Finally the Bride

How fortunate am I that I have enough amazing women in my life to make choosing bridesmaids a difficult decision? Not to brag, but I have more than my fair share of ladies in my life who really understand and care about me. Childhood, middle, high school, college... Years later and they are still the best friends I could ever hope for. Already, with still many months to go before the wedding, they have all been supportive and patiently answer my unending questions. After all, by the time I walk down the aisle, I'll have stood my each of my bridesmaid's sides at their weddings! So in some ways, it's paying off to be the last; I have lots of experience to draw from!

For the bridesmaids gifts, as with the groomsmen's, I wanted to make use of the arts and crafts supplies around the house and test my DIY skills. I made the boxes out of card stock; the initials were stickers from my sister's scrapbooking phase; and the plethora of ribbon is what happens when you're a former cheerleader!

I found really cool patterned tape also from my sister's stash that I used on the inside of the boxes. (Similar here.) The cards were from Target. The jewelry was my own, which I get partially made in the Philippines. Each girl got a different, dainty piece of jewelry, either a bracelet, earrings, or a ring. I even made the little jewelry display card also from card stock, and a fancy hole puncher (a la my sister of course!)

I always knew I wanted to ask my bridesmaids with paper dolls, but obviously they had to be stylized. They were more time consuming then I initially thought, but I had a lot of fun illustrating them! I love the way they look like they're moving when it's opened up. It looks like a group of girls having a good time!  Hopefully, it's representative of what's to come!

Wedding Proposals - Not Ours!

I've always thought the ideal engagement was 9 to 12 months, but I am actually loving our long engagement. I've watched a lot of friends get married over the years, some in 4 months, others YEARS! And in my observation I've learned how important it is to enjoy the process.  What started out as a sprint is now a leisurely stroll around the block, and I get to stop and take in all of the sights along the way.

There are seemingly thousands of decisions to make, and JP and I are trying to make each one meaningful not just for us, but the people involved. We have loved taking the time to let people know how special they are to us. I thought I'd share how we asked our family and friends to take part in our special day.

Ninongs

In Filipino weddings, there are ninongs, which are also referred to as "sponsors". In the actual wedding, they serve as witnesses, but in many cases, also serve as a type of godparent to the couple. The couple usually chooses people (often older, aunts and uncles) they can go to for guidance; those they admire and hold a high level of respect for. 

To ask our ninongs, I made custom cards and wrote personal notes to each of them.  Our ninang, Natasha, is a professional photographer (who is awesome)! I used a picture she took of JP and me at another friends' wedding, and designed and ordered the cards on Walmart's website. So easy! But it made our ninongs feel extra special. 

It is such an important role, so we wanted to express the impact they have already made in our lives. Frankly, with the wedding being in the Philippines, we weren't sure how many would actually make the trip. We were so surprised and moved by those who have already graciously accepted. We already feel extremely lucky and loved.

Ring Bearer

William is one of our favorite kids, ever, so much so that JP and I are afraid we may not love our own future kids as much lol! I know I'm not really supposed to say things like that, but it has been absolutely delightful watching him grow. 

I painted him a ring-shaped card on bristol paper I had. The ring shape was very important, because William's favorite thing at the time was shapes, especially circles! He's already starting to read, so I made sure to write the words nice and big for him. 

In his package, JP and I included a Gator pillow pet, because duh, Go Gators! Knowing that his dad, and sometimes his mom, reads to him before bed every night, we got him a book, Love You Forever. I, myself, have fond of memories of this book from my childhood, and always try to get it for any new moms and dads I know because it is just very sweet. I almost cry every time I read it.

Groomsmen

This was pretty fun to make. JP and I love How I Met Your Mother, so the idea for the groomsmen's card came from that. I know it's not terribly original, but we added a personal touch by making the "article" about peculiar situations they've been in together. With JP's WILD past, he kept it PG for my sake ;) The only one that was a little different was Mikey's, his younger brother's. They have such a special bond, just any old story wouldn't do. Instead, JP found a quote that reflected their relationship.

For the groomsmen and bridesmaids cards, I tried my best to use supplies I already had around the house. Thanks to my sister and because of the art supplies I acquired at Parsons, I have a small Joanne's in my parent's home; an elementary teacher would be thrilled to have so much at their disposal. 

I printed the cards on résumé paper to make it look a little old world-y, then used spray adhesive to stick it on ivory card stock that I cut in half. It wasn't perfect, but it was for a bunch of boys, so I knew they wouldn't care/notice.

We wanted to get them a little something, so bought them brass cuff links with their initial.

Bridesmaids

Well, I have lots of pictures for this so I'm going to save it for the next post :)