Wedding Week: The Written Word

Day 3 of Wedding week and today's post focuses on the loads and loads of paper that was designed, edited, printed, collated and quaffed for the big day. From the save the dates to the to the place cards, yours truly designed her little heart out to create an elegant and classy look for the wedding.

First up: Save the Dates. Since the wedding was happening in New York and half of our guest list did not have a NY mailing address, we thought it would be fun to create a vintage-style postcard to get them excited about visiting New York. It was totally fun and did the job of announcing our wedding date. What's even better is that all the photos included on the postcard were taken by Ed or I on one of our many ventures into the city.


Once the Save the Dates were out, it was time to focus on the invitations. I think we went through 35 renditions before we settled on the look. Then there were about 167 versions of each element of the invite which included not only the official invitation, but the response card, the reception card, the hotel information, the directions and both the inner and outer envelopes (don't even get me started on the Great Envelope Debate of 2009). That's a lot of paper, but in the end, they looked gorgeous and really expressed the chic, classy type wedding we were going for.


And they paved the way for the look of the rest of the paper goods including the church programs....


....and the escort cards. These puppies were one of the most labor intensive DIY projects. Not only did all the white paper have to be printed and cut, but also mounted on the black backing and folded. You would think that cutting a straight line with a paper cutter would be easy! Not so much.


Another paper item had to do with our Wish Jar. In lieu of a traditional guest book, we decided to go a different route and have our guests offer us wishes and advice on business card sized note cards. We personalized each card with our names and the date and provided purple and black pens so our guests can share their well wishes. One of my favorite post-wedding activities was reading these cards - we actually just did it again when deciding on which to include in our Wedding in a Box.


Once our guests shared their wish and picked up their escort card, they were greeted at their table by fabulous vintage looking frames with the table number (got the frames for a steal at Century 21), the custom menus outlining the 3-course meal, and their hand made party favor, a donation to the American Diabetes Association along with a uber-trendy ADA red rubber bracelet.


The paper trail followed our overnight guests all the way to their Four Points Hotel room. We put together a New York-themed bag inclusive of black and white cookies, Wise Deli potato chips, water with Advil, an I heart NY pencil, an NYC map, a City Walks walking tour card, and a welcome note on an actual vintage NY postcard. I loved the bag so much that I made one for our own hotel room!


Since we had so much going on post-wedding (uh moving to VA, finding a new job, buying a house, etc.), we took a break from our DIY paper projects for the Thank You note. Plus, the notes were part of our photographers' package so all we had to do was pick the photo and he would do the rest. Well...almost ~ if only they addressed and mailed each envelope! :)


So that is the paper-side of the wedding story. Only 1 day away from the 1 year Anniversary!!!

Wedding Week: Choosing the Vendors

Wedding week continues with some highlights on the amazing vendors we chose to work with for the big day. One of the first things we knew we had to do was pick the venue. We knew we would be married at Ed's family's church, St. Barnabas the Apostle and that family friend, Father Don Greenhaulgh, would perform the ceremony.



The reception hall was the wild card. We wanted to find a venue that felt like Manhattan but was located on Long Island. We didn't want a place that was overdone and tired, but instead looked fresh, contemporary and classy. We found all that and more at The North Ritz Club. Thanks to a tip from Adriana who had attended a wedding there, we went to check it out and fell in love immediately. It was a newer property that only hosted 1 wedding at a time which was something that was important to us. The value was amazing and the price was spot on - SOLD!


Next up was music. We knew from the beginning that we wanted a live band. It was a bit pricier, but we had been to one too weddings that had DJs that just did not create the atmosphere we were looking for. Our search began at a wedding showcase at the Milleridge Inn where we met Phil - an enthusiastic guy who happened to own the After Hours Orchestra. We agreed to attend a preview to check the band out and I have to say, we were blown away. They sounded great and could play anything from Sinatra to hip hop to jazz to rock. After seeing a few other bands, we knew that the After Hours Orchestra was our band. Done. Check!


Once the band and the venue were in place, we took some time off to just enjoy our engagement. Plus, we had another wedding to look forward to ~ Adriana and John, married on December 11, 2009.


It was very beneficial to have a family member planning a wedding at the same time we were. It was because of them that we found both our photographer, Millimeter Photography, and our florist, Signature Floral Design. Michael at Millimeter was so easy to work with and had a great team that turned out amazing photos (what you see in today's blog). Yelena of Signature Floral Design was also a gem who truly captured the look we were going for with the flowers. You may have heard me say that wedding flowers make me mad. As soon as the word "wedding" is attached, the price is jacked up 300% and that pisses me off! Well, not with Yelena. She was absolutely affordable and did absolutely AMAZING work on our bouquets and centerpieces.



Next up, cupcakes. We decided that in lieu of a traditional wedding cake, we would go with cupcakes. Convincing my parents of the choice was not easy (Bob Q. envisioned a bunch of Betty Crockers on a sheet pan which did not excite him), but we made them see the light when we hired Amy from the Cupcake Gourmet to do cupcakes for our engagement party. I honestly don't remember how I found Amy ~ I think my good friend Michele recommended her. She was a sweetheart from the start and invited us to her shop in Huntington for a tasting which was AWESOME! We decided to host a taste test with the cupcake mini's at our Engagement Party and chose our wedding day flavors from the results. With the help of Yelena's gorgeous anemone flowers, the cupcakes at the wedding not only tasted delicious, but looked amazing!




Finally the vehicles. If you know Ed, you know that he is a BIG fan of Mustangs (the cars...not the horses). Both vintage and new, there is not a Mustang on the road that he won't oogle over. So we made it our mission to have a vintage, cherry red 1967 Mustang convertible as our getaway car on the wedding day. Problem was, we didn't own one nor did we know anyone that did! First we called all the local car rental places...no dice. Then we had a thought to troll the vintage car shows that take place on Long Island. Again, easier said than done. Then an miracle occurred. Our good friend Allison Hunt mentioned to us that a good family friend owned one and would be happy to let us borrow it for the big day. SCORE!! Mustang Scott (as he familiarly became) was the sweetest guy who not only allowed us to borrow the car, but he also played chauffeur complete with a tux and a bottle of champagne. While our bridal party sat comfortably in a black Lincoln Navigator limo (provided by Camelot Limousine), we rode in style with our custom "Just Married" sign.


So there you have it. We are proud to say that all of the vendors we worked with were local business owners so we feel that not only did we receive personalized service, we supported the local economy. There truly was not one single hiccup along the way which tells us that we picked the right people for the job. Even when the stupid Icelandic volcano threw a wrench into our honeymoon plans, Joe at Camelot Limos was awesome and changed our airport pick-up and drop-off with no fuss. I would highly recommend using any of the above - they helped made our wedding day completely flawless. :)

Some other wedding day vendors that are not listed above include Priscilla of Boston (my wedding dress), Tuxedo Park (Ed and the groomsmen's attire), Bridal Reflections (bridesmaid dresses), My Glass Slipper (bride's shoes), Nordstrom (groom's shoes), Willow Pet Hotel (Lucy's home away from home during the wedding), Antonette's (site of rehearsal dinner), MetroModes (hair and makeup for the ladies).

Wedding Week: The Proposal

Since Ed and I will be celebrating our First Anniversary this coming Saturday, I thought it would be fun to take a trip down memory lane. Over the next few days, we would like to share some of the highlights of our amazing wedding day and the ridiculous amount of planning that went into making it happen.

Ed proposed to me in July of 2008 and we got married in April of 2010 so there was LOTS of time to plan the big day. The proposal was amazing - it still gives me chills and smiles when I think about it. We were at Bethany Beach for our annual summer family vacation with Mom, Dad, Sue, Aunt Ruth, Uncle Mike and Uncle James.


During the course of our relationship, we became big fans of picnics and BBQ's in the park. So it didn't seem odd that Ed wanted to go on a picnic while at the beach. We took a ride over to Holts Landing State Park and scouted out our picnic spot. I had no idea what was going on because Ed was cool as a cucumber. We had lunch, checked out the view from the dock and even attempted to take a walk on a trail that we later learned was riddled with ticks (thank you to the friendly family that warned us!).
On our way back to our blanket Ed started acting a little different. He was all huggy and kissy and schmoopy which is a little out of the ordinary for him. That's when I had my first clue that something was going on. Before I knew it, he was in front of me, down on one knee, presenting me with a gorgeous ring and asking me to be his wife. It was amazing....Of course I said yes!


Once I pulled myself together (lots of kissing and shaking and crying all at the same time), we packed it up and started making phone calls as we headed back to the house. Ed's family was first and they were all waiting by the phone to congratulate us. We each then went down our contacts list in our cell phones to share the big news. I ended up leaving lots of messages since it was July 4th, but that's okay. I got lots of call backs! :)

When we got back to the house, we found my family anxiously lounging (oxymoron?) by the pool anticipating our arrival. Of course they all knew and were thrilled for us. I think the first thing I said when I saw them was "Sue will you be my Maid of Honor?" At the house they had champagne and gifts for us which was amazing.


The planning literally started the next day. No joke. And it continued for the next 20 months. :)

We are 3 days away from our Anniversary and will head out to the beach house in Bethany tomorrow for a much-needed vacation. Many thanks to the Doyle family for graciously allowing us to stay in their beautiful house while we celebrate our 1st Anniversary!

Dinner Done Up Right

I'm feeling a bit under the weather today so please excuse the short post. I started feeling the twinge of a sore throat yesterday afternoon so I reached for my handy dandy Zicam swabs and thought to myself...this time I got it. It's early enough ~ no WAY I'm getting sick. Well, not so much. I woke up this morning with a full blown sore throat, nasal congestion and an ear ache. That Zicam stuff doesn't work!! (sorry if any readers work for them!) Thank God for Sudafed.

But I digress...yesterday was one of the warmest days of the season thus far so Ed and I took full advantage of it by dining on the newly power-washed deck. It was a simple meal of tacos, but we decided to do it up. We whipped out the trusty folding table and chairs (since we have yet to purchase patio furniture), threw a tablecloth on top and voila ~ dinner in great outdoors!




Lucy is a big fan of tacos...well really anything that Mommy and Daddy are eating. She joined us on the deck and was a good girl. We are always nervous that she will slip through the railing on the deck since she is such a small nugget, but her interest was solely focused on taco meat...yum!


It was a lovely meal that we thoroughly enjoy...even if it was only tacos. Our goal is to buy some patio furniture soon so that we can have a proper deck dinner. We have a lot of work happening on the exterior of the house including the deck (power wash, sealing, staining, board replacing), burying of the drain hoses in the front and back of the house, a new fence so Lucy girl can run around in the back yard with ease and new sod to replace the gross old slate.


We will also be tackling our biggest landscaping project to date since we've known each other - The Front of the House!!! I'm really bad at plants...I have a black thumb if that gives you an indication of my track record with living plants. So our taking on this project without any guidance is very risky...but we are up to the challenge. Stay tuned for before and after pics coming soon!

Wow...not so short a post after all!!! :)

NYC or Bust Part 2

That's right...you read it correctly. I made my SECOND trip to NY this week. This time there was no train involved (which means no cheese plate. Sad.). Instead, Ed and I made the trip in our trusty Ford and munched on chips and apples instead. :) Why didn't I just stay up in the city and have Ed meet me up there, you ask? Well, I'm a good wife and wanted to keep my hubby company during the long drive on Friday night. And I needed to up my "good wife points" bounty for future cash in. :)

We were heading up to attend the first birthday of one of the cutest little boys I know ~ Mr. Dominick Green.


It was a quick trip ~ up and back in a mere 30 hours, but it was a good time. We managed to fit in a trip to "the Eggery", our favorite breakfast spot and the Cupcake Gourmet to pick up some of their delicious treats for our First Anniversary which is a mere 5 days away. (Amy did the cupcakes for our wedding and since our cake topper did not survive the 2 freezer breakdowns at Casa de Quartuccio, we decided to buy some fresh ones to celebrate with).

The big event was at White Post Farms and was the cutest Barnyard Birthday I've ever attended. We got to see all kinds of animals including bunnies, goats, horses, zebras, camels and even monkeys!! I'm not sure who had the better time...the kids or Ed and I! :)



After the festivities ended, we spent some time with Mama Mangiaracina and Brother Joe at Antonette's for dinner (location of our Rehearsal Dinner!!).

In an effort to be more technically savvy, we decided to not only document our trip with our camera phone, but instead dusted off the old Flip Mino HD and took some "live" footage of our journey. Now, because I have the problem of wanting to paint the whole picture and not leave anything out, the movie is about 10 mins long. I apologize for that. But if you have some time, I invite you to take a peek at our first embedded YouTube video on Being Mangiaracina ~ enjoy!!

Mushy Gushy

TGIF everyone! Our 1 year anniversary is approaching and it is causing us to get all mushy gushy with each other. It's hard to believe that almost an entire year has gone by ~ where did the time go?! At this time last year Ed and Lucy were living in Fairfax at Casa de Quartuccio while I was living in Westbury with the cats. We were putting the final touches on our big day AND packing up for our big move at the same time. CrAzy!!

But alas, here we are and what a year it has been. I decided to highlight our wedding day by showcasing some of the "things" that made up the big day. I literally have a box filled with things that I saved from the day we got engaged to the end of the wedding night. Seriously. The rose petals that were on the bed in the wedding night hotel room are currently in a little baggie in this box. :) Ed and I had fun going through it all and choosing what to showcase on our wall. So, I present to you our Wedding Day In A Box. :)



This little box does a pretty good job capturing the wonderful feeling of the day. Included is our DIY wedding invitation (made by yours truly), church bubbles, a few flowers from my beautiful bouquet, a photo of us just moments after we were married, a special "wish card", our guest favor (donation to the American Diabetes Association) and a pic of the reception venue.

This cute little box is living on the wall in our entrance hallway and I think it is a great memory to pass by each time we walk in the door.

Spring has Sprung

I have been inspired by my new favorite blog to be better at this blogging thing and increase the frequency of posts. So, here goes...

Spring in DC is officially here. I don't have an official thermometer reading for today's high, but I do know that it was gorgeous and that all I wanted to do was lay in the grass with Lucy. The flowers are blooming, the grass is growing and the trees are budding. Including our little gal in the front of the house.


This poor little tree has been through a lot in her short life. When we first moved in, one of her branches had cracked and was hanging by a thread so we had to bid it ado. Then mean old winter came along and dumped more snow than she could handle causing her to crack. Thanks to Merrifield Garden Center's "how to" video, we did some repairs.


We are hoping that this little band-aid is enough to keep her going. So far, so good...she is starting to bud!!


This is our first Spring in the new house so we have no idea what blooms these little buds will turn into. We are just happy to see that our patch job is working out.


Lucy enjoyed it too with her new, 15' leash. Happy Spring!!!! :)