitations. I know I have been promising the tips from the DIY process, but due to some computer crashes and general life craziness it’s been a little difficult to get everything together.

The printing of the main invitation was very basic. We basically just designed the invite using a combination of Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator. We used my very favorite font Feel Script from Veer, which we had also used for the Save the Dates. Graphics for the entire invitation suite were bought from Istockphoto for a few dollars. We found an image that had all 4 patterns to use so we only had to buy 1 item. Probably the hardest part of the main invitation step was figuring out how to do borderless printing so that the design went to the very edge. Once we figured that it it was a matter of printing 50 at a time until we were done.

Most of the work and labor was bundled up in our little Matchbook booklet a.k.a. “Everything you need to know about our wedding.”

Earlier in the summer Mr. Ducky and I were at my favorite store, Paper Source and found a whole bunch of these matchbooks for 50% off. We weren’t planning on using them, but who were we to pass up a good deal? So, we bought everything they had, not knowing what we were going to use them for. Well, eventually we came up with the idea to use it as the holder of all our inserts in the invitation versus doing something like a pocketfold invite.

On the base we put directions on one side and then details for our website on the other. We printed them on 8 1/2 x 11 paper and then cut them out individually. To avoid messy glue sticks and other adhesive messes I used my trusty Xyron. Or should I say Mama Duckling used the trusty Xyron?! She figured out just the right technique to not waste xyron sticky and go through each insert quickly.

Here is what they looked like after they popped out the Xyron. After that it was a matter of simply removing the sticky backing and then placing the insert evenly onto the matchbook.

Many of you loved our accept/decline stickers for the RSVP cards. (Thanks for all your sweet words!) I have to tell you that was one of the easiest parts of the whole process, which means you can incorporate this into your own DIY project without much trouble. We bought 1 1/4″ round labels from Paper Source and then it was a matter of printing and cutting. One column was “Accept” the next was “Decline” and then repeat for the next two columns.

After printing the paper was all a solid khaki color with the stickers. We carefully peeled away the background surrounding the stickers so that we were eventually left with the backing paper full of round stickers. Now you had white background and the stickers popped against that.

We found the best was to cut was first length wise after your 1st accept and decline column and then width wise so you were left with 2 stickers. For the actual RSVP card we designed it in Illustrator and used the circle shape to indicate where guests should place their answer.

I packaged everything together so it was in one unit and would look presentable when guests opened it. At the last minute I decided to stamp the outside of the matchbook because it seemed like it was missing something.

I knew I wanted to do envelope liners but I was pretty mystified on how to do them. Was I supposed to print the whole page in the print and then cut? Or make some sort of shape? Or just give up completely and do plain envelopes?  Remembering Mrs. Gloss’ beautiful invitations and envelopes, I asked her how she did it. She explained how she just printed the shape of the liner on paper and then cut it out. After her feedback, Mr. Ducky and I figured out how to get 2 liners out of one 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper. We shrunk down the depth of how far the liner would go in the envelope and lined them up on the edge. This probably doesn’t really make sense so just look at the picture below. You can see the 2 liners on the page and then the cut out version. By having the bottom of the liner on the edge of the paper it also saved some cutting time versus putting it in the middle of the page.

Here is Mr. Ducky dutifully cutting out envelope liners.

To adhere the liners to the envelope we used 3/8″ Adhesive Runner by Xyron that we had previously used for the Save the Dates. It works so well! We “drew” a triangle on the back of the liner in the upper area and then tucked it into the envelope.

And that is about it for the Duckling invitations. I hope that helped. Let me know if you have any questions.

What helped you with the DIY process? Anything seem difficult and then end up being simpler than you thought?

Remember when I played dress up with Mama Duckling’s wedding dress? Well after trying on her dress I wanted to figure out some way to incorporate the lace into my veil. There was a veil that I loved when I first tried on my dress, but it was a crazy $1000!! That clearly wasn’t it the budget, but I loved the lace edging and thought that maybe we could do the same thing with my mom’s lace.

I hadn’t found a normal veil at a reasonable price yet, and I was nervous about finding someone who could incorporate the lace from my mom’s dress and do it custom for me. I remembered hearing about Candi Merlee’s Crowning Glory Designs and her reasonable prices.

I contacted Candi and it just so happened that she lived about 30 minutes away from me. She invited me to her house so I could try on some veils and figure out what I wanted. I asked Mama Duckling to come with me to design my veil. After being greeted by Candi we went into a room to try on various sample veils to get an idea of what I liked. We also showed her Mama Ducklings dress and that we wanted to incorporate it into the design.

Here are a few of the veils I tried on to get a feel for different styles on me.

After lots of sample veils and discussing what I really wanted we decided that she would take the lace off the bottom of my Mama Duckling’s dress, tea die it (who knew you could die with tea?) so that it would match the more ivory color of my dress. I wanted the veil to be very soft, a little shorter than fingertip length and the lace to not completely frame my face so it didn’t look like I was boxed in.

How much did this custom veil cost me? Fifty-two dollars! Can you believe that? Such a reasonable price and completely custom for me including all the work taking the lace off Mama Duckling’s dress. My veil was ready 2 weeks later and was perfect. And just so you can see, here is a teaser picture from the wedding day.

I highly recommend Candi to anyone that is looking for a custom veil. She was so sweet, easy to work with and it didn’t take long to get the veil back. Also, you don’t have to live in Orange County. She takes veil orders from all over the US and even other countries. She doesn’t have a website in order to keep costs down, but if you are interested her email is: candi@cgveils.com

Are you doing anything to incorporate something special or a piece from the past into your wedding day attire?

Well I’m officially Mrs. Ducky! Our wedding day was truly amazing and beyond anything that Mr. Ducky and I could have ever hoped for. We had so much fun with all the friends and family that were there for the special day. We feel so blessed. I can’t wait to recap and share all the details with you all.

We are now back from from our amazing honeymoon in Kauai, unpacked (sort of) and back to work. I can’t believe it’s all over!! And now I seriously have some catching up to do in the hive!! It’s probably going to take me awhile to get through all the new posts, meet the new bees and figure out what exactly I’ve missed. Any favorite posts in the last 3 weeks that I need to read first?

Not to mention the catching up I have to do for my own blogging. I’ve left you hanging on my invitation tips and the million other projects I did in the weeks leading up to the wedding as we were also moving. I’ll be waiting for pro pics, but in the meantime I won’t be disappearing on you because I have a lot to share. I’ll do some recaps of our honeymoon too, because if you are looking for a place to go, Kauai is my recommendation.

Our pro pics aren’t back yet, but here are some pictures that friends took from that day just so you can get a sneak peak.

Well tomorrow I get married, and officially become Mrs. Duckling. The last week has been pretty crazy, but now that everyone has arrived and all the crafts are done Mr. Ducky and I are relaxing and enjoying each moment. There is so much I have yet to tell you about, I did about a million projects in the last week. Not to worry, I’ll catch up up after my return. Our rehearsal went so smoothly yesterday and the dinner was at my house. I feel so blessed for our amazing friends and family.

To the hive I owe you a huge thanks. Being a part of the Weddingbee community and being able to share myself with you all has been one of the best parts of this process. I’ve felt so much joy, support and encouragement from each of you. Thanks for your comments, they seriously make the most stressful moments better. You each are a part of creating this amazing community called Weddingbee, that perhaps no one can fully understand until you are a part of it.

To the bees of past and present, you each have inspired me and this wedding would not be the same without your tutorials, wisdom, pictures and ultimately support and passion.

Pengy, Mrs. Bee, Mr. Bee and BIL Bee, thanks for letting me be a part of this amazing experience. You have no idea how much joy Weddingbee has give me. In my lowest and most stressed moments of this process, the hive has gotten me through. You truly have created something that is a blessing to each of us, and your hard work does not go unnoticed.

So that’s it for now. I leave you with the picture of Mr. Ducky and I getting our marriage license this last week. We went to the historical court house in Santa Ana which was a fun experience and this is in front of the judges stand.

Thanks hive!!! Can’t wait to see you again in a few weeks!!

XOXO
Duckling

Did you wonder where I went? Well, last week I basically put our wedding to-do list on hold (including blogging unfortunately) to get ready to move into our new place! A few weeks ago after we got approved for our lease Mr. Ducky brought me this cute sign and roses to to surprise me with the news. Since then between the wedding and preparing to move it’s been a whirlwind.

This is right after Mr. Ducky brought home the good news.  Excuse the make-up-less picture. At least I’m real with you all right?

The packing seemed to never end last week. Mr. Ducky and I were basically moving from 3 places; my house, his house and I had lots of stuff stored at my parents. The process was a little crazy. For example taking a box of computer stuff from my house, a box from his and trying to combine it into one box. However, we finished everything we needed to do and were prepared for the move.

Because we moved to a new apartment community it wasn’t available for move in until this last Saturday. Yes, a little hectic considering it’s less than 2 weeks to the wedding and it was my bachlorette party this last weekend (more on that later). However, my dad, brother, uncle and cousin came up to help Mr. Ducky with the move since I was gone all day Saturday. They were such a huge help. Mr. Ducky treated them to dinner at one of our favorite BBQ places Bad to the Bone as a thank-you.

Sunday was spent unpacking and my parents and brother came up again when I got back to help unpack the kitchen. It was so fun to unpack all of our registry stuff and fun appliances. There was just something so exciting about unpacking things into our own place. Our community is an all green community so everything is energy efficient. Double paned windows, high efficient washer and dryer and a toilet that has flushes for #1 and #2. TMI? Maybe, but all the guys were laughing about it so I thought I’d share with you. What’s with guys and bathroom humor?

I was absolutely thrilled to get our Kitchenaid Mixer from my grandparents.  Mr. Ducky documented the opening to send some pictures to them for thank-you.  I can’t wait to start using it.

Want to know about our “freak out” of the weekend? As we were unpacking our dishes Mr. Ducky noticed that the backs of our dishes didn’t say “dishwasher safe.” Well we went to check on the Crate & Barrel website and sure enough we found that it said “hand wash.” We were so disappointed! We reluctantly set the boxes aside to exchange at another time. We told my parents about it and started looking at new sets. Well, yesterday I decided to check one more time and suddenly I found in the description that it said, “dishwasher, microwave and oven safe up to 300 degrees.” What!?!? Well after a little investigating I figured out there was another dish set that looked similar to ours that was the hand wash and ours were really okay. We put them through the dishwasher last night and everything was still perfect. We were so happy and relieved. We love our dishes! They are the Stockton collection at Crate and Barrel.

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Now with less than 2 weeks to go until the wedding we have some SERIOUS DIY to get done. I’ll try to keep you guys as updated as possible. We are going to be working away and I have some friends coming this weekend to assembly line it. Don’t worry, the invitation tips & tutorial post is coming up this week though.

I love our new apartment, but am still waiting it for to to transition from being that really nice place to being our new HOME. We have lots of work to do and some will probably wait until after we get back from the honeymoon. I’m stocking up on my design blogs now in Google Reader.  We feel so blessed are excited to make it home.

What do you do to make a new place feel like home? Anyone else move right before the wedding?

I have to start with telling you that our invitations took a whole different turn than I had originally planned. Mr. Ducky and I went to Paper Source to buy all the paper and came across Khaki A2 matchbooks at 50% off. Were we planning on using this Khaki (looks like kraft paper) color originally? Nope, but Mr. Ducky was inspired and so we went for it. We bought the matchbooks and then ordered everything else online to get a discount on a current sale they were having.

Our invitation design came from a whole bunch of different sources. Basically I knew I wanted that basic shape on the invitation that I’ve seen on several blogs lately and some sort of pattern in the background. After assisting Mr. Ducky with the basic invitation design, he just went for it and did the rest as I cut and glued away. I love how it all turned out and he did a good job of making sure it all tied in together. We aren’t professionals, but it worked!

For the liners I was inspired by many bees before me, but specifically Miss Gloss since she gave me some tips. We loved the idea of detail on the liner and were going to put our initials in that place. However, in the end Mr. D used our initials for the belly band and the date on the envelope liner. We made our own design to get two liners out of each piece of paper, but more on that later.

What you get when you pull the invitation out of the envelope.

Close up of the invitation. I’m so sad I had to blur. We used the same Feel Script font from our Save the Dates.

Our A2 matchbook that we got for a steal, holds all the invite goodies. The stamp matches the one that was on the back of our envelope.

Open it up to find lots more stuff!

The RSVP and response stickers were tucked safely into the flap.

The insides of the matchbook. We chose to put the website information and directions on the matchbook so that people could easily hold onto it and keep it handy.

And when you put it all together you get the Duckling invitations!

Anyone want to guess what craft gadget was my best friend during this project? Anyone else have an original idea completely change by the time you had the end result?

A post with a tutorial and tips is coming soon…feel free to tell me if there is something specific that you want to know!

Aside from just getting my make-up figured out for the wedding, I was especially excited for the trial because my make-up artist is my very good friend Janelle, who is a artist and regional manager for Laura Mercier. She’s done lots of weddings and knows what does and doesn’t work. I’ve known Janelle since I was in high school and her husband, David is the officiant for our wedding. Isn’t that fun?

I’ve had some interesting experiences in the past with make-up artists. They’ve done my make-up so heavy and dark that I look like a different person, or people don’t know quite what to do with my 1/2 Chinese eyes. They are Asian shaped but not, yeah I know it’s confusing. Mark still talks about a sorority formal in college where the make-up artist had my eye liner out to my ears.

On a daily basis I wear a little bit of Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer, some eye shadow, blush and mascara. For lips I generally wear chap stick or a neutral gloss. When I go out everything is just a bit darker and I wear concealer and translucent powder. It’s simple, quick and natural. However, for my wedding I want to look like myself but not that I don’t have make-up on at all. Sometimes even when I have my make-up done for going out, pictures look like I have nothing on.

Going to meet with Janelle I just felt comfortable and excited. She knows me well and knows what I look like on a day to day basis. Plus, it was a good chance to catch up on life. She does an amazing job at make-up so I could relax and feel at ease.

For my make-up we decided to go with more of a classic bridal look. Janelle wanted to emphasize my lips and cheeks. I was really happy with how it turned out. I felt like a beautified version of myself. The make-up felt light but covered and lasted really well.

Here are some pictures that we took after. This is a little nerve-racking posting a close-up of my face on the internet, but I promised I’d document for you. Excuse the lighting of the indoor pictures, Nordstrom does not have good or flattering lighting. And of course you will have to use your imagination since my hair is not done (I don’t think I even styled or blow dried it that day).

What do you think? Any suggestions? What kind of look are you going for on your wedding day?

Alright hive, start buzzing because I need some help. Mr. Ducky and I have been discussing what we want to do for readings during the ceremony. We will be meeting with our officiant (and close friend) tomorrow to talk about the ceremony. I wanted to find in advance some readings that we could think about.

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We have 1 reading that will be very special. When I first moved to Orange County I started working with a 7-year-old autistic boy doing play therapy, social skills building and behavior intervention. The entire family has become family friends and the little boy (now 9) is my best buddy on Friday afternoons. He is constantly teaching me about joy and wonder in a way that only a child can. Well for the wedding I have asked him to read something so that he can be a part of our day. I just am not sure what to have him read?

We will probably have 2-3 readings and I’d like to find something meaningful to put in our program booklet that we are creating.

Here are a few that I really liked while browsing the Weddingbee reading archives late last night.

Union by Robert Fulghum
“You have known each other from the first glance of acquaintance to this point of commitment. At some point, you decided to marry. From that moment of yes, to this moment of yes, indeed, you have been making commitments in an informal way. All of those conversations that were held in a car, or over a meal, or during long walks – all those conversations that began with, “When we’re married”, and continued with “I will” and “you will” and “we will” – all those late night talks that included “someday” and “somehow” and “maybe” – and all those promises that are unspoken matters of the heart. All these common things, and more, are the real process of a wedding.

The symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, “You know all those things that we’ve promised, and hoped, and dreamed – well, I meant it all, every word.”Look at one another and remember this moment in time. Before this moment you have been many things to one another – acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, dancing partner, even teacher, for you have learned much from one another these past few years. Shortly you shall say a few words that will take you across a threshold of life, and things between you will never quite be the same.
For after today you shall say to the world –
This is my husband. This is my wife.”

Ruth 1:16 -
“Entreat me not to leave you, or to return from following after you, For where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. And where you die, I will die and there I will be buried. May the Lord do with me and more if anything but death parts you from me.”
Cheese talked about this verse awhile back and I thought she phrased it beautifully. Ruth has always been one of my favorite books of the Bible.

I’d like to find something kind of light-hearted for our favorite 9-year-old reader. Not sure that this it, but something like it.
A Lovely Love Story by Edward Monkton
“The fierce Dinosaur was trapped inside his cage of ice. Although it was cold he was happy in there. It was, after all, his cage.
Then along came the Lovely Other Dinosaur.
The Lovely Other Dinosaur melted the Dinosaur’s cage with kind words and loving thoughts.
I like this Dinosaur thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur.
Although he is fierce he is also tender and he is funny.
He is also quite clever though I will not tell him this for now.
I like this Lovely Other Dinosaur, thought the Dinosaur. She is beautiful and she is different and she smells so nice.
She is also a free spirit which is a quality I much admire in a dinosaur.
But he can be so distant and so peculiar at times, thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur.
He is also overly fond of things.
Are all Dinosaurs so overly fond of things?
But her mind skips from here to there so quickly thought the Dinosaur. She is also uncommonly keen on shopping.
Are all Lovely Other Dinosaurs so uncommonly keen on shopping?
I will forgive his peculiarity and his concern for things, thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur. For they are part of what makes him a richly charactered individual.
I will forgive her skipping mind and her fondness for shopping, thought the Dinosaur. For she fills our life with beautiful thoughts and wonderful surprises. Besides, I am not unkeen on shopping either.
Now the Dinosaur and the Lovely Other Dinosaur are old.
Look at them.
Together they stand on the hill telling each other stories and feeling the warmth of the sun on their backs.
And that, my friends, is how it is with love.
Let us all be Dinosaurs and Lovely Other Dinosaurs together.
For the sun is warm.
And the world is a beautiful place.”

What readings are you doing for your ceremony? Have any readings stood out to you in weddings that you’ve attended?

Have you ever had one of those moments during wedding planning when you want to just squeal and do the happy dance because you are so excited? Well I often have those moments whenever I meet with our amazing florist, LaVonne from Adorations.

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During this wedding experience, I’ve told you how important it is that I can trust my team that is helping me make the day happen. LaVonne is someone you want on your team. First of all she is beyond creative and so talented with every detail she creates. Truly everything I have seen of hers is a masterpiece no matter what style, color or event the pieces are for. Secondly, and probably more importantly to me, LaVonne is such a kind and beautiful person you just want to spend more time with her. I have so much fun every time I see LaVonne and feel blessed to have gotten to know her during this time.

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As I’ve mentioned before flowers are not my strength. I can tell you what I think looks good, but am at a loss when it comes to names, seasons, colors or knowing how to take flowers to their full potential. So when I asked Courtney (our DOC) for a recommendation for a florist she suggested LaVonne and Adorations knowing me and my hopes for the day. From the moment I first started talking with LaVonne she immediately understood and encouraged my desire to DIY lots of details and just got my vision. Beyond that she helped to add to it to make it better.

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I can’t wait to see all of the ideas and inspiration come to life. I know I won’t do the ideas justice if I try to explain them so you’ll just have to wait. But if you are really curious here is a brief description from LaVonne about our arch, “Rich in color and rustic in materials; from the pedestal to the intertwining willow; reclaimed wood pedestals perfectly frame the altar area, old world style urns are placed upon each while trailing lobelia spills with bachelor buttons and rustic eryngium peeking through sinuous blooming curly willow. Clematis vine lightly intertwines the willow stems as they arc toward one another creating a seemingly natural arch.” To go with all of the descriptions LaVonne sent me a inspiration board with each flower type labeled and my color palette (that I created on ColourLovers) in the middle so I could see how all the flowers tie in. Perfect, for my lack of flower knowledge.

I am beyond excited for everything that LaVonne is creating for our wedding. I trust her completely and know it will all be perfect. Want to see some of LaVonne’s latest work?

I fell in love with these pictures when I was at her studio and she was kind enough to let me share with you. But sshhh it’s a preview of what is to come in an upcoming edition of Ceremony 2010 magazine.

Photos below were taken by Joshua Aull.

Look at the incredible detail in this birch wood boutonniere.

And I just drooled over the beautiful texture and contrasts of this bouquet. Gorgeous!

What part of your planning can you not wait to see come to life?

Remember way back, when I was wishing and hoping for a certain pair of shoes? I basically had given up on the search. I couldn’t find the shoes for a decent price and many stores weren’t even carrying them anymore. I had begun a new search for “the shoe.”

I recently had my birthday and went down to visit my family in San Diego for the weekend. Imagine my surprise when I was handed a lovely green box with the words Kate Spade across the top. Opening the box, I squealed with delight to find my dream shoes inside! My family had gone out of their way to surprise me and I was thrilled.

Probably one of the funniest things was my 19-year-old brother’s reaction to the shoes, “You are wearing pink shoes? Aren’t you supposed to wear white because of the dress?” Apparently he isn’t a regular reader of the wedding blogs. haha

Even more fun? We found mama duckling’s wedding shoes that weekend and they subtly match mine. Notice the bow-like detail? Just wait until you see the shoes with her dress. Hint: her dress matches the color of my shoes.

Did you ever give up on the hopes of getting something only to be delightfully surprised in the end?