The Avocado Wedding Slideshow

I had two last minute projects. One was my bouquet (perfectly imperfect, photos to come once the pro shots are done). The other was a video slideshow that played in the library during cocktail hour. It will also play using a projector at our hometown reception.

I used Windows Movie Maker to create it, and it probably took me 2 hours total to do. Everything is drag and drop and really intuitive. Just create a new project, import your photos, drag them down to the timeline, add music if you would like, and then choose "Publish to this computer".

I drove to Seattle with my mom on Wednesday before the wedding and that is when I imported all of the photos. After they were all arranged, I hit export on Friday night before the wedding and loaded it to the desktop. I didn't put any sound on because we would have sound coming over the master sound system. Also I was out of time :) It's not particularly fancy or beautiful, but it certainly tells the story of us.

The quality isn't as great as I would like it to be, but it works. It starts with photos from our time dating, moves to our engagement/proposal shots, and ends with photos from Poland, and then loops through all of that one more time to make the video 50 minutes. I don't expect anyone to watch to the whole thing! If you would like to scroll to see the shots from Poland, move to 21:30 in the timeline.

Gifting Goodness

As a thank you to my bridesmaids I put together little red gift bags full of goodies. Each girl got an umbrella (brides getting married in Seattle always expect rain), a set of notecards, and a cocktail ring that I picked up in Rome this past May.

Each girl received a different ring, and when I get my pro photos back you will be able to see how fantastic they really are! BM Maggie put up a shot on Facebook that gives you an idea of how gorgeous they are.


BM Princess Jess received a little extra something for hand addressing about 100 of my invitation envelopes and acting as my chauffeur for the weekend as I did not have a car. And I also can't forget about the sandwhich she bought me, which I chowed down in a very un-ladylike manner at one point int he day. I bought her a pretty necklace that I don't have a picture of, but the piece de resistance was this Pride and Prejudice bracelet. The creator, Brookish, ut strips of text out of the novel and glued them around a bangle to create one of the most literary pieces of jewelrey I have ever seen. BM Jess and I took English Novel together in college and so this gift just describes our relationship so well.


The bracelet text depicts the scene of Jane's letter to Lizzy regarding seeing Miss Bingley in London. I don't know if she will ever actually wear it, but it was just so perfect for her.


MOH Shay received the gift with the most meaning. I had Sudlow create a globe shaped piece for each of us. On the outside there are two hearts, one on each side of the locket. One heart says "Sister" in English, the other says "Siostra" in Polish. If you don't know Polish, both of those words mean sister :) I love that the locket is round like a globe, and that the hearts on opposite sides of each other stand for us, sisters one day living a world apart from each other.

I left the insides unfilled, and we both have yet to agree what we will put inside. I am thinking of putting a photo of each of us from the wedding, and then one day putting one of her bridal portraits inside. Until then I have a few cute childhood photos of us that should work.

In what ways did you try to thank your bridesmaids for such a heartfelt contribution to your wedding?

Almost The Best Thing

Mr. Avocado is still sleeping, and I am just to excited to stay in bed. I'll have you know that he not only supports my honeymoon blogging, but encourages it. Yesterday he asked me "Have you done your blogging for the day yet?"

Am I not the luckiest?

I think it is time to show you one of my favorite wedding planning epiphanies. I read all the bride blogs (really, I try to read all of them because I am crazy) and I have never seen anyone else do this. If you know me, you know that there are few things I love more than originality.


That, would be the wedding cake. Preserved for days through the power of tupperware. I packed the container in with my wedding decor boxes and bags with a note inside instructing my DOC to put cake inside and send it up to our room.

We have enjoyed it so much, we are headed back to the shop today to buy a few more slices for the rest of the honeymoon. I am going to have to inquire about shipping costs to Dallas for next October.

If you are married what epiphany did you enjoy the most in retrospect?

The new MRS. Avocado!

Congratulations to the Avocados!! They have made the official step into married life and were sealed this afternoon in the LDS temple and afterward had a ridiculously beautiful ring ceremony and reception. The dress was the die for, the food was delectable, and the bride and groom were simply stunning. Mrs. Avocado made me cry during her vows.

Oh yeah, this is the Avocado's photographer :). The lovely pair are enjoying the beginning of their honeymoon and I promised to get a picture up asap (reception has been over for...3 hours). To the wonderful newlyweds, I love you!! Congratulations and many wishes for a beautiful life and eternity together!

We Will Walk This World

Today I enter the temple to make sacred promises to the Lord. Tomorrow I enter once again to make sacred promises with my husband. I have been searching for the right phrase to describe the way I am feeling, and I think the only sufficient term I can offer is "emotional overstimulation". I tear up rather easily and constantly find myself attempting to extract the most possible meaning and enjoyment out of every moment. This overstimulation isn't a negative feeling but it is a foreign concept that I haven't had the opportunity to experience in my life thus far.

Yesterday I saw Mr. Avocado for the first time in 73 very long days. It did not go the way I expected and I was left confused. I had imagined a moment right out of a movie, with me running towards him, jumping up and throwing my arms and legs around him, crying and kissing and the inability to let go of one another. Let's just say the time felt stressed and strange and was altogether a little shorter than what I was hoping for. I started to wonder why we were doing this, what the chemistry was. I didn't want to run, I just wanted to find reassurance. I am not grateful for this because it forced me to really reflect on our past, and the deeply intimate moments we have shared which had helped us realize how wonderful we would be together in marriage. I have no doubts or apprehension now.

The wedding weekend disasters have already begun. We have a groomsmen who bought his plane ticket for Thursday the 16th, only yesterday learning that the wedding is this weekend, not next. He also doesn't have a black suit, something I emailed him about over three months ago. I anticipate many more things just like this to happen over and over within the next two days, but after shedding a few tears curled up in my bed last night I told myself to get over it, and I did. I just want to get married to the man I love, no matter who attends and what they are wearing.

To you, my dear friends (for you truly are my friends), I can only express a deep seated admiration and wholehearted appreciation. The amount of love and support I have garnered from you over the time period I have been writing has many times been the stronghold I needed to make it through one more day. Thank you for reaching out to a complete stranger and showing you care many times over throughout the past few months.

To my dear amost-husband who will likely never read this :) I love you because of your strengths, and even after beginning to learn your faults. I think we are both starting to believe if we can make it through this we can make it through anything. You support me, love me, and cherish me. I am marrying you forever and there is nothing I want more.

While flipping through some of the old books we are using as centerpieces this week, I found *this passage which so perfectly describes trembling joy I am currently experiencing.

""My wife, my life. Oh! We will walk this world,
Yoked in all exercise of noble end,
And so through those dark gates across the wild
That no man knows. My hopes and thine are one;
Accomplish thou my manhood, and thyself
Lay thy sweet hands in mine and trust to me."

St. Elmo, by Augusta J. Evans



For the last time as a Miss,

Avocado

Sneaky Peeky!

Things I can't wait to see in action this weekend!

Tables named after the settings of classic novels and printed on pages torn out of an old novel.

Place cards with black, gold, or cream buttons depending on the meal choice.

A beyond adorable sweetheart table centerpiece crafted entirely by hand by Mamacado. If you like this, you will DIE when you see what she came up with for the centerpieces. I am lucky, and that is all there is to it.

One more day!

Old, New, Borrowed, Blue

My mother's veil, bought for $25 back in the 80's.

You've seen these before. Don't they look better now?

Grandma's heirloom family cameo pin. It's going to look fabulous pinned under the bust of my dress.

At 11 pm tonight I cut INTO my dress and replaced one of the original ivory buttons with a blue cloth covered ones. It won't show when I put the dress on and do it up, and I love that it is my little secret something blue. (Have you detected my love for secret things yet?)

What creative ways did you find to fulfill the old/new/borrowed/blue?