Lighting

Okay.  I know I said I'd be coming back full force and that definitely didn't happen.  I apologize.  You know how it is.  Life just gets in the way. 

Anywho, a ton of people have asked about lighting.  Did I only use the paper lanterns for lighting?  No.  I also used string lights around the perimeter of the tent.  I used these from 1000Bulbs.com.  Then I bought C9 bulbs for them separately (but also from 1000Bulbs.com).  They don't have the connectors on the ends but my dad set them up so that they would be able to connect to each other (it's nice to have a handy papa!).  

I used the 12 inch spacing, but honestly, I think I could've gotten away with the lights spaced further apart (like 18 or 24 inches apart).  It was just a wee bit brighter than I wanted.  The point is, I don't think you should only use the paper lanterns for light (unless you are going to use much brighter lights in them than I did).  

This is how the tent looked with just the lights in the paper lanterns.  It looked a little brighter than this -- the pictures don't really do it justice.  However, it definitely wouldn't be bright enough for the reception.  Just a reminder, I used one to two led tea-lights in each paper lantern. 

And this is what it looked like with the lights around the perimeter (you can see them along the edge of the tent above everyone's heads).  Again, I wish I would have used less lights, but I was originally worried that it would be way too dark in the tent.  Lighting is definitely one of the tricky parts of the whole thing!  Let me know if you have any more questions about lighting!

Tips for Rockin' an iPod Reception: Part 2

As promised, a new blog entry!  Let's get into the iPod reception stuff (I blogged part 1 about about forever ago).  Next up, the dinner hour. 

Weezer - Island in the Sun

Alan Silvestri - Forest Gump Theme

Unforgettable - Nat King Cole

The Way You Look Tonight - Frank Sinatra

Better Together - Jack Johnson

Fly Me To The Moon - George Strait (feat. Frank Sinatra)

Sunrise - Norah Jones

Unchained Melody - The Righteous Brothers

Make You Feel My Love - Adele

God Only Knows - The Beach Boys

All You Need Is Love - The Beatles

Come On Get Higher - Matt Nathanson

Can't Get Enough of Your Love Baby - Barry White

Carolina On My Mind - James Taylor

Barefoot Blue Jean Night - Jake Owen

Please Forgive Me - David Gray 

Again, no real issues with the iPod.  It continued to play through while we ate, toasted, took pictures, etc.  It was nice to not have to worry about it and to have it play songs that meant something to us/that we liked.  I chose Carolina On My Mind because Philip and I met and fell in love there.  I chose the George Strait version of Fly Me To The Moon because our first date was a George Strait concert.  

I tried to choose songs that were relatively mellow because it was supposed to just be us eating.  I left off with Barefoot Blue Jean Night and Please Forgive Me because they're a little more upbeat... so, they were supposed to kind of lead into the dancing part of the reception.  

It didn't quite work out as it was supposed to.  But, that's for the next post!

Sorry for the break!

(Source)

Hello to any of you still out there!  I apologize for my absence.  Philip and I recently made a long-distance move from Colorado to Indiana and the packing, the moving, the settling, and the job hunt have not left me much time for blogging.  And, I was also rather burned out on wedding stuff.  I am hoping to jump back in and finish up everything I meant to before the break.  And, I apologize.  I haven't checked my wedding email in a very, very long time.  So, for those of you who asked questions or just dropped me a line, I promise to get back to you very soon! 

And, I will get back into those promised posts starting... NOW!

Our little secret...

Philip and I had our wedding on September 24, 2011.  However, we had a tiny little secret.  We actually got legally married on September 24, 2010.  

(Source)

Yes, I know.  You're shocked.  We only told our close relatives.  We didn't want to take away from the wedding ceremony.

You see, in Colorado, to get married, you go to the administration building (not even the courthouse!) and tell them your name, social security number, address, etc., and then you sign at the bottom of the page.  And presto!  You're married!

I'm serious.  It took about 5 minutes for us to get legally married.  (sadly, divorce in Colorado is also super easy)

Anywho, we didn't want to make a big deal out of it because we were still not really considering ourselves as truly married.  I still went by my maiden name and Philip didn't wear a wedding band.  We weren't going to be really married until 365 days later at our actual ceremony.  :)

However, we did go out and have a nice dinner to celebrate (it didn't seem right to treat it as a completely normal day!).  

Here we are after returning home from getting (legally) hitched and having a very tasty Italian dinner (Venice Ristorante in Denver -- super delicious!).

Why did we do it?  The usual -- money.  I wouldn't have to pay for my insurance through my company (Philip's was cheaper).  And, it meant we got back a bunch of money on our taxes instead of owing (and we needed that money for wedding and honeymoon plans!).  

Do I regret it?  Nope.  Not even a little.  Looking back, I can say that our legal marriage went off without a hitch -- something I cannot say about our actual wedding ceremony!  Ha!  The money we gained from it helped us have a great honeymoon (and less stressing!).  And, it was nice to have a kind of intimate day to legally bind ourselves. 

Should you get legally married before your actual wedding?  That's entirely up to you.  I had a good experience with it.  However, I know some people have had bad experiences.  And some people will judge you for it.  I think it's an entirely personal decision to be decided by you and your partner alone! 

Now Philip and I have THREE anniversaries: Dating, Legal Marriage, and Wedding!  My sister even teased me the day of the wedding saying that she wasn't sure if she should get me a wedding card or an anniversary card!  Smartass!  :P