Lovebirds

I know I denounced Love stamps in an earlier post, and maybe I'm getting sentimental in my old age, but I love this year's Lovebird stamps. They are just adorable. In my own defense, though, they are very understated, as Love stamps.

I want a lavendar-scented marriage

I just saw a photo on Flickr of a lavendar sachet, given out to wedding guests. The lavendar buds are meant to be thrown at the bride and groom instead of rice or birdseed or rose petals. I must say, I like the idea. Actually, I like the idea of throwing rice the best. That is the actual tradition, after all--it's supposed to bring good luck or something. Throwing other things because you don't want to throw rice (which is harmful to birds), always seemed kind of lame to me. Throwing rose petals is preferable to birdseed, cause at least the petals are pretty, but it's been done to death.
If I marry after I win the lotto, I might go with rice, and pay someone to clean it up so the birds don't explode. If I marry before I win the lotto, I might go with the lavendar buds--it's a nice olfactory dimension to add to the ceremony.

Revisiting reducing relationships

I posted before about how I hate when wedding programs reduce the relationships between the bride and groom and wedding party to a pithy label like "cousin" or "friend", which may not accurately describe how you have been best friends since the third grade or went camping together every summer in college.

Well, I just got a thank-you note for a gift I sent to a friend who got married in May. She enclosed the program, because I wasn't able to attend the wedding, and there is an insert in the program that explains who's who in the wedding party. It's half explanation ("the last bridesmaid is my cousin Carol who lived next door to me growing up") and half yearbook signature ("Carol, you're awesome! You've been my rock and salvation these last 22 years! BFF!"). I found it very charming. Plus, it's something for the guest to read while they're waiting for the show to begin.

Invite wording

From the options provided on theknot.com, this is my preferred wedding invitation wording.

The honor of your presence

is requested at the marriage of

Ms. Mary Ann Smith

to

Mr. Edward Malcolm Jones

Saturday, the tenth of May

two thousand and eight

at four o'clock

Good Shepherd Church

Andover, Massachusetts

Clean, simple, to the point.

Note to self

If I ever do marry, do not allow my hometown church newsletter refer to me as so-and-so's "bride-elect". It's fucking stupid.

No Love stamps, please.

It's just too cutesy. And I've never been to a wedding that couldn't stand to dial down the cutesy.

May I show you something in a nice egret?

Resource websites

I plan on sending these to my friend who is getting married in October, who I know is freaked out about the idea of planning a wedding.

Floral terms: http://www.weddingflowersandevents.com/floral-terms.html

Catalog of floral photos: http://www.flowersbyanne.com/wedding-flower-designs.html